Sony A1 settings for wildlife

[FB101]

As I patiently wait for my A1 I started studying videos and articles on how people shooting wildlife set theirs up to give me pointers for when I start experimenting and figuring how I like mine set-up.

It seems there are two clear schools of thoughts and Steve even did a video a while back about it but it seems the A1 has really made it possible to operate either way, so interested in everybody's thoughts and set-ups.

The first school of thought is that tracking and eye detection have reached a level such that you don't need BBF anymore - I was shocked to see Mark Galer (but he's not the only one) recommends to put the AF back on the main trigger, have one alternate AF mode registered and toggle between both as needed while the camera does everything...

The second school of thoughts is to keep BBF and take advantage of huge customization ability of the A1 to have the flexibility of using one button presses to adapt to all sorts of situation.

Where my head is at to get started, will be to continue to use BBF with something like that:
AF-on button with full sensor AF, tracking and eye detection (set to bird)
One alternate smaller AF area (probably zone or one size smaller area) with tracking and eye detection registered - and C1 set to toggle between the 2 when I need to avoid a confusing background but still need a fairly large detection area for a fast moving bird (for initial acquisition, after that tracking should take care of it throughout the frame)
AE-L button converted to AF-on with a spot (probably with extension assist) with tracking and eye detect enabled, for when I need to nail focus between branches or in a group or on an eye if eye detect fails.

That gives me 3 focusing scenarios only 1 button press away.

Is there any downside to keeping all modes with tracking and eye-detection active (and I'll set one button to turn off tracking and another to toggle between eye detection modes)? I have seen videos where people use non tracking modes as their first choice and only have tracking enabled in a back-up mode - that seems weird on an A1.

Finally I'll have a completely different set of parameters (lower speed, lower ISO limit, probably lower frame rate, spot AF area) for static birds, on a memory-hold button to temporarily reset the camera with 1 press.

So how do people with A1s have theirs set-up? One of the things least talked about is just how customizable it is - which is great but also daunting so any pointers to get started is highly appreciated - Steve, if you have that book ready, publish it now, I am buying

 

[Deleted member 115]

I think you have a good understanding of what to expect. I do not use BBAF anymore, it took a few days for it to sink in for me.
I am not one to give advice on technique but, leave my camera on wide with bird or animal eye tracking then switch to zone or spot AF as needed.
The beautiful EVF and user friendly buttons and menu allows easy access to settings without dropping camera.

I am looking forward to you receiving your new rig. I am very curious how you will react to it. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[DavidT]

I use BBF with the a1. I leave eye tracking on as it’s a passive system. If it doesn’t find an eye it works as if you have it off so no reason to not have it on.

I use the tracking modes the most often for everything but still subjects such as landscape, even then I may not turn it off.

I suggest Mark Smith a9 set up as it’s a good starting point. A few items are in a different place as the a1 has a newer menu layout.

I would use the camera and see what functions you find you use often and then assign those to a custom button. The a1 is a different beast and I highly recommend you get used to using the a1 as a mirrorless camera. I tried to get it to function more like what I was used to a Nikon DSLR at first. You can make that happen for the most part but then you are not taking advantage of what the a1 is really capable of delivering.

I set up shooting mode 1,2, and 3 to cover my normal shooting and subject needs. Once you do that there really isn’t much you’ll ever change then switching the dial to one of those modes.

Here is how mine is set up:
Shooting mode 1: manual mode, auto iso, aperture set to wide open, shutter speed 1/640, flexible spot medium, bird eye af on, tracking mode on. This is my default settings for a non flying bird. This gives me a shooting mode that I can quickly turn on and capture the shot. If I need to adjust anything that’s just a turn of the front or rear dial to adjust aperture or shutter speed. Also a quick dial for exposure comp.

Shooting mode 2: same as above except shutter speed of 1/3200 and zone tracking. This is for birds flying.

Shooting mode 3: same as mode 1 except eye AF set to animal, shutter speed 1/500, flexible spot medium with tracking. This is for animals.

By using these 3 modes it covers most of what I shoot. If I’m going to shoot macro I just switch to manual mode and make adjustments from there as an example. The nice thing is I can quickly switch from one mode to the next to quickly react to the current subject. This is something I have loved with the dials vs the LCD screens. One click and I’m taking pics.

 

[FB101]

I use BBF with the a1. I leave eye tracking on as it’s a passive system. If it doesn’t find an eye it works as if you have it off so no reason to not have it on.

I use the tracking modes the most often for everything but still subjects such as landscape, even then I may not turn it off.

I suggest Mark Smith a9 set up as it’s a good starting point. A few items are in a different place as the a1 has a newer menu layout.

I would use the camera and see what functions you find you use often and then assign those to a custom button. The a1 is a different beast and I highly recommend you get used to using the a1 as a mirrorless camera. I tried to get it to function more like what I was used to a Nikon DSLR at first. You can make that happen for the most part but then you are not taking advantage of what the a1 is really capable of delivering.

I set up shooting mode 1,2, and 3 to cover my normal shooting and subject needs. Once you do that there really isn’t much you’ll ever change then switching the dial to one of those modes.

Here is how mine is set up:
Shooting mode 1: manual mode, auto iso, aperture set to wide open, shutter speed 1/640, flexible spot medium, bird eye af on, tracking mode on. This is my default settings for a non flying bird. This gives me a shooting mode that I can quickly turn on and capture the shot. If I need to adjust anything that’s just a turn of the front or rear dial to adjust aperture or shutter speed. Also a quick dial for exposure comp.

Shooting mode 2: same as above except shutter speed of 1/3200 and zone tracking. This is for birds flying.

Shooting mode 3: same as mode 1 except eye AF set to animal, shutter speed 1/500, flexible spot medium with tracking. This is for animals.

By using these 3 modes it covers most of what I shoot. If I’m going to shoot macro I just switch to manual mode and make adjustments from there as an example. The nice thing is I can quickly switch from one mode to the next to quickly react to the current subject. This is something I have loved with the dials vs the LCD screens. One click and I’m taking pics.

Thanks, that’s great input. I’ve watched Mark’s video and I will follow his ideas with maybe a few tweaks. I am joining him for a workshop in December to photograph Ospreys in flight so I hope I will have had a chance to clock enough hours on the A1 by then - I wouldn’t want to show up with a camera I’m not comfortable with yet.

If it all works out I’ll rent the 600 f:4 - if the A1 is delayed too much, I’ll shoot nikon and rent a 500 f:4.

 

[DavidT]

Thanks, that’s great input. I’ve watched Mark’s video and I will follow his ideas with maybe a few tweaks. I am joining him for a workshop in December to photograph Ospreys in flight so I hope I will have had a chance to clock enough hours on the A1 by then - I wouldn’t want to show up with a camera I’m not comfortable with yet.

If it all works out I’ll rent the 600 f:4 - if the A1 is delayed too much, I’ll shoot nikon and rent a 500 f:4.

Let me know how that class goes. I’ll be in FL in January and planning on doing that same class. $400 isn’t cheap but if I can get some good shots I figured why not.

 

[FB101]

Let me know how that class goes. I’ll be in FL in January and planning on doing that same class. $400 isn’t cheap but if I can get some good shots I figured why not.

I’ll let you know. I booked 2 days so hopefully I will get a few decent shots If I don’t mess up

 

[Ltgk20]

I used BBF for the last decade or so, but admit on the A1 I'm relearning to shoot without it. I start with the non-tracking modes, toggling between my three most favorite on C2. I use C1 to toggle between subject identification. I use the AF on button to activate tracking (which works in conjunction with whichever AF area I have selected via the toggle) Finally, I vary between custom shoot sets or a registered AF area on the AEL button. I use right wheel to toggle APSC/Full Frame and down-wheel to toggle subject detection. I created a powerpoint doc to capture the customizations to help me remember them and also to study when I first got the camera (I don't update it as often as I change the camera, unfortunately). This is a link to the doc I created: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wydxz588bmndico/A1 Custom Setup.pptx?dl=0

 

[RichF]

I have been following the discussion on whether or not to use BBF with ML. WIth focus points all over the screen I can see the logic, just BBF is so natural to me it would be a hard habit to break

 

[Mark Garfinkel]

Let me know how that class goes. I’ll be in FL in January and planning on doing that same class. $400 isn’t cheap but if I can get some good shots I figured why not.

I'll me there in December ands also January. Do you have your dates? My sister lives in Lake Land,

 

[FB101]

I'll me there in December ands also January. Do you have your dates? My sister lives in Lake Land,

Yep, December 27 & 28. I’ll be coming from Tampa on the 26th And I’ll probably head back 28th or 29th. My in laws are in Tampa and my wife and kids will be there. I can escape for a few days but I need to head back eventually

 

[DavidT]

I'll me there in December ands also January. Do you have your dates? My sister lives in Lake Land,

Most likely I’d book a class on January 21st.

 

[FB101]

Most likely I’d book a class on January 21st.

I wish, it's my Birthday but i will be back in Indiana by then.

 

[Roy]

As I patiently wait for my A1 I started studying videos and articles on how people shooting wildlife set theirs up to give me pointers for when I start experimenting and figuring how I like mine set-up.

It seems there are two clear schools of thoughts and Steve even did a video a while back about it but it seems the A1 has really made it possible to operate either way, so interested in everybody's thoughts and set-ups.

The first school of thought is that tracking and eye detection have reached a level such that you don't need BBF anymore - I was shocked to see Mark Galer (but he's not the only one) recommends to put the AF back on the main trigger, have one alternate AF mode registered and toggle between both as needed while the camera does everything...

The second school of thoughts is to keep BBF and take advantage of huge customization ability of the A1 to have the flexibility of using one button presses to adapt to all sorts of situation.

Where my head is at to get started, will be to continue to use BBF with something like that:
AF-on button with full sensor AF, tracking and eye detection (set to bird)
One alternate smaller AF area (probably zone or one size smaller area) with tracking and eye detection registered - and C1 set to toggle between the 2 when I need to avoid a confusing background but still need a fairly large detection area for a fast moving bird (for initial acquisition, after that tracking should take care of it throughout the frame)
AE-L button converted to AF-on with a spot (probably with extension assist) with tracking and eye detect enabled, for when I need to nail focus between branches or in a group or on an eye if eye detect fails.

That gives me 3 focusing scenarios only 1 button press away.

Is there any downside to keeping all modes with tracking and eye-detection active (and I'll set one button to turn off tracking and another to toggle between eye detection modes)? I have seen videos where people use non tracking modes as their first choice and only have tracking enabled in a back-up mode - that seems weird on an A1.

Finally I'll have a completely different set of parameters (lower speed, lower ISO limit, probably lower frame rate, spot AF area) for static birds, on a memory-hold button to temporarily reset the camera with 1 press.

So how do people with A1s have theirs set-up? One of the things least talked about is just how customizable it is - which is great but also daunting so any pointers to get started is highly appreciated - Steve, if you have that book ready, publish it now, I am buying

I borrowed a A1 to try before I buy especially for wildlife.
A good camera but the 30fps was unavailable.
Mostly I could only get up to 8-10fps depending on the lens.
30fps may be available with some lenses if you dont mind shooting lossy compressed.

 

[FB101]

I borrowed a A1 to try before I buy especially for wildlife.
A good camera but the 30fps was unavailable.
Mostly I could only get up to 8-10fps depending on the lens.
30fps may be available with some lenses if you dont mind shooting lossy compressed.

I am not looking for 30fps in my base settings. 20 will be more than enough - the 200-600 can deliver 30fps so no worries there, I just don’t know if I can get 20 with lossless compression which would be my preferred format. i also need to see what impact switching AF to “release” has in practical terms - my gut tells me I’d rather keep it more balanced and sacrifice a couple FPS, but I wouldn’t want to drop below 15 because of it.
Right now, shooting at 9 or 10 fps depending on the body, I see gaps in between frames that I know would have yielded a better wing position and higher frame rate will help with that, but it’s not the most critical feature I see and I am not looking forward to culling 2 to 3x the number of files.

 

[arbitrage]

I borrowed a A1 to try before I buy especially for wildlife.
A good camera but the 30fps was unavailable.
Mostly I could only get up to 8-10fps depending on the lens.
30fps may be available with some lenses if you dont mind shooting lossy compressed.

Which lenses were you using?
All my lenses are hitting 30FPS every single time I check. Of course I'm using modern Sony lenses that officially support 30FPS.
Adapted Canon lenses will be 10FPS. Sigma will be 15FPS.
Lossy Compressed is required for 30FPS with supported lenses and using Lossless or Uncompressed will drop you to 20FPS.

 

[FB101]

Which lenses were you using?
All my lenses are hitting 30FPS every single time I check. Of course I'm using modern Sony lenses that officially support 30FPS.
Adapted Canon lenses will be 10FPS. Sigma will be 15FPS.
Lossy Compressed is required for 30FPS with supported lenses and using Lossless or Uncompressed will drop you to 20FPS.

in your experience, whatks the impact of changing AF priority to “release” - do you see a difference in keeper rates vs balanced?

 

[NorthernFocus]

I'm surprised by the discussion. Reading other posts about the A1 I was under the impression that the only setting that was needed is to set it on a tripod and go have a cuppa. When you return the card will be full of award winning photos.

 

[Venkatesh VT]

Thanks, that’s great input. I’ve watched Mark’s video and I will follow his ideas with maybe a few tweaks. I am joining him for a workshop in December to photograph Ospreys in flight so I hope I will have had a chance to clock enough hours on the A1 by then - I wouldn’t want to show up with a camera I’m not comfortable with yet.

If it all works out I’ll rent the 600 f:4 - if the A1 is delayed too much, I’ll shoot nikon and rent a 500 f:4.

Sony India sales guy called me to tell that A1 will be in my hand by 26 Oct 2021(planning for 200 -600 ).I had used Sony RX 10 IV extensively & had no issue with its menu. I dont know how different is the A1's menu.
We are planning to go for shooting Raptors in Indian deserts (migratory & loacl species including the Great Indian Bustard) in the first week of Dec.Hope to learn the tricks of the trade by then & enjoy the desert fare.Any how our old faithful D 850+500 PF are there as a back up

 

[FB101]

I'm surprised by the discussion. Reading other posts about the A1 I was under the impression that the only setting that was needed is to set it on a tripod and go have a cuppa. When you return the card will be full of award winning photos.

i will let you know if that’s the case, of course it will need to be espresso otherwise I will blame the camera and send it back

i don’t expect the A1 to do magic. I want to see if it can help with my shooting style and my gaps. As I’ve said before, time is what I have the least of, followed by common sense not far behind, so knowing that I can’t practice enough to work out all my quirks, I hope some of the A1 features will help me.

In the end, I would really like wysiwyg, better tracking AF to focus on composition rather than keeping group AF on target, and a higher frame rate in the 15 to 20 range to catch more wing positions.

i tried the Z7ii and didn’t like the AF experience. I rented it for a week, shot hundreds of frames and every time I went back to the D850 mid shoot out of frustration. Some folks have success with it and that’s awesome, but it didn’t work for me.

Then I rented the R5 for a week. I liked that experience much better, it was very close to my wish list. But I wasn’t a huge fan of the 100-500 and the viewfinder experience was still a bit choppy (but manageable). Also the sensor, as much improved as it is, still isn’t quite on par with the A1 and Z7ii for image quality (but I could easily have lived happily with it, if it wasn’t for the rest).

So I could have rented the A1 but that’s where lack of common sense kicked in
I have a couple workshops scheduled for december and I don’t want to go with gear unknown to me. So I bought the A1 to have enough practice time. All my Nikon gear is right here - if I don’t feel good enough about my experience with the A1 by December, I’ll shoot the D850.
What was the final deciding factor for me was actually handling the Sony 600 f:4 lens (with an A9ii). And that’s the most balanced and easy to handle 600 f:4 I have ever held - so when I thought about which one of the big guns will be my forever lens, I felt I had to give Sony a very fair shake because that lens is special. I won’t buy it right away but if I decide to transition to Sony completely it will be to buy that lens.

Anything that exceeds those expectations will be welcome. If the A1 and I don’t get along, I can sell the whole package with a loss similar to 2 weeks of rental... And still have pocket change for espressos.

 

[Ltgk20]

One comment about lossy vs lossless shooting: if you're concerned do some testing yourself. I suspect it is more of a theoretical, rather than an actual, problem for most.

 

[Icarus]

i will let you know if that’s the case, of course it will need to be espresso otherwise I will blame the camera and send it back

i don’t expect the A1 to do magic. I want to see if it can help with my shooting style and my gaps. As I’ve said before, time is what I have the least of, followed by common sense not far behind, so knowing that I can’t practice enough to work out all my quirks, I hope some of the A1 features will help me.

In the end, I would really like wysiwyg, better tracking AF to focus on composition rather than keeping group AF on target, and a higher frame rate in the 15 to 20 range to catch more wing positions.

i tried the Z7ii and didn’t like the AF experience. I rented it for a week, shot hundreds of frames and every time I went back to the D850 mid shoot out of frustration. Some folks have success with it and that’s awesome, but it didn’t work for me.

Then I rented the R5 for a week. I liked that experience much better, it was very close to my wish list. But I wasn’t a huge fan of the 100-500 and the viewfinder experience was still a bit choppy (but manageable). Also the sensor, as much improved as it is, still isn’t quite on par with the A1 and Z7ii for image quality (but I could easily have lived happily with it, if it wasn’t for the rest).

So I could have rented the A1 but that’s where lack of common sense kicked in
I have a couple workshops scheduled for december and I don’t want to go with gear unknown to me. So I bought the A1 to have enough practice time. All my Nikon gear is right here - if I don’t feel good enough about my experience with the A1 by December, I’ll shoot the D850.
What was the final deciding factor for me was actually handling the Sony 600 f:4 lens (with an A9ii). And that’s the most balanced and easy to handle 600 f:4 I have ever held - so when I thought about which one of the big guns will be my forever lens, I felt I had to give Sony a very fair shake because that lens is special. I won’t buy it right away but if I decide to transition to Sony completely it will be to buy that lens.

Anything that exceeds those expectations will be welcome. If the A1 and I don’t get along, I can sell the whole package with a loss similar to 2 weeks of rental... And still have pocket change for espressos.

Your reasons for wanting the A1 are exactly why I purchased it. It compensates for most of my inadequacies as a photographer and I truly appreciate the helping hand. It does absolutely everything I need it to do. Hope it works as well for you.

 

[lablover27]

I use BBF with the a1. I leave eye tracking on as it’s a passive system. If it doesn’t find an eye it works as if you have it off so no reason to not have it on.

I use the tracking modes the most often for everything but still subjects such as landscape, even then I may not turn it off.

I suggest Mark Smith a9 set up as it’s a good starting point. A few items are in a different place as the a1 has a newer menu layout.

I would use the camera and see what functions you find you use often and then assign those to a custom button. The a1 is a different beast and I highly recommend you get used to using the a1 as a mirrorless camera. I tried to get it to function more like what I was used to a Nikon DSLR at first. You can make that happen for the most part but then you are not taking advantage of what the a1 is really capable of delivering.

I set up shooting mode 1,2, and 3 to cover my normal shooting and subject needs. Once you do that there really isn’t much you’ll ever change then switching the dial to one of those modes.

Here is how mine is set up:
Shooting mode 1: manual mode, auto iso, aperture set to wide open, shutter speed 1/640, flexible spot medium, bird eye af on, tracking mode on. This is my default settings for a non flying bird. This gives me a shooting mode that I can quickly turn on and capture the shot. If I need to adjust anything that’s just a turn of the front or rear dial to adjust aperture or shutter speed. Also a quick dial for exposure comp.

Shooting mode 2: same as above except shutter speed of 1/3200 and zone tracking. This is for birds flying.

Shooting mode 3: same as mode 1 except eye AF set to animal, shutter speed 1/500, flexible spot medium with tracking. This is for animals.

By using these 3 modes it covers most of what I shoot. If I’m going to shoot macro I just switch to manual mode and make adjustments from there as an example. The nice thing is I can quickly switch from one mode to the next to quickly react to the current subject. This is something I have loved with the dials vs the LCD screens. One click and I’m taking pics.

I’ve been struggling with how to set up my a1 and this seems very attractive to me. Not sure if it would be asking too much but would love to see what you have your buttons set too.

 

[DavidT]

I’ve been struggling with how to set up my a1 and this seems very attractive to me. Not sure if it would be asking too much but would love to see what you have your buttons set too.

Here is how I have it now. I’ve been playing around with different ones. I don’t use all the buttons available and I do tweak things a little depending on what I’ll be doing but this is the normal set up.

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[lablover27]

Here is how I have it now. I’ve been playing around with different ones. I don’t use all the buttons available and I do tweak things a little depending on what I’ll be doing but this is the normal set up.
View attachment 29284View attachment 29285View attachment 29286View attachment 29287

Can’t thank you enough. Thank you

 

[DavidT]

Can I move “menu” button to the right hand side? To AF-ON button or rec button maybe…

Idk but I’d think so.