Hands down and still the best explanation of the AF system for Nikon's mirrorless cameras on KZfaq. Thank you!

Your videos are like drinking from a fire hydrant... in a good way! So much helpful information.

That person running away from the buck at the beginning was a nice touch haha great video, as always

Thanks Steve. Trying to step up my game, having moved from a D5300 to the Z6 and D500, your content and website hits the bullseye for me. Just getting into BIF and wildlife, and your videos and books are helping me immensely, more than any other site I've found. Keep 'em coming.

Great as usual, thank you Steve. I'm delighted with the book as usual too. I really appreciate your style.

Really helpful tutorial, thank you Steve

This is a very well done video. Love the examples. So straight forward and logical to follow. Thanks!

So interesting as usual! As well as very useful! Thank you!

This is a great addition to the book. Start here and then go into detail with the book. The book is well worth it, thanks Steve.

Thanks Steve, love my Nikon d850 and Z7 combo. Always learn something new from your videos even when I think I have a handle on the cameras. You’re awesome, thanks for all you do!

Your explanations are Awesome!!! - i love it

Thank you Steve. This was very useful.

Thank you Steve. I am heading to your website to check out the AF book. Very iinformative.

very much appreciate all your vids Steve, cheers!

Thx Steve ! Great video. Informative and easy to follow. As a fairly seasoned Z6 user I’m still learning about those nuances 😀 for any new Z user I imagine the book would be a sound investment

Thanks for the info, Steve!

Great information. Thank you!

Very well documented and explained video. Thanks for your work

A well presented video as always Steve. I was happy to purchase your Mirrorless AF book but it's also handy to have a video to go along with it. Thanks :-)

Excellent video. Nice stuff.

wonderful video I have ever watched for the focus settings. Thank you very much

Great video!! Thank you!!

Perfect handy information! Thanks a lot!

You explain things extremely well. Thank you for the video

Amazing! Done! Thank you. didn't think I needed a custom setting but discovered from your video how it will make shooting easier.

Very informative and very well stated

Thank you so much Steve! This is the best explanation of Z series AF settings I come across on KZfaq. It was a mess when I first changed from Nikon DSLR to mirrorless but now I am quite confident with it

There is so much handy information here. You did the lords work with this, thank you so much!

Thank you this has provided a great insite to the focusing options. I trying to transition from Landscape to portrait photography, and this has answered alot of queries I had.

Another great video👍

The best video for detailed information and really explaining the differences between options and when to use. I am new to Nikon mirrorless, and waiting for the Z9 to arrived and this video has provided the most info to get me up to speed. I ordered three of your books!!

Your videos and book have been invaluable in getting me started with my new Z6 - much appreciated!!! What a steep learning curve for this older film shooter! 😳😵‍💫

Excellent video, Steve. This was a great help coming from a D750 to a Z7 II.

thus is just fantastic...thanks

Thank You Steve! Just bought the Book. So glad to now have it in my back pocket! on my phone in ibooks ;)

very good guide sir

I learned so much from this video! I probably need to watch it a few more times 😊. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Thank you! I just recently got the z6ii and as it's my first Nikon camera, this was very helpful! :)

Great Video

Always informative. I think I should hit that subscribe button already.

Thank you, Steve!

Great video

Thank you so much from Stockholm Sweden. Just a new Z6II user so this video have help me a lot.

At the time of my like 189 like and zero, I mean zero dislikes...you must be the only photographer on youtube with such a ratio! Absolutely deserved great content.

By far the best video covering this topic. Thanks! Just bought the e-book as a backup/thank you.

Hi Steve. Great video. I had already bought the ebook, but this is a great companion. There is so much information to absorb when it comes to AF on my Nikon D6. Although the book covered everything in great detail and clearly explains things, I found it was good to review it all by watching the video. It is a great way of zooming over the main points and then I can go back to the book for those items that, while I understood them because they were explained so well, they didn't really sink in because there was so much to cover.

Just bought a Z6 last week. As always your videos are so informative. It was an upgrade from my D7000. Feel a bit like a caveman so much to learn.

Ty Steve for all your fantastic videos that you share with us.Question..What focus settings should we use for video?

Another great video to help me use the different focus options. Bought your first ebook to learn the options for the D500, now I bought your second book so I can learn more about the Z6 and Z50 focus options. Haven't read it yet, waiting for a day when I can read without any interruptions and can have both cameras right in front of me. Love all your videos, so happy you use Nikons. You're the best.

Thanks Steve - great video. Appreciate the knowledge sharing. Any suggestion on which AF mode (on Z 6ii) is best for airshows?

This was so helpful as I move from a D810 to a Z6. Thanks.

I've purchased both of Steve's books on the Nikon autofocus system on DSLRs and mirrorless. Both go into much deeper detail than the (excellent) videos. Highly recommended.

This was really helpful. Thank you! Also, sir could you please compare the dynamic area AF with 3D tracking and which one's better for shooting birds in flight.

AGood Help.Thankyou

Thank you

Steve, magnífica la ayuda que aportas a los amantes de las mirroless Z, pero ¿para cuando alguna publicación o video en Español?. Gracias

Thanks Steve, This is very informative. I own two Z6's and using them mostly for wedding and events ands I am very happy with it. How ever in my free time I am shooting macro which is a completely new era and also shooting wildlife and sport time to time. My experience is that the good old D500 out perform the Z6 in every angle when it comes down to fast action shooting. I already sold my D500 back in 2018 so I have to deal with what the Z6 can offer and it's very frustrating the fact is the focus tracking system is garbage and that's what you have to rely on most of the time when you shooting fast action. I really hope so Nikon will invest a bit more time and effort to fix the tracking system so we can use the Z6 for fast action as well , at least on a descent level with out having a major tracking issues. I believe that that's not much to ask in 2020 especially if you look around and see what the competitors are offering .

Thank you! I was using dynamic focusing and missing some shots as the object was often to small to detect. I’ve now swapped to a mixture of wide area animal for when the animals are close or on a clear background and single point for the rest with dynamic as a backup the bird moves too fast. Great advice!.

Top Video 👍👍👍

Steve, I just purchased a z6ii and this video was just great to get started with the amazing auto focus options on the camera. I learned a bunch of stuff I didn't already know and have just purchased the more informative book on the subject. Thanks for the great content and happy holidays!

Just purchased the Mirrorless Autofocus book...cheers.

oh boy, thx Steve.

Thank your for your video. I just wonder how to set up "AFC" info on right now of the screen ?

Subscribed for sure. Really enjoy the way you explain. I ran across this trying to figure out what the problem is with my z6ii. I cannot get more than one person in focus. I tried all of these different focus modes, different lenses, and a ridiculous aperture as high as 16. Any suggestions as to what the problem could be??

Thanks Steve, nice compliment to the Z6 auto focus book I downloaded from you this week. One thing you need to point out that I have not seen other videos mention is the fact that Eye Auto Focus only works in PHOTO mode, not in VIDEO mode. When Nikon introduced it in the Firmware update last December, I was frustrated trying to figure out how to get it to work, since it appears that every reviewer on KZfaq was showing us a video of it working on live subjects, but failing to inform us their camera was not in video mode! Instead, we were simply watching a video of the live feed off their viewfinder screen! Still pretty frustrating Nikon cannot give us eye detect in video mode, but they do give us face detect which I use for self narration in my videos on my channel.

I'm sticking with my d500 Steve but this was really interesting thanks

You are my new favorite! Thank you. I noticed at 14.41 in you information panel, you had a live view option replacing flash. I would love to know how to have live view as an option as it is awkward searching with my thumb on my Z7 when live view shooting macro.

Nice Explained. One question is it possible to switch from Single Point to Subject Tracking option under AF-C in mirrorless ? OR I CAN USE SUBJECT TRACKING for bothe Static and Moving subject ?

This is a great tutorial with lots of good information! Question: I have my Nikon Z7ii set on High Dynamic range and it is always red. I can tell things are in focus but it never turns green like other Nikon cameras. Is this normal? Thank you so much!

Hello Steve I have been following your tips & brought previous books for Wildlife & Nikon auto focus system ... Thank you for the updated version of them recently you have provided. I am curious to know 1. the tools you have used to record what your camera is viewing 2. how to record Nikon menu to showcase the settings

Thanks Steve, for all the information. I have one enquiry regarding my nikon d90, it does not auto focus when the shutter button is pressed half, can u plz help with my problem.

Hola Steve,me gustaria saber si tienes el libro en version española.Gracias.

Sensacional.

I wondered if I'd done the right thing in swapping my D500 for the Z7ii, but having taken a load of sports photos in low light with the 70-200, I think I made the right choice. In low light the focus isn't as snappy as the D500, but it let me take pictures with a higher shutter speed, with the ability to crop without losing any quality. I just need to experiment with wildlife now.

i've been following your channel for so long. love your content. but i come across a problem with my z6. when ever i turn on my flash. the view finder effect will automatic turn off. any fix for that? maybe you can have a video for that?

Will you do a video o the Z9 settings as they are a little different

Thanks

nice review and apparently the new z6II tuto updates this one. i never see in tutos we use finger on touchscreen. don't you use it ? doesn't it help placing focus point quickly somewhere and then fine tune with selector. dos it help to zoom 100% at the right location ? i would be very interested with live shooting where we see how and why you use your AF modes in different stuations. If i understand, what is the replacement of GRP mode on d750 ? dynamic ? wide-s ?

I purchased your new AF book for the Nikon Z-series cameras. It's very informative and I'm leaning towards buying a Z6 this year. For my Osprey photography, I'll continue using my wonderful D500. How do you like the Z6 for macros, Steve. I have the 105mm 2.8G VR, and occasionally use the TC14E II with it.

Steve, just found this video, thank you. Just a question. Is your related book updated to also cover the recently released Z9? Is there also a video that discusses the updates now available in the Z9? If so please let me know.

Is there any way to assign the face detection to a button in the custom button set up?

I have a question. I own a Nikon Z7ii. If I am in autofocus-C, and have the back button enabled. Do I have to hold down the back button (AF-ON) to have the camera focus, or does it just continually focus? Thanks for the great video! I just bought your book too and am looking forward to reading it.

Great job, Steve...always appreciate your insights and teaching style! This is a little out of the realm for the video topic but I couldn't find any of your videos that address "photo stacking:, so asking here. I learned how to manually photo stack when I first got a D7500, with a pretty decent return on the efforts. Not a "cure all" or something to be done each and every time by any means, but for deep landscape shots, it allowed me to get sharp(er) photos front to back. I have now changed ("upgraded", "downgraded", "lateral movement", depending on one's point of view) to a Nikon Z5. That has the nifty "focus shift shooting" feature in the menu. I'm curious as to your take and experience with this feature. While manually doing things the "old fashioned" way is a more ingrained process at this point (and makes one less dependent on technology), what, in your opinion and experience, are the plusses and minuses of letting the camera do it for you instead? Maybe you can address this in a future video with some suggestions for settings? There are numerous options within the sub menu, like number of shots, focus shot width (narrow to wide), interval to next shot and whether you should save those stacked shots in the main folder (along with any other non-stacked shots) or in a separately-named folder within the card storage file system. Lastly, I was (initially) led to believe that the camera created a finished photo, "in camera", from all the combined shots. However, it appears that these stacked photos STILL need to be processed in PS/LR or one's photo editor of choice, correct?

Can you please use a de-esser for your audio? Thanks.

Steve, when you use AF-C and BBF, and shooting a stationary subject, do you keep the BBF depressed while releasing the shutter? I find that if I let off the BBF and then press the shutter release, I jerk the camera a little while letting go of one button (BBF) and pressing the other (shutter release).

Great tutorial Steve. When you use tracking, do you need to keep the back button focus pressed all the time? Thank you.

Steve, great and informative video, helped me a lot. The tracking mode, is it the same as the (oldskool) 3D-tracking?

Hi! What are your thoughts on the z6ii and AF wildlife photography? Better than z6?

Hi Steve, thank you very much for your videos and books! I have a question: it is possible to program a button on Nikon D500/D850/z7 so that by pressing it the camera will have exposure compensation +2 and by release the camera go back to setting you had before (like for example, -0.3). Unfortunately, I haven't find it yet in your book about Exposure and Metering for Nikon. Theoretically AE-L can work... I don't use back-focus button. But the button for exposure compensation on press and release will be useful..

nice 😃

New to the Z system here and have a question (for which I have a suspicion the answer is "no", but I'll ask nonethless).... I've shot Pentax for digital for many years primarily and one life-saving feature is the Pentax catch-in-focus (which works for both AF as well as manual focus). Is there any sort of mode that has this sort of functionality? Quite simply the camera fires the shutter when the focus system detect focus lock in your chosen field or point. Amazing for anticipating a bird in flight's trajectory (or any subject really) and tracking manually. When the system detects lock the shutter fires, obviously faster that you can. I know bursts can achieve this, but it's really not the same and results in a scores of non-useable shots and a lot of wasted space. Thought I'd ask. I feel like all the options well presented here by Steve have a workable solution, but am interested in opinions from those that have used the Z focusing system a great deal, from this 'catch-in-focus' use case scenario. Cheers.

Hi Steve - I have a video request! I'm working through the new mirrorless book now. It's great and thanks for the tips. But early on, you mention how you take your camera with you in your kayak. I've considered doing that, but I don't have the guts. I'd love to see a video on how you work from a kayak and how you keep your gear as safe as possible. I think that would be a great video. Thanks a ton for all you do!

Do you have any videos on how to focus on moving dogs? I really want the Z6II but I'm worried about focusing on dogs. Would it be Single point?

ty

Thank you so much!!! Do you have this Book also as pdf, I have bad eyes and cannot read from A Book anymore

The improved tracking mode UI is pretty sweet, and seems to work better for animals than 3D tracking does (for humans, it's the other way around, at least in my experience). My only gripes with it are: - the stupid little "press OK" text that blocks the lower part of the frame when you don't have it triggered - the fact that in AF-S, for reasons only known to Nikon's engineers, it re-couples focus with shutter half-press, in a way - as long as it's half-pressed, the box sticks to a part of a frame and you need to let go to get it to continue tracking - having it always track a subject *but not focus and not stick to the frame until you press AF-ON* would make it more usable in AF-S for some recompose scenarios (if what i've said makes sense)... the way it is now, it's completely useless in AF-S, just like you've said - the fact i can't set up tracking AF and other AF modes + AF-ON on custom buttons like i can on the D500 - it's absolutely infuriating when i'm lugging around both and switching from body to body... WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! And one bonus unrelated gripe - the record video button on the Z6/7 can be reassigned to useful things - i have it assigned to grid overlay in my landscape U mode, and to metering modes in my action/wildlife U mode (so i can quickly jump to highlight-weighted metering when sun hotspots under foliage get nasty). Unfortunately, on the D500, that same button is near useless - the best you can do with it is set it to shooting mode selection.

Is this book available in paper back?

Really random note here. Is there a way to prevent Z6 from defaulting to AF-S every time you turn it on? I can change it once it's on but once you power down or switch modes to P, A, etc and switch back it defaults back to AFS. Looking for a global change to set the default to AF-C

Hi , can you give me recommendation for lenses for portrait , events .please . Planing to buy z7 .basically I am going to do parties, couple shoots in outside .

Hey Steve, just got myself a Z7ii. Is your Secrets to Autofocus for Mirrorless ebook still relevant in May 2024?