Most useful video I have seen so far on using the Z8 for birding. Big thumbs up!

This is why I use Auto Area AF on BOTH the AF ON back button AND the shutter. with AA on the shutter, you get a white passive AF tracking box with an arrow. So with multiple birds in the frame you can use the directional pad to tell it what to focus on and just hit AF ON button and it AF on the subject the white box is on. For RSF Hold I only have it set to change AF Area mode to Wide C1 and Subject Detection to Animal for when Mammals wonder by like a fox ect... The 3D tracking is set to my DISP (Display cycle is set to my Flash button on the top left of the camera since I never cycle those) What you probably don't know or you would have mentioned and set it up like this is since the Z9's FW 3.0 update, the 3D AF mode doesn't work from the center of the frame is there is a passive white AF box. So in any Wide Area AF mode you will see the passive white AF box tracking the subject OR if in Auto Area AF mode and get that passive white AF box, you can just hit 3D and 3D AF will instantly pick up the AF tracking where ever that white AF box is. This is why I have AA AF mode on both my Shutter AND AF ON back button. Being on the shutter, I can control what, of multiple subjects in the frame, to focus on and I can use either Auto Area AF on the shutter or AF ON to instantly start focusing without worrying about hitting the background by mistake. Also, 3D AF mode can ONLY use blocked shot setting 3 (Menu item A3) no matter what you set it to. Auto Area AF mode can only use settings 3, 4 and 5. Set A3 to 5 and your AA AF mode with be the most sticky and there's no need to change it for 3D as it can only use 3 and will default to that when you press the button you have 3D assigned to. All the Wide Area AF mode can use blocked shot setting 1-5. This is likely why you are seeing the Auto Area AF mode jumping when there are multiple subject in the frame. I never have this issue with setting 5. Also, never use subject motion erratic, only use Steady. Erratic is for when the camera is Steady and the subject pounces or takes off from a perch, that is erratic. If you are tracking a bird in flight, you are panning and generally keeping the subject fairly steady in the EVF. Most, don't understand the use for Steady or Erratic setting. Also, looking at your EVF in the video, you are using Standard Picture Control. You should use Flat, it helps the AF quite noticeably. You can always choose the camaera matching profile Standard in Lightroom if that is what you prefer the look of. I have been teaching Z9 and Z8 setups and techniques since Feb of 2022 so less then 2 months after the Z9's release, so I have been honing setups and techniques for a long time lol

I loved your setting for Birds. This is the real brain teatching the AI. Thanks for this video.

Thanks for your time..! Really simplified and probably better settings than having what I have set up now. Will try your settings. Cheers

Excellent, I really love the cycle through AF modes , I have it mapped to the video record button

Thank you so much for this video! I too prefer the simplicity of having fewer function buttons. I look forward to the ease my Fn1 and Fn2 buttons will provide me now. Thank you for sharing.

I set the video record button to 100% zoom when I am shooting stills. It's great for very still shots and far shots, for checking critical focus. Try it.

I am currently waiting on my Z8 to arrive, I am a life long Nikon shooter and will be moving up to the Z8 from a D4. I believe I have watched every Z8 2.0 Firmware video out there on Birds. I dont know if it was just the way you explained it or your thought process in how you set up. From where I am sitting, it all just clicked. One, you got a sub :) and two I look forward to seeing part two. Keep up the good work and please keep posting.

Current D500 shooter soon to purchase the Z8/600 PF. Looks like my photography world is about to get crazy! There will be a lot to learn with this new camera but I'm excited to get it. Your video cleared a few things up already for me. I'll be watching this again once I get my new gear.

Great informational video. I’m new to the Z8, it would be awesome if you could do a complete setup for bird photography.

Thanks for the vid. That little box on the Smallrig just above the shutter button? = Audio? Thanks for any replies. You mess with the Auto capture at all?

I've noticed that 3D with bird detect tends to zero in more on the eye than Auto area with bird detect. Auto area tended to stop at the head in situations where 3D went for the eye. So I start in Wide area and hand off to 3D usually.

Thanks!

I filmed my son's hockey game with my Z8 this past weekend. Its autofocus kept focusing on the team's hawk logo on the jersey! LOL After switching to 3D tracking, then eventually a custom focus range, the issue was resolved. It was amusing how the camera consistently focused on the hawk on the jersey's logo.

Thank you

Yeh i have Fn buttons for Recall hold like yourself but 3D bird, other FX to DX, then lens - single point and record button is cycle AF then lens has memory set and i have recall on other lens FN. its all very quick on Z8 am very happy so far with both theZ8 and 600pf combo. love your content and showing the settings, subbed and belled - great job.

Great video used it as my base settings, i have a newbie question my camera takes a couple of images at a time any ideas

Hello Stu, great video I am new to Nikon and have been shooting with your suggested setup however I have to press FN1 again to get FN2 to switch through focus modes, is there a fix for that? I also had to change from single point to dynamic area because the dynamic area has a larger area in the viewfinder. I did. This because when shooting bursts the box on single point acts like recoil on a machine gun and gets off the subject. Is that something in my setting I am missing? I have a pretty steady hold on the camera.

I enjoyed this, would love to hear more about the Z8s settings for butterflies. 🦋 I have the z24-70 2.8f lens and not sure if the birds would work with butterflies or if animals would be my best option.

I've only started using the video feature last week after getting a fluid head (been doing photos only till now). Do you shoot in H265 as opposed to RAW? I've been shooting in 4k30 N-Log RAW for birds, but I'm not sure if I should shoot in 4k120 or 8k60 instead (I'd like to watch in 8K on TV but not sure if there will be a big difference visually). What format gives the best dynamic range (after colour grading in DaVinci)? What memory card do you use? (I noticed that you have over 2h recording left on your card). Thank you!

Great video. Do you know how much of this can the Zf do?

Really enjoyed this, I have set my Z8 per some really popular wildlife photographers. My problem is I can never remember all the settings, I changed.

The strange thing is , when i bought the z8 in his standard i was less struggling .But i ve looked too many setting tetorials on youtube that its now a bit messed up with too many settings. Ill try this settings because its not to big of a change. its my mistake to try so many different things .

Do you shoot in auto ISO or you manually adjust? Can you guide me on that? Thanks for very detailed video. Subscribed 😉😊.

Hi ive set my Z8 as per your video, thankyou.. can you tell me if possible can i set up a button to switch between bird and animal

Just like you I shoot Wild Life here in S Africa with the Nikon Z8 and Nikon 180-600 >> GREAT combo

Whats the lens you are using

Can u tell me which lens u attached with z8 ?... it will help me

Can u plz tell what lens u attached to this z8 body ?