Wildlife photographer and YouTuber Steve Perry has put together an incredibly helpful video that will show you how to improve your “keeper” rate when shooting fast action with Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless Z7 and Z6, and even the crop-sensor Z50.
Perry is an incredibly talented photographer and a lifelong Nikon shooter, and while he still tends to favor Nikon’s DSLRs for his wildlife work, he’s tested the mirrorless Z cameras extensively, and found several useful tips and tricks that improve their autofocus performance when shooting fast action like birds in flight.
AF performance is one of the most common criticisms leveled at the Z-series cameras, and while these tips won’t bring the Z cameras up to par with Nikon’s D5 or D500, they can help you significantly increase the number of keepers you capture. Some of what Perry covers in the video above:
- When to use each of the AF Area Modes for the best results
- How to set the “Focus Tracking with Lock On” option, and why
- Why you should turn OFF the exposure preview in the EVF
- Which burst shooting mode works best for moving vs stationary subjects
- How to improve the performance of adapted lenses
- and more…
There are a lot of really useful tips and tricks included in this video, including some that are not at all “intuitive,” but can have a real impact on your keeper rate by simply changing one setting. If you’re a Nikon Z shooter, you should absolutely bookmark this video for future reference, and play around with these settings until you find the ideal combination for your shooting style and preferred subject.
Check out the full video up top to dive into each of the bullets above and more, and if you’re a wildlife shooter, definitely head over to Perry’s YouTube channel and subscribe. His no-nonsense reviews and tutorials are a fantastic resource for beginners, intermediate, and professional photographers alike.
(via Nikon Rumors)