Help! Nikon Users (Z7II specifically) I need your help.

[Patty]

I'm enrolled in a pet photography course. This next assignment is a run to me shot where the dog is running full speed right at me. I know. I wish I had a Z8 but I'm not quite there yet with saving pennies. I have to go with what I got. I have to shoot in RAW as these images also get graded on editing. I can't get away with shooting JPEGs. Currently I have Continuous Autofocus with using the Dynamic Area AF. I thought about using Animal Eye Focus but I'm not sure. My dog has a long nose, typical for a dog. He's a Brittany. My release mode is set to High and I changed that to 5 frames per second in the menu. It was set to 3, a1 CL mode shooting speed. I have the shutter type set to Auto as per Steve's set up video. Would changing to High Extended for release mode be better? Should I set the shutter type to electronic first curtain? I need a good hit rate and frame per second and good sharp images.

Any suggestions you can give would be greatly appreciated. I can't go out and rent a Z8 right now. I wish I could.

Thanks!!!

 

[Cameron T]

The more shots you can take the better the chance of getting good ones that are in focus. I'd set it to the highest it can go (12?) and start from there.

Good hit rate is going to vary depending on a lot of circumstances, and I imagine is part of the learning process for the class. Try the different AF modes, and different lenses you have if possible to see what works best for your circumstances. Unfortunately, there's no one size fits all settings for AF.

 

[Doug A.]

I have found that I have a better hit rate in similar scenarios when using fast glass and there is plenty of light. A lens with a max aperture of f2.8 and faster and scenes with lots of sunlight (as opposed to heavy overcast or when the sun is close to setting) are much more conducive to the Z7II getting the best from its various Face/Eye AF tracking modes.

 

[bsinc1962]

I would use wide area large and move the box to the top third of the screen to get it in the area of the dogs head. Dynamic mode might be tough to keep on the dogs head as well as animal af doesn't work in dynamic. I would try animal eye focus but be prepared to shut it off if it jumps around too much. Also if the light is good shooting at a higher f/stop might give you enough depth of field so that the eyes are still sharp if the focus locks on the dogs nose and not an eye.

 

[MartyD]

I don't have a Z7ii but I have shot a ton with the Z6ii and I think your Z7ii will perform fine in this activity. The biggest problem with the Z6/Z7 series is not the speed of the focusing system but the slide show effect when shooting at High Extended but that isn't much of a problem if the dog is moving towards you. I would try dynamic but also wide area large and try the eye detection. I would shoot High Extending, AF-C, and set AF-C priority selection to release.

Be aware of DOF as your dog runs toward you. If you do get the eye in focus at a distance where there is adequate DOF the dogs eyes and nose will be in focus, but as the dog gets closer the DOF will shrink and it may be difficult to keep the entire dog head in focus. (maybe that is part of the assignment)

Give your dog some exercise and let it run at you many times and find out how your Z7ii will perform in each of the focus modes. I don't shoot pets very much but I shoot a lot of sports and I have found that knowing how my cameras perform and what focus modes work best for each sport have improved my keeper rate considerably.

 

[Patty]

I have found that I have a better hit rate in similar scenarios when using fast glass and there is plenty of light. A lens with a max aperture of f2.8 and faster and scenes with lots of sunlight (as opposed to heavy overcast or when the sun is close to setting) are much more conducive to the Z7II getting the best from its various Face/Eye AF tracking modes.

I have 70-200mm Z mount f/2.8. That's the recommended lens by the instructors, 70-200mm 2.8.

 

[Patty]

I would use wide area large and move the box to the top third of the screen to get it in the area of the dogs head. Dynamic mode might be tough to keep on the dogs head as well as animal af doesn't work in dynamic. I would try animal eye focus but be prepared to shut it off if it jumps around too much. Also if the light is good shooting at a higher f/stop might give you enough depth of field so that the eyes are still sharp if the focus locks on the dogs nose and not an eye.

If I use the wide area would I miss the eyes being in focus? That's the most important thing. The nose can be out of focus but the eyes need to be in focus. These instructors are tough. They nit pick on the littlest things but that's okay. I learn something in the process.

 

[Patty]

I don't have a Z7ii but I have shot a ton with the Z6ii and I think your Z7ii will perform fine in this activity. The biggest problem with the Z6/Z7 series is not the speed of the focusing system but the slide show effect when shooting at High Extended but that isn't much of a problem if the dog is moving towards you. I would try dynamic but also wide area large and try the eye detection. I would shoot High Extending, AF-C, and set AF-C priority selection to release.

Be aware of DOF as your dog runs toward you. If you do get the eye in focus at a distance where there is adequate DOF the dogs eyes and nose will be in focus, but as the dog gets closer the DOF will shrink and it may be difficult to keep the entire dog head in focus. (maybe that is part of the assignment)

Give your dog some exercise and let it run at you many times and find out how your Z7ii will perform in each of the focus modes. I don't shoot pets very much but I shoot a lot of sports and I have found that knowing how my cameras perform and what focus modes work best for each sport have improved my keeper rate considerably.

Yes, I understand. As long as I get the eyes in focus it's okay if the nose may be out. I've done some practice shots. I'm not sure if High Extended for release mode is advisable. I understand there is some lag problems with that. Have you encountered any problems with that? I'm not sure if I should go ahead and just put on electronic shutter instead of auto.

 

[MartyD]

Yes, I understand. As long as I get the eyes in focus it's okay if the nose may be out. I've done some practice shots. I'm not sure if High Extended for release mode is advisable. I understand there is some lag problems with that. Have you encountered any problems with that? I'm not sure if I should go ahead and just put on electronic shutter instead of auto.

Yes, there is a lag problem with High Extended. The problem is most noticeable when you are trying to track objects that are moving perpendicular to your shooting line. When an object is moving directly towards you it is not nearly as much of a problem. I would certainly give it a try.

 

[Doug A.]

Unless you need your images to be at 45 megapixels, consider shooting medium RAW or medium JPEG. That is about 25 megapixels and should help clear the buffer quicker if you will be taking an extended sequence of shots.

 

[Patty]

Yes, there is a lag problem with High Extended. The problem is most noticeable when you are trying to track objects that are moving perpendicular to your shooting line. When an object is moving directly towards you it is not nearly as much of a problem. I would certainly give it a try.

Yes, I will give it a try. Thank you!

 

[Patty]

Unless you need your images to be at 45 megapixels, consider shooting medium RAW or medium JPEG. That is about 25 megapixels and should help clear the buffer quicker if you will be taking an extended sequence of shots.

It sure is tempting to do that. I've already been nailed about not getting enough detail on my dog's white blaze that runs between his eyes. These instructors are hard but in a way that's a good thing because they push us beyond what we think we can do. Thanks!

 

[Molesworth]

AF-C. Dynamic AF Area. Compared to my D-500 my hit rate with the Z7 II is much lower but improving the more I use it.

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[theEntreriCode]

You camera should be more than up to the job. Others have weighed in with a lot of useful information. Just don’t go trigger happy and keep filling up the buffer. Short bursts of the highest fps your camera will go. Boost the ISO as much as you need. Shoot in shutter priority or manual. Keep the speed above 1/1000; 1/2000 if you can. Post can clean up the noise if needed. You only need to get a workable image for this assignment. Improvements can be built on top of this later.

Steve has a great book for 10 USD on how to get great wildlife images. That will definitely help you. Probably the best 10 bucks I’ve spent in a long time.

 

[Patty]

You camera should be more than up to the job. Others have weighed in with a lot of useful information. Just don’t go trigger happy and keep filling up the buffer. Short bursts of the highest fps your camera will go. Boost the ISO as much as you need. Shoot in shutter priority or manual. Keep the speed above 1/1000; 1/2000 if you can. Post can clean up the noise if needed. You only need to get a workable image for this assignment. Improvements can be built on top of this later.

Steve has a great book for 10 USD on how to get great wildlife images. That will definitely help you. Probably the best 10 bucks I’ve spent in a long time.

I have that book. I've tried all the focus modes. Someone suggested wide. While I did get the head in focus the majority of the time the nose was sharper than the eyes. The animal eye autofocus was the worst. It's okay for stills but for fast running dogs it didn't work well. Seems the single point did better. I used the dynamic area and that seems to be the best so far. I'm keeping that shutter speed up. I'm shooting in manual with auto ISO. Thanks!!!

 

[Patty]

AF-C. Dynamic AF Area. Compared to my D-500 my hit rate with the Z7 II is much lower but improving the more I use it.


View attachment 67682

Nice shot!!! Yes, I do believe the Dynamic area is the best way to go after testing all the various focus modes. The animal eye autofocus was the worst. It's okay for slow and still dogs but for fast moving dog it just couldn't keep up. I may turn off vibration reduction.

 

[seh]

Sounds like a tough class. Sometimes you just get lucky: D7500, single point AF, AF-C, CH, 35mm, F/1.8, 1/2000, 1100, with significant crop. Pups were about 40 or so feet away so ample DOF to get eyes while focusing on head area.

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[Maurie_S]

Would it be against the rules if you just used Manual Focus ?
If you set the focal distance, to say 5mtrs. or whatever you think would make the best shot when the dog runs towards you.
Then use highest frame rate, and high SS. May take a couple of runs using different apertures to get nose and eyes in focus.

I have a Z9, I have tried many different auto modes when shooting BIF . If the birds (i.e. kingfishers) are coming towards you at a reasonable rate it is impossible to get an in focus result. It works great with Herons or similar.

 

[Patty]

Sounds like a tough class. Sometimes you just get lucky: D7500, single point AF, AF-C, CH, 35mm, F/1.8, 1/2000, 1100, with significant crop. Pups were about 40 or so feet away so ample DOF to get eyes while focusing on head area.
View attachment 67693

Nice!!! Yes, I will probably have to crop.

 

[Patty]

Would it be against the rules if you just used Manual Focus ?
If you set the focal distance, to say 5mtrs. or whatever you think would make the best shot when the dog runs towards you.
Then use highest frame rate, and high SS. May take a couple of runs using different apertures to get nose and eyes in focus.

I have a Z9, I have tried many different auto modes when shooting BIF . If the birds (i.e. kingfishers) are coming towards you at a reasonable rate it is impossible to get an in focus result. It works great with Herons or similar.

I wish I could do that but we have to get the dog in the upstroke of it's motion. Therefore I will have to shoot in burst with autofocus. I could find a place with a log for the dog to jump over but this time of year with all the growth and my helper not being a spring chicken any more an open field is going to be what we use. Yes, the instructors are very specific on what they want to see. They do have recommended settings but since they use the Canon R5 they told us we need to check our own camera to see what works best for focus modes. At least I can get the dog to run to me. He will have to be on a lead so he doesn't decide to go hunting, lol. I do have Steve's book on the autofocus for the Z cameras. I tested them all last night and it seems spot and dynamic are the best so far. The wide is okay but it tends to have the nose in focus. I got to get those eyes instead of the nose. Just like what Steve said in the book. Animal eye and subject tracking didn't work very well. The dog runs to fast for animal eye. The autofocus with subject tracking tends to want to wander depending on what's around the dog. I may try again with animal eye but for the dog but I just don't have too much confidence in it to use it.

 

[bsinc1962]

I wish I could do that but we have to get the dog in the upstroke of it's motion. Therefore I will have to shoot in burst with autofocus. I could find a place with a log for the dog to jump over but this time of year with all the growth and my helper not being a spring chicken any more an open field is going to be what we use. Yes, the instructors are very specific on what they want to see. They do have recommended settings but since they use the Canon R5 they told us we need to check our own camera to see what works best for focus modes. At least I can get the dog to run to me. He will have to be on a lead so he doesn't decide to go hunting, lol. I do have Steve's book on the autofocus for the Z cameras. I tested them all last night and it seems spot and dynamic are the best so far. The wide is okay but it tends to have the nose in focus. I got to get those eyes instead of the nose. Just like what Steve said in the book. Animal eye and subject tracking didn't work very well. The dog runs to fast for animal eye. The autofocus with subject tracking tends to want to wander depending on what's around the dog. I may try again with animal eye but for the dog but I just don't have too much confidence in it to use it.

What lens are you using, how far away is the dog when you're shooting, what focal length are you at, and what f stop are you using? Depth of field can be your friend here.

 

[Patty]

What lens are you using, how far away is the dog when you're shooting, what focal length are you at, and what f stop are you using? Depth of field can be your friend here.

I have the Z 70-200mm 2.8 lens. I could shoot f/4 but and this is a big but I have to keep that shutter speed above 1/1000 of a second. For my dog it should be 1/2000 of a second. Last night I shot at f/3.5 with auto ISO. I'm wonder about that too (ISO) as my dog's blaze catches the light like a reflector and I can easily loose detail in that. I've been reminded of that in a couple of previous assignments. I also can't close the aperture too small as it may get unwanted things in focus. Yes, they grade on that too. They are not the kind of instructors who say do what I say and don't do it themselves. They actually post video and their stills of these assignments so that we can have a reference. One of them used animal eye focus on his Canon R5 and was able to get some good shots of his dog but his dog is a little fellow. He doesn't run as fast as my dog. The instructors actually do each assignment themselves.

 

[bsinc1962]

I have the Z 70-200mm 2.8 lens. I could shoot f/4 but and this is a big but I have to keep that shutter speed above 1/1000 of a second. For my dog it should be 1/2000 of a second. Last night I shot at f/3.5 with auto ISO. I'm wonder about that too (ISO) as my dog's blaze catches the light like a reflector and I can easily loose detail in that. I've been reminded of that in a couple of previous assignments. I also can't close the aperture too small as it may get unwanted things in focus. Yes, they grade on that too. They are not the kind of instructors who say do what I say and don't do it themselves. They actually post video and their stills of these assignments so that we can have a reference. One of them used animal eye focus on his Canon R5 and was able to get some good shots of his dog but his dog is a little fellow. He doesn't run as fast as my dog. The instructors actually do each assignment themselves.

what focal length are you using and how far away is the dog?

 

[Patty]

what focal length are you using and how far away is the dog?

I will probably use 200mm and not lower than 100mm maybe 135mm. I want to start the dog's run at least 30 feet away so he gets in a good rhythm when he runs so I can get that upstroke.

 

[ccirelli]

As someone that captures my dogs running at me pretty frequently, I'll first confirm that yes - the Z8 eye detection nails this difficult task with an amazingly high keeper rate (even with my dark-faced German Shepherd going full-tilt).

That aside - my Z6II handled this surprisingly well too, although with subject detection turned OFF ( SD on the Expeed6 bodies can't handle this specific scenario very well). Surprisingly, My keeper rate (tack sharp eyes) was pretty high in Auto Area AF, and Wide Area (small or large). I don't really use Dynamic Area. I shot in RAW but in 12-bit, not 14, to get higher FPS.

Here's a few shots of my Border Collie from my Z6II and 70-300 4.5-5.6 AF-P, using the setup described above. This can be done with the Z7II I'm sure, but it also depends on the lens (that 70-300 is fast and quiet!).

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