Excellent video. This is technical and I will need to re-watch it a number of times, but that is exactly what I wanted and it has some very good information. Hopefully your fans enjoyed it as much as I did, as its great to see.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, some things are hard to understand the first way around, but that's why video is great, because you can pause and rewind or watch again
Another great video Jan , you are so keen to share your knowledge which is much appreciated. One thing puzzles me, why do you call them "Out of Focus Points" rather than "Focus Points"? Some feed back; For stationary subjects I always use Centre Focus and Recompose and for BIFs Smallest Centre Group
Many people aren't aware. Yet they have a dramatic impact on the AF performance. So it's important to play around with them and tweak them to your personal style.
Another very informative video Jan. I have set up back button focus on my Olympus Em1 Mark 2. But AF options have been a mystery for BIF. Not much success to date. The back button is good and I have had no problems with the transition from the front button. I have been using a 25 point matrix AF points, and not getting nice sharp results. Always had good success with my Mark 1, using just one central AF point. The Mark 2 has numerous options, but have to extrapolate from your Canon to my Olympus now.
There should be some articles on google was well, that might help you. From what I read, in the super high speed mode, those cameras don't focus every frame. learnandsupport.getolympus.com/learn-center/photography-tips/birds/using-om-d-e-m1-mark-ii-focus-for-bird-photography Maybe this could help
Keith, I am using the same camera and I actually found Jan’s excellent video because I was trying to figure out how to best tweak my AF settings. I think you can extrapolate the tracking sensitivity settings to C-AF Sensitivity in menu A1. A setting of -1 seems reasonable to me, based on my understanding of Jan’s tips. -2 seems like it could get stuck on something like the background and +1 or +2 seems like it would jump too much from the bird to a branch or background too easily. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly the AF Scanner does and what it should ideally be set to for birds. I mostly shoot perched birds and birds moving quickly through the trees like warblers.
Oh, and Jan is right, you should only use sequential (aka burst mode) low and not sequential high. High does not update the focus between each photo-it does not focus between each shot. It locks the focus on the first shot. Whereas low continues to focus between each shot.
@@jan_wegener I'm looking to micro adjust the AF on my 5D Mk4 for my 500 f4 and 2X TC. How far from the LensAlign or similar should the camera be? Is it better to be wide open when doing the test to limit DoF or maybe f11 to have sharper images to choose from?
I always learn when I watch one of your videos. The tip for separating the focus point for vertical and horizontal orientation is great, I’ve missed great shots fiddling around with focus points when I’ve switched vertical orientation so that I’m hesitant to switch but this will make life so much easier. Cheers Jan
Tremendous video, fortunately I have been micro adjusting my lenses for years. One point I think is worthwhile mentioning is to switch off the lens anti vibration this also helps achieve better focus. In order to speed up focus finding I like to preset my focus distance to more or less where I think it will be, this means the focus system has less searching to do. I used to always shoot fairly wide open but you have got me onto f8 and my overall focus is much better. Thanks and this is another video I shall highly recommend.
Jan, Your vidoes are so concise & to the point, easy to follow, just love them. HOW do you change your lens so quickly from horizontal to vertical?????? Looks so easy? Please share Jenny
Hi Jenny, thanks so much! Usually I leave the lens collar quite lose and because the lens and camera and fairly heavy, I can just give it a little spin and gravity pulls it into place on thew way to horizontal. For vertical I just quickly turn it up.
Thank you Jan - love your videos - I have a Sony Full Frame and yet to learn a lot - love bird photography - specially birds in flight - I shoot in RAW and have just started to use Manual Mode and slowly getting there - your tips and tricks are very helpful even though technicalities sometimes overwhelm me.
Thank you! Yes, there's a lot of little things that go into it and believe or not, I don't actually care that much about these things, but you have to work through them sometimes, to get the best images. At least you won't need to do any calibrations on your Sonys
I jusy upgraded from a Canon t3i to 7dii. Thanks for this vid. Very helpful to me in setting up the AF. I know the 7dii might seem old is some peoples minds but its lightyeara ahead of my old body. The much improved AF and its higher, much higher fps was and is a delight. Thanks for all the content you make available!
Hi, Thanks for sharing Very important tips and techniques with us . it's definitely helpful during Wildlife's or bird photography....Keep continue 💐💐👍 Best regards Asif!
Hi Jan. Thanks for all the great videos. sometimes I use case 5, but most of the time I use case 1 and 1 point with surrounding points active just like you described. Thanks for describing the detailed adjustments for each parameter. I was thinking about the top one wrong and was adjusted to +1 and wondering why I was grabbing the background so often, thanks for clearing that up :) now at -1 and hopefully notice it's much steadier on my subject.
Hi Alden, Glad it was helpful. I have played around with the top one a lot, but as you describe, at +1 it's a bit too twitchy for my taste and almost looks for things to jump on, even when there's nothing else than your subject
Moving my AF points around as needed is what I'm working on this year anyways. Good tips! Keep 'em comin'. I generally stick to single AF point, and the smallest group AF points, for BiF. I understand that when more AF points are active it can slow the camera's processes down, so less is more.
I have been using Case 3, with a few tweaks, but have been having problems with focus going to the background and not the birds, now I have adjusted them according to your tips and will be trying them out for a while. Great videos, very informative. Keep them coming! ;-)
Again another great vid. On the 7D mark lol Accel/decel tracking only has 0 1 2 . So not to sure which would be best for yours settings. Look forward to your next vid.
Hey, that's an interesting one. I would do a test with each setting, on a static subject and see which ones feels better. If I had to pick one, I would probably go with 1 for now and see what happens. 0 will likely be quite "lazy"
Good of you to share your secrets 🦜 it’s always a struggle to get the birds or critters eyes in sharp focus, but I learned from Mark Smith and as you also have said to stop down a bit when possible to get better DOF. I’ve AF fine tuned all my lenses to my two Nikon D810 bodies and check them every couple of months. They’re pretty decent but trying to get the eyes sharp at wider apertures is a bit hit and miss. Not sure if it’s a little inconsistent AF fine tune or AF acquisition. The D810 is better than the previous D800 but apparently not as good as the new D850. But I can’t really justify upgrading. I try to stick to single point centre AF and crop to compose later, I do shift it if it’s suitable. The multiple points you mention is called group AF on the Nikon and that’s very good also. One thing I do like for moving subjects (which some disagree with) is to have the shutter set to release only upon focus lock. It’s a bit of a cheats way but it means I can simply hold the shutter down and let the camera fire off once it’s got the lock rather than me having to judge it. Mostly for birds in flight because then the camera won’t lock focus unless it’s got the bird because the sky background won’t initiate a focus lock.
Yes, it's a bit different on every systems. And we also need to be aware that we will never have every image sharp. There are just too many factors. I use it the other way around, I let it fire irregardless, cause I find it annoying if I press it and it won't shoot :D
Jan Wegener The Nikon has 3 options. Release, Focus, Release + Focus. The later is probably the better choice, it will release regardless of focus confirmation for the first frame in the burst then for subsequent frames in the burst it will release on focus. This potentially allows you to capture the first frame in the burst which may be in focus but yet to see the confirmation, then by the second frame in the burst the focus confirmation has caught up so can be more assured. I have all the focus options stored at the top of My Menu so can easily reconfigure it. There are plenty of situations where I would not use Focus, I would switch to Release or Release + Focus. Focus is best only if I know the background is not going to acquire the focus, such as the sky.
Jan - I love your channel so i don't want to seem contradictory but here is what Canon says about MFA in their guide - Maintain a distance that is the same as when usually shooting. When it is not possible to ensure the distance, shoot at a distance of 50x the lens focal length.*(Example: For 400 mm lens, the distance is 20 meters / 66 feet) * Precise focus adjustment may not be possible with test shots taken at a distance that differs significantly from typical actual shoo/ng distance. The above * disclaimer is a very important concept in wildlife photography and translates to the fact that MFA is far less relevant than most people give it credit for. If you do your MFA with different targets at different distances and under different lighting conditions you'll get different results. MFA is really meant for studio guys who have a repeatable problem under repeatable conditions. In wildlife photography we don't have that luxury. We are always at different distances, our focus point is rarely exactly on target and in the case of moving subjects our plane of focus is constantly shifting. At the distances most wildlife photogs shoot there is always more than enough DOF to get what we need in focus. The MFA adjustments are so minute we likely wouldn't notice a +/- 20 - we're working with field of sharp focus grater than what the MFA can impact. Most focus issues are caused by user error or working in conditions that don't allow the AF to function optimally. Thanks for the vids!!!
My experience is very different to that. I usually fine tune my lens at around 15-20m, because that's a typical distance for me. I had a 2x Extender that only produced soft images and when I fine tuned it to +13 it was bang on. So I have certainly noticed dramatic differences when using the MFA and so have many others I know. When you shoot small birds with a large lens, DOF, is very narrow and small changes in where your camera focuses make a big difference.
@@jan_wegener No, Jan. It sounds like your experience is not different but expected. You are doing your MFA at distances you normally shoot and getting good results. That is the desired outcome. My point is that if your subjects are at different distances from your MFA tests (which is more typical) then MFA is not really that effective or predictable. Chuck Westfall (a Canon legend) was quite explicit in expressing that MFA is dynamic because it is FL/distance dependant hence the importance of configuring MFA at the typical shooting distance. People have all kinds of anecdotal evidence otherwise but I'm not going to argue with the experts who designed the camera and wrote the manual. MFA can be a useful tool but it isn't a catchall. As for the DOF and small birds with large lenses I have almost the same gear as you. With the 600 wide open at 25 metres we've got .41 metres of DOF - .2 in front and .21 in back of the point of focus. Even with the 2x on we've still got .2 metres - 20 cm of total DOF. If you aren't sharp on your focus point it isn't because of MFA. It is the same principal that explains why when we shoot a BIF we get all or a good portion of the wings in focus depending on the size of the bird.
Hi Jan: Love the video.Personally I like Case 4.I usually use Center point with 4 surrounding points. Case 5 and 6,I feel is asking the camera more than it was made for.
I shoot high school football Case 2 will stick on the initial subject.Like a QB rolling out. But to try focusing on another subject it isn't very quick.Case 3 doesn't stay on subject. I find it will focus on subject closest to lens.
Great video Jan. I have a custom menu set on my 5D MkIV with those same 3 settings. That way if I want to change my sensitivity/ responsiveness I can get there with one click in the menu. Just my two cents worth. Another great video mate. Thanks
Another great video Jan... I have set my AF-On to group auto focus and my joy stick to single point which I can move around easily... I think that gives me more flexibility to switch easily...
I usually use the center point with 8 surrounding points and case 2. I am going to try your suggestion to use a higher point with the 8 surrounding points for birds in flight and possibly a single point for perching birds.
I have a Canon EOS90D and a Sigma 150-600 F5.6C I dont seem to have the "Cases" but I will check my settings. I love Back Button Focus, but it becomes tricky getting other people use my camera, trying to explain what do do
I shoot with a d500 and I'm a bit jealous of your cases! Mind you, I has an af-on button I've set to single point, but also the joystick is also a button when pushed in so I've set it to 25 point group focus which is what nikon calls their single point with surrounding area af. Love the video! Also just got my first supertele prime, a 400 f2.8.
Love the videos Jan, I’ve learned so much - now shooting in RAW and using back button focus! I’d like to know if you have any tips/thoughts on night birding? Do you do it? Night photo editing tips would be great! Chris
I have only done it like twice, cause I don't typically like the dark and flashed/torched look of the images. Biggest challenge is focusing and not disturbing the birds too much.
Freat video and easy to understand. Actually I'm using the focus pints in the same way like you. Taking BIF and having a blue sky as a back gronud I use also all AF points. I think in this case I'm more flexible.
thanks! I only shoot in continuous mode. And by using back button focus, I can use it just like a one shot mode. I explain how in this video: ua-cam.com/video/g5fLwtT9vGg/v-deo.html
@@jan_wegener Hi Jan, what I meant was do you take 1 picture at a time when the bird is perched or leave the camera in burst shooting mode? Sorry for the lack in clarity
Thanks for the tips! I use an EOS R which strangely doesn't seem to have AF Cases but I adjusted the settings to match yours, eager to try it out! Not having a joystick makes switching AF points a little tricky - touch & drag AF is really cool but it's a bit of a stretch - much easier if you have longer thumbs I guess. What's your thoughts on Servo vs Single shot AF? Are there any times where you would opt to servo? Tracking AF is cool but it can be tricky to get it to lock onto birds that are small in the frame.
Yes, there's a few things with the ergonomics of the R that make it different and maybe more challenging to use than other layouts. I never get out of Ai Servo. With Back Button focusing it works quite well that way.
Hi Jan, I’m a nature photographer and mostly shoot birds with the EOSR6. I have all my back button focusing set up the way you explained and it’s working great, except for BIF. I have the autofocus settings on spot autofocus with expand area autofocus. Somehow, I’ve limited the cameras ability to use the zone autofocus areas and I feel that’s why I can’t lock on to BIF easily. Which autofocus point is good for a flock of 3-13 birds taking off at once? I can’t get the AF to even lock on quickly to shoot even a single bird in flight right now until it’s a good distance from me. Can you do a video on that? I have a small flock of birds that I shoot and they take off all at once. With my Olympus I’m able to lock on easily and get good shots. With the R6 I can’t seem to do that. Help! Thanks, Meredith Miller
in flight or perched? Either way, I don't really adjust for that. I try to focus on the bird that will allow me to get the most depth of field on all three birds. So likely the middle bird
Probably applies well to my 5Ds, to 1Dx II, maybe 1Dx. There is something new in the 1Dx Mark III, maybe eye tracking. I'm sure that changes everything. I am doubtful that it translates easily to mirrorless cameras, maybe not even the EOS R. Most, at least of the better ones, have eye tracking.
Yes, mirrorless is completely different. But for most of us, the technology isn't there yet. That might very well change with the R5, soon. There will always be different options available in the future on future cams, too.
@@jan_wegener Brendan van Son found the EOS R better than the 5D IV for wildlife photography when he was in Africa. And there's been a significant firmware update since then. There are photographers getting good results with the Panasonic G9.
No “cases” on my Nikon (D7500) but the same settings are there (I think). I’ve been using Single Point and moving it around. You’ve given me cause to consider using dynamic 9, or at least revisiting the theory and remembering why I decided for perches birds Single is better.
I have experienced that group AF works far better on my nikon d850 full frame than the one where one main focus point is surrounded by many other or dynamic AF Group area focus where 5 points work as one are much better . Only downside is that it will focus on part nearest to us
@@jan_wegener i have tried dynamic 25 multiple times and d9 where keeper rate is less as compared to group area AF . Group area gives me very good results in birds in flight and single point for perched birds. I need to know more in terms of technique for using dynamic auto focus points and when to use evaluative metering and when to use point metering when shooting Birds in flight and perched birds . I shoot point metering only if surrounding is plain blue or white and bird is a bit dark A little more info will be very helpful and appreciated
Hi Jan, thank you for those great informations! That makes all the settings less confusing :) Can you tell me what kind of camouflage cloth you are using at the beginning? I used one from Han Bouwmeester but it is a very thick and heavy cloth. Yours look very thin and light in weigth.
@@jan_wegener Thank you for your answer! I would order the hide about you link, but since i am from germany it is a bit impractical. At least i give you a thumbs up and a abo. I hope this might help you aswell.
Case 1 with the changes that I have made works the best for my style. I would always recommend to try the different cases yourself, to make sure what suits you the best. But from what I have seen most people seem to be happy with case one and some adjustments made
Do you use teleconverter in zoom lenses? When I do, I always focus at the centre point of the viewfinder. Otherwise, when not using a teleconverter I don't mind anywhere. Does this sound practical?
Hi Jan, could you help me regarding the AF Microadjustment in 5DMK4 have two line when you open the AF Microadjustment - first layer is W and the butom is T. My lens is Tamron 150-600mm g2 f5.6 to 6.3. I don't know which I adjust the first one W or T the 2nd line in AF Microadjustment?
As far as I know on a zoom you can adjust both ends of the lens. W for Wide and T for Tele. So you should be able to register a settings for 150mm and one for 600mm and then the adjustments will move from one point to the other while you zoom
Hi Jan, I have a question for you and I wonder if you can help me with this one. I know you have used the 5DIV extensively so your inputs will be very welcome. Here is my question. When I do test shot on a static target with 'one shot' I can read the text written on the target very easily. If I do the same using 'AI Servo' the text on the target is very hard to read because it seems 'washed out' every single time. I don't get this one. I change only the AF method and nothing else. It is so disturbing that it prvents to use AI Servo extensively like I would normally do. Do you have any idea or suggestion OR someone else can help me with this ? Thanlks a lot !
Sounds like something isn't right. It should basically look the same. When you do one shot is that on the back of the camera or via the viewfinder and the focus button?
My Canon Eos 90D has nothing called cases. Unless the C1 and C2 settings on the program button could be called cases, but I think the C stands for custom setting.
@@jan_wegener oh no, I can adjust the tracking sensitivity, the accel./decel. tracking and the AF pt auto switching. It just isn’t in a “case”, it’s in C.Fn II in the menu. In other words, I can only save one setting.
Additionally my long lens (Sigma 150-600 C) offers two custom settings which also allow different AF settings. I haven’t experimented much with it, though.
Thanks for the tips, I have a 6dmk2 and find the camera is quite often focusing on the background rather than the bird. Ive had a look in the menu and it doesnt have the case option, any tips on how I can customise to get a similar result? Thanks :)
Great video as always Jan, AF is a bit of a mission if it is to be done correctly, I have done a write up on what settings and the procedure to be used here : layzeephotography.blogspot.com/2017/08/auto-focus-micro-adjustment-afma.html Hopefully people will find the information helpful.
As usual great information...Thank you
Thanks for watching! Much appreciated
Excellent video. This is technical and I will need to re-watch it a number of times, but that is exactly what I wanted and it has some very good information. Hopefully your fans enjoyed it as much as I did, as its great to see.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, some things are hard to understand the first way around, but that's why video is great, because you can pause and rewind or watch again
Great Video and Tips, glad to have an expert to teach us all these photography techniques.😃
Happy to help! Thanks :)
Thank you. Great video!
I dont think my camera will let me do those things. Thank you for your tips and the time you take and make these videos
I love that you are teaching me something new with cameras with every video. Now I need to find out if my Sony has these case settings.
It will be different on a mirrorless. You won't need any fine tuning for instance.
@@jan_wegener good to know. Thanks!
Another great video Jan , you are so keen to share your knowledge which is much appreciated.
One thing puzzles me, why do you call them "Out of Focus Points" rather than "Focus Points"?
Some feed back; For stationary subjects I always use Centre Focus and Recompose and for BIFs Smallest Centre Group
I think you’ll find Jan is is saying auto focus points, but with his German background it pronounces more like “out-oh”. 🙃
Accents are a funny thing, but Craig is right, I am trying to say autofocus points 😁
@@jan_wegener Oh my apologies Jan!
Always informative Jan. Gets us thinking and trying new/better ways. Thanks mate
Glad you enjoyed it Russel
I also have the Canon 5D IV but was unaware of the 5 Case set ups. Have changed to match yours and look forward to better results. Many thanks.
Many people aren't aware. Yet they have a dramatic impact on the AF performance. So it's important to play around with them and tweak them to your personal style.
Deactivating the unused focus points great tip,
Glad it was helpful!
Great video mate, thanks for sharing this with us all. Cheers, Duade
thanks mate
Thanks for sharing your knowkedge with us Jan! Another very useful video 👌
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love your videos! You're the best!! You are brilliant!
Wow, thank you!
Great information. Thank you sharing such great information and techniques!
Glad it was helpful! THanks for watching.
Jan Wegener if I may ask you. Have you made any video on creating/ setting natural perch for bird photography?
Another very informative video Jan. I have set up back button focus on my Olympus Em1 Mark 2. But AF options have been a mystery for BIF. Not much success to date. The back button is good and I have had no problems with the transition from the front button. I have been using a 25 point matrix AF points, and not getting nice sharp results. Always had good success with my Mark 1, using just one central AF point. The Mark 2 has numerous options, but have to extrapolate from your Canon to my Olympus now.
There should be some articles on google was well, that might help you. From what I read, in the super high speed mode, those cameras don't focus every frame. learnandsupport.getolympus.com/learn-center/photography-tips/birds/using-om-d-e-m1-mark-ii-focus-for-bird-photography Maybe this could help
Keith, I am using the same camera and I actually found Jan’s excellent video because I was trying to figure out how to best tweak my AF settings. I think you can extrapolate the tracking sensitivity settings to C-AF Sensitivity in menu A1. A setting of -1 seems reasonable to me, based on my understanding of Jan’s tips. -2 seems like it could get stuck on something like the background and +1 or +2 seems like it would jump too much from the bird to a branch or background too easily. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly the AF Scanner does and what it should ideally be set to for birds. I mostly shoot perched birds and birds moving quickly through the trees like warblers.
Oh, and Jan is right, you should only use sequential (aka burst mode) low and not sequential high. High does not update the focus between each photo-it does not focus between each shot. It locks the focus on the first shot. Whereas low continues to focus between each shot.
@@SexyLittleOtter Thanks for the info Jason
Great video and insight into the autofocus system operations.
Thanks for watching!
As usual, great video and very helpful. Will look at my settings tomorrow and practice.Thanks Jan !
Thanks! :)
Very informative video as usual. I like the centre plus four AF points as my default setting, less chance of jumping onto the bg at a crucial moment.
Great tip! I am doing the same. Appreciate your comment
@@jan_wegener I'm looking to micro adjust the AF on my 5D Mk4 for my 500 f4 and 2X TC. How far from the LensAlign or similar should the camera be? Is it better to be wide open when doing the test to limit DoF or maybe f11 to have sharper images to choose from?
Thank you for this video , Normally i'm always using one point and center , but I will try using an higher point like you do
Like with most things a bit of trial and error will get you the best results in the end
I always learn when I watch one of your videos. The tip for separating the focus point for vertical and horizontal orientation is great, I’ve missed great shots fiddling around with focus points when I’ve switched vertical orientation so that I’m hesitant to switch but this will make life so much easier. Cheers Jan
Great to hear, thanks!
Great video and explanations. Will certainly look again at the orientation setting which I hadn’t taken much notice of before now.
Glad it was helpful!
Tremendous video, fortunately I have been micro adjusting my lenses for years. One point I think is worthwhile mentioning is to switch off the lens anti vibration this also helps achieve better focus. In order to speed up focus finding I like to preset my focus distance to more or less where I think it will be, this means the focus system has less searching to do. I used to always shoot fairly wide open but you have got me onto f8 and my overall focus is much better. Thanks and this is another video I shall highly recommend.
Thanks Kirk! You mean turning off Image stabilization for flight shots?
Jan, Your vidoes are so concise & to the point, easy to follow, just love them.
HOW do you change your lens so quickly from horizontal to vertical?????? Looks so easy? Please share
Jenny
Hi Jenny, thanks so much! Usually I leave the lens collar quite lose and because the lens and camera and fairly heavy, I can just give it a little spin and gravity pulls it into place on thew way to horizontal. For vertical I just quickly turn it up.
@@jan_wegener thank you, will practice getting fluid movements.
Thank you Jan - love your videos - I have a Sony Full Frame and yet to learn a lot - love bird photography - specially birds in flight - I shoot in RAW and have just started to use Manual Mode and slowly getting there - your tips and tricks are very helpful even though technicalities sometimes overwhelm me.
Thank you! Yes, there's a lot of little things that go into it and believe or not, I don't actually care that much about these things, but you have to work through them sometimes, to get the best images. At least you won't need to do any calibrations on your Sonys
Bloody good video mate and this location is 👌mmhmm.
thanks mate
Great tips Jan especially the case setting for the autofocus. I will be having a play with those a bit more. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! Appreciate your comment
Hi Jan, very good, clear and to the point videos.I didnot use my camera for a while and needed to refresh things. Excellent !
Glad you enjoyed it!
I jusy upgraded from a Canon t3i to 7dii.
Thanks for this vid. Very helpful to me in setting up the AF.
I know the 7dii might seem old is some peoples minds but its lightyeara ahead of my old body. The much improved AF and its higher, much higher fps was and is a delight.
Thanks for all the content you make available!
Yes, it will be a lovely upgrade to your old camera. Many people, even pros using this camera extensively.
Hi, Thanks for sharing Very important tips and techniques with us . it's definitely helpful during Wildlife's or bird photography....Keep continue 💐💐👍
Best regards
Asif!
Thank you :)
So many excellent tips on your channel. Thank you.
Happy to help!
Hi Jan. Thanks for all the great videos. sometimes I use case 5, but most of the time I use case 1 and 1 point with surrounding points active just like you described. Thanks for describing the detailed adjustments for each parameter. I was thinking about the top one wrong and was adjusted to +1 and wondering why I was grabbing the background so often, thanks for clearing that up :) now at -1 and hopefully notice it's much steadier on my subject.
Hi Alden, Glad it was helpful. I have played around with the top one a lot, but as you describe, at +1 it's a bit too twitchy for my taste and almost looks for things to jump on, even when there's nothing else than your subject
Moving my AF points around as needed is what I'm working on this year anyways. Good tips! Keep 'em comin'.
I generally stick to single AF point, and the smallest group AF points, for BiF. I understand that when more AF points are active it can slow the camera's processes down, so less is more.
It might, but I'd think that's more true for the bigger zones. Don't think that's really that much of a concern.
Wonderful video Jan. Keep going back to it often.
Awesome, thanks
I have been using Case 3, with a few tweaks, but have been having problems with focus going to the background and not the birds, now I have adjusted them according to your tips and will be trying them out for a while.
Great videos, very informative. Keep them coming! ;-)
Thanks John, it's a bit of trial and error with these cases
So well done video Jan, great tips and very concise, really professional! 👏😊
Thanks so much! 😊
Again another great vid. On the 7D mark lol Accel/decel tracking only has 0 1 2 . So not to sure which would be best for yours settings. Look forward to your next vid.
Hey, that's an interesting one. I would do a test with each setting, on a static subject and see which ones feels better. If I had to pick one, I would probably go with 1 for now and see what happens. 0 will likely be quite "lazy"
Good of you to share your secrets 🦜 it’s always a struggle to get the birds or critters eyes in sharp focus, but I learned from Mark Smith and as you also have said to stop down a bit when possible to get better DOF. I’ve AF fine tuned all my lenses to my two Nikon D810 bodies and check them every couple of months. They’re pretty decent but trying to get the eyes sharp at wider apertures is a bit hit and miss. Not sure if it’s a little inconsistent AF fine tune or AF acquisition. The D810 is better than the previous D800 but apparently not as good as the new D850. But I can’t really justify upgrading. I try to stick to single point centre AF and crop to compose later, I do shift it if it’s suitable. The multiple points you mention is called group AF on the Nikon and that’s very good also.
One thing I do like for moving subjects (which some disagree with) is to have the shutter set to release only upon focus lock. It’s a bit of a cheats way but it means I can simply hold the shutter down and let the camera fire off once it’s got the lock rather than me having to judge it. Mostly for birds in flight because then the camera won’t lock focus unless it’s got the bird because the sky background won’t initiate a focus lock.
Yes, it's a bit different on every systems. And we also need to be aware that we will never have every image sharp. There are just too many factors. I use it the other way around, I let it fire irregardless, cause I find it annoying if I press it and it won't shoot :D
Jan Wegener The Nikon has 3 options. Release, Focus, Release + Focus. The later is probably the better choice, it will release regardless of focus confirmation for the first frame in the burst then for subsequent frames in the burst it will release on focus. This potentially allows you to capture the first frame in the burst which may be in focus but yet to see the confirmation, then by the second frame in the burst the focus confirmation has caught up so can be more assured.
I have all the focus options stored at the top of My Menu so can easily reconfigure it. There are plenty of situations where I would not use Focus, I would switch to Release or Release + Focus. Focus is best only if I know the background is not going to acquire the focus, such as the sky.
Jan - I love your channel so i don't want to seem contradictory but here is what Canon says about MFA in their guide - Maintain a distance that is the same as when usually shooting. When it is not possible to ensure the distance, shoot at a distance of 50x the lens focal length.*(Example: For 400 mm lens, the distance is 20 meters / 66 feet)
* Precise focus adjustment may not be possible with test shots taken at a distance that differs significantly from typical actual shoo/ng distance.
The above * disclaimer is a very important concept in wildlife photography and translates to the fact that MFA is far less relevant than most people give it credit for. If you do your MFA with different targets at different distances and under different lighting conditions you'll get different results. MFA is really meant for studio guys who have a repeatable problem under repeatable conditions. In wildlife photography we don't have that luxury. We are always at different distances, our focus point is rarely exactly on target and in the case of moving subjects our plane of focus is constantly shifting. At the distances most wildlife photogs shoot there is always more than enough DOF to get what we need in focus. The MFA adjustments are so minute we likely wouldn't notice a +/- 20 - we're working with field of sharp focus grater than what the MFA can impact. Most focus issues are caused by user error or working in conditions that don't allow the AF to function optimally. Thanks for the vids!!!
My experience is very different to that. I usually fine tune my lens at around 15-20m, because that's a typical distance for me. I had a 2x Extender that only produced soft images and when I fine tuned it to +13 it was bang on. So I have certainly noticed dramatic differences when using the MFA and so have many others I know. When you shoot small birds with a large lens, DOF, is very narrow and small changes in where your camera focuses make a big difference.
@@jan_wegener No, Jan. It sounds like your experience is not different but expected. You are doing your MFA at distances you normally shoot and getting good results. That is the desired outcome. My point is that if your subjects are at different distances from your MFA tests (which is more typical) then MFA is not really that effective or predictable. Chuck Westfall (a Canon legend) was quite explicit in expressing that MFA is dynamic because it is FL/distance dependant hence the importance of configuring MFA at the typical shooting distance. People have all kinds of anecdotal evidence otherwise but I'm not going to argue with the experts who designed the camera and wrote the manual. MFA can be a useful tool but it isn't a catchall. As for the DOF and small birds with large lenses I have almost the same gear as you. With the 600 wide open at 25 metres we've got .41 metres of DOF - .2 in front and .21 in back of the point of focus. Even with the 2x on we've still got .2 metres - 20 cm of total DOF. If you aren't sharp on your focus point it isn't because of MFA. It is the same principal that explains why when we shoot a BIF we get all or a good portion of the wings in focus depending on the size of the bird.
Hi Jan: Love the video.Personally I like Case 4.I usually use Center point with 4 surrounding points. Case 5 and 6,I feel is asking the camera more than it was made for.
Thanks for sharing! Great input.
I shoot high school football
Case 2 will stick on the initial subject.Like a QB rolling out. But to try focusing on another subject it isn't very quick.Case 3 doesn't stay on subject. I find it will focus on subject closest to lens.
Great video Jan. I have a custom menu set on my 5D MkIV with those same 3 settings. That way if I want to change my sensitivity/ responsiveness I can get there with one click in the menu. Just my two cents worth. Another great video mate. Thanks
Sounds good, Thanks for your comment
Another great video Jan... I have set my AF-On to group auto focus and my joy stick to single point which I can move around easily... I think that gives me more flexibility to switch easily...
Thanks for sharing!
I usually use the center point with 8 surrounding points and case 2. I am going to try your suggestion to use a higher point with the 8 surrounding points for birds in flight and possibly a single point for perching birds.
It's all about trial and error and what works best. Can be different for different shooting styles. But it's important to play around
I have a Canon EOS90D and a Sigma 150-600 F5.6C I dont seem to have the "Cases" but I will check my settings. I love Back Button Focus, but it becomes tricky getting other people use my camera, trying to explain what do do
Yes, no one else can use your camera! I think the 90D has only one case and you can adjust the sensitivity there.
I shoot with a d500 and I'm a bit jealous of your cases! Mind you, I has an af-on button I've set to single point, but also the joystick is also a button when pushed in so I've set it to 25 point group focus which is what nikon calls their single point with surrounding area af. Love the video! Also just got my first supertele prime, a 400 f2.8.
I have D500 too. I do same but use a front preview button for single point.
Congrats on the lens, it will be great!
D500 rocks period! AF-C is amazing
Love the videos Jan, I’ve learned so much - now shooting in RAW and using back button focus! I’d like to know if you have any tips/thoughts on night birding? Do you do it? Night photo editing tips would be great!
Chris
I have only done it like twice, cause I don't typically like the dark and flashed/torched look of the images. Biggest challenge is focusing and not disturbing the birds too much.
Dayyzzz
Freat video and easy to understand. Actually I'm using the focus pints in the same way like you. Taking BIF and having a blue sky as a back gronud I use also all AF points. I think in this case I'm more flexible.
Yes, for Blue sky BIF, more aggressive settings will work well
Great video Jan, would you suggest using one shot or continuos shooting for perched birds?
thanks! I only shoot in continuous mode. And by using back button focus, I can use it just like a one shot mode. I explain how in this video:
ua-cam.com/video/g5fLwtT9vGg/v-deo.html
@@jan_wegener Hi Jan, what I meant was do you take 1 picture at a time when the bird is perched or leave the camera in burst shooting mode? Sorry for the lack in clarity
Upendra Werake i always have it in burst mode. I usually take 3-5 at a time then refocus
@@jan_wegener Thanks Mate
Thanks for the tips!
I use an EOS R which strangely doesn't seem to have AF Cases but I adjusted the settings to match yours, eager to try it out! Not having a joystick makes switching AF points a little tricky - touch & drag AF is really cool but it's a bit of a stretch - much easier if you have longer thumbs I guess.
What's your thoughts on Servo vs Single shot AF? Are there any times where you would opt to servo? Tracking AF is cool but it can be tricky to get it to lock onto birds that are small in the frame.
Yes, there's a few things with the ergonomics of the R that make it different and maybe more challenging to use than other layouts.
I never get out of Ai Servo. With Back Button focusing it works quite well that way.
Can you make one for the R3?
Hi Jan,
I’m a nature photographer and mostly shoot birds with the EOSR6. I have all my back button focusing set up the way you explained and it’s working great, except for BIF. I have the autofocus settings on spot autofocus with expand area autofocus.
Somehow, I’ve limited the cameras ability to use the zone autofocus areas and I feel that’s why I can’t lock on to BIF easily.
Which autofocus point is good for a flock of 3-13 birds taking off at once? I can’t get the AF to even lock on quickly to shoot even a single bird in flight right now until it’s a good distance from me.
Can you do a video on that? I have a small flock of birds that I shoot and they take off all at once. With my Olympus I’m able to lock on easily and get good shots. With the R6 I can’t seem to do that. Help!
Thanks,
Meredith Miller
Have you tired the eye AF for BIF? That's what I use now
Jan, how about group birds like 2 or 3 birds what focus should be used in 5dmk4?
in flight or perched? Either way, I don't really adjust for that. I try to focus on the bird that will allow me to get the most depth of field on all three birds. So likely the middle bird
And what aperture should be used Jan?
Probably applies well to my 5Ds, to 1Dx II, maybe 1Dx. There is something new in the 1Dx Mark III, maybe eye tracking. I'm sure that changes everything.
I am doubtful that it translates easily to mirrorless cameras, maybe not even the EOS R. Most, at least of the better ones, have eye tracking.
Yes, mirrorless is completely different. But for most of us, the technology isn't there yet. That might very well change with the R5, soon. There will always be different options available in the future on future cams, too.
@@jan_wegener Brendan van Son found the EOS R better than the 5D IV for wildlife photography when he was in Africa. And there's been a significant firmware update since then.
There are photographers getting good results with the Panasonic G9.
No “cases” on my Nikon (D7500) but the same settings are there (I think). I’ve been using Single Point and moving it around. You’ve given me cause to consider using dynamic 9, or at least revisiting the theory and remembering why I decided for perches birds Single is better.
lots of trial and error sometimes until you find what works best
I have experienced that group AF works far better on my nikon d850 full frame than the one where one main focus point is surrounded by many other or dynamic AF
Group area focus where 5 points work as one are much better . Only downside is that it will focus on part nearest to us
Thanks for the info. :)
@@jan_wegener i have tried dynamic 25 multiple times and d9 where keeper rate is less as compared to group area AF . Group area gives me very good results in birds in flight and single point for perched birds.
I need to know more in terms of technique for using dynamic auto focus points and when to use evaluative metering and when to use point metering when shooting Birds in flight and perched birds . I shoot point metering only if surrounding is plain blue or white and bird is a bit dark
A little more info will be very helpful and appreciated
@@abhiph2982 I always shoot in full manual, so the camera cannot mess up metering
Hi Jan, In AF Microadjustment in Wide what number should be registered +4 or Up? And Telephoto +4 or Up?
it depends on your lens. It will be different for every lens, that's why you need to measure it.
For example my lens is TAMRON 150-600MM G2
Hi Jan, thank you for those great informations! That makes all the settings less confusing :)
Can you tell me what kind of camouflage cloth you are using at the beginning? I used one from Han Bouwmeester but it is a very thick and heavy cloth. Yours look very thin and light in weigth.
Glad you found it helpful! I am using a LensCoat Lens Hide. It's linked in my description. I'd highly recommend it.
@@jan_wegener Thank you for your answer! I would order the hide about you link, but since i am from germany it is a bit impractical. At least i give you a thumbs up and a abo. I hope this might help you aswell.
Daniel Storch no problem. It will be great no matter where you get it from. Lenscoat website often has free shipping and discounts, too
I have a EOS 200D, mine doesn't have case setting and mine only has a 9 point autofocous.
Hi Jan, so thats mean you recommend AF - Case 1 in wildlife photography?
Case 1 with the changes that I have made works the best for my style. I would always recommend to try the different cases yourself, to make sure what suits you the best. But from what I have seen most people seem to be happy with case one and some adjustments made
Ahhh okay Jan big help for me as a beginner in wildllife photography. Thank you so much Jan I appreciate.
Jan, what is your metering mode in wildlife photography?
I shoot full manual, so the metering mode doesn't matter since I set all the parameters to get my exposure. When I used AV, I was always on Evaluative
Ahh okay thank you Jan.
Please have same video for Nikon users as well
I know, that would be good. Maybe I can get my hands on some gear
Do you use teleconverter in zoom lenses? When I do, I always focus at the centre point of the viewfinder. Otherwise, when not using a teleconverter I don't mind anywhere. Does this sound practical?
I rarely do, they become quite slow. But I would recommend what you are doing if I was using them that way.
I’m using the canon 90d and I don’t think it has cases on it which would probably be helpful as I love shooting BIF and still birds
I think you can only adjust sensitivity on it. Not the cases as you say.
Hi Jan, could you help me regarding the AF Microadjustment in 5DMK4 have two line when you open the AF Microadjustment - first layer is W and the butom is T. My lens is Tamron 150-600mm g2 f5.6 to 6.3. I don't know which I adjust the first one W or T the 2nd line in AF Microadjustment?
As far as I know on a zoom you can adjust both ends of the lens. W for Wide and T for Tele. So you should be able to register a settings for 150mm and one for 600mm and then the adjustments will move from one point to the other while you zoom
Ahh okay! now I know thank you so much Jan I appreciate
What is the card, box called that you used to calibrate your focus initially called? I may need to check my lens
The one I have been using is a lens Align Mk II. But there are different ones available these days. Even some software solutions that do it for you.
If you don’t have one you can make one yourself just using a ruler and a target.
Hello Jan, thanks for the video! do you use AI servo?
Yes, I only use AI Servo
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:)
Hi Jan, I have a question for you and I wonder if you can help me with this one. I know you have used the 5DIV extensively so your inputs will be very welcome. Here is my question. When I do test shot on a static target with 'one shot' I can read the text written on the target very easily. If I do the same using 'AI Servo' the text on the target is very hard to read because it seems 'washed out' every single time. I don't get this one. I change only the AF method and nothing else. It is so disturbing that it prvents to use AI Servo extensively like I would normally do. Do you have any idea or suggestion OR someone else can help me with this ? Thanlks a lot !
Sounds like something isn't right. It should basically look the same. When you do one shot is that on the back of the camera or via the viewfinder and the focus button?
Hi Jan, everything is shot using the viewfinder and believe me it is different....
My Canon Eos 90D has nothing called cases. Unless the C1 and C2 settings on the program button could be called cases, but I think the C stands for custom setting.
Yes, that are buttons you can assign functions yourself to. Looks like only the higher model cameras have the fine tune ability for the AF
@@jan_wegener oh no, I can adjust the tracking sensitivity, the accel./decel. tracking and the AF pt auto switching. It just isn’t in a “case”, it’s in C.Fn II in the menu. In other words, I can only save one setting.
Additionally my long lens (Sigma 150-600 C) offers two custom settings which also allow different AF settings. I haven’t experimented much with it, though.
@@skakdosmer ah okay
Thanks for the tips, I have a 6dmk2 and find the camera is quite often focusing on the background rather than the bird. Ive had a look in the menu and it doesnt have the case option, any tips on how I can customise to get a similar result? Thanks :)
I had a quick read, it says you might not have the cases, but should still be able to adjust tracking sensitivity and such?
Expect a Photoshop class.
Great video as always Jan,
AF is a bit of a mission if it is to be done correctly, I have done a write up on what settings and the procedure to be used here : layzeephotography.blogspot.com/2017/08/auto-focus-micro-adjustment-afma.html
Hopefully people will find the information helpful.
Indeed. I will check it out, thanks
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