The Ultimate Sony a1 AF Setup Guide (For Wildlife Photography)
Get my Sony a1 Setup Guide For Wildlife Here:
bcgwebstore.com/product/the-ultimate-sony-a1-setup-guide-for-wildlife-photography/
I’ve had tons of people asking for my Sony a1 wildlife photography setup - and it’s finally here!
In this video, I’ll show you, step-by-step, how I set the Sony A1 AF menus and talk about how I leverage each adjustment in the field. In addition, I’ll also share my lightning-fast, game-changing AF button setup - and how you can use it to put more keepers on your cards than ever before. Get ready to use your a1’s AF system at a whole new level. Check it out!
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Get my Sony a1 Setup Guide For Wildlife Here:
bcgwebstore.com/product/the-ultimate-sony-a1-setup-guide-for-wildlife-photography/
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I don't have an A1. I have to stop watching A1 videos. Thank you, Steve for making these videos. I've learned a lot from you. Subscribed.
Excellent explanations and demos, thank you Steve! Just picked up the book and can't wait to dive in. I'm sure you're thrilled that the Z9 is out, but hope you'll keep on shooting the Sony system and providing great material for it.
thank you for the detailed explanations - it really helped to understand certain features / settings.
Just got my A7RV and overwhelmed with the button, custom keys and numerous focus area methods. Even though I don't shoot wildlife your video help simplify and a great starter guide.
Sir. By far the best video I have watched explaining how to set up the Sony A-1. The menu on this camera is a monster with so many option, and Mr. Perry does a great helping to understand a lot of thise options. I learned a lot. Thank you RV
I mean it literally couldn't get any better than this. I bought your book cause i'm sure there's still lots to learn, but even if i felt like i didn't need it, i still would have bought it anyway out of respect to you sir!! Please keep up your amazing teaching!! Chapeau!!!
Excellent video thank you. I have bought your full guide - the video has some brilliant nuggets of information for A1 users so I am sure the book will prove invaluable too.
Great video. I have been looking for a video like this for a while. I own an A7III but I can use some of your settings on that. Going to try the AF regist area function. Thanks.
Good stuff Steve. I'm upgrading from an A9 and found this very useful. Will also get your ebook 👍
Great instruction video.Thanks for this effort!
New to Sony system and bought the A1 wildlife setup guide. Worth it's weight in gold. Extremely clear instructions, easy to follow and his setup sure works.
Thank you!
Thank You Steve! The Book is pure Awesome, as all your books I have are. Hope to make a Costa or some workshop with you someday.
Fabulous video. Loved it.
You're a great teacher! 👍🏻⭐
Excellent guide. Well worth the money.
Thanks you somuch Steve, it was an amazing tutorial. So clear and articulate. Many thanks
Great work Mr Perry.
What a great video. Thank you Steve
Mom! Steve posted! John, you shoot Nikon. So?! 😂
Hahahah me too! Nikon shooter deeply engrossed in Sony settings thanks to Steve 😛
So helpful. well done
Thank you for making this video, exactly what I needed to get my new A1 camera quickly set up for the weekend.
Glad I could help!
Seriously awesome!
For all us plebs slumming around with an a7 iv, these are still helpful tips. Same menu system, same settings.
Good to know. I haven't had a chance to use an a74 yet.
Hi Steve, thanks for this really useful set up video. The best I have seen. I just bought your book.
Thanks so much!
Some great advice there, thanks Steve =)
Great as always Steve, But waiting patiently for your Z9 setup I just love that camera and tomorrow I also will have the 100-400 Z;)
I'm testing and using the Z9 right now :)
Thanks Steve. I thought I was pretty dialed in with my a1 but some of your settings make more sense. I’m going to give them a try. I have your book as well.
Thanks!
Thank you very much Steve!!!
Very Nice video again. Thank you.
Hope to see your Z9 settings soon!
Thank you Steve, amazing video and very thoughtful advises ;-) As simple as - I’ve just bought your book right after finishing with this video )))
Thank you so much!
Thank you, invaluable.
The button setups are especially powerful, combined with his focus area setups.
Great review
Awesome! Thanks!
Steve is the best and most neutral reviewer of camera and lenses. Awaiting your Z9 review Steve. When can we expect?
Can't wait until you do a similar video for the Z9
You know what this made me realize? I have watched so many of your videos that I am actually reading the book in your voice. This is crazy :-)
LOL, that's funny!
waiting for the "Ultimate Nikon Z9 AF set-up Guide". ;)
AWSOME STEVE
Hi Steve, I love your advice and videos. I recently got a second hand a9, I mostly shot small birds. would you recommend similar settings?
thank you soooo much !
This is awesome. Thank you! Will some of these settings work on a9/a9ii?
Really good video
First of all, congratulations for your excellent A1 Setup Guide for Wildlife. Very clear and though is a very complicated matter (the A1 is a little monster), you did a great job. I already have my camera with your setup and now I am trying to get used to it. So far so good. Now I want to ask you how to store all this setup in one of the camera’s memories. I did a backup of this Camset and stored it in my Mac.
Thanks so much! There's no in-camera backup system if that's what you mean. The settings stick of course, but there's not a way to store a backup copy (like backup camset) in the camera itself.
Great video! And when can we expect the z9 review?
Late to the game but THANK YOU!. I found it so clear and helpful that I bought the Set up Guide pdf
Thanks so much!
Great video, thanks! I just wanted to add; for shutter release shooters using "Tracking Off Toggle" instead of "Tracking On" will give the toggle mode instead of hold.
Additionally, you have to have the Tracking Areas selected in Focus Area Limit or they will not be toggled.
Hi Steve, I bought your Wildlife guide for the A1 before I went to Africa, and stupidly didn't set it up for BBF, resulting in quite a few slightly out of focus shots. Once I got home, I re-read your guide and set the A1 up for BBF. Much better, however, I have been exp and now believe I have stumbled on the absolutely ideal setup, which is a modification of what you have recommended. I have assigned to the AEL button, Recall Custom Hold 1, which I have programmed to include the following: Aperture Priority, Single Shooting, ISO Auto, Multi metering, DMF focus, Zone focus, AF On. For the AF-ON button, I have assigned Custom Hold 2, which I have programmed to include the following settings: Continuous shooting, ISO AUTO, Multi metering, Continuous AF, Tracking, AF sensitivity 1 Locked on, AF-ON. In practice, these button settings have given me far more predictable results, and the DMF option on the AEL button has transformed my slightly off focus stills to razor sharp images. With the AEL button I use this exclusively for still images. It would have been ideal for me to have been able to use it for lions embedded deep into the grasslands of Botswana (next time!). I am happy to use this exclusively in Aperture Priority mode. With the AF-ON button, I use this exclusively for wildlife, shooting multiple images, but have not activated Manual Mode or a Shutter Speed as when I did try this, even if I was in Aperture Priority Mode at, say 1/250th second at f4, it would automatically change it to 1/2000th second (or whatever I had previously set my SS in Manual mode) at f4. So, I have found it easier to change these settings manually. It makes things more precise and predictable,. I love the flexibility Sony have provided to allow users to set really advanced settings to Custom buttons. This, for me, works perfectly. Thanks again for all your fantastic support and advice.
What about set up for Canon R5 I really love watch your explain everything thank you.
Hii Steve, GREAT video bought the book good reading....lots of tips.... Look forward to seeing you & your wife on your next trip to Florida... Circle B
Hi Cecil! I'll probably be there in the next week or two :)
So good! I'm a Sony shooter and feel comfortable with the Sony AF system but now I'm really excited to experiment with Regist. AF Area modes and change the way I use it for sports photography. I've been using the Recall Custom Hold functions to setup my back buttons but going to experiment with your setup next time in the field!
I love my Recall Custom Hold 1 and 2 on AEL and AF-ON. Walking through the forest shooting a flying bird and then just pressing AEL and you are ready for a perched bird. I will have to buy the book, to know how Steve does that then. So no BBF for me, I really don't see the use of it.
Time stamps would be a game changer! thanks Steve.
Great video!. I have a question, AF-C Traking still available in Movie mode (or S&Q)?
most of this works on the a9 ver 1 as well we just dont have afon and tracking we can assign to 1 button so we have to use the non back button focus mode
Fabulous Instructional Video, Steve 👍 I purchased the book too, cause I decided on purchase of the a1 while I wait for Nikon to workout the wrinkles on the Z9 😅
Thanks :)
Greatings from Ballito in South Africa Steve. (*We met you at the Pangolin hotel / Chobe in August last year...) I hope this finds you guys all well... I first watched this video when you first brought it out in February, and a few weeks ago we quickly shot down to the Kgalagadi ( North Western Cape in SA) after having heard that the desert had received a lot of unusual rain, and needed to check it out for ourselves... That rain transformed the usual desert into something resembling a Savannah Grassland, and very different from what I remembered from our last trip there. This trip ended up with us shooting more raptors than animals for a bunch of reasons. There were lots of different raptors , all actively feeding on varying food sources, while we saw only two sets of cheetahs, one taking out a Springbok, and then a coalition of four brothers having a full go at a Springbok which was quicker than them, but providing some interesting photographic opportunities...Two set of lions which feated, and as usual were just sleeping things off with huge bellies! For the rest the grass made viewing sparse... While I had reasonable success with the raptors, I found myself needing to speed up my usual work rate, so I have come back to this video, and am absolutely delighted to advise that you had covered all the "speed up" points which I needed to address, and I have just tweaked both my A1's, and this has really made a big difference in my life....Thank you... BTW: One can never fool oneself into believing that we have sufficient knowledge, so I have also ordered your eBook on the Sony A1 settings etc, and look forward to devourering it's contents.. Hopefully we will meet up again, one day when you head back down here, to the bottom end of Mamma Africa, and until then, take care, be safe out there, and keep up the great work timdrimanphotography.co.za/
Hi Tim! Great to hear from you! Thanks for the kind words and the book purchase :) We're heading back to Botswana this spring and can't wait. Sounds like you had a great time with the raptors - that's always a treat. Hope to see you around!
Thanks!
Thanks so much!
Hi Steve! Wrote you a few weeks ago, hope you don't mind a few more questions. You are a inspiration to me- new to photography and just purchased the Sony A1 (got your setup pdf yesterday)...I ordered the Sony 600mmf4(back ordered)...what tripod do you recommend? Wimberly Gimbel? Do you ever have workshops near Grand Tetons? I want to go if the 600 lens comes in...looking forward to studying your setup guide... you're super great!!!
Thanks for the purchase :) I like the Real Right Stuff 3 series (the long one) and the Wimberly WH-200. Not everyone's cup of tea, but they work well for what I do. I don't do any US based workshops at the moment.
Hi sir I bought your Sony a1 setup Guide For Wildlife, and found it very helpful, but why didn’t you provide us with a camset, which should allowed us to install your specific settings described inside the ebook, directly to the camera itself?
After deep diving in this amazing and pleasant book, finally absolutely no need of a camset as the camera setup is straightforward, thank you Mister Perry and keep upp the good work.
Hi , I've learned so much from you, you are the best teacher ever. have 1 question. I've been setting the tracking ON + AF ON ON THE A7IV , could you explain how to do it on a a9II? I only find tracking on only and it does not work the same way. thanks in advance
I wish I could help but I no longer have an a9ii and wasn't that familiar with it when I did have it. It was the Sony A1 that really got me deep into the Sony world.
Hi Steve, are you doing a Z9 review at all?
Thank you so much for this! It has been a struggle trying to understand how to set tracking on the camera. My only question is regarding tracking. For the tracking to be engaged with this set up you have to keep the button AF+Tracking On pressed, correct?
Thanks! And yes, keep pressing to keep tracking (or focusing, if you're using the other button)
I followed you when I was shooting aD850 and all your videos are always awesome. Glad you are doing the A1 book now. I’ll make sure to get your new book. Sold all my Nikon gear and I’m all in with Sony products now and love the A1. Thanks so much for the content.
Good evening Steve and thank you very much for the content of your videos. I allow myself to ask you a question: it seems to me that I could translate the video into French on youtube, which is no longer the case now. My english is quite rudimentary :) Do you know the reason? Thanks again and have a nice WE
Great video thanks, I just dont understand why would you assign switch focus area to C1 when it is already assign to C2 as per default?
I like the position better. No right or wrong way, do what works for you :)
Hi Steve, congrats for your super useful guide! I used for a while your setup, but in some occasions the additional button you need to push to change focus area takes too long and you may miss some shots when the bird move from perch to flight. I would like to to assign the two only focus areas I'm using (spot and zone) to AF-On and AEL buttons respectively (without needing a Switch Focus Area button as per your guide). But I do not know how to toogle on/off the tracking mode. It looks like the tracking is a "hold" function only and not a toogle/switch. If we could achieve this we would have a two backbutton focus that also istantaneously switch focus area and an optional third button that activates/deactivates tracking when needed. What do you think?
Don't use BBF and use Recall Custom Hold (1,2 or 3 - up to 11 different settings) with the desired AF area.
@@StephaanBOSS56 The problem with Recall Custom x is that the tracking of focus area is implicitly associated and cannot be switched off should I need to disable tracking on the fly. For this reason I was asking a separate button to toggle tracking on/on when needed without changing the current focus area
You're setting up to quickly change to Tracking mode with a custom button. Can you give some examples of when you would swith into Tracking mode when doing birds?
Is there a menu option to 'reset' the aperture/shutter speed/iso to some default (like P mode) at the touch of a button while in M mode? Pentax users know about the green button.
Thanks
Thanks so much!
@@backcountrygallery No, thank you! Your A1 setup guide book and the videos have been incredible
I have the AEL button set up for perched birds as others have mentioned here - I have it on spot focus - not center fixed - but the joystick does not move the spot, it stays in a fixed position, although the larger box does move. The spot formerly moved, so it's something I've done to lock it. The Spot moves find if I access spot focus via the fn button. Any ideas on what I may have done to freeze it? Some suggest pressing the joystick would release it but that has not worked. Much thanks for any help!
Good settings. It would be even better if I could figure out how to order the guide- and figure out how to personalize the custom settings from the menu. I see no order form.
Thanks for your interest! You can get more info and purchase the e-book at the link below: bcgwebstore.com/product/the-ultimate-sony-a1-setup-guide-for-wildlife-photography/
Do you have a video on how to setup the A1 for shooting video?
I don't do much video so I don't have anything that can help. However, there are some knowledgeable people at the BCG Forums that may be able to help.
in case of attaching A1 on tripod upside-down for ground level shots. how can I turn the view on its monitor?
Hopefully you will stay with the a1 (after your z9 review) for awhile providing more interesting vids. Can’t we change the lens switch to m to get past tree limbs in manual? Mark smith and his friend showed us manual iso with zebras display on the the control wheel.
Sure, it's works both ways. I like the joystick press because I know where it is all the time. My AF/MF switch is in a little different location on all of my lenses and I like it when I don't need to take my eye from the viewfinder. The ISO trick is a good one. I mention using the wheel for ISO in the book - I like that a full counter-clockwise turn can also put it into M + Auto ISO, very handy.
I am using A1 with 200-600 lens. I am loving the setup. This beast eye af through the branches and give me excellentimages. The only problem i am facing is when my lens af far and i have to picture of some bird sitting i. A closer perch. I have to bring my focus to a closer contrasting subject and then focus on my bird. By that time bird is gone. Do i need to make any changes in my setting?
I learned to use and swith the distance button on the lens even handheld. That works perfectly, but it would be handy if Sony could maybe make it possible to put in like a toggle function on the lens button f.i.
Nice guide Steve! Very comprehensive. One trick for wildlife photogs that I found is to set the AEL button as a custom recall for stationary subjects. For example, mine is set to 1/500th, single point etc... So if a bird or mammal stops, I slide my thumb to the AEL button and it's ready for a lower ISO, creamier bokeh background with a single point (which also helps pick subjects in messy backgrounds). If the subject is ready to fly, run, swim, I simply release that thumb and just use the front shutter which I usually have set for action. It's an absolute game changer for me. Well worth the time to set it up. Good luck everyone!
I have a similar setup recommendation in my book for the movie record button (Mine is for action, but I have an alternate in there just like you describe too)
Hi Steve, would the setup guide customisations for A1 work the same for A9 ii ?
The menus are really really different. Many of the settings are actually the same but the menus are not making it a little bit confusing define what you need using the guide. Still I know people of used it and tell me it works well.
@@backcountrygallery thanks very much
Steve I think your coffee cup is alive .... Great video
It's possessed :)
Very good explanation of the Release setting. Without it, you're going to miss a lot of perfectly in focus shots.
hello, i have all your courses for nikon d750 and z6ii but switched to sony a74 for a better AF. I am in mode A, AF-C, half shutter press (not BBF), auto iso min 1/1250, and have difficulties to switch from wide focus area with bird eye detection to a expanded spot with tracking when i loose the eye and AF, without going to the menu and without using tactile (orange cross in EVF or finger on lcd), just remaining in EVF. any suggestion for a74 ? i heard about recalling a custom hold with a different spot tracking focus area in that mode. Does it make sense or should we try to be in tracking spot whatever the case ?
Have you tried BBF, though?
What button do you press to get Nikon colors? Lol. Looking forward to more Z9 videos!
LOL :) I'm testing and using the Z9 now, won't be long.
@@backcountrygallery Excellent! You’re the best, Steve! Btw, the last video you did on cold weather shooting/ lens hood was great. Saved me from pulling my hair out!
Steve have you found FW 1.31 degraded AF, many said FW 1.2 worked much better.
I haven't really experienced it. I saw somewhere that you shovel reset the camera, then update, then reload your settings, so that's what I did. I'm not sure if it's any better or the same. Comparing AF is tricky unless you can do it side by side with a challenging target.
Unfortunately, on the A7S3 we have no option for tracking and AF On. Tracking cane be toggled on and off but no AF option.
I find that my A1 keeps focusing for birds wings and tails but not eye or face.. any suggestions?
There are a number of things that can happen that would cause this. Most often, the camera isn't identifying the face / eye and the AF area is just working as it normally would. So, closer / easier areas are what it will focus on. I find sometimes using a smaller AF area (like one of the Spot AF areas) and keeping it on the face as the bird flies is usually the way to overcome it, but it does take practice (sometimes, lots of it, depending on the bird).
Next up, Z9?!
Wow! Photographer, Sci-fi author, and Singer. What don't you do?
Have a unique name.
@@backcountrygallery great comeback. 😂