Great content as usual Steve. To a new wildlife photography KZfaqr, you’ve set a high bar for me to aspire to. Great job.

this is by far the best photography channel in youtube. I have all your books and still watch all your videos.

Another great video Steve, i love that you are pushing out a lot of video’s lately, keep it up!

Such important and crucial advice Steve! As always, thank you for such great content.

Thanks again for all your help. Great show as usual!

Thanks for all the tips Steve... Extremely useful as always

Great video and content Steve. Thanks for always sharing your knowledge to all of us camera buffs.

Thanks Steve! Good stuff, as always.

You have created another highly informative video with no extraneous information. Thanks, Steve.

Very helpful! Thanks for the clear explanations Steve.

Great tips Steve. Provided new insights I hadn’t thought of.

It’s wonderful from time time to just have this sort of content be reiterated. It’s so easy to get disillusioned when you see pro shots and wonder what you’re doing wrong. I have the canon r6 and rf 100-500 and often eye tracking won’t work. These tips are just what I needed to be reminded of. Thank you Steve!

Super duper helpful video! It’s always a good day when you release new content 🤗 Thank you sir!

Great advise Steve. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Excellent as always. Great tips for a terrific but imperfect tool.

Excellent video - thank you. As ever, the explanations are extremely clear. I will definitely use these tips.

That was one of the best videos on this subject I’ve ever seen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks Steve. That was the clearest explanation for the use (or not) of subject detection I have seen. Much appreciated. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Steve,keep ‘em coming

Excellent as always. As someone who is new to mirrorless and subject detect I have been trying out different scenarios and this video reinforces some of my feelings on using the system. Its great to know that I seem to be heading in the right direction. Thank you for your excellent advice.

Short, to the point and just amazing TIPS... Your advice always helps in improving something related to my photographic technique...

For this very reason I assigned different af modes to different buttons ,and do apply as the situation demands. Great video Steve.

I have just got a camera with subject detect and was getting problems with it not working the way I expected it to - your demonstrations and advice have covered everything that was going wrong and will help me to get it right in future! Great video, thank you. And I loved seeing your domestic cats, they look gorgeous. The big wild cats/cubs images are stunning too.

Informative video as always.

Thank Steve, learned a lot!

Thank you for another great video!!

Great tips as usual. I use AF-on button for 3d and subject detection. FN1 for single point and lastly the manual focus ring. The latter is often used before either of those buttons. Sometimes when the subject is deep inside a bush or tree, for example, Australian Reed Warblers are almost always deep in thick reeds, then manual is the only way. Having focus highlighting is golden for that method. I never thought of DX area to improve the performance of subject detection. FN2 will get that role :)

Excellent - As always.

Thanks for sharing another wonderful video like always, keep up with the awesome content 🐦🤗👍

Thanks, logical and practical advice

Your tips are amazing. Thank you

excellent, as usual, thanks!

The tips are very useful. Thanks Steve.

Very helpful vid, thanks!

Thanks for the tips.

Wise words. I photograph diving Kingfishers a lot, the shapes they make on the dive and especially when they emerge from the water prove really difficult for my R5 to track using subject detection so I go for an AF area.

Thanks for all hard work, Steve!

Thank you for the review of these settings. It means a lot when coming from you, as a pro, and you use these setting the most!!!

Excellent info as always! Too many people expect Subject and Eye AF to be a miracle system that should always work, and are disappointed when it "fails" yet it's doing exactly what the AF is designed to do. Realistic expectations combined with full understanding of the cameras AF capabilities is definitely a major key to success. This video defines those keys to success VERY well! I feel I "work" my mirrorless AF system harder than I ever did on a DSLR by frequently "pumping" back and forth between subject/eye detection and single point AF when difficult situations arise. Dual Back Button focus makes this very fast and easy vs actually turning off Subject/Eye AF on my Canon bodies. Keep the great info coming!

Hey Steve, love it. The practical and detailed explanations you use here and always are so so easy to understand and follow, great share pal.👍

Awesome. Look forward to your tips on Video shooting sometime in the future..😊

Thanks for this video. It summarises a couple of my own investigations. AF is struggling in the dawn and works better with faster lenses

Excellent video Steve. When I first got the Z9, I was disappointed in the animal eye AF system and was reverting back to the same settings I have on my D850 / D500 asking myself why did I buy this camera? As I learned the limitations of the technology and got better at using it, I started to appreciate it more. The best tip you have in your video is to go to single point focus when AF is not giving consistent results. The AF system has gotten better with new firmware releases, but I wish Nikon would publish more about the limitations of the technology. It's comforting to know the Sony A1 and Z9 have similar AF eye tracking limitations, i.e., it's the technology, not necessarily the brand.

Thank you for another helpful video. I use both Nikon Z9 and Sony A1 so your approach was great for me. I do like how my Sony can set up the AF-ON and ^ buttons for two modes of back button focus where on is set up for Subject detection and the other for precision spot. A little more difficult on the Nikon but working on it. You might want to share with users how to set up multiple modes to be able to use quickly with different modes assigned to buttons.

Great Tips, Steve. 👍

Great info!

Steve if I may add one more tip, if the contrast between the subject and the background is not high the Z9 seems to struggle, for example if the subject is the same color as the background.

Your the best in detailing how to use z9 camera focusing with those afraid of transitioning from DSLRs. I'm totally dependent on a reliable camera shooting like sports (mostly indoors). Wildlife is a challenge also like moving birds. This is the closest match to what I photograph. Thanks. These tips are great!

Great video Steve. Happy New Year

Thanks for the walk through! I appreciate your style of presenting what is needed in a understandable manner. Plus your example shots aren't too shabby either ;)

I do apply this tips since Z6I (2019) for dark enviroments, dance floor, street parades obtaining almost perfect shooting. Today I´m with Z6II and Z9 and all Z glass and detail from this combos are astonoshing! Found out the issue on DX mode with Z9, the rest is all beautiful aruond here :) Cheers from South America Steve!!

thanks so much.

Well told. ...Spot on. ;)

Wow! Applying these tips and knowledge will cut out a lot of "Why is this not working" wasted time on a shoot. It certainly applies to video shoots too. Thank you, Steve! ⭐x5

Great video , I get fed up with folks complaining about eye detection not working they forget that you still have to use your skill as a photographer to nail the shot

Well Said ❤

🙏 thanks no.1 👌👌

Thank you for the tips! I use Nikon Z 5 and I'm always interested to know how Z 9 is different.

Great Stuff

Scott, as usual a great video. I use an R5 and am your comments all apply to Canon’s eye detect from my experience. I find using Dual Back-button focus is the way to go as I can flip between eye deck and traditional with just a slight movement of my thumb. I was surprised you didn’t mention that so I wanted to mention it here for the community.

Gracias de nuevo.y feliz año nuevo.🌟

Great tips, Steve. OM1 user here. Also, former and current Nikon, excluding the pricey Z9. The detection and tracking on this camera is phenomenal with more than 1,000 AF points on a M43 sensor half the size of Full frame. I started using it with various area modes and using the joystick to refine composition; but quickly came to realize the camera just doesn’t need the help. Switched to full area mode and haven’t looked back, except in circumstances where the subject is partly obscured or contrast is compromised - ie. heavy fog. I barely ever use the joystick any more for birds and wildlife. As an aside, even with the Z9 and all it’s updates, Nikon needs to up its game. Less than 500 AF points on the Z9 sensor - and less than 300 on the first and second gen Zs - is not enough for subject detection and tracking to be fully consistent. That’s why I switched to Oly for my birds and wildlife - OM1 + 150-400 4.5 TC pro lens - while keeping my Nikons for slow and stationary stuff - and my terrific 20-200 range of Z mount lenses. Steve, I know you’re being brand agnostic these days but I think tips on M43 would be great. Obviously, there are some compromises to work around for M43 physics but the sheer weight saving, versatility and computational features make it a great system in its own right. Cheers and happy new year.

Steve, I confirm you that the same is true for the new Fujifilm cameras (X-H2s, X-H2 and X-T5). I have tested it with each of them. This wasn't the case with older models.

Nobody makes better videos! Close, but no better!

I shoot a D500 but still found this very interesting. Thanks.

Thanks Steve for another interesting and informative video. On Sony cameras, do you ever use the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) as an alternative to eye focus. I have found this feature gives me the best of both auto and manual focus.

Great tips! I’d like to see how you handle background/foreground capture on moving subjects. I shoot mostly birds with a Nikon Z9.

Love the African Bee Eater, was fortunate enough to shoot one this past year, sadly I didn’t have a long enough lenses. 1:13

Thank you! Just bought a Z9. Its a learning curve from my old D850. =O)

Great content!! I have a question why do pros mostly advise against using the 1/2 press for any focus method? I have my R5 and R6 ii both set up as follows: The 1/2 press is set to the smallest single point with 2 back buttons set to subject detection one with all the focus points (whole screen) and one restricted to a smaller zone (which can be custom defined on the R6). I shoot wildlife. With this set up and the the 1/2 press on and by testing the back buttons can determine VERY quickly which method will be my best choice without ever taking my eye off the subject in the VF. I've been using this for a long time and for it works great but whenever I mention most say its not a good set up? I tried without and felt I was missing a lot of shots. Maybe just an old habit and what I am accustomed to ??

I have a Tamron 150-600 Gen 1, and use it with my Canon R5. I tried taking pics last winter of a red cardinal on a perch with nothing behind it, except snow, it was sunny and the contast between bird and ground was unmistakable, still, the camera would not stick to the bird. I can't fathom what's going on, but I'm very disappointed in the camera & lens. Brought the combo into a camera store; they couldn't figure out what's wrong. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

Literally just back from Kruger and indeed, the Z9 has issues with elephants and got the same experience that it focuses on the trunk. it also has trouble with a wildebeest/gnoe as it has these patches under the eye and confuses the subject/eye detection.

Thank you, this was affirming ( ;

Another good one, the best part of subject detection is the freedom to compose how I want, and many different ways. It amazes me that people have this technology but still they only manage to centre or shoot for Instagram. What a waste of incredible ability in the gear.

Steve your photos are some of the best in the world and I often pause the video to stare at them. Might I suggest holding them in broll longer? It's not that I don't appreciate seeing you but your photos are just incredible :) peace my friend

great tips, thank you Steve, i often have troubles in wildlife photography with moving animals that my camera rather likes to focus on branches than on my subject, and usually they are already gone once i´m in the focus range with manual focus 😢

Hi Steve, how do you quickly switch between having subject detection af on and off in the moment? I have it set to my back button af, so that is my main way of focusing right now unless I manually focus.

Glad to see someone finally using Vero 💪but boycott the ig 😉 Might the elephant eye be because of the dark eyes? My om-1 have pet and bird with eye detection. Never tried it on primates though, but I will keep it in mind next time I'm going to the zoo.! 😊 The detection sensitivity is good to know also, especially when wings or grass gets in the way for a second.

nice tuto. do you have courses and tutos on sony A7IV ? i am struggling with eye detection. very often, wide (or wide tracking), zone (or zone tracking) don't recognize face of people coming to me (runner, jogger,...) and i need to switch to extended spot tracking which is amazing but i noticed that, even if face is prioritized, the extended spot must overlap the face frame otherwise focus is done on spot instead on eye

DX crop mode is not different then simply zooming in (increasing magnification). A subject make lock eye detect at a 400mm zoom and fail at 300mm with the same subject and the same camera to subject distance.

Good info Steve. ** Primate eye detection** - as apes etc are primates, like we humans, I set my camera to Human eye detect when photographing them. This is due to the fact that their eyes are so similar to ours. Works well at the zoo! Shutting off subject detection at times sounds good. Cheers.

I adjust my Nikon's "a3 focus tracking with lock-on" to four or five. After I lock on, this keeps the camera tracking subject longer even if a distraction passes through the frame.

Great tips, as usual, Steve. Side note: what was up with the Osprey coming in hard at the beach? Was there something I couldn’t see?

"If subject detetion fails, use single point AF" Me who still uses a DSLR: Sounds good!

Hey Steve ! I got a Z7(i) and I recently received the 800 6.3 ; so far subject or eye detection have never worked on a bird (even tho it works on human faces). Is it normal because of the use of a Z7(i) ? I guess a Z7(ii) would make it way better ? I do not leave a lot of comments so btw, thank you very much for you work, it helps me so much ! Regards from France !

Steve, great tips. But as a hobbyist photographer (Nikon Z50 owner) and can't justify the price on Nikon, Canon and Sony flagship camera. I realize Nikon cameras (not the Z9) have subpar (awful) AF for wildlife photography. Which Canon or Sony camera do you recommend for us hobbyist photographer?

Great Video Steve! I think it's a shame that the Nikon Z6ii and Z7ii don't have bird detection, especially given the fact that they have people and pet eye detection.

Does the A1 show the eye tracking box in video? I haven't been able to get it to turn on even when I'm super close to birds, am I doing something wrong?

I'd love to see your photo of the red-tailed hawk from Monday.

Steve does the D500 have these settings..?

Do you have a C9 or a Z9?

Sony says of the A1 that its bird recognition was based on small birds and eagles/hawks. So users can expect to see failures with eg. long-necked birds.

My most difficult subject is sandhill cranes. The eye is small and too far from the body. If I use spot focus the camera still constantly hunts (micro-focuses) in continuous focus. I just can't seem to ever be close enough to a crane.

Great content but one question…how do you QUICKLY shut off subject detection so as not to lose the shot?

Canon works much better detecting subjects/eye in crop mode.

But i have a z6

Tip 0? Select the correct subject in the menu first. (For some reason my A1 likes to switch from bird to animal all by itself.)

You would think that they would excel at primates (compared to birds at least)

Did not learn much if anything