Anyone else find the D810 live view AF sucks?

[Son_of_Thor]

Really struggle with this - I find it just won't lock on, usually in conditions where you want to focus on an area that's in shadow or is low contrast (or both), so it's difficult to get optimal focus manually even when zoomed in. I'm not even talking extremely low light levels here, recent examples were early evening when there was plenty of light.. I don't get out to shoot landscapes that often due to my job and family life, but I'm currently finding I just don't want to bother with the D810. IQ is great, but I'm finding it frustrating to use..

Any one else experienced similar and if so, did you find a way around it?

Had a play around with a friends D850 recently and this seemed considerably better from this PoV, but I'm trying not to let GAS get the better of me!

 

[gad-westy]

Nikon Live view AF has historically been terrible until they're started dabbling seriously in mirrorless. It should lock okay in reasonable light though, even if a bit slowly. But maybe manual focus is the way to go for landscapes in those scenarios?

 

[Sky]

I've never had a problem with mine and as much as I want to get myself the 850, I just can't justify it to myself as the 810 is so good.

Have you tried cleaning the AF sensors? A couple of people have mentioned problems with dirty ones on here recently . . .

 

[f/1.2]

Really struggle with this - I find it just won't lock on, usually in conditions where you want to focus on an area that's in shadow or is low contrast (or both), so it's difficult to get optimal focus manually even when zoomed in. I'm not even talking extremely low light levels here, recent examples were early evening when there was plenty of light.. I don't get out to shoot landscapes that often due to my job and family life, but I'm currently finding I just don't want to bother with the D810. IQ is great, but I'm finding it frustrating to use..

Any one else experienced similar and if so, did you find a way around it?

Had a play around with a friends D850 recently and this seemed considerably better from this PoV, but I'm trying not to let GAS get the better of me!

It is crap. The D850 is not much better either. All nIkon Dslr's excluding the D780 have crap live view.

If you need a dslr with decent live view the D780 is really the only Nikon option, other than switching to mirrorless.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

That's very odd to hear. I'm alien to nikon world, but even the 8 year old 5DMK3 with no DPAF will lock perfectly on all still targets in LV even well after sunset. It does take it's time though so maybe you just need more patience?

 

[Son_of_Thor]

Nikon Live view AF has historically been terrible until they're started dabbling seriously in mirrorless. It should lock okay in reasonable light though, even if a bit slowly. But maybe manual focus is the way to go for landscapes in those scenarios?

So it seems, but I don't remember my previous D750 ever being anywhere near this unreliable! The D850 is a lot better (tried it and in the same light and it'd AF in live view comfortably at F8, whereas my D810 wouldn't lock on at F4 with the same lens) but seemingly still nowhere near as good as the Z7 (which would AF fine in the same light stopped down well past F16). The D810 locks fine in good light, but not at all in lower light situations (such as late evening, which is when I shoot a lot of the time frustratingly)

I've never had a problem with mine and as much as I want to get myself the 850, I just can't justify it to myself as the 810 is so good.

Have you tried cleaning the AF sensors? A couple of people have mentioned problems with dirty ones on here recently . . .

I agree the D810 is excellent, ergonomically great to use (as are all the Nikon pro range of DSLR's), great IQ and the shutter action is lovely - it's just this particular frustration that's getting to me. I hadn't considered a clean of the AF sensors - I'll do some youtubing later once the kids are in bed, cheers...

 

[architectfadi]

Nikon DSLRs have awful and very slow liveview mechanism. Surprisingly, they have never put any effort in making it better, especially when you think that their mirrorless Nikon 1 system had a fast liveview autofocus.

 

[Son_of_Thor]

It is crap. The D850 is not much better either. All nIkon Dslr's excluding the D780 have crap live view.

If you need a dslr with decent live view the D780 is really the only Nikon option, other than switching to mirrorless.

The D850 seems considerably better, but not great TBH (certainly not compared against a Z7 for example). I'm a fan of the higher resolution bodies personally as I like the ability to crop in when shooting wildlife, so I'm not sure I'd go back to a 24MP body. Don't even get me started on the possibility of a switch to mirroless!!

 

[Son_of_Thor]

That's very odd to hear. I'm alien to nikon world, but even the 8 year old 5DMK3 with no DPAF will lock perfectly on all still targets in LV even well after sunset. It does take it's time though so maybe you just need more patience?

It's a known weakness with Nikon DSLR's - as others have said, they never seem to have put much effort into sorting it

 

[Son_of_Thor]

Nikon DSLRs have awful and very slow liveview mechanism. Surprisingly, they have never put any effort in making it better, especially when you think that their mirrorless Nikon 1 system had a fast liveview autofocus.

Indeed - frustrating - it's my only real complaint with the D810 - it's a great body otherwise for landscape/macro/family stuff. I've got a D500 for wildlife, so it suits my purposes (other than having to lug two camera bodies around!)