Having a challenge obtaining focus on a hummingbird in motion

[Jamie J]

I have a Z8 and 600 PF lens. While In Ecuador I have several opportunities to photograph hummingbirds. No issue while they are resting at a finder, using animal detection but having little success obtaining focus when the hummer is in flight just off the feeder. I have tried numerous focus modes, can someone suggest what I should do?

 

[realspeed]

can you video and select a clip from the video? or fast shutter speed and machine gun the camera with a lot of shots and pick out one that is ok.no humming birds in the uk sorry

 

[DRwyoming]

I have tried numerous focus modes, can someone suggest what I should do?

I've had very good luck shooting hummingbirds near flowers or feeders with the following Z9 settings (pre firmware 4.1 so before they added the dedicated Bird subject detect)

- AF-C
- Starting AF Area mode: Wide-Small or sometimes Wide-Large if there isn't much clutter that might fool the AF system
- Animal Subject Detect enabled
- 3D AF Area Mode on the Fn1 button so I can hand over to 3D after I see subject detection or better yet eye detection kick in

If I'm shooting near a feeder or feeding flower I'll usually have the Wide Small or Large box setup near the feeder and wait till the bird comes in to feed. I don't like to shoot with a feeder in the frame and even with flowers usually wait till the bird backs out and has some separation to the flower but when it comes in to feed I'll activate AF (I use back button AF activation but shutter release half press would be fine if that's how you run).

If I see the AF area refine to a smaller box on the subject or better yet on the eye I hit the Fn1 button to hand over to 3D AF Area mode. I don't try the handover unless I see one of the smaller boxes pop up indicating subject detect is working but if it is, it's nice as the bird pulls back from the feeder or flower and moves around the frame usually hovering back a bit.

I haven't had a ton of luck just grabbing AF on the bird as it initially flies in and generally pick up AF and eye detect lock as its on the feeder or flower but they often back out a few inches and hover a bit before coming back in to feed and that's when I capture images. Sometimes they just come in, feed a bit and zoom away and those shots tend not to work but many hummers will hover a bit after feeding and perhaps come in and feed again a few times before flying off. That's when the shots work for me. Sure once in a while a bird will come in and hover before initially feeding and sometimes if I'm quick I can grab focus and get some images but I have far more consistent results by letting them feed first and waiting for them to back out and hover.

 

[PhilcTx]

I have a Z8 and 600 PF lens. While In Ecuador I have several opportunities to photograph hummingbirds. No issue while they are resting at a finder, using animal detection but having little success obtaining focus when the hummer is in flight just off the feeder. I have tried numerous focus modes, can someone suggest what I should do?

Consider using manual focus and pre-focus at the anticipated distance just off the feeder. This worked for me with the local Black-chinned hummers as they would predictably back off slightly and briefly hover after a sip from the feeder. I was in a blind/hide fairly close to the feeder and shooting on a tripod with a shorter focal length lens than a 600, - like a 100-400mm as I recall maybe less.