New Video: My Z8 And Z9 Autofocus Setup Guide (For Wildlife Photography)

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Thanks John.👍 still working my through. I’m brand new to mirrorless so taking my time particularly the screen focus point as I was out earlier and found in small wide I couldn’t get the z8 to focus on a grass stem with a background, I had to manually take over. Any thoughts?👍
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
One question if I may, Steve’s book is for firmware v1.05 for the Z8 my Z8 is v 1.0 and I can’t find v 1.05 on the Nikon website, any ideas?
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John_DE said:
Same as you, my Z8 is ver 1.0. However, I did not find any thing in my menu that differed from Steve’s e-book and video. Finally have my Z8 setup very similar to my Z9 (as close as I can).
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Nikon had 1.05 out prior to the shipping date and then seemed to pull it. It was just some LUT updates, so nothing that would affect the book. I'm sure if I put out an update, they will put out the firmware about an hour later LOL! So, I'm holding off.
 
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Steve said:
Thanks!

I tried to give the guide a good level of AF info so, depending on your needs, it constant alone. However, the AF guide does dive deeper into the AF system and really is as much about sharpness as it is the AF system. Kind of a one-two punch. So, it does have a lot more info in it.

I'll be updating it for the Z8, however, from an AF system standpoint, there's really no difference. Both camera's use identical AF systems and my recommendations for each are the same. So, for now, anyone with that guide can apply everything I say about the Z9. The update will basically be to change "Z9" to "Z8/9" throughout the text :)
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Thanks, Steve, in your words "I am not the sharpest tool in the shed..." but I think I will persist with the AF Book first and then move to the setup guide.

Cheers…Kishore
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Steve I have almost finished setting up my Z8 with your guide and video and I have a question and I may be just mind numb at this point🤣
"
Since I only have my two most useful displays enabled for the viewfinder, I
can quickly toggle between a screen with full info including a grid, level,
and histogram and one that only shows minimal information."

How do I quickly toggle? I have tried the display button and I can't see what I need there, please help.
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
Steve I have almost finished setting up my Z8 with your guide and video and I have a question and I may be just mind numb at this point🤣
"
Since I only have my two most useful displays enabled for the viewfinder, I
can quickly toggle between a screen with full info including a grid, level,
and histogram and one that only shows minimal information."

How do I quickly toggle? I have tried the display button and I can't see what I need there, please help.
Click to expand...
If you followed his recommendation, you mapped RSF to the display button and the toggle display to the center of the joystick. Pressing display will then turn subject detection on or off and pressing in on the joystick will go between your display options.
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
Steve I have almost finished setting up my Z8 with your guide and video and I have a question and I may be just mind numb at this point🤣
"
Since I only have my two most useful displays enabled for the viewfinder, I
can quickly toggle between a screen with full info including a grid, level,
and histogram and one that only shows minimal information."

How do I quickly toggle? I have tried the display button and I can't see what I need there, please help.
Click to expand...

abc123brian said:
If you followed his recommendation, you mapped RSF to the display button and the toggle display to the center of the joystick. Pressing display will then turn subject detection on or off and pressing in on the joystick will go between your display options.
Click to expand...
This ^^^. :)

Just make sure the joysticks are set for DISP and just press to toggle between displays. (Note, you can assign DISP to other buttons as well if the joysticks aren't ideal for you)
 
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abc123brian said:
If you followed his recommendation, you mapped RSF to the display button and the toggle display to the center of the joystick. Pressing display will then turn subject detection on or off and pressing in on the joystick will go between your display options.
Click to expand...
All done and working. I am a wee bit slow on this stuff so thanks. Just one more question I can't EV compensation set at +1 to save. Any ideas? Thank you
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
All done and working. I am a wee bit slow on this stuff so thanks. Just one more question I can't EV compensation set at +1 to save. Any ideas? Thank you
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I'm not sure I follow - can you be more specific as to what's happening? Exp comp should stick at whatever value you set it (unless you are setting it with recall shooting functions)
 
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Steve said:
I'm not sure I follow - can you be more specific as to what's happening? Exp comp should stick at whatever value you set it (unless you are setting it with recall shooting functions)
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That's the problem Steve I was trying to save a new set in recall functions as a new parameter set. It assigns all the new values I set except the EV compensation setting. I wasn't aware that the EV would not stick and I don't understand why, sorry.(y)
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
That's the problem Steve I was trying to save a new set in recall functions as a new parameter set. It assigns all the new values I set except the EV compensation setting. I wasn't aware that the EV would not stick and I don't understand why, sorry.(y)
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If EV is checked on the RSF menu, it should go to whatever value you have set (even if that value is zero). On the other hand, if it is unchecked, whatever you have set current for EV Comp should stick.
 
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Steve said:
If EV is checked on the RSF menu, it should go to whatever value you have set (even if that value is zero). On the other hand, if it is unchecked, whatever you have set current for EV Comp should stick.
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Thanks Steve. It does not stick or at least when i use the settings I press my EV button and it's at zero or should I be checking somewhere else?
 
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Steve I have another issue now with my newly acquired 256 CF Express type B card in Lightroom Classic. LRC sees the card as a hard drive and as such won't create a date folder on import. LRC then can't find the folder under NIKON Z 8 (D:), IT HAS A QUESTION MARK BESIDE THE 100NCZ_8 folder where the images are. Any help please would be appreciated. It must work as all you guys are shooting and importing.
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
Steve I have another issue now with my newly acquired 256 CF Express type B card in Lightroom Classic. LRC sees the card as a hard drive and as such won't create a date folder on import. LRC then can't find the folder under NIKON Z 8 (D:), IT HAS A QUESTION MARK BESIDE THE 100NCZ_8 folder where the images are. Any help please would be appreciated. It must work as all you guys are shooting and importing.
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Sounds like something is not quite correct with your LRC settings. I have no issues with importing my Z8 and/or Z9 images into LRC, and I have LRC create a folder based on the date the images were taken. This is all controlled by LRC and really has nothing to do with what camera took the photos. BTW, Macs see the CFExpress card mounted on a card reader as an external disk drive. Only thing that means is that you should un- mount the CFExpress card after all photos have been imported.
 
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John thanks for this but my settings have been working fine for years with my DSLRs and XQD cards so I'm confused. Where would I set this date folder creation up?
John_DE said:
Sounds like something is not quite correct with your LRC settings. I have no issues with importing my Z8 and/or Z9 images into LRC, and I have LRC create a folder based on the date the images were taken. This is all controlled by LRC and really has nothing to do with what camera took the photos. BTW, Macs see the CFExpress card mounted on a card reader as an external disk drive. Only thing that means is that you should un- mount the CFExpress card after all photos have been imported
Click to expand...
 
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Some CFE card readers are seen at drives and some as portable memory. Some can be changed between the different modes. It sounds like yours is identifying as a drive.
SNEDDERS6666 said:
Steve I have another issue now with my newly acquired 256 CF Express type B card in Lightroom Classic. LRC sees the card as a hard drive and as such won't create a date folder on import. LRC then can't find the folder under NIKON Z 8 (D:), IT HAS A QUESTION MARK BESIDE THE 100NCZ_8 folder where the images are. Any help please would be appreciated. It must work as all you guys are shooting and importing.
Click to expand...
 
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Great video. I like the idea of setting video to AF mode. However, having tried it out I feel that it wouldn’t better for me if o could spin the rear command dial to change AF mode. Unfortunately, I have not found a setting to do this and I only seem to be able to use the front dial to change mode. Am I missing something?
 
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TonyBrown said:
Great video. I like the idea of setting video to AF mode. However, having tried it out I feel that it wouldn’t better for me if o could spin the rear command dial to change AF mode. Unfortunately, I have not found a setting to do this and I only seem to be able to use the front dial to change mode. Am I missing something?
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Like all thing you will get used to after a while -- learn and practice in the field to build muscle memory -- adjust to the way the camera works not how you would like it to work.
 
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SNEDDERS6666 said:
John thanks for this but my settings have been working fine for years with my DSLRs and XQD cards so I'm confused. Where would I set this date folder creation up?
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My dated sub-folders are setup upon import into LRC. Go to the import menu, under "Destination." Under that "Destination" menu go down to the "Organize by Date" sub-menu. Many options there as to how you can have the sub-folders named.

I have all of my LRC photos under a folder named "LRPhotos." Under that folder I have subfolders named by Year, then month subfolders, and then day subfolders. I use keywords to mark events, locations, birds, people, etc. Just my preferred way of working.
 
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abc123brian said:
Some CFE card readers are seen at drives and some as portable memory. Some can be changed between the different modes. It sounds like yours is identifying as a driveThanks Brian.
Click to expand...

John_DE said:
My dated sub-folders are setup upon import into LRC. Go to the import menu, under "Destination." Under that "Destination" menu go down to the "Organize by Date" sub-menu. Many options there as to how you can have the sub-folders named.

I have all of my LRC photos under a folder named "LRPhotos." Under that folder I have subfolders named by Year, then month subfolders, and then day subfolders. I use keywords to mark events, locations, birds, people, etc. Just my preferred way of working.
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This is excellent John thank you. I had forgotten this as I set this up so long ago. I have solved my issue as well. On import the new card was setting the "add" to the top import settings instead of "copy" and I only noticed as I photographed the import page for a download from mu XQD card out of my D850 and compared it to the CF card import settings from the Z8 and it was then I noticed the righthand side sub menus and setting were not being displayed. I believe I have it sorted. thank you again to you and Steve for your patience.
 
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