Help! Seeking advice on D500 focus modes and setup for BIF and other wildlife

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robg

robg

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Hi all,

After shooting a Nikon D7100 for the last few years, I got a new D500 for my birthday last November.

Ten days from now my wife and I will be spending a week in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (near Skye). Having done some research and planned a couple of one-day trips while we're there, I'm expecting various opportunities to shoot wildlife, including but not limited to eagles (white-tailed and maybe golden) and other birds in flight.

Now, under normal circumstances I would have made good use of my D500 since November to ensure I got a reasonably good handle on its ins and outs before taking it with me on a major trip like this. Unfortunately, circumstances have been far from normal (mainly due to prolonged lockdowns), with the result that I've had hardly any opportunities to put it through its paces and get used to it in the field. In truth, it still feels like something of an unknown quantity to me.

From reading Steve's books (admittedly a while ago, well before I got the D500), I'm pretty sure manual exposure with auto ISO is the best way to go. What I'm much less clear on is the best combination of AF modes and how best to set them up for ease of access.

On the D7100 I used back-button focus and would simply use the focus mode button and rotary dial to switch between single point and D9 (though I used the latter infrequently).

I guess I have two main questions:

1. Not having had the opportunity to test out the various AF modes other than single-point AF, what would you recommend as the best focus mode to start out with for birds in flight (and potentially other creatures in motion) on the D500? I've seen different people claim that group AF is better than the various dynamic modes or vice versa, and at this point I have no clear sense of which is potentially be more suitable and why.

2. If I want to be able to quickly switch between single-point AF and another AF mode (say group AF) without using the AF mode button and rotary dial, what would you recommend as the best way to set this up? For instance, I could leave the AF-On button set to BBF with single-point AF and configure the joystick button for BBF with group AF… but are there any problems I'm likely to run into with this setup (for example, accidentally moving the focus points while pressing the joystick button)? Or I could set one of the buttons on the front of the body to switch to group AF. But that would mean getting used to using another finger to press and hold that button while still using my thumb for BBF and my forefinger to release the shutter, and I'm worried that might take a bit of getting used to…

I thought Steve might have some D500-specific videos on his channel that would address these points directly, but I don't see any. (I know he has plenty covering Nikon focus modes and such more generally, but at this point I don't have time to sift through them looking for the relevant parts.)

To be clear, I'm not expecting anyone to tell me, "Do it like this and you're guaranteed to be filling your card with wall-hangers from the word go". To reiterate, in an ideal world I would already have spent ample time putting the D500 through its paces so until I was as familiar and comfortable with it as I was with my D7100. Unfortunately that's not the case. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice from anyone who shoots (or used to shoot) a D500 that might be a good starting place and give me a bit of a head start when I arrive in Scotland at the end of next week.

Thanks in anticipation 🙂
 
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robg said:
1. Not having had the opportunity to test out the various AF modes other than single-point AF, what would you recommend as the best focus mode to start out with for birds in flight (and potentially other creatures in motion) on the D500?
Click to expand...
For fast moving subjects like BIF I use primarily Group AF Area Mode in my D500. Once in a while I'll use D25 but overall Group gets the job done very nicely in the D500.
robg said:
2. If I want to be able to quickly switch between single-point AF and another AF mode (say group AF) without using the AF mode button and rotary dial, what would you recommend as the best way to set this up?
Click to expand...
Many ways to do this but I'd set the AF-ON button to just that, AF-ON so that it enables the area mode set by the camera (using the button near the lens release and the command dials) which I'll generally have set to Group. Then I'll assign the PV button to Single Point AF Area mode. That way for fast action all I have to do is press the AF-ON button with my thumb. For more static subjects where I have more time I'll hit that AF-ON button with my thumb but also press the PV button up front with one finger, if the bird takes off I just let go of that finger on the PV button and I'm right back in Group mode tracking action.

I find it's easy to keep my index finger on the shutter release and use my next finger for hitting the PV button when I want Single Point AF but it's nice that when the action heats up I don't have to worry about that second finger and just activate my action AF Area mode (Group) with my thumb on the AF-ON button.

I tried using a center press on the joystick to enable a third AF Area mode but found more often than not my thumb hit the joystick at a slight angle and the selected AF point would go sliding across or up and down the viewfinder. I gave up on that approach after a while.
 
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robg said:
Hi all,

After shooting a Nikon D7100 for the last few years, I got a new D500 for my birthday last November.

Ten days from now my wife and I will be spending a week in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (near Skye). Having done some research and planned a couple of one-day trips while we're there, I'm expecting various opportunities to shoot wildlife, including but not limited to eagles (white-tailed and maybe golden) and other birds in flight.

Now, under normal circumstances I would have made good use of my D500 since November to ensure I got a reasonably good handle on its ins and outs before taking it with me on a major trip like this. Unfortunately, circumstances have been far from normal (mainly due to prolonged lockdowns), with the result that I've had hardly any opportunities to put it through its paces and get used to it in the field. In truth, it still feels like something of an unknown quantity to me.

From reading Steve's books (admittedly a while ago, well before I got the D500), I'm pretty sure manual exposure with auto ISO is the best way to go. What I'm much less clear on is the best combination of AF modes and how best to set them up for ease of access.

On the D7100 I used back-button focus and would simply use the focus mode button and rotary dial to switch between single point and D9 (though I used the latter infrequently).

I guess I have two main questions:

1. Not having had the opportunity to test out the various AF modes other than single-point AF, what would you recommend as the best focus mode to start out with for birds in flight (and potentially other creatures in motion) on the D500? I've seen different people claim that group AF is better than the various dynamic modes or vice versa, and at this point I have no clear sense of which is potentially be more suitable and why.

2. If I want to be able to quickly switch between single-point AF and another AF mode (say group AF) without using the AF mode button and rotary dial, what would you recommend as the best way to set this up? For instance, I could leave the AF-On button set to BBF with single-point AF and configure the joystick button for BBF with group AF… but are there any problems I'm likely to run into with this setup (for example, accidentally moving the focus points while pressing the joystick button)? Or I could set one of the buttons on the front of the body to switch to group AF. But that would mean getting used to using another finger to press and hold that button while still using my thumb for BBF and my forefinger to release the shutter, and I'm worried that might take a bit of getting used to…

I thought Steve might have some D500-specific videos on his channel that would address these points directly, but I don't see any. (I know he has plenty covering Nikon focus modes and such more generally, but at this point I don't have time to sift through them looking for the relevant parts.)

To be clear, I'm not expecting anyone to tell me, "Do it like this and you're guaranteed to be filling your card with wall-hangers from the word go". To reiterate, in an ideal world I would already have spent ample time putting the D500 through its paces so until I was as familiar and comfortable with it as I was with my D7100. Unfortunately that's not the case. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice from anyone who shoots (or used to shoot) a D500 that might be a good starting place and give me a bit of a head start when I arrive in Scotland at the end of next week.

Thanks in anticipation 🙂
Click to expand...
I do pretty much what DR recommends. The only difference is I set the single point focus mode with a button on my lens which I press and hold for static objects. So the camera is set to group and the single point is set to the button on the lens. I’ve tried it in reverse but that didn’t work out so well.
 
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What DR said is almost exactly what I do. Group AF works really well for BIF, and I also use the PV button to engage single point when things are calm. I've never liked the AF-on button, and prefer to simply half push the shutter release. For me, it's one less button to think about pushing, but it's also so engrained in my muscle memory that it simply feels right. :) Have a great trip and I hope you get soem great images.
 
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I use the same setup as DR mentioned above. BBAF with the default auto as Grp mode, and single point assigned to the PV button. I graduated from a D7500 and shifted between single point and Grp with the AF mode button and rotary dial like you did with your D7100. You are going to find that with the ability to shift modes seamlessly, a much more robust AF system, and up to 10 FPS, you are going to be very pleased with the results. Not saying anything bad about the D7100….. great shots are taken with it everyday I’m sure. But the D500 is more capable and easier, especially in the transition from perched to BIF.
 
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Exactly what DRwyoming said. AF-ON and focus area set to Group. Pv button said to single point for static shots. Make sure and set the Pv to single point and activate focus. If I recall correctly you can just set it to switch to single point.

The advantage of group area versus any of the other "dynamic" area modes is that it is predictable. With all of the other area modes the camera decides where to focus. With group it focuses on the closes object covered by the five points in the group. Much more consistent results and no risk of the camera randomly grabbing something in the BG.
 
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Another one here who does it as DR describes. An advantage of using the Pv button for single point focus is that your thumb is free to move the focus point to exactly where you need it in the frame for a static subject.
 
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Group AF if you can keep it on the bird. Otherwise Auto AF is pretty uncanny in getting the shots you want with little effort on your part. I used Auto AF a lot on D500 and D850 for some very challenging, fast, erratic BIF subjects. I never touched the Dynamic modes other than the D9 (not available on D500). I did use Single point for precise targeting of perched birds in cluttered surroundings but usually I'd just use Group for perched.
 
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I actually like having group AF on the back button (for all the reasons mentioned above) but I do have single point on the AF joystick - but yes, there is a risk to move the AF point. That risk is easily overcome with practice but since you have not had a chance to experiment with that setup, I would also recommend you go with single point on the Pv button which is less prone to issues. When you return from your trip, you can always compare both methods and pick the one you like best.
i like having single focus on the joystick because that way I only have my thumb in play for AF - apparently coordinating 2 fingers is challenging for me :) all joking aside, I find it more natural but try it both ways and see what you like best.
 
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Another here whose set up is what DR said. I tried single point as the default and assigned Group to the Pv. Didn't like it so I reversed it. Tried the D modes but always go back to Grp and single.
 
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Grp for me too and sub selector button for single point. Slightly off topic, but i follow the "photography online" youtube channel...excellent photography related content filmed on Skye. Don't forget to take landscape shots. Skye is on my bucket list...i'm in Australia so no chance at the moment.
 
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Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. Sounds like group AF is definitely the way to go for BIF and subjects in motion more generally. Any quick tips on how to use it effectively? Do I just stick the four boxes roughly over the subject, or is there more to it than that?

I'll give it a try with group AF on the AF-On button and single point AF on the PV button, as suggested. If that doesn't work for me, I'll play around with some other options.
 
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guitarman67 said:
Slightly off topic, but i follow the "photography online" youtube channel...excellent photography related content filmed on Skye. Don't forget to take landscape shots. Skye is on my bucket list...i'm in Australia so no chance at the moment.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation. Landscape is definitely fairly high on my agenda for this trip. I haven't shot much landscape before, but given where I'm going there should hopefully be no shortage of opportunities!

P.S. I'm in the UK but the only I've been to Skye was a six-year-old kid – and even that was just passing through on the way to the Western Isles :)
 
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Just edited my previous post. I actually use the sub selector button for single point and af on is set for grp. Yes, just put the four boxes over the subject...works fine for me. For birds in flight I try to get the eye in the centre. If the bird is perched I'll try single point focus on the eye.
Enjoy your trip!
 
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robg said:
Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. Sounds like group AF is definitely the way to go for BIF and subjects in motion more generally. Any quick tips on how to use it effectively? Do I just stick the four boxes roughly over the subject, or is there more to it than that?...
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that the way group works is that it focuses on the closes thing that falls under one of five focus points(the four visible in the VF and one in the center). So shooting through brush can be problematic. Also care must be taken shooting low angles across ground/water. If you're keeping the subject centered in the group and the lower points fall across the ground/water you will focus in front of the subject. For example if shooting BIF of a bird skimming across the surface of the water or diving. When the bird approaches the surface you may need to raise your aim so the bottom of the group is on the subject rather than the center of the group.
 
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FB101 said:
I actually like having group AF on the back button (for all the reasons mentioned above) but I do have single point on the AF joystick - but yes, there is a risk to move the AF point. That risk is easily overcome with practice but since you have not had a chance to experiment with that setup...
Click to expand...
I took your advice and gave it a try with Single Point + AF ON assigned to the center of the joystick. I realized when I'd tried that before I'd assigned either Group or a Dynamic Area like D9 or D25 to the joystick center press but when I wanted to use that mode there was always fast action so I didn't always hit the joystick square with my thumb. But assigning Single Point to the joystick seems to work much better for the same reason I had it assigned to the PV button, there's more time for slower moving subjects and I often want to move the selected AF point anyway when working in Single Point mode.

So far I like having Single Point on the joystick (sub selector) and it solves another problem I've had with my D5 or when using a vertical grip and shooting vertically. The PV button isn't easily accessible when shooting the D5 or the other cameras in portrait mode when using a grip. But there's a second joystick for portrait mode shooting on the D5 or on my add on grips so assigning Single Point there makes it easily accessible in either camera orientation.

Thanks!
 
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My settings are pretty much like DR's and others already posted. One thing I do differently depends on the action I think I will be shooting. I might change what AF setting is assigned d to the PV button. Sometimes it is D25; sometimes it is Group AF. And with AF ON set, the main button is then set to Group AF or D 25 respectively. AF-C is set all the time. If I need S, in AF-C, I set it on the main button.
 
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robg said:
Hi all,

After shooting a Nikon D7100 for the last few years, I got a new D500 for my birthday last November.

Ten days from now my wife and I will be spending a week in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (near Skye). Having done some research and planned a couple of one-day trips while we're there, I'm expecting various opportunities to shoot wildlife, including but not limited to eagles (white-tailed and maybe golden) and other birds in flight.

Now, under normal circumstances I would have made good use of my D500 since November to ensure I got a reasonably good handle on its ins and outs before taking it with me on a major trip like this. Unfortunately, circumstances have been far from normal (mainly due to prolonged lockdowns), with the result that I've had hardly any opportunities to put it through its paces and get used to it in the field. In truth, it still feels like something of an unknown quantity to me.

From reading Steve's books (admittedly a while ago, well before I got the D500), I'm pretty sure manual exposure with auto ISO is the best way to go. What I'm much less clear on is the best combination of AF modes and how best to set them up for ease of access.

On the D7100 I used back-button focus and would simply use the focus mode button and rotary dial to switch between single point and D9 (though I used the latter infrequently).

I guess I have two main questions:

1. Not having had the opportunity to test out the various AF modes other than single-point AF, what would you recommend as the best focus mode to start out with for birds in flight (and potentially other creatures in motion) on the D500? I've seen different people claim that group AF is better than the various dynamic modes or vice versa, and at this point I have no clear sense of which is potentially be more suitable and why.

2. If I want to be able to quickly switch between single-point AF and another AF mode (say group AF) without using the AF mode button and rotary dial, what would you recommend as the best way to set this up? For instance, I could leave the AF-On button set to BBF with single-point AF and configure the joystick button for BBF with group AF… but are there any problems I'm likely to run into with this setup (for example, accidentally moving the focus points while pressing the joystick button)? Or I could set one of the buttons on the front of the body to switch to group AF. But that would mean getting used to using another finger to press and hold that button while still using my thumb for BBF and my forefinger to release the shutter, and I'm worried that might take a bit of getting used to…

I thought Steve might have some D500-specific videos on his channel that would address these points directly, but I don't see any. (I know he has plenty covering Nikon focus modes and such more generally, but at this point I don't have time to sift through them looking for the relevant parts.)

To be clear, I'm not expecting anyone to tell me, "Do it like this and you're guaranteed to be filling your card with wall-hangers from the word go". To reiterate, in an ideal world I would already have spent ample time putting the D500 through its paces so until I was as familiar and comfortable with it as I was with my D7100. Unfortunately that's not the case. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice from anyone who shoots (or used to shoot) a D500 that might be a good starting place and give me a bit of a head start when I arrive in Scotland at the end of next week.

Thanks in anticipation 🙂
Click to expand...
I use BBAF. Single point is on the af/on button. D25 is on the joystick press (at first I would occasionally move the focus point but very seldom). Group is on fn 1. It took a minute on the front button to get used to using it but I would just sit around at home and practice pressing it and my finger on the shutter at the same time and I found that my little finger works the best. I've been switching d25 and group around as I figure out which one I'm using more. I'm still playing with them so I'm not sure because d25 works better if you have any possibility of something coming between your subject and your camera and group works really well with a clear sky or neutral background.
 
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DRwyoming said:
For fast moving subjects like BIF I use primarily Group AF Area Mode in my D500. Once in a while I'll use D25 but overall Group gets the job done very nicely in the D500.

Many ways to do this but I'd set the AF-ON button to just that, AF-ON so that it enables the area mode set by the camera (using the button near the lens release and the command dials) which I'll generally have set to Group. Then I'll assign the PV button to Single Point AF Area mode. That way for fast action all I have to do is press the AF-ON button with my thumb. For more static subjects where I have more time I'll hit that AF-ON button with my thumb but also press the PV button up front with one finger, if the bird takes off I just let go of that finger on the PV button and I'm right back in Group mode tracking action.

I find it's easy to keep my index finger on the shutter release and use my next finger for hitting the PV button when I want Single Point AF but it's nice that when the action heats up I don't have to worry about that second finger and just activate my action AF Area mode (Group) with my thumb on the AF-ON button.

I tried using a center press on the joystick to enable a third AF Area mode but found more often than not my thumb hit the joystick at a slight angle and the selected AF point would go sliding across or up and down the viewfinder. I gave up on that approach after a while.
Click to expand...
I have mine set up like you had yours set up. After a bit I mastered the joystick push. I love it
 
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Currently during the lockdown when I am restricted to small erratic flying garden birds, I have dynamic on the back button (I decide which of the dynamic modes depending on the situation). The joy stick triggers single point. It does take some practice to avoid moving the focus point inadvertently (I wish it could have been disabled). But after some practice you can make it work to your advantage to quickly move the focus point to the eye of a perched bird for better composition if you need to. I have group focus on the pre-view button. However I would advise group focus on your back button as you will be photographing large birds which are more predictable. I will be swapping the two around once I am able to travel to wetlands again for larger birds in flight.

Avoid manual focus completely in Skye. After a visit to a distillery, I wouldn't rely on it :p
 
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MYount said:
I use BBAF. Single point is on the af/on button. D25 is on the joystick press (at first I would occasionally move the focus point but very seldom). Group is on fn 1. It took a minute on the front button to get used to using it but I would just sit around at home and practice pressing it and my finger on the shutter at the same time and I found that my little finger works the best. I've been switching d25 and group around as I figure out which one I'm using more. I'm still playing with them so I'm not sure because d25 works better if you have any possibility of something coming between your subject and your camera and group works really well with a clear sky or neutral background.
Click to expand...
I misquoted myself on the FN 1 button. That is actually spot metering and the PV button in my group auto focus
 
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I use single point AF as my default and then have my preview button set to go to group AF as needed. I do not use back button AF (did for a year but went back) I prefer having my thumb free to set AE metering lock or adjust EV or move my focal point etc.. and only one button to worry about for focus and shutter release. Half press with AF-C works great and keeps things simple. I use the same system on D850 and D6 with custom group AF set for my function buttons on the D6
 
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robg said:
Hi all,

After shooting a Nikon D7100 for the last few years, I got a new D500 for my birthday last November.

Ten days from now my wife and I will be spending a week in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (near Skye). Having done some research and planned a couple of one-day trips while we're there, I'm expecting various opportunities to shoot wildlife, including but not limited to eagles (white-tailed and maybe golden) and other birds in flight.

Now, under normal circumstances I would have made good use of my D500 since November to ensure I got a reasonably good handle on its ins and outs before taking it with me on a major trip like this. Unfortunately, circumstances have been far from normal (mainly due to prolonged lockdowns), with the result that I've had hardly any opportunities to put it through its paces and get used to it in the field. In truth, it still feels like something of an unknown quantity to me.

From reading Steve's books (admittedly a while ago, well before I got the D500), I'm pretty sure manual exposure with auto ISO is the best way to go. What I'm much less clear on is the best combination of AF modes and how best to set them up for ease of access.

On the D7100 I used back-button focus and would simply use the focus mode button and rotary dial to switch between single point and D9 (though I used the latter infrequently).

I guess I have two main questions:

1. Not having had the opportunity to test out the various AF modes other than single-point AF, what would you recommend as the best focus mode to start out with for birds in flight (and potentially other creatures in motion) on the D500? I've seen different people claim that group AF is better than the various dynamic modes or vice versa, and at this point I have no clear sense of which is potentially be more suitable and why.

2. If I want to be able to quickly switch between single-point AF and another AF mode (say group AF) without using the AF mode button and rotary dial, what would you recommend as the best way to set this up? For instance, I could leave the AF-On button set to BBF with single-point AF and configure the joystick button for BBF with group AF… but are there any problems I'm likely to run into with this setup (for example, accidentally moving the focus points while pressing the joystick button)? Or I could set one of the buttons on the front of the body to switch to group AF. But that would mean getting used to using another finger to press and hold that button while still using my thumb for BBF and my forefinger to release the shutter, and I'm worried that might take a bit of getting used to…

I thought Steve might have some D500-specific videos on his channel that would address these points directly, but I don't see any. (I know he has plenty covering Nikon focus modes and such more generally, but at this point I don't have time to sift through them looking for the relevant parts.)

To be clear, I'm not expecting anyone to tell me, "Do it like this and you're guaranteed to be filling your card with wall-hangers from the word go". To reiterate, in an ideal world I would already have spent ample time putting the D500 through its paces so until I was as familiar and comfortable with it as I was with my D7100. Unfortunately that's not the case. So I'm just looking for a bit of advice from anyone who shoots (or used to shoot) a D500 that might be a good starting place and give me a bit of a head start when I arrive in Scotland at the end of next week.

Thanks in anticipation 🙂
Click to expand...
I seem to get best results starting with group AF on my D500.
As for exposure I start with "S" or "A" just in case I need to get a really quick shot off. Then I switch the manual exposure...
 
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