D7200 Priority Selection Settings

06Honda

Senior Member
My main subjects are birds and nature related photography.

I currently have Focus for my selection for these 2 menu settings:

AF-C priority selection:
AF-S priority selection:

Is this the correct or best settings for photographing birds mostly. Most of my images are good but do get some misses from time to time. I have seen various opinions on these 2 settings but would like advice from bird photographers. Thanks for any input or advice.
 

06Honda

Senior Member
Thanks for that, I was looking at what is the best selection for AF-C & AF-S : Priority Selection in the menu itself. It gives you 2 choices: Focus or Release
 

nickt

Senior Member
Focus priority means you must lock focus before the shutter will fire. Release priority means you can click the shutter whether focus is ready or not. You can assign this for each af-s and af-c. Af-s, probably best to go with focus priority as you have it. Af-c, you can go either way. I would go release priority for af-c, but recognize you can get an out of focus shot. If you went af-c with focus priority for a bird in flight, the camera will demand focus. It can be frustrating to be pressing the shutter button and you get nothing because focus priority wont let the shutter fire. I think the the odds are better you get a decent shot spraying a burst with af-c release priority. You really can argue this either way. Auto area focus with af-c focus priority can get you a good bif shot too. So play with it.

I use af-c with back button focus and that makes necessary release priority for the technique to work. BBF is a project to get used to, but you get the best of both af-s and af-c for instant use. Hold the button down and you get af-c with release priority. Release the button and you get a instant psuedo af-s release priority mode. That is, focus stops when you release the button. That is good for recomposing on a stationary subject.
 
Back button focus is the best way to set up for anything but it is great when you are shooting birds. They fly you keep your finger on the button and you are in AF-C they land you remove your finger and you are in AF-S (After you focus though)


For those who are not familiar with BBF

Back Button Focus is a great tool for so many photographers and is something I think everyone should try at least once. Below are a few sites that talk about the how and why of Back Button Focus.

Benefits of Using the AF-ON Button for Autofocus by Nikon USA


BACK BUTTON FOCUSING – EASIER THAN YOU THINK! by Improve Photography


Here is a good YouTube video that goes over the why and how of Back Button Focusing.

You can do a search of the forum on "Back Button Focus" or BBF and see the many threads that have been created on this subject.

Try it, You will like it.






 

Blacktop

Senior Member
Focus priority means you must lock focus before the shutter will fire. Release priority means you can click the shutter whether focus is ready or not. You can assign this for each af-s and af-c. Af-s, probably best to go with focus priority as you have it. Af-c, you can go either way. I would go release priority for af-c, but recognize you can get an out of focus shot. If you went af-c with focus priority for a bird in flight, the camera will demand focus. It can be frustrating to be pressing the shutter button and you get nothing because focus priority wont let the shutter fire. I think the the odds are better you get a decent shot spraying a burst with af-c release priority. You really can argue this either way. Auto area focus with af-c focus priority can get you a good bif shot too. So play with it.

I use af-c with back button focus and that makes necessary release priority for the technique to work. BBF is a project to get used to, but you get the best of both af-s and af-c for instant use. Hold the button down and you get af-c with release priority. Release the button and you get a instant psuedo af-s release priority mode. That is, focus stops when you release the button. That is good for recomposing on a stationary subject.

I have to disagree with the bolded out statement. Spraying and praying will not do any good for your shooting nor will it improve your skills. Practice is the only thing that will give you keepers more consistently.

I would suggest to the op to start practicing with slower moving things and working your way up. Get a feel for your camera. Find a comfortable way of holding it and practice tracking things with a fluid motion.
Try not taking your eyes off the viewfinder while tracking. That is a good way of loosing your subject..

For me, when the gulls return for the winter, I would go out for hours on end and just shoot these birds. They are not super fast yet still pose a challenge.

Having said all this, AF-C with single point, and Focus Priority, plus lots of practice.
 
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