Nikon Z 9 tutorial: Setting up the right Autofocus modes for all situations

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Жыл бұрын

The Nikon Z 9 comes with an immense variety of autofocus options due to the exceptional performance of the camera and the variety of shooting situations. Ludovic Drean, Head of Nikon Pro Service (NPS) France talks you through which settings to choose, navigating the settings, and also gives some insights into what the pros do depending on the subject.
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Пікірлер: 89

@tedk2814 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing this topic regarding Nikon focus modes, very helpful and it helps me to have a review every now and then. I have a Z9, such a powerful camera!!

@npdesign8202 3 ай бұрын

The best explanation regarding Autofocus modes I seen. Thank you so much!!!!

@NikonEurope 3 ай бұрын

Glad you found it helpful ☺

@MarioDefe-pg4sl 12 күн бұрын

I am grateful for all the knowledge you have given me. Thanks.

@fsbohomesofcentraliowa5256 3 ай бұрын

Excellent explanation of the various focus modes in this amazing camera. I've watched several videos on this and have found yours to be the most helpful. Very comprehensive. Thanks so much.

@hilarydavis4959 9 ай бұрын

Great advice thank you!

@dance2jam Жыл бұрын

Thanks for trying to detail the AF modes, but I found the description of the actual actions /modes and how they work very poorly described (example: Wide area looks in the box (and slightly outside it) but also chooses closest object to sensor plane, whereas 3D, distance doesn't matter). The biggest issue is that it would benefit Nikon and their users, if they would give specific examples of when to use these different modes. 3D works best for one subject in frame and humans (less well for birds unless single bird that makes up a significant portion of the frame). Wide area modes tend to catch background items not seen because the target is moving or reflections in water. Even setting the box above water does not always help here and one has to resort to DLSR modes like dynamic small for reliability. The AF point can randomly jump off the subject as well - at least with the current z9 firmware update. In addition, I found the description inaccurate (Wide area boxes described as "flat"). This gives the impression that the area searched for focus is two dimensional, which is not true. I realize English is not the primary language here, but I would have hoped that Nikon Europe would have attempted a more thorough, detailed, explanation of these modes and examples of when best to use them, and when they fail. Merci.

@uhoh7541 Жыл бұрын

@dance2jam Nice explanation to go along with the video. You should start your own channel!

@dance2jam Жыл бұрын

@@uhoh7541 Merci (Thank you), but I have a day job and the spare time is spent shooting. Anyone have a used Nikkor 200mm f/2? ;-)

@lesmar234 Жыл бұрын

I just bought a Z9 and have had it a week. I said I was not going out to shoot with it until I had a good understanding of it capabilities. I was some what familiar with the focus modes, and such...but this video went much deeper in helping me better understand the focus modes, area modes, and focus mode detection capability. Thank you so much. This was a great video!!!

@em1016 5 ай бұрын

Same here

@bobsardjono Жыл бұрын

this is the most clear AF modes explanation on youtube.. thank you.. 👌🏻

@chrisbaudeg3233 11 ай бұрын

May be VERY CLEAR in theory, but not in real application in the field. Try it, and see for yourself.

@minuteman2006 2 ай бұрын

Thank you very much to both you and your model for helping explain the various focus modes of the Z9. Cheers!

@brucecrossan2284 9 ай бұрын

Just got my Z8. This video is very helpful - thanks

@gordonl7755 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video, and the effort to make it. Very helpful.

@rrr46060 Жыл бұрын

nice, i also just bought a z9, cant wait to get my hands on it , this vid is helpful start

@marvin..m 11 ай бұрын

Fantastic explanation. Very clear. Exactly what Inhave been searching for. Thank you so much.

@Johnd3s Жыл бұрын

A very good and informative video, thank you

@JgHobley Жыл бұрын

Very well presented. What an AF system!

@paulmorrall5719 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic, thank you so much

@ArtChickTV Жыл бұрын

Great advice. I'm trying to get use to using mirrorless from my Nikon D3X and D850. I find the viewfinder and LCD screen to lack translation to my settings and what I see. Is there a way to change this setting?

@ShaneBaker Жыл бұрын

Very useful. Many thanks

@trygvebjrkli5021 Жыл бұрын

Wow, good teacher!

@herbertthuasne3153 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this detailed and excellent explanation about Auto-Focus. Could you perhaps upload a Video with the Focus saving mode's (Save, stop it, resave and so on) That would be great thank you

@bkkintegral Жыл бұрын

Very well done instructional video. Can you tell me what tripod head you're using?

@samiraammar7154 Жыл бұрын

Great video,,thank you so much

@MrSergioRosario Жыл бұрын

top video. thank you

@therealroblay2617 Жыл бұрын

Can you do one of these for videography focusing

@stevenwaldstein2249 Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@Comalv 11 ай бұрын

Hello, what kind of mounting plate/ring are you using that allows to switch to a vertical scenario without removing the plate from the tripod head? Thanks

@Lanikamal Жыл бұрын

Thank you for covering the AF modes! I am still at a loss when it comes to photographing more than one subject, ie, a group of people posing or dogs running. What would be the best settings?

@NikonEurope Жыл бұрын

Hi Jessica. I am sorry for the time it took for us to reply. For several subjects, we would recommend the Wide-Area AF, keeping the subjects within the focus point should allow for the camera to keep them all in focus.

@LaurentSaintJean Жыл бұрын

Thanks! how can we mimic follow focus tracking on the z9 ?

@nickwilliams7867 5 ай бұрын

A very good video. I'm a Sony pro shooter who has just ordered a Z8. Please make a 35 and 85 f1.4 so I can go all in with Nikon. If not get Sigma to make them in Z mount

@chrisbaudeg3233 Жыл бұрын

Is there an equivalent to [C-AF+TR MF] of the Oly M1X for the Z9? When the Z9 grabs focus, it's SUPERB. However all too often if it looses the subject to goes seeking rather than staying steady on the focus plane. Tried all settings - too long to describe here, but the Oly settings works perfectly. So I suggest you look at the competition, and see how that "C-AF+TR MF" performs and suggest a replication on the Z9.

@ADNZ5442 Жыл бұрын

When is the Z9 coming back in stock UK.

@ghifarix Жыл бұрын

I recently bought a Z-Mount 400mm f/4.5 S lens for soccer. I'm usually position on the corner line behind the goal line. As expected the dynamic of forward attacks are awesome, but in and around the penalty area there's no more opportunity for in-focus as One misses the action with 400mm f/4.5 S lens. However for close focus I swape my back-up Z6: Which Z-Mount 24-70mm f/2.8 , 70-200mm2.8 or 24-120 be best use for swapping in order not just to capture the action but to get a closer quality to the "Z9" w/ Z-Mount 400mm f/4.5 S lens as a close-ups ?

@19Photographer76 8 ай бұрын

I had some difficulty following your question but ~ the Z9 with the 400mm focuses the quickest. The 500mm PF would be second. All other bodies focus slower but the 24-120mm would be my second choice. The battery and processor of the Z9 will focus the quickest.

@yfranddu2837 Жыл бұрын

A very interesting video. Thank you. I currently use the D850 with 105 f/2.8 micro to shoot butterflies. I’ve had some success shorting in flight sequences using the 3D settings on the D850 but it’s very much hit and miss. I was looking at the Z9 to see if it could help me shoot butterfly’s in flight. Do you think the subject recognition in 3D would do this? Or is there someone out there already using a Z9 to do this?

@chrisbaudeg3233 11 ай бұрын

A real life, in the field failure.

@markshirley01 Жыл бұрын

Very helpful thanks - I tried a Z30 at a local camera shop but couldn't get the AF to reliably work. So hopefully Ive learned something from this tutorial.

@reneefariasphoto40 Жыл бұрын

If you are coming from DSLR or another system, the Z is somewhat different. I have been a pro full timer for 27 years and shot DSLRs until I got the Z9 in Dec 2021... Now I don't see ever going back. I also recently bought a Z7ii to pair as a lighter camera to my Z9. Except for 3d I have my focus set nearly the same in both. I shot a marathon with the Z7ii recently, 2000 photos of ppl running past me... I had 1992 keepers and 8 out of focus. The Z9 would have likely been 100/100. I am not looking back and have embraced the Z system.

@markshirley01 Жыл бұрын

@@reneefariasphoto40 the Z9 is just to big - and for me only Z camera I'd trust the AF with

@reneefariasphoto40 Жыл бұрын

@@markshirley01 Sure, I get that. As I said, I shoot the Z9 and Z7ii. The Z9 is better at everything, but the Z7ii is no slouch. My action assignments are at 98% above in keeper rate with the Z7ii and that is excellent in my book. The Z9 is even better. As I said, many people don't bother learning the Z7ii AF, it's actually pretty simple. I owned the Z9 first, so when I got the Z7ii as it's little brother to shoot a lighter camera on all day projects, it was easy to see that the Z7ii was very much like the Z9, except for no 3D AF. Not saying I would give up my Z9 for Z7ii but saying that the Z7ii is super reliable. Now I have never used the Z7ii except with FW 1.4, so that may have something to do with my success rate. Not sure. In any case, all the best.

@kmulhall8233 Жыл бұрын

@@reneefariasphoto40 I agree with you. The Z system is different for DSLR shooters. I've only had my Z9 for a few months. I've started shooting as a side hustle this year too. I've shot two marathons, one being the Chicago Marathon, an AKC agility day, and two big crossfit events, as a working photographer. The Z9 with the right glass is amazing. I'm in love with it. I come from the D850 ( love that camera). I learned on a D5300. I also own a Z6. I can't speak for the Z6II, but the original Z6 isn't a sports camera. I've tried to make it that, but it just isn't so. The Z9s autofocus system is far more reliable, more accurate and much quicker than the original Z cameras. I'm not trashing the Z6, I have some beloved images from that camera. Because of it's size, I still use it. For action, the Z9 wins going away. This video is a nice explanation of all the options for the photographer using a Z9 for sports/action. I have found myself trying all the modes in different situations in order to come up with a good workflow.

@reneefariasphoto40 Жыл бұрын

@@kmulhall8233 in the Z bodies I have only used the Z9 and Z7ii. The fastest action I shoot is ppl running or cycling, so both are great. My last marathon I shot the Z7ii with the F mount 70-200 f/2.8 FL and shot 2000 frames. I had 8 bad frames and 1992 keepers. I know for some ppl that is not good enough but for me the Z7ii is stellar and light which helps on some assignments, but still love my Z9 for other applications.

@peternavanac9310 Жыл бұрын

Informative, practical, RELEVANT, clear and VERY HELPFUL. Thank you.

@matrishva 7 ай бұрын

What is Attenuator ? Whether it should be on or off. What us frequency response? Should it be wide range or vical range. What should be the micriphone sensitivity ? And how it affects audio.

@NikonEurope 7 ай бұрын

Hi there, the attenuator option reduces the audio gain in order to prevent audio distortion when recording videos in loud environments. If you are in a loud environment, we suggest using this option. The Frequency response option allows you to choose between "Wide range" for everything from music to the bustling hum of a city street, and "Voice range" for human voices. The microphone sensitivity allows you to choose how sensitive the microphone will be to sounds and, in turn, changes how loud the microphone will be. The higher the sensitivity, the higher the volume. Please note that having this too high may distort the audio. There is an "auto" option for the microphone sensitivity - in this case the camera automatically sets the sensitivity based on the environment and changes it accordingly. You can find more information on each of these options by clicking on them in the following link - onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/16_video_recording_menu_guid-54428b54-f647-0fd5-21d1-d5a80aaf1d05.html#:~:text=Microphone%20Sensitivity

@matrishva 7 ай бұрын

@@NikonEurope thank you.

@stevenrobinsonpictures Жыл бұрын

Can you set the AF to smoothly, slower pull between subjects rather than abruptly as you show around 9:20

@madhushrreebirla6432 Жыл бұрын

How do u get this display on ur screen pls

@Photojouralist123 Жыл бұрын

Its the best z9 advise on the net short sweet and to the point

@user-fi2sb4hs5o 4 ай бұрын

can you explain how to make or select a rectangle box for AF area mode wide S. I shoot soccer players

@hingng9772 9 ай бұрын

Thanku

@MrRobLindemann 10 ай бұрын

noticed at around 17min when you flipped from horizontal to vertical back to horizontal your AF mode didn't change back from AF-s to AF-c. But your focus detection changed.... so focus mode doesn't change when you flip it...?

@stevehaden1392 Жыл бұрын

Best focus mode for photographing children indoors?

@nicehoopers 6 ай бұрын

how do i do dynamic area mode for video? i only see it when i switch to photo mode.

@NikonEurope 6 ай бұрын

Hello there. The Dynamic-area AF mode is only available in photo mode. It is not possible to use this when shooting video. You could try using Subject-tracking AF mode as an alternative when shooting video. For more information on that AF-area mode, see the following link - onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/focus_guid-c662d2e2-a3b4-4d47-17fc-b8b114afb3f3_17.html#af-area_mode:~:text=n-,%5BSubject%2Dtracking%20AF%5D,-Track%20focus%20on

@joshuathreadgill4148 Жыл бұрын

I have been looking everywhere and can not find an answer. Is there a way to map a Fn button to turn subject detection on/off only?

@reneefariasphoto40 Жыл бұрын

No. But you can set it to an AF mode. IE: Say you use AF-F Auto Subject in AFC most of the time. You can set the Fn button to something else. I have mine set to Wide L, so when I hit it I am no long in my normal shooting, when I hit it again, I go back to my normal. Just a thought.

@joshuathreadgill4148 Жыл бұрын

@@reneefariasphoto40 Thank you, I will give that a shot!

@fashionkarteventsal6861 11 ай бұрын

ma con af s non funzionano tutte queste opzioni?

@EugeneMaynard Жыл бұрын

👍🏾🙏🏾

@lionhawk555 Жыл бұрын

A bit disappointing that you don't cover the new modes in firmware 2.0

@realJonSpringer Жыл бұрын

Firmware 3.0 now ;)

@blangd Жыл бұрын

Smile!

@alfabravofilm 5 ай бұрын

I wonder why this very interesting video, which is in English, does not have automatic translation with subtitles in other languages. It's mortifying. It seems that Nikon technology can only be the preserve of those who know English. Greetings from Italy, wanderful land.

@elmono3939 Жыл бұрын

AF cameras and its plethora of AF choices is the biggest frustration there is, especially in video mode. Focus-hunting is prevalent and ruins not only entire footage, but the excitement of creating. I don't understand, why Nikon doesn't incorporate a fully Auto Focus mode - aka "gun 'n' run" mode, where you just point the camera on a scene or subject - and all is in focus , stays in focus, and is without focus hunting - just like shooting with iPhone. It cannot be so difficult or expensive to incorporate this feature. That is all News Photographers need.

@chrisbaudeg3233 Жыл бұрын

Try an M1X... focus sticks to the target like a magnet. No need to fiddle with the buttons and hand off focus with a AF-ON assigned to 3D. This is like playing an ocarina. The issue appears to be the intensity of light. Bright light - sunny - is the worst, and any white object while tracking becomes a focus magnet. Similarly with light coming through background foliage. Ideall is an overcast day with no distinct shadows or bright white objects. It can be done. Othe bodies have done it.

@elmono3939 Жыл бұрын

@@chrisbaudeg3233 Thank you for your advice. Question: What is M1X ?

@chrisbaudeg3233 11 ай бұрын

@@elmono3939 Olympus M1X, and I believe the OM-1 also has it, I have the OM-1 mark II, and that also tracks correctly. This week end, used my partner's Canon R6 Mark II, and it was sticky on the subject... One focus setting for my application and it worked great. With the z9 I need to keep changing focus setting every minute depending on the subject situation. Z9 focus is great if you have time and repeatabilty of subject placement. What is needed is Dynamic-area AF (S) with tracking. Once locked unto the subject it behaves like 3D-tracking without the annoyance of locking unto round objects like balls, round finials, roundish sunlight coming through tree leaves opening, etc too long to describe here. This is a documented failure. Doing the Hudson Henry hand off is nice but anothet rigmarole or work around to solve a challenge, annoyance and irritation.

@manulevrai1005 Жыл бұрын

En français. Please

@nikoadam1 Жыл бұрын

c'est ici : kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pZOaadhynpvTfYE.html

@19Photographer76 8 ай бұрын

For those of us that have French as our first tongue, your Cadence is OK. For those with English as their only language, your cadence must be difficult.

@nemmka Жыл бұрын

OMG...he is quite incoherent...

@chrisbaudeg3233 11 ай бұрын

Ludovic is very coherent, it's the focus system that is not integrated from an event sports photographer's application. Ludovic only reports on the bench application, not on 'in the field' work.

@daviddyephotography Жыл бұрын

isn't it great Nikon and other KZfaq providers focus on a camera than only a small group can afford and even smaller group have been ablr to purchase while ignoring the masses begging for a higher quality APC camera

@jpdj2715 Жыл бұрын

It's equally great for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to do similar while ignoring the masses begging for a higher quality compact car.

@chipsrafferty8362 Жыл бұрын

😢😢😢😢

@bertnase9933 Жыл бұрын

Your 3D example shows exactly how the AF lost it's focus and the image is blurry in the video.

@AshBashSneakers Жыл бұрын

What on earth were you looking at? Maybe you thought he was focusing on the gentleman.. because he wasn’t

@bertnase9933 Жыл бұрын

@@AshBashSneakers You're welcome! As he said: focusing on his colleague and then he lost the focus and sticks to the tripod.

@LDam-pf6lx Жыл бұрын

@@bertnase9933 He didn't lose it. As you can see, he released the focus, (box changing from yellow to white), and the set up 3D tracking on the tripod (box change from white to yellow), to illustrate that it can track any arbitrary object. 5:18

@chrisbaudeg3233 11 ай бұрын

@@LDam-pf6lx What a rigmarole. He lost focus, period. Try it in the field. Watch how white objects are sticky, or grab focus, watch if sunny or evercast, watch focus jump to white round objects ... well documented in Nikon Z9 Sigs and Jared.