Paul van Allen (Nikon) Comment on Z9 AF

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BillW

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I watched a webinar yesterday, sponsored by Paul’s Camera, where Paul van Allen of Nikon talked about the Z9 and autofocus. The program was not recorded.

Paul generally uses shutter button focus and has one or two other buttons on his Z9 configured to change his AF area.

At one point, when discussing using a programmed button to change AF areas, he said — if I understood him — that you have to let up on the shutter for an instant to switch to a new AF area, suggesting that the switch in AF areas will not happen if you are still shooting a burst. Not sure if he also meant you had to stop AF for an instant If you were merely focusing and not shooting.

Did I understand Paul correctly? I’m not sure if I have seen this. I’ll have to give it a test. Have others seen this effect? (Maybe it’s in the manual and I have not noticed. 😊)
 
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While one can hand-off from AF-ON using the Shutter Button to AF + AF-ON on any other programmable button without releasing the Shutter Button. To hand-off between programmable buttons -- including the AF-ON Button and any Fn button -- then the first button has to be released as part of the hand-off. It is very important that you set A7 focus point persistence to AUTO.

For example, my basic set up is:
  • Shutter-Button --- AF-ON of my general selected AF area (normally C1 or Wide Area) -- with subject detection ON for the type of subject I am shooting
  • AF-ON button - 3D-Tracking with AF-ON
  • Fn1 button - Single Point AF with AF-ON
  • Fn2 button - Dynamic Area Medium with AF-ON
When I start to acquire and track a moving subject I tend to use the Shutter button to see if the camera will identify and lock onto the subject I want to track - if it will not then I quickly try Fn1 or Fn2 (like I used to do with a D5 and D850). Once the subject I want to shoot has been locked onto and is being tracked I switch to 3D-tracking -- this is simple if I am using the half-depressed shutter button - pressing the AF-ON Button enables 3D-tracking with AF-ON to take over -- no need to release anything. BUT - if I am using Fn1 (single point+AF-ON) or Fn2 (dynamic-area) then I have to release the depressed FN button while pressing the AF-ON button or just before I press the AF-ON button for the AF to switch. Similarly -- if I want to switch from 3D-tracking enabled using the AF-ON Button to Dynamic (my FN 2 button) then I have to release the Af-ON button very briefly before depressing the Fn1 or Fn2 button.
 
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I'd contact Mark Comon at Paul's Photo ([email protected]) and inquire about this. If he can't answer your question, he might ask Paul Van Allen for you, or give you a method of contacting Paul. I'm interested in hearing the answer to your question. I also watched the presentation, and there was a lot of information flying at us for the entire 80 minutes. I missed a lot, but did get some good stuff out of it.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
I'd contact Mark Comon at Paul's Photo ([email protected]) and inquire about this. If he can't answer your question, he might ask Paul Van Allen for you, or give you a method of contacting Paul. I'm interested in hearing the answer to your question. I also watched the presentation, and there was a lot of information flying at us for the entire 80 minutes. I missed a lot, but did get some good stuff out of it.
Click to expand...
Paul volunteers to answer questions on Instagram, so follow him as he is PVA_1964 (note the underscore betwen the A and 1
 
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Steve W said:
Seems the skill in photography is rapidly becoming the programming of the camera
Click to expand...
When i have to think and plan carefully more about the camera settings and options than the composition and art of making a beautiful photo, its time to question what i am doing.
I feel The Tail is waging the dog, my skill sets are being automated, i am becoming a recorder, my job now is to simply point in the direction of a subject and the rest is done for me, over simplified perspective yes but not far from reality..

Only an opinion
 
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ajm057 said:
While one can hand-off from AF-ON using the Shutter Button to AF + AF-ON on any other programmable button without releasing the Shutter Button. To hand-off between programmable buttons -- including the AF-ON Button and any Fn button -- then the first button has to be released as part of the hand-off. It is very important that you set A7 focus point persistence to AUTO.

For example, my basic set up is:
  • Shutter-Button --- AF-ON of my general selected AF area (normally C1 or Wide Area) -- with subject detection ON for the type of subject I am shooting
  • AF-ON button - 3D-Tracking with AF-ON
  • Fn1 button - Single Point AF with AF-ON
  • Fn2 button - Dynamic Area Medium with AF-ON
When I start to acquire and track a moving subject I tend to use the Shutter button to see if the camera will identify and lock onto the subject I want to track - if it will not then I quickly try Fn1 or Fn2 (like I used to do with a D5 and D850). Once the subject I want to shoot has been locked onto and is being tracked I switch to 3D-tracking -- this is simple if I am using the half-depressed shutter button - pressing the AF-ON Button enables 3D-tracking with AF-ON to take over -- no need to release anything. BUT - if I am using Fn1 (single point+AF-ON) or Fn2 (dynamic-area) then I have to release the depressed FN button while pressing the AF-ON button or just before I press the AF-ON button for the AF to switch. Similarly -- if I want to switch from 3D-tracking enabled using the AF-ON Button to Dynamic (my FN 2 button) then I have to release the Af-ON button very briefly before depressing the Fn1 or Fn2 button.
Click to expand...
Great description! Almost identical to my set up ... only difference is my Fn2 button is set to Custom Wide 2 13x7 ... only used in certain BIF situations. I shot a few thousand bird shots today from Tundra Swans to Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Most used was CW1 at 5x3 on my shutter button. Next was initial focus with CW1 5x3 then handed off to 3D. And single point AF most common on small birds in heavy cover.
 
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Hi Bill,
I always used, and only use BBAF: scrolling to the AF mode using the Red Record customization (usually it's 3D) activated with AFOn. To avoid 2-button press, the other Fn focus options are set as AFMode+AFOn. I find this easier as AF is always active when needed but independent of the shutter release, and this frees my thumb if needed to press some other rear button e.g. scrolling the AF point.

BillW said:
I watched a webinar yesterday, sponsored by Paul’s Camera, where Paul van Allen of Nikon talked about the Z9 and autofocus. The program was not recorded.

Paul generally uses shutter button focus and has one or two other buttons on his Z9 configured to change his AF area.

At one point, when discussing using a programmed button to change AF areas, he said — if I understood him — that you have to let up on the shutter for an instant to switch to a new AF area, suggesting that the switch in AF areas will not happen if you are still shooting a burst. Not sure if he also meant you had to stop AF for an instant If you were merely focusing and not shooting.
Click to expand...
If I keep AFOn depressed but press Fn1 or Fn2, their respective assigned AFMode+AFOn setting overrides and takes priority. This state persists even if I keep AFOn depressed.

BillW said:
Did I understand Paul correctly? I’m not sure if I have seen this. I’ll have to give it a test. Have others seen this effect? (Maybe it’s in the manual and I have not noticed. 😊)
Click to expand...
It will have made sense for Nikon to code the action of the most recently pressed custom AF mode to force a take over from previous, if one still keeps latter active in the heat of the action. Obviously, unplanned fumbling of the controls is another matter.
 
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