D500 BIF settings tips please

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Just downloaded 5 manuals if you include the video one,the sports AF one sounds interesting but with the amount of info there must be in them i thought i would ask for any tips.

My initial idea will be to go for my standard settings, shutter priority, auto ISO up to 6400, one with a single point af and one with some kind of multipoint, are there any areas i should be looking at to improve the beast to get me started, remember ime 18 months out of date with Nikons.

I have never trusted any form of AF tracking has this changed now,can i sit back and let the camera do the work ;)
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
How deep in the menu do you want to go? I don't have it in front of me so I can quote my focus tracking settings, but otherwise I'm at AF-C with 153 points (full left to right) and the initial point in the center. Moving left to right it locks on perfectly for just about every shot, towards/away from you and I'll get 2/3 tack sharp in general once it locks. A lot depends on what else is close.

And for the most part BIF is my 300mm f4E (newest) with a 1.4x TC on it shooting in manual at 1/1600 (give or take a click) and f6.3 or f7.1. I generally keep the auto ISO at 1600 as anything over that becomes a little too noisy if you've got to crop. IIRC my AF blocked setting is set to the highest delay amount.

As you know, swallows aren't known to be slow and the shots before and after each of these were all keepers with regard to sharpness.

J52_6530-Edit-copy.jpg


J52_6564-Edit-copy.jpg
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
Just downloaded 5 manuals if you include the video one,the sports AF one sounds interesting but with the amount of info there must be in them i thought i would ask for any tips.

My initial idea will be to go for my standard settings, shutter priority, auto ISO up to 6400, one with a single point af and one with some kind of multipoint, are there any areas i should be looking at to improve the beast to get me started, remember ime 18 months out of date with Nikons.

I have never trusted any form of AF tracking has this changed now,can i sit back and let the camera do the work ;)

Congrats on the new camera. I'm out the door in 5 minutes. I wish I could help you, but it's not enough time.
I will try and give a detailed reply when I get home from work.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
How deep in the menu do you want to go? I don't have it in front of me so I can quote my focus tracking settings, but otherwise I'm at AF-C with 153 points (full left to right) and the initial point in the center. Moving left to right it locks on perfectly for just about every shot, towards/away from you and I'll get 2/3 tack sharp in general once it locks. A lot depends on what else is close.

And for the most part BIF is my 300mm f4E (newest) with a 1.4x TC on it shooting in manual at 1/1600 (give or take a click) and f6.3 or f7.1. I generally keep the auto ISO at 1600 as anything over that becomes a little too noisy if you've got to crop. IIRC my AF blocked setting is set to the highest delay amount.

As you know, swallows aren't known to be slow and the shots before and after each of these were all keepers with regard to sharpness.

View attachment 259632

View attachment 259633

Thanks dont know how far into the menu i want to go,i havent looked at it yet :confused:

Not on top form today so gathering info for tomorrow.
 

Fortkentdad

Senior Member
DSC_2063+Black Terns -0004.jpg

Here is one of my D500 BIF efforts

I found Mark Smith's Youtubes about the D500 shooting BIF to be helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o_Btv8sDMk

Speed is key - at least 1,000 but faster is better - depending on the speed of the bird. This black tern was a serious challenge for me.

Focus mode is the other factor. I like the options offered by D500 to have BBF on the AF-ON button (I use that for Single Point) leave the shutter to the AF-C - group and then I programmed the centre of the joy-stick (pressing it in squarely takes some practice) I have that on AF-C Dynamic 72. I've only had the camera a short time. I'm just learning too.
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
congrats on the new camera mate, looking forward to seeing your posts.

i am still undecided on settings? trying out different ones, i started on the group focus, afc and try to remember to keep it at 1/1600 and over, testing out auto iso atm, set at 3200 but going to drop that down, its good for under shaded trees etc but too much for BIF.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
congrats on the new camera mate, looking forward to seeing your posts.

i am still undecided on settings? trying out different ones, i started on the group focus, afc and try to remember to keep it at 1/1600 and over, testing out auto iso atm, set at 3200 but going to drop that down, its good for under shaded trees etc but too much for BIF.

I use AF-C with single, but I assigned "group" to the AF-ON button. While I'm tracking a bird in single point, I can just take my thumb and activate "group" without taking my eye off the viewfinder.
This works great for me, since I don't use BBF and don't need the "af-on" for that.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
I use AF-C with single, but I assigned "group" to the AF-ON button. While I'm tracking a bird in single point, I can just take my thumb and activate "group" without taking my eye off the viewfinder.
This works great for me, since I don't use BBF and don't need the "af-on" for that.

That sounds interesting,i didnt stay with BBF as with my previous Nikons it would overide the focus priority on my shutter button and give shutter priority.

We have rain forcast all week so no rush i wil have time to play.
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
congrats on the new camera mate, looking forward to seeing your posts.

i am still undecided on settings? trying out different ones, i started on the group focus, afc and try to remember to keep it at 1/1600 and over, testing out auto iso atm, set at 3200 but going to drop that down, its good for under shaded trees etc but too much for BIF.

Obviously i need to try it but on auto ISO i never worry about it being high because if its gone high it needs it to get the picture,i dont see how you can be getting too much for BIF surley the camera drops the ISO to the lowest it can use.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
View attachment 259654

Here is one of my D500 BIF efforts

I found Mark Smith's Youtubes about the D500 shooting BIF to be helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o_Btv8sDMk

Speed is key - at least 1,000 but faster is better - depending on the speed of the bird. This black tern was a serious challenge for me.

Focus mode is the other factor. I like the options offered by D500 to have BBF on the AF-ON button (I use that for Single Point) leave the shutter to the AF-C - group and then I programmed the centre of the joy-stick (pressing it in squarely takes some practice) I have that on AF-C Dynamic 72. I've only had the camera a short time. I'm just learning too.

Thanks youtube is my destination today,i do much better as a Monkey see Monkey do learner.
 

Fortkentdad

Senior Member
DSC_8660+Birding at Jesse Lake-0016.jpg

These are swift birds - this one done at 1/6400.

I have pushed the ISO but very high (over 3000 IMHO) is OK if you don't crop-a-lot. But if you are shooting small birds and the final image is 1/20th of the full frame or less, then the high iso grain will show. Or at least it does for me. Some of this can be corrected with software (I like the NIK collection dfine best but there are many) However there is a loss of detail. So the grain is less, but so are the fine feather details.

cropping capture.JPG

This is an approximate on the amount of crop on the photo above.

The closer you crop, the more grain you will see - and this was at 1600.
ISO is only one factor but as I understand it the main determinant of grain.
That and the quality of these sensor, which with a D500 is about as good as you can expect with current crop of cameras.


Birding at Jesse Lake -0016-DSC_8660 -1  .jpg
Birding at Jesse Lake -0016-DSC_8660 -1  close.jpg

Mega crop - certainly usable. again at only 1600 ISO.

At least that is how I understand it.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
This image was 2500 ISO @ 1/4000 on the Panasonic and a decent crop good light makes a lot of difference.

P1070350.jpg


This one was @ 6400 ISO

32896846255_698f6fdcf4_o.jpg



This one at 640 ISO

33751546472_42204bb07c_o.jpg



These may not suit some but if i can run auto ISO up to 6400 on a m4/3 i feel i should be able to do it on the D500,if the cost of getting the shot is noise its a cost i will pay,i know Pete wont::what::
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Can any one confirm i have this right and not missed something.

I will be shooting manual with auto iso and would like to assign fn1 to exposure compensation via the front or rear dial but looking at the book i dont think i can,i know i can use the top exposure adjustment button but i find the fn1 easier to get to.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
This image was 2500 ISO @ 1/4000 on the Panasonic and a decent crop good light makes a lot of difference.

View attachment 259726

This one was @ 6400 ISO

View attachment 259727


This one at 640 ISO

View attachment 259728


These may not suit some but if i can run auto ISO up to 6400 on a m4/3 i feel i should be able to do it on the D500,if the cost of getting the shot is noise its a cost i will pay,i know Pete wont::what::

The D500 is pretty good at high ISO. (It's no D750, but it comes pretty close) I have my auto ISO set at 4000 Max, which I'll use if I don't have to crop it much.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
Can any one confirm i have this right and not missed something.

I will be shooting manual with auto iso and would like to assign fn1 to exposure compensation via the front or rear dial but looking at the book i dont think i can,i know i can use the top exposure adjustment button but i find the fn1 easier to get to.

I just looked and it doesn't look like you can assign EC to the Fn1 button.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Thanks all i have some settings to try, manual,single point af,auto iso,af/on set to change to group af and PV for an exposure lock.

Going to try exposure lock as i cant find a button i can press and comfortably spin a dial,its just incase an unexpected flight shot comes along,i will try an exposure lock on something other than the sky,it may not work but worth a try.
 

Vincent

Senior Member
So other topics:
- use back button focussing, with AF-C
- Asssign different methods to the AE/AF button and the joystick middle

I`m not there yet, I was testing it taking pictures of small black birds on black sea background that were far away and that did not give me confidence.

Remarks:
- Group AF does get confused easily, in busy context I go to point or D25.
- the joystick focussing is not easy for me, I generally move the point in stead of focussing

Yes the new focussing system does have a good performance, the issue is we go for more challenging subjects with it and you certainly can not relax when going for those.

20170610-_DSC3701061617.jpg

Does anyone prefer 3D over Group?
I also use less dynamic corrections, so that a bird flying through the frame does not shift focus. Just my take that I generally have issues to find my subject if focus changes to quickly.
 
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