Nikon Z8 Easiest Way to Switch AF Subject Detection

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birdbrainz

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I was using general animal subject detection before firmware V2 and it used to be OK as a general purpose subject finder, locating birds, animals, people, aeroplanes etc in a hit and miss sort of way.
The new firmware means detection is better and a bit more specific, but it will still also find some of the other subjects if birds are missing.
I am surprised Nikon do not make an easiy option for quickly cycling between subjects, at least not that I have found yet.
Have you found any quick ways of changing subjects without changing other AF options or any easy way of setting up 2 or 3 focus/subject combinations?
 
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There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, though as of the latest FW release none exists as easy as the AF mode cycle feature. If you only need to cycle between two subject types, eg bird/animal then assigning a recall settings to a specific button will easily accomplish this. Alternatively, if you need to quickly adjust this then either assign a button to bring up my menu and place subject detect at the top of your list or have it on the imenu.
 
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What I do is what I believe Steve recommends. I set my top MyMenu to subject detection and dedicate F2 to activate the first MyMenu item. Then it’ll pop up and I can select whatever I want and move on. It’s not as elegant as Cycle AF but probably the closest I’ve seen.
 
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The AF Cycle Mode feature is exactly what addresses this issue. You can follow Steve's suggestions or watch some YouTube videos and see how others utilize this feature. You choose which AF modes you want to cycle through in set up. I'm leaning to using the 'Video' button for this feature. This is much easier and faster than making the changes in iMenu.
 
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It really depends on why you are leaving subject detection modes. For me, the most common reason is subject detection is not working, so I simply want to turn it off to focus on a nearby branch or clump of grass, then return to subject detection.

The obvious option is to cycle AF area modes to a non-subject detection mode by using a Fn button. Another good option is to use the AF Save By Orientation. If you set up Vertical orientation to a non-subject detect option, you can quickly rotate the camera from horizontal to vertical and it will turn off subject detection temporarily.

On the other hand, if you are photographing birds, and suddenly want to photograph a heard of elk or a person, I would want to switch to a different subject detection option - not turn it off. In this case I would use the iMenu or MyMenu to access my subject detection choices. I think this option is a little less likely in that I rarely would need to make this decision quickly. Perhaps you have a different use case in mind.
 
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That option does not appear to be viable as a choice in the Custom Controls sheet so doing it the My Menu way may be a good option for you. It would be nice if it could be included, one way you might consider doing this is by using the Bank system. You could set everything the same for a second and third bank except for that one option and then set a control for that or use the I menu box to change banks. An easy way to turn off subject detection completely is to use the Dynamic Area mode, this mode does not use subject detection, neither does the single point mode.
 
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Since Z9 got the bird SD in October, I've just set my RSF (Hold) to only change my AF area to Wide C1 ava Subject Detection to animal. Nothing else needs to change so this way it's instant
 
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I'm using two methods:
1. if I just want a quick change between bird and animal I use Recall Shooting Functions , but its important to remember that if you changing exposure compensation, pressing display to review pics, going standby and maybe other action as well - it will revert back to your main/default subject mode (birds)
2. if I want to change my main/default subject mode I'm using the ''i'' menu - simply pressing the i button and when on the Af Area Mode/Subject Detection icon I simply rotating one of the command wheels to change mode, no more button pressing is needed. The i menu will remember the last icon you were on so you can just press i and rotate the command wheel to change modes, so its pretty quick as well.
 
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I don't have an urgent need for this yet as I am mainly looking at birds in flight, but I can see that in future I would probably want to have more than a couple of alternatives.
I may get around to setting up several banks for different uses for this and other reasons eventually, but for now I have plenty of other issues to organise.
Does anyone else find the left hand camera controls unusable, or is it just me, as I always use the camera handheld, with a longish lens?
 
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Viathelens said:
That option does not appear to be viable as a choice in the Custom Controls sheet so doing it the My Menu way may be a good option for you. It would be nice if it could be included, one way you might consider doing this is by using the Bank system. You could set everything the same for a second and third bank except for that one option and then set a control for that or use the I menu box to change banks. An easy way to turn off subject detection completely is to use the Dynamic Area mode, this mode does not use subject detection, neither does the single point mode.
Click to expand...
Yes single point is probably all I need just to turn it off occasionally.
 
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birdbrainz said:
Yes single point is probably all I need just to turn it off occasionally.
Click to expand...
For a subject that might move, Dynamic gives you similar flexibility with improved ability to subsequent handle movement. Single is really for a static subject or one you can stay on completely while Dynamic maintains focus when you temporarily can't keep the AF box on the target. So it's a matter of what happens that causes you to change modes, and then what happens next and how quickly do you revert to the original mode. The controls or buttons you use depend on how you answer that question.

My main use case to turn off subject detection is for small, obstructed birds that are perched but jumping around - and I need an alternate target to pre-focus or focus in a similar plane to the subject. So my alternate setting is temporary - and needs to be very fast - with reversion to the original setting very quickly. I consider it unlikely that I would need to quickly switch to an alternate subject detection mode. If I'm photographing birds, my likelihood of having an elk walk into the scene for a photo is almost nil - even in a prime location like Rocky Mountain NP. Even then, I could probably live with Single or Dynamic as my method of turning off subject detection.

Your strategy for a different use case could be completely different.
 
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Asafser said:
I'm using two methods:
1. if I just want a quick change between bird and animal I use Recall Shooting Functions , but its important to remember that if you changing exposure compensation, pressing display to review pics, going standby and maybe other action as well - it will revert back to your main/default subject mode (birds)
2. if I want to change my main/default subject mode I'm using the ''i'' menu - simply pressing the i button and when on the Af Area Mode/Subject Detection icon I simply rotating one of the command wheels to change mode, no more button pressing is needed. The i menu will remember the last icon you were on so you can just press i and rotate the command wheel to change modes, so its pretty quick as well.
Click to expand...
I know you can have only 1 RSF Hold…can you setup multiple RSFs with different options on different options? Not at home or I would check it myself.
 
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birdbrainz said:
I was using general animal subject detection before firmware V2 and it used to be OK as a general purpose subject finder, locating birds, animals, people, aeroplanes etc in a hit and miss sort of way.
The new firmware means detection is better and a bit more specific, but it will still also find some of the other subjects if birds are missing.
I am surprised Nikon do not make an easiy option for quickly cycling between subjects, at least not that I have found yet.
Have you found any quick ways of changing subjects without changing other AF options or any easy way of setting up 2 or 3 focus/subject combinations?
Click to expand...
Steve addresses this in his latest YouTube.
 
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Hey, BB
I use a Ready-shoot approach that doesn’t require any menu diving or use of the banks or I-Menu.
It’s similar to the one Steve Perry provided in his video and allows all major autofocus settings to be deployed without regripping or removing my eye from the viewfinder.


1. Recall shooting function toggles between BIRD and ANIMAL detection and is assigned to the Video button.
2. “Cycle AF Mode” is assigned to Fn 1 and, for speed, I limit it to 2 choices — in my case, Auto Area and 3-D tracking.
3. For times when the camera is completely confused, I have the display button set to focus using Dynamic Small with no subject detection.
I always crack off a few safety shots on Dynamic small if time with the subject permits.
4. I assign FX-DX to the Fn 2 button so I can quickly switch back and forth.

I have small hands, so I’d prefer the back buttons on the Z8 to be clustered more closely to more comfortably allow a consistent shooting grip.
But it works and I can;t really complain, and people with larger hands will easily reach all the buttons without regripping.

Like you, I’d find a “Cycle subject detection mode” setting more useful than “Cycle AF mode”, as I already had AF mode covered with Recal Shooting Function.
But, all in all, the camera is well served by the update and I’m finding both my 180-600mm and my 400mm 4.5 are getting near 100% hit rate on moving birds, even when they’re flying straight at me.

Good hunting!

Tom
 
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I've found that assigning AF Area Mode / Subject Detection to a virtual button in the Info screen is the easiest / fastest. Alternatively you can map a physical button to go to the top menu item in My Menu, then just add Subject Detection to the top of your My Menu.

The reason I prefer the Info Menu approach is you can just tap the "i" button, and jog one of your control dials to change Subject Detection modes (and of course the other dial can change AF Area Mode). This way I'm not wasting another physical button to accomplish this. The only "catch" here is, you just need to get in the habit of making sure the Af Area Mode / Subject Detection button in the Info screen is the last one you used. So when you press the "i" button, it's pre-highlighted and you can just turn your dials to change AF Area and/or Subject Detection modes.

But basically, the setting "AF Area Mode / Subject Detection Options" needs to be assignable to a physical button. Currently this combo setting is exclusive to the Info screen, for some odd reason. Hope that all makes sense in text :)
 
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This only affects / changes AF Area Mode, not Subject Detection (unless you're switching to an AF Area mode that does't support Subject Detection - Single Point or Dynamic Small, for example, which will of course turn off Subject Detection).

Unless I'm missing something? What we need is a "Cycle Subject Detection Options" setting, as someone else here suggested.
jbk2forum said:
The AF Cycle Mode feature is exactly what addresses this issue. You can follow Steve's suggestions or watch some YouTube videos and see how others utilize this feature. You choose which AF modes you want to cycle through in set up. I'm leaning to using the 'Video' button for this feature. This is much easier and faster than making the changes in iMenu.
Click to expand...
 
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ccirelli said:
I've found that assigning AF Area Mode / Subject Detection to a virtual button in the Info screen is the easiest / fastest. Alternatively you can map a physical button to go to the top menu item in My Menu, then just add Subject Detection to the top of your My Menu.

The reason I prefer the Info Menu approach is you can just tap the "i" button, and jog one of your control dials to change Subject Detection modes (and of course the other dial can change AF Area Mode). This way I'm not wasting another physical button to accomplish this. The only "catch" here is, you just need to get in the habit of making sure the Af Area Mode / Subject Detection button in the Info screen is the last one you used. So when you press the "i" button, it's pre-highlighted and you can just turn your dials to change AF Area and/or Subject Detection modes.

But basically, the setting "AF Area Mode / Subject Detection Options" needs to be assignable to a physical button. Currently this combo setting is exclusive to the Info screen, for some odd reason. Hope that all makes sense in text :)
Click to expand...
Well, that way you are looking at a menu. The fastest is certainly using RSF (Hold) to instantly change the subject detection without ever stop following the subject in the EVF.

Your way you mention (i menu) is the fastest if you're using RSF (Hold) for something else.
 
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Function button 3 with back dial cycles through the shooting banks.
Bank A = Animal
Bank B = People
Bank C = Combo
Bank D = Birds
Record button cycles through Area Focus modes.
 
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How often does anyone really bounce between different types of subjects for a long enough time period to change subject detection modes using a button? The buttons are valuable real estate, and tying up RSF or a Fn button with something that is rare or uncommon does not seem to make sense.

My take is the closest case is seeing an animal while photographing birds. While possible, is the subject matter going to be presented well enough that you need to respond by photographing it in less than a minute? Is the animal even worth the effort? Certainly a deer, elk, or similar common subject is possible, but likely? I've run into that situation - and ended up switching from uninspiring shorebirds to a pair of young deer on the beach. But that's a photo I can make without subject detection. This encounter lasted about 90 seconds. But I would not set up my camera for this opportunity.
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