XT-5 subject detection mode on safari

[Shadwellal]

I'm planning an eight day safari in India in February. Previously when I've done similar trips I didn't use subject detection mode but more recently I've found bird detection mode to be quite reliable in the UK. However, on a safari trip I'm not sure whether it's going to be too much of a problem switching backwards and forwards from animal detection to bird detection continuously and whether I might be better off just using AF-C without subject detection. Just wondering what those of you with more experience would recommend?

I'll be using two XT5s, one with a 150 - 600 lens and the other (which I'm really taking as a back up body) I'll probably keep my 70-300 on.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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[TeepG]

I've not use my X-T5 for animals yet although I am looking forward to the opportunity. Before I would go on a safari with it I would make a trip to a zoo to test the system before going so I knew how it worked. Just a suggestion.

 

[Alan Hewitt Photo]

As far as I can remember (I don't have a X-T5), I think you could have custom set ups available via the Q menu. However, it isn't as accessible as the C1-C7 modes on the X-H2S and if it is just changing between single points, zone or subject detection birds > mammals, it may be just as easy with button presses to do this it via the normal menu access.

You could use a custom Fn button perhaps to turn subject detection on and off, but I think this enables the last setting i.e birds or mammals rather than bringing up the menu for you to select it.

In practice, I tend to have an inconsistent approach in favouring subject detection or single point or zone. Sometimes when I am working with others, I favour subject detection as it uses a lot less of my own brain so I can more readily help others, the latter being my priority.

If I am working by myself sometimes I feel more engaged if I take over and I may enjoy this process more.

We're all different, so one size doesn't fit all. But I think what I would maybe do is set a Fn button as described above. Have your last known setting to be birds. Birds tend to move quicker than mammals and as a result, present more compositional difficulties. You may find it easy to quickly compose and focus with bird subject detection rather than continuously changing the single point location.

In practice though, I think you'll become very quick at accessing the menu be it via the Q button and custom banks or via the traditional menu access to change between bird and mammal. You'll probably have time to do this too as you approach sightings and while the vehicle is positioned etc.

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[Morris0]

I'm planning an eight day safari in India in February. Previously when I've done similar trips I didn't use subject detection mode but more recently I've found bird detection mode to be quite reliable in the UK. However, on a safari trip I'm not sure whether it's going to be too much of a problem switching backwards and forwards from animal detection to bird detection continuously and whether I might be better off just using AF-C without subject detection. Just wondering what those of you with more experience would recommend?

I'll be using two XT5s, one with a 150 - 600 lens and the other (which I'm really taking as a back up body) I'll probably keep my 70-300 on.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Subject detection can be wonderful rabidly focusing on the subject's head or eye. It can also go wrong and be a real pain with multiple subjects in the frame. Because of this I have a custom button setup to toggle subject detection on and off. I also have one for people. When it comes to type of subject, I use the Q button and I have subject type as the top most on the left so I can get to it quickly. Two bodies is a great way to shoot. I wonder how useful the 70-150 range will be. It might help you take some environmental portraits. You might want something wider to take some landscapes and/or environmental portraits. Talk to the operator and see if they can provide guidance regarding lenses. Also look at the brochures for the trip as they may hint at what you can photograph.

Morris

 

[Shadwellal]

Thanks for your helpful responses.

I already have one of the Fn buttons set up to turn subject detection on or off, and subject detection type set up in the Q menu, but I think your advice Alan, that I'll have time to turn bird detection on and off as we approach subjects makes sense, and I'll probably use bird detection mode, but stick with single point for mammals.

Morris - you raise an interesting point regarding the need for anything in the 70-150mm focal length range - I might keep the 150-600 on one body and a 16-80 on the other.

Thanks again!

 

[Morris0]

Thanks for your helpful responses.

I already have one of the Fn buttons set up to turn subject detection on or off, and subject detection type set up in the Q menu, but I think your advice Alan, that I'll have time to turn bird detection on and off as we approach subjects makes sense, and I'll probably use bird detection mode, but stick with single point for mammals.

Morris - you raise an interesting point regarding the need for anything in the 70-150mm focal length range - I might keep the 150-600 on one body and a 16-80 on the other.

Thanks again!

I feel this is a much better choice of lenses the gap between 80 & 150 is not that much. This way you can photograph environmental portraits and landscapes.

Morris

 

[Alan Hewitt Photo]

Just to put a spanner in the works, I probably use my 50-140mm in sub-saharan Africa for about 1/3 of my photography! I often carry a 18-55mm too, and that usually only gets used at sunset now and again.

 

[Morris0]

Just to put a spanner in the works, I probably use my 50-140mm in sub-saharan Africa for about 1/3 of my photography! I often carry a 18-55mm too, and that usually only gets used at sunset now and again.

Yes and that's because you frequently shoot from a vehicle or boat and the wildlife are less likely to flee. It's also why I mentioned "Talk to the operator and see if they can provide guidance regarding lenses. Also look at the brochures for the trip as they may hint at what you can photograph." He will be in India and if in Tiger country he will be in a vehicle.

Morris

 

[Shadwellal]

Just to put a spanner in the works, I probably use my 50-140mm in sub-saharan Africa for about 1/3 of my photography! I often carry a 18-55mm too, and that usually only gets used at sunset now and again.

 

[Morris0]

Just to put a spanner in the works, I probably use my 50-140mm in sub-saharan Africa for about 1/3 of my photography! I often carry a 18-55mm too, and that usually only gets used at sunset now and again.

We'll I'm not getting a third body!

When you use your 50- 140 would you say you're mostly zoomed in or zoomed out?

When you shoot from a vehicle, you sometimes find yourself very close. Take a look at this photo I took at 24mm.





Morris

 

[Alan Hewitt Photo]

We'll I'm not getting a third body!

When you use your 50- 140 would you say you're mostly zoomed in or zoomed out?

I'll have a look when I'm back in the office in the morning at some of ranges of focal lengths I've used over the last 2-3 years with the 50-140

 

[ddtan]

I found on safari, I was switching from bird subject detection to animal subject detection frequently. Also I mainly used zone focus when subject detection was turned on. I set up custom settings, C1 birds and C2 for animals, making it easy have zone focus automatically paired with the subject settings. Accessing the custom settings via the Q button. The other setting change was between single and continuous auto focus. If an animal or bird was not the subject then the custom settings were turned off via the Q button, and the default was single point focus, single AF. I also have function button 2 set to turn subject detection on and off as a quick modification of the Custom settings.

 

[Alan Hewitt Photo]

Looking at use, the majority is between 95-140mm.

What I also wanted to check though was where I had used the 50-140mm. Certainly more in TImbavati (South Africa) than I would in the Maasai Mara (Kenya) and I put this down to the habitat we are working in. On the whole, the foliage is much more dense and as a result you're often closer to the larger mammals when they are in more open areas.

Most of the use in the approximate 50-95mm range has been in Tuli Block (Botswana) where I've tried to exploit the more rugged landscapes and colourful mopane trees bringing those into the compoistions, mainly with elephants.

In the Mara, where most of the landscape is very open savannah, the 50-140mm gets more use at sunset. When working in Tanzania, I appear to have only used the 50-140 for bathing elephant shots when we were on boats.

So, the reason I'm going into such detail is because it's important to understand how the habitat affects how close you may get to subjects, and also your "style" of photography too. I like to include a lot of habitat if it is of interest and often do so at the expense of getting closer in.

As Morris says, have a look at some of the tour supplier's marketing imagery. That may give you a good idea of what sort of surroundings you are working in. As an additional idea, maybe do a search for the area in FlickR and see some of the shots others have taken, they may also have the exif data intact.

 

[Shadwellal]

Interesting food for thought.

I definitely think that the 150-600 will be my most used lens.

As far as I can ascertain, the foliage is mostly quite dense, so I suspect that the 16-80 may be more useful than the 70-300 on the second body - but I'll have both with me in any case and after the first game drive I'll have more idea.

Thanks again to all of you for your advice.

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