The Complete Autofocus Guide! Nikon Z6 Nikon Z7 Nikon Z5 Nikon Z50. Best Autofocus Settings.
This video is designed to help you understand the Auto Focus system used in the Nikon Z7 Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z50 Could also be applied to the D780 in live view only.
It's a very long video so I have added time links below if you want to watch this video multiple times.
it is designed to show you the best autofocus settings when using a Nikon Z7 Z6 or Z50
This video will cover
00:00 introduction
The different focus modes 02:25
Single point
Dynamic Mode
Wide area - S
Wide area - L
Auto area and subject tracking
Why the Autofocus Box does not go green 19:22
Example images taken before FW 3.0 20:44
Why I use the Autofocus modes I do for some of my photography.
Example images taken after FW 3.0 38:40
Most shots taken with Autoarea AF and some examples why I would need to change away from Autoarea.
Talk through the Custom settings Autofocus Menu 46:20
Talk through every option in the menu that can affect autofocus performance and how those options affect the camera.
If you are interested in my Photography Follow me on instagram / nikonricci
I certainly hope you found this video useful !
Thank you so much for watching
#Nikon #NikonZ6 #Nikonautofocus
May be the best video on KZhead explaining how Nikon autofocus works. Even in 2024. Thank you!
Please never delete this video. I have referred to it multiple times already for one or another reasons. You explain the way I do to my little kids, so they would understand for sure. Thank you.
I don't plan on deleting it. Glad you find it useful. :)
FINALLY a great explanation of why the focus box does not turn green in AF-C
I always knew that but would love to know it doesn’t turn green in AF-S on my D810 bodies 🤷🏼♂️
Hey everyone! I really hope you do find this video useful, I hope it helps some of you understand the Autofocus system inside the Nikon Z a little bit better, meaning you can get more out of the camera you have. any questions let me know !
brilliant video Ricci thanks
Thank you so much.This has been very, very helpful. I don't do subscriptions, but since you just saved me quite a bit of time if I wanted to figure all of this out for myself, or money if I paid someone to teach me how to do this, you just got my first and only subscription to a KZhead channel.
That was a great video and very, very helpful. Thank you very much, Ricci!
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much.
omg i’m so glad i found you before my first new z5 arrives today!! Thank you so much!!
BEST VIDEO period... Learned a lot... GREAT detail on how my camera focusing system works MORE MORE MORE
totally agree with you. wish there's one for d750 ..
Thank you, Ricci, for putting this in-depth video together! I am not a photographer, but am an Iridologist, taking eye pics. I just purchased the Z50 so I could still use my old special adaptors. This video really helped me to learn to use the setting so that my eye pics are clearer. Thanks again! Crystal
This is one of the most useful videos I've watched this year, really well put together and you did a fantastic job explaining everything.
Thanks so much glad u found it useful
I totally agree Thomas! One of my best spent hours for a long time :😊
@@RicciTalks Thanks for Your total commitment 🙏
Hey Ricci, the best detailed Video for the Autofocus configuration in the Z-Series, many thanks from Germany !
Thank you Ricci, for all the time you have put into creating this video. Since mirror less is new to Nikon, this helps a lot. Looking forward to your video on the exclusive 3.0 update.
First class explanation with examples! Well done!
Thank you so very much for this video! This was something I have wanted to learn ever since I bought my Z6 camera. You explained everything so well and in depth that I understand the settings so much better now. Hopefully my images will have a lot better focus from now on. Again thank you so much!
This is without a doubt, the best tutorial I've seen regarding autofocus and what you can expect from each mode, how and when to use it. Absolutely brilliant. You've taken a complex subject and made it very easy to understand. I have learned so much from your video and thank you for your great contribution in helping others to understand and comprehend this topic.
Comprehensive, informative and enjoyable to watch and learn. Thank you. Good recap, re-enforce some basics, whilst providing some excellent teachings on the more advanced. No doubt this will help with my BIF pictures.
Z users, look no further. This is the ONLY video you will EVER need on Autofocus. Every setting explained with sample shots. This is now the new gold standard for tutorials. Period.
Can only confirm the positive reactions: great work, will help me a lot being more satisfied with the results I get. Thanks a lot!
Well done!! The best description of AF capabilities I've found.
Thanks Ricci, you have become my favorite on youtube period!! You are the BEST teacher because you go slow and explain everything with visuals. Your technique tells me you understand what you're talking about. Thanks so much for all your content, greatly appreciated. You are making people better photographers.
Amazing clarity Incredible Detail. Thank you for caring about the rest of us growing!!!
This was like a shot of Adrenalin thank you so much. Awesome video. I’ve been searching for this z7 autofocus video for a long time
Ricci, I can always depend on your videos to help me gain knowledge for my Z6 and lenses. Thanks a lot.
Thank you for watching them 🤗
Wow! Excellent, organized, thorough presentation. As a novice photographer, having been gifted a Z6 for retirement, I have much to learn. I’m sure I’ll be viewing this presentation multiple times and taking notes. Additionally, I’ll definitely be looking for other videos that you have so thoughtfully planned and executed. Thank you!
Thanks Ricci, great video! I've had my new Z5 for just 24 hours and have been doing trial and error with the AF settings. I searched KZhead specifically for a tutorial and not a review. This video explains it all. You have saved me hours of trial and error. I now know exactly the settings I need to perform best in all situations. Great work!
Thanks for the very detailed subject on AF for “Z” camera. I look forward to more detailed video from you.
Wow... I mean, WOW! That was one of the best most informative AF videos I have ever watched! Never had I even though about using AF wide until now. Found your channel from an article that Nikon Rumors posted yesterday with your comparison of the 20mm 1.8S Z mount versus F mount, and you definitely have a new subscriber!
Thanks a lot !
Good day Ricci. Let me begin by saying that your videos are incredible, I truly enjoy your style and the way you present information. I, honestly, watched this video three times (cameras in hand) to drive home the lessons you are describing here. This video is absolutely amazing, I truly appreciate the effort you put into to making this video (as well as your other videos) and the information you share. I sincerely hope you keep making these videos as I have learned so much. Your videos inspire me to make better photos, and I thank you for that.
Thanks Ricci for this great vid on autofocus. I am very much looking forward to your vid on FW3.0 topics!
This was extremely useful to me. Thank you very much!
Best breakdown of the AF system yet. Thanks!
Thanks for putting this together. Very helpful info not readily found elsewhere!
Thank you, will pick my Z6 tomorrow and am excited to try out what I have learned.
This may be the most useful video I have ever viewed. Thank you!
Great to hear!
Had to watch this twice since moving from dslr to mirrorless- so detailed and a real deep dive into the autofocus modes again for a new system. Thanks Ricci. 🙏🏽
Brilliant video, just had my z6 for a few weeks and although I am a seasoned photographer its really helped me look at the options available and allow me to make an informed choice. Excellent - thank you and stay safe.
What a GREAT video. Just got my Z6 about two weeks ago, and your video has explained so much. You've definitely got a new fan here.
Very nice and detailed coverage of all the features, thank you. I just got a Z6 II and moving on from a D4S there's a ton of new cool AF tricks to learn.
Just brilliant, I have always struggled with focus and I thought my camera or lenses are messed up, but no only my settings were wrong for different scenes. Keep up the good work Ricci 👍🏻
Well written and presented! Much needed refresher course on the autofocus system. Thank you, your efforts are appreciated!
Thank you Ricci. You had clarified some of the AF mode confusions I had.
Excellent tutorial! You're a very effective teacher. Thank you!
Great tutorial Ricci; thank you. I would like you to review specifically the subject tracking function with AF-C. I would like to understand how it differs from a mere auto area focus setting (AF-C Auto) without activating tracking. Thank you!
This is basically a mini-masterclass in Nikon mirrorless AF. I wish I found this sooner - it is the most thorough & clearly presented video I’ve seen on this topic. Immensely helpful - thank you 🙏🏻
Great to hear ! Thanks for watching
Thank you so much for such a long and detailed video. Still looking forward to a detailed comparison review for the Z 24-200 lens
Yes please! Realy want to know how it performs for video with dual IS :)
Very useful and important, also very clearly explained. Thank you so much Ricci. I normally attend Nikon's After school sessions so see your there. Ram
Extremely helpful video Ricci, appreciate your hard work and time for sharing this with us. Many very fine images you've captured, the kingfishers especially are fantastic. Finding it difficult to give up on my Nikon DSLR's after 30 yrs but also really loving my Z6, mirrorless opens up many more opportunities and it's exciting to use. Nikon deserves more love for it's Z cameras and lenses they really are outstanding, ps the build quality on the Z6/7 is as good as it gets and way better than most! Cheers.
Get that I'm 18 months late here but have been watching you for a couple of years Ricci and just got myself a Z7 and couldn't;t be happier! Thanks for effort in the vid, helped me out a lot 👍
Marvelous! I've watched auto-focus videos till my eyes bled and mostly just got confused. Yours was the best explanations, the best insight, and the best real-world examples of all of them. Hooray, and thank-you!!
really glad I came across this. as a new photographer, the AF system is something I don't fully grasp yet
I learned more in one hour watching this video that I have during the last year. Totally comprehensive and logical. I am very grateful for the real work you put into this. Joe
Great to hear Joe glad you found it useful !
This video was amazing Ricci. This is by far the best video on the Z focusing system. I know a lot of work went into doing this video especially with the examples for everything. Once again thank you and I really learned a lot.
I had no intention of watching this video for over an hour. But I did thanks to the simplistic explanations, examples and personal preferences. As a new owner of a z7, frustrated by the number of missed images, this video is ideal. Well done, Sir!
This is so good!! I’ve come back to it on a few occasions to refresh ”the hows and whys ” Thanks again!
Thanks a lot :)
This was INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you!!
Thank you for your time. I did lean some new things
I have always struggled with when to use what type of focus for each situation for my older DSLR. Just got the Z6ii and most of this still applies. Thanks for using real world examples and pros and cons of each. Great video.
This is the best explanation of how Nikon Z camera autofocus system is and how it works.
Great job. A review for some of it but appreciate the deep dive on the focus behavior of wide area, dynamic, etc.. You also have me rethinking the live view setting. I'm used to toggling it off for flash but will now consider it for focus speed depending on what is in front of me or maybe just leave it off. Thank you!
Wow! THE most clear and comprehensive explanation of these settings. (Even better than Nikon’s own video tutorials.)The visual examples are spot on. Well done! Thank you Ricci. I look forward to exploring more of your videos.
Thanks so much ! Glad you got some good info out of this video!
Thank you so much for spending the time to go through this in such detail. I’m so tired of just hearing someone say, “this is the best setting for …”, or “this mode works just like it’s done on the D850”. You actually explained how they work, and that is very helpful.
Thanks Ricci This video is the most useful video to watch for understanding the complicated Z series autofocus system and I've referred to it several times. I love the way you explain things in simple terms and now i'm putting the camera to better use.
This is the most useful lesson on a most tricky subject, Ricci! Well done, you are an excellent tutor. The challenge is remembering it all!
An excellent video thanks Ricci! I was struggling to set up AF to my requirements after buying Z body and once I'd watched this everything suddenly became very clear.
This was the best video on autofocus I have seen. Thanks for being clear and concise.
Thanks for such a comprehensive guide!
This is GOLD. Great video and very useful, thank you!
Excellent stuff ! sat and watched it all with my Z7 in my hands. Many thanks for putting this up!!
Not a problem glad you found it useful !
Incredible.... As someone who is transitioning from DSLR to mirrorless, I think this is a fabulous video. The explanations and sample images are the best available anywhere. I've watched it multiple times already and I'm sure I will watch it many more times as I try to get these auto-focus options ingrained in my memory.
Extremely useful video for a new Nikon Z7 owner. It answered all my questions about getting the best use out of the autofocus function and taking full advantage of my mirrorless camera. The examples were terrific!
One of the most helpful clips I ever watched! Thanks a lot!
Hi Ricci I have watched many of your lens comparison vids and find that you are very thorough and objective when doing them. This video is the same, it is a subject which is rarely dealt with and I must say, your handling of it is the best one out their. As a Z6 user, many thanks.
You explain it better than anyone else on KZhead. For me the key point you make is that knowing how your camera works, it's strengths and weaknesses, what it is trying to do, is more important than which camera system you have. It is not the person or the technology it is the interface between the two that we should all be concentrating on.
📷Thanks! Very well organized and presented. Outstanding content!
As someone who has just bought a used Z6, this was really helpful.
Absolutely brilliant! I learned SO much from this video I can't thank you enough!
FANTASTIC video!!! Thank you 😊
Agree - best video on the subject that I've seen. I may finally understand Dynamic-Area, and why even Wide Area Small doesn't always work. Thanks!
This video is just SUPER great!!! Thank you so much!
Thank you sooo much! So much great info! I appreciate all the time you put into this video.
thanks for providing clarity on AF with Z7. Much appreciated
I know this is an older video, but it was great to re-visit and really listen to the detailed explanations. I have learned a few things I had wrong in my head - thank you for the time and effort! There isn't another Nikon-centric content creator out there that does better work!
Fantastic job! Thank you, I've been through a load of other videos and you explain this, with examples, in a way that finally makes sense.
Thank you very much for giving such a detailed AF tutorial. Was looking for such a video for long time and you just nailed it bro👍 Really appreciate it.🙏
Excellent tutorial! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Brilliant. Thank you so much for this very clear and complete explanation. I’ve recently returned to the Nikon fold with a Z6 after selling most of my Fuji gear.
So glad I found this video, it has solved a few of my autofocus problems. Thank you for taking the time to make it and I will look forward to see you at the Nikon School at the end of the month on the Z series focus
I have watched this more than once and will refer back to it. You have one of the very best, easy to understand, clear explanation of the focus modes for Z Nikon. Thank you so much!
Thank you ! This AF features are very well depicted !!!
Many thanks for taking the time to create this in depths video. It helps me understand my camera settings and making informed decisions on a much better level than before watching.
What a gem! Everything you need to know about auto focus but were too scared to ask
Great tutorial! Please do more of these. Thank you.
Ricci, your knowledge and presentation is amazing.
FANTASTIC-OVERWHELMING amount of relevant “how to’s” THANKS for being my best teacher.
I think this is one of the most helpful Z videos I have watched - great to have you talk thro the logic of your mode decisions. Thank you.
What a fantastic video! So thorough, clear and understandable, so thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Just a short note to say I really appreciated this tutorial it was set at the right pace for me. Thank you.
A great school for someone who recently purchased these cameras. Good job!
Thank you so much, the detail and the way you presented it was excellent! I learned a lot.
Superbly informative and helpful video. Thank you!
Excellent informative stuff. I now have a really good grasp of how all the autofoicus options on my Z6. Thanks for putting this together, hugely appreciated.
Enormously helpful. one hundred thumbs up! Thanks you!
Excellent Lecture. Lots to consider--thanks.