D5300, is the auto focus accuracy good?

paul_b

Senior Member
Hi, I'm thinking of buying the D5300. The most important thing for me is auto focus accuracy. I don't do sports shots, & so speed is less important, but i wouldn't want to use live view as it's too slow. I take mainly pics of my child around the home, but she is a bit hyper.

I thought I'd ask in here​ as you people have actually been using the camera and so the best people to ask for opinions.

Thanks.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hi, I'm thinking of buying the D5300. The most important thing for me is auto focus accuracy. I don't do sports shots, & so speed is less important, but i wouldn't want to use live view as it's too slow. I take mainly pics of my child around the home, but she is a bit hyper.

I thought I'd ask in here​ as you people have actually been using the camera and so the best people to ask for opinions.

Thanks.
My fiance shoots with a D5300 and has for some time. I've not seen any issue with it's focus accuracy. It might be good to learn what helps with getting sharp focus from your camera in the first place, though, because I can tell you 99% of the time, it's not the camera's fault if you're shots look soft or if you're missing focus.
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Denny45acp

New member
My 5300 is spot on as far as exposure and focus.
Just use a f stop that can give you a good deph of field​. Have fun.

Denny Shootsalot
 

paul_b

Senior Member
What camera are you currently using? Your profile just lists a lens.
I did have a Nikon D3100 a year or so back. ATM i have a Sony a6000 and a Samsung NX300m. The Sony is never quite in focus, but the Samsung is always pin sharp. Unfortunately Samsung have stopped making top end cameras and i cant buy a speedlight for it anymore, and so i cant do OCF. So it's going to be retired. I'm fed up with the a6000 focusing and so have decided to buy a new camera. I'm annoyed with myself because i had a Sony a5000 a year or so back and the focusing problem was there with that model too. I should of learnt my lesson.

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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I've also shot with the D5300 for a couple years even after also getting the D7100. No complaints with the AF at all. The D5300 has a good sensor, good image processor...the only reason for going up the model line to the D7100 was to get two command wheels for less time in the menu to make setting changes.


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paul_b

Senior Member
I've also shot with the D5300 for a couple years even after also getting the D7100. No complaints with the AF at all. The D5300 has a good sensor, good image processor...the only reason for going up the model line to the D7100 was to get two command wheels for less time in the menu to make setting changes.


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Thank you for that. That's a few people that have ok'd the 5300 auto focusing. That's reassuring. I can't keep buying cameras without the missus finding out, lol

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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Thank you for that. That's a few people that have ok'd the 5300 auto focusing. That's reassuring. I can't keep buying cameras without the missus finding out, lol
I think the better question here might be are you having trouble consistently nailing focus with the camera you have, and if so, why?

If it's a technique problem a new camera will probably only exacerbate the issue, especially if the new body is of significantly higher resolution.
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paul_b

Senior Member
I think the better question here might be are you having trouble consistently nailing focus with the camera you have, and if so, why?

If it's a technique problem a new camera will probably only exacerbate the issue, especially if the new body is of significantly higher resolution.
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Yes i understand that. However, I get pin sharp focusing with my technique with my Samsung. It's just the Sony's i had trouble with no matter what i tried. If anything the Sonys should be better than DSLRs as they include contrast detect AF. I think (but could be wrong) that after having a camera like the Samsung focus so well you then notice another camera when it doesn't perform as good. With the Sony's i tried all the focus modes, tried changing focus square size, tried focusing on the points with most contrast, tried narrower apertures, tried really bracing my elbows, tried max ambient lights, everything. The focus was almost there, but never quite spot on, ie in post zooming in on the eyelashes and seeing blur.

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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
However, I get pin sharp focusing with my technique with my Samsung.

Based on this ... some cameras are pin sharp for you, while some are terrible ... my recommendation would be to get your hands on a D5300 in person somewhere and see for yourself. It could be something technique based like HF suggested, or it could truly be certain bodies, but in my mind you can never go wrong getting some time behind the viewfinder before buying a body. Then the missus doesn't have to be worried (as much). :D
 

paul_b

Senior Member
Based on this ... some cameras are pin sharp for you, while some are terrible ... my recommendation would be to get your hands on a D5300 in person somewhere and see for yourself. It could be something technique based like HF suggested, or it could truly be certain bodies, but in my mind you can never go wrong getting some time behind the viewfinder before buying a body. Then the missus doesn't have to be worried (as much). :D
Good idea. Maybe I'll sneak a memory card into one in the shop and take a few test shots, lol

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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Yes i understand that. However, I get pin sharp focusing with my technique with my Samsung. It's just the Sony's i had trouble with no matter what i tried. If anything the Sonys should be better than DSLRs as they include contrast detect AF. I think (but could be wrong) that after having a camera like the Samsung focus so well you then notice another camera when it doesn't perform as good. With the Sony's i tried all the focus modes, tried changing focus square size, tried focusing on the points with most contrast, tried narrower apertures, tried really bracing my elbows, tried max ambient lights, everything. The focus was almost there, but never quite spot on, ie in post zooming in on the eyelashes and seeing blur.
Based on this description, the bolded part in particular, I'm wondering if the issue isn't actually resolution; because what describe in the bolded sentence is pretty much exactly how you test for resolving power. Do you have some example photos, with EXIF data, where you think you missed focus we could take a look at?
 

paul_b

Senior Member
Based on this description, the bolded part in particular, I'm wondering if the issue isn't actually resolution; because what describe in the bolded sentence is pretty much exactly how you test for resolving power. Do you have some example photos, with EXIF data, where you think you missed focus we could take a look at?
I'll have a look later when i get to my computer. All of the rejects would of been binned and emptied though. That's the frustrating part, seeing a good photo binned due to the focusing being 'out'

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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I'll have a look later when i get to my computer. All of the rejects would of been binned and emptied though. That's the frustrating part, seeing a good photo binned due to the focusing being 'out'
Well there are a lot of things in your posts that make me wonder if this is truly a focus issue but without being able to see some examples we're really just guessing about not only the exact nature of the problem, but also the cause. We can't rule out things like lens softness, depth of field, relationship of shutter-speed to focal-length, overall resolution of the image, whether you're shooting raw or JPG and just exactly how much zooming you're doing. Zooming in to look at someone's eyelashes on a tight head-shot is one thing, on a full-body group photo it's another. In short, there are simply too many variables to consider to simply say a particular camera isn't focusing accurately. And comparing one unknown cameras output to another simply introduces a second unknown quantities. It may be that one of your cameras IS missing focus, but we can't say for sure based on what we have to go on.
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paul_b

Senior Member
Agreed. I will just say though, the Sony had a 50mm prime. It should of been sharp. The photos were therefore never a long focal length using the 50mm. It didn't matter if the subject was near or far, wide aperture or not, iso 100 or 2000, lots of light or not, the RAW's (no noise reduction applied) were rarely pin sharp focused. Take my Samsung and take the same shots, pin sharp using a kit lens! If i used manual focus on the Sony it would be much better. I noticed using focus peaking in manual focus mode that the Sony also had a bit of difficulty isolating one edge from another that were a bit in front or behind each other, i.e not a good separation.

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pforsell

Senior Member
There is no systemic or systematic problem with Nikon autofocus. On the contrary. Very likely it is the best on the planet, in capable hands. I have used Nikon AF since 1989 Nikon F4. It had the very lowly (by today's standards) AM200 autofocus module. Even a current D3400 runs rings around that professional body if we only compare AF capabilities.

Occasionally there might be a broken lens or a broken body, that's normal for any manufactured goods, but that's why the buyer is protected by a warranty.

Autofocus is not foolproof, but the caveats are listed in the user manual. Strong contrast or complete lack of contrast or strongly coloured light can cause AF problems, but there's workarounds and in the extreme case there's manual focus. In the end: It doesn't matter what gear you shoot or how you shoot, just get the shot.

Using AF to the fullest is a skill and needs practice. With almost 3 decades worth of experience with Nikon AF from F4, F5, F100, all D1, all D2, all D3 and all D4 models and about two dozen others including my daughter's D40, I feel I am qualified to say that if one cannot get a sharp image with a Nikon autofocus camera, the problem is definitely not the camera.
 

paul_b

Senior Member
There is no systemic or systematic problem with Nikon autofocus. On the contrary. Very likely it is the best on the planet, in capable hands. I have used Nikon AF since 1989 Nikon F4. It had the very lowly (by today's standards) AM200 autofocus module. Even a current D3400 runs rings around that professional body if we only compare AF capabilities.

Occasionally there might be a broken lens or a broken body, that's normal for any manufactured goods, but that's why the buyer is protected by a warranty.

Autofocus is not foolproof, but the caveats are listed in the user manual. Strong contrast or complete lack of contrast or strongly coloured light can cause AF problems, but there's workarounds and in the extreme case there's manual focus. In the end: It doesn't matter what gear you shoot or how you shoot, just get the shot.

Using AF to the fullest is a skill and needs practice. With almost 3 decades worth of experience with Nikon AF from F4, F5, F100, all D1, all D2, all D3 and all D4 models and about two dozen others including my daughter's D40, I feel I am qualified to say that if one cannot get a sharp image with a Nikon autofocus camera, the problem is definitely not the camera.
Thank you for taking the time to explain that :)

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