AF Speed SECRETS! Do YOU Have It All WRONG?!?

Рет қаралды 67,877

Күн бұрын

It's time to clear out the myths and mysteries regarding AF speed. If you want a higher keeper rate with any lens, you'll love this one!
In this video, we'll answer these questions:
How fast does a subject have to move in order to outrun the AF speed of your lens? (The answer will surprise you)
When are the two times slower AF speed can really hurt you?
What are five ways to get better results with any lens, even the slower focusing ones?
In it, we'll look at the REAL reasons AF speed is often a problem (and no, it's probably not what you think) as well as five ways to get a higher keeper rate no matter how slow - or fast - the AF speed of your lens.
This is an eye-opener for anyone who shoots action!
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Пікірлер: 170

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Two quick followup notes: 1. I only tested the one lens for the MPH/KPH test because it was simply an example. I'm starting to get comments asking about how fast other lenses travel that distance and the truth is, that's not really the point I was trying to make with the video. My point was simply that even slower focusing lenses move the focal plane amazingly fast. It's really to the point that the focal plane moves so fast it really doesn't matter if one lens is faster than another - they are all quick enough for 99.5% of what we shoot. I did include some minimum focus distance to infinity tests that I think are more useful at 3:06 or so. 2. Keep in mind that if you use Recall Shooting Distance (if your lens / camera supports it) you can effectively have multiple distances on tap. You could have your lens set to handle more distant subjects and then with the press of a button, have it zip back for targets that suddenly appear at closer range.

@LouisGedo 6 ай бұрын

2:26 😆 🤣 😂 I almost spit out my coffee all over the table!!

@Shivashankar 6 ай бұрын

Thank you Steve

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@LouisGedo I couldn't resist. :)

@LouisGedo 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery I'm a very visual person and the image was already forming in my head so you creating that was perfect for me since it completed the visualization for me! 👍

@user-gd2ib5io3x 6 ай бұрын

Unless you are photographing a peregrine falcon with a pigeon taped to your forehead ! LoL

@robguyatt9602 6 ай бұрын

I don't think that would be a good idea. LOL

@phooesnax 6 ай бұрын

Loved that!

@bradleyzimmerman4184 6 ай бұрын

Great video. It nice to watch something with intelligence behind it instead of brand loyalty, spec lists and all the things wrong about every single camera/lens. You have to know your gear and refine the techniques to acheive your goals.

@mitchellmysliwiecphotography 6 ай бұрын

You teach so much in these bite size videos. Well done, Steve

@ryancooper3629 6 ай бұрын

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on this subject. I actually has a bunch of really practical suggestions that are genuinely helpful that most people wouldn't know. Fantastic video dude! As someone who shots with the wildly unreliable z7ii some of these suggestions will be super helpful! I recently sold my 200-500 but I pretty much always felt that it wasn't that it wasn't too slow to keep up with a bird but rather the camera is struggling so much to lock on with the slower focusing lens that it feels almost hopeless sometimes. (I sold it mostly due to ergonomics, weight, and image quality not focus speed) thanks so much!

@markrigg6623 6 ай бұрын

That's a great idea with the pigeon- I'm gonna try that tomorrow.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Just watch for unexpected exhaust :)

@jimmccafferty1611 6 ай бұрын

Steve, your videos are always full of relevant info and advice. Got all your e-books and they are all exactly the same, I've learnt so much from them. many thanks.

@alphajam1 6 ай бұрын

I think your absolutely correct. When I tried to track a hockey player skating toward to me with a D3 it had a hard time keeping up. With the z9 with the same lens it had no issue. This was in a dark rink. I was totally happy with that improvement alone. I see that this issue has been solved.

@Samanthaohlsenphotography 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve for this awesome video. You are a truely gifted educator, and I have really enjoyed every e-book I have purchased from you. Thanks for all your hard work at producing such great e-books and KZfaq videos.

@uaebifvideo5472 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this upload, Steve!!👍🏼Informative!!.

@robertkaplan2833 6 ай бұрын

Steve, All of your videos are very informative and entertaining. Your animation and narration make the concepts easy to understand. Much appreciated

@user-og9ku6sh9v 6 ай бұрын

Outstanding information...love your videos!!!!

@steepanddeepoutdoors4647 6 ай бұрын

Steve, you have some of the most informative videos out there! This one was great. The focus limiter switch is very underutilized even by myself. But showing the speeds at which it can reaquire focus by using the switch puts it in perspective a lot! Awsome video!

@frankcruz8068 6 ай бұрын

Brilliant! Nice work, Steve.

@glennn.3464 6 ай бұрын

Hi Steve. Another great video on a topic or aspect of wildlife photography that no one else seems to cover.

@stanw4317 6 ай бұрын

Again, another one so well done! So professional! Thank you.

@sturek 6 ай бұрын

Another video with great tips Steve!!

@krishchandran4125 6 ай бұрын

Wow ! That is quite an eye-opener ! Like you said, I haven't been making the best use of the focus limiter switch. Thanks, Steve !

@chrishayes4785 6 ай бұрын

You are such an awesome teacher. Obviously you know of what you are discussing, but its the teaching style that shines. As always a great video.

@HCAI_Learning 29 күн бұрын

Fantastic video! Thank you so much!

@uhoh7541 6 ай бұрын

Nice video, thanks for the information!

@davepastern 6 ай бұрын

Some great tips Steve. Many thanks.

@merkin22 6 ай бұрын

Once again, great teaching video; thanks Steve! Oh, and the pigeon taped to forehead -- hilarious! :)

@acemanNL 6 ай бұрын

Brilliant information! Thx! 👍

@johndoe-nh9sh 6 ай бұрын

Interesting video Steve, thanks for sharing. I've long been an advocate of both having a pre-focused point and setting the focus recall. However, things like settings the lens focus limiter should also be considered along with your AF settings in-camera (ie the responsiveness of the AF) and tailoring AF settings to the subject e.g. large raptors in flight are generally much slower moving while small passerines around trees are much more jumpy. With that in mind it's worth setting up a shortcut button to enable quick tweaking of that without having to take your eye from the viewfinder.

@7inrain 4 ай бұрын

Stumbled over this video and it delivers really helpful advice. Thanks.

@spaceshantynow1851 6 ай бұрын

Good stuff! I’ll try to apply some of these techniques the next time I’m out. Thank you!

@alecstewart9099 6 ай бұрын

Excellent advice. Thank you.

@gmailcom23 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Steve. I have learned a lot from you. You are truly wonderful. Thank you again

@richardfink7666 6 ай бұрын

In fact, I`ve always wondered how fast a lens can focus. I`m surprised by the result. I´m always surprised by your topics...pure enthusiasm!!!!

@DLLANEPHOTOGRAPHY 6 ай бұрын

Great tips! Thank you

@johnharkness6095 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the great tips!

@cryptographerchris4856 6 ай бұрын

Fantastic video. Thanks.

@ernreeders5583 6 ай бұрын

Good advice as always. Thanks Steve. Re focus range limiting, I can't reliably judge 2.4m or 10m distance that one of my lens uses so don't resort to it. However, one lens allows user programming of overlapping brackets (Tamron 150-600mm G2).

@cliftonwhittaker260 6 ай бұрын

Good information, Steve.

@MS-jo2tb 5 ай бұрын

Thanks, a couple of things to try.

@ericsmith9777 6 ай бұрын

Thanks, things just got a little easier !!!!

@dwnforcemedia 6 ай бұрын

Great video! I use all of these techniques with the motorsports photography I do. This really helps when you don't know when a car is coming around a turn or you're shooting a pit stop.

@martharetallick1150 6 ай бұрын

And I use them with sports. Matter of fact, there's a bicycle race coming up on Saturday...

@gabrieldibjunior5431 5 ай бұрын

Your tips are immensely valuable. A single detail may be the difference between a good image and a trash can. Thanks a lot for your work .

@gabrieldibjunior5431 5 ай бұрын

Your tips are immensely valuable . A single detail may be the difference between something good or the trash can. Thanks a lot !

@conchmk 4 ай бұрын

Great tips! I never knew about the minimu focus switch on the lens.

@scottsmith8066 5 ай бұрын

Stave , since I saw your first video I just stuck to the channel , keep it up with the great work , I'm beginner Wildlife photographer and any clip that you make its super understandable and applicable. Thanks!

@backcountrygallery 5 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@JeffandLeslie 6 ай бұрын

Good stuff here Steve!

@mituldesai666 6 ай бұрын

This video is really useful for Bird's in-flight shooting technique... Thanks.

@Rocketman81601 6 ай бұрын

Well, Steve. You've made this all so clear. I also downloaded your book from your site Secrets To The Nikon Autofocus System - Mirrorless Edition -v160. I feel like I'm fully loaded and as informed as my attention span allows ;-} Thank you for your hard work.

@roderickwho1983 6 ай бұрын

So you're telling me to tape a pigeon to my head ? Well, ok. I'll let you know how it works out.. Great video as usual. Thanks ;-)

@Pine4205 6 ай бұрын

TY, Steve.

@jimerickson4754 5 ай бұрын

Excellent video Steve! I really need to buy a few of your books! I was lucky to upgrade to my Z8 recently and today bought a Z mount 70-200mm F2.8 S-line lens (most used range overall). My f-mount 200-500 f5.6 is perfect once I but the focus limiter on and maybe drop from f5.6 to 6.3. Monopod or Tripod with Gimbal head and I am in heaven! Thank you for sharing great advice!

@backcountrygallery 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words :)

@pattymattes7124 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve!!! Love the cardinal 🙂

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! Nothing like finding a willing - and totally real and definitely not fake - cardinal to help with the demo :)

@brentnearhood8874 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! Steve 📷

@rayrozema5960 6 ай бұрын

great instruction

@mikedavis1110 6 ай бұрын

Great information and using the limiter switch was great advice to help in tracking. Would it also help to change focus option in the menu from steady or erratic?

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Steady Ve Erratic probably wouldn't matter. Erratic is for fast stops and starts where steady covers pretty much everything else. Although it seems like it would be, erratic isn't talking about erratic movements during flight / running, just sudden starts and stops. (It might help for takeoffs though to put it to erratic).

@chrismahoney-wn4ll 6 ай бұрын

Great video!!! Can you test camera bodies next?

@aser75 6 ай бұрын

Great vid, as usual! With my Z9 and 800mm pf I use two recall shooting distance buttons : 1. the L-fn2 button(s) for farther away targets (~20 meters general hiking distance) or specific perches/points of interests . 2. the MEMORY SET button is used for closer targets or in general hiking it is set to the minimum focus distance. The L-Fn1 and Memory Set buttons had to swap roles: the L-Fn1 is used to set up the memory and the Memory-Set button is used to recall the desired short (saved) distance. The reason I do it is because its allowing me to press the Memory-Set button with my middle finger without changing my grip on the lens/camera this way I can use it to recall the shorter distance or even program it to some other quick and easy functions, while the harder to reach L-Fn1 button is used to the lesser used function of setting up the focus distance

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

That's actually a really clever way to do it - I might just try that myself :)

@slcoleman99 5 ай бұрын

I would love to see a how to on this, I think it's brillant!

@AndyMillerPhotoUK 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve -- as you highlight at 6:00 the issue of course is when the camera gets stuck in the background how fast it is at getting on to a subject at say 5m - your initial lock or post blocked / missed lock. Please repeat your test with your Z600/4TC (well as close as you can get to replicate it given the MFD of the 600 is further out). Predictive tracking -- sure this may help as may pupil position tracking - but in the end the subject has to be in the frame for the AF to lock on. I hate the range limiters on lenses - because more often than not in the heat of a shoot I forget I have set it AND then miss shots when the subject gets "too" close. My prefocus point is normally a few meters beyond the MFD - so like you I can pull focus out of the background by pressing my chosen focus recall lens button-- still needed on occasions.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Andy :) I actually took out a part of the video where I mention that I'm not going to test other lenses - basically because it doesn't matter. Although the 600TC is no doubt faster, when a lens like the 180-600 is so quick to move the focal plane, it really just becomes gratuitous at some point :)

@brianlemke6017 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve. I always use the focus limiter unless I’m inside the minimum limiter range. I also follow your advice to pre-focus. What I don’t do is use the recall feature because I don’t have an Fn-2 button on my 500mm pf, and I reserve my lens Fn button for 3D tracking. I suggest this as an alternative to the button programming that you recommend. Rather than having to move my right thumb or finger to flip from area focus to 3D, by far the easiest most seamless and instantaneous switch is by simply switching thumbs. Absolutely no movement required. I suggest you give it a try. I think you might be surprised how well this technique works.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! And yup, I have tried it but it doesn't work well for me. The thing is, my finger is already over the button, so not much movement to begin with. However, my bigger issue is that I use a LOT of different glass and the buttons I have at my disposal are all in slightly different places on those lenses, so not a lot of ergonomic consistency. I think if I were just using a single lens most of the time, the lens button would be far more tempting :)

@geomall 6 ай бұрын

Interesting ❤

@suzannegmirek1520 Ай бұрын

GREAT video.... again! I just bought your Secrets to Stunning Bird Photography. WOW!!! I already have your Understanding Nikon's Autofocus Mirrorless and your Nikon Z8, Z9 setup guides and your Secrets to Photographing Wildlife ebooks (which are all fantastic). I thought I'd get the Bird Photography one to learn a FEW more tips. It is PACKED with information specific to birds! The photos alone are worth the price. Free upgrades and free videos too?! Thank you so much...for all you do!

@backcountrygallery Ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@garygilbreath2218 6 ай бұрын

Those are great tips, thanks Steve. I do have a problem with the focus limiter, though, at least for my setup. I have a D500 w/ 200-500 lens on a shoulder strap attached to the lens tripod foot. The lens rides against my leg, which slowly pushes the manual focus ring to the minimum focus distance. If I have the focus limiter turned on, the Nikon refuses to go beyond the near focal range, even though the limiter is intended to prevent focusing in that range. This has caused me to miss so many shots that I've given up on the range limiter.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

I don't have my 200-500 or I'd take a look at it myself. That doesn't seem right if I understand you correctly. You might want to ask at the BCG Forums and see if others have the same issue.

@callline7183 6 ай бұрын

I've had a 200-500mm Nikon lens for several years and used it on D5300, D7500, Z6 and now Z7. I just tried on my Z7 and my son's D5200 and with the limiter engaged I can't focus on a close target, then I manually override focus so that I can focus on that close target (~8ft,2meters), then I try to autofocus on a distant subject and the lens focuses just fine. It takes a little to get there but it does focus just fine. I have both (Z7 and D5200) cameras setup with back button focus but I don't think that should matter. Not sure why you would be seeing the lens not being able to focus on your D500. I just tried spinning the manual override focus a dozen times to ensure it was at minimum focus to see if that changed anything, but I can still autofocus on the distant target just fine on my Z7.

@andrewprentice7965 6 ай бұрын

those photos at the very beginning are incredible!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@csabapapp8481 6 ай бұрын

Hi Steve! Thanks for the great content! I wonder what AF settings would you prefer for swallows or common and alpine swifts in flight. I can track swallows with my D500 and the Sigma 150-600 C on dynamic 25 af area, but I wonder if there is a better option. Swifts are crazy fast, even harder to track than swallows. My best try was on manual focus with a 200mm lens, not using the viewfinder, just looking over the lens. It's a great challenge, sometimes I spend hours just to try get some sharp photos of these small birds.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! I always liked Group AF for things like that - it seems sticker to me. Still, those birds are fast and it's tough to stay on them - that's the bigger challenge IMO.

@csabapapp8481 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery Thank you! I'll try the group af. Yes, it's not easy to stay on them, but the bigger the challenge is, the happier with the result I am when finally got some. :)

@brucegraner5901 6 ай бұрын

I enjoyed the video very much and your pigeon-on-the-hat illustration:) Any chance you have a list of slower focusing lenses? I'm just wondering how the MFT 100-400mm lenses stack up. I've actually had pretty good luck with my Lumix 100-400mm on the OG9 by greatly increasing the AF sensitivity in the menu and adding subject tracking to a smaller focusing square rather than the nearly full-frame tracking mode. I also use the focus limiter. Most of the problems I see with MFT focus tracking happen using full-frame tracking.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

I don't have a full list published anywhere, although I do like the idea :) The 100-400 runs from minimum focus distance to infinity in just over a second if I recall. However, it has a lot of close-focus range so the actual speed is pretty good - it just has a long way to go when it's close. The range limiter is a good call for that one when doing action :)

@wellingtoncrescent2480 6 ай бұрын

Nicely done, with much needed context for claims about AF speed. I'd just love to see similar studies on other long telephoto zooms :)

@CareyP 6 ай бұрын

Great video Steve! I am always amazed on how you do these tests and as usual they are very useful! You didn’t test the Z800 pf or the z100-400 in this video. Do you have any idea where they fall in speed wise? I will be buying either the 600 pf or 800 pf in the future but cant seem to make up my mind which would be more useful! Range vs size/weight! I already have the Z100-400 with the ZTC 1.4 which isna great combo!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

The 800 is faster than the 180-600 and the 100-400 is slower - at least from minimum four distance to infinity. However, I feel like they are all pretty close in the 3-33 meter range I tested. All are quick enough for most work.

@CareyP 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve! I appreciate the reply! If you were going to buy just one between the Z800 PF and Z600 PF which one would you buy? @@backcountrygallery

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@CareyP Just depends on what I was shooting most of the time and how close they were. Both lenses are fantastic, but without knowing what you're shooting it's tough to say.

@CareyP 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery wildlife basically ! Its always nice to nave the reach but beimg able to carry it around for a while is also important! I am goimg to have to find a place to physically see both lenses!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@CareyP that's probably the best bet. You might also consider renting and seeing if you like them. Most of the time if you're doing smaller subjects like birds or subjects that are very skittish the ARF is the way to go. On the other hand, if you're working on easier birds or larger mammals, the 600 PF tends to be better. I honestly don't know if there's a single solution that's perfect. I tend to use both.

@ulfmoller8701 6 ай бұрын

Thank You Steve for a very welcome and informative video once again! I wonder how I can set up both "Set focusing distance" and "Recall focus distance" on my Z 180-600 which only have a L-Fn 1 button? Can I program a button on the camera to do that? I have a Z6 at the moment. Can the Z6ii or the Z7ii do that for instance? Thanks!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

At the moment, you have to have a lens with both Fn1 and Fn2 buttons to use recall distance with the Z6/7 series cameras. Hopefully Nikon will add the ability to program it to other buttons in the future.

@xmeda 6 ай бұрын

There are significant differences and for example when shooting indoor hockey match it is much easier with fast focusing lens than with slow one. You can try to prefocus on ground into location of expected action etc, but that requires some skill. If course trying to shoot something at long distance with telephoto where subject moves withing few meters while you are in 50+m distance, then there is no issue. In general it will be nice to have AF limiter range selectable in any camera. So I'll be able to tell the camera to only focus in lets say 5m - infinity. And yes, AF speed is not the critical factor, people were shooting flying birds even with manual film cameras 100 years ago..

@erwinargyle264 6 ай бұрын

Great video as always Steve. The tips are excellent. However, I don't think the initial experiment gives much insight into how the equipment will react to a moving subject. I think you only tested the speed of the lens and camera to change focus from close to far or vice versa. An experiment where you track a car driving towards you at say 30 mph would be really interesting I think. You would use up a lot of gas as you repeat the test with different cameras and lenses but it would provide useful data for comparison. I have never seen a memory focus lock on a camera. I am used to back button focusing on something big (like a tree) about the same distance and starting from there. Does the Sony A1 with a 200-600G have that ability? I could not find it searching the web. Thanks, Big Fan.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's not a perfect test but I do think it makes the point :) The recall focus distance option was only available on more expensive glass for a long time - and with Sony I'm pretty sure that's still the case. Nikon does allow you to use programmable buttons for it on the Z8/9 and to a lesser extent, the Z6/7 series. Sadly, the 200-600G does not have the option (although the 400 2.8 and 600 F/4 do - I know, surprise surprise).

@TheReillyDiefenbach 6 ай бұрын

Another great video, but I'm so glad I switched to the Sony 200-600 ;^)

@Skye_the_toller 6 ай бұрын

the main issue is "almost" always that we can not track the bird and keep it in the sweet spot of the AF!!! it needs practice.... ;) using manual focus to keep me close of the subject is something I use a lot... almost always with very unprevisible subject . good tips... again!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

You're not alone :) Heck, I've been doing BIF work for years and still get those near misses (sometimes even fast glass can't help me LOL)

@StevenLilley 6 ай бұрын

Thanks

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@_systemd 6 ай бұрын

The problem is , as you stated, there's more variables. The test basically measures speed of AF motor. It doesn't measure speed: precision of the tracking algorithm. Hence in theory u can track a peregrine falcon, in reality you loose focus on a running toddler .

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Yup, the point of my test was to demonstrate that the RAW speed of the lens isn't the issue.

@richardfink7666 6 ай бұрын

Danke!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@FernandoSaravia 6 ай бұрын

Hi Steve. Thank you very much for your video. Very interesting. I see that on the screen, in the lower area you get a marker where you see the distance at which it is focusing? I have a Nikon Z8, how can I activate it? Thank you!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

I was manually focusing. When you have a Z series lens and manually focus, you'll get the range at the bottom.

@FernandoSaravia 6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@marc5279 6 ай бұрын

i like what you did about calculating the true tracking speed of lenses for demonstrating that this is mostly not an issue. However, i missed wehter the time the camera takes between realising the shutter and actually taking the photo, is a dealbreaker or not in situations where a subject is fastly coming at you and is really close aswell. I sometimes feel (and i'm speaking d500 with either 500pf or 300 2.8, mostly noticed with flying pidgeons when they fly towards me and they start to fill the whole frame) that there's a point at which it would be better for the lens to actually frontfocus in response to the time the camera takes to actually take the photo (even in afc, focus priority, etc etc). The thing is that the lens' autofocus doesnt move in the time frame between the moment where the mirror starts to move aside to expose the sensor and the moment it returns to its default place (remember that sensor exposure occurs somewhere in the middle of this time frame); so, the longer this time frame is, the more time your subject has to get out of the focus plane your lens previously aquired, resulting in your sensor just geting a backfocused shot. Does it make sense?

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

When the mirror is up, the camera should still be adjusting focus based on the latest information it has. It really doesn't stop between shots. However, when the sensors are blocked, it's using predictive tracking, and at closer range I think that's prone to error since the AF ring has to move quite a bit more. Also, in some cases the bird is just moving faster than the cameras AF system can react. I've seen this between my D850 and D6. There are situations where the D6 will keep focus open faster subject where the D850 just can't keep up. Same lens and everything.

@marc5279 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery oh... see i didnt know that! :)

@eelke0620 6 ай бұрын

In my experience there is a useful feature on Olympus (EM1x,EM1 II) ,but not on Nikon (Z9) Olympus able to limit any focus range you want (1~999M )by software setting that is very helpful in some situation ,hopefully Nikon will add this on camera

@MikeWeeks 4 ай бұрын

What I have realised is that it is not the time to acquire the initial image but the speed with which the focus can change to track movement especially non linear movements Now if you could devise a test to do that it would give the answers I need

@barneyrubble9309 6 ай бұрын

folks just want the camera to do all the work for them rather than practice a technique...i'm still a dslr user (D500) and i miss plenty of shots but thats all part of the fun of wildlife photography and when i do nail a shot i know i have made some contribution to getting it and its not just the tech which is very satisfying...point and shoot?? wheres the fun 🙂

@timdeen2911 2 ай бұрын

Steve I have a bit of a complicated question. I was hoping you could answer this based on your experience. When you anticipate action is going to happen on a perch but the bird is not there yet. You prefocus just in front of it. When the bird comes flying in your viewfinder do you immediately engage auto focus/tracking? Or do you start shooting knowing your depth of field is enough for acceptably sharp photos? I ask this because I wonder if cameras are fast enough to engage focus on the target before the action is over.

@backcountrygallery 2 ай бұрын

It depends on how fast the bird is and how did the perch is, the angle they are coming in, etc. If I have a slower bird coming in, I'll go after it with AF for sure. However, for faster birds I tend to prefocus and pray :) I have a couple of shots of bee eaters coming in for a landing that were sort of happy accidents. I was focusing on a perched bird and another came in and the perfect moment was when he was on the same focal plane. It's tricky for sure.

@nielsaerts9971 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the insights Steve! What I think would be great is a focus limiter with custom distances, e.g., 10-30 m. For example, if you are photographing birds in flight against a distant background, there is no use for minimum distance to e.g. 10 m, or 10 m to infinity, because in the latter case your camera can easily get stuck on the background. Instead, setting it between the minimum and maximum distance where you expect the bird to fly would be very useful to not get your camera lost on the background.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

I agree 100% - and with all the computerization in mirrorless lenses, I think it would be fairly easy to implement.

@richardfink7666 6 ай бұрын

Olympus OM! , you can save 3 selfdefined distances.

@richardfink7666 6 ай бұрын

Olympus Om1@@backcountrygallery

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@richardfink7666That's really cool. Are you talking about ranges though or distances (like with focus distance recall)? The Z8/9 allow you pretty as many recall distances as you have buttons, but not actual ranges you can input for subject distance.

@richardfink7666 6 ай бұрын

You can save 3 different areas in the autofocus menue. For example: 1)5m-15m 2)15m-%0m 3) 50-infinite. The areas can also overlap.@@backcountrygallery

@robbie154 4 ай бұрын

Do you have the minimum focus to infinity speed test for the 800 pf?

@SteveMitchell-bt8ez 6 ай бұрын

Do they focus faster in better light with a better foreground too? Oh, and thanks for the humor. Having the lens set to manual focus while changing the minimum auto focus distance cracked me up..

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Sure, most lenses do in my experience. Bette right, better contrast makes it easier across the board.

@starbase218 6 ай бұрын

I wonder about something. When DSLRs flip up the mirror to start taking a shot, the AF sensors no longer “see” the subject. I guess this means that the speed at which the lens is able to move the focus plane, has to be greater than the subject movement. Unless the last adjustment is being done “in good faith” while the mirror is flipping up, as this might also minimize focus error. Do you know if this is the case?

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

The predictive tracking helps take care of it, but yes, when the mirror is up the AF sensors are blind. My understanding is that the camera locks on and follows focus based on the last sampling speed of the target.

@jss27560 6 ай бұрын

I have a z6 so I already know what the issue is.

@oleggontar2942 6 ай бұрын

Those e books were my best spent investments i made in photography. Made bigger impact than any gear update. ( Especially because good luck to unleash the power of your camera by reading the manufacturer manuals)

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@oleggontar2942 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery well i thank you, you helped me big time.

@FDunst-xj8rn 6 ай бұрын

How can you measure focus speed in 100ths of a second? The focus speed varies greatly with a zoom depending on the zoom level. Did you use the middle zoom level for the zooms?

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

There's a methodology slide int eh video just before the numbers. Basically, I film the AF using an ATOMOS at 60FPS and convert to 100ths.

@FDunst-xj8rn 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery Thank you for the explanation. Only when I use my 100 - 500 mm zoom is the focus speed at 100 mm significantly faster than at 500 mm, for example when I focus from close to infinity. What zoom position did you use for your zoom? The focus time depends very much on the focal length.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@FDunst-xj8rn This was worst case scenario stuff too make a point, so 600mm

@FDunst-xj8rn 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallerythank you very much for the info

@Mike55Y 5 ай бұрын

I would love to know how much any one of these lenses slows down with a 1.4x TC. Have you looked at this at all?

@Mixer000999 6 ай бұрын

Still waiting for Nikon Zf review as a wildlife camera...

@lescobrandon3047 6 ай бұрын

I and many others love 3D Focus Tracking because it keeps the subject razor sharp. But for some reason, that was eliminated. My Z7 rests quietly in my camera closet.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

The Z8/9 have it :)

@lescobrandon3047 6 ай бұрын

@@backcountrygallery - Ok, thank you. I had not heard. Now after I trade in the Z7 at my local shop, I can try out those you mentioned. And rest my D3, D700, D800….. sometimes.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

@@lescobrandon3047 Plus, 3D is far more potent in the Z8/9 than it ever was in the DSLRs :)

@JosephHHHo 9 күн бұрын

I'm confused by people thinking that the focus mechanism of their lens isn't fast enough to track a moving bird or cat when the very same equipment is used to photograph jets at airshows.

@robguyatt9602 6 ай бұрын

Practice, practice, practice. Yep, and my go to sparing partners are the Welcome Swallows at my son's dam. Dang they are hard. They really don't like flying in straight lines for long (grrr) 🤣

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Swallows are awesome practice partners. After a few days of swallow photography, I can keep my AF area on anything!

@docshaka 6 ай бұрын

If you think the videos are great, then I highly recommend his books!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@dalemaas6272 6 ай бұрын

Surprised that you did not mentioned that locking on a relatively fast bird with your zoom (say using a 600mm lens) is difficult by itself. I usual back off a bit in order to allow me a larger area to search forthe bird and then proceed from there. I have heard professionals talk about using an 800mm on a Blue Angel air craft. Sounds rather hard unless you just get lucky. Dale

@gmailcom23 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Steve. I have learned a lot from you. You are truly wonderful. Thank you again

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

This video was more about AF speed than picking up targets. I have another video that talks about that here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nNh8d8dixLqzYKM.htmlsi=XvXNa8UOU5csppVh

@alansach8437 6 ай бұрын

Focus failure is usually the result of human error, not lens failure! Even getting the bird in your viewfinder often takes longer than you have, and even then, if you don't have the active focus point right over the bird, our initial focus could be on the foreground, background or even infinity. But it's easier to blame it on the lens or camera. BTW, the biggest issue with a focus limiter is forgetting to return it to infinity when you are done. Then you miss another shot when you grab the camera quickly and the lens is limited when you needed it not to be.

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Yup, pretty much the point of the video - the gear can do it, but there are a lot of variables in the way and you have to practice and use the gear properly to get the results you want.

@scottboettcher1344 6 ай бұрын

Science!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

As close as I can get anyway :)

@set3777 5 ай бұрын

Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus and Nikon (using Sony sensors) offer on-sensor phase-detect autofocus all inferior to Canon's patented Dual Pixels Auto Focus (DPAF). Canon's R1 will have QPAF (quad pixel autofocus). Sony inceases focusing speed by removing screws (and using only linear actuators) in some of their lenses - causing less accurate focusing especially when doing Macro. So DON'T be fooled just by "speed".

@gordonnorman8259 6 ай бұрын

Great focusing tips, Steve! Speaking of, are you intrigued by the Sony A93 global shutter, improved video/photo AF, precapture, 120 fps burst mode, etc? Seems like you have been "focusing" more on your Nikon gear than Sony lately but wondered if that might shift, despite the modest 24.6 MP A93 resolution?

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's been all Nikon lately because Sony hasn't really done anything of interest to wildlife shooters for awhile. The a9iii does have my attention though :)

@isotechimages.9130 5 ай бұрын

Yeah last time l shot Peregrine falcons with a pigeon taped to my forehead it did not end well.

@Mortenthorpe-DK 6 ай бұрын

The complexity of judging lenses alone, without factoring in the camera, has become a lot nore complex with mirrorless, than with DSLR. For DSLR, it’s simple - the lens need to acquire AF as fast as it possibly can, because the camera body only focuses in distinct steps- in mirrorless, achieving focus is as much, if not more, dependent on the algorithms of the camera resolving how to focus- continuosly - not in distinct single points in time - as with the dslr… in other words - in mirrorless, slower focusing lenses can actually be an advantage- because they don’t refocus to a wring focus-plane as quickly, as a faster lens will. In dslr, it’s all about the speed of the lens, because dslr camera bodies have not evolved much in terms of focusing speed

@Wszyc 6 ай бұрын

Tbh Steve I have old 7dm2 with 70-300 is usm mark 1 and my wife got old nikon d200 with old 70-300 that is moved by a screw and we never have big problems with small birds in flight even with low light people to much invest in the gear not in there self. I think the book that you made is better investment to good photos then the high end gear

@Wszyc 6 ай бұрын

and to be clear i didnt even saw your book I just believe that experience and knowleage is the answer for everything

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Gear is the whipping mule of the photography world. You are 100% correct IMO - the photographer is really what makes the difference.

@davidfishel5575 6 ай бұрын

All well and good if you have $20,000 worth of gear!

@backcountrygallery 6 ай бұрын

Huh? I'm literally using the cheapest telephoto zoom Nikon makes to demonstrate that raw lens speed doesn't' make as big a difference as people say - did you even watch the video??