Nikon DSLRs: Instant-Switching 2 or more Autofocus Modes

[fcotterill]

I am curious how Nikon photographers set up and use AF modes in any 1, or more, of the four cameras D500, D850, D5, D6. More specifically, do you make use of a useful option in the Custom settings menu, which enables "Instant-Switching" between 2, or more, AF Modes? With practice, one's trained muscle memory enables almost Instant-Switching between, eg Single-Point, Group AF, d25 or AutoAF. (Note: Nikon restricts what controls can be assigned to respective controls (an affliction Thom Hogan criticizes as mothering). Perpetuating one of its inexplicably strange traditions, Nikon has 'under-designed' several of its current cameras, which do not allow these settings: eg D780, and all the Z cameras.)

Under the hood, these are set in the Custom Menu via f1 (see details in the D5 Sports AF Guide). This option opens a schematic map of your camera's controls, to easily assign an AF Mode + AFOn to any of up to 4 different controls (Fn1, Fn2, Pv, Lens Fn etc).

Instant-Switching avoids slower scrolling between AF modes (while depressing the AF-mode button, camera-left). While scrolling between AF modes can be faster with both hands if shooting on a tripod, Instant-Switching is ideal if the left hand is supporting the lens, so one can zoom, tweak manual focus, with the forefinger on Lens-Fn. Together with Auto-ISO, Exposure-controls and other functions, the underlying benefit of Instant-Switching is to control the camera almost entirely with the right hand.

 

[Steve]

My strategy is to use the lens function button to set my primary AF area and the Fn1 / Pv button to set a secondary one. Most of the time, I have my main AF area in GRP or Dynamic and my programmable button set for single point. This is backwards from most but there's a method behind my madness

The way I'm wired, the less I have to do during an action sequence, the better. So, if I'm shooting a static shot (i.e. likely with single point) it doesn't require as much concentration as an action scenario - so pressing the Pv button works well. However, if action picks up, I can just release the button and my AF area is ready for action.

Works for me anyway

 

[aolander]

I have my D500 set up this way:

1) Autofocus set to AF-ON only (Custom Setting Menu a8 - OFF)
2) Using the AF-Mode button, I selected Single Point (S)
3) Custom Control Assignment for AF-ON button is set to AF-ON (no AF-area mode associated with it)
4) Sub-selector (joystick) - Focus point selection
5) Sub-selector center press - AF-area mode (group)/AF-ON

Pressing the AF-ON button focuses using Single Point
Center pressing the Sub-selector focuses using Group
Joystick action of Sub-selector selects focus point

One thing I discovered is that setting the AF-ON button to focus AND to select an AF-area Mode disables AF-ON button focusing in Live View.
The MB-D17 grip can be set up exactly this way, too.
Still experimenting with this though.

 

[DRwyoming]

I'm running BBAF with the rear panel AF-ON button set to just that, AF-ON which activates the main AF Area Group currently selected which I typically set to Group or the smallest supported Dynamic mode. I've got the front panel PV button set to Single Point AF Area mode but it doesn't activate AF. I tried using the FN1 button for a third group but prefer to use that for other functions like spot metering.

I've played around with other approaches but for the past year or so have settled on what's described above. I like @Ralph Bruno's idea of assigning a lens button to Single Point AF Area mode which I suspect would work nicely as well but not all my lenses have those buttons and I do sometimes use those buttons for memory recall to quickly return to a set focusing distance.

[edit] I agree with Steve's philosophy to make things as quick as possible with the least thinking when action heats up and assign things that take more actions to situations that aren't as dynamic.

[edit2] I'd also throw in that when I really don't expect fast action I'll often set my body's main AF Area mod to Single Point so I don't have to constantly press the PV button which is even more important when I rotate the camera vertically into Portrait orientation and the PV button isn't easily accessible. I do that fairly often for mammals that I could generally track in Single Point mode if necessary. The trick like exposure comp or any other changes to settings is to set it back to the default operating mode (e.g. Group) when I finish with that particular shooting session. I suppose that's another reason to consider the lens button for selecting Single Point as that's always accessible even when the camera is rotated vertically.

 

[RickW]

I use bbf and scroll. Never knew about the instant switch. Definitely going to try it. It seems like Steve’s “backward” method makes sense. If the subject is stationary, I would have time to fiddle finding second button. Will have to experiment.
Live and learn. I’m a bit of a Luddite when it comes to tech; when I started in photography, a camera body was nothing but a lightproof box that allowed film to pass by a lens. I easily adjusted to built in light meters and AF, but my tech skills seem to be waaaay behind the curve after that.

 

[jeffnles1]

By default, I have single point AF continuous. My Fn1 button is set to switch to Group autofocus. Matrix metering is my default, Pv is set to spot.

 

[Ralph]

By default, I have single point AF continuous. My Fn1 button is set to switch to Group autofocus. Matrix metering is my default, Pv is set to spot.

I use the fn1 button for spot and my standard exposure mode is matrix. I find the fn1 button a little easier to deal with than the pv button. As discussed above, I am trying single point with the lens button and keeping my main selection as group using the same philosophy as Steve. I tried the opposite and blew a nice opportunity with an eagle coming toward me.
When I’m sure I’ll be sitting taking static objects I’ll switch from group to single point using the main selector Similar to DR’s description above.

 

[jeffnles1]

I use the fn1 button for spot and my standard exposure mode is matrix. I find the fn1 button a little easier to deal with than the pv button. As discussed above, I am trying single point with the lens button and keeping my main selection as group using the same philosophy as Steve. I tried the opposite and blew a nice opportunity with an eagle coming toward me.
When I’m sure I’ll be sitting taking static objects I’ll switch from group to single point using the main selector Similar to DR’s description above.

Yep, that's why there are so many buttons with so many different options. All of us are different, have different size and shape hands and different priorities in our photography. At the end of the day, I think many of us use trial and error to muddle our way through the maze of options until we land on the setup that works for us.

 

[fcotterill]

Interesting feedback - thanks Growing dependent on these AF settings on a D500 and D850, makes any other camera feel handicapped if it doesn't allow Instant-Switching (ie Z cameras and D780). Hopefully Nikon will extend availability of these Custom options. Like the 300 PF and 500 PF lenses, it becomes hard to imagine photography without them!

I suspect I'm not the only experimenter - having tried out different combinations of Custom settings. This includes exploring the options with Lens-Fn on selected Nikkor telephotos. These comprise the set of dedicated Fn buttons (total of 4 simplify access with most fingers).
In summary (AFC only),
AFOn = BBAF on dynamic a9, Pv = S-point + AFON;
Fn1=GroupAF + AFOn ( sometimes Spot-metering or AE-Lock)
Usually Lens-Fn = AutoAF+AFOn.

Although I have tried different AF Mode setups in respective Custom Settings banks, this gets complicated. There's this thread last year on using Photo and Custom settings, which don't gel with everyone: https://bcgforums.com/index.php?thr...or-fleeting-wildlife-subjects.3790/post-32411

It would be great if sometime this century Nikon would improves setup methods and especially faster switching of settings banks - as the likes of Thom have pointed out over the 5 years at least! For example, you can only scroll Photobanks but not Custombanks : "...Seriously, someone had the great idea to include banks in the pro cameras many, many moons ago. Apparently that was the only insight they had and no one else at Nikon knows what to do about banks to make them more useful. Message to Nikon: we all want to be able to change the camera from one bank setting configuration to another (both PHOTO SHOOTING and Custom Settings) with a single control. Can’t do it (we can assign PHOTO SHOOTING banks to a programmable button, which is a start). "

To work on a telephoto, the lens Fn button will switch on an assigned AF Mode only if the Selector is on 'AF-L' (at least on the 500 f5.6E PF, 400 f2.8E FL, 70-200 f2.8E). Otherwise it activates the BBAF mode. Sometimes I set this selector on Memory-Recall to grab focus on a preset subject distance. This is useful to prefocus on a perch or drinking point: precise on a tripod setup.