Steve, this is so great. In my opinion, nobody explains this topics as clearly and as pragmatically as you do. Nikon should pay you good money for that - but I‘m glad you‘re not sponsored or influenced by them.
Fantastic, clear, concise video ! That said, I wish Nikon would've done it the way Sony did with their tracking. With Sony, once the camera finds the subject, it will attempt to track it anywhere in the frame. So, the focus area setting (eg. small, medium, large, zone) is used to initially select the target, and then once the target (eg. face, eye) is acquired, it is tracked throughout the frame without any buttons/handoffs. IMHO more intuitive, more simple.
@@351linzdoctor So is the OM-1. I must be a masochism to use the Z9. I guess more twiddling make me feel I made an effort, so the captures have to be better. In the mean time the other body shooters got the shots.
I bought your z9 book and on the third reading, I have set this up. Genius. This video makes everything very clear. Thanks for your excellent book, videos and tips👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
😂 the most juiciest target 1:41 😂. Steve, your and Gavin’s (fototripper) channels are for sure the most entertaining and valuable photography channels with a huge sense of humour. Can’t wait for the next video on yours as well as Gavin’s channel. I really hope one day we will get some videos when Gavin and you meet “coincidentally” 😉.
Hey me too using same combo. It's fascinating. However I am facing challanges when bird is in foliage and lots of distractions around. It gets difficult to focus. How is your experience?
Thanks Steve, I have been using Fn1 to select 3d tracking for my hand-offs. I was surprised that you hand off to Auto Area AF. So I am going to try something different now, Fn1 to Auto Area AF and keep my LFn-2 buttons set to 3d tracking. That way I can choose which hand-off mode to use instantly. Cheers for the super videos.
With Auto, the camera seems to have a better chance of re-acquiring the target if it loses the lock since Auto can look all over the viewfinder. With 3D, if it loses the lock whether it gets back on target depends where the little 3D AF point is - if it's on the target, you're gold, if it's on the background, you're toast. From a tracking standpoint, they seem about the same to me, both with and without Subject Detection.
From one Steve to another I shot with the Z8 for six months. To me the AF was slightly below the level of the A1 but the noise from the sensor was less forgiving than than Sony.
Great video as usual Steve. One question. Would you advice to hand-off to Auto/3d for example when pressing Back button AF-ON. Configure AF-On button so that it will AF-ON + 3d / Auto AF In this case it will start handoff and tracking 3d when af-on button is pressed. Any downside?
That would work and I don't see any downsides. Just make sure you're not disengaging AF as you press the AF-On button (i.e., keep that half-press on the shutter release until 3D takes over).
Hi Steve,super cool contents..as a new z8 user who moved from d7500 , i would love to see aviation tips from you..will you be kind enough to make a video on that
@@saraventura1333 Z8! I love my Z8. I photograph mostly birds and you just can't beat it. It's lighter and smaller in size than the Z9 which is much better for me. Honestly there is not a huge difference between them. Z9 has geotagging and raw pre-capture but I don't care about those things. Z6iii has only 24 mp.
It's really not as bad as it seems, just a lot of similar-sounding nomenclature to wade through. Although, to be fair, I think Nikon's AF system could stand some simplification.
I´ve been thinking of getting me a Z8 to my older lenses (300 pf and 500 pf) but now i´m in moore in to sell my Nikon gear and go all in to Canon RF (that I also use). With my R7 and R6 MKII i only have to use two buttons with AF for all situations (the one point AF-c and the override all area subject detection button). It never misses if I don´t forget to switch beetween the two in the right time.) I´m beginning to think that the Nikon way will be to slow and complicated if i have to change ways and I can´t trust instant subject detection in the all area mode as i can with Canon.?! Or maybe it´s only a matter of practice which i´d like course i love my old 300 and 500 PF´s. It´s not fare that Nikon have the best prime lenses for mobile handheld wildlife shooting!!! (or that Canon seems to have the best working all area subject detection mode). By the way, I think the problem fits in the old swedish expression: "It doesn´t matter how you´re turning yourself, you will still have your butt behind you"!
It depends on what you are trying to do. All handoffs do it allow you to use a different AF area to pick up from the AF area the camera was just using (and had chosen). The most typical example of when / why to use it is in the video where I showed going from Wide AF to Auto. That handoff allowed me to use the entire frame, instead of the smaller Wide AF area. With Sony, it's easier. I have my a1 set so my AF-On button initiates tracking from whatever AF area I'm currently using and the AEL button allows me to use that area normally. It's much easier and is better at accomplishing the example I referred to.
If the default focus area isn't picking up what I want, I generally press a single point AF button programmed on the lens, then tap and hold the focus button again to reset. When it picks up what I want, I release the button and go back to the default mode. Is that a hand-off?
No, not if I'm understanding your process correctly. You can't handoff from the starting point of an AF override and even if yo could, Single Point AF isn't letting the camera pick the AF point - you are :) However, that doesn't mean it's not a valid technique - in fact, it's a very effective way to get the camera back on-target at times.
You mean to say that one should continuously keep pressing programmed Fn button for handoff to work and if released, it will automatically turn back to AF normal mode? If so how will any one using 500 or 600mm lens to keep holding this button while shooting? Correct me if I am wrong.
Yes, that's how it works - that's how it's always worked not just with handoffs but with AF point switching. It's not as tough as it sounds though - I'm pretty uncoordinated and if I can do it, anyone can. :)
I little confusion here. When you press F1 to override with auto AF what do I do with af -on button ?. It supposed to keep it pressed and finally press the shutter button to take the picture ?. Sorry , english is not my first language
Yes. If the override is set for just the AF area, you'll need to keep pressing the AF-On button the entire time (that's how I do it). If the override is set for AF area + AF On, once the override takes over, you can release the AF-On button if you like.
Hi. I can’t seem to get the hand-off to work. People detection is ON. I start with the wide red box area, keep its custom Fn button pressed, then press the other Fn button programmed for auto area without releasing the red box Fn button. I keep saying the red box, instead of the green box only. I keep both Fn buttons pressed to avoid being into the AF area switch mode, and be in the hand-off mode (per your recommendation). What am i doing wrong?
@@backcountrygallery Thank you for the reply. In your video you explicitly mentioned not to release the first Fn button before pressing the 2nd Fn button, as to avoid simply switching between AF-Area modes vs Handing-off. How do you do hand-off so that in your example, the wide area with the red box (1x1 even) comes first then you hand that off to the auto AF area?
@@skfoto As also mentioned in the video, you can't really do an override to override handoff. :) That's what you're doing when you have an AF area on Fn1 and then are pressing Fn2. The only way a handoff works is if the normal AF area (the one selected with the focus mode button) is the one you are starting with. So, if you're a shutter-release focuser, you'd select Wide using the focus mode button down my the lens mount (Z8/9). Then, you'd use Fn1 or Fn2 (or whatever button Auto AF is one) to override Wide and handoff to Auto.
@@backcountrygallery OK, I'll give it a shot tonight. In AF-ON (no shutter focus) I'll start with the red wide box, then press the Fn button to hand-off to Auto-AF and see what happens; that should work, right? Your videos and prompt responses are top notch, and so in the meantime, I will purchase your book, seems very good.
@@skfoto Thanks and yes, that should work. However, I'm also assuming that your AF-On button is JUST set for AF-On. If it's set for an AF area + AF On it won't work. Under F2, it should be just AF-On.
These should apply (They're a bit older) ruclips.net/video/usZ5BxHaXVk/видео.html ruclips.net/video/O558jqlJcTw/видео.html ruclips.net/video/GUK0nNAfmyA/видео.html
It's not in the video. There's only so much I can cover and this video could have been an hour long if I went down every avenue. :) The book covers it of course, but you can program your buttons for AF Area or AF Area + AF On via F2 in the Custom Settings Menu.
This is completely unnecessary for bird subject detection . I was using this method in February of 2022 for birds in flight prior to firmware 4.10 Also ever since FW 3.0 the passive white at box you see with Auto Area AF mode or any wide area AF mode, 3D AF mode no longer starts at the center of the frame but takes over from wher wherever that passive white as box is. The passive white at box is significantly more aggressive, accurate and faster to recognize your subject. Then I've it's on the subject press you Auto Area or 3D AF button and it instantly picks up the subject. There is just zero need to a hybrid handoff anyhow
I agree that it's not necessary most of the time and I make a point about that in the video. Usually I use use Auto AF and never worry about handoffs one way or another. However, there are still times I want to target a specific bird or I'm working around a lot of cover and targeting with Wide and handing off works well. Remember, that white subject recognition box only appears when the camera "sees" the subject - often if you're dealing with cover or if you're trying to initially lock onto a blurry subject, it won't see it. In some instances, it's better to target your bird with Wide and handoff. Again, most of the time I don't, but saying you never need to paints with a fairly wide brush and ignore circumstances where it's helpful to some shooters.
Another super clear and helpful class on getting the most of the AF!
Great video Steve. I truly appreciate how you get to the point without a lot of the fluff that other RUclipsrs include in their videos. Thank you!
Steve, had a chance to try the AF Handoff today while shooting a bald eagle. Amazing!!!
Great video Steve! As always, to the point, short and sweet. Thanks for sharing! : )
Steve, this is so great. In my opinion, nobody explains this topics as clearly and as pragmatically as you do.
Nikon should pay you good money for that - but I‘m glad you‘re not sponsored or influenced by them.
I shoot sports like Football much more than wildlife. These tips are also valuable to sports photographers. Thanks!
Another excellent explainer Steve! Thank you, as always.
Great video clarifying this technique, thanks Steve.
Fantastic, clear, concise video ! That said, I wish Nikon would've done it the way Sony did with their tracking. With Sony, once the camera finds the subject, it will attempt to track it anywhere in the frame. So, the focus area setting (eg. small, medium, large, zone) is used to initially select the target, and then once the target (eg. face, eye) is acquired, it is tracked throughout the frame without any buttons/handoffs. IMHO more intuitive, more simple.
I shoot with a Z9 and a Sony A9iii and A1 and yes Sony is a lot better in this regard!
I agree, 100%. I shoot Sony as well and prefer their approach.
@@351linzdoctor So is the OM-1. I must be a masochism to use the Z9. I guess more twiddling make me feel I made an effort, so the captures have to be better. In the mean time the other body shooters got the shots.
Great refresher for the information I got from the AF mirrorless book.
I bought your z9 book and on the third reading, I have set this up. Genius. This video makes everything very clear. Thanks for your excellent book, videos and tips👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
No one has been talking about this feature. This was a great video!!! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Thanks!!! And I will probably have to watch this a couple of more times (the notes) for it to sink in my brain, lol.
😂 the most juiciest target 1:41 😂. Steve, your and Gavin’s (fototripper) channels are for sure the most entertaining and valuable photography channels with a huge sense of humour. Can’t wait for the next video on yours as well as Gavin’s channel. I really hope one day we will get some videos when Gavin and you meet “coincidentally” 😉.
I wasn't sure if anyone would catch that comment :) Thanks!
Thanks for the timely delivery Steve recently i bought z6iii + Nikkor z 180-600 love from india ❤
Hey me too using same combo. It's fascinating. However I am facing challanges when bird is in foliage and lots of distractions around. It gets difficult to focus. How is your experience?
Thanks Steve, I have been using Fn1 to select 3d tracking for my hand-offs. I was surprised that you hand off to Auto Area AF. So I am going to try something different now, Fn1 to Auto Area AF and keep my LFn-2 buttons set to 3d tracking. That way I can choose which hand-off mode to use instantly. Cheers for the super videos.
With Auto, the camera seems to have a better chance of re-acquiring the target if it loses the lock since Auto can look all over the viewfinder. With 3D, if it loses the lock whether it gets back on target depends where the little 3D AF point is - if it's on the target, you're gold, if it's on the background, you're toast. From a tracking standpoint, they seem about the same to me, both with and without Subject Detection.
I tried this today. Woww... what a fantastic discovery 😍 This worked really very well. Thanks a million Steve 🤝 You are THE BEST 👍
Got a New camera, Z8, need to watch this awesome video 3 more times to set it into my brain. Thank you for the video.
I am going to try these advice points for my new Z50ii
Fn1 Fn2 AEL and Disp are programed now as different AF functions ........ looking forward in trying this next weekend
I really need to learn and practice this before Tanzania in April!
Brilliant. Short sharp and to the point. Off to buy the book, my third. Highly recommended.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks Steve - much appreciated !
From one Steve to another I shot with the Z8 for six months. To me the AF was slightly below the level of the A1 but the noise from the sensor was less forgiving than than Sony.
Thanks, Steve. Just what I needed.
Thanks as always Steve, helpful - now to grab my Z cameras and check my settings and then go practice.
"Still, if your a psychopath you can hand off to single point AF" 😂😅 LMAO
Great info! Very helpful…I think! Now I need to practice!😂
Great video as usual Steve.
One question. Would you advice to hand-off to Auto/3d for example when pressing Back button AF-ON. Configure AF-On button so that it will AF-ON + 3d / Auto AF
In this case it will start handoff and tracking 3d when af-on button is pressed.
Any downside?
That would work and I don't see any downsides. Just make sure you're not disengaging AF as you press the AF-On button (i.e., keep that half-press on the shutter release until 3D takes over).
Thanks. I liked the video too. I'm looking for fashion accessories for an upcoming trip to CR.
Nothing accessories better than a 600 F/4 or a 400 2.8 :)
@backcountrygallery lol. I have the 400 /4.5 S and the Z8. Not a bad combo for an older guy lugging gear around all day.
Always share you vids with my GROUPS on FB
Thanks so much!
Seen notification and open your video, first comment
Me too, you were quicker 😅
@@rolandrick 😂
That was good stuff.
Super clear explanation as always, thanks Steve 👏🏻
So now I’m wondering what the use case is for 3D 🤔😆 Will look this up in my AF setup guide 🤓
Awesome. Didn't realize i could hand off 3d to auto.
I had to watch this twice to get it! 😂 Shooting a netball (very tough sport to shoot) Test match tomorrow and will give it a try
There's just so much nomenclature to wade through it makes it tough to follow, despite my best efforts :)
Hi Steve,super cool contents..as a new z8 user who moved from d7500 , i would love to see aviation tips from you..will you be kind enough to make a video on that
Complex area mystified further. Thanks Steve 😂
Are you going to do a review of the Nikon Z50II?
Excellent 👌❤
People: Buy Steve’s book for the z8/z9. Is is amazing!
Bought the book, still not EXACT description how to set [f2 Custom controls (shooting)] > L-Fn > WHAT ????
Hope you will review the coming Z90. Looking forward too it 😁
LOL, I didn't even know one was coming. Is that just a rumor?
Great vid. I could not get it to show in full screen.
Always clear and concise. Thank you!
Friend which one is better? Z9? Z6?
@@saraventura1333 Z8! I love my Z8. I photograph mostly birds and you just can't beat it. It's lighter and smaller in size than the Z9 which is much better for me. Honestly there is not a huge difference between them. Z9 has geotagging and raw pre-capture but I don't care about those things. Z6iii has only 24 mp.
@@lauramacky4083 Z9 has raw precapture!? Tell us how to do it . . .
Thanks a lot. I was wondering whether it's judicious anymore to use back-button AF with Z9 or Z8, could you please throw some light on this?
I talk about that in this video:
ruclips.net/video/OF1Ur1r2yBE/видео.html
Interesting, never heard of it ;-) Though I do action (aviation) I don't feel a need for this but maby I'll give it a try.
Wow, this sounds ridiculously complex. I'm so happy that I bought my Canon.
It's really not as bad as it seems, just a lot of similar-sounding nomenclature to wade through. Although, to be fair, I think Nikon's AF system could stand some simplification.
I too would love the simpler Canon System, sadly though on Canon any decently priced lens (I. E.
I´ve been thinking of getting me a Z8 to my older lenses (300 pf and 500 pf) but now i´m in moore in to sell my Nikon gear and go all in to Canon RF (that I also use). With my R7 and R6 MKII i only have to use two buttons with AF for all situations (the one point AF-c and the override all area subject detection button). It never misses if I don´t forget to switch beetween the two in the right time.) I´m beginning to think that the Nikon way will be to slow and complicated if i have to change ways and I can´t trust instant subject detection in the all area mode as i can with Canon.?! Or maybe it´s only a matter of practice which i´d like course i love my old 300 and 500 PF´s. It´s not fare that Nikon have the best prime lenses for mobile handheld wildlife shooting!!! (or that Canon seems to have the best working all area subject detection mode). By the way, I think the problem fits in the old swedish expression: "It doesn´t matter how you´re turning yourself, you will still have your butt behind you"!
Is the shirt you're wearing the PFG Bahama?
It's a PFG, but I don't know the specific type.
Sony shooter here, trying to follow along. So is the point to allow tracking outside of the initial area or to disable subject detection?
It depends on what you are trying to do. All handoffs do it allow you to use a different AF area to pick up from the AF area the camera was just using (and had chosen). The most typical example of when / why to use it is in the video where I showed going from Wide AF to Auto. That handoff allowed me to use the entire frame, instead of the smaller Wide AF area. With Sony, it's easier. I have my a1 set so my AF-On button initiates tracking from whatever AF area I'm currently using and the AEL button allows me to use that area normally. It's much easier and is better at accomplishing the example I referred to.
This video applies to Zf as well.
Thanks!
What are the differences between the Nikon Z8 and Z9 when using the FTZ adapter?
Nothing that I know of - both work equally well.
If the default focus area isn't picking up what I want, I generally press a single point AF button programmed on the lens, then tap and hold the focus button again to reset. When it picks up what I want, I release the button and go back to the default mode. Is that a hand-off?
No, not if I'm understanding your process correctly. You can't handoff from the starting point of an AF override and even if yo could, Single Point AF isn't letting the camera pick the AF point - you are :)
However, that doesn't mean it's not a valid technique - in fact, it's a very effective way to get the camera back on-target at times.
You mean to say that one should continuously keep pressing programmed Fn button for handoff to work and if released, it will automatically turn back to AF normal mode? If so how will any one using 500 or 600mm lens to keep holding this button while shooting? Correct me if I am wrong.
Yes, that's how it works - that's how it's always worked not just with handoffs but with AF point switching. It's not as tough as it sounds though - I'm pretty uncoordinated and if I can do it, anyone can. :)
@@backcountrygallery Thank you.
@@backcountrygallery Actually it should be called "Handfix"!!!
I little confusion here. When you press F1 to override with auto AF what do I do with af -on button ?. It supposed to keep it pressed and finally press the shutter button to take the picture ?. Sorry , english is not my first language
Yes, keep pressing it :)
Will this work on the Nikon Zf
Can you still use back button focus when doing this?
Yes. If the override is set for just the AF area, you'll need to keep pressing the AF-On button the entire time (that's how I do it). If the override is set for AF area + AF On, once the override takes over, you can release the AF-On button if you like.
Hi. I can’t seem to get the hand-off to work. People detection is ON. I start with the wide red box area, keep its custom Fn button pressed, then press the other Fn button programmed for auto area without releasing the red box Fn button. I keep saying the red box, instead of the green box only. I keep both Fn buttons pressed to avoid being into the AF area switch mode, and be in the hand-off mode (per your recommendation). What am i doing wrong?
You can't pass between buttons. With your example, you'd set your normal AF area for Wide and then have on to the Fn buttons programmed for Auto.
@@backcountrygallery Thank you for the reply. In your video you explicitly mentioned not to release the first Fn button before pressing the 2nd Fn button, as to avoid simply switching between AF-Area modes vs Handing-off. How do you do hand-off so that in your example, the wide area with the red box (1x1 even) comes first then you hand that off to the auto AF area?
@@skfoto As also mentioned in the video, you can't really do an override to override handoff. :) That's what you're doing when you have an AF area on Fn1 and then are pressing Fn2. The only way a handoff works is if the normal AF area (the one selected with the focus mode button) is the one you are starting with. So, if you're a shutter-release focuser, you'd select Wide using the focus mode button down my the lens mount (Z8/9). Then, you'd use Fn1 or Fn2 (or whatever button Auto AF is one) to override Wide and handoff to Auto.
@@backcountrygallery OK, I'll give it a shot tonight. In AF-ON (no shutter focus) I'll start with the red wide box, then press the Fn button to hand-off to Auto-AF and see what happens; that should work, right?
Your videos and prompt responses are top notch, and so in the meantime, I will purchase your book, seems very good.
@@skfoto Thanks and yes, that should work. However, I'm also assuming that your AF-On button is JUST set for AF-On. If it's set for an AF area + AF On it won't work. Under F2, it should be just AF-On.
3rd comment. 😍🤗
"A dyslexic GPS unit..." Had I only used that one with my dyslexic students! I think they would have laughed.
Do you have anything on the Z7ii?
These should apply (They're a bit older)
ruclips.net/video/usZ5BxHaXVk/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/O558jqlJcTw/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/GUK0nNAfmyA/видео.html
Great explanation, but why?
Video is out a week too late, would've loved to know this while photographing elk in the Smokies this past weekend 😂
It's never too late.
@@Ron_Boy oh l'll be going back, and better prepared
Did I miss how to program a handoff button?
It's not in the video. There's only so much I can cover and this video could have been an hour long if I went down every avenue. :) The book covers it of course, but you can program your buttons for AF Area or AF Area + AF On via F2 in the Custom Settings Menu.
@@backcountrygallery Thanks. Love your videos!
Not on the Z7ii?
No, the Z7ii doesn't allow AF overrides or it would probably have it.
This is completely unnecessary for bird subject detection . I was using this method in February of 2022 for birds in flight prior to firmware 4.10
Also ever since FW 3.0 the passive white at box you see with Auto Area AF mode or any wide area AF mode, 3D AF mode no longer starts at the center of the frame but takes over from wher wherever that passive white as box is. The passive white at box is significantly more aggressive, accurate and faster to recognize your subject. Then I've it's on the subject press you Auto Area or 3D AF button and it instantly picks up the subject.
There is just zero need to a hybrid handoff anyhow
I agree that it's not necessary most of the time and I make a point about that in the video. Usually I use use Auto AF and never worry about handoffs one way or another. However, there are still times I want to target a specific bird or I'm working around a lot of cover and targeting with Wide and handing off works well. Remember, that white subject recognition box only appears when the camera "sees" the subject - often if you're dealing with cover or if you're trying to initially lock onto a blurry subject, it won't see it. In some instances, it's better to target your bird with Wide and handoff. Again, most of the time I don't, but saying you never need to paints with a fairly wide brush and ignore circumstances where it's helpful to some shooters.
@@backcountrygallery yep Auto Area is all that is needed about 95% of the time
beware this video contains Logic. you might learn something. you have been warned
👍
Thanks Steve, I'm still a D500 holdout but when I do switch , I want to be ready to go with all the tricks.
Logic? ROFLMAO
Love the psychopath comment.
Or you can use a Canon or Sony...
Pls bear in mind, that a lot of your viewers do no have english as their first language (Slow a little down, Please)
Click on the gear icon at bottom right corner and a menu pops up. Choose playback speed and try 75%.