Panasonic G9 bird/wildlife shooting - how to improve autofocusing technique?

Hey, really would like to get a good advice on subject!

I recently bought G9 with 100-300mm mk2 lens and started to shoot birds in wildlife. I am still learning all capabilities of the camera.

Aside from developing proper bird watching and bird tracking techniques, the most thing I am struggling with is aufocus. Damn, it misses a lot! And even when it seems I have a small bird in focus, after review I often find the focus was slightly off.

I know that 100-300mm lens is just an affordable super-zoom and I shouldn't expect top sharpness and image quality from it. But still want to get the most from the camera and the lens.

1) For the most time I use really small 1-area AFS as I find it the most reliable and quite fast. Should I use custom AFF focus settings instead?

2) Is it possible to have a 20x zoom with auto-focus?

3) Is it possible to enable focus peaking with auto-focus?

4) How I can assign quick focus type switching (like quick switching from custom-multi to 1-area. Should I use C1/C2/C3 dial modes to create custom shooting profiles?

5) When I should use AFC for moving creatures?

6)Should I always use AFC for burst shooting?

Any advice or hints regarding to shooting birds and wildlife with G9 are very welcome! Thanks.

Mzro wrote:

Hey, really would like to get a good advice on subject!

I recently bought G9 with 100-300mm mk2 lens and started to shoot birds in wildlife. I am still learning all capabilities of the camera.

Aside from developing proper bird watching and bird tracking techniques, the most thing I am struggling with is aufocus. Damn, it misses a lot! And even when it seems I have a small bird in focus, after review I often find the focus was slightly off.

I know that 100-300mm lens is just an affordable super-zoom and I shouldn't expect top sharpness and image quality from it. But still want to get the most from the camera and the lens.

1) For the most time I use really small 1-area AFS as I find it the most reliable and quite fast. Should I use custom AFF focus settings instead?

No, stick with AFS but instead of 1-area try using the custom multi diamond. set up your control dial to the bottom item on the menu so that you use it to be able to quickly enlarge and reduce your focus area.  I tend to keep the diamond full size for BIFs but =having the option to reduce it quickly to a smaller size is very useful.

2) Is it possible to have a 20x zoom with auto-focus?

I don't understand the question

3) Is it possible to enable focus peaking with auto-focus?

No

4) How I can assign quick focus type switching (like quick switching from custom-multi to 1-area. Should I use C1/C2/C3 dial modes to create custom shooting profiles?

see 1 above.  I don't use C!/2 and 3 because I find it takes me longer to think about which setting than it does for me to instinctively  change settings.

5) When I should use AFC for moving creatures?

When you've master AFS

6)Should I always use AFC for burst shooting?

You'll be able to decide that for yourself once you have mastered AFS

Any advice or hints regarding to shooting birds and wildlife with G9 are very welcome! Thanks.

A few more.  blue sky is OK but complex backgrounds are more difficult.  If you are missing focus completely try refocusing  closer between you and the subject before focusing on the subject.

When you are using the small box you may focus but on a fast moving target you may move very slightly but enough to take you out of focus.  Practice, practice, practice

Trevor Carpenter wrote:

No, stick with AFS but instead of 1-area try using the custom multi diamond. set up your control dial to the bottom item on the menu so that you use it to be able to quickly enlarge and reduce your focus area. I tend to keep the diamond full size for BIFs but =having the option to reduce it quickly to a smaller size is very useful.

Thanks, will try this.

2) Is it possible to have a 20x zoom with auto-focus?

I don't understand the question

I mean is it possible to have a zoom help for focusing in AF like in MF? In MF I have both zoom help and peaking, and this really helps.

3) Is it possible to enable focus peaking with auto-focus?

No

Pity I heard that S1 has focus peaking with auto-focus. Maybe Panasonic will add it in future firmware updates, I believe it will be very useful.

4) How I can assign quick focus type switching (like quick switching from custom-multi to 1-area. Should I use C1/C2/C3 dial modes to create custom shooting profiles?

see 1 above. I don't use C!/2 and 3 because I find it takes me longer to think about which setting than it does for me to instinctively change settings.

Ok, I see. I want to try having two shooting profiles though. With a little practice it can become instinctive.

5) When I should use AFC for moving creatures?

When you've master AFS

6)Should I always use AFC for burst shooting?

You'll be able to decide that for yourself once you have mastered AFS

Haha, ok

Any advice or hints regarding to shooting birds and wildlife with G9 are very welcome! Thanks.

A few more. blue sky is OK but complex backgrounds are more difficult. If you are missing focus completely try refocusing closer between you and the subject before focusing on the subject.

When you are using the small box you may focus but on a fast moving target you may move very slightly but enough to take you out of focus. Practice, practice, practice

Yes, I always refocus closer and always pre-focus and still I have a lot of situations, when auto-focus misses. It can look ok in preview but on bigger screen I often find that subject is slightly out of focus and lacks sharpness. Especially in low-light or shady (like under the trees). Recently, I burst shot a wild squirrel with AFS and I thought that focus was great but after reviewing images at home it's clearly seen that squirrel is slightly out of focus - focus was on its back but head was soft and lacked sharpness.

Here is a good explanation from Panasonic, if you click you will get a pdf.

https://www.panasonic.com/content/dam/Panasonic/Global/Learn-More/lumix-af-guidebook/LUMIX_AF_Guidebook_1809.pdf

It will take some time to learn. Your lens is not sharp, worst at the most zoomed in.

Jozef

Jozef M wrote:

Here is a good explanation from Panasonic, if you click you will get a pdf.

https://www.panasonic.com/content/dam/Panasonic/Global/Learn-More/lumix-af-guidebook/LUMIX_AF_Guidebook_1809.pdf

It will take some time to learn. Your lens is not sharp, worst at the most zoomed in.

Jozef

As an experienced BIF shooter I have to say that I found the Panasonic guide totally impractical.

Mzro wrote:

2) Is it possible to have a 20x zoom with auto-focus?

I don't understand the question

I mean is it possible to have a zoom help for focusing in AF like in MF? In MF I have both zoom help and peaking, and this really helps.

No but that's where your your single focus point should be useful.

Yes, I always refocus closer and always pre-focus and still I have a lot of situations, when auto-focus misses. It can look ok in preview but on bigger screen I often find that subject is slightly out of focus and lacks sharpness. Especially in low-light or shady (like under the trees). Recently, I burst shot a wild squirrel with AFS and I thought that focus was great but after reviewing images at home it's clearly seen that squirrel is slightly out of focus - focus was on its back but head was soft and lacked sharpness.

Isn't that possibly a DOF issue and once again your small point on the eye should be the answer plus obviously a smaller aperture.

I apologise because I was approaching the questions from the point of view of a BIF shooter when you seem to be dealing with more static stuff.  I went out with a guy yesterday who is having similar issues to yours and he found the custom multi diamond and the resizing the focus points with dial helped him a lot.  I doubt that you are having the same problem but he was seeing the green light in the top right hand corner as correct focus indication.  But as I pointed put to him that merely says that you have achieved focus it doesn't tell you that you have got focus on your subject.  The small green boxes in your focus are what tell you that you have correctly achieved and even then watching them dance around it is easy to see that correct focus can easily be lost.

Jozef M wrote:

Here is a good explanation from Panasonic, if you click you will get a pdf.

https://www.panasonic.com/content/dam/Panasonic/Global/Learn-More/lumix-af-guidebook/LUMIX_AF_Guidebook_1809.pdf

It will take some time to learn. Your lens is not sharp, worst at the most zoomed in.

Jozef

Thanks, I read this guide earlier. Still tend to use AFS while learning to shoot birds rather than AFF or AFC because my first attempts with AFC weren't good. Need to learn how to apply this in real world shooting.

I know that my lens isn't quite sharp, especially when zoomed, but I can leave with it for awhile (will upgrade to panaleica 100-400 later this year). Though some images are sharper than others. For example, attached image of the bird (cropped and processed) is acceptably sharp for me.

Mzro wrote:

2) Is it possible to have a 20x zoom with auto-focus?

If you mean to get a zoomed view of the area being focused on, try “pinpoint autofocus”. I don’t know by how much the picture is magnified on the G9 - a quick look in the manual could be useful here.

Not mentioned in your post either way, but in case you don’t use that yet try exploring the different burst mode possibilities. A quazillion frames per second might be overkill, but something that gives you a few pictures to choose from sometimes helps compensate for subject twitching and/or one’s own natural wobbling for the duration.

Didier

Trevor Carpenter wrote:

Isn't that possibly a DOF issue and once again your small point on the eye should be the answer plus obviously a smaller aperture.

I apologise because I was approaching the questions from the point of view of a BIF shooter when you seem to be dealing with more static stuff. I went out with a guy yesterday who is having similar issues to yours and he found the custom multi diamond and the resizing the focus points with dial helped him a lot. I doubt that you are having the same problem but he was seeing the green light in the top right hand corner as correct focus indication. But as I pointed put to him that merely says that you have achieved focus it doesn't tell you that you have got focus on your subject. The small green boxes in your focus are what tell you that you have correctly achieved and even then watching them dance around it is easy to see that correct focus can easily be lost.

I'm currently lack skills to shoot BIF, so I am not focused on that. Basically, shooting stationary birds but small birds are so sketchy, move fast and a lot. You're probably right about DoF and large aperture - I am shooting on shutter priority and it struggles to maintain high-speed shutter under low-light condition like under daylight in the woods so aperture is always wide open. I have limited ISO to 3200.

I will definitely try shooting with custom-multi with resizing!

Mzro wrote:

Trevor Carpenter wrote:

Isn't that possibly a DOF issue and once again your small point on the eye should be the answer plus obviously a smaller aperture.

I apologise because I was approaching the questions from the point of view of a BIF shooter when you seem to be dealing with more static stuff. I went out with a guy yesterday who is having similar issues to yours and he found the custom multi diamond and the resizing the focus points with dial helped him a lot. I doubt that you are having the same problem but he was seeing the green light in the top right hand corner as correct focus indication. But as I pointed put to him that merely says that you have achieved focus it doesn't tell you that you have got focus on your subject. The small green boxes in your focus are what tell you that you have correctly achieved and even then watching them dance around it is easy to see that correct focus can easily be lost.

I'm currently lack skills to shoot BIF, so I am not focused on that. Basically, shooting stationary birds but small birds are so sketchy, move fast and a lot. You're probably right about DoF and large aperture - I am shooting on shutter priority and it struggles to maintain high-speed shutter under low-light condition like under daylight in the woods so aperture is always wide open. I have limited ISO to 3200.

I will definitely try shooting with custom-multi with resizing!

I sometimes, stress sometimes, shoot in manual when conditions are difficult or changeable.  If find that with A or S the camera is making decisions on speed or aperture that I probably wouldn't do.  In manual I can make that decision myself and can take the gamble to over and under expose slightly in order to get the setting I want.  The Black Redstart is very nice.

is to sell the thing and buy a Nikon D7200 with a AF-S 300mm f4D if the budget is tight or a D500 with the 200-500mm f5.6 if the budget allows it.

The G9 is great for many things but you can have such an easier life birding with a midrange DSLR it's not even funny...

Mzro wrote:

Jozef M wrote:

Here is a good explanation from Panasonic, if you click you will get a pdf.

https://www.panasonic.com/content/dam/Panasonic/Global/Learn-More/lumix-af-guidebook/LUMIX_AF_Guidebook_1809.pdf

It will take some time to learn. Your lens is not sharp, worst at the most zoomed in.

Jozef

Thanks, I read this guide earlier. Still tend to use AFS while learning to shoot birds rather than AFF or AFC because my first attempts with AFC weren't good. Need to learn how to apply this in real world shooting.

I know that my lens isn't quite sharp, especially when zoomed, but I can leave with it for awhile (will upgrade to panaleica 100-400 later this year). Though some images are sharper than others. For example, attached image of the bird (cropped and processed) is acceptably sharp for me.

Is the photo a crop, or resampled (made smaller)? If it's a crop then it is ok.

Jozef.

StefanSC wrote:

is to sell the thing and buy a Nikon D7200 with a AF-S 300mm f4D if the budget is tight or a D500 with the 200-500mm f5.6 if the budget allows it.

The G9 is great for many things but you can have such an easier life birding with a midrange DSLR it's not even funny...

Bigger and heavy?

Jozef.

And the AF and IQ gains are more than worth it.

I prefer AFF with a single point for perched birds and full sensor area or just upper half for BIF. Can't see why one would want to ever use AFS on G9. And for birds it's always a burst.

cambirdee wrote:

I prefer AFF with a single point for perched birds and full sensor area or just upper half for BIF. Can't see why one would want to ever use AFS on G9. And for birds it's always a burst.

Interesting, I have heard very few people singing the praises of AFF and I've never really put it to test.  Do you have any albums we can view.

StefanSC wrote:

is to sell the thing and buy a Nikon D7200 with a AF-S 300mm f4D if the budget is tight or a D500 with the 200-500mm f5.6 if the budget allows it.

The G9 is great for many things but you can have such an easier life birding with a midrange DSLR it's not even funny...

I was shooting fast BIFs recently alongside a guy with a D500 and 200-500 and OK it may be user problems but his output was dreadful.  He didn't really seem to have a clue so the idea that just get the right kit and it will be easy is not necessarily true.

Jozef M wrote:

Is the photo a crop, or resampled (made smaller)? If it's a crop then it is ok.

Yes, it's a cropped photo and downsized.

If you determine that depth of field is indeed an issue, you might consider using Aperture Priority.

Here's the thing: for any given amount of light, Aperture Priority & Auto ISO should give you the fastest possible shutter speed for the selected aperture that delivers the desired DOF.

Steve

StefanSC wrote:

is to sell the thing and buy a Nikon D7200 with a AF-S 300mm f4D if the budget is tight or a D500 with the 200-500mm f5.6 if the budget allows it.

The G9 is great for many things but you can have such an easier life birding with a midrange DSLR it's not even funny...

That's not a type of advice I'm looking to get really, I never mentioned I want to switch to different camera or system.

It's not about birding only. One of the main reasons I've bought G9 was that I want a compact, not heavy and capable modern camera for wildlife and general shooting I can take anywhere, on feet or on my mountain bike. Also I have olympus m10 mk3 which I can use with same lenses for even more compactness.

I don't want to switch to Nikon to get mainly marginal improvements because it definitely will be a little bigger and twice as heavy (body with 200-500mm lens is over 3kg!).

Also, there are a lot of professional wildlife photographers that shoot with m43 cameras and lenses, get remarkable shots and quite happy with results. I believe I have a lot of room to improve my skills besides getting new somewhat better kits.