The Mirrorless AF book for the Nikon Z-Series I mentioned in the video is now available: bcgwebstore.com/product/secrets-to-the-nikon-autofocus-system-mirrorless-edition/ I now have my button and control setup video ready to watch: backcountrygallery.com/nikon-mirrorless-button-control-setup/
excellent...I've been waiting for this video! Can't wait for the follow up videos you mentioned, like with how you set your buttons, and that book too! Many thanks
Great video. I liked how you got through all your tips without doing a really long-winded deep dive into any one of them. Made it easier to listen to the whole thing and absorb the information.
Even thought I no longer shoot Nikon, I still love your videos and find them applicable in many ways to all brands and bodies. Once again very educational.
Thank you! I’m newer to photography and had a D90 I managed to fumble through. I love action shots of my pups and the z50 was not working. Round 2 turned out SO many shots thanks to you!
I've experimented with the tips you provided for both my D500 and Z6, and they have definitely helped, especially for birds in flight. Thank you, Steve!
Mike, I ‘m wondering if I should invest in a D500 for my F Mount Lenses vs waiting for new far more expense zooms for my Z6. Since you live in both of these worlds what do you think?
@@Todd0702 This is my setup for now, while I love the Z6 for many uses, especially night and astrophotography, it really isn't well suited for action, especially BIF. The D500 is a joy to shoot, and the cropped sensor really extends the range. I am waiting on a deal to come up on a used Z7 to replace my Z6.
Steve, thank you for explaining extended continuous high mode... I used that while photographing eagles & was quite dismayed!! I didn't get a single decent shot & the bird was always out in front after the first shutter click! Thankfully I had my 810 & after 5 or so minutes changed & got some great photos, but after that session, I planned to never use my Z7 for wildlife... I will have to give it another chance after I learn ALL the proper settings! Thank you so much for this info & other stuff you explained so well in your video. I am looking forward to your upcoming Z auto focus (& more) book!!!
I bought my z6 just for video in the beginning. Now more and more I have been using it for my bird photography. I normally use my Nikon d850 but gosh the z6 is a fun little camera to use. I really enjoy it personally.
Excellent video Steve, thanks for the info. Using D850 and Z7 and preferring still the D850. I’d like to hear/see your customized button settings. Looking forward to your new Z-Autofocus book.
I've been thinking about moving from an F mount camera (D5500) to Z mount and I'm finding your videos very informative. Nice to see practical tips and information about what these cameras are like to use!
Thanks Steve ! Your content is so useful to get to know the gear quickly, it is amazing. I bought your book on the Nikon DSLR AF system it did not disappoint, I will buy the books on the Z series too.
Hey my name is Reece and I just watched this video while I have my Z6 on the way from B&H, so I went ahead and ordered your book as well, because after watching this video, the AF system looks like a complex beast and I'm going to need all the help I can get!
I'd love to see your button setup. And I have to say a huge thanks for your excellent content, very consistent over the 3yrs I've followed you. Appreciate this video as a huge head start in using my new z6, quite different from my nikon DSLR. This is exactly the head start I needed.
Thanks for sharing your clear honest and frank experience. I've left all the Z Camera Facebook pages I was on as they're either plagued by Sony trolls saying how bad the AF is or populated by fans who won't accept that the Z cameras are still a bit behind on speed of focus acquisition compared to D5, D500 and D810 etc. When they lock focus I find that they can often actually be better and sharper but you may miss a few shots getting there.
I always wonder why people troll like that - it's too bad really. Who cares what camera you use? IMO, the Z cameras have a lot to offer, it's just that you have to play to their strengths and switch things up when needed. No biggie. Besides, I'm confident Nikon will come up with something that'll compete head-to-head with Sony for performance, probably within the next 12-18 months if COVID-19 doesn't keep things down too long.
Steve your videos are absolute 'top drawer' as we say here this is a superb explanation of the Z cameras and AF. It's interesting what you at the start about them being not quite at dslr levels in this regard. I had a Fuji xt3 with the 100-400 lens and my d500/200-500 would give me more keepers, much more in fact. A shame as the xt3 was superb I suspect the blame was maybe more with the lens. Thanks for another great video. Matt
You confirmed my observations... Z6 great (more than great!) for travel and day to day camera... but my 300 PF and 500PF works well better on my D850... I hope that the Z8 will make it!
This video is awesome. I learned a whole lot of information about the focus modes. Thank you! And I would enjoy seeing a video on how your custom buttons are set up.
So, an anecdotal single experience at the weekend has made me very optimistic about the longer S lens for the Z series. I usually shoot wildlife with the D500+200-500. Went for a park walk with my Z6 and S 85mm 1.8. Saw a magpie in nice light and took a few shots before he took off. Instinct kicked in and I started to track him in flight and it was so much better than I expected. In AFC single point and single release shutter it tracked him perfectly until he flew out of sight. Every shot was nailed tack sharp. It actually felt like the camera was tracking and I was a spectator! I had AF delay set to 5 and live view disabled. May have been a 1 off, but looking forward to the 100-400 and 200-600 S line nonetheless
As always, concise, clearly presented, and with an upbeat tone to your presentation . Your comments were very helpful and I'm looking forward to your book later in the year.
Excellent and very informative video Steve. I too would be very interested in a video on how you customise your buttons, particularly with regard to how best to allow one to change focus mode quickly.
Great video Steve! I now have a much better understanding of the small and wide area autofocus options. I would also like to see how you have your Nikon Z7 set up. Looking forward to your book on the autofocus system.
Hi Steve : I have bought a Z6 and use the group area mode. It is not as fast as on my D 500 - but given all the beating Nikon have got, I am not too disappointed. I am quite happy with it to supplement the D 500 Greetings Stig
Hi, I currently use a D500 too for wildlife but considering buying a Z6 for my astro and landscape work. Do you think the Z6 will be on par with the D500 regarding wildlife performance? I low light I might switch to the Z6.
Balint Kordovaner No this is no match for the D 500 for fast action. The D 500 is far better. No difference in image quality - maybe even better image quality with the Z6 because it is a fullframe. For low light I am sure that the Z6 will be a clear winner. I have shot the Z 6 for a couple of days now and it IS a great camera.
Great video Steve, as usual. I recently picked up a Z50 (mostly for video), but wanted to at least try it out on sports next to my D5 and D850. So far, I've struggled with settings and I'm going to give yours a try. But with all I've heard about the Z-cameras and sports, I don't have high expectations.
Nice video for whoever is making the transition from DSLRs to ML these days. I think the problem of choosing between focus modes/point will soon become irrelevant. I use a Sony A9 for wildlife and I'm simply on real time tracking all the time without having to do anything else. It's another world...
Another fantastic video. I am in transition from DSLR to the Z and use the Z6 and D850. The Z6 is fantastic camera with its limitations. I find that all my lenses are sharper on the Z then the D850. I use Focal software to calibrate lenses and I find that almost all my lenses need some calibration on the D850. On my Z6 they are all sharp. A lens that shocked me with the results I get from the Z6 is the Nikon 80-400 G even with a TC1.4 is is shockingly good. It's AF shuttering is less then on my D850 and I really struggled to get it at acceptable level with the D850. For me the combination works very well. I use my 500 f5.6 pf on the D850 most of the time. I use my 80-400 or 70-200 f2.8 E on my Z6 as second body and lens for flexibility. I also have the 200-500 that I also find works very well with the Z6 and D850. Your tipes will help and thanks waiting for your focus book update. I bought 3 of your books already. Great work.
Hi Streve ! Like i said you before, i don't have a Z7 , i have a D5, but i have seen your video , and i always be astonished how well you explain and give so fine tricks, tips, to get the best from all the systems! well i guess , when Nikon will built a Z camera at he level of the sony a9 , it will be the end of the dslr ! but like you say , they still are not at this level ! thanks for your fine video !
Steve, thanks for another great video. Looking forward to the new video (?) on the I settings. Also looking forward to the new book on Z autofocus. The other books that you have written have really been “eye-openers” for me for the Nikon DSLR. You have helped to demystify Nikon use.
A first class information Vid. Steve, as per usual .. Looking forward to future info from your Z mount journey. Many thanks . Ted. Nottingham, England.
Moving from D7100 to the Z6 is giving me a lot more keepers as a result of the faster frame rate. The frustrating thing is when the Z cameras hit, the shots are tack sharp. However, I'm missing shots that I know I would have gotten before. Nikon has to improve the focusing system to pull serious sports shooters to the Z series cameras.
i just ran into your you tube site while doing a search and its amazing. i'm a nikon user and i shoot travel/landscape but just got introduced to wildlife(birds). i have a d750 and a z6. my lens for wildlife is nikon 200-500 f5.6. i watch this video and was shocked that maybe for wildlife i should stick to my 750? i know you mentions the 850 dslr, but were you also referring to the 750? i just figured newer technology that i would get better shots? thanks so much, will explore more of your site. so helpful.
Fantastic summary here Steve, thanks for the clarification, it's very helpful. Interesting to learn of your new AF lock on (long) technique, seems to have a lot of merit! Cheers from the UK. PS We bought your last AF book, looking forward to the "Z" version !
Nice video and very helpful. Thanks. Count me in as one who would like to see how you have configured your Z camera buttons. I have had my Z camera a little over a year and though I like my setup I’m always looking for ideas.
Thanks Steve for a very clear and concise discussion of these settings. This is great information because it is very actionable and applicable. Important to me as I contemplate moving from my D3s to a Sony A9, or maybe it should be a Z6? Adapted glass is a significant topic.
When Nikon makes a mirror-less camera like the D850 and the D500 with the same controls, autofocus speed, buffer size, AF-C functionality, battery life, a functioning battery grip, a camera that I can count on when shooting fast moving subjects like wildlife, especially birds, until then I will stick with the two DSLR's I mentioned above, the D500 and D850 have never let me down.
The D850 is still my favorite wildlife camera ever - and the D500 is right up there as well. I think Nikon will get there eventually with mirrorless though. Sony certainly has - my a9ii and 600 F/4 are remarkable and easily get the same number of keepers as my DSLRs - maybe more. So, it can be done.
@@backcountrygallery I still don't understand why Nikon could not make a mirror-less camera with the existing f-mount with the vast amount of f-mount lenses already out there, from Nikon to Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and others. There is no reason for people to get rid of perfectly working glass, money does not grow on trees, heck I am still paying for my Sigma 500mm f4 sport. The Sony e-mount is practically the same diameter as the Nikon f-mount. Their best bet would have been to go the f-mount mirror-less route, perfect it, instead of wasting money in the z-mount route, once you have perfected the mirror-less system, got your R&D investment back plus some, have a happy customer base, then you can concentrate on a new larger mount, the entire purpose of this larger mount was to be able to produce f1.0 to f1.2 glass which no one really was asking for. While Nikon was busy playing around with their new z-mount "and burning money they don't have", Sony was busy perfecting their mirror-less e-mount system. Nikon is known to have screwed the pooch numerous times before, another reason why they are bleeding money.
Would definitely like a settings video. I’m certainly going to use your tips on autofocus because I have to say that I’m still far from impressed with the performance of my Z6. Using it with my 200-500 there are times when I don’t get any focus at all on birds in flight and I struggle with focus on small birds, especially against a fussy background. I’m probably at less than 10% for keepers. Thanks for the videos.
I would say you probably don't want to use Silent Photography (ie. Electronic shutter) when shooting moving subjects. This can cause some smearing. Another tip (not sure if this helps with speed or not) is to change the Shutter type to mechanical (I believe by default it's set to Auto, where it can choose EFCS or Mechanical). ON the Z6 unless you're shooting at slow shutter speeds / long exposures, you're probably fine to just use the mechanical shutter. Again, I don't know if that affects AF speed or not but I would NOT use silent shutter mode for action shots or wildlife. I believe the AF speed concerning F-mount vs. Z mount has to also do with the construction of the lenses. The Z lenses use a different motor for focusing than the F-mount (which tend to use the oilder SWM -- Silent wave motor, versus the Stepper motor in the Z lenses [the STM motor]).
Excellent info Steve !! I'm thinking of making the full move to digital over the next 1-2 years. This will depend on the reviews of the 100-400 & 200-600 lenses when they are released which as a sports & wildlife shooter I'm most interested in. I own a Z7 with the f4 24-70 and also the 300 & 500 pf lenses which work real well on the digital body. I'm Considering picking up the Z6 as a 2nd body but am in no rush. I always look forward to your videos so keep up the good work 👍🏻
Thank you for the very interesting Video. - You are probably the first who is measuring focus speed. How have you done it? Sound-recording? Video Output? Remote control until sound of shutter-release? (I guess that the possible shorter close focus distance of the Z lenses has an impact on the focus speed therefore it should probably be measured between 2m and 15m to be fair)
Frame counting :) I just count the number of frames from where the lens is focusing to when it's not. It's easier with the F-mount lenses since there's a window, but the Z cameras have a slight "flash" with the AF point (or something like that I noticed) when I recored the screen that lets me determine when they start focusing. Since I film at 30FPS, I just count the number of frames and come up with the fractional numbers.
I would like to seethe Z6 series button and control configuration. Also I just got a Z6 and wanted to know best possible settings for motorcycle rally and racing
Steven! I do a lot of wildlife shooting with the Z series (and my Nikon DSLR - D4)- and ensure you have D8 - APPLY settings to Live View Turned OFF - also, I compose using Dynamic AREA AF if I need to get between bushes and Wide AREA SMALL for subjects that have an opening - and nail focus with a great hit rate! I've had a 90+% success rate (9 out of 10 pics sharp and in focus shots). Not sure what settings you are using ;)
I love it when people say, “some,” “overly impressed”, and so on. The bottom line is that the AF on the Z series is no where near Nikon’s DSLR’s. I’m hoping Nikon continues to improve the AF on the Z7, but I’ve given up on action action/ bird photography with it. It’s too bad because ergonomically, the Z cameras are great.
I am always impressed from the amount of useful info you can get from Steve’s videos! Just a question: are your books available also in hard copy? I am still the guy who takes notes on books! 😜
Thanks for the kind words and the interest in the books. At this time they are only available as e-books. Makes it easier to update and manage (plus, printing them is amazingly expensive).
Hi Steve. Excellent video as always. As a Z shooter, I was a bit disappointed in your Autofocus book because it didn’t really cover the Z cameras. I’m highly looking forward to the new book. I would also be interested in your custom settings.
The Z cameras really needed their own book. Probably 60%+ of the Z version of the book is new material and most of the rest was revised. It would have made the DSLR AF book a complete mess.
Great tips as always. The observation about the focus speed of F-mount AFS lenses via the FTZ adapter is of note. The current Z cameras appear to be optimized for peformance with the newer stepper motors that are in the Z lenses. I find that my 70-300 AF-P which also has a stepper motor to be quite fast on my Z6 and doesn't suffer in comparison vs its speed on a native F-mount D750. I'm not sure what this will mean when Nikon releases a higher spec pro sports Z body because of all the high speed AF-S super teles that are stiill only F-mount. For sure they'll need to overcome this disadvantage if Nikon intends to remain competitive.
These are great thank you. I'm so surprised by the effect of turning off the live view effects. I need to check that out. I'm looking forward to your book!
Perhaps turning the live view effects off helps with the perceived focus speed only? It seems that the display of the focus indicator sometimes lag behind the actual focus. By turning the effects off, you make live view faster so there is less lag in the display, but the actual focus speed does not really change?
Steve, which camera is best overall for wildlife Z6 or Z7? Meaning a combination of birds in flight, stationary wildlife subjects and then the occasional landscape too? If I had to choose just one. Thanks.
I've bought the z6 ii and it's amazing ,just need to know how to customise the AF-on button for single point focus, for more precise focusing for wildlife photography.
Hi Steve nice video as usual. Did you check the AF Speed and AF tracking sensitivity setting under the movie settings. When I was playing around wth the z6 i did notice that changing these two settings had an impact on AF performance in stills too..No idea y, but it seems to b d case. Please let me know ur feedback.
I've heard that but I haven't tested it. I've read where people say it helps and then where people say it makes no difference. The truth is, it shouldn't' matter. But, the other part of that truth is it's really hard to test AF in a consistent way. I'll have to look into it deeper. Thanks!!
I'm hoping to get a video out soon, but I can tell you specifically for the tracking area that it's no better than the original cameras. Tracking drops BIF targets constantly for me. The other AF modes are noticeably better though and I've been using those with some success.
What an absolute pleasure to watch your videos Steve. Zero BS, only quality education.
The Mirrorless AF book for the Nikon Z-Series I mentioned in the video is now available:
bcgwebstore.com/product/secrets-to-the-nikon-autofocus-system-mirrorless-edition/
I now have my button and control setup video ready to watch:
backcountrygallery.com/nikon-mirrorless-button-control-setup/
excellent...I've been waiting for this video! Can't wait for the follow up videos you mentioned, like with how you set your buttons, and that book too! Many thanks
Thanks Steve! I would certainly be interested in a video, or cheat sheet on settings for your Z cameras! Happy shooting!
Hi Jerry!! Will do!
Great video. I liked how you got through all your tips without doing a really long-winded deep dive into any one of them. Made it easier to listen to the whole thing and absorb the information.
LOL, I do it like that because I HATE videos that can't get to the point. I don't want mine to be like that! :)
Even thought I no longer shoot Nikon, I still love your videos and find them applicable in many ways to all brands and bodies. Once again very educational.
Thank you! I’m newer to photography and had a D90 I managed to fumble through. I love action shots of my pups and the z50 was not working. Round 2 turned out SO many shots thanks to you!
I've experimented with the tips you provided for both my D500 and Z6, and they have definitely helped, especially for birds in flight. Thank you, Steve!
Mike, I ‘m wondering if I should invest in a D500 for my F Mount Lenses vs waiting for new far more expense zooms for my Z6. Since you live in both of these worlds what do you think?
@@Todd0702 This is my setup for now, while I love the Z6 for many uses, especially night and astrophotography, it really isn't well suited for action, especially BIF. The D500 is a joy to shoot, and the cropped sensor really extends the range. I am waiting on a deal to come up on a used Z7 to replace my Z6.
Steve, thank you for explaining extended continuous high mode... I used that while photographing eagles & was quite dismayed!! I didn't get a single decent shot & the bird was always out in front after the first shutter click! Thankfully I had my 810 & after 5 or so minutes changed & got some great photos, but after that session, I planned to never use my Z7 for wildlife... I will have to give it another chance after I learn ALL the proper settings! Thank you so much for this info & other stuff you explained so well in your video. I am looking forward to your upcoming Z auto focus (& more) book!!!
You explained this so good! Thanks!!!
Great video. Yes, please do a video on how you have your buttons and controls configured. It would be very helpful. Thanks.
I want to see how you have your nikon z series buttons customized for wildlife/landscape.
Yes, that would be wonderful. With comparison to the D850 - side by side.
Yes please
So Do I
Same here
Agreed.
Gold again... Thanks Steve. Cant wait for that Z book
Thanks, Steve - great info, very useful. Look forward to your book - and would love to see a video on how you configure your controls!
I bought my z6 just for video in the beginning. Now more and more I have been using it for my bird photography. I normally use my Nikon d850 but gosh the z6 is a fun little camera to use. I really enjoy it personally.
Waiting patiently for the 70/200 2.8 ,just received the 24/70,it’s brilliant.
That 24-70 2.8 S is my favorite 24-70 ever :)
Thank you Steve... well illustrated, beautiful tips.
Your videos are so clear, concise and tremendously helpful - thanks Steve!
Another great video, thanks. And yes, I’d love to a guide to how you configure your Z cameras please.
"In case your camera decides to go on a little focus hunting trip" lol! That one got me. Great video!
Such a great and helpful video!! Learnt a lot.... Thank you!
Very interesting. As a wildlife shooter, I have chosen to wait on the Z cameras and this video has confirmed why.
Excellent video Steve, thanks for the info. Using D850 and Z7 and preferring still the D850. I’d like to hear/see your customized button settings. Looking forward to your new Z-Autofocus book.
happy to see that someone who has both systems continues to prefer DSLR ( i have a d5)
I've been thinking about moving from an F mount camera (D5500) to Z mount and I'm finding your videos very informative. Nice to see practical tips and information about what these cameras are like to use!
You're the guy ... Thank you so much for all the important details that you covered thanks to your experience ...
Thanks Steve !
Your content is so useful to get to know the gear quickly, it is amazing. I bought your book on the Nikon DSLR AF system it did not disappoint, I will buy the books on the Z series too.
Thank you so much!
😭omg this video answer's my question for the z6. I just learns some awesome tricks. Thank you thank you.
Hey my name is Reece and I just watched this video while I have my Z6 on the way from B&H, so I went ahead and ordered your book as well, because after watching this video, the AF system looks like a complex beast and I'm going to need all the help I can get!
Thank you!
Very Very Thorough Very professional and honest tips!
Thank you Steve. Very useful and clearly presented as always!
Thank you Mr. Steve for the wonderful tips, getting better results with my z6 for Bird shots.
What Timing! Just got my Z7 about a week ago.
Glad I bought your book and subscribed to your videos!
I'd love to see your button setup. And I have to say a huge thanks for your excellent content, very consistent over the 3yrs I've followed you. Appreciate this video as a huge head start in using my new z6, quite different from my nikon DSLR.
This is exactly the head start I needed.
Thanks - her bit is:
ua-cam.com/video/O558jqlJcTw/v-deo.html
Thanks for sharing your clear honest and frank experience. I've left all the Z Camera Facebook pages I was on as they're either plagued by Sony trolls saying how bad the AF is or populated by fans who won't accept that the Z cameras are still a bit behind on speed of focus acquisition compared to D5, D500 and D810 etc. When they lock focus I find that they can often actually be better and sharper but you may miss a few shots getting there.
I always wonder why people troll like that - it's too bad really. Who cares what camera you use? IMO, the Z cameras have a lot to offer, it's just that you have to play to their strengths and switch things up when needed. No biggie. Besides, I'm confident Nikon will come up with something that'll compete head-to-head with Sony for performance, probably within the next 12-18 months if COVID-19 doesn't keep things down too long.
Steve your videos are absolute 'top drawer' as we say here this is a superb explanation of the Z cameras and AF. It's interesting what you at the start about them being not quite at dslr levels in this regard. I had a Fuji xt3 with the 100-400 lens and my d500/200-500 would give me more keepers, much more in fact. A shame as the xt3 was superb I suspect the blame was maybe more with the lens. Thanks for another great video. Matt
Wow, so much to check out the next trip out. Great video as usual.
Top Shelf Video, Steve... Easy to Follow Instructions !!
You confirmed my observations... Z6 great (more than great!) for travel and day to day camera... but my 300 PF and 500PF works well better on my D850... I hope that the Z8 will make it!
Me too :) BTW - the Z7 and 500PF are wonderful for walking / hiking though. I take that setup all the time if I don't really anticipate much action.
Nikon Z mount 500mm PF price 5 000 pounds ...may be ..more expensive.... it is be....
This video is awesome. I learned a whole lot of information about the focus modes. Thank you! And I would enjoy seeing a video on how your custom buttons are set up.
So, an anecdotal single experience at the weekend has made me very optimistic about the longer S lens for the Z series. I usually shoot wildlife with the D500+200-500. Went for a park walk with my Z6 and S 85mm 1.8. Saw a magpie in nice light and took a few shots before he took off. Instinct kicked in and I started to track him in flight and it was so much better than I expected. In AFC single point and single release shutter it tracked him perfectly until he flew out of sight. Every shot was nailed tack sharp. It actually felt like the camera was tracking and I was a spectator! I had AF delay set to 5 and live view disabled. May have been a 1 off, but looking forward to the 100-400 and 200-600 S line nonetheless
Nicely done video. I don't even shoot Nikon and still found this interesting as a mirrorless shooter. Thanks.
As always, concise, clearly presented, and with an upbeat tone to your presentation . Your comments were very helpful and I'm looking forward to your book later in the year.
Very useful information. Thank you!
Thanks Steve, great job as always!
Awesome video Steve. Thank you!
Fantastic, a greatly needed video!
Yes,button configuration please,thanks Steve,great info.
Excellent and very informative video Steve. I too would be very interested in a video on how you customise your buttons, particularly with regard to how best to allow one to change focus mode quickly.
Great video Steve! I now have a much better understanding of the small and wide area autofocus options. I would also like to see how you have your Nikon Z7 set up. Looking forward to your book on the autofocus system.
Hi Steve : I have bought a Z6 and use the group area mode. It is not as fast as on my D 500 - but given all the beating Nikon have got, I am not too disappointed.
I am quite happy with it to supplement the D 500
Greetings Stig
Hi,
I currently use a D500 too for wildlife but considering buying a Z6 for my astro and landscape work. Do you think the Z6 will be on par with the D500 regarding wildlife performance?
I low light I might switch to the Z6.
Balint Kordovaner No this is no match for the D 500 for fast action. The D 500 is far better. No difference in image quality - maybe even better image quality with the Z6 because it is a fullframe.
For low light I am sure that the Z6 will be a clear winner. I have shot the Z 6 for a couple of days now and it IS a great camera.
Awesome, I would love to see a custom buttons video as well. Keep up the good work Steve!
Great video Steve, as usual. I recently picked up a Z50 (mostly for video), but wanted to at least try it out on sports next to my D5 and D850. So far, I've struggled with settings and I'm going to give yours a try. But with all I've heard about the Z-cameras and sports, I don't have high expectations.
Excellent video. Thank you!
Always interested to understand your own setup!
Nice video for whoever is making the transition from DSLRs to ML these days. I think the problem of choosing between focus modes/point will soon become irrelevant. I use a Sony A9 for wildlife and I'm simply on real time tracking all the time without having to do anything else. It's another world...
It really is. I have an a9ii and the 600 F/4 and it's an outstanding outfit. I'm optimistic Nikon will catch up :)
Thanks very much, Steve. Great info! I would like to see a video on how you customize your Z settings.
Another fantastic video. I am in transition from DSLR to the Z and use the Z6 and D850. The Z6 is fantastic camera with its limitations. I find that all my lenses are sharper on the Z then the D850. I use Focal software to calibrate lenses and I find that almost all my lenses need some calibration on the D850. On my Z6 they are all sharp. A lens that shocked me with the results I get from the Z6 is the Nikon 80-400 G even with a TC1.4 is is shockingly good. It's AF shuttering is less then on my D850 and I really struggled to get it at acceptable level with the D850. For me the combination works very well. I use my 500 f5.6 pf on the D850 most of the time. I use my 80-400 or 70-200 f2.8 E on my Z6 as second body and lens for flexibility. I also have the 200-500 that I also find works very well with the Z6 and D850. Your tipes will help and thanks waiting for your focus book update. I bought 3 of your books already. Great work.
Thanks for the great video - as always. Looking forward to the Z-series book to add to my Steve Perry collection!
Hi Streve !
Like i said you before, i don't have a Z7 , i have a D5, but i have seen your video , and i always be astonished how well you explain and give so fine tricks, tips, to get the best from all the systems! well i guess , when Nikon will built a Z camera at he level of the sony a9 , it will be the end of the dslr ! but like you say , they still are not at this level ! thanks for your fine video !
Steve, thanks for another great video. Looking forward to the new video (?) on the I settings. Also looking forward to the new book on Z autofocus. The other books that you have written have really been “eye-openers” for me for the Nikon DSLR. You have helped to demystify Nikon use.
A first class information Vid. Steve, as per usual .. Looking forward to future info from your Z mount journey. Many thanks . Ted. Nottingham, England.
Great informative video, Thanks
Bardzo dobry material piekne dzieki.🎉
Wow nice content, thanks a lot! Now let´s wait for that Z 200-600mm !!
Thanks! I think that putting stabilize off in high shutter speed, is good for speed
Great video, Steve! Would be interested to know the settings of your Z cameras, thanks.
Moving from D7100 to the Z6 is giving me a lot more keepers as a result of the faster frame rate. The frustrating thing is when the Z cameras hit, the shots are tack sharp. However, I'm missing shots that I know I would have gotten before. Nikon has to improve the focusing system to pull serious sports shooters to the Z series cameras.
Thank you Steve for this great video very usefull !
Brilliant as always. Stay Safe
i just ran into your you tube site while doing a search and its amazing. i'm a nikon user and i shoot travel/landscape but just got introduced to wildlife(birds). i have a d750 and a z6. my lens for wildlife is nikon 200-500 f5.6. i watch this video and was shocked that maybe for wildlife i should stick to my 750? i know you mentions the 850 dslr, but were you also referring to the 750? i just figured newer technology that i would get better shots? thanks so much, will explore more of your site. so helpful.
Fantastic summary here Steve, thanks for the clarification, it's very helpful. Interesting to learn of your new AF lock on (long) technique, seems to have a lot of merit! Cheers from the UK. PS We bought your last AF book, looking forward to the "Z" version !
Nice video and very helpful. Thanks. Count me in as one who would like to see how you have configured your Z camera buttons. I have had my Z camera a little over a year and though I like my setup I’m always looking for ideas.
Yes I would like to see have you setup your Z camera thanks for the tip very nice job. I appreciate it very much.
Great tips! Thanks!
Thanks Steve for a very clear and concise discussion of these settings. This is great information because it is very actionable and applicable. Important to me as I contemplate moving from my D3s to a Sony A9, or maybe it should be a Z6? Adapted glass is a significant topic.
Great video, would LOVE to see a video of your button settings...
When Nikon makes a mirror-less camera like the D850 and the D500 with the same controls, autofocus speed, buffer size, AF-C functionality, battery life, a functioning battery grip, a camera that I can count on when shooting fast moving subjects like wildlife, especially birds, until then I will stick with the two DSLR's I mentioned above, the D500 and D850 have never let me down.
The D850 is still my favorite wildlife camera ever - and the D500 is right up there as well. I think Nikon will get there eventually with mirrorless though. Sony certainly has - my a9ii and 600 F/4 are remarkable and easily get the same number of keepers as my DSLRs - maybe more. So, it can be done.
@@backcountrygallery I still don't understand why Nikon could not make a mirror-less camera with the existing f-mount with the vast amount of f-mount lenses already out there, from Nikon to Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and others.
There is no reason for people to get rid of perfectly working glass, money does not grow on trees, heck I am still paying for my Sigma 500mm f4 sport.
The Sony e-mount is practically the same diameter as the Nikon f-mount.
Their best bet would have been to go the f-mount mirror-less route, perfect it, instead of wasting money in the z-mount route, once you have perfected the mirror-less system, got your R&D investment back plus some, have a happy customer base, then you can concentrate on a new larger mount, the entire purpose of this larger mount was to be able to produce f1.0 to f1.2 glass which no one really was asking for. While Nikon was busy playing around with their new z-mount "and burning money they don't have", Sony was busy perfecting their mirror-less e-mount system.
Nikon is known to have screwed the pooch numerous times before, another reason why they are bleeding money.
A wealth of knowledge 👍🏼
Would definitely like a settings video. I’m certainly going to use your tips on autofocus because I have to say that I’m still far from impressed with the performance of my Z6. Using it with my 200-500 there are times when I don’t get any focus at all on birds in flight and I struggle with focus on small birds, especially against a fussy background. I’m probably at less than 10% for keepers.
Thanks for the videos.
I would say you probably don't want to use Silent Photography (ie. Electronic shutter) when shooting moving subjects. This can cause some smearing. Another tip (not sure if this helps with speed or not) is to change the Shutter type to mechanical (I believe by default it's set to Auto, where it can choose EFCS or Mechanical). ON the Z6 unless you're shooting at slow shutter speeds / long exposures, you're probably fine to just use the mechanical shutter. Again, I don't know if that affects AF speed or not but I would NOT use silent shutter mode for action shots or wildlife.
I believe the AF speed concerning F-mount vs. Z mount has to also do with the construction of the lenses. The Z lenses use a different motor for focusing than the F-mount (which tend to use the oilder SWM -- Silent wave motor, versus the Stepper motor in the Z lenses [the STM motor]).
Excellent. Thanks Steve.
Will be really interesting to see what Algorithms dribble down to Z6II/Z7II from Z9, hoping to see some good changes coming to help us mere mortals
Excellent info Steve !! I'm thinking of making the full move to digital over the next 1-2 years. This will depend on the reviews of the 100-400 & 200-600 lenses when they are released which as a sports & wildlife shooter I'm most interested in. I own a Z7 with the f4 24-70 and also the 300 & 500 pf lenses which work real well on the digital body. I'm Considering picking up the Z6 as a 2nd body but am in no rush. I always look forward to your videos so keep up the good work 👍🏻
Thank you for the very interesting Video. - You are probably the first who is measuring focus speed.
How have you done it? Sound-recording? Video Output? Remote control until sound of shutter-release? (I guess that the possible shorter close focus distance of the Z lenses has an impact on the focus speed therefore it should probably be measured between 2m and 15m to be fair)
Frame counting :) I just count the number of frames from where the lens is focusing to when it's not. It's easier with the F-mount lenses since there's a window, but the Z cameras have a slight "flash" with the AF point (or something like that I noticed) when I recored the screen that lets me determine when they start focusing. Since I film at 30FPS, I just count the number of frames and come up with the fractional numbers.
I would like to seethe Z6 series button and control configuration.
Also I just got a Z6 and wanted to know best possible settings for motorcycle rally and racing
I would definitely like to see a video on how you have your buttons configured.
Steven! I do a lot of wildlife shooting with the Z series (and my Nikon DSLR - D4)- and ensure you have D8 - APPLY settings to Live View Turned OFF - also, I compose using Dynamic AREA AF if I need to get between bushes and Wide AREA SMALL for subjects that have an opening - and nail focus with a great hit rate! I've had a 90+% success rate (9 out of 10 pics sharp and in focus shots). Not sure what settings you are using ;)
Wow im 3 years late, just bought the camera and reading ur comment was positive was worried ! thnx
I love it when people say, “some,” “overly impressed”, and so on. The bottom line is that the AF on the Z series is no where near Nikon’s DSLR’s. I’m hoping Nikon continues to improve the AF on the Z7, but I’ve given up on action action/ bird photography with it. It’s too bad because ergonomically, the Z cameras are great.
Excellent points
I am always impressed from the amount of useful info you can get from Steve’s videos! Just a question: are your books available also in hard copy? I am still the guy who takes notes on books! 😜
Thanks for the kind words and the interest in the books. At this time they are only available as e-books. Makes it easier to update and manage (plus, printing them is amazingly expensive).
A video on your button configuration would be great!
Hi Steve. Excellent video as always. As a Z shooter, I was a bit disappointed in your Autofocus book because it didn’t really cover the Z cameras. I’m highly looking forward to the new book. I would also be interested in your custom settings.
The Z cameras really needed their own book. Probably 60%+ of the Z version of the book is new material and most of the rest was revised. It would have made the DSLR AF book a complete mess.
Great tips as always. The observation about the focus speed of F-mount AFS lenses via the FTZ adapter is of note. The current Z cameras appear to be optimized for peformance with the newer stepper motors that are in the Z lenses. I find that my 70-300 AF-P which also has a stepper motor to be quite fast on my Z6 and doesn't suffer in comparison vs its speed on a native F-mount D750. I'm not sure what this will mean when Nikon releases a higher spec pro sports Z body because of all the high speed AF-S super teles that are stiill only F-mount. For sure they'll need to overcome this disadvantage if Nikon intends to remain competitive.
That's really interesting and may very well be the case. The Zs do seem to enjoy their native lenses better and that may be why.
These are great thank you. I'm so surprised by the effect of turning off the live view effects. I need to check that out. I'm looking forward to your book!
Perhaps turning the live view effects off helps with the perceived focus speed only? It seems that the display of the focus indicator sometimes lag behind the actual focus. By turning the effects off, you make live view faster so there is less lag in the display, but the actual focus speed does not really change?
Steve, which camera is best overall for wildlife Z6 or Z7? Meaning a combination of birds in flight, stationary wildlife subjects and then the occasional landscape too? If I had to choose just one. Thanks.
Steve, UV light and disinfectant has been shown to improve autofocus performance.
But you have to put the UV light inside the body and that will likely void your warranty :)
I've bought the z6 ii and it's amazing ,just need to know how to customise the AF-on button for single point focus, for more precise focusing for wildlife photography.
The Z6 doesn't allow you to put AF areas on buttons. Not sure what Nikon was thinking with that, but that's a common complaint about that camera.
Hi Steve nice video as usual. Did you check the AF Speed and AF tracking sensitivity setting under the movie settings. When I was playing around wth the z6 i did notice that changing these two settings had an impact on AF performance in stills too..No idea y, but it seems to b d case. Please let me know ur feedback.
I've heard that but I haven't tested it. I've read where people say it helps and then where people say it makes no difference. The truth is, it shouldn't' matter. But, the other part of that truth is it's really hard to test AF in a consistent way. I'll have to look into it deeper. Thanks!!
I also heard the same too.
I would like the video on how you set up the Z6 ... and more important ... WHY. Thanks Steve
Will do - and no worries - "why" is the most important part :)
Looking forward to seeing if you think the Z6II and Z7II have improved enough to recommend subject area tracking for flying birds now.
I'm hoping to get a video out soon, but I can tell you specifically for the tracking area that it's no better than the original cameras. Tracking drops BIF targets constantly for me. The other AF modes are noticeably better though and I've been using those with some success.
@@backcountrygallery thanks. I just bought a used Z6 and the tracking will not even follow a dog chasing a frisbee!
@@gosman949 Yeah, I'm not surprised - give Wide (S) a try :)