Hey everyone - just a followup. I've had a lot of people ask why I purchased a D780 when I have a D5, D850, and Sony a9ii. The reason is simple - I need the camera to update my Nikon AF book and Nikon Exposure book (plus I may need it for future books). It's mostly going to be a reference camera for me and will likely not see a ton of field use. Still, I thought it might be helpful to post a menu setup :) That said, please don't get me wrong. The D780 is actually a surprisingly nice camera and maybe the best all-around Nikon DSLR (especially with price factored in). It's just that the D850, D5, and a9ii work better for what I do.
I have both of your Nikon books but they are lacking the Z camera info that I need. I can see why you need the D780 but how about including the Z6/Z7 and Z50? Please update them for mirrorless users.
@@peterlooper7956 Hi Peter - The Z cameras are going to get their own book - they are just too different to put into the DSLR book, it would make things confusing. However, just not sure when I'll get it out. I spent years with Nikon DSLRs to get the required experience with the AF system - and I have about three major projects and a dozen or so workshop to do before I can even get to the first page. Too much on my plate LOL!
Much clearer then the Nikon manual, with more detailed valuable information. I followed the tutorial in parallel doing the same with my new D780 in hands. Congratulations Steve, for this excellent tutorial.
Being a Wildlife and Landscape photographer myself, watching this tutorial for my recently (yesterday) acquired D780 was priceless. Thank you for putting this together.
@@stanobert3475 That should work out really well. I was thinking it would be nice with the 500PF for hiking - although I kind of use my Z6/7 for that now.
@@backcountrygallery Yes. This is a small but powerful camera. I own the Z6 and Z7 but I like the much longer battery life on the D780 which is good for long distance travel.
It is always a pleasure to watch Steve's videos. He is able to convey technical (often dry) information and make it compelling, sometimes even entertaining. What a great teacher!
Great tutorial for tweaking the settings I need for wildlife, got this predominantly for landscape and wedding/event photography so I can quickly switch a few settings and be wildlife ready.
I am so glad I found your tutorials Steve. I learn something from everyone, and I go back to your older ones for references when I can not remember something. Just wanting to say thank you.
Thank you some much. I just switched to a D780, had many Nikons before but this camera offers a lot of features I didn't know. I learned so much about this great camera from your video. Keep making these videos, I am convinced you help us all becoming better photographers. I like that your channel is not about selling new gear but making more out of the gear and the one who is using it - of course. Best regards from Germany. Chris
I know this is an older video but I just bought a 780. With me being not very tech savvy and trying to set my camera up for success - avoiding frustrating situations not knowing how to make adjustments in the future etc This was super helpful for me! I took notes along the way for future reference as well! Thank you! 🤍🤍
I wish you were into video. If I knew half as much about the video settings for Nikon as you've taught me about the normal setup for still photography, I'd be in good shape. This was a great refresher. I followed along with my D500 and checked the items that were relevant.
As always Steve, you videos are so informative. Thank you for producing this video. My D780 arrived yesterday and with your help I think I am ready to go.
Well worth the time always. Great support as far as your book goes. Nice to see you update and send us emails about the latest releases. Thank you, I know this is a lot of work, I for one appreciate it.
Steve, did you set up "Live View" mode on your d780, so you could use the ML functions but into the camera? If so, do you have a list of the settings you used?
Is it possible to configure AF-On button to work as AE-L in the same time? In d750 was one button, and when I pressed AF-On on the same time camera lock AE. D780 has two buttons: AF-On to set autofocus on subject, and other AE- L to lock exposition. I want to use one button ..
Thanks for busting this out in such a timely fashion. I do want to share that Adobe/Lightroom won't have settings set up to support the D780 RAW files until Feb 14th, so if you try to load them prior you may receive a message that states the file is either unsupported or damaged. You can work JPEG's ok though.
Hi Steve, I appreciate you putting this video together. But I wish you had covered the AF Fine tune a bit as it now has a new AF tuning feature for Zoom Lenses, where one can set different values for both the short and long end of the zoom range.
I'l be adding it to the Nikon AF book and maybe doing an update Auto AF Fine Tune video down the road. The thing is, I skipped it because it's not a setting I would initially set with a new camera.
Thanks Steve - very useful. 👍 I'm weighing up a upgrade from my D750 to either the Z6 or D780. The disappointing thing with both cameras is there is no way of backing up video 11:56 . It must be something that Nikon can't do as I think the D850 can't either.
Steve Perry , as far I can remember, on my D500, D850, Z6, Z7 I must switch it manually. Will watch it carefully next last Sunday in March. FYC: In Europe DST changes always last Sunday March/October (On/Off)
@@rolandrickphotography Yeah, I'm going to do the same. The thing is, I actually don't pay too much attention to the time anyway - I'm always in a different time zone and I don't think I've ever needed to reference back to an image to see exactly when it was taken. So, I may be doing it wrong an just never noticed :)
Hello, I am also looking to upgrade from the Nikon d7000, I was wondering which is the best for wildlife (bird) photography, the Nikon d7100, d7200, or the d7500. I am also getting the Tamron 100-400mm lens Di VC USD lens and don't know which camera to buy? what do you suggest
my D780 has randomly decided to not give me the option to shoot in RAW... any ideas?? Got it yesterday and was shooting in RAW and JPEG no worries... I reset the menu last night and POOF... no more RAW options :(
Hi need help I been playing with a p1000 and getting unhappy with heavy camera if you had a £1000 what would you buy I like taken photos of wildlife //
So interesting and complete. I don't know if this camera has WiFi AND Bluetooth... (I only have a D500). Do you ever use them ? maybe for firmware updates ?
Hi Steve, Love your videos and books. I have a problem getting focus. I use Back Button with Continuous AF. Will setting AF-C priority selection to Focus help me or should I leave it at Release?
Hi Steve: I know you have a lot on your plate, and that's a good thing!. I'm thinking of selling my Nikon gear and switching over to Canon or Sony. Canon is releasing their new body with Ibis, Sony lenses are sharp as all hell and Canon is not far off. Nikon seems to be lagging way behind, and getting worse by the week. Their new D6 coming out is hardly any better than the D5. They keep releasing lenses that no one will purchase and don't seem to care about market share. I was wondering if it would be worth your time to do a video on your views of the 3 competitors and where Nikon stands, and if you think it's still worth sticking with them or bailing. Love all your videos and appreciate all you do for us mere mortals.
The biggest advantage Nikon has over Canon is the f-mount for the DSLR's. When you do purchase your Canon, you will find that upgrades will require that you buy an entire System. Consider that an economics lesson.
Excellent as ever Steve. Regarding the Z6/Z7, have you done anything in respect of setting it up for wildlife? My wife has the Z6 and it seems almost impossible to use it for birds in flight due to the autofocus. For BIF we tend to stick to the D500 or D850.
That's not a setup issue as much as it's a Z6/7 issue. I can do BIF with mine, but my hit rate is far higher with the DSLRs or my a9ii. Best best is to keep out of the extended frame rates (keep it at the 5.5 FPS) so you don't get the "slide show" effect in the viewfinder. I also find that Dynamic and Auto AF seem to work about the best, but you never know for sure where Auto is going to focus - works well for birds against the sky though.
Thanks Steve. That is pretty much what we found with the Z6. It is good for some things and if the subject is large but for small subjects like birds in flight it is best to keep to the DSLR’s if you want to ensure a high keeper rate.
@@EEEBA1 I love it especially the extended iso Hi2. I am shooting rugby at night. They have good lighting but I am using a sigma 150-600 and takes maybe 1 second to focus under those conditions but holds the focus when I use af-c. Tell ya what thats as good as I can expect. Am very happy with it
Hi Steve, Thank you for your video! Please, maybe you'll can help me. I just bought my new Nikon D780, and I usually work with the connected mode on Lightroom Classic or Capture One also. Have you ever tried to connect this D780 in connected mode on Lightroom please? Thanks a lot!
Advice needed: I am still shooting with D7000, but the idea of upgrading the body has been slowly growing in my mind. Have had D7000 for over 12 years now and it still performs well, but low-light performance, contrast and AF capabilities are limiting more and more often and I feel like the glass would deserve a better body at this point. Since I own AF-S 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 VRII, I want to stick with Nikon platform. Going through tons of DSLR vs. mirrorless reviews and discussions and trying to catch-up with the recent development of the market, I have not been able to decide if it is a good time to switch to something like Z6 with FTZ, or stay with DSLR and get D780. I don't shoot much video, mostly stills / ladscape / sports / portraits, you know, all-round hobby photographer. Any advice would be appreciated =)
Hi Steve, Does the AF fine tune on the Nikon D780 work differently in comparison to this feature on other cameras?? Does it take information from the phase detect sensor data for better AF calibration?? Appreciate your feedback
Hi Steve: Quick question for you. I have the Nikon D500. Do I leave the AF fine tune on or off after I fine tune my 200-500mm 5.6 lens. I watched your video 3 times on this and don't think you mention it. Seems to be a lot of confusion on other sites about this. Thank you
Hi, very educational video! How do I set the D780 so that it only uses the center focus point (sometimes I need this to force focus where I want, note where the camera thinks I want)?
Steve, can you go into more detail as to your comment about 12 / 14 bits and ISOs over 400 on your podcast? I get the concept but can you dig into it a bit deeper? At what point might it make (or not make) a difference? For instance, if I'm shooting sports at 1/1000 of a second with my 200-500 mm lens on a cloudy day I might have to go to ISO 1000 or 1250. What if the camera is pretty up to date. e.g., my D850 -- would that change the inflection point on dynamic range/ISO/bits? The reason it matters is that it could make a big difference when shooting sports -- as I do -- at high frames per second and hitting the buffer limits.
@@backcountrygallery Thanks. Yes, you cover the concept in the book (which I own, btw) but I guess the real question is not the theory of the concept but the practical real-world application. In other words, with a D780 (or D850 or D500), at what point does changing from 14 to 12 really make sense vis-a-vis what loss level of dynamic range may be suffered? Is it really at 400 ISO? You think it is that low with the resolution size and ISO control in new cameras? I'd have thought it would be higher because I'm often above 400 ISO. Something to consider digging into deeper......
@@slny5065 I do believe it still applies, based on the DR of the Z6. The PDR for the Z6 (same sensor) at ISO 400 is 9.4 stops, and you really don't need 14 bit to record 9.4 stops, so I doubt you'll see any difference at ISO 400 between 12 and 14 bit (of course, the engineering DR is certainly higher, but I still think it's likely less than 12 stops at ISO 400). Plus, remember that where it really counts is the shadows, and you'd have to be pulling pretty hard to see a significant difference 12 and 14 bit (at least in my experience). I honestly think I could probably shoot all (any ISO) of my stuff at 12 bit and live a happy life :) As a side note, I'm on the conservative side with the D850 - most say you can switch to 12 bit after ISO 200, but I hold off until 400.
I’ve done more digging - as I should have done earlier - and 400 and up is probably right but some dynamic range seems lost at 400. Certainly 640 and north shouldn’t be a problem except for some shadows that I could readily live with. Really will open up buffer depth.
As always, a very informative and useful video. Thank you Steve! Given that you have a Nikon D850, i’m curious what unique capabilities the D780 adds to your wildlife camera toolbox?
Actually and honestly, not much. It's a nice camera, but I mostly purchased it so I can update my AF and Exposure books. I actually just posted a comment about this at the top and pinned it (I've had that question a lot LOL!)
It's tough to say - lots of options and it really depends on how much you do of each thing. And, as you say, a Z6 might be an even better option. However, my experience using the Z series with wildlife hasn't been the best - but I do tend to favor action-oriented shots when I can get 'em. For more static stuff, the Z series can work well.
Surprised that the option to assign a different AF pattern/AF On to a button is missing, also is the Limit AF-area mode selection function (a9 on a D500) missing too or did I just miss it? Good set up vid all the same!
Nope, neither are there. I'm not as surprised about using a different AF area mode - I only see that on the 153 point AF system. However, I really am surprised it doesn't' offer Limit AF Area Mode. I use both and thought I'd at least get Limit AF Area Mode...but no dice.
Ok, I turned the Highlights on in playback mode, and it doesnt do anything. I am not getting that flashing. And I totally overexposed some photos, so ok.. ..
@@SA-ok1df No reason if it's just for video as the Z6 has the EVF and IBIS. If your a hybrid shooter like me then the edge goes to the D780 because it's stills AF is better for fast action and general useability. Plus the battery performance is better for hybrid work. See Taylor Jackson channel - he now has the D780 as his A cam the D850 as his B cam and his Z6 as his travel cam. He explains why as a wedding/event hybrid shooter why this is the case.
Mark makes some great point about video. The D780 also seems to have better AF performance as well. Plus, there are some additional features - like focus shift shooting and Auto AF fine tune with zoom / wide options - that we didn't have before. Plus, even if you aren't doing video, the Live View features are was better as well.
Hello Steve, where can i finde a way to see the leveler in the viewfinder on the d780, in Lv no problem. On my d750 there is a button in front that added a leveler as dots in the viewfinder, and i use that one a lot, so i real miss it. Thanks:-)
Honestly, I wouldn't use it much. I love having a grip and - for me personally - it's a bit of a deal breaker. I'll use the camera for a few things (mostly to update my books, maybe some video work), but sadly the lack of a grip will mean it sits home most of the time.
It's not for me to use personally, it's because I need to update the books and I'll need it as a reference camera in the future. So, I figured since I had it, might as well do a setup guide.
Hey everyone - just a followup. I've had a lot of people ask why I purchased a D780 when I have a D5, D850, and Sony a9ii. The reason is simple - I need the camera to update my Nikon AF book and Nikon Exposure book (plus I may need it for future books). It's mostly going to be a reference camera for me and will likely not see a ton of field use. Still, I thought it might be helpful to post a menu setup :)
That said, please don't get me wrong. The D780 is actually a surprisingly nice camera and maybe the best all-around Nikon DSLR (especially with price factored in). It's just that the D850, D5, and a9ii work better for what I do.
I have both of your Nikon books but they are lacking the Z camera info that I need. I can see why you need the D780 but how about including the Z6/Z7 and Z50? Please update them for mirrorless users.
@@peterlooper7956 Hi Peter - The Z cameras are going to get their own book - they are just too different to put into the DSLR book, it would make things confusing. However, just not sure when I'll get it out. I spent years with Nikon DSLRs to get the required experience with the AF system - and I have about three major projects and a dozen or so workshop to do before I can even get to the first page. Too much on my plate LOL!
Will you be doing a full review of the D780?
Much clearer then the Nikon manual, with more detailed valuable information. I followed the tutorial in parallel doing the same with my new D780 in hands. Congratulations Steve, for this excellent tutorial.
Being a Wildlife and Landscape photographer myself, watching this tutorial for my recently (yesterday) acquired D780 was priceless. Thank you for putting this together.
Thanks for the tutorial! I just purchased the D780 and it is an excellent DSLR, better than I thought it would be.
It's a nice little camera, just not much fanfare with it.
@@backcountrygallery The D780 combined with my Nikon 28-300 is going to be my travel kit.
@@stanobert3475 That should work out really well. I was thinking it would be nice with the 500PF for hiking - although I kind of use my Z6/7 for that now.
@@backcountrygallery Yes. This is a small but powerful camera. I own the Z6 and Z7 but I like the much longer battery life on the D780 which is good for long distance travel.
Agree d780 will be a best seller .... great performance providing best of both worlds
It is always a pleasure to watch Steve's videos. He is able to convey technical (often dry) information and make it compelling, sometimes even entertaining. What a great teacher!
Great tutorial for tweaking the settings I need for wildlife, got this predominantly for landscape and wedding/event photography so I can quickly switch a few settings and be wildlife ready.
I am so glad I found your tutorials Steve. I learn something from everyone, and I go back to your older ones for references when I can not remember something. Just wanting to say thank you.
Thanks for the kind words :)
Just bought my camera today (Nikon D780 body + AF-S 24-120mm F/4 VR). Following along as we speak. Thank you for uploading this.
This is amazing going to get a d780 so this will help lots….you’re the man for clear explanation, much appreciated.
Thank you Steve. You are a life saver. I got my new D780 last week was not sure how to set it up, until I found this video
Thank you some much. I just switched to a D780, had many Nikons before but this camera offers a lot of features I didn't know. I learned so much about this great camera from your video. Keep making these videos, I am convinced you help us all becoming better photographers. I like that your channel is not about selling new gear but making more out of the gear and the one who is using it - of course. Best regards from Germany. Chris
I know this is an older video but I just bought a 780. With me being not very tech savvy and trying to set my camera up for success - avoiding frustrating situations not knowing how to make adjustments in the future etc
This was super helpful for me! I took notes along the way for future reference as well!
Thank you! 🤍🤍
I wish you were into video. If I knew half as much about the video settings for Nikon as you've taught me about the normal setup for still photography, I'd be in good shape. This was a great refresher. I followed along with my D500 and checked the items that were relevant.
absolute invaluable information ! Thanks Steve for spending the time in doing this for us, its most appreciated !
Just taken ownership of a d780, found this session super good thank you Steve
As always Steve, you videos are so informative. Thank you for producing this video. My D780 arrived yesterday and with your help I think I am ready to go.
Thanks Steve. Just got my D780 and this video helped me in setting it up.
Hi Steve Thanks always being so informative But 02:35 in the morning doing this video is going above and beyond the call of duty!
LOL - Oops - I have to grab the camera and set it 12 hours ahead now! I meant 2:35 in the afternoon - 14:35 is what I should have entered!!
Flicker reduction, timelapse movie and interval timer shooting, that's I was looking for, hopefully in another video! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Steve. I also have the D780 and a Z5 on order.
Well worth the time always. Great support as far as your book goes. Nice to see you update and send us emails about the latest releases. Thank you, I know this is a lot of work, I for one appreciate it.
Thanks for your help.. this video helped me today to set up my new D780.. appreciate
Thanks Perry for this video. I was trying the back focus and recomposing, but my preview shows my focus box in a different location.
Steve, did you set up "Live View" mode on your d780, so you could use the ML functions but into the camera? If so, do you have a list of the settings you used?
Is it possible to configure AF-On button to work as AE-L in the same time? In d750 was one button, and when I pressed AF-On on the same time camera lock AE. D780 has two buttons: AF-On to set autofocus on subject, and other AE- L to lock exposition. I want to use one button ..
how do you set your camera to be able to adjust the flash control setting??
Just today purchased my D870, this may proof rather useful. Thanks!
Outstanding...followed along and set all the settings! Love your channel.
How do you turn focus conformation beep ? I do have my beep sound on but i dont get that beep when i found focus
Thanks for busting this out in such a timely fashion. I do want to share that Adobe/Lightroom won't have settings set up to support the D780 RAW files until Feb 14th, so if you try to load them prior you may receive a message that states the file is either unsupported or damaged. You can work JPEG's ok though.
There is a raw converter out there - I just can't remember where. 😁
It's February 20th now.
Can you not change the auto image rotation on the d780? Separate option from rotate tall. Auto image rotate automatically rotates it on your computer.
Hi Steve, I appreciate you putting this video together. But I wish you had covered the AF Fine tune a bit as it now has a new AF tuning feature for Zoom Lenses, where one can set different values for both the short and long end of the zoom range.
I'l be adding it to the Nikon AF book and maybe doing an update Auto AF Fine Tune video down the road. The thing is, I skipped it because it's not a setting I would initially set with a new camera.
Curious to know what you think of the camera overall. Will you do a wildlife shooter review? Comparisons to D850 and D750 would be welcome!
I may - not sure yet. The way I do reviews makes them a massive amount of work.
@@backcountrygallery Sure. That makes sense. Well, anything you might have to add about it would be great to hear in some future video.
Thanks Steve - very useful. 👍 I'm weighing up a upgrade from my D750 to either the Z6 or D780. The disappointing thing with both cameras is there is no way of backing up video 11:56 . It must be something that Nikon can't do as I think the D850 can't either.
Hi, thanks for a great video. I wonder if there is any option to get the virtual horizon in liveview mode.
Nikon AF-assist illuminator ON/OFF D780 Where we can find this option ???
Love your videos, but at 1:48 I got confused, DST on in February??? Please help me understanding this.
I'm thinking that it will set it automatically when it changes, but maybe it doesn't??
Steve Perry , as far I can remember, on my D500, D850, Z6, Z7 I must switch it manually. Will watch it carefully next last Sunday in March. FYC: In Europe DST changes always last Sunday March/October (On/Off)
@@rolandrickphotography Yeah, I'm going to do the same. The thing is, I actually don't pay too much attention to the time anyway - I'm always in a different time zone and I don't think I've ever needed to reference back to an image to see exactly when it was taken. So, I may be doing it wrong an just never noticed :)
I am using D700 and Sigma Sports for Birds Photography. Should I upgrade to D700 still or the D780 as it has a decent enough buffer?
Hello, I am also looking to upgrade from the Nikon d7000, I was wondering which is the best for wildlife (bird) photography, the Nikon d7100, d7200, or the d7500. I am also getting the Tamron 100-400mm lens Di VC USD lens and don't know which camera to buy? what do you suggest
my D780 has randomly decided to not give me the option to shoot in RAW... any ideas?? Got it yesterday and was shooting in RAW and JPEG no worries... I reset the menu last night and POOF... no more RAW options :(
Hi need help I been playing with a p1000 and getting unhappy with heavy camera if you had a £1000 what would you buy I like taken photos of wildlife //
So interesting and complete. I don't know if this camera has WiFi AND Bluetooth... (I only have a D500). Do you ever use them ? maybe for firmware updates ?
Hi Steve, Love your videos and books. I have a problem getting focus. I use Back Button with Continuous AF. Will setting AF-C priority selection to Focus help me or should I leave it at Release?
Thank you, awesome presentation.
Looking forward to your Nikon D6 real world video.
Hi Steve: I know you have a lot on your plate, and that's a good thing!. I'm thinking of selling my Nikon gear and switching over to Canon or Sony. Canon is releasing their new body with Ibis, Sony lenses are sharp as all hell and Canon is not far off. Nikon seems to be lagging way behind, and getting worse by the week. Their new D6 coming out is hardly any better than the D5. They keep releasing lenses that no one will purchase and don't seem to care about market share. I was wondering if it would be worth your time to do a video on your views of the 3 competitors and where Nikon stands, and if you think it's still worth sticking with them or bailing. Love all your videos and appreciate all you do for us mere mortals.
The biggest advantage Nikon has over Canon is the f-mount for the DSLR's. When you do purchase your Canon, you will find that upgrades will require that you buy an entire System. Consider that an economics lesson.
Zf nikon perfect for wildlife 🙏 pl. explain ❤
Excellent as ever Steve. Regarding the Z6/Z7, have you done anything in respect of setting it up for wildlife? My wife has the Z6 and it seems almost impossible to use it for birds in flight due to the autofocus. For BIF we tend to stick to the D500 or D850.
That's not a setup issue as much as it's a Z6/7 issue. I can do BIF with mine, but my hit rate is far higher with the DSLRs or my a9ii. Best best is to keep out of the extended frame rates (keep it at the 5.5 FPS) so you don't get the "slide show" effect in the viewfinder. I also find that Dynamic and Auto AF seem to work about the best, but you never know for sure where Auto is going to focus - works well for birds against the sky though.
Thanks Steve. That is pretty much what we found with the Z6. It is good for some things and if the subject is large but for small subjects like birds in flight it is best to keep to the DSLR’s if you want to ensure a high keeper rate.
Thanks Steve. Just unboxed my D780. Boy is there alot to learn. Will help with my rugby league night shots
How do you like your D780? Thank you.
@@EEEBA1 I love it especially the extended iso Hi2. I am shooting rugby at night. They have good lighting but I am using a sigma 150-600 and takes maybe 1 second to focus under those conditions but holds the focus when I use af-c. Tell ya what thats as good as I can expect. Am very happy with it
@@fragmaka That's awesome.
I'm getting mine in the next few days.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your video!
Please, maybe you'll can help me. I just bought my new Nikon D780, and I usually work with the connected mode on Lightroom Classic or Capture One also. Have you ever tried to connect this D780 in connected mode on Lightroom please?
Thanks a lot!
Advice needed: I am still shooting with D7000, but the idea of upgrading the body has been slowly growing in my mind. Have had D7000 for over 12 years now and it still performs well, but low-light performance, contrast and AF capabilities are limiting more and more often and I feel like the glass would deserve a better body at this point. Since I own AF-S 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 VRII, I want to stick with Nikon platform. Going through tons of DSLR vs. mirrorless reviews and discussions and trying to catch-up with the recent development of the market, I have not been able to decide if it is a good time to switch to something like Z6 with FTZ, or stay with DSLR and get D780. I don't shoot much video, mostly stills / ladscape / sports / portraits, you know, all-round hobby photographer. Any advice would be appreciated =)
I would personally go for the Nikon Zf.
Hi Steve, Does the AF fine tune on the Nikon D780 work differently in comparison to this feature on other cameras?? Does it take information from the phase detect sensor data for better AF calibration?? Appreciate your feedback
I haven't had a chance to pay with it yet, I'll try to post the info somewhere when I do.
Hi Steve: Quick question for you. I have the Nikon D500. Do I leave the AF fine tune on or off after I fine tune my 200-500mm 5.6 lens. I watched your video 3 times on this and don't think you mention it. Seems to be a lot of confusion on other sites about this. Thank you
Leave it turned on - if you turn it off, the camera won't use the adjustment. Hope that helps :)
Kindly do Nikon D780 review
Hi, very educational video! How do I set the D780 so that it only uses the center focus point (sometimes I need this to force focus where I want, note where the camera thinks I want)?
I meant "not where the camera thinks I want"
Move the AF point to center and turn off the multi-select dial switch - that'll lock it in place. (where the little L is).
@@backcountrygallery Got it, thanks a lot!
Great video, Steve.
Thank you so much, it was very good & helpful 🌷🌷🌷🌷
Steve, can you go into more detail as to your comment about 12 / 14 bits and ISOs over 400 on your podcast? I get the concept but can you dig into it a bit deeper? At what point might it make (or not make) a difference? For instance, if I'm shooting sports at 1/1000 of a second with my 200-500 mm lens on a cloudy day I might have to go to ISO 1000 or 1250. What if the camera is pretty up to date. e.g., my D850 -- would that change the inflection point on dynamic range/ISO/bits? The reason it matters is that it could make a big difference when shooting sports -- as I do -- at high frames per second and hitting the buffer limits.
I cover it in my Nikon Metering book - I sent you an e-mail with an excerpt :)
@@backcountrygallery Thanks. Yes, you cover the concept in the book (which I own, btw) but I guess the real question is not the theory of the concept but the practical real-world application. In other words, with a D780 (or D850 or D500), at what point does changing from 14 to 12 really make sense vis-a-vis what loss level of dynamic range may be suffered? Is it really at 400 ISO? You think it is that low with the resolution size and ISO control in new cameras? I'd have thought it would be higher because I'm often above 400 ISO. Something to consider digging into deeper......
@@slny5065 I do believe it still applies, based on the DR of the Z6. The PDR for the Z6 (same sensor) at ISO 400 is 9.4 stops, and you really don't need 14 bit to record 9.4 stops, so I doubt you'll see any difference at ISO 400 between 12 and 14 bit (of course, the engineering DR is certainly higher, but I still think it's likely less than 12 stops at ISO 400). Plus, remember that where it really counts is the shadows, and you'd have to be pulling pretty hard to see a significant difference 12 and 14 bit (at least in my experience). I honestly think I could probably shoot all (any ISO) of my stuff at 12 bit and live a happy life :)
As a side note, I'm on the conservative side with the D850 - most say you can switch to 12 bit after ISO 200, but I hold off until 400.
Steve Perry Thanks! I’ll test it next time I have a chance.
I’ve done more digging - as I should have done earlier - and 400 and up is probably right but some dynamic range seems lost at 400. Certainly 640 and north shouldn’t be a problem except for some shadows that I could readily live with. Really will open up buffer depth.
Raw shooter myself, what exactly is jpeg.
Ha Ha - indeed - I once shot half a photo session in jog. I can't remember the relief as I got the the raw files.
Lossy Compression.
@@galanfink4028 I know what it is. I just don't shoot in jpeg format.
STEVE-- Question- Would this camera be an improvement over my D4? Thank You Randy B.
From an image quality standpoint, probably. ISOs will likely be about the same, but the D4 still has durability and overall performance on its side.
As always, a very informative and useful video. Thank you Steve! Given that you have a Nikon D850, i’m curious what unique capabilities the D780 adds to your wildlife camera toolbox?
Actually and honestly, not much. It's a nice camera, but I mostly purchased it so I can update my AF and Exposure books. I actually just posted a comment about this at the top and pinned it (I've had that question a lot LOL!)
Steve Perry Thank you.
Thank you Sir nice information
Awesome! Thanks Steve.
Awesome! Thank you very much for this!
So for me....travel, landscapes, wild life...is the D780 worth upgrading from the D7500?
looking at SO many reviews, I actually think, since I don’t do sports, that the Nikon Z 6 is the better camera for me. Any thoughts appreciated!
It's tough to say - lots of options and it really depends on how much you do of each thing. And, as you say, a Z6 might be an even better option. However, my experience using the Z series with wildlife hasn't been the best - but I do tend to favor action-oriented shots when I can get 'em. For more static stuff, the Z series can work well.
Surprised that the option to assign a different AF pattern/AF On to a button is missing, also is the Limit AF-area mode selection function (a9 on a D500) missing too or did I just miss it? Good set up vid all the same!
Nope, neither are there. I'm not as surprised about using a different AF area mode - I only see that on the 153 point AF system. However, I really am surprised it doesn't' offer Limit AF Area Mode. I use both and thought I'd at least get Limit AF Area Mode...but no dice.
@@backcountrygallery Zaza
Ok, I turned the Highlights on in playback mode, and it doesnt do anything. I am not getting that flashing. And I totally overexposed some photos, so ok.. ..
Make sure you switch to that screen using the top or bottom of the multi-selector.
How do you recommend this D780 camera for Wildlife photography, Specially in terms of focus tracking?
Good camera
Excellent info thank you :)
Thank you.
Hi, thanks for video) As far as you don't take photo of people, what are the advantages of 780 for you over 750?
I'm a D750 owner. If you shoot just images I really wouldn't buy the D780. If you shoot a lot of video then the D780 is a big upgrade.
@@markshirley01 OK, But if for video why 780 over Z6?
@@SA-ok1df No reason if it's just for video as the Z6 has the EVF and IBIS. If your a hybrid shooter like me then the edge goes to the D780 because it's stills AF is better for fast action and general useability. Plus the battery performance is better for hybrid work. See Taylor Jackson channel - he now has the D780 as his A cam the D850 as his B cam and his Z6 as his travel cam. He explains why as a wedding/event hybrid shooter why this is the case.
Mark makes some great point about video. The D780 also seems to have better AF performance as well. Plus, there are some additional features - like focus shift shooting and Auto AF fine tune with zoom / wide options - that we didn't have before. Plus, even if you aren't doing video, the Live View features are was better as well.
Hello Steve, where can i finde a way to see the leveler in the viewfinder on the d780, in Lv no problem. On my d750 there is a button in front that added a leveler as dots in the viewfinder, and i use that one a lot, so i real miss it. Thanks:-)
virtual horizon is what i am talking about:-) best regard from norway!
@@simentemplar00 press 'info' in "LV" mode
Nikon D780 vs Nikon z6ii which is better than buying wedding shoot in villages
thank you so much
Great overview. I hrd this DSLR doesn't use an attachable grip. Since you are a wildlife shooter, would you use this since a grip isn't an option?
Honestly, I wouldn't use it much. I love having a grip and - for me personally - it's a bit of a deal breaker. I'll use the camera for a few things (mostly to update my books, maybe some video work), but sadly the lack of a grip will mean it sits home most of the time.
Fantastic! THX!
Steve Perry our Nikon God 🙏💐
Hi there, focus breacketing is it possible with the 780? (sry for my poor englisch)
Yes, it has Nikon's Focus Shift shooting.
@@backcountrygallery thank you.
I never understood why people keep iso at 6400 and below on these modern cameras when they could go so much higher and have amazing images.
thanx
First (still using D700)
I can get this new for $1500 at a store in NYC...lol Insane!
I'd appreciate a discussion of why you picked this up on your podcast. It seems underwhelming to me so I'm curious for your thoughts.
It's not for me to use personally, it's because I need to update the books and I'll need it as a reference camera in the future. So, I figured since I had it, might as well do a setup guide.
Hey.. Hehehe I'm like u.. I don't shoot people too.. Hehehe