Manual Focus Subject Detection in Nikon Z

[@Chris-13]

Great video thank you 🙃🙏🙏

[@PeltierPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@allanschuster3520]

Thanks for the video. I was having difficulty getting this right.

[@PeltierPhoto]

Glad it helped. If you care to share, what specifically was tripping you up? Just curious if there's anything I can emphasize to explain it better...

[@dennisjones5579]

Hi John, thanks for this overview. I recently upgraded to a Zf from the D500 and I have to say your videos have been very helpful. They are much appreciated. Thanks sir.

[@PeltierPhoto]

That's awesome, thank you so much for the feedback, glad they're helping. I'm always open to suggestions if there are any other videos you want to see.

[@andymanson]

Nice video, John! I agree with you - this feature should have been a "no brainer" from Day One. Hopefully it'll turn up, too, in the Z8/Z9 in due course, although I doubt they'll be able to retrofit it into the Z7II, which is a shame because that camera would be a Beast with MF Subject Detection enabled.

[@PeltierPhoto]

Agreed!

[@farookywookie]

This does not work on my z 7ii. When i put a manual focus lens on the focus area options are not available. Do i need a software update? Thanks

[@PeltierPhoto]

It’s not available on the Z7II. Only the Zf and Z6III so far.

[@loonytoongonemad8304]

Not on z8 or z9? Does that make it more difficult to use a Z8 or Z9 with a manual focus lens especially like an F1 .0 lens?

[@PeltierPhoto]

@@loonytoongonemad8304 "more difficult" is the wrong way to put it. These things are nice to have, but manual focusing isn't harder without them. Photographers have been focusing manually just fine for over a century. But at f/1.0, focus is going to be difficult no matter what you're using because the depth of field is razor-thin. Stay at f/1.4-1.8 to have more room for error.

[@GBB70]

What adapter are u using to get the MF green focus to work?

[@PeltierPhoto]

No adapter - it’s a Voigtlander designed for Z mount.

[@javierRcastro]

@@PeltierPhotookay let’s say you have an older Nikkor 105 2.5 AI lens . Which adapter would you suggest ?

[@gilerpancing]

Get Techart TZM-02,and get a normal adapter f to m mount adapter,the combination you will get autofocus from the manual lens

[@jbtubman]

Thanks for posting this. Alas, I can't get this to work with my 50 year old Canon FD (breech-mount!) lenses that I have used with my Z f via the Fotodiox adapter. I kind of had hopes that I would be able to do so. Turning on Focus Peaking helps, and is certainly better than nothing.

[@PeltierPhoto]

Hmm which parts of it aren't working? The basic tracking & zoom should work regardless of lens/adapter used (according to Nikon), but then again, I haven't tried it with a lens older than me 😂

[@jbtubman]

@@PeltierPhoto The little red square (that locks on to the eye then turns green when focus is achieved) simply does not appear in those circumstances. It works as expected with a Nikkor Z lens.

[@PeltierPhoto]

@@jbtubman that's interesting. As far as I understood subject detection technology to work, it's all happening in the sensor/processor, so the medium the light travels through to get there shouldn't matter (like with focus peaking), except for the advanced features like the electronic rangefinder. I'll have to dig into that further.

[@ChrisEdgecombePhoto]

The lens and adapter needs to have an electrical contact to the camera I believe.

[@PeltierPhoto]

@ChrisEdgecombePhoto yes, and also transmit the required information.

[@GALIUNGDrive]

its just for ZF camera?

[@PeltierPhoto]

The Z6III has this also.

[@PeltierPhoto]

@@9Noppharat Zf, Z6III, and now Z50II

[@GerhardBothaWFF]

I use mf on my mf only lenses. Other than that, I don’t use mf at all. Can’t see how you cannot get a modern Canon to focus - its like magic. But this feature you describe could be nice for sure. My R7 does highlight edges detected to be in focus in either red, green or blue depending on what you select. That works nicely, but this nikon feature would be better. Nice to see.

[@PeltierPhoto]

There’s just something about the whole experience when using MF…like how a manual transmission can make a car a lot more fun to drive than an automatic. Not practical all the time for sure, but it can make the process more fun at times. Cheers.