This was so helpful dude. I just got a z6ii this week and have been struggling with trying to understand the setup. I've been shooting with Fuji for over 10 years now and this Nikon is so different. The things you touched on (particularly your AF settings for street), were very helpful. Thanks.
Finally I'm happy owner of Z 6 II + 85mm 1.8S, TTArtisan 35mm 1.4, Laowa FFII 90mm 2.8 Macro 2X, Samyang 135mm f2 + bunch of m42 lenses with simple adapters. Now I'm applying your settings. Let's see how it works. GREETINGS :) I also ordered that camera belt.
Great tips! I certainly learned a few new things. I also learned that all of these settings can be applied to my Z fc, which I prefer over the Z6 for street photography. Thanks,
You are the best 😁💯 Thank you for fantastic videos and good performance💫😀😁. Keep up the good work.👍 You are a great inspiration🎬Greetings from a Norwegian🇳🇴 and a Nikon Z6 user📸
Great video, thanks for sharing and explaining the reason for your settings. The averaging method for metering makes a lot of sense for mirrorless cameras and shooting with an EVF and previewing of exposure
Fantastic down to earth , super informative . Thank you for sharing , needless to say liked and subbed, you my friend now earned a place in my photography channels that I follow, and yours is number three out of the many garbage ones in YT. The other two is backcountry gallery and Christopher Frost.
Very nice! Been shooting Ricoh for years but love my DLSRs. Got a z6ii without the slightest intent to use it for street. Was surprised to stumble on this... might have to take it on the streets with me. Would love to know your fav street lens for the z6ii.
Thanks! These days my fave lens is either my old Voigtlander 40mm f/2 (with FTZ adapter) or a recently acquired Viltrox 24mm f/1.8. I really wanna get the new Nikon 40mm for Z mount, but it's sold out everywhere! :)
The pancake? Maybe, but I'll definitely be getting the 40mm f/2 pancake. I cannot wait! When I heard early info about this lens late last year it was one of the factors that made me finally get a Z6II. I might get the 28 too, we'll see. It just so happens I already own the best 28mm lens I've ever used, and I've used quite a few. :)
@@EYExplore makes sense! Seeing your early videos got me interested in the 40mm years back. I just starting shooting with the GR so I may end up getting both focal lengths for my Z6. I’m pretty excited!
Great tips...headed out to the countryside in Kansas in the US. Street photography in small towns...Americana...& landscapes in the tall grass prairies of America tomorrow...these tips should help...thx.........
@@EYExplore I love his work as well. I am getting back to photography after a long hiatus...needing to reconnect with my process & gear, to translate what I see into a captured image. It has been a very long time.
Great video. One doubt. After you choose minimum shutter speed on ISO settings, if you change to shutter priority and set a slower speed on the dial do you still have to change the settings of minimum speed on the ISO menu ?
Yes, I'm well aware. That wasn't the point I was making. The point is that I don't always NEED 1/250 and I want to go slower, in which case I switch to M. Typically, I use this at night to minimize ISO. But I also use it when I want to go faster the 1/250 for some reason.
Actually, I prefer using the AF-on as AF/AE-Lock. I'm faster that way and I can use one of the lens Fn buttons as Spot metering, and when I press the AF-on button it saves both the focus and the Exposure! So if I want to shoot someone in a dark spot, but everything else is pretty bright, I can use spot metering and the af/ae lock to nail focus and exposure on said subject.
That make sense. I don't mean to say my suggested settings are the be-all and end-all settings. Of course, everyone should set the camera to their needs! :)
I am planning to buy Either Z6ii or Z7ii. Which of the 2 camera do you recommend for travel,street photo,portrait and landscape? And what Z lens is the sweet spot should i buy?i am transitioning from Dslr to mirrorless. I need your professional input.Thank you
Overall I was happy, but then I got a Z9 and I cannot go back to a Z6. The Z9 is like a mirrorless D4 but better. We did a video about it recently on our channel. :)
nice tuto but I would have liked to see your LV when you shoot street photo. I am using z6ii + 24-70 F/2.8 BBF, AF-C, mode A F/2.8, 70mm, auto area people and installed V1.4. stored on U1. and nothing appears on the display, no box on eyes, on face. my iphone 12 pro max detects a child in a big marketplace ! same for sony a7iii. I need to be at short distance, fill the display as much as possible with the face... It is a mystery and i wonder if a parameter interferes. it is very confusing not seeing yellow boxes and sometimes red erratic boxes as if i was in auto area focus only.
I think you have to press the OK button to enter subject tracking mode and then you can lock onto subjects, including faces. That's the only mode I use, so I cannot speak for any of the other modes.
still interested with several tutos showing LCD in street photo. I have doubts it is as accurate as af-c single point quickly (my problem !) set on eye
@@marclabro It's very hard to film the LCD screen while using the camera properly. I don't think the Z6 has a way to capture the screen directly. But, you know if some other way works better for you, then just use it. You don't need to do it the way I recommend. I prefer using Subject Tracking, leave the point in the center, and point the camera at my subject, let it lock on, and then compose. If you prefer to move the point yourself, then that is a valid way to use the camera. :)
hello, just found a joseph nuzzo tuto how to use eye detection and subject tracking "together". Now I better understand how you use subject tracking. - Do you use eye detection wide-L or auto area af people ? I mean, when you have locked tracking on a face, do you switch to eye detection auto area people (activated before) for sharper focus on eye or do you simply use a wider depth of field (ie: F4 for a 24-70mm F/2.8) to be sure nose and eyes are in focus inside the face ? - is it normal the small knob button "reset" (in Fn) doesn't reset the subject tracking target to center of display when not in tracking mode ?
@@marclabro I never change the focus setting. It's set on Auto Area AF and I click the front Fn buttons (I set both of them to enable Subject Tracking, but it's the OK button by default). I enable it for pretty much every single shot. Then I just point the camera where I want and let it track. If it catch eye, cool, but if not, I just don't worry about it. I simply do not really care if the whole nose or eye or whatever is perfectly in focus. I use the aperture that's appropriate for the light. Perfect focus is not ultimately what my photos are about. Take a look at the first photo in this set: www.lkazphoto.com/portfolio#/life-japan/ Nothing is in focus in this photo, and yet I feel this is one of the best shot I've ever taken. This is an exception of course. I do try to get things in focus, and it's a nice perk to have eye-tracking focus in the camera, but to me, as long as the focus is on the subject I don't care if it's on the eye or not. Sorry I can't be more helpful on this point!
(#3) Exposure - "matrix" was invented as a Nikon version of center weighted. And center-weighted was a way of TTL metering invented to make metering easier than "average". Leica tried spot-metering in the SL IIRC. In all cases, it's not foolproof and if you don't know what you are doing then each one has its problems. You could actually start metering light (as in incident light as opposed to the subject metering that TTL does). But the incident hemisphere is not foolproof either as it forces you to orient it in a way that gives the proper weight to shadows/shade and this is at your discretion. Average - a man who could not swim started to cross a river of an average depth of 2 ft - he drowned. In a mirrorless camera, the sensor is the light meter and in fact each photosite (the real sensor - analog and colorblind) measures an EV. Matrix metering in the Z just mimics what happened in a Nikon FA in 1983 in the way the photosites contribute to the exposure, except, as you notice, the dominant region is where the AF focuses, so it moves the main region in the matrix around. Setting the camera to plain "average", I guess, ignores all these difficulties and you are back to the "average" problems that people suffered from, before center weighted or matrix metering (not perfect either). You could use spot metering but this is the worst on the foolproof scale. If you have light colored people in the frame, pointing the spot of the spot meter at their light skin gives about as good a metering as metering a neutral grey reference card. As to matrix metering coupled with AF tracking, this may be driven by a desire to get human skin well exposed. The question then is if skin tone/color is somehow recognized and compensated for - I guess not. IMO the best on the foolproof scale in the Z, is highlight-weighted metering. After "a lifetime" of metering and manual exposure, I found this works excellently when you use some auto-exposure setting. Its downside is that it really bases the exposure on the brightest photosite in the sensor (it seems to ignore the sun when directly in the frame) and consequently, your shots look 2 EV underexposed, generally. But all your shots will be consistent as long as they share a highlight. In Lr, the histogram has about 2 EV seemingly without data to the right and if you can ignore the few pixels associated with that highlight domain - meaning you accept not to have gradation resolution there - then you can lower the "white point" by those 2 EV (or 1 or 3). If the histogram shows "emptiness" in the lowest EV in the histogram (because the dynamic range in the subject was modest) then I would raise the "black point", too. In Lr, you change these black and white points in the tone curve - grab, hold, slide horizontally. This remaps raw gradation values to Lr's (or CR's) internal bit-representation and make the shots pop more; and it will retain the full extent of exposure correction sliders (of which you lose a lot if you do not change the black or white points). Yes, you lose some DR in this way, but that may only be a concern when you shoot a person in a very white costume next to a person in a black costume in very bright sunlight (at low light levels, subject dynamic range or contrast is much lower than in bright sunlight). Lr uses the black and white points in an absolute way and this works well with the exposure sliders. In C1, the exposure sliders push the black and white point around and this is extremely frustrating - unworkable for me. In the video, in that street, under that sky, there is no change in light. The sky in the background is blown out (in YT video). If I had to make a series of stills there, I would spend a bit of time metering for my optimum exposure, and then shoot the sequence with one fixed manual exposure setting, completely. No matter where you point the camera, IMO, all shots should have the same exposure (I always shoot fixed WB) and consequently, in LR, on your display, they have the same tone, and match perfectly. Or, done well, manual exposure can reduce your time in your post office by a lot and you are crafting images in the streets sooner. Shoot a ColorChecker Passport after the metering, before or during or after the series and neutral tone is a matter of a click. Or when the light was difficult, you create an ICC profile file with the Passport tool first and apply that profile to the series (some of the reflected light from the buildings in the alley in this video might throw a cast on the main subject that this approach easily identifies and removes). And, once you are neutral, your artistically motivated deviations are applied very easily and consistently.
Hey, I hope you know what i am trying to ask: What is your AF point selection usually (I use a canon camera). Because I find myself in situation when I cannot decide between manual and auto selection. What do you use with your camera? Thank you in advance. Greetings from Germany
I always like to use the tracking AF and keep the point in the center. When I want to focus on something, I put the center point on the subject and then recompose. Sometimes, I manually move the point around using the little joystick on the back of the camera, but not often. If I didn't have tracking focus, I would use the focus point selection the same way (keep it in the center, move it occasionally). Hope that helps! :)
Hi,in my camera there is no mode where I can control shutter speed but only iso. Should I still shoot in AV mode in that way?What aperture do you normally use for street photography?
Yes, I recommend using aperture mode. There is no normal aperture for street photography. The aperture is all about light and depth of field. So, if it's dark, I will use an open aperture, like f/2.8. If It's bright out, I'll use f/8 or even f/11. But I also have to consider the depth of field. If I want more background blur I might use a more aperture even in good light, and vice versa.
@@TaipeiGeek Haha! I will say it in the next video I shoot! I need to have a checklist of common questions that I just run through in the beginning. I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat info. I know some channels I watch repeat concepts all the time! :)
Not exactly, but the general principles, yes! For example, I believe the XT-3 has a subject tracking focus, and you can definitely set to evaluative/average metering. I'm sure you can also set up back button focus, which is by far the most useful tip (that's why it's the first one). I know for sure you can also set up a max ISO and min shutter speed as well. And of course you can shoot in raw and worry about colors and white balance in post (which is always my recommendation, but understand it's not for everyone). Hope that helps! :)
Well, what is 'right'? The minimum is a soft minimum. It will go below the minimum if the maximum ISO is reached, since otherwise the image would be underexposed. If you'd rather that the shutter speed never changes, then use M + Auto ISO.
#5 - raw and WB. Indeed, when you shoot raw (and no simultaneous JPEGs) then WB is just a label in the metadata of the raw files. And the photosite data are not impacted by WB. So WB defines how Lr opens your raw files by default. And here's where I have a different opinion. I never shoot auto WB. This forces the camera to do some AI, trying to recognize what is in the frame, from there what the source light's color temperature might have been, and then set it. That is a processing-expensive thing and I rather not load the camera with that processing If I can avoid it. My experience with Nikon D and Z is that keeping the WB fixed at "Cloudy" gives me a good start in Lr. Note that Auto-WB will try to remove warmth from the setting-sun light, when the "Cloudy" setting opens by illustrating how different the setting sun light was from "Cloudy". Of course, when you shoot JPEGs next to your raw files, as we occasionally do, you have to have the correct color temperature (or white balance). As I always have a ColorChecker Passport with me, I can easily set WB from a shot of the reference grey card in that passport.
Fair enough, but I just don't think I'll noticed the millisecond difference in metering speed. I'd rather have a bit more accurate previews when reviewing the images on the camera. I shoot at night a lot so the color of the light varies dramatically from moment to moment, meaning no single setting really works. :)
Nikon really has a lot of customisable settings in the Z6ii. I tried setting my Fuji X-H1 similarly but a lot of custom settings are not available. Point for Nikon.
Haha! Honestly, I don't use it that often for my own photography. I prefer primes, but sometimes it's better for demonstration purposes in these videos because I can have many focal lengths available. If you do buy one, please use the referral link in the description. :)
I find the subject tracking of the z6ii to be unreliable especially under circumstances where there are conflicting subjects. At night, it rarely works at all. As a result I've gone back to zone focusing, which renders the so called advatages of a swanky camera worthless.
Fair enough, I accept your experience, but I use it at night all the time and have no issues with it. I admit it's not perfect, but it's at least as good as the 3D Tracking on my old D4 (which I still love using).
@@Artem_ZpCity Look in Setup Menu > Limit monitor mode selection. Then choose the ones you want to have available. Then use the button n the top left of the viewfinder to select the mode you want. I explain this here: ruclips.net/video/nGswIrIlXRs/видео.html
Why such as big set up to scare people? I shoot with the Z5 and the 85mm, a single battery lasts me for ever, AFC, wide area subject, F/8 and higher, never miss a shot.
Why do people keep assuming my big set up scares people? I've never experience this, so I have no idea what you're talking about. If doesn't work for you, don't use it. Whatever you shoot with is good for you! Love your camera: ruclips.net/video/5oPZZEXibjo/видео.html :)
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This was so helpful dude. I just got a z6ii this week and have been struggling with trying to understand the setup. I've been shooting with Fuji for over 10 years now and this Nikon is so different. The things you touched on (particularly your AF settings for street), were very helpful. Thanks.
Glad to hear that!! Thank you! :)
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the best photography channel on RUclips. You and Axel put out great content!
Thank you so much for saying so! Comments like this keep us going! :)
Totally agree📸👍😁
Finally I'm happy owner of Z 6 II + 85mm 1.8S, TTArtisan 35mm 1.4, Laowa FFII 90mm 2.8 Macro 2X, Samyang 135mm f2 + bunch of m42 lenses with simple adapters. Now I'm applying your settings. Let's see how it works. GREETINGS :) I also ordered that camera belt.
Sounds like a fun kit!! Glad to hear it! :)
Great, great video! A must-view for aspiring street photographers. Get out of the camera and into the scene - brilliant!
Thank you so much!!! :)
This video deserves a million views!!
Thank you so much!! :)
Great video. Just got a Nikon Z5 and this helped a lot!
Glad to hear that!! :)
Wish I saw that vid before my first shooting session. Thank you, some great tips here.
Glad to hear your fund it useful! :)
I’ve just come over to a Z6 from LUMIX m 4/3, so this is really useful for me.
Glad to be of service! :)
Hi. I am really enjoying the videos. Learning lots from them. I hope to get back to Japan one day and do some more with Eyexplore.
Thank you so much!! :)
Great video! Good tips and also the WHY for those settings is a great addition. I'm using Sony A6600 and will try the settings. Thanks.
Thank you so much for watching! Glad you found it useful! :)
Great tips! I certainly learned a few new things. I also learned that all of these settings can be applied to my Z fc, which I prefer over the Z6 for street photography. Thanks,
That's great! I haven't had a chance to try the Zfc yet, but it looks fun, especially with the 28mm. :)
Very helpful info as I just bought a Nikon Z6II
Glad to hear that! :)
You are the best 😁💯 Thank you for fantastic videos and good performance💫😀😁. Keep up the good work.👍 You are a great inspiration🎬Greetings from a Norwegian🇳🇴 and a Nikon Z6 user📸
Thank you so much!! Will definitely keep it up!! :)
Great video! I’ll have to check out the Center Weighted Metering and tip #7. Always look forward to your videos, you always have very useful content.
Thank you so much!! :)
So helpful! Had no idea those monitor modes could be disabled.
Glad to help! :)
Great video, thanks for sharing and explaining the reason for your settings. The averaging method for metering makes a lot of sense for mirrorless cameras and shooting with an EVF and previewing of exposure
Thanks!! Glad you found it useful! :)
Nice! I use the back button only for exposure (AEL). I lock the ideal exposure and then use the shutter button to focus on whatever I want.
Yeah, that's also a great method and I use as well sometimes in certain situations. :)
Useful 7 settings on street photography.
Glad to hear that! :)
thanks so much learned so much, explained easily and have made some adjustments already
Glad to hear it! :)
Excellent video,
Thanks!! :)
Fantastic down to earth , super informative . Thank you for sharing , needless to say liked and subbed, you my friend now earned a place in my photography channels that I follow, and yours is number three out of the many garbage ones in YT. The other two is backcountry gallery and Christopher Frost.
Thank you so much!! I'm honored!! :)
Thanks ❤
Glad you found it useful! :)
Super helpful! Thanks so much!
Glad to hear that! :)
Great video and tips. I use a Z 85mm lens, weighs less 😊 I am also used to the D850, so I think I will buy a batterygrip for ergonomitcs.
Yeah, I love 85mm! We did a video about street photography with an 85mm recently. :)
Just the essentials .Love your Videos...Thankyou Bro
Thank you so much!! :)
Lots of good tips in this video. 👍
Thank you so much!! :)
Appreciate the knowledge!
Thank you! :)
Excellent advice, thank you!
Thanks for watching! :)
Very nice! Been shooting Ricoh for years but love my DLSRs. Got a z6ii without the slightest intent to use it for street. Was surprised to stumble on this... might have to take it on the streets with me. Would love to know your fav street lens for the z6ii.
Thanks! These days my fave lens is either my old Voigtlander 40mm f/2 (with FTZ adapter) or a recently acquired Viltrox 24mm f/1.8. I really wanna get the new Nikon 40mm for Z mount, but it's sold out everywhere! :)
Great video as always. Will you be picking up Nikon’s new 28mm??
The pancake? Maybe, but I'll definitely be getting the 40mm f/2 pancake. I cannot wait! When I heard early info about this lens late last year it was one of the factors that made me finally get a Z6II. I might get the 28 too, we'll see. It just so happens I already own the best 28mm lens I've ever used, and I've used quite a few. :)
@@EYExplore makes sense! Seeing your early videos got me interested in the 40mm years back. I just starting shooting with the GR so I may end up getting both focal lengths for my Z6. I’m pretty excited!
Great informative video 👌 ✨
Thank you!! :)
Great tips...headed out to the countryside in Kansas in the US. Street photography in small towns...Americana...& landscapes in the tall grass prairies of America tomorrow...these tips should help...thx.........
That's great! I've love to shoot in such a place some day. I'm a big fan of William Eggleston, who shot such places. :)
@@EYExplore I love his work as well. I am getting back to photography after a long hiatus...needing to reconnect with my process & gear, to translate what I see into a captured image. It has been a very long time.
@@bobca2 Just gotta chip away at it! :)
@@EYExplore Agreed...that is my current plan...making progress...thx
Saved to user settings, thanks :)
Nice! :)
Great video. One doubt. After you choose minimum shutter speed on ISO settings, if you change to shutter priority and set a slower speed on the dial do you still have to change the settings of minimum speed on the ISO menu ?
Thanks! When using Shutter priority mode or Manual mode then the minimum shutter speed is ignored. You can set any shutter speed you want! :)
@@EYExplore ok got it. Thanks a lot for answering!
Sooo helpful…And I haven’t even got my camera yet!
Glad to give you a head start! :)
In A mode even when you set limit of shutter to 1/250 camera can go slower if it can not keep exposure with ISO limit. So you can stay in A at night.
Yes, I'm well aware. That wasn't the point I was making. The point is that I don't always NEED 1/250 and I want to go slower, in which case I switch to M. Typically, I use this at night to minimize ISO. But I also use it when I want to go faster the 1/250 for some reason.
Actually, I prefer using the AF-on as AF/AE-Lock. I'm faster that way and I can use one of the lens Fn buttons as Spot metering, and when I press the AF-on button it saves both the focus and the Exposure!
So if I want to shoot someone in a dark spot, but everything else is pretty bright, I can use spot metering and the af/ae lock to nail focus and exposure on said subject.
That make sense. I don't mean to say my suggested settings are the be-all and end-all settings. Of course, everyone should set the camera to their needs! :)
@@EYExplore thanks for the reply!
I also think it depends on what you've learned. My D5600 came with af/ae lock so that's what I've started with!
@@sloppy-1-1 Yeah, totally! :)
I am planning to buy Either Z6ii or Z7ii. Which of the 2 camera do you recommend for travel,street photo,portrait and landscape? And what Z lens is the sweet spot should i buy?i am transitioning from Dslr to mirrorless. I need your professional input.Thank you
I recommend a Z6II. The AF is much better, especially in low light. For the Z lens I like primes, and my go-to these days in the 40mm f/2. :)
Whats the picture control you using?Best when applying preset
Ah, good question! I shoot in raw so the Picture Control is not crucial, but I do use Neutral.
@@EYExplore thanks , will try as well
What about Exposure Compensation? Any tips?
About exposure compensation? Yeah, use it! Not sure what else to say haha. I use it all the time. :)
Im also moving from a D4 to Z6ii!! How have you found the transition? I shoot photojournalism
Overall I was happy, but then I got a Z9 and I cannot go back to a Z6. The Z9 is like a mirrorless D4 but better. We did a video about it recently on our channel. :)
what bag do you use? it looks like the peak design sling but i can't tell for sure lol
This is a little messenger bag from a company called Squalo Works. It's not a dedicated camera bag.
Hello. Does all apply also to the original Z6?
Yes, all these settings should be in the Z6 as well. :)
Please share raw files with Nikon Z62 vs 24-70.
Camera vs lens? I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand.
nice tuto but I would have liked to see your LV when you shoot street photo. I am using z6ii + 24-70 F/2.8 BBF, AF-C, mode A F/2.8, 70mm, auto area people and installed V1.4. stored on U1. and nothing appears on the display, no box on eyes, on face. my iphone 12 pro max detects a child in a big marketplace ! same for sony a7iii. I need to be at short distance, fill the display as much as possible with the face... It is a mystery and i wonder if a parameter interferes. it is very confusing not seeing yellow boxes and sometimes red erratic boxes as if i was in auto area focus only.
I think you have to press the OK button to enter subject tracking mode and then you can lock onto subjects, including faces. That's the only mode I use, so I cannot speak for any of the other modes.
still interested with several tutos showing LCD in street photo. I have doubts it is as accurate as af-c single point quickly (my problem !) set on eye
@@marclabro It's very hard to film the LCD screen while using the camera properly. I don't think the Z6 has a way to capture the screen directly. But, you know if some other way works better for you, then just use it. You don't need to do it the way I recommend. I prefer using Subject Tracking, leave the point in the center, and point the camera at my subject, let it lock on, and then compose. If you prefer to move the point yourself, then that is a valid way to use the camera. :)
hello, just found a joseph nuzzo tuto how to use eye detection and subject tracking "together". Now I better understand how you use subject tracking.
- Do you use eye detection wide-L or auto area af people ? I mean, when you have locked tracking on a face, do you switch to eye detection auto area people (activated before) for sharper focus on eye or do you simply use a wider depth of field (ie: F4 for a 24-70mm F/2.8) to be sure nose and eyes are in focus inside the face ?
- is it normal the small knob button "reset" (in Fn) doesn't reset the subject tracking target to center of display when not in tracking mode ?
@@marclabro I never change the focus setting. It's set on Auto Area AF and I click the front Fn buttons (I set both of them to enable Subject Tracking, but it's the OK button by default). I enable it for pretty much every single shot. Then I just point the camera where I want and let it track. If it catch eye, cool, but if not, I just don't worry about it.
I simply do not really care if the whole nose or eye or whatever is perfectly in focus. I use the aperture that's appropriate for the light. Perfect focus is not ultimately what my photos are about. Take a look at the first photo in this set: www.lkazphoto.com/portfolio#/life-japan/
Nothing is in focus in this photo, and yet I feel this is one of the best shot I've ever taken. This is an exception of course. I do try to get things in focus, and it's a nice perk to have eye-tracking focus in the camera, but to me, as long as the focus is on the subject I don't care if it's on the eye or not. Sorry I can't be more helpful on this point!
(#3) Exposure - "matrix" was invented as a Nikon version of center weighted. And center-weighted was a way of TTL metering invented to make metering easier than "average". Leica tried spot-metering in the SL IIRC. In all cases, it's not foolproof and if you don't know what you are doing then each one has its problems. You could actually start metering light (as in incident light as opposed to the subject metering that TTL does). But the incident hemisphere is not foolproof either as it forces you to orient it in a way that gives the proper weight to shadows/shade and this is at your discretion.
Average - a man who could not swim started to cross a river of an average depth of 2 ft - he drowned.
In a mirrorless camera, the sensor is the light meter and in fact each photosite (the real sensor - analog and colorblind) measures an EV. Matrix metering in the Z just mimics what happened in a Nikon FA in 1983 in the way the photosites contribute to the exposure, except, as you notice, the dominant region is where the AF focuses, so it moves the main region in the matrix around. Setting the camera to plain "average", I guess, ignores all these difficulties and you are back to the "average" problems that people suffered from, before center weighted or matrix metering (not perfect either).
You could use spot metering but this is the worst on the foolproof scale. If you have light colored people in the frame, pointing the spot of the spot meter at their light skin gives about as good a metering as metering a neutral grey reference card.
As to matrix metering coupled with AF tracking, this may be driven by a desire to get human skin well exposed. The question then is if skin tone/color is somehow recognized and compensated for - I guess not.
IMO the best on the foolproof scale in the Z, is highlight-weighted metering. After "a lifetime" of metering and manual exposure, I found this works excellently when you use some auto-exposure setting. Its downside is that it really bases the exposure on the brightest photosite in the sensor (it seems to ignore the sun when directly in the frame) and consequently, your shots look 2 EV underexposed, generally. But all your shots will be consistent as long as they share a highlight. In Lr, the histogram has about 2 EV seemingly without data to the right and if you can ignore the few pixels associated with that highlight domain - meaning you accept not to have gradation resolution there - then you can lower the "white point" by those 2 EV (or 1 or 3). If the histogram shows "emptiness" in the lowest EV in the histogram (because the dynamic range in the subject was modest) then I would raise the "black point", too. In Lr, you change these black and white points in the tone curve - grab, hold, slide horizontally. This remaps raw gradation values to Lr's (or CR's) internal bit-representation and make the shots pop more; and it will retain the full extent of exposure correction sliders (of which you lose a lot if you do not change the black or white points). Yes, you lose some DR in this way, but that may only be a concern when you shoot a person in a very white costume next to a person in a black costume in very bright sunlight (at low light levels, subject dynamic range or contrast is much lower than in bright sunlight). Lr uses the black and white points in an absolute way and this works well with the exposure sliders. In C1, the exposure sliders push the black and white point around and this is extremely frustrating - unworkable for me.
In the video, in that street, under that sky, there is no change in light. The sky in the background is blown out (in YT video).
If I had to make a series of stills there, I would spend a bit of time metering for my optimum exposure, and then shoot the sequence with one fixed manual exposure setting, completely. No matter where you point the camera, IMO, all shots should have the same exposure (I always shoot fixed WB) and consequently, in LR, on your display, they have the same tone, and match perfectly. Or, done well, manual exposure can reduce your time in your post office by a lot and you are crafting images in the streets sooner. Shoot a ColorChecker Passport after the metering, before or during or after the series and neutral tone is a matter of a click. Or when the light was difficult, you create an ICC profile file with the Passport tool first and apply that profile to the series (some of the reflected light from the buildings in the alley in this video might throw a cast on the main subject that this approach easily identifies and removes). And, once you are neutral, your artistically motivated deviations are applied very easily and consistently.
This is a fascinatingly detailed write up! :)
Hey, I hope you know what i am trying to ask: What is your AF point selection usually (I use a canon camera). Because I find myself in situation when I cannot decide between manual and auto selection. What do you use with your camera? Thank you in advance. Greetings from Germany
I always like to use the tracking AF and keep the point in the center. When I want to focus on something, I put the center point on the subject and then recompose. Sometimes, I manually move the point around using the little joystick on the back of the camera, but not often. If I didn't have tracking focus, I would use the focus point selection the same way (keep it in the center, move it occasionally). Hope that helps! :)
@@EYExplore thank you so much!!!
Hi,in my camera there is no mode where I can control shutter speed but only iso. Should I still shoot in AV mode in that way?What aperture do you normally use for street photography?
Yes, I recommend using aperture mode. There is no normal aperture for street photography. The aperture is all about light and depth of field. So, if it's dark, I will use an open aperture, like f/2.8. If It's bright out, I'll use f/8 or even f/11.
But I also have to consider the depth of field. If I want more background blur I might use a more aperture even in good light, and vice versa.
@@EYExplore thanks!
Good tips. Do you really need the battery grip, though? I mean, when you go on a shoot, one battery does not suffice?
Thanks! I've said this a million times, the grip is not for the extra battery (although that is nice). It's for ergonomics. :)
@@EYExplore Next time say it louder for us at the back ;)
@@TaipeiGeek Haha! I will say it in the next video I shoot! I need to have a checklist of common questions that I just run through in the beginning. I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat info. I know some channels I watch repeat concepts all the time! :)
@@EYExplore Make a T-shirt a la "I shoot RAW", but write "I use grips because they're cool"
@@TaipeiGeek Haha, good idea!! Or maybe: 'Get a grip!' :)
Can these settings be applied to my Fuji XT3 camera?
Not exactly, but the general principles, yes! For example, I believe the XT-3 has a subject tracking focus, and you can definitely set to evaluative/average metering. I'm sure you can also set up back button focus, which is by far the most useful tip (that's why it's the first one). I know for sure you can also set up a max ISO and min shutter speed as well. And of course you can shoot in raw and worry about colors and white balance in post (which is always my recommendation, but understand it's not for everyone). Hope that helps! :)
@@EYExplore Lukasz, thanks, I always enjoy your videos!
AP mode never gets my shutter speed right, even with setting minimums for shutter speeds.
Well, what is 'right'? The minimum is a soft minimum. It will go below the minimum if the maximum ISO is reached, since otherwise the image would be underexposed. If you'd rather that the shutter speed never changes, then use M + Auto ISO.
#5 - raw and WB. Indeed, when you shoot raw (and no simultaneous JPEGs) then WB is just a label in the metadata of the raw files. And the photosite data are not impacted by WB. So WB defines how Lr opens your raw files by default. And here's where I have a different opinion. I never shoot auto WB. This forces the camera to do some AI, trying to recognize what is in the frame, from there what the source light's color temperature might have been, and then set it. That is a processing-expensive thing and I rather not load the camera with that processing If I can avoid it. My experience with Nikon D and Z is that keeping the WB fixed at "Cloudy" gives me a good start in Lr. Note that Auto-WB will try to remove warmth from the setting-sun light, when the "Cloudy" setting opens by illustrating how different the setting sun light was from "Cloudy".
Of course, when you shoot JPEGs next to your raw files, as we occasionally do, you have to have the correct color temperature (or white balance). As I always have a ColorChecker Passport with me, I can easily set WB from a shot of the reference grey card in that passport.
Fair enough, but I just don't think I'll noticed the millisecond difference in metering speed. I'd rather have a bit more accurate previews when reviewing the images on the camera. I shoot at night a lot so the color of the light varies dramatically from moment to moment, meaning no single setting really works. :)
Nikon really has a lot of customisable settings in the Z6ii. I tried setting my Fuji X-H1 similarly but a lot of custom settings are not available. Point for Nikon.
Yeah, I've always loved their customization and ergonomics. The user experience of Nikon's cameras has always been superb, in my opinion. :)
My basic setting is not having a huge ass camera equipped with a battery grip and a long ass bazooka lens…but that’s just me
LOL
I hate the fact that you're using a 24-70 f2.8 lens and now makes me want to buy one 😢
Haha! Honestly, I don't use it that often for my own photography. I prefer primes, but sometimes it's better for demonstration purposes in these videos because I can have many focal lengths available. If you do buy one, please use the referral link in the description. :)
I find the subject tracking of the z6ii to be unreliable especially under circumstances where there are conflicting subjects. At night, it rarely works at all. As a result I've gone back to zone focusing, which renders the so called advatages of a swanky camera worthless.
Fair enough, I accept your experience, but I use it at night all the time and have no issues with it. I admit it's not perfect, but it's at least as good as the 3D Tracking on my old D4 (which I still love using).
Hi. my monitor want turn on on auto mod ... only on monitor mod.
Sorry, I don't understand.
my display want switch from viewfinder to display in auto mode.
@@Artem_ZpCity Look in Setup Menu > Limit monitor mode selection. Then choose the ones you want to have available. Then use the button n the top left of the viewfinder to select the mode you want. I explain this here: ruclips.net/video/nGswIrIlXRs/видео.html
Why such as big set up to scare people? I shoot with the Z5 and the 85mm, a single battery lasts me for ever, AFC, wide area subject, F/8 and higher, never miss a shot.
Why do people keep assuming my big set up scares people? I've never experience this, so I have no idea what you're talking about. If doesn't work for you, don't use it. Whatever you shoot with is good for you! Love your camera: ruclips.net/video/5oPZZEXibjo/видео.html :)
The most important “setting”: get rid of that crazy big camera and lens.
LOL, no thanks. People like you crack me up. What do you care what others use? Use what makes YOU happy, and don't worry about other people. :)
Street photography with a hunk of a camera like that... mmh. No thank you. :)
Nowhere did I recommend it. I'm simply sharing what I do. It works very well for me! :)
I’m sorry but you were moving so fast I cannot follow you. Have a good day.
I had a lot to cover! :)