Nikon Z50 • Focus Settings I use for SHARP Pictures! 

Thanks Phil. I really appreciate this instructional video and all the content you provide each week. Best to you and your family.

Hi, thanks for sharing your approach. I do some bird photography so I have set up two different Custom modes (U1, U2). U1 is for stationary birds: AF-S single point, 1/320, f6.3, auto ISO limited to 1600 (sometimes i change it to lower if there is a lot od sun). U2 is for birds in flight: AF-C single point with points around, 1/1250, f6.3, auto ISO limited to 3200 (sometimes switch it to 6400 if darker). This lets me quickly change from birds in flight to stationary, so I don't panic with settings and not loose quality because of high ISO noise.

I don't know why I love your videos so much. your personality and videos just connect with me so well.

Thank you for Phil, great information as always.

Great Video! Really good advice to keep more control over your focusing. I loved the tip about using the Wide Area focus and moving it slightly above center! Thanks for that one!

Great tutorial. Best photography quote yet about the "camera" taking good photos whereas it is the user that makes the photos outstanding. So true.

I find the focus settings you recommend in this video are what I get the best results with also. Thanks for this informative video!

Phil thank you 🙏 for Z50 focusing tips. I have recently purchased the Z50 and have been trying to figure out which settings are best. This video came at just the right time! 😃

Thanks for an excellent tutorial, Phil. Just got the Z50 and your suggestions are so helpful.

Hello Phil, Thank You so much for sharing your knowledge and experience about the autofocus techniques on the Nikon z50. It really works great 👍 it improved the face and eye recognition. All my pictures look amazing! We love it. Happy Thanksgiving 🍁

Great video! Thank you. I just bought the Z50. I will try your method. Cheers!

PHIL-- I shoot my Z50 pretty much just like you do! Love my Z50 - Thanks for all do to help all people! Randy B.(Montana)

Thank you so much, Phil, helped me so much, invested in this camera to alleviate the weight factor. Unfortunately trailing around my Nikon 850 and an array of lenses is no longer an option at my age,79 years young. All of your presentations adopt a sensible and common-sense approach, which is easy to understand. good luck in the future and I wish u well . Arthur in the UK.

EXCELLENT KNOWLEDGE SHARED SIR. ITS REALLY HELPFUL

Phil thank you so much, this video is so so helpful!

Great video Phil. I have just bought a Nikon Z50 ( with a FTZ adapter) a few days ago for a birdwatching trip and I am just learning the features and your video has been really useful with getting me started.

Hi Phil I really enjoyed this video!! It was very helpful to me!! I've struggled with my Z50 and have a love/hate relationship with it. Lol Which is why I haven't used my Z50 much for the year I've had it and have considered selling it. Again a great video! Best wishes Duane

Hi, love your videos, but as a Z6 & Z50 user I will use the 9 point dynamic area mode almost exclusively for action shots. I did a lot of high school sports until the pandemic, and used dynamic indoors and outdoors. Now I do a lot of birding and I continue using dynamic. I have been hesitant to use the wide area modes for fear the photos wouldn't be as sharp because of the extended focus range. I will certainly try it now that you've been using it successfully, but I would also encourage you to try the dynamic mode again. Looking forward to your next video. Also, I've started my 10 year old grand daughter into photography, love that you are able to partner with Heather in your videos. It's nice to have someone to share your passion with.

Very informative. Thank You!

Works equal as well on my EOS R and Fujifilm cameras. Great info

Very informative video 👍

Nice video Phil. Well done. I also did a video about the z50 for wildlife photography. 😀

Thank you so much.i will try this w my Christmas sessions this year Phil

Thank you for such valuable information. Yes face detect is only work best for video. For photo it is still hit and miss with this camera in good light and almost useless in poorly lit area. I hope Nikon will improve face and eye AF for photos.

very helpful ~ the basic does the best

Thanks for the video Phil. If I ever get a Z50 I'll use this video as a guide for the set up. Your pics out of the Z50 really are amazing. You certainly know how to get the most out of that camera. Thanks for sharing mate 🙏

good to hear Phil..I have mine set up the exact same way..I thought that I was missing something by not using some of the other modes like subject tracking and others..you put my mind at ease..but I also use back button focusing in AFC mode..works for me..thanks !

Hi Phil absoltuley aggree with your settings one thing i might add with my typical lomd of photography ( motor Sport) with back button focus and AF-C after i have taken shots i will still hold the fucus button down to stop the camera from going to sleep, when i first got the Z50 i was missing a lot of shots as the camera does take a little while to wake up so the view finder is blank with my old dslr setup as soon as you look through the view finder you can see the action right away and start to compose the shot. also find the face eye detect somewhat of a gimick maybe for video it works and will track a subject but for my type of photography it just a wste of time any how thanks for sharing and always good when you find the same thing when it comes to settings

Perfect 👌

Great video Phil thanks! Nikon z50 is my first camera by profession I am a mechanical engineer but I have always enjoyed clicking pictures. If you could make a small video for Nikon Z50 with Nikkor Z 50mm 1.8S and difference between half-press shutter button for focus or ae/al lock button (which one is good to go) that would be very helpful.

I wonder if Nikon has any plans in the future to update its eye af for animals into the D500 I doubt they will but I wish they would.

Agree with you about the Dynamic Area AF as I have never ever gotten good results using that mode. Since I am mostly a wildlife shooter of the wading birds and birds that are perched I use the single point AF most. My biggest complaint is that the perched bird shots will often be focused on a branch in front or behind the subject even though the "point" is squarely on the bird. I like my Z50 but I like my D750 more.

Thank you very much. I'm used to AF-S : semi-press focus with single pin point-- Compose -- Shoot. Most of the time I use the rule of thirds for composing. Would you recommand using AF-C and put the pin point on a third spot ? I'm coming from D40/D90/D7000 where the center single point was more precise than the other. I guess this is not true anymore with Z50. Any thoughts ?

Thank you, it is very much useful to me. How do you set focus for a group of (five or more) people?

Thank u good brother for this

Hey Phil... gotta say, your passion for photography is admirable! Love it! Admittedly, I was disappointed, though, to see you go to a Canon. Yeah, I'm a Nikon fanboy. 😝 I own a Z6ii, Z7ii, and Z50. I've been EXTREMELY impressed with Heather's photos. I am wondering if these are the same settings Heather uses, or if there is an update to this video after a year of experience?

Thanks Phil ! Do you use non vr lense on the z50? If so how is the sharpness of the photos and what shutter speed do you use

I’m using a Nikon d850 with the Tamron 100-400mm for hiking to photograph flowers and birds. Unfortunately it’s not sharp as primes. Would you recommend a Z50 with the dual kit lens as a lightweight alternative?

Great info, I'm using my for underwater photography, so settings are a little different. When you are using those settings, are you shooting in manual mode?

Hey Phil! New subscriber here 👋🏽 Just got the Z50 a couple weeks ago after watching a few of your videos. Curious to know, what settings you would suggest for a group photo (5+ppl) to get those sharp images? Thanks in advance!

Hello, I take toy photography, and I'm having a little trouble. My camera will focus on one part of it as sharp as possible, but anything even just a tad further from the focus and it's a blurry mess. Is there any way to improve on that?

Thanks Phil ;)

I’m assuming these tips are applicable for the Z6 too. Been sticking with the D750 for fast moving animal shots because I’ve been too lazy to figure out how to utilize the Z6 for this genre. Going to try it. Thanks!

im going to be taking mainly pictures. but a small amount of video on the side. i video my rc trucks as i drive them over obstacles. what focus settings would i use when i set the camera down and slowly drive a rc truck towards the camera then off out of frame?

Sorry to hear that you don't like Subject tracking, for me it works perfect! Here's how I set up the camera: AF-C activated with my thumb on the AF-ON button Automatic AF-area Fn1 programmed for subject tracking with which I can switch instantly between Automatic AF and Subject tracking. When Fn1 is selected i get a white square that I position on my subject, I press AF-ON button to get a yellow square, this locks on the subject you have selected as long as you have AF-ON depressed. You can move around the camera or the subject can move around within the picture. If you have the white square and press the OK button, it stays yellow and continues to follow the subject. I activate the focus motor with AF-ON button. Going back to Automatic AF is done instantly pressing the Fn1 button. It's Ingenious!! Try it! You might like it after some practice. To get this to work you have to have the latest firmware, but of course you have that.

😬🤷🏻‍♂️ “Autofocus tracking is a joke”. Thanks for the information, I struggle with autofocus settings to be honest mainly because I shoot so much with manual glass... So when I run autofocus I end up struggling a lot to be honest. I do use single point because the camera never seems to agree with me on the subject... but I am one of those that would use AF-S. Ill give AF-C a run and see how it turns out. 👍📸

hi Phil, love you video! want to ask, i wedding photographer, move to z50 from df. My question is when the bride walking what's tips from you? still use afc and wide area small focus? Or use single AF and use touchscreen for focus? I'm really exciting about touchscreen focus. But do not want miss the moment. :D

Very practical tips. Thanks. What focus point option do you recommend for general scenic or landscapes? Wide small or large?

Hi, is there any way to stop the pinpoint square from moving around from shot to shot? I’d like to keep it in the center....

Thanks for sharing. I recently bought the Nikon z50 as I like crop sensors and I regret I didn't see your posts earlier. Nikon should have discontinued such a poor camera instead of continuing to make money from it. Focus is bad, as is the battery life that I hope Nikon will be able to fix via a new battery and update firmware for this camera. I also tried to focus by touching the screen to indicate what I want, but then the camera fires instantly, so I can't fine tune - maybe I need to change the settings.

Nice video..well u have used both xt3 and z50.which one u think has better continuous autofocus

What would you use for street photography, slow moving subjects, is it good enough, thanks

I’m going whale watching tomorrow and I gotta figure out my Z50 autofocus tonight.😂

Great video Phil very informative. What camera and lens were you using for the video.

Old skool focus style

How to Adjust Sharpness Nikonz50

I was able to take the sharpest pictures with those settings.

Thanks. That made a difference. Just about ready to return it. Now I won't.

Sir I am z50 user😀😀☺️