OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION OF A VERY INTRICATE FACET OF NIKON’S FOCUS TECHNOLOGY. GREAT JOB! THANK YOU. I “LIKED” AND “SUBSCRIBED”.

This is exactly what I was looking for! Super helpful information. Thank you for posting.

Great info Terry, just sitting back hoping for a Z8 release. Learned a lot today, you are a great teacher.

Wow Terry! Truly amazing photos!!! Learned a bunch. Thank you!

Thank you for this great video. You just saved me a tremendous amount of time taking poor shots whlie trying to figure which focus mode to use. Great job!

Very helpful and well done!

Enjoyed your video, well done, your a great teacher, explain things well. Look forward to more videos.

Terry... thanks for a great video, helpful for better understanding the Z8. I'm also a pro photographer and did a lot of teaching. You do a good job and it's the best way to thank all who have taught us the craft. Best Wishes!

I have never heard of the focus points explained like that before, thank you.

Thank you for sharing your Z9 experiance

Excellent video

Awesome video Thanks ❤️🙌🏻

Thank you for your video. Best regards from Bogotá, Colombia.

thanks for this Terry!

Love your video! I do have a question that I cannot find an answer to. I just received my Z8 and wanting to know for eye/animal/subject detection, which area focusing modes can this be used with?

fantastic Sir . Verry helpfull

THANK YOU!!

Thanks for the video. It's helpful with my Z8. In regard to the custom areas at 8:15, I saw one video that recommended defining a short but wide custom area in order to track waterfowl flying low across water. Was supposed to help the camera focus on the bird rather than getting distracted by the water. I haven't tested it.

amazing video thank you

Thank you for this excellent video. Though I have few doubts and I hope that you would answer. 1. According to the Z9 manual, there is no mention that the camera is going to focus on the object closest to the camera (as you mentioned). Instead, this is mentioned for "Wide Area" modes (which you mentioned). 2. According to the Z9 manual, Nikon recommends Dynamic Area- Large for photographing birds and WA-L for sports. What is your opinion on that? 3. I have tried to use the 3D AF method, but at least for small birds, it proved to be too slow. I use a Nikkor 200-500 with Z9. Thank you again.

Dear Terry in regards how to use the AF AREA C1 for wildlife ! I had a prototype few months ago before the new update therefore, I did not have the opportunity to used it then but since I got my own z9 within this week I will be traveling to put to extreme conditions in Costa Rica this beast! Do you have an email that I can send my experiences? Great video I enjoyed learning from you!

Hello Terry. Great video. Thanks for making this. Just one question. If I am using AF back button, I need to keep it pressed as long as I want to keep my subject in focus. Is that correct? Also, what is the real benefit of separating the AF function from shutter release button? With back button, I am now engaging more (thumb and finger). Please clarify this.

Terry, first thank you for the video and effort. Couple of points here. 1. I realize there is incentive not to make a video outlining the problems with the Z9 autofocus system, but I'm going to suggest you do just that as a follow-up. 2. My personal opinion is that Autofocus on the Z9 is anything but easy (a.k.a. a1, R3). I've used the camera for almost 6 months now, and I find I have to still experiment with what mode works best in what situation - but all fall a bit short. 4. 3D worked well for you in this video, but I've found the bird really has to fill a decent portion of the frame for it to work and stick. That does limit it's use - for when the bird is a bit more distant - it doesn't track long enough or reliably enough and will jump to blank sky, water, - not necessarily strong lines. 5. I believe, and please site evidence to the contrary, that the Z9 (and cameras like the earlier Sony) had the focus point jump to the background or strong VERTICAL (not horizontal) lines. There are videos on KZfaq showing just this problem. Problem is the horizontally aligned OSPDAF masked pixels (half AF, half exposure). They see vertical lines as a split prism and try to align them. Horizontal lines have no edges and are essentially ignored unless something else (strong contrast) catches the AF system's attention. You can go into any parking garage basement with steam pipes and low light and see if the Z9 will focus on horizontal pipes vs. vertical pipes (can you tell I've been there?). 6. For tracking distant birds in flight I find WA (take your pick) works the best right now (FW 2.1) for initial focus lock. I then hand it off to 3D at times, but this is a hit or miss proposition, and my opinion is that 3D for more distant objects isn't ready for prime time yet. 7. There are just too many settings and custom controls to set up for each type of shooting, so I am a believer in BANKS in this camera as a quick way to jump from landscape to wildlife to Astrophotography etc for the way I shoot. It takes some time to set up, but is well worth it on this camera. 8. Lastly, as I mentioned at the outset, it would be great if you made a video revealing how you overcome the issues with the Z9. FW 2.1 made it much easier to refocus on close objects when the camera inadvertently jumps to the background. For me, this occurred more in 3D and WA than elsewhere. Lastly, while you did mention that in WA. Dynamic, and AF-Full (WA - Complete?) the camera tends to focus on "near vs. far" subjects parts, you didn't mention that this does not happen in 3D - as distance doesn't play a role - but other subjects entering the frame with similar eyes do! If you've made it this far, and still think AF on the Z9 is easy, I'd beg to differ - or course you could say "compared to what?". Sony a1, Canon R3, R5. Now, I'm a Nikon guy, so I hope that Nikon has FW updates down the road that make the algorithm stronger, because some of this is a limit of hardware and the way the OSPDAF system is built. Your thoughts?

Danke!

How is your experience with the ikon Z9 and Fx Nikon lenses with the NTZ II adaptor ?

Terry what Firmware Version were you using??

Do you have to keep the back button pressed the whole time in 3D?

Hi I have a nikon d4 and d4s I brought the nikon Z9 my problem after 3 shots the focus run all over the screen please how much you charge to help me figure it out

On my z6 when I shoot on ‘AF-area mode’ set to Auto Focus, and I press the OK button I get a box that tracks the subject, on my Z9 that same OK button doesn’t show me this tracking box unless I tap on the screen to track the subject. Where can I turn in this setting on my z9 to function the same as my z6?

I've been spending a fair bit of time photographing grizzlies this spring and I've found that the Z9,s eye focus is sometimes hit or miss, especially in early mornings with lower contrast. The focus box moves all over the bears body occasionally hitting on the eye, then all of a sudden it looses it. Better light does seem to help. On Pelicans it's much better. Better contrast perhaps? It's almost 2am so back to the sheets. Thanks for a great video.

I have a question regarding how set focus to AF-C 3D animal in video mode. I can do this fine in photo mode, but the video mode is not giving me the option to put it in AF-C 3D ....any ideas . Also limited in assigning the function buttons to all the various modes of AF-C I can do in photo mode Thanks ! Pierre

HI Terry I could not find the link to your book? Can you send instructions and info on how to purchase it. Thanks. je

I've got a question I can't find an answer for - when I'm shooting video with the Z9 of a bunch of subjects (group of ducks, elk, etc) and AF is locking on to their heads/eyes it often then jumps to another animal nearby. Is there a way to prevent it from jumping to another subject and just force it to continue tracking one object? The white autofocus boxes show what look to be arrows on them when there is multiple subjects....

Welcome What is the best option Release focus + release. focus

But how do you turn on eye detection? I haven’t figured it out yet and no one seems to be explaining that part for the Z9

Can you set a spot to start the focus area then train it to follow.

Nice Video What is the song name of: 9:48

For the custom area AF (C1, C2), create a 1x1 box and this will allow for subject tracking.

I posted this on Zwade’s channel on this very subject. "Did some more tests this is what I see. Single birds with good contrast no background follage within say 50 feet focus is perfect including 3D. Around 70 feet with close bright background follage none of the focus modes "saw" the birds eye. It mostly back focused on the follage. Even group area small struggled." There appears to be a definite issue with messy backgrounds and some distant bird subjects. People face and eye focus detection seem to be excellent even at great distances.

BBAF? I know people who like it claim it is best. Well it’s best for them. I don’t see a place for it on the Z series. I get it for something like a D850 where the autofocus points don’t cover the whole viewfinder. Once you are used to it, it maybe harder to stop using it. I never liked it on the D500 and I have other things to do when using the Z9. So no thanks. I really like the rest of the video. Nice work.

What tripod is that?

Thank you for the video. But my experience with the z9 has been slightly different. 3d tracking is good when you’re up close and the camera has a good pattern to register and track. But with busy backgrounds or subjects slightly further away, i find it gets confused very easily. I am finding that using a regular wide-L af-s mode, held (toggled) off of a function button, is what i use for birds in flight. It seems to track them better than 3d tracking for me. But I’m also more in the wild without a blind, so things are coming at me in a more unpredictable fashion too.

Do you always need background music while talking to people?

How much better is the AF on the Z9 compared to the POS called the D850?

Tip #1: “Leave your Z9 in MF (manual focus).

the music in the background of you talking is just a bit too much - no need

Want great AF? Buy a Canon or a Sony

Tony Northrup : " Sony focuses faster"