Foto at top: Holland jan 2024 sun Goosander (Grote Zaaagbek) female taking off size 62cm distance 45m equivalent 1500m D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR APERTURE mode Birds 1/2000 f/8 ISO 640 -1.5.EV standard camouflage. Crop 3300 x 2200.
F11: full screen
Nikons advanced Autofocus modes (example D500)
Nikon DSLR’s and mirrorless camera’s perform autofocus in various different AF modes as follows. Make syre you understand how these various modes work. Some are quite useful in bird photography.
| Focus mode | Half press Release: | Full press Release | During setting Viewer shows: | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AF-S | camera focusses once | foto | (red text) "S" | if bird changes position after Release pressed, foto maybe unsharp !!! |
| AF-C dynamic | camera anticipates movement bird and focusses continuously even if bird leaves AF-area briefly | foto | (red rectangle) containing 25 or 72 or 153 AF points | more AF points better tracking but more work |
| AF-C group | camera focusses continuously | foto | (red text) "GrP" | focus dropped if any AF point leaves GrP |
| AF-C 3D | camera focusses continuously & RGB sensor assists AF sensor | foto | (red text) "3 D" | focus dropped if colours change (e.g. if colours back bird & front different) |
| AF-C auto | camera chooses subject, thereafter uses 3D | foto | (empty red rectangle) | AF priority item in foreground or the only item in the picture! Full press Release to start new AF auto cycle. |
- Dynamic anticipating mode uses 25, 72 or 153 AF points (at D500). The “virtual lines” connecting these AF points within the AF area are horizontal, vertical or, rxtra sensitive, cross type sensors located at the autofocus sensor of a DSLR or at the one and only sensor of an MLC like Z50 or Z7 II. See the diagram of the AF sensor of the D500 below.
- 3 D mode operates like Dynamic anticipating mode but the RGB sensor of the camera assists with extra AF points (positioned in between the standard AF Points) and colour tracking which may speed up autofocus. Use this mode when bird colours are obviously different from the environment like in case of for example Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Oystercatchers, Bee-Eaters, Rollers, etcetera.
- Group mode (Nikon DSLR model D500 or higher): camera prioritizes on the group in forground most close to the camera. You have to set the AF points wich will be part of this “group” using the multiselector. The selected group will be moved as such by photographer (again using multiselector) but the camera will change focus when the subject leaves any one of the selected group’s AF points. You then have to react again (again using multiselector). We feel using multiselector in bird tracking is too slow a technique so we never use Group mode in bird photography. It may be more adequate when tracking tennisplayers, soccerplayers, children or dogs. @dik update !!!!
- Auto mode: the camera chooses the subject! This feels a bit weired at first but it is an interesting way to track for example the unpredictable turns of Whiskered Tern (Witwangstern), Pratincole (Vorkstaartplevier), Lapwing (Kieviet) or other air acrobats. This Auto mode is differently implemented at various Nikon camera models but camera’s priority is autofocus at a subject obviously in the foreground, like a in the air stunting or towards the camera flying bird. Be aware: you can only exit an unsuccesful Auto mode cycle by (repeatedly) pressing Release button (and subsequently start another Auto mode cycle if you like). Just point at a bird wherever your bird is and often the camera will pick up focus at your bird right away. You need to practice this Auto mode. We did so and got used to the feeling of “having no control whatsoever” and now do appreciate this Auto mode in situations of unpredictable action. For example Black and Whiskered Marsh Terns (Zwarte en Witwangstern) and Common Tern (Visdief) are often rather slowly and calmly inspecting reed borders or the like but may suddenly make a quick twist or turn or unexpectedly dive down when they notice prey. Auto mode has often been our best choice in those situations.
Initiating advanced AF modes at Nikon DSLR’s and MLC’s
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. At Z50 you set AF modes via standard menu or via i-menu. Their nomenclature and functioning are somewhat different, for example in Z50 i-menu nomenclature is:
- Focus Modes: AF-A, AF-S, AF-C, MF
- AF-area modes: Pinpoint AF, Single-point AF, Dynamic-area AF, Wide-area AF (S), Wide-area AF (L), Auto-area AF.
AF-C in combination with Wide-area (L) has proven to be the most succesful setting when subject tracking. “L” stands for “Large”.
Overview AF parameters a1- a13
| a1 Release priority MF | Focus | only in-focus pictures | if distance camera-bird constant! if not set priority Focus |
| a2 Release priority AF-C | Release | always a picture | Release: camera definitely makes picture. We accept some unsharp pictures. It will increase FPS in BBAF with about 20% (D500 8 -> 10 fps). |
| a3 subject tracking with lock ON | 1 (quick) lock actual AF position as soon as AF is acquired | camera will react immediately when bird is in focus and lock focus | |
| a4 use face detection | Off | not relevant in bird photography | |
| a5 area subject tracking in 3d | wide | birds move fast so camera should follow everywhere | |
| a6 number AF points displacement multiselector | we never use slow multiselector in bird photography | this applies to movement multiselector during setting! | |
| a7 separately store position of horizontal and vertical AF points | No | not very relevant in bird photography | related to landscape/portrait position camera |
| a8 AF-On button | ON | AF-On only: if you want to prepare camera for back button autofocus BBAF | separate autofocus function (AF-ON button) and shutter release (RELEASE button) |
| a9 limit options AF-area | 72 and 153 points NOT selectable, other area sizes selectable | we never use >25 AF points in bird photography | we may use but 25 points when using converter, all other cases we want up to 153 points |
| a10 AF-S, AF-C , no limits | no limits | AF-S and AF-C selectable | |
| a11 selected AF point automatically wraps around when hitting screen side | Off | we do not use this | in bird photography |
| a12 MF help dynamic area-AF 3 presentation Group-AF 3 4 illuminate AF point | 1 yes 2 yes 3 yes 4 yes | ||
| a13 MF operation inititated via focus ring on Nikon compatble lens | enable | applies to e.g. Sigma Sport 600mm and Tamron G2 600mm |
Advanced AF starting location in te picture
When you set your camera into one of this advanced autofocus modes, you implicitly choose the location of the starting point of the autofocus. You implcitly define at which point “in the picture” the camera should start focussing. For example th first time it may be confusing that the camera and not you is going to “decide” at which point it wil lbe focussing and tracking! You may have to try this out for a while to get used to it.
About AF points
Modern Nikon DSLR‘s and MLC‘s over time tend to have more AF points, better firmware and more processing power which results in faster more reliable autofocus and better tracking. Interesting Examples are Z7 II, Z5 II and Z9. Flagship Z9 is safely beyond the scope of affordable lightweight bird photography. The other two MLC‘s with their two Expeed processors though are quite interesting for the category of serious enthousiast bird photograpers. In combination with 600mm Z lenses and Z Teleconverters 1.4 X and 2.0 X one may get wonderful lightweight equipment with large 35mm equivalents!
One gets easily lost when trying to understand all different types of AF points and their weight and operation. In our opinion the only thing relevant in lightweigt bird potography is that but 37 AF points maximally are supported if one uses combiations having small APERTURE value f/11, f/13, etcetera.
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Setting AF parameters a1 – a13 at Nikon DSLR’s
At Nikon DSLR‘s you set autofocus modes via the AF switch at the left front side of the camera and a1-13 parameters via standard menu. At Z camera’s you set autofocus modes via the standard menu or i-menu.
- Camera holds focus until AF-ON button (or reassigned button) is pressed once more.
- In this way the camera facilitates focus and recompose and EXPOSURE A Mode Plus.
We are using it all the time in our lightweight bird photography.
Autofocus and “fast” Nikkor lenses
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 yet 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 we will give you an overview of Nikon’s autofocus features and some tips for practicing below.
But anyway: in order to succesfully accomplish autofocus a camera needs as much available light as it 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. Particularly the Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR of 770 gram is a wonderful lightweight lens. Many, also professional, bird photographers confirm this.
Low light-conditions and modern Nikon camera’s
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.
Some examples of autofocus in lightweight bird photography
Example 1. 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. Nevertheless in this situation, even when using aspherical TC-20E III, we managed to make the shot in dark cloudy wheather.
