INTRODUCTION
Back
in the good old days of manual focusing cameras you had to
turn the lens ring until the subject looked sharp. If you
weren’t fast enough, well, there was always the next
frame.
Nowadays,
our cameras are getting smarter and smarter. So many things
can be well accomplished by camera automation, including autofocus,
that it is now easier than ever to get professional results.
The
Multi-CAM 2000 Autofocus (AF) sensor module in the Nikon
D2H, D2Hs,
F6,
and Nikon
D2x gives us a powerful tool for professional or advanced
amateur use. But, it’s imperative that the user of these
fine cameras take the time to learn about the four modes of
operation in Multi-CAM 2000. It can seem complicated when
reading the manual, but is not too difficult if you’ll
spend a little time testing the various modes. Then you’ll
understand the best settings for your own style of photography.
We’ll
discuss Multi-CAM 2000 from the standpoint of the Nikon
D2x, since this is considered Nikon’s top professional
model digital camera. There are some slight variances in custom
settings found in the other cameras using Multi-CAM 2000.
But, these are only minor differences, so it should pose no
problem using this article to understand Multi-CAM 2000 in
cameras other than the Nikon D2x.
It
may be a good idea to have your Nikon
D2x manual in hand, as well as your camera. We’ll
refer to both often in this article. Let’s proceed!
WHAT IS THE NIKON MULTI-CAM 2000 AUTOFOCUS?
It’s
a radically improved version of the famous Nikon Multi-CAM
1300 autofocus module found in the Nikon F5 35mm film SLR.
Where the Multi-CAM 1300 was limited to only Single Area AF
and Dynamic Area AF, the Multi-CAM 2000 adds two more modes
and several more AF sensors. The new modes are Group Dynamic
AF and Dynamic Area with Closest Subject Priority.
While
the Multi-CAM 1300 had five AF sensors, the Multi-CAM
2000 gives us eleven.
And,
the center nine of the eleven are cross-type sensors
which work in either horizontal or vertical camera positions.
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Why
is it called Multi-CAM 2000? Well, like the older “1300”
before it, the number 2000 represents the approximate number
of CCD elements in the autofocus system. With so many elements
it will autofocus in very low light levels, and at very high
speeds. It’s a true world-class AF system, unmatched
by any other camera brand.
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