Professional Setting Guide —Sports AF Edition—
Table of Contents Sports AF: Autofocus Basics............................................................................................................ 4 Focus Mode: AF‑C.......................................................................................................................................... 4 AF-Area Mode: 3D-Tracking (Solo Events)/Dynamic-Area AF (S) (Teams).......................................... 4 AF Subject Detection Options: Auto.....................................................
Table of Contents, Continued Recommended AF Settings by Event............................................................................................ 17 Overview: Settings by Event..................................................................................................................... 17 Soccer............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Gymnastics...............................
Sports AF: Autofocus Basics The following settings are suitable for most sports: Focus mode AF-area mode Photo shooting menu AF subject detection options Custom Settings a1 AF‑C priority selection AF‑C • Solo events: 3D-tracking • Team events: Dynamic-area AF (S) [Auto] [Release] Blocked shot AF response [2] a3 Focus tracking with lock-on Subject motion [Steady] a9 Focus mode restrictions [Continuous AF] Focus Mode: AF‑C The camera adjusts focus continuously while the AF‑ON button is pressed or the shutt
Sports AF: Autofocus Basics, Continued AF Subject Detection Options: Auto The camera will detect humans, animals, and vehicles and choose a subject for focus automatically. ● Subject detection is available when wide-area AF (S), wide-area AF (L), 3D-tracking, or auto-area AF is selected for AF-area mode. Focus Tracking with Lock-On Custom Setting a3 [Focus tracking with lock-on] controls how autofocus responds to changes in the distance to the subject.
AF-Area Mode The following eight AF-area modes are available in focus mode AF-C. AF-area mode d Single-point AF d Dynamic-area AF (S) Description The camera focuses on a point selected by the user. The focus point is selected manually. The camera focuses on the subject in the selected focus point when autofocus is initiated, but if the subject later briefly leaves the selected point, the camera will focus based on information from surrounding points.
AF-Area Mode, Continued AF-area mode u 3D-tracking h Auto-area AF Description The camera tracks focus on a selected subject. This option is avail‑ able only in photo mode. • Position the focus point over your subject and start tracking by pressing AF-ON or by pressing the shutter-release button halfway; focus will then track the selected subject as it moves through the frame. • To end tracking and restore the previously-selected focus point, release the AF-ON or shutter-release button.
Sports AF: Custom Settings a1: AF‑C Priority Selection Custom Setting a1 [AF-C priority selection] controls whether the camera gives priority to focus or shutter release. Shutter-release button pressed all the way down G Release: Pictures can be taken whether or not the camera is in focus. Frame rates do not slow during burst photography.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued a3: Focus Tracking with Lock-On This menu contains two options: [Blocked shot AF response] and [Subject motion]. ■ Blocked Shot AF Response If AF‑C is selected for focus mode, focus tracking with lock-on will prevent the camera refocusing when your subject is briefly obscured by another object, ensuring that it will continue to track the main subject once the obstacle has moved away.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued a5: Store Points by Orientation This option lets you concentrate on shooting without having to worry about focus-point selection. Choose whether the camera uses the same focus point and AF-area mode in all orientations, or stores separate focus points and/or AF-area modes for use in “wide” (landscape) orientation, “tall” (portrait) orientation with the camera rotated 90° clockwise, or “tall” orientation with the camera rotated 90° counterclockwise.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued a6: AF Activation Choose [AF‑ON only] to split the functions of the AF‑ON button (or the control to which [AF-ON] has been assigned using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)]) and the shutter-release button so that the former is used for focus while the latter is used only to release the shutter.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued a7: Focus Point Persistence If you have assigned [AF-area mode] or [AF-area mode + AF‑ON] to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)], you can hold the control to switch temporarily from the current AF-area mode to a second, pre-selected mode. Selecting [Auto] for Custom Setting a7 [Focus point persistence] lets you do so without changing focus points.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued 4 Focus using the default AF-area mode. Press the shutter-release button halfway or press the AF‑ON button to focus using the default AF-area mode. In the case of auto-area AF, the camera will automatically detect the subject and choose the focus area. At the settings selected in this example, focus will track subject motion while the shutter-release button is pressed halfway or the AF‑ON button is pressed. 5 Switch AF-area modes.
Sports AF: Custom Settings, Continued a8: Limit AF-Area Mode Selection Limiting the choice of AF-area modes speeds AF-area mode selection and prevents your accidentally selecting an undesired option. For example, you can limit the choice of AF-area modes to dynamic-area AF (S) and wide-area AF (S) by selecting only these options in the AF-area mode list. Note that [Single-point AF] cannot be deselected.
Sports AF: Custom Controls Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] can be used to assign different roles, including focus-related functions, to camera controls such as the Fn and AF-ON buttons Focus-Related Control Assignments Camera controls can be assigned the following focus-related functions: w y 1 n b V 8 p W B R j z S 3 ✔ ✔ ✔ — — ✔ ✔ — ✔ ✔ ✔ — — ✔ ✔ A Preset focus point ✔ AF-area mode — — — — — — ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ x ✔ — — — — — — ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 5 AF-area mode + AF‑ON ✔ AF‑ON — — — — — — ✔ ✔ ✔
Sports AF: Custom Controls, Continued Lens Function Buttons The roles played by the L‑Fn and L‑Fn2 buttons can be chosen using [S Lens Fn button] and [3 Lens Fn2 button], respectively. As of November, 2021, the following Z mount lenses are equipped with function buttons: • L‑Fn Only ⁃ NIKKOR Z 14–24mm f/2.8 S ⁃ NIKKOR Z 24–70mm f/2.8 S ⁃ NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S ⁃ NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct ⁃ NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S • L‑Fn and L‑Fn2 ⁃ NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S ⁃ NIKKOR Z 100–400mm f/4.5–5.
Recommended AF Settings by Event This section offers some advice on adjusting autofocus-related settings for different sporting events. Overview: Settings by Event The settings for different events are summarized in the table below. For all events listed, we recommend that you select a focus mode of AF‑C, choose [Release] for Custom Setting a1 [AF‑C priority selection], and select [Auto] for [AF subject detection options] in the photo shooting menu.
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued Soccer Photographing soccer matches involves quick changes of focus and subjects that may be briefly obscured by foreground objects.
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued ■ Balance Beam To automatically switch focus points and AF-area modes as you rotate the camera from “wide” to “tall” orientation, select [Focus point and AF-area mode] for Custom Setting a5 [Store points by orientation] (page 10).
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued Athletics You may find these settings useful when photographing road-running or track-and-field events. ■ Sprints (Hand-Held, Single Runner, from the Front) Dynamic-area AF (S) is recommended for photos of runners on a distant starting line.
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued ■ Hurdles The settings below let you refocus as needed if the camera focuses on the hurdles in the foreground while the race is being run. When photographing hurdlers who have crossed the finish line, select [Focus point and AF-area mode] for Custom Setting a5 [Store points by orientation] to automatically switch focus points and AF-area modes as you rotate the camera between “tall” (portrait) orientations and “wide” (landscape) orientation (page 10).
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued ■ Long Jump, Triple Jump, and Pole Vault (Facing Oncoming Jumpers) Auto-area AF is recommended for subjects that rapidly change posture and position. Focus mode AF-area mode Custom Settings a1 AF‑C priority selection AF‑C Auto-area AF [Release] ■ High Jump Wide-area AF (L) is recommended for events in which the subject’s face may be momentarily hidden from view.
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued Aquatics Here are some settings you may find helpful when photographing aquatic events. ■ Swimming Choosing dynamic-area AF (S) helps prevent the camera focusing on splashes while letting you instantly refocus on the main subject as needed. To quickly switch focus from one swimmer to another, choose lower values for Custom Setting a3 [Focus tracking with lock-on] > [Blocked shot AF response].
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued ■ Diving Choosing auto-area AF lets you concentrate on composition when photographing divers and other hard-to-frame subjects. Focus will automatically track the subject while the AF-ON button is pressed or the shutter-release button is pressed halfway.
Recommended AF Settings by Event, Continued Table Tennis Using 3D-tracking helps you frame shots with the net in the foreground. Focus mode AF-area mode Custom Settings a1 AF‑C priority selection AF‑C 3D-tracking [Release] BMX and Skateboarding If you find the subject hard to frame, selecting auto-area AF will allow you concentrate on composition while leaving the camera in charge of choosing the focus point.
© 2021 Nikon Corporation
