A1 II AF settings for BIF
p.3 #1A1 II AF settings for BIF
Forgot to post full size to show the actual frame. Here's the last frame from above
"Some evidence of motion blur on some of them"
I noticed it too. I have other sequences that doesn't have this issue. I was wondering for the OSS does this. I'll try without OSS next with the settings you suggested.
I can stop down to avoid some of it. Then the ISO will go up. Anyway I'd like to figure out the best settings to get maximum success first then work on depth issue?..
Does A9III behave differently compared to A1II? I had A9III briefly before moving on to Nikon side (for a different reason back then).. I didn't look at this much detail back then..
duncangr wrote:
I should've tried Steve Perry's. Since I already bought Jan's don't want to spend another $30 
. Hopefully I'll get the right settings with some experiments..I bought both books. Jan's covers video in more detail, but Steve's has more detail on focusing modes. I'd strongly recommend Steve's book, I found it more useful.I'm not sure if I'm going to learn a lot more than the gentlemen here including Duncan and Geoff. from another book. It's only one Menu. Looks like some shots in the sequence will be OOF based on comments here.
Here's a sequence I tried today with 'Bird' as subject. Not much better than my 'Bird/Animal' attempt. These are continuous shots. Heavily cropped and resized to 1000 pixels wide
Overall I think I'm getting better result than Z8 and 400mm prime. Little less than my expectations. It's alright. I will try what Duncan suggested settings soon.Post a link to one of the original un-cropped images - one can't really tell much about the original, e.g subject distance, extent of oof/motion blur, from resized crops.
Good light is usually the biggest problem and even in good light those pale shore birds are a nightmare for subject detection.
Some evidence of motion blur on some of them (eye highlights not perfectly round even if oof should be round unless sun is low and reflecting off water but on some its a pin prick so that's obviously not the case here) - increase shutter speed.
Two have focus on the...Show more →
Uncropped just resized
"Some evidence of motion blur on some of them"
I noticed it too. I have other sequences that doesn't have this issue. I was wondering for the OSS does this. I'll try without OSS next with the settings you suggested.
I can stop down to avoid some of it. Then the ISO will go up. Anyway I'd like to figure out the best settings to get maximum success first then work on depth issue?..
Does A9III behave differently compared to A1II? I had A9III briefly before moving on to Nikon side (for a different reason back then).. I didn't look at this much detail back then..
duncangr wrote:
Jemini wrote
bcaslis wrote
Jemini wrote
James Burden wrote
The most detailed specifics for BIF on the A1 II might be Steve Perry's guide. I bought that and Mark Galer's guide and found Steve to dive deeper into the how and why of the settings specifically for BIF including visual explanations. Mark's is more generic around action. Colby's is more geared to a first timer with the A1 series.....my bad.... Hopefully I'll get the right settings with some experiments..Here's a sequence I tried today with 'Bird' as subject. Not much better than my 'Bird/Animal' attempt. These are continuous shots. Heavily cropped and resized to 1000 pixels wide
Overall I think I'm getting better result than Z8 and 400mm prime. Little less than my expectations. It's alright. I will try what Duncan suggested settings soon.
Good light is usually the biggest problem and even in good light those pale shore birds are a nightmare for subject detection.
Some evidence of motion blur on some of them (eye highlights not perfectly round even if oof should be round unless sun is low and reflecting off water but on some its a pin prick so that's obviously not the case here) - increase shutter speed.
Two have focus on the...Show more →
Uncropped just resized
Jul 20, 2026 at 06:02 AM
p.3 #2A1 II AF settings for BIF
Yes, for birds flying towards you it doesn't matter. But one flying to the sides for me OSS helps to keep them in frame. I tried 2X briefly and OSS was the big issue. At 600mm the effect of OSS is way worse than lens alone (Jan mention this in many of his videos).
I will try turning it off and mode 2 next time
Daran wrote:
Huh? It should be slightly easier to keep it in the frame as you get more precise feedback how your tracking differs from the flight path. For a slow, straight flyer the bird should be nearly stationary on the sensor even without OSS.
OSS is fine with doing it's thing, whether that helps or not:-D Keep in mind that OSS does not see the bird, it merely reacts to acceleration of the camera. I know that many say it doesn't matter as long as your shutter speed is high. But I have occasionally forgotten to disable it and then scratched my...Show more →
I will try turning it off and mode 2 next time
Daran wrote:
Jemini wrote
Will try that too. But it'll be hard to keep the bird in frame without OSS.Earlier quote
I thought newer OSS/IS modes are ok to be turned on all the time. SLR days it was recommended to turn it off..Jul 20, 2026 at 06:05 AM
p.3 #3A1 II AF settings for BIF
duncangr wrote:
If you crop, the DOF changes. As long as you shoot the same aperture diameter as seen by the subject, the same bird to image scale implies the same DOF. So 600f8, 300f4TC2 and 300f4 cropped by a factor two all yield the same image scale, amount of light gathered and absolute DOF. As do 300f8 from half the distance or 1200f16 from twice the distance.If you crop the DOF changes ??
Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
duncangr wrote:
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Two have focus on the near wing - which would be the issue that I would be wanting to fix. Stop down a bit perhaps - small bird at a distance (big crop you said) should mostly be in focus ?Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
duncangr wrote:
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.
Jul 20, 2026 at 10:01 AM
p.3 #4A1 II AF settings for BIF
Daran wrote:
If you crop, the DOF changes. As long as you shoot the same aperture diameter as seen by the subject, the same bird to image scale implies the same DOF. So 600f8, 300f4TC2 and 300f4 cropped by a factor two all yield the same image scale, amount of light gathered and absolute DOF. As do 300f8 from half the distance or 1200f16 from twice the distance.If you crop the DOF changes ??Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.
You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Two have focus on the near wing - which would be the issue that I would be wanting to fix. Stop down a bit perhaps - small bird at a distance (big crop you said) should mostly be in focus ?duncangr wrote
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
Jul 20, 2026 at 04:04 PM
p.3 #5A1 II AF settings for BIF
duncangr wrote:
If you crop, the DOF changes. As long as you shoot the same aperture diameter as seen by the subject, the same bird to image scale implies the same DOF. So 600f8, 300f4TC2 and 300f4 cropped by a factor two all yield the same image scale, amount of light gathered and absolute DOF. As do 300f8 from half the distance or 1200f16 from twice the distance.If you crop the DOF changes ??Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
The way DOF is defined is based on judging a print of a specific size when viewed from a specific distance.
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Two have focus on the near wing - which would be the issue that I would be wanting to fix. Stop down a bit perhaps - small bird at a distance (big crop you said) should mostly be in focus ?duncangr wrote
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
The way DOF is defined is based on judging a print of a specific size when viewed from a specific distance.
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.
Jul 20, 2026 at 05:42 PM
p.3 #6A1 II AF settings for BIF
Jemini wrote:
May be my expectation is too high. Not sure. I just want to make sure it's not the settings that messes up.
Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.
Which priority mode are you using?
AF – Only take an image when the camera thinks it has the subject in focus once you know you have an image in focus.
Release – Allow the camera to take a photo even if the AF system hasn’t fully acquired the subject.
Balanced Emphasis – The default setting sets the priority between the other options.
I would expect more OOF frames if not using AF priority, however most people seem to recommend using Release priority and accepting some OOF frames. If I use release priority, then if I want 20 frames per second in focus, I would shoot at 30fps not 20fps and delete the blur frames
Unfortunately the A9iii has no 40 and 50fps option so you have to jump from 30 to 60.
There is some degree of predictive dead reckoning involved, since the camera has to estimate where the subject will be by the time the focus adjustment takes effect. If the subject moves erratically then the dead reckoning would be incorrect and the subject would be OOF.
Edited on Jul 20, 2026 at 10:13 PM · View previous versions
May be my expectation is too high. Not sure. I just want to make sure it's not the settings that messes up.
Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
michal.narozny wrote
I am afraid that for a small subject moving quickly towrd camera 120 calculations per second plus eye indentification might be a bit too much for any AF system.It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.
Which priority mode are you using?
AF – Only take an image when the camera thinks it has the subject in focus once you know you have an image in focus.
Release – Allow the camera to take a photo even if the AF system hasn’t fully acquired the subject.
Balanced Emphasis – The default setting sets the priority between the other options.
I would expect more OOF frames if not using AF priority, however most people seem to recommend using Release priority and accepting some OOF frames. If I use release priority, then if I want 20 frames per second in focus, I would shoot at 30fps not 20fps and delete the blur frames
Unfortunately the A9iii has no 40 and 50fps option so you have to jump from 30 to 60.
There is some degree of predictive dead reckoning involved, since the camera has to estimate where the subject will be by the time the focus adjustment takes effect. If the subject moves erratically then the dead reckoning would be incorrect and the subject would be OOF.
Edited on Jul 20, 2026 at 10:13 PM · View previous versions
Jul 20, 2026 at 09:50 PM
p.3 #7A1 II AF settings for BIF
dclark wrote:
If you crop, the DOF changes. As long as you shoot the same aperture diameter as seen by the subject, the same bird to image scale implies the same DOF. So 600f8, 300f4TC2 and 300f4 cropped by a factor two all yield the same image scale, amount of light gathered and absolute DOF. As do 300f8 from half the distance or 1200f16 from twice the distance.If you crop the DOF changes ??Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpgThe way DOF is defined is based on judging a print of a specific size when viewed from a specific distance.
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for...Show more →
The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Two have focus on the near wing - which would be the issue that I would be wanting to fix. Stop down a bit perhaps - small bird at a distance (big crop you said) should mostly be in focus ?duncangr wrote
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for...Show more →
The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.
Jul 20, 2026 at 10:03 PM
p.3 #8A1 II AF settings for BIF
duncangr wrote:
If you crop the DOF changes ??Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpgThe way DOF is defined is based on judging a print of a specific size when viewed from a specific distance.
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.
That's a good start, but I suggest you keep reading the Wikipedia entry and make sure you understand the discussion about the circle of confusion. The circle of confusion is the source of lots of confusion in discussions about DOF.
The Wkipedia article is not well written (written by a committee) and is more confusing that it should be. I have seen better explanations but I am having difficulty finding a good one at the moment. The best I see is Normal Koren's article, https://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF6.html, but it is a bit confusing too. If I manage to find a better article I will try to come back and provide a link.
dclark wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
If you crop, the DOF changes. As long as you shoot the same aperture diameter as seen by the subject, the same bird to image scale implies the same DOF. So 600f8, 300f4TC2 and 300f4 cropped by a factor two all yield the same image scale, amount of light gathered and absolute DOF. As do 300f8 from half the distance or 1200f16 from twice the distance.duncangr wrote
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.
That's a good start, but I suggest you keep reading the Wikipedia entry and make sure you understand the discussion about the circle of confusion. The circle of confusion is the source of lots of confusion in discussions about DOF.
The Wkipedia article is not well written (written by a committee) and is more confusing that it should be. I have seen better explanations but I am having difficulty finding a good one at the moment. The best I see is Normal Koren's article, https://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF6.html, but it is a bit confusing too. If I manage to find a better article I will try to come back and provide a link.
Jul 20, 2026 at 11:29 PM
p.3 #9A1 II AF settings for BIF
dclark wrote:
Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.
No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.You are mistaken the DOF does not change when in crop mode, the camera is digitally cropping the exact same image and displaying it in the EVF. The cropped portion of the image remains identical.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpgThe way DOF is defined is based on judging a print of a specific size when viewed from a specific distance.
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@@@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.That's a good start, but I suggest you keep reading the Wikipedia entry and make sure you understand the discussion about the circle of confusion. The circle of confusion is the source of lots of confusion in discussions about DOF.
The Wkipedia article is not well written (written by a committee) and is more confusing that it should be. I have seen better explanations but I am having difficulty finding a good one at the moment. The best I see is Normal Koren's article, https://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF6.html, but it is a bit confusing too. If I manage to find a better article...Show more →
There is nothing confusing about it - cropping will not change what is in focus and what is not in focus on the captured image.
And viewing from closer/further away, zooming in/out or downsampling the image - I am sure the OP would appreciate that as a suggestion to his problem
:
duncangr wrote
dclark wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
duncangr wrote
If you crop the DOF changes ??duncangr wrote
If only that were true - we could crop in post and bring things that are oof into focus - or simply switch into or out of APS-C mode.The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@@@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.
The Wkipedia article is not well written (written by a committee) and is more confusing that it should be. I have seen better explanations but I am having difficulty finding a good one at the moment. The best I see is Normal Koren's article, https://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF6.html, but it is a bit confusing too. If I manage to find a better article...Show more →
There is nothing confusing about it - cropping will not change what is in focus and what is not in focus on the captured image.
And viewing from closer/further away, zooming in/out or downsampling the image - I am sure the OP would appreciate that as a suggestion to his problem
:Jul 21, 2026 at 02:41 AM
p.3 #10A1 II AF settings for BIF
duncangr wrote:
dclark wrote
duncangr wrote
dclark wrote
duncangr wrote
Daran wrote
Yes. When switching into APS-C you reduce the absolute DOF by approximately the crop factor of 1.5. So e.g. for 10m, 600mm & f4 the DOF is reduced from 6cm to 4cm. This happens because you present the same set of pixels larger, which enlarges the CoC by the same factor.No, you don't get to choose what DOF you get and cropping always reduces the DOF anyway.
The inserts are taken from the APS-C image captured within seconds of the FF image.
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3733_DxD.jpg
https://duncangroenewald.com/img/photos/2026-07/2026-07-17/DG7_20260717_1_3744_DxD.jpg
If you take the full frame and display it at specific size, and then take a crop of the full frame and display it so it fills the same specific size and view it from the same specified distance, the DOF will be smaller. It does not matter whether you crop in the camera or in post.
Your examples do not follow that pattern.
@Daran@@@@ correctly attributes the change in the DOF to the COC factor in the formula for DOF.
Sorry to take this thread so far off track.
The Wkipedia article is not well written (written by a committee) and is more confusing that it should be. I have seen better explanations but I am having difficulty finding a good one at the moment. The best I see is Normal Koren's article, https://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF6.html, but it is a bit confusing too. If I manage to find a better article I will try to come back and provide a link.
And viewing from closer/further away, zooming in/out or downsampling the image - I am sure the OP would appreciate that as a suggestion to his problem
:Absolutely. The only time the DOF change when you use an 'equivalent' lens. 300mm used on APS-C body has an equivalent FL of 450 on FF. The depth of field won't be equal to 450/2.8 instead 450/4.5 (1.3 stops less). Once a picture shot, optical characteristics doesn't change. At least my understanding..
Jul 21, 2026 at 05:28 AM
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p.3 #11A1 II AF settings for BIF
duncangr wrote:
Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.I found that lens seems to do that with the A1ii and A9iii particularly when the subject gets close so I prefer to use the old 100-400 which seems to be much more consistent at close range.
I turn off Body detect on the A9iii to try and force the focus to always be on the eye/head and to avoid wing top focus. In your one image it seems focus has jumped to the rear wing tip though so I doubt that would help.
Try the following settings:
AF Lvl for Crossing: 1(Locked On)
Af Try for Spd Chng: Responsive (for birds suddenly jumping...Show more →
I think these settings gave me maximum success. Below image is from a sequence of 68 images. I had SS 1/1000 on shutter button. Then moved to back button where I had 1/4000 seconds.
First image was OOF (Camera was still finding subject). Then towards end of the sequence camera focused on the fish, not in birds eye. But rest are all sharp and focused on bird's/eye head. I can say at least 64 images were sharp.
One processed image and remaining two to show the frame of first and last image. Using 300+1.4 tc wide open
Wings clipped on some images. I'm not sure when will I learn to hold the lens steady to get all the images at the center of the frame
I think I had OSS mode 2 for these images. I have to verify that.
Thank you Duncan
Processed
First image (OOC jpg) resized to 1000 pixels wide from 68 frames sequence
Last image resized
Jemini wrote
May be my expectation is too high. Not sure. I just want to make sure it's not the settings that messes up.Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
michal.narozny wrote
I am afraid that for a small subject moving quickly towrd camera 120 calculations per second plus eye indentification might be a bit too much for any AF system.It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.
I turn off Body detect on the A9iii to try and force the focus to always be on the eye/head and to avoid wing top focus. In your one image it seems focus has jumped to the rear wing tip though so I doubt that would help.
Try the following settings:
AF Lvl for Crossing: 1(Locked On)
Af Try for Spd Chng: Responsive (for birds suddenly jumping...Show more →
I think these settings gave me maximum success. Below image is from a sequence of 68 images. I had SS 1/1000 on shutter button. Then moved to back button where I had 1/4000 seconds.
First image was OOF (Camera was still finding subject). Then towards end of the sequence camera focused on the fish, not in birds eye. But rest are all sharp and focused on bird's/eye head. I can say at least 64 images were sharp.
One processed image and remaining two to show the frame of first and last image. Using 300+1.4 tc wide open
Wings clipped on some images. I'm not sure when will I learn to hold the lens steady to get all the images at the center of the frame
I think I had OSS mode 2 for these images. I have to verify that.
Thank you Duncan
Processed
First image (OOC jpg) resized to 1000 pixels wide from 68 frames sequence
Last image resized
Jul 21, 2026 at 05:45 AM
p.3 #12A1 II AF settings for BIF
I use only Release priority. Use only continous focus and Release. I'm trying to capture bird/animal in action. Not interested in static subjects. I also use precapture and 30 FPS.
aCuria wrote:
Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.Which priority mode are you using?
AF – Only take an image when the camera thinks it has the subject in focus once you know you have an image in focus.
Release – Allow the camera to take a photo even if the AF system hasn’t fully acquired the subject.
Balanced Emphasis – The default setting sets the priority between the other options.
I would expect more OOF frames if not using AF priority, however most people seem to recommend using Release priority and accepting some OOF frames. If I use release priority, then if I want 20 frames per second in focus, I...Show more →
aCuria wrote:
Jemini wrote
May be my expectation is too high. Not sure. I just want to make sure it's not the settings that messes up.Below first 3 images are continuous shots from a sequence. Many of them were tack sharp and all of a sudden some shots started getting OOF. After some missed shots eye got sharp again, but not for all of them. The last picture was towards end of the burst where it got the eye even towards edge of the frame.
michal.narozny wrote
I am afraid that for a small subject moving quickly towrd camera 120 calculations per second plus eye indentification might be a bit too much for any AF system.It might be my impression but with a9mk1 I guess I had more hit rate. However there was no eye tracking so I had to put small spot af on bird eye and keep it on the eye while it moved towards me. It was doable but required a lot of focus and concentration on my side. Eye af allows to think more of composition less of focusing.
AF – Only take an image when the camera thinks it has the subject in focus once you know you have an image in focus.
Release – Allow the camera to take a photo even if the AF system hasn’t fully acquired the subject.
Balanced Emphasis – The default setting sets the priority between the other options.
I would expect more OOF frames if not using AF priority, however most people seem to recommend using Release priority and accepting some OOF frames. If I use release priority, then if I want 20 frames per second in focus, I...Show more →
Jul 21, 2026 at 06:04 AM
p.3 #13A1 II AF settings for BIF
Jemini wrote:
Absolutely. The only time the DOF change when you use an 'equivalent' lens. 300mm used on APS-C body has an equivalent FL of 450 on FF. The depth of field won't be equal to 450/2.8 instead 450/4.5 (1.3 stops less). Once a picture shot, optical characteristics doesn't change. At least my understanding..
Whether you shoot in APS-C or do the same crop in post does not affect the image at all. The optical characteristics are the same either way. But because you are enlarging the image (when presenting less pixels in the overall same view), you are enlarging any unsharp areas so that they now look less sharp. Hence parts of the image that were just sharp enough to be rated sharp are now looking soft.
I'm a bit baffled why this seems hard to understand. But maybe I spent too much time with digital images.
Absolutely. The only time the DOF change when you use an 'equivalent' lens. 300mm used on APS-C body has an equivalent FL of 450 on FF. The depth of field won't be equal to 450/2.8 instead 450/4.5 (1.3 stops less). Once a picture shot, optical characteristics doesn't change. At least my understanding..
Whether you shoot in APS-C or do the same crop in post does not affect the image at all. The optical characteristics are the same either way. But because you are enlarging the image (when presenting less pixels in the overall same view), you are enlarging any unsharp areas so that they now look less sharp. Hence parts of the image that were just sharp enough to be rated sharp are now looking soft.
I'm a bit baffled why this seems hard to understand. But maybe I spent too much time with digital images.
Jul 21, 2026 at 08:41 AM
p.3 #14A1 II AF settings for BIF
Daran wrote:
Whether you shoot in APS-C or do the same crop in post does not affect the image at all. The optical characteristics are the same either way. But because you are enlarging the image (when presenting less pixels in the overall same view), you are enlarging any unsharp areas so that they now look less sharp. Hence parts of the image that were just sharp enough to be rated sharp are now looking soft.
I'm a bit baffled why this seems hard to understand. But maybe I spent too much time with digital images.
I see. You are talking about how do we feel/think looking at the picture. May be depends on how our brain works. I never felt that way. Anyway I think I understand what you are talking about
Jemini wrote
Absolutely. The only time the DOF change when you use an 'equivalent' lens. 300mm used on APS-C body has an equivalent FL of 450 on FF. The depth of field won't be equal to 450/2.8 instead 450/4.5 (1.3 stops less). Once a picture shot, optical characteristics doesn't change. At least my understanding..I'm a bit baffled why this seems hard to understand. But maybe I spent too much time with digital images.
I see. You are talking about how do we feel/think looking at the picture. May be depends on how our brain works. I never felt that way. Anyway I think I understand what you are talking about
Jul 21, 2026 at 10:44 AM
p.3 #15A1 II AF settings for BIF
Have you fine-tuned your subject recognition for birds? I got most of these settings from Mark Smith's video on A1 II setup (he's my favorite BIF photographer). Go into AF/MF->Subject Recognition->Recognition Target->Bird, then click on the right arrow to get into detailed settings:
Tracking Shift Range = Narrow
Tracking Persistent Lvl = 4
Recognition Sensitivity = 5
Recognition Part = Eye/Head
Recog. Part Sel. Settings -> Eye/Head and Eye (this only applies if you have a custom button for Recog. Part. Sel)
Good luck!
Tracking Shift Range = Narrow
Tracking Persistent Lvl = 4
Recognition Sensitivity = 5
Recognition Part = Eye/Head
Recog. Part Sel. Settings -> Eye/Head and Eye (this only applies if you have a custom button for Recog. Part. Sel)
Good luck!
Jul 21, 2026 at 12:25 PM
p.3 #16A1 II AF settings for BIF
rjensen11 wrote:
Have you fine-tuned your subject recognition for birds? I got most of these settings from Mark Smith's video on A1 II setup (he's my favorite BIF photographer). Go into AF/MF->Subject Recognition->Recognition Target->Bird, then click on the right arrow to get into detailed settings:
Tracking Shift Range = Narrow
Tracking Persistent Lvl = 4
Recognition Sensitivity = 5
Recognition Part = Eye/Head
Recog. Part Sel. Settings -> Eye/Head and Eye (this only applies if you have a custom button for Recog. Part. Sel)
Good luck!
This is exactly what I was asking in original thread. I got good success with settings provided by Duncan. I will try these too.
Thank you
Have you fine-tuned your subject recognition for birds? I got most of these settings from Mark Smith's video on A1 II setup (he's my favorite BIF photographer). Go into AF/MF->Subject Recognition->Recognition Target->Bird, then click on the right arrow to get into detailed settings:
Tracking Shift Range = Narrow
Tracking Persistent Lvl = 4
Recognition Sensitivity = 5
Recognition Part = Eye/Head
Recog. Part Sel. Settings -> Eye/Head and Eye (this only applies if you have a custom button for Recog. Part. Sel)
Good luck!
This is exactly what I was asking in original thread. I got good success with settings provided by Duncan. I will try these too.
Thank you
Jul 21, 2026 at 12:36 PM
p.3 #17A1 II AF settings for BIF
BTW - I assume just Bird is better than Animal/Bird since the camera AI has less to consider.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any settings that have been identified with a control. You would need a simulated bird flying the same path to observe the impact of each setting. Perhaps someday this can be simulated with a video, and you could identify the settings that work best for you.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any settings that have been identified with a control. You would need a simulated bird flying the same path to observe the impact of each setting. Perhaps someday this can be simulated with a video, and you could identify the settings that work best for you.
Jul 21, 2026 at 12:48 PM
p.3 #18A1 II AF settings for BIF
When I bought my A1, I watched Mike Smith's video on settings and used many of them, though not all. I have also seen Geoff post some of his back a while ago, and he was helpful regarding those settings.
My AF-On is spot focus, and I use the release (Geoff) for BIF, but with Zone focus instead of Wide. Zone was recommended by Kenny Lin. I get many more hits using Z over W. I have never explored the different focusing, as I haven't felt the need to.
I can tell Pre-capture will be a game changer.
My AF-On is spot focus, and I use the release (Geoff) for BIF, but with Zone focus instead of Wide. Zone was recommended by Kenny Lin. I get many more hits using Z over W. I have never explored the different focusing, as I haven't felt the need to.
I can tell Pre-capture will be a game changer.
Jul 21, 2026 at 01:42 PM
p.3 #19A1 II AF settings for BIF
I'm using bird now. Will try Bird/Animal once other settings settled.
I know there's no way we can prove one setting is better that other by trying it in the field. I'm going to try one set of settings for aa while and make sure I get satisfactory result. I wish if manufacturer come and say this is the best for BIF. They never do it
rjensen11 wrote:
BTW - I assume just Bird is better than Animal/Bird since the camera AI has less to consider.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any settings that have been identified with a control. You would need a simulated bird flying the same path to observe the impact of each setting. Perhaps someday this can be simulated with a video, and you could identify the settings that work best for you.
I know there's no way we can prove one setting is better that other by trying it in the field. I'm going to try one set of settings for aa while and make sure I get satisfactory result. I wish if manufacturer come and say this is the best for BIF. They never do it
rjensen11 wrote:
BTW - I assume just Bird is better than Animal/Bird since the camera AI has less to consider.
Unfortunately, I am not aware of any settings that have been identified with a control. You would need a simulated bird flying the same path to observe the impact of each setting. Perhaps someday this can be simulated with a video, and you could identify the settings that work best for you.
Jul 21, 2026 at 01:45 PM
p.3 #20A1 II AF settings for BIF
BillinTexas wrote:
When I bought my A1, I watched Mike Smith's video on settings and used many of them, though not all. I have also seen Geoff post some of his back a while ago, and he was helpful regarding those settings.
My AF-On is spot focus, and I use the release (Geoff) for BIF, but with Zone focus instead of Wide. Zone was recommended by Kenny Lin. I get many more hits using Z over W. I have never explored the different focusing, as I haven't felt the need to.
I can tell Pre-capture will be a game changer.
I have had better success with Zone over Wide. Mark Galer seems to favor Wide for almost all situations, but I virtually never use it. I have my C2 button toggle among Zone, XS Spot, and Tracking: Center Fix. That gives me a quick change for BIF and ones in a tree/bush, while I wait for it to take off so I can get it in flight. Everyone's mileage may very!
Edited on Jul 21, 2026 at 03:06 PM · View previous versions
When I bought my A1, I watched Mike Smith's video on settings and used many of them, though not all. I have also seen Geoff post some of his back a while ago, and he was helpful regarding those settings.
My AF-On is spot focus, and I use the release (Geoff) for BIF, but with Zone focus instead of Wide. Zone was recommended by Kenny Lin. I get many more hits using Z over W. I have never explored the different focusing, as I haven't felt the need to.
I can tell Pre-capture will be a game changer.
I have had better success with Zone over Wide. Mark Galer seems to favor Wide for almost all situations, but I virtually never use it. I have my C2 button toggle among Zone, XS Spot, and Tracking: Center Fix. That gives me a quick change for BIF and ones in a tree/bush, while I wait for it to take off so I can get it in flight. Everyone's mileage may very!
Edited on Jul 21, 2026 at 03:06 PM · View previous versions
Jul 21, 2026 at 02:01 PM