Nikon Z8 & Z9 Game Changing AF Update: Cycle AF Areas

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This is a great video. I have been waiting for Nikon to add the feature to the Z9 as they did with the Z8. As I am a BBAP, I was a bit frustrated that every time I pressed AF-On, it went back to my primary focus mode. Your video instructed me to change the setting from AF-ON/AF-Area to AF-On. All is good and love the feature.
 
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Thx for the video Steve.Having got used to it in A1, i always missed it in Z9 & now with this feature coming in ,it will be easier to use it in Z9 too
Hope Nikon comes up with more customisation features like A1 has
 
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Steve said:
OK, I know many here at the forum already know about Cycle AF Areas in the Z8/9, but I've had questions, witnessed mistakes, and saw need for some clarification about how this works and what it does - so I made a video. :)

Everything you need to know to get the most from it - even if you already think you know what it is, there might be some new stuff here for ya :)

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Thanks Steve, makes sense! I was using the 'Press & Twirl' method mentioned above but this feels like it gives me more control and I don't have to move more than one finger. I will hold onto the old method as there are already too many buttons for me to remember ;)
 
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I have only 5 AF Area Modes active. I use Z9+ Z800pf 90% of the time and always hand held. I shutter button half press focus as my primary focus method.

Being a birder with subject detect bird on as my default I was used to the push and hold of the buttons I have set up to go to various AF Area modes+AFon for some time now on my 2 Z9's I ignored the feature at first. Then after watching @Steve 's video I tried it on my fn3 (had been used for metering but just as fast to go to the i menu for me and have more time with metering) and my video record button was set up for recall shooting functions hold to toggle subject detection on and off.

After a day in the field and finding this new feature quite useful and quickly adaptable I decided to move things again and put the cycle af area modes on my video record button and moved my recall shooting functions hold to toggle subject detection on and off to fn 3. Another day couple of times out with lot's of bird photography in a wide range from over head bif to bif with busy backgrounds, birds on water, little birds skylighted on branches, little birds in deep insbushes and trees etc. And I liked it so much that I updated my menu settings back up cards with the new settings :)

I am finding it quite intuitive to quickly go to the af area mode that I think will be most needed as I move from one habitat to another as I am out birding.

My shutter button is normally set to AF Area mode Wide area custom 1 5x3. And I have focus point persistence a7 set to auto ready for a hand off to another af area mode with push and hold of a button.

Now if I approach a stream or pond where I anticipate water fowl and BIF I quickly cycle to AF-Area Mode. If something happens that there is a sparrow in the brush etc. I can quickly push a button for a new AFArea mode. I have AF-ON set for 3D+AFon, FN1set to wide area custom 1x1 + AFon, FN 2 is still set at AF-Area mode + AFon I may change that in the future to select subject detection mode if I want to go from bird to animal or people I now use the i menu since that is seldom needed in a hurry and if a mammal that bird does not work well on I just press f/3 to turn subject detection off. Also use that at times for large flock shots .
 
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SCoombs said:
I've been giving this a sort of test run since it was introduced to the Z8, but I'm pretty sure I much prefer the way I did it before, which was to set the AF change button to Fn1 so I can hold that down and spin the dials - front to swap between AF-C and AF-S, rear to swap focus areas.

I like this better primarily because I feel like it gives me more control over what focus mode I'm in. With the area cycle, I can only go forward, whereas with the dial if the mode I want is just before the one I'm on I can just move the dial backwards one time instead of having to tap the cycle button 5 or times, more if I miss. I understand why people would want less stuff to press, but to me there's not much difference between pushing the button 4 times and moving the dial 4 times.

I also like to have quick access to AF-S so I can go into pinpoint mode for those occasional situations where I am trying to get focus on a very precise point or on something that's slightly too obscured for single point to fit in there. For instance, while critters hiding in the foliage usually don't make the best photos, every once in a while you still might want one and often single point can't help but catch the edge of some branch or leaf or something and closest target priority means you get focus on that. With pinpoint I can usually avoid this problem.
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When you say front to swap AF-C you're referring to the "sub-selector" dial? (the one you would turn with you index finger). How do you go about swapping that out with the rear dial, I can't seem to find an option to do that in the menus. THanks!
 
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