p.8 #1 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
I am curious... AF points/pattern are you using to track the crane flights? Wide AF? Dynamic? etc...
Most of the action shots I nab with the Z7ii are dynamic, AF wide L, or auto. If I'm using auto, I will ride the MF ring and get it close before I engage AF to have better odds of a good lock. Auto has a better overall hitrate over AF wide L. Dynamic is great if you can keep it on the subject, if it loses it, that's it for that sequence lol
p.8 #2 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Kasper6188 wrote:
Most of the action shots I nab with the Z7ii are dynamic, AF wide L, or auto. If I'm using auto, I will ride the MF ring and get it close before I engage AF to have better odds of a good lock. Auto has a better overall hitrate over AF wide L. Dynamic is great if you can keep it on the subject, if it loses it, that's it for that sequence lol
Thanks... This is not that different from what I've been doing. With DSLRs, I was a dynamic AF user. I have pretty much abandoned this w/ my Z6II because I find that it grabs external elements (wings and backgrounds) too easily.
I have moved to single spot, hold the point on the eye, and things seem to go well. I've also been using Wide Animal AF for mammals. This works well if the animal is looking with both eyes in my direction. As soon as I get a profile, it just becomes Wide AF.
I will have to give Auto AF Tracking a go... I've been a bit hesitant about this mode.
p.8 #3 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Thanks... This is not that different from what I've been doing. With DSLRs, I was a dynamic AF user. I have pretty much abandoned this w/ my Z6II because I find that it grabs external elements (wings and backgrounds) too easily.
I have moved to single spot, hold the point on the eye, and things seem to go well. I've also been using Wide Animal AF for mammals. This works well if the animal is looking with both eyes in my direction. As soon as I get a profile, it just becomes Wide AF.
I will have to give Auto AF Tracking a go... I've been a bit hesitant about this mode.
Auto actually works pretty dang good if you are at closer distances. Its definitely worth playing around with. Here's another auto crane incoming shot. z7ii and 200 f2. Some of these are high iso, they usually come in for the night right as the sun disappears.
p.8 #4 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Happy Harvest Fest (our family name for Thanksgiving) to you all.
Other than chasing deer, we are in pre-snow photographic lull in my region of Minnesota. The lull has me looking back at my pile of unedited (unculled) images from the past two years. I am in the process of constructing a few Blurb books for myself and family, and these were a few of the many images that I made during the early Z6 days. Note, none of these were shot with Firmware 2.00, yet they all are take sharp.
Learning and understanding the AF system is key if you do not have a camera with a sound "auto-tracking" system. Maybe the Z6II/Z7II firmware 2.0 will improve on auto-subject tracking, but I will not hold out much hope for this unlikely miracle... Someday I'll have a Z9, but until then, I shoot what I have
p.8 #5 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
👍🏻
OwlsEyes wrote:
Happy Harvest Fest (our family name for Thanksgiving) to you all.
Other than chasing deer, we are in pre-snow photographic lull in my region of Minnesota. The lull has me looking back at my pile of unedited (unculled) images from the past two years. I am in the process of constructing a few Blurb books for myself and family, and these were a few of the many images that I made during the early Z6 days. Note, none of these were shot with Firmware 2.00, yet they all are take sharp.
Learning and understanding the AF system is key if you do not have a camera with a sound "auto-tracking" system. Maybe the Z6II/Z7II firmware 2.0 will improve on auto-subject tracking, but I will not hold out much hope for this unlikely miracle... Someday I'll have a Z9, but until then, I shoot what I have ...Show more →
p.8 #6 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Hi all -
I presume the majority of you in this thread are shooting on RAW for your images. Out of curiosity and wanting to validate my own admittedly inconsistent testing - Have any of you noticed a significant difference in AF tracking effectiveness between shooting 12-bit RAW and 14-bit RAW?
I typically test my cameras & lens combinations on my black fur/dark eyed Australian Shepherd running full-speed towards camera, and seem to have noticed a significant increase in tracking ability in favor of 12-bit RAW in all tracking modes.
I might be crazy, so I figured I'd put it out you non-crazies to see if you guys have observed the same difference.
p.8 #9 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Just had a good time with Z7 ii and D6 on my trip as my Z9 did not arrived in time. Z7 ii did quite well actually for non flying bird. I only was shooting in high mode and not high+ mode and it was quite easy to follow sunbirds as it moved between flowers quite quickly and never seemed to stay still for more than a few seconds in one place. I was using mostly single point focus so I could get the head in focus.
All shots with 600/4e FL, FTZ ii.
The biggest complain I have is probably the buffer on Z7 ii. In the past, when the buffer is filled, Z7 ii would continue shoot at slower speed but I am not sure what happened this time. When buffer is full, I could not take any photo and had to wait for 2-3 s for buffer to clear then I can shoot again. I usually don't use AF-C, continuous shooting very often but I don't recall seeing this behavior from Z7 ii in the past. Strange.
p.8 #10 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Love this thread. Just what I have been looking for. Absolutely fantastic captures by all. Please don’t take this as a negative post. I want to hear from others on the subject. I use the Z6 ll and the 300f4 and the 500 pf lens. Coming from D500 and D850. Actually still have them and trying go 100% mirrorless. But back to the question I find that when using the Z6ll on flying birds that I have to get on the subject and hold (follow) and wait 1 to 2 seconds for the. Camera to focus. Do others have the same experience. Mostly use ct point or small Af.
p.8 #11 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Z7 ii with 600/4e FL, TC14e ii and FTZ ii, Mrs Hume's pheasant or Bar-Tailed pheasant.
We had to get up and leave our accomodation at 4.30 am to go and set up a blind before sunrise
before these rare pheasants will showed up. That morning, the main pheasants decided not to come close so even with TC, I still had to crop a bit. Little did I know that there was a young male pheasant who came behind our blinds and a friend actually got a picture with his phone because he was too close
p.8 #12 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Some hard work on a cold and snowy day...
The hike to this location and thicket of woods was nothing short of miserable. Fortunately, I found what I was seeking
Regarding the specifics of photographing wildlife with Z-series bodies, I am finally beginning to adjust to both the strengths and limitations. Fast flights continue to be a challenge, and I find myself reverting back to DSLR techniques. The long necks of swans compete with their large wings, and the larger AF patches tend to grab the wings instead of the head. When photographing swans, I now use single point AF. In contrast, stationary animals like these owls are perfect for both small and large wind animal AF patches. When sticks interfere, I then move back to single point AF.
While the Z9 would probably handle these subjects best, I shoot with what I can afford, and these are the Z7II an Z6II bodies.
p.8 #14 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Some hard work on a cold and snowy day...
The hike to this location and thicket of woods was nothing short of miserable. Fortunately, I found what I was seeking
(cross posted in Z wildlife thread)
Great long-eared shots. I haven't seen one in years. Did you get lucky enough to find a group roosting together? I have seen them do that. May I ask the general area you found it/them?
p.8 #15 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
ahamp wrote:
Great long-eared shots. I haven't seen one in years. Did you get lucky enough to find a group roosting together? I have seen them do that. May I ask the general area you found it/them?
Thank you for the kind comment.
This was my first opportunity to see and photograph this species.
Due to the sensitivity of the area, and the mob-like behavior of some unscrupulous birders and photographers, I'd prefer to not disclose any information about the location.
These days, it seems that all of the quiet places in which one can enjoy "being there" are disappearing. The ubiquitous nature of digital cameras, iPhones, and cheap video production gear has fostered some unsavory behaviors in nature.
p.8 #16 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Still learning my way around the Z7ii AF system. So far, it's been very hit and miss with anything that's not perched. Single seems to have the best hit rate, but obviously it's almost impossible to track with that. Area Large seems to be the best compromise so far for anything moving, but I still have yet to get anything as sharp as my old system (user error).
p.8 #17 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Some hard work on a cold and snowy day...
The hike to this location and thicket of woods was nothing short of miserable. Fortunately, I found what I was seeking
Regarding the specifics of photographing wildlife with Z-series bodies, I am finally beginning to adjust to both the strengths and limitations. Fast flights continue to be a challenge, and I find myself reverting back to DSLR techniques. The long necks of swans compete with their large wings, and the larger AF patches tend to grab the wings instead of the head. When photographing swans, I now use single point AF. In contrast, stationary animals like these owls are perfect for both small and large wind animal AF patches. When sticks interfere, I then move back to single point AF.
While the Z9 would probably handle these subjects best, I shoot with what I can afford, and these are the Z7II an Z6II bodies.
p.8 #18 · Z-Cameras Wildlife Images and Tips Thread
Thanks Lance,..
We have owls in MN, but they can be a challenge to find. Once found, they are often difficult to photograph, as they are either too high in the trees or buried in a thicket of branches.
This was a first for me, as I had never seen or photographed the species previously.
