Z9 Auto Focus mode

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David Holland

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I'll try and articulate as best I can. What settings are needed to engage subject detection tracking while ONLY using back button focusing and Wide-Area (L)? Or Wide Area (S) for that matter? I currently use Wide Area (L) and then have to engage Fn1 3D tracking. Apparently you can back button focus ONLY with subject detection and even if the subject leaves the Wide Area box, its still caught with the subject detection tracking? I have a "+ sign" in the middle of my Wide Area box that turns into a small green box when a subject is acquired. However, if the subject gets outside the box I lose it--unless of course I have engaged my Fn1 tracking. In other words I'm using two steps and this other method is simply acquiring the subject with back button. Also, this "other" setting has a "dot" vs my (+ sign) in the middle of the Wide Area (L) or (S). Hopefully someone followed all this?!?
 
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I don't understand the question.

Yes, if the subject leaves the wide area box, it'll stop tracking it. 3d tracking is across the whole frame if you're handing off the af.

You can just use 3d tracking on its own?
 
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That's what I thought and that's what happens with my settings. However, I actually witnessed what I was trying to articulate. I got my friends Z9 and practiced---Using back button focus only and Wide Area (S), I focused on a bird. Moved the camera to where the bird was outside of the Wide Area (S) box and the focus stayed with the bird. His "dot" turned into a green tiny box. I never used another button to engage the tracking. But, on my Z9 and its current settings, I back button focus with Wide Area (S) my (+) in the middle of the box(not a dot) turns into a small green box, BUT if I do not engage my Fn1 tracking button and the bird goes outside the Wide Area (S) box, I lose the focus. I have to take an additional step that my friend does not take. We tried to compare settings one by one, but didn't find anything. So I came to the FORUM!! Help!!
 
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David, I use BBF often and I have Fn1 set to handoff to 3D tracking. I have no problems tracking moving subjects slightly outside the bounding box for WideS, WideL, or either of the custom focus areas.

Is your focus mode set to AF-C or AF-S? If you’re tracking moving subjects it should be set to AF-C. That’s the only thing I can think which might be causing the problem you’re having.
 
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David Holland said:
That's what I thought and that's what happens with my settings. However, I actually witnessed what I was trying to articulate. I got my friends Z9 and practiced---Using back button focus only and Wide Area (S), I focused on a bird. Moved the camera to where the bird was outside of the Wide Area (S) box and the focus stayed with the bird. His "dot" turned into a green tiny box. I never used another button to engage the tracking. But, on my Z9 and its current settings, I back button focus with Wide Area (S) my (+) in the middle of the box(not a dot) turns into a small green box, BUT if I do not engage my Fn1 tracking button and the bird goes outside the Wide Area (S) box, I lose the focus. I have to take an additional step that my friend does not take. We tried to compare settings one by one, but didn't find anything. So I came to the FORUM!! Help!!
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Are you running the same firmware version as your friend?

There were some subject detection behavior changes with v4.1. When I upgraded the firmware, in addition to the dedicated Bird subject detection it seems the tracking strays further from the defined AF Area box than it did with the older firmware.
 
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David Holland said:
That's what I thought and that's what happens with my settings. However, I actually witnessed what I was trying to articulate. I got my friends Z9 and practiced---Using back button focus only and Wide Area (S), I focused on a bird. Moved the camera to where the bird was outside of the Wide Area (S) box and the focus stayed with the bird. His "dot" turned into a green tiny box. I never used another button to engage the tracking. But, on my Z9 and its current settings, I back button focus with Wide Area (S) my (+) in the middle of the box(not a dot) turns into a small green box, BUT if I do not engage my Fn1 tracking button and the bird goes outside the Wide Area (S) box, I lose the focus. I have to take an additional step that my friend does not take. We tried to compare settings one by one, but didn't find anything. So I came to the FORUM!! Help!!
Click to expand...
Do you have subject identification turned on? If it is not on, the wide area AF, small or large, is similar to the Group AF area on DSLRs and generally will not track a subject outside the box.

I generally have subject 'identification on. When that is the case and the Wide area box is on the subject, the camera will look for the head or eye of the subject, even outside the box. You get the little green box on the eye or head that you describe with your friend's Z9.

For example, if I put a wide area box on the body of a great blue heron (S, L or a custom box), the Z9 will usually quickly jump to the heron's eye, even though the heron's head and eye is not in the box. I was surprised when I first saw this, but it is very useful.

There is also a focus persistence setting that you can set, telling the camera how quickly to move to a new subject when it loses the current one. That might be involved.
 
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DRwyoming said:
Are you running the same firmware version as your friend?

There were some subject detection behavior changes with v4.1. When I upgraded the firmware, in addition to the dedicated Bird subject detection it seems the tracking strays further from the defined AF Area box than it did with the older firmware.
Click to expand...
I think my firmware is up to date, but I'll have to confirm. Good idea
 
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Firmware 4.1 and subject detection on...I'm really trying to save every Z9 user a step in focusing. It may be a fraction of a second, but that could mean missing the shot. I'm telling you, he used back button, wide area (S) and the subject detection held in the wide area (S) and everywhere in the viewfinder. I, on the other hand have the one additional step of engaging 3D tracking. If I can avoid having to make that additional move it would be nice!
 
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Just use 3d tracking in the first place?

Or he was using a custom wide area. What you're describing isn't possible under those circumstances.

Also, my wide area modes have a dot in the center, not a cross, so I'm not sure what AF mode you're actually in.
 
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David Holland said:
Firmware 4.1 and subject detection on...I'm really trying to save every Z9 user a step in focusing. It may be a fraction of a second, but that could mean missing the shot. I'm telling you, he used back button, wide area (S) and the subject detection held in the wide area (S) and everywhere in the viewfinder. I, on the other hand have the one additional step of engaging 3D tracking. If I can avoid having to make that additional move it would be nice!
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FWIW, I’ve been shooting my Z9 with the v4.1 firmware since it was released and though the AF tracking with subject detection enabled will stray further outside a Wide Area small or large or custom C1/C2 box than the earlier firmware it won’t track across the entire frame. I hand off to 3D tracking for full frame tracking.

Not sure how your friend has his Z9 set up but even with the newer firmware and a good subject or eye lock my Z9 doesn’t track to the four corners of the frame unless I handoff to 3D or Auto.
 
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David Holland said:
Firmware 4.1 and subject detection on...I'm really trying to save every Z9 user a step in focusing. It may be a fraction of a second, but that could mean missing the shot. I'm telling you, he used back button, wide area (S) and the subject detection held in the wide area (S) and everywhere in the viewfinder. I, on the other hand have the one additional step of engaging 3D tracking. If I can avoid having to make that additional move it would be nice!
Click to expand...
Focus tracking edge to edge in the viewfinder? The only way to do is to use Auto Area or 3D tracking. Neither Wide-Small or Wide-Large provide edge to edge or corner to corner tracking.
 
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JAJohnson said:
Focus tracking edge to edge in the viewfinder? The only way to do is to use Auto Area or 3D tracking. Neither Wide-Small or Wide-Large provide edge to edge or corner to corner tracking.
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a custom wide area can almost get there I believe, but I don't have my camera in front of me to verify. I think the largest custom wide area falls just short of total frame coverage.
 
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Cameron T said:
a custom wide area can almost get there I believe, but I don't have my camera in front of me to verify. I think the largest custom wide area falls just short of total frame coverage.
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You might well be correct. I haven’t tried that, but why waste a custom area when Auto Area is available?

David Holland said his friend was using Wide-Small.
 
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