Approaching The Scene 306: Nikon Z8 & Z9 New Action Autofocus Setup + Download My Settings

(LINKS BELOW): Here, I showcase recent changes I’ve made to my Z8 and Z9 controls, with an emphasis on action autofocus settings. These changes come from the combination of Nikon’s firmware advancements and my experience firing tens of thousands of frames in complex jungle shooting scenarios. With a view through my lens, I’ll point out ways to adapt autofocus modes on the fly with single-button-press switching when dealing with quickly changing complex subjects and scenes. Finally, I’ll walk through recent Costa Rica workshop images that highlight the types of shooting scenarios that each mode is best suited to capture.
Z8 SETUP UPDATE VIDEO: • Z8 Settings Update Gui...
*Z8 Original full setup guide: • Nikon Z8: Full Menu Se...
*Z8 My Settings Download: bit.ly/Z8Update
Z9 SETUP UPDATE VIDEO: • Z9 Settings Guide Upda...
* Z9 Original setup guide: • Nikon Z9 Complete Setu...
* Z9 My Settings Download: bit.ly/Z9Settings
Understanding Nikon’s banks: • Approaching the Scene ...
Z6/7/50 Action AF Guide: • Approaching The Scene ...
Nikon Z9: bhpho.to/2XQjXBh
Nikon Z8: bhpho.to/3LVu8d3
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I invite all of you to join Rick, David, Darren and me for our next free live Office Hours session. Leave us a question for the discussion when you sign up.
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Thanks to everyone for the great questions you are sending in. Keep them coming either in the comments below or by emailing me directly. I hope to see you in the next Office Hours session.
Stay safe and healthy.
LINKED TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 Intro to ATS 30
01:00 These changes come from field experience in Costa Rica
02:25 Why I’m sharing my settings files & how to use them
03:50 Which of my settings have changed and why?
05:52 Through the lens AF settings demo
07:55 Setting Auto-Area to a button press
10:05 3D without detection when subject detection fails
12:21 Remapping the display to another button
13:17 The i-Menu is critical to me
16:11 Photo examples of when to use these settings
25:11 My older Z camera settings have not changed (z6/7/50/etc)
25:55 What about the Zf?
26:55 What about cycle AF on a button?
27:45 How you can download my settings files
28:40 Join our next free Office Hours

[@toddleech1055]

you have become my go to guy on everything with the nikon Z9 , you offer the best tutorials out there, so thank you for that

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Thanks so much. Makes my morning to read that.

[@johnthomas8168]

Thank you so much for this and all of your videos. You've gone above and beyond by enabling us to download your settings.

[@jimfair2842]

Hudson-thank you for the great explanation on your z8 & z9 settings, I have included them into my shooting and my keeper rate keeps getting better.

[@MarkNiles]

Another wonderful, concise, informative narrative on the Z8/9. Thank you!

[@davelindey8023]

Outstanding demonstration method Hudson. So very helpful in putting this all together. These new Nikon offerings are such complex machines and can be customized to be so intelligent. I’m shooting sports and auto sports more frequently than wildlife in action lately so may have to adapt a few of your concepts. Again great resource. Thanks so much

[@johnmccaffery5186]

Some great points, Hudson, I especially like the one about reprogramming the BKT in action! Never thought about not needing that for action, DUH. Thanks,Mac

[@KristofMachiels]

Thanks again Hudson for the excellent explanation. It’s always usable and I have learned a lot with your great explanation of your videos.

[@debramercaldo4945]

Thank you for all this information. So very helpful!

[@g00nther]

Stunning pics. Thanks.

[@randyschwager84]

As always, awesome info! Thanks!

[@RRRCCCDDD]

Awesome. Thanks Hudson!

[@seandavis6458]

Great video and thanks for sharing your knowledge !

[@dlarge4616]

Thanks Hudson for sharing the download file for Z8. Awesome! - Dalynne

[@s5blitzer]

I appreciate you making both Z9 & Z8 settings files available.

[@Creeper1313]

Love these detailed walkthroughs. Some would say I may have, uh, overbought vs my skill level in the Z8, but your videos have smoothed the learning curve considerably.

[@JDLVHIGHROLLER]

You are the best! Thanks Hudson.

[@JDLVHIGHROLLER]

I was so caught up in the “moment” when we were in CR that I did not really pick up on what you were telling us with this. This video just crystallized it for me!! Darn I wish I would have taken the time to pay more attention and not be so caught up in “getting the shot” that I missed the better way to get the shot :-) 😂

[@stevedirector4644]

Great video. Thanks Hudson!

[@paulchapman112]

excellent tutorial and results

[@NikCan66]

Excellent video 📹 thanks

[@spokesdog9958]

Very helpful, thank you

[@randyhergenrether6914]

This also applies to those (Z8) air show enthusiasts too. I recently shot the US Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado Springs, CO, with the Thunderbird's fly-over air show. There is a Z8 airplane detection mode too.

[@bobbarnes]

Great video as usual @HudsonHenryPhoto. Thank you for sharing your settings file! Just a note for those downloading the settings file, in addition to adding your copyright info back after using Hudson's settings file ALSO CHECK THE TIME ZONE AND MAKE SURE IT'S CORRECT FOR YOUR LOCATION. I just took some shots and realized I missed double checking that.😁

[@michaelmccarter2890]

Thanks! I don’t even have my z8 yet (targeting end of the year) but I so appreciate your detailed approach and sharing wisdom.

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Thank you!

[@musiqueetmontagne]

Some great shots from Costa Rica, beautiful...The problem I have with my Z8 is using the top buttons on the left, WB, Bracketing etc while hand holding a long, heavy lens. I don't want to make a habit of putting that amount of stress on the mount... I also use WC-1 with the smallest box, like a single point but it uses bird, eye detect etc..useful for putting the focus point directly on an eye/bird or whatever quickly, in the trees for example..

[@RussellHeller]

Thanks!

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Thank you so much.

[@davidarcherimages]

That bird that we photographed was a Northern Jacana. I also have a hard time remembering the names of some of those birds we aren't used to seeing. This last Costa Rica trip was the best of my four trips there (so far). Of course, we will try to surpass it next year!

[@DavidCampbell-lj8gg]

Thanks so much for this update. You are good goods! Stupid question on my part: when I download your settings sheet, my MacBook Pro tells me unable open the file because it's in an unsupported format. What am I doing wrong?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

It's the in camera settings file to upload to your camera, not a spreadsheet at all. It's not for anything but the camera to read.

[@user-oq1we2sh8r]

These action menu tutorials are amazing. Do you plan any upgrades for the landscape or astro settings?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

They are in the individual camera setup guides that are linkned in this full description. I do make some tweaks and I show them in the menu structure.

[@avnerbenzvi8757]

Thanks, I loaded your Z8 Setting, found that Action Banks (C) is mentioned as MONOCHROME (I changed to AUTO).

[@juliawintermoyer8418]

Thanks for all this valuable information. I like to shoot hummingbirds. I have a hard time using 3D for the tiny bird. Works great on larger birds for my. Any tips for hummingbirds?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Yep, just use that display button trick I demo and show in the setup video to flip between wide area and auto area in bird detect. Works great for them.

[@anatolykapinos4489]

Thank you very much for the excellent presentation/explanation. I wonder if you can have 3D+subject detection and 3D without subject detection (OFF) as 2 separate settings? For instance, using Fn buttons, or some other quick way, so you don't have to go through i-menu. Thanks.

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

I show that in the setup videos using recall shooting funcitons hold on custom buttons. Single press to turn it off.

[@RuedigerMannel]

@@HudsonHenryPhoto Hi Hudson, your "3D without subject detection" uses "recall shooting functions", because thats the only way to disable subject detection and set 3D, right? Am I missing something or is there only one set parameters for (all buttons) "recall shooting functions"? Right now I use it as a kind of "something surprising happens" setting where frame rate is set to 20, focus to auto area with subject detection, ISO to auto, .... Right now it looks like it's either having "3D without subject detection" or "something surprising happens", any help would be cool. Thanks

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

That's how I use it in my knock around Standard bank A settings too. This is exclusively for my Bank B action specific settings. All those other parameters are set in that bank already. You only get one program of RSFH per bank. You can put it on multiple buttons, but it can't be set multiple ways in one bank.

[@RuedigerMannel]

@@HudsonHenryPhoto Thank you very much

[@Joe-tq8fr]

So, are you using BBF in your base AF mode (wide)? I guess where I’m a bit confused is if you’re in your wide area focus mode if you hit the shutter button is focused tied to the shutter?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

NO! I'm back button only. The shutter button would totally mess this system up. It's on AF-ON only. I NEVER use shutter focus. Shutter is for capture. It's funny. I forget that people even use it for focusing.

[@Joe-tq8fr]

Thank you for the reply, Hudson! I’ve been using back button since the D500 and I’m really hesitant to change. Thanks for the confirmation.

[@smkunder1]

Ok I tried your original Z8 set up and got lost in the banks. I am wondering what order to do these videos in order to get the latest setup. Thanks so much for these. Being an older guy, I don’t seem to grasp these right away.

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

This first: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3-9k4eVbsSmnJo Then this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aonPe6Ghh8qdq9E, this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWSUpayibctmeZo and finally this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqS4eZWlpLF-oc0

[@1973Antoniob]

Thanks Hudson. Just a question about the night bank: you only use the “red” option and not the option of starlight view?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Starlight view is already turned on in that bank. Again this is merely an addendum to my prior banks setup videos. Bank D is a short one you should watch for that.

[@1973Antoniob]

@@HudsonHenryPhoto thank you

[@cy9nvs]

Is it correct that there's only one "recall shooting functions"? I thought I can set it individually for different buttons, but when I change it for one button, the settings on the other button also change, which is a bummer, since I'm already using that for something else.

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

One setup per bank. Yep.

[@kyslim111]

I want to save my custom A, so if I download your free file will it wipe out my custom A, or can I make your file my custom B? We really appreciate your help and if my question is dumb, please excuse my ignorance because I'm learning the Z format. I do have my settings saved. Thank you so much.

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

You can save your settings to a card and back it up on your computer from the card. There is no way to "Save" a bank. It's only camera wide settings. All the banks. Also, banks are really only bookmarks. They keep track only of where you left them last. The only way to "save" a bank is to save all the banks and camera settings via the Save Settings menu option. I am offering my version of that camera-wide saved settings file.

[@l.m2517]

I set KZbin quality setting to 4k mode as advised and now I can see a dead pixel just on the right of you tripod head in the backgroud...😂

[@robertsteuns3150]

I can't downliad the bin file for the z9 when i click on the file it brings me yo pay pall. Very good video for sure

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

There is no link to paypal at all from my fee download page. It is served by my shopify store, but totally free and requires no paypal or credit card information. We have had hundreds of downloads today, so I'm sure it's working. :-)

[@jimdiehl1027]

Henry, I am not seeing the links. What am I missing?

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

You have to click on the title or more to see the full video description. :)

[@bratsdelight]

Please put those settings on youtube I cant get the downloads to play :(

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

Just go to my site and navigate to the free downloads. www.hudsonhenry.com Easy

[@chrisgas1429]

bird detect seems to like owls feet

[@HudsonHenryPhoto]

It's funny. It bounces about like that, but when you review images, the eyes are always sharp. :-)