Nikon Z 9 tutorial: Setting up the right Autofocus modes for all situations

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Even though you don't have this series of tutorials for the Z8, this was extremely useful!

[@tedk2814]

Thanks for sharing this topic regarding Nikon focus modes, very helpful and it helps me to have a review every now and then. I have a Z9, such a powerful camera!!

[@lesmar234]

I just bought a Z9 and have had it a week. I said I was not going out to shoot with it until I had a good understanding of it capabilities. I was some what familiar with the focus modes, and such...but this video went much deeper in helping me better understand the focus modes, area modes, and focus mode detection capability. Thank you so much. This was a great video!!!

[@em1016]

Same here

[@dance2jam]

Thanks for trying to detail the AF modes, but I found the description of the actual actions /modes and how they work very poorly described (example: Wide area looks in the box (and slightly outside it) but also chooses closest object to sensor plane, whereas 3D, distance doesn't matter). The biggest issue is that it would benefit Nikon and their users, if they would give specific examples of when to use these different modes. 3D works best for one subject in frame and humans (less well for birds unless single bird that makes up a significant portion of the frame). Wide area modes tend to catch background items not seen because the target is moving or reflections in water. Even setting the box above water does not always help here and one has to resort to DLSR modes like dynamic small for reliability. The AF point can randomly jump off the subject as well - at least with the current z9 firmware update. In addition, I found the description inaccurate (Wide area boxes described as "flat"). This gives the impression that the area searched for focus is two dimensional, which is not true. I realize English is not the primary language here, but I would have hoped that Nikon Europe would have attempted a more thorough, detailed, explanation of these modes and examples of when best to use them, and when they fail. Merci.

[@uhoh7541]

@dance2jam Nice explanation to go along with the video. You should start your own channel!

[@dance2jam]

@@uhoh7541 Merci (Thank you), but I have a day job and the spare time is spent shooting. Anyone have a used Nikkor 200mm f/2? ;-)

[@fsbohomesofcentraliowa5256]

Excellent explanation of the various focus modes in this amazing camera. I've watched several videos on this and have found yours to be the most helpful. Very comprehensive. Thanks so much.

[@minuteman2006]

Thank you very much to both you and your model for helping explain the various focus modes of the Z9. Cheers!

[@Rikitza1]

An outstanding presentation on this quite complex and not so intuitive subject of the AUTOOCUS. It is remarkable how precise (and nice) the specialist is presenting this theme. I was rather looking for such a kind of explanation a lot of time and now I keep it as a reference to be revised from time to time while accumulating experience on field.

[@hilarydavis4959]

Great advice thank you!

[@Comalv]

Hello, what kind of mounting plate/ring are you using that allows to switch to a vertical scenario without removing the plate from the tripod head? Thanks

[@therealroblay2617]

Can you do one of these for videography focusing

[@npdesign8202]

The best explanation regarding Autofocus modes I seen. Thank you so much!!!!

[@NikonEurope]

Glad you found it helpful ☺

[@MarioDefe-pg4sl]

I am grateful for all the knowledge you have given me. Thanks.

[@gordonl7755]

Thanks for the video, and the effort to make it. Very helpful.

[@bobwoolcock]

Thoroughly detailed. I'm looking for the best way to leave in my prefered back button mode yet be able to easily enable the shutter release focus and suitable mode when I need to occasionally hand the camera to someone else for a group shot or whatever. If I shoot in Custom Settings Bank A (in menu) with AF activation OFF, that allows me to focus only using the AF=ON button on the back top of the body. Then once my focus point has been locked in I can move the frame as needed without worry of it re-focussing. But that's too hard to explain to someone else. So what I do is set the Custom Settings Bank B with AF activation ON. Unfortunately, focus area modes apparently cannot be preselected per each Custom Settings Bank. Then of course there's the Shooting Banks, A-D within the settings banks. Very confusing.

[@JgHobley]

Very well presented. What an AF system!

[@ADNZ5442]

When is the Z9 coming back in stock UK.

[@jenshid]

Does subject detection mean the af is locked on or the af only locks when the shutter button or af on button is pressed?

[@marvin..m]

Fantastic explanation. Very clear. Exactly what Inhave been searching for. Thank you so much.

[@brucecrossan2284]

Just got my Z8. This video is very helpful - thanks

Good Luck

[@nickwilliams7867]

A very good video. I'm a Sony pro shooter who has just ordered a Z8. Please make a 35 and 85 f1.4 so I can go all in with Nikon. If not get Sigma to make them in Z mount

[@bobsardjono]

this is the most clear AF modes explanation on youtube.. thank you.. 👌🏻

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

May be VERY CLEAR in theory, but not in real application in the field. Try it, and see for yourself.

[@bkkintegral]

Very well done instructional video. Can you tell me what tripod head you're using?

[@Alexander-GER-IT-SA]

woah that was the video I needed! I recently had a job where the client always wanted the left eye sharp. It was tough. Finally I had to say goodby to my 850 and get the z9. Still to get through the focus menu wasn't easy for me. And I am shooting with Nikon ever since the famous F2

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

Is there an equivalent to [C-AF+TR MF] of the Oly M1X for the Z9? When the Z9 grabs focus, it's SUPERB. However all too often if it looses the subject to goes seeking rather than staying steady on the focus plane. Tried all settings - too long to describe here, but the Oly settings works perfectly. So I suggest you look at the competition, and see how that "C-AF+TR MF" performs and suggest a replication on the Z9.

[@Johnd3s]

A very good and informative video, thank you

[@LaurentSaintJean]

Thanks! how can we mimic follow focus tracking on the z9 ?

[@herbertthuasne3153]

Thank you for this detailed and excellent explanation about Auto-Focus. Could you perhaps upload a Video with the Focus saving mode's (Save, stop it, resave and so on) That would be great thank you

[@trygvebjrkli5021]

Wow, good teacher!

[@Photojouralist123]

Its the best z9 advise on the net short sweet and to the point

[@MrRobLindemann]

noticed at around 17min when you flipped from horizontal to vertical back to horizontal your AF mode didn't change back from AF-s to AF-c. But your focus detection changed.... so focus mode doesn't change when you flip it...?

[@stevenrobinsonpictures]

Can you set the AF to smoothly, slower pull between subjects rather than abruptly as you show around 9:20

[@stevehaden1392]

Best focus mode for photographing children indoors?

[@marcelmanuhutu-f9y]

can you explain how to make or select a rectangle box for AF area mode wide S. I shoot soccer players

[@Lanikamal]

Thank you for covering the AF modes! I am still at a loss when it comes to photographing more than one subject, ie, a group of people posing or dogs running. What would be the best settings?

[@NikonEurope]

Hi Jessica. I am sorry for the time it took for us to reply. For several subjects, we would recommend the Wide-Area AF, keeping the subjects within the focus point should allow for the camera to keep them all in focus.

[@markshirley01]

Very helpful thanks - I tried a Z30 at a local camera shop but couldn't get the AF to reliably work. So hopefully Ive learned something from this tutorial.

[@reneefariasphoto40]

If you are coming from DSLR or another system, the Z is somewhat different. I have been a pro full timer for 27 years and shot DSLRs until I got the Z9 in Dec 2021... Now I don't see ever going back. I also recently bought a Z7ii to pair as a lighter camera to my Z9. Except for 3d I have my focus set nearly the same in both. I shot a marathon with the Z7ii recently, 2000 photos of ppl running past me... I had 1992 keepers and 8 out of focus. The Z9 would have likely been 100/100. I am not looking back and have embraced the Z system.

[@markshirley01]

@@reneefariasphoto40 the Z9 is just to big - and for me only Z camera I'd trust the AF with

[@reneefariasphoto40]

@@markshirley01 Sure, I get that. As I said, I shoot the Z9 and Z7ii. The Z9 is better at everything, but the Z7ii is no slouch. My action assignments are at 98% above in keeper rate with the Z7ii and that is excellent in my book. The Z9 is even better. As I said, many people don't bother learning the Z7ii AF, it's actually pretty simple. I owned the Z9 first, so when I got the Z7ii as it's little brother to shoot a lighter camera on all day projects, it was easy to see that the Z7ii was very much like the Z9, except for no 3D AF. Not saying I would give up my Z9 for Z7ii but saying that the Z7ii is super reliable. Now I have never used the Z7ii except with FW 1.4, so that may have something to do with my success rate. Not sure. In any case, all the best.

[@kmulhall8233]

@@reneefariasphoto40 I agree with you. The Z system is different for DSLR shooters. I've only had my Z9 for a few months. I've started shooting as a side hustle this year too. I've shot two marathons, one being the Chicago Marathon, an AKC agility day, and two big crossfit events, as a working photographer. The Z9 with the right glass is amazing. I'm in love with it. I come from the D850 ( love that camera). I learned on a D5300. I also own a Z6. I can't speak for the Z6II, but the original Z6 isn't a sports camera. I've tried to make it that, but it just isn't so. The Z9s autofocus system is far more reliable, more accurate and much quicker than the original Z cameras. I'm not trashing the Z6, I have some beloved images from that camera. Because of it's size, I still use it. For action, the Z9 wins going away. This video is a nice explanation of all the options for the photographer using a Z9 for sports/action. I have found myself trying all the modes in different situations in order to come up with a good workflow.

[@reneefariasphoto40]

@@kmulhall8233 in the Z bodies I have only used the Z9 and Z7ii. The fastest action I shoot is ppl running or cycling, so both are great. My last marathon I shot the Z7ii with the F mount 70-200 f/2.8 FL and shot 2000 frames. I had 8 bad frames and 1992 keepers. I know for some ppl that is not good enough but for me the Z7ii is stellar and light which helps on some assignments, but still love my Z9 for other applications.

[@madhushrreebirla6432]

How do u get this display on ur screen pls

[@peternavanac9310]

Informative, practical, RELEVANT, clear and VERY HELPFUL. Thank you.

[@samiraammar7154]

Great video,,thank you so much

[@matrishva]

What is Attenuator ? Whether it should be on or off. What us frequency response? Should it be wide range or vical range. What should be the micriphone sensitivity ? And how it affects audio.

[@NikonEurope]

Hi there, the attenuator option reduces the audio gain in order to prevent audio distortion when recording videos in loud environments. If you are in a loud environment, we suggest using this option. The Frequency response option allows you to choose between "Wide range" for everything from music to the bustling hum of a city street, and "Voice range" for human voices. The microphone sensitivity allows you to choose how sensitive the microphone will be to sounds and, in turn, changes how loud the microphone will be. The higher the sensitivity, the higher the volume. Please note that having this too high may distort the audio. There is an "auto" option for the microphone sensitivity - in this case the camera automatically sets the sensitivity based on the environment and changes it accordingly. You can find more information on each of these options by clicking on them in the following link - onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/16_video_recording_menu_guid-54428b54-f647-0fd5-21d1-d5a80aaf1d05.html#:~:text=Microphone%20Sensitivity

[@matrishva]

@@NikonEurope thank you.

[@ArtChickTV]

Great advice. I'm trying to get use to using mirrorless from my Nikon D3X and D850. I find the viewfinder and LCD screen to lack translation to my settings and what I see. Is there a way to change this setting?

[@yfranddu2837]

A very interesting video. Thank you. I currently use the D850 with 105 f/2.8 micro to shoot butterflies. I’ve had some success shorting in flight sequences using the 3D settings on the D850 but it’s very much hit and miss. I was looking at the Z9 to see if it could help me shoot butterfly’s in flight. Do you think the subject recognition in 3D would do this? Or is there someone out there already using a Z9 to do this?

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

A real life, in the field failure.

[@ghifarix]

I recently bought a Z-Mount 400mm f/4.5 S lens for soccer. I'm usually position on the corner line behind the goal line. As expected the dynamic of forward attacks are awesome, but in and around the penalty area there's no more opportunity for in-focus as One misses the action with 400mm f/4.5 S lens. However for close focus I swape my back-up Z6: Which Z-Mount 24-70mm f/2.8 , 70-200mm2.8 or 24-120 be best use for swapping in order not just to capture the action but to get a closer quality to the "Z9" w/ Z-Mount 400mm f/4.5 S lens as a close-ups ?

[@19Photographer76]

I had some difficulty following your question but ~ the Z9 with the 400mm focuses the quickest. The 500mm PF would be second. All other bodies focus slower but the 24-120mm would be my second choice. The battery and processor of the Z9 will focus the quickest.

[@ShaneBaker]

Very useful. Many thanks

[@paulmorrall5719]

Fantastic, thank you so much

[@nicehoopers]

how do i do dynamic area mode for video? i only see it when i switch to photo mode.

[@NikonEurope]

Hello there. The Dynamic-area AF mode is only available in photo mode. It is not possible to use this when shooting video. You could try using Subject-tracking AF mode as an alternative when shooting video. For more information on that AF-area mode, see the following link - onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/focus_guid-c662d2e2-a3b4-4d47-17fc-b8b114afb3f3_17.html#af-area_mode:~:text=n-,%5BSubject%2Dtracking%20AF%5D,-Track%20focus%20on

[@joshuathreadgill4148]

I have been looking everywhere and can not find an answer. Is there a way to map a Fn button to turn subject detection on/off only?

[@reneefariasphoto40]

No. But you can set it to an AF mode. IE: Say you use AF-F Auto Subject in AFC most of the time. You can set the Fn button to something else. I have mine set to Wide L, so when I hit it I am no long in my normal shooting, when I hit it again, I go back to my normal. Just a thought.

[@joshuathreadgill4148]

@@reneefariasphoto40 Thank you, I will give that a shot!

[@fashionkarteventsal6861]

ma con af s non funzionano tutte queste opzioni?

[@MrSergioRosario]

top video. thank you

[@lionhawk555]

A bit disappointing that you don't cover the new modes in firmware 2.0

[@realJonSpringer]

Firmware 3.0 now ;)

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

Thank you!

[@gigagaguga]

Chapter marks for the different modes would be great, so you can skip to the right part of the video if you want to rewatch something.

[@rrr46060]

nice, i also just bought a z9, cant wait to get my hands on it , this vid is helpful start

[@alfabravofilm]

I wonder why this very interesting video, which is in English, does not have automatic translation with subtitles in other languages. It's mortifying. It seems that Nikon technology can only be the preserve of those who know English. Greetings from Italy, wanderful land.

[@blangd]

Smile!

[@hingng9772]

Thanku

[@BigFoot-w4d]

AF cannot compete with A93

[@7thrx]

Hell's teeth I thought I had a Corvette, but I actually have a space shuttle

[@EugeneMaynard]

👍🏾🙏🏾

[@elmono3939]

AF cameras and its plethora of AF choices is the biggest frustration there is, especially in video mode. Focus-hunting is prevalent and ruins not only entire footage, but the excitement of creating. I don't understand, why Nikon doesn't incorporate a fully Auto Focus mode - aka "gun 'n' run" mode, where you just point the camera on a scene or subject - and all is in focus , stays in focus, and is without focus hunting - just like shooting with iPhone. It cannot be so difficult or expensive to incorporate this feature. That is all News Photographers need.

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

Try an M1X... focus sticks to the target like a magnet. No need to fiddle with the buttons and hand off focus with a AF-ON assigned to 3D. This is like playing an ocarina. The issue appears to be the intensity of light. Bright light - sunny - is the worst, and any white object while tracking becomes a focus magnet. Similarly with light coming through background foliage. Ideall is an overcast day with no distinct shadows or bright white objects. It can be done. Othe bodies have done it.

[@elmono3939]

@@chrisbaudeg3233 Thank you for your advice. Question: What is M1X ?

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

@@elmono3939 Olympus M1X, and I believe the OM-1 also has it, I have the OM-1 mark II, and that also tracks correctly. This week end, used my partner's Canon R6 Mark II, and it was sticky on the subject... One focus setting for my application and it worked great. With the z9 I need to keep changing focus setting every minute depending on the subject situation. Z9 focus is great if you have time and repeatabilty of subject placement. What is needed is Dynamic-area AF (S) with tracking. Once locked unto the subject it behaves like 3D-tracking without the annoyance of locking unto round objects like balls, round finials, roundish sunlight coming through tree leaves opening, etc too long to describe here. This is a documented failure. Doing the Hudson Henry hand off is nice but anothet rigmarole or work around to solve a challenge, annoyance and irritation.

[@manulevrai1005]

En français. Please

[@nikoadam1]

c'est ici : kzbin.info/www/bejne/pV7NZ6h3bpqig68

[@bertnase9933]

Your 3D example shows exactly how the AF lost it's focus and the image is blurry in the video.

[@AshBashSneakers]

What on earth were you looking at? Maybe you thought he was focusing on the gentleman.. because he wasn’t

[@bertnase9933]

@@AshBashSneakers You're welcome! As he said: focusing on his colleague and then he lost the focus and sticks to the tripod.

[@LDam-pf6lx]

​​​​@@bertnase9933 He didn't lose it. As you can see, he released the focus, (box changing from yellow to white), and the set up 3D tracking on the tripod (box change from white to yellow), to illustrate that it can track any arbitrary object. 5:18

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

@@LDam-pf6lx What a rigmarole. He lost focus, period. Try it in the field. Watch how white objects are sticky, or grab focus, watch if sunny or evercast, watch focus jump to white round objects ... well documented in Nikon Z9 Sigs and Jared.

[@19Photographer76]

For those of us that have French as our first tongue, your Cadence is OK. For those with English as their only language, your cadence must be difficult.

[@MeirMartin]

Sorry, I don't Understand!!!

[@nemmka]

OMG...he is quite incoherent...

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

Ludovic is very coherent, it's the focus system that is not integrated from an event sports photographer's application. Ludovic only reports on the bench application, not on 'in the field' work.

[@AZTEC_ARTS2023]

Nikon : For a $6000 camera, i HOPE that EVERYTHING works 100% all the time (AF system) .... but i doubt it.

[@schst]

noob