How did the Nikon z8 Autofocus perform with Birds in Flight?

Рет қаралды 21,747

10 ай бұрын

With the help of four raptors... Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Harris's Hawk, and a Barn Owl... I put the Nikon z8 autofocus system to the test!
How well did it perform? Watch to find out. And along the way, I'll provide some tips on increasing your in-focus success rate.
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Пікірлер: 46

@FrancescoBorsotti 10 ай бұрын

How about using a smaller area mode (not wide) and once obtained the focus activate the 3d tracking assigned to a function button? It should work much better

@arpinkus 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for that info. He made it much harder (slower) than it needed to be.

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip.

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

@arpinkus So, you're able to do all that while a bird is in flight, 50 feet from you? It's a good tip. But, not practical if the subject is moving fast.

@FrancescoBorsotti 10 ай бұрын

@@ParkerPhotographic Steve Perry has published several videos and a guide (specific for Z8/Z9) about how to achieve that. I found his suggestions very useful.

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out and try it!

@trekhardfilms 8 ай бұрын

I rented the z8 and the camera guys told me the Nikon searches for contrast. As I watch your video, the owl is not contrasted enough when it's close to the veg and that would be why it's out of focus, as opposed to depth of field. I had this same problem when photographing juncos down on the ground eating seeds.

@ParkerPhotographic 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

@j.kimmer1509 10 ай бұрын

Like some Nikon Z9/Z8 user.. AFon is for initiating focus wide L ... I have Fun1 button for choosing 3D+AFon (thumb) to focus .....then I have Func2 as Singlepoint + AFon (thumb) ... like some other users have said... I have to play the Nikon finger piano to tell the camera how to focus for different situations. Works for me... On my Canon R7 and R5 I just press AFon and finds / Tracks BIF most of the time...unlike Nikon. Hoping Nikon will continue to improve with software upgrades.

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

@tectorama 10 ай бұрын

Some strange choices of area focus modes.

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

And what would you use?

@jackladd6245 10 ай бұрын

agreed, knowing the correct mode for a given subject and scenario , can only be acquired via experience with the Z9 and now Z8, but from similar sequences I have taken , I would have not expected more than 1 or two frames of lost focus during any of those sets, that said , quite a few z8/9 owners have had quite a journey getting used to the expansive AF options.

@NunmoiaSaiville 6 ай бұрын

Agreed. Why area focus mode?...

@RajagopalanRamaprabhu49 8 ай бұрын

good video and much needed one. I have a suggestion. Can you try Nikon D500 with 200 -500 with the new Nikon z8 with 180-200. I have a gut feeling that Dslr works better

@ParkerPhotographic 8 ай бұрын

I'm curious to know why you think the DSLR would work better?

@borocotochacha 10 ай бұрын

The 200-500 is the lens which failed most with Z system. Extremely slow! When birding, 95% of the time I begin with L Wide Area and then 3D AF at FN1 or Display button set to Auto Area, FN 2 for FX/DX, and FN3 for pin point when bird is kind of hidding. All with Z9

@ParkerPhotographic 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info. I pre-ordered the z180-200. I'm looking forward to getting that next month, hopefully.

@bbq-man3058 10 ай бұрын

i use the 200-500 around 2 weeks after release, i love this lens. But it is nothing with Z and nothing for BIF, not with f and not with z to slow, much much slow for bif

@ParkerPhotographic 9 ай бұрын

I agree. I have the z180-600 pre-ordered and can't wait for it to arrive! I'll do a comparison video once I test it out.

@Mr09260 6 ай бұрын

If you used a Z Lens like the 180-600 it would be a BETTER result

@ParkerPhotographic 6 ай бұрын

And it is! I have the 180-600 and it's 10x better.

@alexwesterhof793 7 ай бұрын

DOF has to do with focal lenght and distance but nothing with distance of background. Seperation however is.

@ParkerPhotographic 7 ай бұрын

D.O.F. is affected by 1. focal length 2. aperture 3. distance of subject to background 4. distance of the subject to camera D.O.F. - Depth of field is the distance between the closest and farthest elements (subject + background/foreground) in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Moving your subject closer to OR further from the background alters the "D.O.F."

@alexwesterhof793 7 ай бұрын

@@ParkerPhotographic ever used a DOF tool? Never ever is background a consideration. Because the camera doesn't know where the background is. The lenses are focused on subject, nothing more, nothing less. So to complete the full list of parameters which influence DOF: 1 focal length 2 distance 3 aperture 4 sensor size No background

@ParkerPhotographic 7 ай бұрын

My d.o.f. tool is my camera. In the real world; if you move your subject away from the background the background becomes blurrier. If you move closer to your subject the background becomes blurrier. You're speaking in terms of a "scientific" or "technical" approach. I teach photography in an easier, real-world approach. Photographers don't need to buy a "d.o.f. field tool" when they can do as I mentioned and see the result.

@alexwesterhof793 7 ай бұрын

No, you mistakenly used DOF in stead of separation/blur. DOF = Depth of Field and is something technical.

@ParkerPhotographic 7 ай бұрын

@@alexwesterhof793 You're explanation is too complicated. It's pretty simple, actually. Do you agree that if you move your subject away from the background, the background will be blurrier? I teach a simple method that resonates with students.