At Nikon DSLR‘s you set autofocus modes via the AF switch at the left front side of the camera and via standard menu or via INFO button. Using Z camera’s you can set autofocus modes via the standard menu or its i-menu.

“Unsharp” pictures are worthless. So priority one is getting your pictures in focus. Autofocus at Nikon camera’s implies that camera and lens coöperate using the dedicated autofocus sensor of the DSLR or the autofocus function integrated on the one and only sensor of Nikon Z mirrorless camera’s. 

Autofocus is either Single autofocus or Continuous autofocus. The camera produces one picture or a series of pictures in focus of (a) moving bird(s) in action. Continuous autofocus can be accomplished using various methods defined by Advanced autofocus settings of the camera. You need to understand the technique behind them and practice photographing moving birds (in flight) until you understand what your camera is doing if your pictures are in focus but equally important, if they are not in focus, why they are not in focus. This takes some time practicing. By the way this time is definitely well spent. It is rewarding (and sometimes amazing) to see what your Nikon camera and lens can achieve in focussing and tracking, when your settings are in order and you got some experience and skills in this area.

We will review manual focus, standard autofocus and “focus tracking”, de facto “subject tracking” (bewegend doel volgen en blijven focusseren). We will also look at focus locking or using depth of field (scherptediepte) in combination with autofocus, because these techniques are sometimes a good way to get in-focus pictures in bird photography.

We will also review back button autofocus “BBAF” and explain why we prefer this technique most of thetime in combination with some other settings in bird photography.

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Practicing autofocus settings and “safe” values of EXPOSURE TIME:

Out-of-focus pictures are created either via (too much) movement of (unstabilised) equipment or by incorrect focussing of the camera-lens-combination.

Understanding autofocus settings of camera and lenses and practicing skills tends to be different between types of camera. Especially when you think your settings are all right but your pictures are still not in-focus, it may be difficult to determine whether either you have made a mistake (incorrect settings or movement of camera or lens or insufficient skill) or the speed of the bird was beyond the focussing potential of camera and lens. Some birds are just too fast in certain situations! Anyway keep trying till you start getting results. To get started let us give you an overview of Nikon’s autofocus features and some tips for practicing.

If you want accurately focussed pictures, use the next suggested “safe” values of EXPOSURE TIME like:

• Resting or not moving, “stationary”, bird: (and no (expected) action): something like 1/250 second. Be aware that birds often make unnoticed fast movements with head or tail! So if possible use like 1/500 second or more. In dark winters of cloudy wheather this may be difficult. Use high ISO values up to 12.800. Out-of focus picctures ar worthless, too much noise is oftent removab;e to large extent in post production using sppecilised software.

• (Expected) relatively slow action: like up in the sky cruising Buzzards (Buizerds), quietly searching or hunting Terns (Sterns) or Harriers (Kiekendieven) and Kites (Wouwen): 1/1000 second or shorter.

• (Expected) highspeed action: 1/2000 – 1/4000 second in case of real fast birds or fast action like starting Woodpeckers (Spechten), diving Terns (Sterns), Kingfishers (IJsvogels), Kestrels (Torenvalken), Peregrines (Slechtvalken) and air acrobats Like Lapwings (Kievieten), Pratincoles (Vorkstaartplevieren) and Marsh Terns (Moerasterns) that often tend to unexpectedly dive to pick up insects or small fishes from the water surface like Whiskered Tern (Witwangstern) or Black Tern (Zwarte Stern).

Autofocus and “fast” Nikkor lenses

In order to succesfully accomplish autofocus a camera needs as much available light as one can get. So never ever sell your precious “fast” f/2.8- or f/4-telelenses unless you are sure you have a better alternative. In order to produce clean noisefree pictures a camera also needs good light. Nevertheless modern camera’s like Nikon D300(S), D7200 and D7500 and, even better, semi pro D500 and some latest Nikon Z MLC’s can autofocus admirably fast and accurate and produce clean low noise pictures at high ISO values. So today one can succesfully photograph birds also in low light situations.

Take a look at some examples below:

A Whiskered Tern (Witwangstern) in action: this is a BORDERLINE CASE (low amount of available light and restricted autofocus potential of the “oldtimer” type D300). Nevertheless this Tern has been focussed accurately in dark cloudy wheather thanks to our fast 200mm f/2.8 lens. Using a converter or stopping down a fast telelens may degrade its autofocus speed. Nevertjeless in this situation, even when using asperical TC-20E III, we managed to make the shot in dark cloudy wheather.