A Beginners Guide to Mastering Manual Focus for Filming Wildlife

[@Wildridefilms]

Great explanation George. I do think that modern mirrorless cameras have excellent AF even in video but as you said, missing focus manually always looks better than missed AF. However I find that for incredibly difficult scenarios like filming an erratic bird in flight, I might as well use AF as I have pretty much have zero chance tracking the bird and pulling focus appropriately.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

I’m happy you enjoyed the video and thank you for taking the time to comment.. there is definitely a place for auto-focus and as always it depends on the scenario.. erratic birds may be one of them but I find especially for small birds that when they’re in trees and bushes the auto-focus hunts around too much between the branches.. I’d be interested to know what your experience of this is as I don’t actually have a mirrorless myself and I have no choice other than manual focus on the BMPCC.. my Canon 5DIV was not very good in this kind of scenario. g

[@Wildridefilms]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky You mentioned in the description that you have an Panasonic S5ii. That adapts really well with your 60-600 with an MC21 adapter. Its AF will track subjects pretty well.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Unfortunately mine is the S5i ...with the not so good focus.. but I thought it best to link to the new better one with the good auto focus for people . I absolutely adore it though for video and the files are beautiful to edit and colour. I have wanted to get an EF adaptor for it for ages as it has much better low light capabilities than the BMPCC. One of my clients who came on a course with me had a Sony A9 (I think it was) and had terrible trouble with the auto focus so I'm not yet convinced. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks ! 😂

[@jeremyedwards8320]

So good, thank you

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Most welcome Jeremy..! Happy you found it of interest.. all the best.. g

[@NatureLenzPhoto]

Thank you so much for enlightening me to manual focusing! I will definitely utilize focus peaking from now on. Cheers.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you and I'm happy you found the tips helpful..! All the best, g

[@hughmoore2]

Good Video George, going to add the Tilta to my rig, I didnt realise they were geared, which will certainly help with my Sigma 150-600

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hi Hugh and thanks so much for taking the time to comment.! I think you will find it a big help.. let me know how you get on ..! all the best to you.. g

[@josephdaigneau430]

Glade to see yout back very nice video

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you so much Joseph..!

[@spikeboydell]

Thanks for the helpful advice George. I agree with all your comments about the differences with autofocus for photography and videography. I use a Canon 1DX2 with 100-400 EF L glass. It absolutely nails photos for stills, but hunts more in video. My challenge is compounded as I film birdlife and wildlife from a canoe, so despite using a solid tripod tied down in the canoe, the canoe is inevitably moving whilst I am trying to track birds in flight. This makes an EVF impractical and I have had more success using the WFT-E8 wireless connector with the 12.9” iPad Pro using Adam Wilt’s amazing Field Monitor app. This gives me a static monitor with focus peaking affixed to the tripod leg, whilst I can freely swing through video head 90 degrees left or right to follow the action. Greetings from Sydney, love your work, and please keep sharing.

[@JimHawkins1]

Excellent info George. Thanks so much. I have the Tilta FF for my GH5 Tamron rig. The rotation was backwards (forward rotation brought focus closer, and vice versa)when mounted on lower rail. SmallRig actually made me an angled bracket that allowed me to mount Follow focus higher up hanging downward whereas rotation became intuitive. Forward brought focus away. Backwards brought focus closer. Unfortunately my camera/lens doesn't have option to change focus wheel rotation. I know some do, but the bracket helps immensely.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hey Jim..! Good to hear from you and thank you. I have same issue with my Tilta FF and EF glass.. taken forever to get used to it..! it's a wonder they don't make them with a switch so the gears can run in the opposite direction to fix exactly that issue..!

[@ukwildlife]

Always find your videos interesting and useful. I bought a follow focus (smallrig p60) to try out with my set up after finding manual focus awkward and seeing yours in your filmmaking set up video, but only got it few days ago so not tested it yet!

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you so much for your kind words and I'm glad you find my videos useful. Good luck with the follow focus.. Let me know how you get on! all the best to you.. g

[@ukwildlife]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky Will do :)

[@scottzorro]

Excellent video & very informative- thanks for putting it out. I have been photographing wildlife for several years now & whilst I have dabbled with video, I am starting to get more seriously into it now- I would appreciate any advice you could give on setting up a follow focus system for a 600f4 in terms of the various bits I would need (I already have a sturdy tripod & sachtler video head)

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thanks so much Scott.. have a look at this video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5ile41uq917h8k ) about my rig set up which should give you a few ideas.. if you've still got any questions I'd be happy to answer them.. cheers, g

[@scottzorro]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky - thanks, will check that out when I have a moment 🙏🏻👍

[@scottzorro]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky - thanks for the link - watched the video & was certainly interesting to see your setup & that sigma lens certainly has a useful focal range - from what I have gleaned so far, it seems like my main issue will be getting a focus gear ring that will fit my lens’s focus ring as it has a 114mm diameter- I am aware the smallrig follow focus unit comes with a toothless silicone cog which presumably works by friction against the lens’s own focus ring- do you have any experience using this?

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hi Scott.. I've never used the Smallrig follow-focus so I can't really enlighten you much on that one.. the Tilta mini that I used is cogged and the teeth fit perfectly into the grooves of the lens's own focus ring without the need to attach a cogged band to it.

[@scottzorro]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky thanks for the reply, I guess I’ll just have to try it out 👍

[@davidscebat8914]

Who else thinks it's weird that those videos don't have millions of views?

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Once again you are too kind David.. thanks so much and I'm really happy that you are getting something out of them.. all the best to you..g

[@skipsaunders5974]

Nicely done

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

@@skipsaunders5974thanks Skip..! Much appreciated 😊

[@adinaturman3291]

You are awesome!

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you so much Adina.. it's very lovely of you to say so.!🙏

[@kasturiranganp]

Thanks for the tips, George. Really useful. Could you throw light on how we can get back focus on a fast moving subject like a bird behind branches, twigs or grass. I have observed the focus gets back to the closer branches or grass and renders the footage useless. It’s frustrating to lose footage especially after waiting for very long time. Btw, we use Panasonic AG CX-8 or in Europe its similar HC X-2000.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

The situation you describe is one of the main reasons I prefer to use manual focus rather than auto-focus.. when your subject goes behind something else the focus jumps to the nearest object and then hunts around and like you say renders the clip useless... try switching to manual focus.. it will take a lot of practice but eventually it will benefit your filming. Hope that helps a little. All the best to you.. g

[@kasturiranganp]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky thanks for the tips. Will practice more!

[@filbilly]

Hi George, was curious, with your tripod and fluid head, if you ever get small amounts of vibration cause by holding onto your rig while focusing or panning, which is amplified when zoomed all they way out. I haven't tried hanging a bag for weight to the center of the tripod yet to see if that helps. I'm also thinking I may have to upgrade to a slightly bigger fluid head as I'm nearing the capacity of my Sachtler. Appreciate any thoughts. Currently I pull focus then lock down to avoid the vibration.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hey John and thank you for the question. I do.. all the time.. and I have to be very gentle with it.. the main thing that helps me is the EVF.. by resting my head on it I can cancel out a lot of the shakes and it also helps my panning be smoother, especially birds in flight. If it's windy it's almost not worth going out for me. I am definitely at over capacity for the Manfrotto and would love to upgrade to a better "heavier duty" head but budget won't allow at the moment. It can be incredibly frustrating.! What are you thinking of upgrading to..? all the best.. g

[@filbilly]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky Thanks George! Good to know my frustration is unfortunately shared, ha! I do use an EVF so I'll try using that to help stabilize next time I'm out. Right now, like you mentioned, upgrading is such an expensive proposition and something I can't do right away. I 'm currently on an older Sachtler Ace fluid head that I've about maxed out, but I've been looking at a Sachtler FSB 8 MK II which can support much more weight. It's a lot of money, like the cost of a good lens, but I'm thinking the benefits would be worth it in the long run. I'm sure the drag will be much smoother and it will be able to hold my rig in balance rather than me having to over tighten the friction locks on my current head. Always enjoy your videos. Cheers! J

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Cheers John... great minds think alike.. that's the one I have my eye on too having played with it on a previous job and yes.. for all the reasons you mention..! Maybe Santa will bring us one..! 😄

[@filbilly]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky Well if you get one first I'd love to see a video on it! Santa will have to put me on a wait list this year, ha!

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

😂👍

[@albe2002]

Thanks for your suggestions but with my Leica 200mm and GH5II I have not available the MF ring Linear progression and than the MF is almost unusable. How can I do?

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hi Alberto and thank you for your question. I have not used any Leica lenses so I can’t really say how you might overcome the issue you mention.. I’m also not sure which 200mm lens you are talking about. I did find this article/review on a Leica 200mm but I’m not sure if this is your Lens and here it does talk about manual focus. Perhaps there is a Leica forum you can ask about manual focussing on this lens.? www.cameralabs.com/panasonic-leica-dg-200mm-f2-8-h-es200-review/

[@albe2002]

​@@GeorgeSBlonsky Thanks a lot, Yes it is my lens! it is an amazing lens my only regret is this manual focusing problem

[@albe2002]

Furthermore, but only in video mode, by the GH5II you can double up the focal length in 4K without quality lost

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

That’s impressive..!

[@abirjana9132]

People are paying hundreds of dollars for the Knowledge and Experience that you share with us. Thus someone like me can learn and practice something which we couldn't have afforded Institutionally. Enjoying and learning ffrom your videos. Keep posting Thank You George.🙏

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you Abir and I am glad you are enjoying my videos. best wishes to you.. g

[@peterguardiolaph]

Amazing content and knowledge, thank you for sharing

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thanks Peter.. i'm glad you found it of interest.

[@francischeefilms]

Being able to manual focus is an absolute must for a myriad or reasons when filming wildlife. Or even shooting stills eg birds.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Francis.. much appreciated. All the best to you. g

[@Gleebi]

Thanks for the tips. As you say... Get out and practice. When nature hits, keeping calm and keeping focus is very... very hard 😂

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Very very true..! 😂 ...thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.🙏

[@fletcheraerialsolutions]

Thank you for all the helpful tips! Glad to see you’re back and doing well! I also shoot with the bmpcc 6k, but I have the sigma 150-600. Have you ever used a teleconverter with your 60-600? Also, do you notice any “softness” to your clips when shooting BRAW 4K under most of the focal lengths? I swap to a different lens and it is much more sharp, but the 150-600 seems really soft, especially out at 500-600mm. I might just need to get closer to my subjects as well. Normally they’re in the 200-250 yard range.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

hi Jerry and thank you..! I haven't tried the teleconverter to be honest on the 60-600.. mostly because I get so much reach out of it already especially in "crop" mode that I haven't needed it. I don't have any softness issues at all with the lens at any focal length so it might be that your lens needs some tlc from a tech.? You might try borrowing another to compare to see if it is the lens at fault ? What I do get though is a lot of heat distortion as soon as temps start to rise but that would be true for all long tele's.. I get same on my Canon 500mm f4 too. Like you say.. maybe getting closer will help, 250 yds out is quite far. Hope you manage to find the fix..! Do let me know if you get to the bottom of it.. all the best to you.. g

[@fletcheraerialsolutions]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky Hello George! Thank you for your response! It might be the heat distortion to blame. I seem to get decent stills from my 150-600 when coupled with my T5 DSLR. I get all camo’ed out and try to sneak in as close as possible, but man, these migratory birds are very skittish! It doesn’t help that I’m located on the southern plains of Texas with few things to hide behind and wildlife can see you headed their way for miles, but I keep trying. A lot of sitting and waiting, but they tend to stay about 200-250 yards away. Do you prefer to shoot in the cropped 4K or utilize the full sensor at 6k? Any noticeable difference in the bit rates at 6k in image quality? I love the “cinema” feel and experience with shooting with a cinema type camera versus using a mirrorless or DSLR! It’s great to see others using the bmpcc for wildlife instead or the pricy RED’s!

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Most likely it is the heat to blame. I know what you mean about skittish birds and especially if you have no cover..! I mostly shoot either at 6k or in 2.7k crop.. not noticed much of a difference in image quality tbh and I just love grading the footage. I love shooting on the BMP despite some limitations and as much as I would love an upgrade I don't think I'd get rid of it if I could afford to keep it too.! cheers Jerry.. have a great day.. g

[@Mr48374837]

Thanks a lot George

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

You are most welcome..! Thank you for taking the time to comment.! 🙏

[@ciprianpopica]

Thanks very much for the video and the tips. In my last video I posted I filmed wild bears and probably it would look a lot worst if I didn't watch this video 😁. It didn't turned out amazing... but for a first time I think is ok. I tried auto focus but it wouldn't do for me so I filmed 99% in manual focus. Next one I hope it will be better. Greetings from Romania.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Thank you Ciprian..! I’m so glad you found it helpful and I’m sure you will find it easier and easier the more you do it. Best wishes from Greece to you too..! g

[@ciprianpopica]

@@GeorgeSBlonsky 🙏🙏🙏

[@wmpx34]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

You are most welcome.. glad it was if interest to you.

[@spikeboydell]

Thanks for the helpful advice George. I agree with all your comments about the differences with autofocus for photography and videography. I use a Canon 1DX2 with 100-400 EF L glass. It absolutely nails photos for stills, but hunts more in video. My challenge is compounded as I film birdlife and wildlife from a canoe, so despite using a solid tripod tied down in the canoe, the canoe is inevitably moving whilst I am trying to track birds in flight. This makes an EVF impractical and I have had more success using the WFT-E8 wireless connector with the 12.9” iPad Pro using Adam Wilt’s amazing Field Monitor app. This gives me a static monitor with focus peaking affixed to the tripod leg, whilst I can freely swing through video head 90 degrees left or right to follow the action. Greetings from Sydney, love your work, and please keep sharing.

[@GeorgeSBlonsky]

Hey Spike..! Thanks so much for your comment..! I've only shot a few times from a canoe myself so my hat's off to you..! Looks like you've found a formula that works for you.. totally agree how impractical an evf would be in that scenario and that iPad solution must give you a huge screen to work with..! All the best to you in beautiful Sydney..! g