If you were a school teacher when I was a student, my grades would have been substantially better. You explain everything so well, which makes it easier to retain what is being said. Well done, Thank you.
Hey Mark, I just wanted to thank you for explaining things to me like I am a complete idiot and not making me feel like I am a complete idiot. You're Awesome! Love your tutorials!
I have had my D850 for 4 months now. I had seen this video before but saw it again today and again found it very valuable helping me get more comfortable with my camera.
I've been moving through D850 tutorials for some time, but finally feel that this is the best for me. In 15 minutes of your video, i've already learned much more than the others. Also the style of your teaching is practical and easy to understand. I don't intend to use this info for bird photography but much of it can transfer to concert photography which is what I like. You are a great teacher.
You are the BEST teacher Mark, and you leave the amateur photographer community a better place with stuff like this mate! You really know your stuff and convey it well
6years on and I’ve just managed to purchase a D850 with a 200-500 zoom and boy was your video helpful!! Steep learning curve but great fun and hopefully much better picture control… thanks a million👍😁
Mark that was an extraordinary video where anyone can follow your steps with no hesitation. I was able to do a few changes on my Nikon D500. I appreciate the time you have put on all your videos; this one was like someone reading the manual from the camera with voice activation and demo examples which made it so easy to understand. You are a natural teacher and you speak so calmly that anyone can understand. Awesome thanks again.
Thanks so much and yes you can pretty much mirror most of these settings for the D500. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and were able to apply the info to your D500.
Holy. Smokes. What a FANTASTIC instructional video!!!! Not only for the D850, but I tweaked settings on my D7200 as well! Learned a TON! You have an excellent teaching style. I'm an instant fan!
I can't find words to praise this video highly enough. Although it is ostensibly a tutorial on setting up a D850 menu system, it is equally a detailed tutorial on how to use the D850 in this specialized and demanding genre of photography. There is also an equally outstanding setup video for the Sony A9. Neither of these videos are simple translations of one to another. Mark goes much beyond simply making an A9 look like a D850 or vice versa. I own and use both. I can easily see that Mark is probably one of the best people right now to understand and take advantage of the differences between the two cameras for birds in flight. Mark also has a similar video on configuring the D500. I would hope that he also puts one out on the Z6 soon. In addition, Mark has each video in PDF form for a ridiculously low download fee. Expect to watch this video several times, with practice days between viewings.
Thank you so much! Just today, my D850, and two amazing lenses arrived, and this new camera is both intimidating and exciting (I've been shooting on a D3400-which, feels like a toy compared to the D850). This video was not only informative but also encouraging. You spoke my language, made it easy to understand, and helped me get the fundamentals set up for shooting birds! I'm even more excited and confident in taking pics in Alaska this year!
Holy cow was that informative! I watched the whole thing with my D500 in hand and make several changes along with you. I've been using back-button focus for years, but never knew I could do front-focus too with different AF settings. Genius. Thanks so much.
Mark, Clear and helpful technical insights. I'm a professional portrait photographer, but an intermediate wildlife photographer. I grew into the photo world with the mantra of of "always set it to manual." Watching your video and better understanding the power of an auto-iso range is very helpful. I was recently photographing birds and gators in the Florida Everglades. I had some hits, but also a lotta misses. I was also changing my ISO manually like a madman. And then those glowing Snowy Egrets, omg nuclear exposure blast. So the section where you describe how to use exposure compensation in conjunction with auto-ISO- YES!- I finally get it. Thanks much. I'm feeling more confident regarding my next birding photo adventures. Cheers- Ted Hall
Mark, this is absolutely your best instructional video yet! It was long, but that's what it had to be to get in all of the settings you use and the ones that I will now use. I don't own a D850 yet, but I do own the D500 and D750 - and the 200-500 - and I watched your video twice, once holding the D500 in my lap and then again holding the D750, with occasionally hitting pause and rewind while I looked at my LCDs. Of course, the D500's menu was almost identical to the 850, but I learned things about the 750's menu that I didn't know even existed. Up until I watched your video (about a year ago) on how you use back-button focusing and manual auto-ISO, I had never heard of either. Now, that's all I use. It was a little tedious and awkward making the switch, but it's now second-nature. All that said, I have a tremendous amount to learn, and you are my go-to instructor. Steve Perry is good, real good, but your slower delivery and your repeats of a detail or a concept that you know might be difficult for even the advanced amateur is very helpful. Most importantly, I will now change my laminated "pre-flight checklist" to simply pressing the Fn2 button. :-)
I just received my D850 this week. This was a very informative video. I have watched several other vids on several of the same topics, but seeing it again with your explanation further drove home functionality benefits of several of your option choices. Thanks
This has to be the most informative video I have seen on the D850. You hit on specific and usable features that every D850 owner should know even if they don't always use those features. It is better to know something you don't need, than not know a certain feature, Thanks again and thumbs up !!!
Mark , I have just watched a whole batch of your videos on my 50 inch so no comment, but your content diolodge and videos are supreme, as good as any I have seen ,don't change your ideas or attitude they are spot on and I have seen thousands ,stay as you are and you continue to make us all happy and be up with the best,km
Dear Marc, I love your videos. The stories that you tell about the birds are awesome. Accidentally I found you doing a D850 introduction. Learned a much, but my D850 is not shipped already. So I bookmarked it to look it again, when it will be delivered. My D810 was stolen, with the 24-70 and the BS-910. I could cry! So finally I have to upgrade, don’t tell my wife! From your videos I learned I need a 200-600 or something else to make pictures of birds. That is another objective that I beg you not to tell my wife. I am writing you from Chile, the opposite end of the world, and my dream is to shoot a condor: I had a condor 5 meters away flowing in an spectacular environment, but after arming the tripod, changing the lens, putting the settings etc. the condor was already in Argentina. As sailors say: “length speeds” or, with birds, “span speeds”. In photographic sense, these birds are faster than sound. So, till now, I had to accommodate with sea gulls and pelicans. If someone wants to see them, would to have scrawl down a bit on my Flickr acount: www.flickr.com/photos/149732740@N05/
Hi Mark, for me this is the best D850 set up video yet. I shoot landscape and birds / other wildlife and you managed to cover both shooting requirements. Really enjoy your narrative style and have loaded the e-book on my tablet for in-field reference until I get the camera nailed. Thanks for sharing!
Setting the AF area mode + AF ON to the PV and AF-ON buttons was a great tip. I've gone a step further and set another to the Sub Selector center button so now I have instant AF-On buttons for single point, 25 point and 153 point.
Just took delivery of my D850 your clear and concise narrative made me stick with the video and now my camera is configured as yours I am now a convert and subscribe to your channel Thanks Mark
I'm also going to try the front and back button technique. You are a good speaker & teacher. Extremely thorough. I'll watch this video several times in the next few weeks. Thanks for the great job!
When i get my camera i will definitely use this as my go to guide to do all the settings. it will save me hours of trials and errors and make full use of the features available. Thank you for a very thorough tutorial. Nikon should package this tutorial with the camera, honestly.
Rarely have I come across a tutorial on here which has been presented as well and as concisely as this one. I've been lucky enough to have owned a D850 for a number of Months now, sadly I have had precious little time to use the thing. Then this damn pandemic appears, and shortly afterwards I find myself out of work, and with time upon my hands. Your autofocus set up video has proven a delight to watch as I followed you through making changes to my camera settings easily. Biggest Thanks To You Mark Smith. Your one of lifes true Gentlemen, and an excellent teacher too.
@@MarkSmithphotography All thanks to You Sir. Your a generous person in sharing Your knowledge with us, and Your wildlife videos are such an inspiration to me, and I am sure so many others. No only this, but your films make us realize just how precious all species are within this human dominated World. Thank You.
I found the speed and the demonstration of where things are and why you would use them extremely helpful. It is much easier to follow than many instructional products for someone who knows a bit about phtotgraphy but finds all the bells and whistles intimidating. Thank you.
Thanks for the excellent video. A few comments that might be helpful to some users. Changing camera settings: There is a setting that allows you to change selections without holding down the button for the function being adjusted. Custom Settings Menu - item f6, Release Button to use dial. Set this to "Yes" and you don't have to hold down the button. Just press it once and release the button, then use the front and/or back dial to make your adjustments. Exit the adjustment mode by half press of the shutter button. This is described on page 269 of the D850 User's Manual. This option is also available for other current Nikon bodies like the D500, D750, Z6, Z7, etc. Photo Shooting Menu: Auto Distortion Control - setting this to "On" allows the camera in JPG mode to use the Lens Distortion Control firmware (currently L 2.018) downloaded from Nikon Support which reduces barrel, fisheye, and pincushion distortion only for specific Nikon lenses included in the firmware set. There's no harm in turning this on as it doesn't affect RAW files and it's very helpful when shooting in JPG with Nikon zoom lenses, which can have some pretty extreme ranges of barrel to pincushion distortion with increasing focal length.
Gotta say, this is a wonderful, brilliant, and very imformative video on the Nikon-D850 for any shooting on this camera. I am very appreciative on viewing this video. Thank you very much Mr. Mark Smith.
I have a Sigma 150-600 (C-version) on my D850, that produced soft, unclear images at 600 mm. I tried all kind of settings, most of which you also discussed in this video, and the ones on the lens (via the USB dock). Could not figure out what was wrong. Until I changed [a3/Blocked Shot AF Response] to Quick. Did not know about this setting. And, as if by magic, the combo of camera and lens settings hit the sweet spot. I guess this is what you get when combining Nikon camera and third-party lenses. Thank you for explaining with such clarity what all the settings do. Has been a great help!
One of the best, most practical videos on the interwebs! I shoot bald eagles once or twice a year and the advice here is spot on. I love the idea of changing focus modes with a button so you can switch from area to single point on the fly. Great stuff. The description of controlling auto iso with exposure compensation; also a great explanation. Useful for shooting eagles when that white head is so easy to over expose.
It's August 2020, and Just bought a gray market brand new D850... This video helped me customize the settings. I think single spot focusing is overkill. I assigned 25 points to the Back button focus, but only 9 to the PV!. Good tip on spot metering button, and customization of the Picture Control. This is a useful video, even though the title is a bit misleading (it covers more than just the focusing system). good job-
My D850 arrives next week, you are a lifesaver! I’m going to have so much fun setting up my camera & learning all about how to manipulate the settings. Thanks again John
Very useful tips Mark, you even got me to try and switch to back button focus. I wonder why I never tried that before. So much more effective. And I have to say, your sense of humour adds an amusing touch to your videos!
Very clear tutorial, probably one of the best. I am still struggling with getting clean birds in flight pictures. Looking forward to put your recommendations in practice.
Dude! Thanx for not rushing.....You Rock, I'm nearly 52yo and learning allover again, Boop fist bump....You present in terms I understand. I dig your style. Stay Safe, Stay Well & Happy Shooting.
Loved your video. I live in South Africa so have many opportunities to visit the bush. You have made wild life photography so much easier for me - must just remember to say boop each time I change a setting.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! You are a LIFESAVER!! I have been playing around with mine all day and couldn’t get the AFC ON!!!! I almost lost my mind haha!! Thank you thank you!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Clear, concise and easy to understand - and we know it works because we have seen your superb images. Just gone back to Nikon and I'm copying theses settings.
Mark, I did a hard reset because my D850 just sucked. I'd love to send you a pic or 2 that I took today unedited and OMG Now I will love start to love this camera!!
Hey Mark, Even though -just like you- I’ve added Sony to my kit, I still have my D850, too. Here are some of my settings (to narrow the gap with the Sony): • Default Metering is Matrix with face detect ON • Default AF (area) mode on the shutter release button (No BBAF anymore): 3D tracking with face detect ON • Pv button does AF Lock (aka. Focus Hold in Sony speak) • Group AF on the AF-on button • D9 on the multi selector I like having all these options right there at my fingertips.
Mark, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and knowledge! Just picked up a D850 as an upgrade from my D500 (which I set up for wildlife photography watching your D500 Setup video). I'll keep the D500 as my backup. Thumbs up! And I just purchased two of your ebooks. Onward & Skyward!
Mark you are very Knowledgable on the Nikon D850, i bought one about 4 years ago when I took a trip to Israel. Didn't really know how to shoot with the camera, so I mostly used AF on everything. And I knew that I probably would need to take a College Course to learn, just the basics. I saw some of your video's where you were in Washington State taking pixs of those beautiful Eagles and other birds. You do a Fantastic Job. I want to start sharing your video's to others., that they may learn also. Yes I LOVE this Camera and it is very complex, but you are a very GOOD TEACHER and I want to learn. Thanks A Bunch An Indian in Tucson Az. Ciao
Your videos have been so helpful as I adjust to a pro-level body. Even coming from a D610 there's so much to learn and and functionality to unlock, amazing channel
We watch your shows all the time and we are 65 and 67 living in Darwin Australia and I have 500 and 850 my best friend has Olympus and loves your show too xxx
I REALLY appreciate this video. It helped me set up the new camera and while there are quite a few things I still need to learn and practice, I've had fantastic results so far. Migration is on in South Florida and I'm having a blast trying to capture warblers.
Thanks very much Mark. A very clear and easily understood talk. I was especially interested in how to improve focus on birds in flight and this video has given me plenty to experiment with. Trying to get clear focus on albatross from the deck of a heaving boat has been especially difficult for me!!
AWESOME VID MARK. I HAVE MY 850 SET UP A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT IM GOING TO TRY SOME OF YOUR SET UPS. I LEAVE my shutter button on for af as well as back button because its right there or my finger is already on it and then just move it back when tracking. i have bad arthritisso that works for me a little better. thank you for all the time you put into this and the refresher. i get complacent in my settings and forget how many things i can do.ive been playing with my 750 for the last few days and thank God they are all similar.im up to 7 in my collection and its easy to get lost in them. thanks again and i enjoy all of your vids as well.
You have helped me so much with my new d850, thank you! I am visually impaired and unable to read my menu screen without a magnifying glass, being able to see the menu on my computer is a tremendous help.
Mark, thank you for that video and being so meticulous and how to use the control buttons. I really appreciate you when I listen to you and I like the examples that you display, not just say but you show it, again thank you.
Great video! Just an FYI, if you press ISO button on top of camera and turn front dial you can switch from auto ISO and fixed. Also turning back dial can scroll through different ISO's without taking your eye away from the camera.
Wow. Have had my D850 for years - totally never looked into the My Menu section - even though it is common in many cameras. It would have come in handy many times!! Many other great tips too!
Mark, great video and thanks. I immediately set up my D850 as you went along then went to a marshy area close to me to practice. Much better for me on BIF now. Maybe it's been mentioned already, but concerning your 800 ISO upper limit for good detail rendition, Lightroom's denoise might enable us to adjust that limit up a little and still get nice detail once the noise is magically removed? Also, regarding second card slot, your thought is quite true for emergency spillover of images; however, last winter I used only one card on an outing and got a shot of a bird I really thought would be quite nice. The card chose the time I was loading the images onto the disc to fail on me. So, now I use that other card as backup! Thanks again, great teaching.
Fantastic presentation. I shoot D500 and found this info quite helpful. You have organized simple way of explaining not so simple things! Thanks. Bought book to support your efforts.
"Hold this Fn button in". Really Mark, I didn't think you'd swear in one of your videos! Seriously though, great video. Just watched it through and it's getting time for bed so gonna watch it again tomorrow and do some adjustments to my D500. Really like that tip re the spot metering on that Fn button. I've already been using the AF-ON button on the back of the D500 as my single focus point as recommended by you previously. I meant to play around more with the settings but got a bit lazy I suppose. This video has encouraged me again to just dive into the settings and not be intimidated by them. Keep up the good work and onwards and upwards to 20,000 subscribers. Best wishes from Liverpool, England, U.K.
Hello Mark, thanks for this brilliant video, I have changed many of my settings and I am very satisfied with it. My menu is also great. Stay healthy and have a nice weekend! Best regards from Germany
Bravo Mark...amazing video. You addressed the Fn2 "my menu" brilliantly and I never knew about it...though my 850 is back-ordered for another week. I was concerned about not having 'memory banks' like the Sony has, but at least this function gives quick access to important features. Going from the beach to indoors, street to concert...having the ability to access some key features is very helpful. It's not perfect, but you've really made me feel more confident about being able to find things 'on the fly'
Thanks for the compliments. I find using the d850 this way to be very easy. I change settings all the time very quickly and have no issues whatsoever. The d850 is an incredible camera.
Thanks for a great video. I bought a d850 and 200-500 the week before the Easter long weekend and it was great to give them a good workout in the rainforest with your settings. I really like having the two back button autofocus and one spot metering button on the front. I think it would have taken years for me to come up with that winning combo.
Thanks for your time and help. A lot of these help with the D7500. In Hot Springs SD, and have a nature trail behind the hotel, was out shooting bird's this morning, saw this at the time I needed it.
Great video and very helpful thanks! I'm sure someone else has probably said it but you can change from auto to nonauto iso by holding the iso button and turning the back wheel one click
Thanks for this video, I'm thinking about getting a D850 & this helped a lot! Great explanations of menu functions, it will really accelerate the learning curve for me!
Hey Mark...just for your info 12 bit Raw = 2 of the power of 12(2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2)= 4096 tonal values 14 bit Raw equals 2 to the power of 14 thats 16 384 tonal values...it makes a real difference ....thanks for the video!
Thanks Mark, I feel like you've provided a really good insight into getting the most out of the D850! I chose my picture profile to suit a more neutral setting knowing I shoot RAW and Jpeg and send the Jpeg image to my phone for instagram which gives me more freedom to 'edit' there. Your custom button settings are genius! Thanks again and I'm about to order your ebook as you've probably saved my hundreds of dollars in hours spent working this out myself or reading the manual.
Thank you! I learned lots of pearls for my new D850. I really liked the one about activate focus point in the playback menu. Excellent and cogent teaching style.
Beautiful presentation, as usual. The photos behind you are phenomenal. Is it metallic or acuity printing. I would suggest that you prepare a video on photo printing, types of printing, type of printers etc. It would be very helpful for both professionals and enthusiasts. Thanks
Just got my D850 and a friend asked if I had ever seen your videos. Thank you - so informative. I have learned so much about my amazing camera. So from this novice birder - I will learn so much now that I have discovered your videos. I just subscribed but could not find a link for the ebook.
That is great to hear. Thanks for watching and subscribing and thanks to your friend for telling you about me. Here is a link to the d850 setup guide. floridabirdtours.com/index.php/product/nikon-d850-quick-start-guide-for-bird-and-wildlife-photography/
I have the D850 and have followed your step-by-step process for autofocus set up. At 29:52 you referenced Front-button AF setting using the PV button. I have mine set using AF- C / 3d. The 3d mode as I use it, to automatically track and focus erratic flight or movement. My current protocol is using the both AF-ON and Shutter-Release (SR) Button: I lock focus with GrP or Single Point targeting and the SR button for single point tracking and focus in flight, a thumb/forefinger action, but I think I'd like to move the tracking function of the SR button as I use it to the PV button. I have followed your instruction but seem to be missing something. My middle finger PV button does focus but does not do the target-acquiring tracking in AF-C mode which is necessary. I want to set that square constantly moving automatically during flight, constantly acquiring and locking on to the moving target. I want to have the SR button depressed for shooting exclusively once the target is acquired and focused, in Focused Release mode. Can you share that detail with me.
Five years later.... Thanks Mark. I just got a D850 and this video was invaluable to understanding the menu and functions of the things therein.
If you were a school teacher when I was a student, my grades would have been substantially better. You explain everything so well, which makes it easier to retain what is being said. Well done, Thank you.
Thanks!
I totally agree!
I know I'm late to the party but this is the best video I've seen re bird photography and how to setup the D850. GREAT WORK! Thanks
Hey Mark, I just wanted to thank you for explaining things to me like I am a complete idiot and not making me feel like I am a complete idiot. You're Awesome! Love your tutorials!
I have had my D850 for 4 months now. I had seen this video before but saw it again today and again found it very valuable helping me get more comfortable with my camera.
I've been moving through D850 tutorials for some time, but finally feel that this is the best for me. In 15 minutes of your video, i've already learned much more than the others. Also the style of your teaching is practical and easy to understand. I don't intend to use this info for bird photography but much of it can transfer to concert photography which is what I like. You are a great teacher.
You are the BEST teacher Mark, and you leave the amateur photographer community a better place with stuff like this mate! You really know your stuff and convey it well
6years on and I’ve just managed to purchase a D850 with a 200-500 zoom and boy was your video helpful!! Steep learning curve but great fun and hopefully much better picture control… thanks a million👍😁
You are a genius. Takes several views to begin to understand what you are teaching. Now to practive what you taught. Thank you very much.
Mark that was an extraordinary video where anyone can follow your steps with no hesitation. I was able to do a few changes on my Nikon D500. I appreciate the time you have put on all your videos; this one was like someone reading the manual from the camera with voice activation and demo examples which made it so easy to understand. You are a natural teacher and you speak so calmly that anyone can understand. Awesome thanks again.
Thanks so much and yes you can pretty much mirror most of these settings for the D500. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and were able to apply the info to your D500.
Holy. Smokes. What a FANTASTIC instructional video!!!! Not only for the D850, but I tweaked settings on my D7200 as well! Learned a TON! You have an excellent teaching style. I'm an instant fan!
I can't find words to praise this video highly enough. Although it is ostensibly a tutorial on setting up a D850 menu system, it is equally a detailed tutorial on how to use the D850 in this specialized and demanding genre of photography. There is also an equally outstanding setup video for the Sony A9. Neither of these videos are simple translations of one to another. Mark goes much beyond simply making an A9 look like a D850 or vice versa. I own and use both. I can easily see that Mark is probably one of the best people right now to understand and take advantage of the differences between the two cameras for birds in flight. Mark also has a similar video on configuring the D500. I would hope that he also puts one out on the Z6 soon. In addition, Mark has each video in PDF form for a ridiculously low download fee. Expect to watch this video several times, with practice days between viewings.
Thanks again. Glad to hear you enjoy the videos and thanks for mentioning the ebooks!
Thank you so much! Just today, my D850, and two amazing lenses arrived, and this new camera is both intimidating and exciting (I've been shooting on a D3400-which, feels like a toy compared to the D850). This video was not only informative but also encouraging. You spoke my language, made it easy to understand, and helped me get the fundamentals set up for shooting birds! I'm even more excited and confident in taking pics in Alaska this year!
This is the single most informative video that I’ve watched in the three years that I’ve owned the D850. I wish I’d seen this forever ago.
Holy cow was that informative! I watched the whole thing with my D500 in hand and make several changes along with you. I've been using back-button focus for years, but never knew I could do front-focus too with different AF settings. Genius. Thanks so much.
You are very welcome. I'm glad you got some use out of it and I'm glad you knew how to mirror the settings for the D500! Thanks for watching!
Mark,
Clear and helpful technical insights. I'm a professional portrait photographer, but an intermediate wildlife photographer. I grew into the photo world with the mantra of of "always set it to manual." Watching your video and better understanding the power of an auto-iso range is very helpful. I was recently photographing birds and gators in the Florida Everglades. I had some hits, but also a lotta misses. I was also changing my ISO manually like a madman. And then those glowing Snowy Egrets, omg nuclear exposure blast. So the section where you describe how to use exposure compensation in conjunction with auto-ISO- YES!- I finally get it. Thanks much. I'm feeling more confident regarding my next birding photo adventures.
Cheers- Ted Hall
Mark, this is absolutely your best instructional video yet! It was long, but that's what it had to be to get in all of the settings you use and the ones that I will now use. I don't own a D850 yet, but I do own the D500 and D750 - and the 200-500 - and I watched your video twice, once holding the D500 in my lap and then again holding the D750, with occasionally hitting pause and rewind while I looked at my LCDs. Of course, the D500's menu was almost identical to the 850, but I learned things about the 750's menu that I didn't know even existed. Up until I watched your video (about a year ago) on how you use back-button focusing and manual auto-ISO, I had never heard of either. Now, that's all I use. It was a little tedious and awkward making the switch, but it's now second-nature. All that said, I have a tremendous amount to learn, and you are my go-to instructor. Steve Perry is good, real good, but your slower delivery and your repeats of a detail or a concept that you know might be difficult for even the advanced amateur is very helpful. Most importantly, I will now change my laminated "pre-flight checklist" to simply pressing the Fn2 button. :-)
That is great to hear.
Mark of all the Help videos on D850, your instruction is the only one who goes into the detail to understand the settings
I just received my D850 this week. This was a very informative video. I have watched several other vids on several of the same topics, but seeing it again with your explanation further drove home functionality benefits of several of your option choices. Thanks
Good to hear!
This has to be the most informative video I have seen on the D850. You hit on specific and usable features that every D850 owner should know even if they don't always use those features. It is better to know something you don't need, than not know a certain feature, Thanks again and thumbs up !!!
Mark , I have just watched a whole batch of your videos on my 50 inch so no comment, but your content diolodge and videos are supreme, as good as any I have seen ,don't change your ideas or attitude they are spot on and I have seen thousands ,stay as you are and you continue to make us all happy and be up with the best,km
Thank you so much for the compliments and encouragement. I really appreciate it!
Dear Marc, I love your videos. The stories that you tell about the birds are awesome. Accidentally I found you doing a D850 introduction. Learned a much, but my D850 is not shipped already. So I bookmarked it to look it again, when it will be delivered.
My D810 was stolen, with the 24-70 and the BS-910. I could cry! So finally I have to upgrade, don’t tell my wife! From your videos I learned I need a 200-600 or something else to make pictures of birds. That is another objective that I beg you not to tell my wife. I am writing you from Chile, the opposite end of the world, and my dream is to shoot a condor: I had a condor 5 meters away flowing in an spectacular environment, but after arming the tripod, changing the lens, putting the settings etc. the condor was already in Argentina. As sailors say: “length speeds” or, with birds, “span speeds”. In photographic sense, these birds are faster than sound. So, till now, I had to accommodate with sea gulls and pelicans. If someone wants to see them, would to have scrawl down a bit on my Flickr acount: www.flickr.com/photos/149732740@N05/
Thanks for watching. You will love the d850. It is a great camera.
Thank you from England. You’ve found you’re calling as a photography educator. Infectious enthusiasm for photography and a great communicator too.
Hi Mark, for me this is the best D850 set up video yet. I shoot landscape and birds / other wildlife and you managed to cover both shooting requirements. Really enjoy your narrative style and have loaded the e-book on my tablet for in-field reference until I get the camera nailed. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching and for the compliments!
Setting the AF area mode + AF ON to the PV and AF-ON buttons was a great tip. I've gone a step further and set another to the Sub Selector center button so now I have instant AF-On buttons for single point, 25 point and 153 point.
Just took delivery of my D850 your clear and concise narrative made me stick with the video and now my camera is configured as yours
I am now a convert and subscribe to your channel Thanks Mark
I'm also going to try the front and back button technique. You are a good speaker & teacher. Extremely thorough. I'll watch this video several times in the next few weeks. Thanks for the great job!
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. Glad you are learning from the video!
When i get my camera i will definitely use this as my go to guide to do all the settings. it will save me hours of trials and errors and make full use of the features available. Thank you for a very thorough tutorial. Nikon should package this tutorial with the camera, honestly.
Terrific video Mark, my bird hit rate has improved dramatically since watching this. Thanks again from NZ!
Rarely have I come across a tutorial on here which has been presented as well and as concisely as this one. I've been lucky enough to have owned a D850 for a number of Months now, sadly I have had precious little time to use the thing. Then this damn pandemic appears, and shortly afterwards I find myself out of work, and with time upon my hands. Your autofocus set up video has proven a delight to watch as I followed you through making changes to my camera settings easily. Biggest Thanks To You Mark Smith. Your one of lifes true Gentlemen, and an excellent teacher too.
Thank you! 👏👏
@@MarkSmithphotography All thanks to You Sir. Your a generous person in sharing Your knowledge with us, and Your wildlife videos are such an inspiration to me, and I am sure so many others. No only this, but your films make us realize just how precious all species are within this human dominated World. Thank You.
I found the speed and the demonstration of where things are and why you would use them extremely helpful. It is much easier to follow than many instructional products for someone who knows a bit about phtotgraphy but finds all the bells and whistles intimidating. Thank you.
You are welcome.
Thanks for the excellent video. A few comments that might be helpful to some users. Changing camera settings: There is a setting that allows you to change selections without holding down the button for the function being adjusted. Custom Settings Menu - item f6, Release Button to use dial. Set this to "Yes" and you don't have to hold down the button. Just press it once and release the button, then use the front and/or back dial to make your adjustments. Exit the adjustment mode by half press of the shutter button. This is described on page 269 of the D850 User's Manual. This option is also available for other current Nikon bodies like the D500, D750, Z6, Z7, etc.
Photo Shooting Menu: Auto Distortion Control - setting this to "On" allows the camera in JPG mode to use the Lens Distortion Control firmware (currently L 2.018) downloaded from Nikon Support which reduces barrel, fisheye, and pincushion distortion only for specific Nikon lenses included in the firmware set. There's no harm in turning this on as it doesn't affect RAW files and it's very helpful when shooting in JPG with Nikon zoom lenses, which can have some pretty extreme ranges of barrel to pincushion distortion with increasing focal length.
Gotta say, this is a wonderful, brilliant, and very imformative video on the Nikon-D850 for any shooting on this camera. I am very appreciative on viewing this video. Thank you very much Mr. Mark Smith.
I received a 850 as a present today. You made the initial setup a breeze!! Thank you so much
I have a Sigma 150-600 (C-version) on my D850, that produced soft, unclear images at 600 mm. I tried all kind of settings, most of which you also discussed in this video, and the ones on the lens (via the USB dock). Could not figure out what was wrong. Until I changed [a3/Blocked Shot AF Response] to Quick. Did not know about this setting. And, as if by magic, the combo of camera and lens settings hit the sweet spot. I guess this is what you get when combining Nikon camera and third-party lenses.
Thank you for explaining with such clarity what all the settings do. Has been a great help!
Just working through my d850 again working with a very different genre in lock down. Brilliant and so helpful thank you
Glad it helped!
same here!
One of the best, most practical videos on the interwebs! I shoot bald eagles once or twice a year and the advice here is spot on. I love the idea of changing focus modes with a button so you can switch from area to single point on the fly. Great stuff. The description of controlling auto iso with exposure compensation; also a great explanation. Useful for shooting eagles when that white head is so easy to over expose.
Thanks!
Getting ready to head to Estonia and have watched this twice. Excellent. Just excellent!
It's August 2020, and Just bought a gray market brand new D850... This video helped me customize the settings. I think single spot focusing is overkill. I assigned 25 points to the Back button focus, but only 9 to the PV!. Good tip on spot metering button, and customization of the Picture Control. This is a useful video, even though the title is a bit misleading (it covers more than just the focusing system). good job-
My D850 arrives next week, you are a lifesaver! I’m going to have so much fun setting up my camera & learning all about how to manipulate the settings.
Thanks again
John
I had to pause and play this video multiple times to set my camera. I think I am ready to try it. Hoping to get some sharp pictures. Thanks Mark.
Very helpful video. Great tips and very easy to follow. The pace is just right so you have time to change camera settings as you are watching. Thanks
Great video. Now I’m confident how to set up ‘My Menu’ button. Your videos are always clear and concise. Thank you!
Very useful tips Mark, you even got me to try and switch to back button focus. I wonder why I never tried that before. So much more effective. And I have to say, your sense of humour adds an amusing touch to your videos!
Thanks so much for the compliments. Back button is more effective and it takes some getting used to.
Very clear tutorial, probably one of the best. I am still struggling with getting clean birds in flight pictures. Looking forward to put your recommendations in practice.
Even though I don't own a D850, your explanations were very useful as they relate to my D750. Thanks very much, Mark.
You are very welcome and I'm glad to hear you could relate these settings to your own camera.
Dude! Thanx for not rushing.....You Rock, I'm nearly 52yo and learning allover again, Boop fist bump....You present in terms I understand. I dig your style. Stay Safe, Stay Well & Happy Shooting.
Loved your video. I live in South Africa so have many opportunities to visit the bush. You have made wild life photography so much easier for me - must just remember to say boop each time I change a setting.
Nice vid. Clear, concise and helpful. You made it all seem intuitive, logical and practical. Thank you.
This is a very useful video for anyone shooting moving subjects. Lots of information. Thank you, Mark, you are a very good instructor.
Thanks
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! You are a LIFESAVER!! I have been playing around with mine all day and couldn’t get the AFC ON!!!! I almost lost my mind haha!! Thank you thank you!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Clear, concise and easy to understand - and we know it works because we have seen your superb images. Just gone back to Nikon and I'm copying theses settings.
I just started photographing birds and this video comes out at the perfect time. Thank you!
You are welcome!
Mark, I did a hard reset because my D850 just sucked. I'd love to send you a pic or 2 that I took today unedited and OMG Now I will love start to love this camera!!
Thanks to Theoria for introducing us to you. I love how you take the time to explain the controls pro n cons with easy....Thanks
Thanks for watching.
Hey Mark,
Even though -just like you- I’ve added Sony to my kit, I still have my D850, too.
Here are some of my settings (to narrow the gap with the Sony):
• Default Metering is Matrix with face detect ON
• Default AF (area) mode on the shutter release button (No BBAF anymore): 3D tracking with face detect ON
• Pv button does AF Lock (aka. Focus Hold in Sony speak)
• Group AF on the AF-on button
• D9 on the multi selector
I like having all these options right there at my fingertips.
This is an awesome video and has really helped me get my D850 set up for birding. Mark is an excellent teacher.
Mark, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and knowledge! Just picked up a D850 as an upgrade from my D500 (which I set up for wildlife photography watching your D500 Setup video). I'll keep the D500 as my backup. Thumbs up! And I just purchased two of your ebooks. Onward & Skyward!
Mark you are very Knowledgable on the Nikon D850, i bought one about 4 years ago when I took a trip to Israel. Didn't really know how to shoot with the camera, so I mostly used AF on everything. And I knew that I probably would need to take a College Course to learn, just the basics. I saw some of your video's where you were in Washington State taking pixs of those beautiful Eagles and other birds. You do a Fantastic Job. I want to start sharing your video's to others., that they may learn also. Yes I LOVE this Camera and it is very complex, but you are a very GOOD TEACHER and I want to learn. Thanks A Bunch An Indian in Tucson Az. Ciao
Your videos have been so helpful as I adjust to a pro-level body. Even coming from a D610 there's so much to learn and and functionality to unlock, amazing channel
Superb way to simplify and break down the complex issues. Just like the eagles do in your photography. 🙏
Mark
I have to tell you this video is VERY well done.
This has been one of easiest for me to follow
Thankyou
Thanks so much. Glad you were able to follow along.
I've only watched about 30 mins and found some many tips for my D850, Awesome
We watch your shows all the time and we are 65 and 67 living in Darwin Australia and I have 500 and 850 my best friend has Olympus and loves your show too xxx
That's awesome. Thanks for watching.
Incredibly well done, thank you for the concise and easy to follow instruction!!
I REALLY appreciate this video. It helped me set up the new camera and while there are quite a few things I still need to learn and practice, I've had fantastic results so far. Migration is on in South Florida and I'm having a blast trying to capture warblers.
Watched this three times now, great info! And now we have the D500 AND the new D850! Thanks Mark, love your videos :) Bob & Lorraine
That is great to hear. Have fun out there. I'm sure we will meet again!
90% waste of time if you've ever shot a Nikon DSLR, 95% if you've shot wildlife/BIF.
Good job on production and editing.
Thanks very much Mark. A very clear and easily understood talk. I was especially interested in how to improve focus on birds in flight and this video has given me plenty to experiment with. Trying to get clear focus on albatross from the deck of a heaving boat has been especially difficult for me!!
You are welcome. Glad you found it useful.
AWESOME VID MARK. I HAVE MY 850 SET UP A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT IM GOING TO TRY SOME OF YOUR SET UPS. I LEAVE my shutter button on for af as well as back button because its right there or my finger is already on it and then just move it back when tracking. i have bad arthritisso that works for me a little better. thank you for all the time you put into this and the refresher. i get complacent in my settings and forget how many things i can do.ive been playing with my 750 for the last few days and thank God they are all similar.im up to 7 in my collection and its easy to get lost in them. thanks again and i enjoy all of your vids as well.
The best setup is the one that works for you! Thanks for watching.
This was so awesome. This made me so much more comfortable with the d850. Can't wait to take it out shooting.
You have helped me so much with my new d850, thank you!
I am visually impaired and unable to read my menu screen without a magnifying glass, being able to see the menu on my computer is a tremendous help.
You are more than welcome. Glad to have helped. You might think about getting yourself a Hoodman Loupe. It would be very helpful for you.
Excellent video on various settings and I liked the short cuts assigned to various buttons
Thanks!
Mark, thank you for that video and being so meticulous and how to use the control buttons. I really appreciate you when I listen to you and I like the examples that you display, not just say but you show it, again thank you.
Great video! Just an FYI, if you press ISO button on top of camera and turn front dial you can switch from auto ISO and fixed. Also turning back dial can scroll through different ISO's without taking your eye away from the camera.
Wow. Have had my D850 for years - totally never looked into the My Menu section - even though it is common in many cameras. It would have come in handy many times!! Many other great tips too!
Mark, great video and thanks. I immediately set up my D850 as you went along then went to a marshy area close to me to practice. Much better for me on BIF now. Maybe it's been mentioned already, but concerning your 800 ISO upper limit for good detail rendition, Lightroom's denoise might enable us to adjust that limit up a little and still get nice detail once the noise is magically removed? Also, regarding second card slot, your thought is quite true for emergency spillover of images; however, last winter I used only one card on an outing and got a shot of a bird I really thought would be quite nice. The card chose the time I was loading the images onto the disc to fail on me. So, now I use that other card as backup! Thanks again, great teaching.
Great job explaining the features of the d850 , the best !
Thank you so much. I have watched your video to setup my new D850. Your video is the best tool yet!
Fantastic presentation. I shoot D500 and found this info quite helpful. You have organized simple way of explaining not so simple things! Thanks. Bought book to support your efforts.
Thanks for watching and for the support.
"Hold this Fn button in". Really Mark, I didn't think you'd swear in one of your videos! Seriously though, great video. Just watched it through and it's getting time for bed so gonna watch it again tomorrow and do some adjustments to my D500. Really like that tip re the spot metering on that Fn button. I've already been using the AF-ON button on the back of the D500 as my single focus point as recommended by you previously. I meant to play around more with the settings but got a bit lazy I suppose. This video has encouraged me again to just dive into the settings and not be intimidated by them. Keep up the good work and onwards and upwards to 20,000 subscribers. Best wishes from Liverpool, England, U.K.
Lol, that is too funny. I never even thought of it that way! Thanks for watching, the kind words and the encouragement.
Hello Mark, thanks for this brilliant video, I have changed many of my settings and I am very satisfied with it. My menu is also great. Stay healthy and have a nice weekend! Best regards from Germany
Bravo Mark...amazing video. You addressed the Fn2 "my menu" brilliantly and I never knew about it...though my 850 is back-ordered for another week. I was concerned about not having 'memory banks' like the Sony has, but at least this function gives quick access to important features. Going from the beach to indoors, street to concert...having the ability to access some key features is very helpful. It's not perfect, but you've really made me feel more confident about being able to find things 'on the fly'
Thanks for the compliments. I find using the d850 this way to be very easy. I change settings all the time very quickly and have no issues whatsoever. The d850 is an incredible camera.
Thanks for a great video. I bought a d850 and 200-500 the week before the Easter long weekend and it was great to give them a good workout in the rainforest with your settings. I really like having the two back button autofocus and one spot metering button on the front. I think it would have taken years for me to come up with that winning combo.
You are welcome. Glad to hear you found it effective.
Thank you Mark! I just bought a new D850 so this was super helpful!! 👍
Thanks for your time and help. A lot of these help with the D7500. In Hot Springs SD, and have a nature trail behind the hotel, was out shooting bird's this morning, saw this at the time I needed it.
Thanks for watching.
This video was awesome! So easy to understand..and super helpful in setting up my new D500 for bird photography! Thank you!
There is a separate video specific for the D500
Great video and very helpful thanks! I'm sure someone else has probably said it but you can change from auto to nonauto iso by holding the iso button and turning the back wheel one click
Great tip!
Thanks for this video, I'm thinking about getting a D850 & this helped a lot! Great explanations of menu functions, it will really accelerate the learning curve for me!
Hey Mark...just for your info 12 bit Raw = 2 of the power of 12(2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2)= 4096 tonal values 14 bit Raw equals 2 to the power of 14 thats 16 384 tonal values...it makes a real difference ....thanks for the video!
Thanks for the math lesson!
I shoot railroads including moving trains so the same principles apply. Al very well explained. Very good video.
Just bought a d850 as my first dslr full frame
Thanks Mark, I feel like you've provided a really good insight into getting the most out of the D850! I chose my picture profile to suit a more neutral setting knowing I shoot RAW and Jpeg and send the Jpeg image to my phone for instagram which gives me more freedom to 'edit' there. Your custom button settings are genius! Thanks again and I'm about to order your ebook as you've probably saved my hundreds of dollars in hours spent working this out myself or reading the manual.
Thanks so much!
Thank you! I learned lots of pearls for my new D850. I really liked the one about activate focus point in the playback menu. Excellent and cogent teaching style.
Beautiful presentation, as usual. The photos behind you are phenomenal. Is it metallic or acuity printing. I would suggest that you prepare a video on photo printing, types of printing, type of printers etc. It would be very helpful for both professionals and enthusiasts. Thanks
Just got my D850 and a friend asked if I had ever seen your videos. Thank you - so informative. I have learned so much about my amazing camera. So from this novice birder - I will learn so much now that I have discovered your videos. I just subscribed but could not find a link for the ebook.
That is great to hear. Thanks for watching and subscribing and thanks to your friend for telling you about me. Here is a link to the d850 setup guide. floridabirdtours.com/index.php/product/nikon-d850-quick-start-guide-for-bird-and-wildlife-photography/
Very nicely done. As a beginner, I 'm learning a lot , and I thank you for great video.
Thanks! That is good to know.
I have the D850 and have followed your step-by-step process for autofocus set up. At 29:52 you referenced Front-button AF setting using the PV button. I have mine set using AF- C / 3d. The 3d mode as I use it, to automatically track and focus erratic flight or movement. My current protocol is using the both AF-ON and Shutter-Release (SR) Button: I lock focus with GrP or Single Point targeting and the SR button for single point tracking and focus in flight, a thumb/forefinger action, but I think I'd like to move the tracking function of the SR button as I use it to the PV button. I have followed your instruction but seem to be missing something. My middle finger PV button does focus but does not do the target-acquiring tracking in AF-C mode which is necessary. I want to set that square constantly moving automatically during flight, constantly acquiring and locking on to the moving target. I want to have the SR button depressed for shooting exclusively once the target is acquired and focused, in Focused Release mode. Can you share that detail with me.
This truly helped me so much in the areas I was iffy on. Thanks so much for your insight, I really appreciate it!!
Awesome video. I just got a D850. Found a quick way to turn the Auto ISO on and off is by holding the ISO button and turn the front control dial.