I know an awful lot about photography... 35 years and counting! I keep up with tech and I use cameras to their full... but let me tell you - Mark Smith is so much better than all those other numpties out there professing to know anything about photography. He totally understands what the point of a camera is but at the same time understands every aspect of a modern camera and, more importantly, how to utilise it to YOUR needs. Mark is not interested in himself and how he does it (perfectly by the way) but is at pains to tell YOU what a camera can do for you. A camera is but a light-tight box. Listen to this man and you will understand what a light-tight box can do for you! Fantastic stuff Mark...
@@MarkSmithphotography I think that you will find that you are the one saying it my friend. About 15 years ago I was advised to start creating TH-cam vids... something tells me that I have missed the boat! Keep your tuts going and me thinks it might be time for me to subscribe - you will be the first I subscribe to if I get around to it! Entertaining education is your forte... "poop"... as you might well say! :) BTW, I would have a go at your Mom and Dad for their great use of imagination when they chose your forename considering your 'unusual' surname... just saying !! If I had the gelt I would be in your midst under your inspiration. Unfortunately I live across the pond so it is a bit of trek. One can never stop learning. I was in tears watching you and your exhausted thankful pal sitting in your hands wholly trusting you before humming its way off again. Anyway, this fanboy is off to bed as I have a full day's shoot tomorrow!
Ha... very kind of you but it was only a Mayor Making Parade - full of old and bold wearing wigs and gowns and that was only the men! It went ok thanks but I woke up this morning feeling weirdly faint so not really on top of my game today.
Lucky enough to just have my first A9 and this was a super helpful video - completely changed my setup, loving the focus zones and BBF. I know this is an older video and there are newer cameras but it’s still super helpful for us second hand camera amateurs! Thank you very much indeed.
This video had the most positive impact on my photography. I remember watching it around 4 years ago. I wrote down every setting and made all of the changes. Instantaneously I had so much more understanding of the camera. From the back button focus to the lens buttons (manual focus peaking with magnification) it was a complete game changer. A few years later I upgraded to the A1. Mark’s A1 video was equally as good. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve shared this with. Great Great Great Video!!!
This is still so relevant Mark, I cannot thank you enough! I had been struggling to set my a9 up for a bit now, but thanks to your clear step by step guild, I feel way more confident to use it properly, and I'm having fun again, instead of sitting down, scratching my head, wondering what to do. Thanks again!
Got my a9 a few days ago after lots of research. Mark's instruction and techniques have really stood out in how clear and purposeful they are. Can't wait to try out these customizations in the field tomorrow. Thanks for the help, Mark.
Best video I've seen in forever. My son just sent me his a9 to try out and this video set me up PERFECTLY for what I want to use it for. Couldn't be more grateful. Can't wait to watch more. Thanks Mark!
Thank you sir!! I bought the Sony a9ii camera and followed your tutorial in order to set it up. I greatly appreciate your assistance. I have watched other podcasts and found yours the best!!!
When you do videos like this Mark it really comes across how selfless you are and how much you will do to help your fellow photographers achieve better results through sharing your knowledge. Having owned the A7R3 now for about 6 months I was happy to see that I came to many of the same methods using area similar settings but a few of the things I were wishing for like a way to easily toggle between zone and center AF are right under my nose, I just didn't know how to set that up, huge thanks for going into such details. I also never though about rippling water giving AF problems but I was upset that many of my birds in flight over the water weren't tack sharp and it never occurred to me where I shoot is always windy (it's a saltwater bay) and that small bit made so much sense. The best video covering the Sony a9 in regards to wildlife photography to date, great stuff!
Mark Smith you are the BEST... Thank You for your OUTSTANDING Video... So HELPFUL and very well explained ... You are a great Teacher ... Nobody so far has really explained the Importance of getting to know Your Camera features and how to use each Function properly ... i'm a Beginner in Aviation Photography but found the importance of getting to know how to shoot Birds in their Flights to perfectionate my Skills ... the Sony A9 became my Camera by pure accident as the Shop i ordered a Sony A7 III by error sold it to someone while on my way to collect it , so being very professional they sold the A9 to me for the Price of my deal i already had with them for my ordered A7 III ... BEST Camera i ever had i my Life so far and do not even want to upgrade to the A9 II... thank you heaps for making that Video... You Nailed it
Just incredible! I’m shooting with a Sony a6400 But this video walked me right through set up and explained everything in such great detail! This is by far the best camera set up for wildlife photography that I have found anywhere. I appreciate Marks sincerity just trying to pass on the knowledge he has gained. Fantastic!
Thank you Mark..took me two nights on my couch following this setup step by step. A good way to learn my new a9..( new to me ). I have been using Nikon gear after switching over from canon. The A9 will be replacing my nikon. D5..Thank you Mark... Great Job..
Hi Mark, I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video mate. Just got me an a9 and the 200-600 G. I watched your setup suggestions and followed them to the end. I still have heaps to learn and harder still to remember what each button does while out shooting. It will all come in time though. Yesterday I went to a sanctuary for a practice run and I am blown away by the wedge-tailed Eagle shots I got from this combo. I mean, I had tree branches in front of this bird while flying towards me and it just stayed focused on the bird. Mate, I owe you a beer when you come down under. Many many thanks again for your time and for sharing this information with those of us who just love capturing amazing shots. I now have a shot I might frame and when I walk past it every day I will think of you.
Thank you Mark for one of the best educational videos I have seen in any category. I bought my A9 as a second camera to my Canon DSLR - mainly for travel because of its size. I found the instruction manual complicated and until this video was disappointed with my results. Your video has transformed this camera into a phenomenal bit of kit which I now understand so much better. I am considering trading in my Canon gear and using Sony as my default. Wildlife photography, particularly birds in flight is my passion. I was previously happy with two or three sharp images from a sequence of many shots - that has changed completely. Thank you. Ospreys in Florida are now on my bucket list once the world settles down again!
For reasons unknown to man I have completely missed this video, but it helped me utilize elements of my A6400 that I had been wanting to try. I think you are gem for the community of Sony bird and wildlife shooters, and I hope to be able to enjoy your content for years to come.
Huge thanks for this video. Just got my A9 ii and have set it up with ease thanks to your helpful explanation. I also understand what it can be capable now and feel so much more confident. Huge appreciation for your work.
Thank you sooo much Mark, for putting this together. I have set it all up now like you said and am going practice on my new A9. You are a saint! Love your Style.
This was very usefull. I have an A9 incomming, so I look forward to test this setup. But I do also look forward to see more bird photographing from you again. Inspiring!
Your AF-ON / AEL custom system is genius! and makes sense, it's easy to remember too because of where those 2 buttons are located, I'm going to use this. Note: for the monitor on/off, I use myself the "Monitor off" setting in DISP, along with only one other display mode, so when I push UP, it will turn the monitor on and off, and I leave FINDER/MONITOR to auto, that way, I can choose to turn the monitor on and off, and it will remain in that state, and the EVF is behaving as usual (on when I look, off when I don't)
Thank you ! Wow! Over an hour of setting up video. You are the man! Lots to set up and to remember on what is in custom setting! Thanks you for sharing your personal preferences. I picked up a few ideas to set up my a9. Look forward to meet you when you have seminar in Colorado...the colorful state.
You've come up to speed on the Sony Alphas pretty quickly. I will leave you with this. I was a manual shooter for decades until the a9. Mark Galer showed an interesting setup using Aperature Priority Mode (NOT your typical A mode though). Essentially the magic happens with a feature Sony calls "AUTO ISO Min. SS" (this is NOT AUTO ISO where you set min and max ISO values!). I assign AUTO ISO Min. SS to my C2 button and set the starting point at 1/2000. I also restrict my AUTO ISO to min 100 and max 6400. Now what happens is when the a9 goes to set exposure, it starts with the aperture you have chosen, it then meters based on your metering and as it seeks to set exposure, it will first start the SS at your requested min (the AUTO ISO Min. SS), from there it starts increasing the ISO to your max. If it hits 6400 (or what ever max you set), it will then have to start going slower than your 1/2000. So you are able to shoot for a target SS and get it as long as the camera can still inside your ISO restrictions. I assign it to the C2 button because I will go back and forth between 1/500 and 1/2000. The other benefit is that you can utilize the Exposure Compensation dial to add or subtract 1/3 ev at a time. And as it tried to add stops or take away stops, the AUTO ISO Min. SS still does its magic, helping you to more quickly nail exposure, yet putting constraints around the SS
@@MarkSmithphotography you are preaching to the choir, I shot full manual for over 20 years (and still do on my a7R3). Being Aperture Priority mode you obviously still fully control aperture. And in using the "AUTO ISO min. SS" setting, you do also control SS. But in cases where your camera runs out of the ability to expose, then and only then does it dip into the SS. This is not your normal Aperature Priority mode, you DO get to control SS most of the time. I first switched over to this shooting method for sports and racing. Only when I run out of light do I start loosing SS, but usually it nails my requested SS or faster. The plus here is more even exposures over groups of photos. With the a9, you can turn a 3 second burst of 60 photos into almost a 3 second video clip (every shot is in focus and evenly exposed usually). When I was shooting those in manual and panned from where I set exposure past a direct sun or brighter (or darker) area, the images would start blowing out and going too dark. Since the a9 can set exposure in 1/60 second, it can literally set focus accurately 3 times for every shot taken at 20fps. That fast exposure engine is part of the technology you pay so much money for in the a9, why not use it? I was always a manual exposure guy, because I could absolutely set exposure better than the camera. But the a9 can do it better and light years faster, you just have to learn the metering system and fine tune the buttons for fast adjustments. The camera will then get you the SAME exposure settings you yourself would have done, but do that for each photo taken. And in a 20fps burst where you pan in and out of over exposing light areas, you are going to loose shots due to over or under exposure in manual mode, especially at 20fps. The key for me was assigning "AUTO ISO Min. SS" to the C2 button and locking the focusing andmetering spot together like you did in the video. And technically, you arent shooting in full Manual anyway. You trust the camera to set ISO and White Balance from what I could tell in your settings. So why not try this, the a9 will surprise you on how good it will expose for you within several constraints and priorities you place on it? Its like going o e more step beyond AUTO ISO and AWB. Your focusing and other settings are spot on for BiF. Any way thanks for sharing Mark.
I'm not getting uneven exposure when I shoot bursts. Perhaps it's because I'm not shooting such high bursts though. What's the max shutter speed the camera will choose?
@@MarkSmithphotography the max normally is 1/32,000, but let me do a test in this mode and make sure it's not limiting it to say 1/8,000 (which I've seen it go to that in this mode) That AUTO ISO Min. SS is more about creating a constraint on the lower end of the SS not the upper so I suspect it will go to the max 1/32000. The reason you are getting even exposures in bursts even when panning is you havent run out of room on your AUTO ISO yet. It happens to me all the time shooting sports in artificial lights. Rarely do I see my ISO dropping towards 100, I'm usually pushing it to my max setting (I dont let it go higher than 6400 in artificial lighting). I wont be buying the 400 f/2.8 any time soon, so my biggest struggle is getting enough light out if the 100-400GM and still be able to stop the action. When I'm shooting outdoors, most of the time light is usually the opposite problem, so the AUTO ISO simply keeps lowering down to 100 to deal with excess of light, as I pan and burst at the same time. Believe me, I get you on Manual (w/ AUTO ISO and AWB). Just letting you know you now have a tool with settings (and some practice) that can get you the exposure settings you would have manually chosen but at 1/60 of a second. I LOVE being able to have a camera system that now handles focusing and exposure so advanced, that I get to focus on composition and the story of the shot. Great times to be a photographer. Have a great day Mark!
Thank you SO MUCH for this very comprehensive, helpful guide. I especially appreciated the step-by-step instructions regarding custom buttons and how to set them up according to the shooter's needs. My a9 is now set up with approx 98% of the settings you recommended and I'm anxious for the weather to clear so I can go out and try my new custom buttons. Thank you again for going to the trouble to help all of us regular folks!
Mark, even though I don’t use Sony, I thoroughly enjoyed your video on setting up the Sony A9. Your knowledge of this Sony model is encyclopaedic! Excellent video. Alun
I have come back to this video for reference so many times ! I set up my alternate focus area on my lens button and not the button in the back because I am always mushing them with my face ! IF this was a tv show it would get an Emmy !
man this is so great!! everytime i get a new camera body (i go though a lot) i come back here for my auto tracking/zone two button focus!!! you rule brother!!!
This is one of three similar videos Mark has put out explaining how to configure the D850, the D500, and the A9. I own and use a D850 and an A9, and I can't praise both videos highly enough. Bird photography is quite different from, say, landscape photography. Mark is highly skilled in bird photography and has spent countless hours learning how to use the unique capabilities of each camera system. The video here is much, much more than just how to make an A9 look like a D850 or vice versa. He is ideally placed to understand and use the differences. These videos are also downloadable as E-books for ridiculously low fees. Expect to watch this video several times, with real outdoors practice between viewings.
Your videos persuaded me to move to Sony. This video has helped more than I can say in that move. Superb content and advice. I have bought the e-book as a small token of appreciation for all your hard work in putting this together.
Hi Mark - Just got myself an A9ii, i found your video incredibly helpful in getting it set up and didn't even know about the dual focus area etc, thanks very much!!! Off out to try it out now ....
Hey Mark, your video is systematic and packed with great information. Many thanks for your efforts. I would suggest that you include page numbers on your ebook.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this knowledge! I only recently got into photography and just upgraded to the a9. Without these videos, I wouldn't know where to begin!
Thanks Mark, I've been loving the A9 for over a year but when using zone I get great focus as something like an eagle dives to the water and then focus switches to the ripples in water just in front of the bird.. I think the last 3 mins of this video has given me the answer I need.. I had considered moving the zone to the top of the finder but I think using the smaller tracking focus area will probably make more sense.. thanks in advance.. great video full of info
Hi enjoyed the video very much. I am a Silver Surfer from the UK. I am using a Sony A6400 with the new 200mm- 600mm and have applied most of your settings for the A9 to the A6400 and has improved the combination of lens and camera. I am going to a military air display at the weekend weather permitting. I will be looking at the results. With adapters, I also run Canon and Nikon lenses with full functionality on the A6400. Expensive but cheaper than changing my whole gear. Went for Sony native lens for its lightness. I hope to see a similar video on the A6400.
Amazing video Mark. I just received my A9 and the Sony 200-600mm lens today. I can’t wait to see what it can do now that it’s setup for wildlife & birds in flight.
Circ. of Focus Point, I think you'll find it useful: It lets the focus point/focus area come round through the other side when you reach the end of one side of the screen. Instead of a hard stop at the end of the screen, your focus point will "circulate" through to the other side.
There are a few more tricks for navigating through the menu. I think some of them are new with the latest firmware update. While in the menu, pressing the Fn button takes you from tab to tab-no need to scroll up to the top. SS dial scrolls you back and forth by page, Aperture dial scrolls you up and down on the page.
Great video. I watched it 2 or 3 times. You know, I did find a use for that C3 custom button, even though it's located away from the right side of camera. I use it to enable and disable aps-c mode when I need some reach, without having to dive into the menu.
FN Button always getting in the way.. Too funny!! Awesome video! I've watched several times as I await my A9 This weekend. Also purchased your ebook to support your efforts by making these videos. Thanks so much!
I have a Sony Cybershot RX10 Iv and I have been looking for help with the proper settings for bird photography. It’s not the same camera but it has a lot of the same menu functions. Your video has been very helpful. Thank you!
Mark - this is great! You are an amazing teacher. I have an a9 coming tomorrow and I’m half way through your video and so glad I’m watching it. It will help so much. I’m coming from canon and was using the 7d (Mark one). Based on your videos I’m expecting a pretty big improvement. Thank you again for this video. Btw I also love the videos of you capturing wonderful images of the birds. Not only are the images fantastic but the commentary is great too.
Thank you Mark for putting this video together! I just received my new A9 this week and without this video I would have had no idea where to start. Now I'm going out to try to find some birds to shot. Ps; I purchased the E-book as well for later reference. Thanks again
Outstanding video Mark! Thank you so much. I use the same hardware and have just reset everything to align with this video. Can’t wait to get back out and shoot some more with these settings.
Ciao Mark, grazie per le tue indicazioni sul menu della a9, ho seguito i tuoi consigli anche perché ti considero un bravissimo fotografo, alcuni tuoi scatti sono bellissimi, congratulazioni, anch’io considero il falco pescatore un uccello maestoso, di nuovo ciao
Brilliant video Mark helping me set up my newly acquired A9 II for still images. You mentioned in the video that you might do a similar video on setting up the Movie mode. Have you made that video yet? I can't seem to find it in the playlists. Grateful for a link if such exists. Many thanks. Kevin
Hey Mark, I’ve been a subscriber a while now, so I apologize for not giving you TONS of praise all over again. Lol I had an a7iii but used most of the settings for birding (Bald Eagles) I received my a9 less than 3 hrs ago & had to watch your video for the 15th time. Well, ok, 14th. Thanks again for the best camera tube I’ve watched...and I’ve watched countless hours of others. Take care, stay healthy. P.S. I am interested to learn how you use your tripod setup. Maybe a future video?
Hey Mark , not sure if you’ll see this but just want to say thanks again for excellent video ( i know this is 2 years old ) but I just got the Alpha 1, I used your settings on the A9 , A9ii and now A1 ( different menu layout ) I always rewatch when I struggle finding something, I primarily shoot BIF .
Hi Mark, thanks for taking the time to make all your amazing videos. Must be difficult to find the time to do it when you have a busy schedule of work, but somehow you still manage to make the time to produce great tutorial videos. I know you did this tutorial a while back. I was just wondering since progressing on to the A1 and having a lot more experience with the Sony range of cameras is there anything you would change now to the settings in this Sony A9 Bird In Flight / Wildlife Photography Setup and Usage Guide to maybe make things better from a user perspective or would you still maintain all the same configuration changes you made in this video guide? - Many Thanks
I amazed myself by watching the whole hour+ but it was really worth it, even just for the Reg. AF Area+AFOn tip alone never mind the other great tips. Awesome !
Mark, just got an A9 for bird photography. I watched your video a couple of times - excellent and packed with info. My question is whether for a beginner to get birds in flight in focus whether it wouldn’t make sense to start with WIDE TRACKING and LOCKED ON rather than zone focus? The Sony has focus sensing over almost the entire field, so with the wide tracking option it seems easier to lock onto and hold that bird in focus? Am I oversimplifying? Thanks
Mark, this is amazing, thank you! I don't have the a9; I have the a7Riii and some of the features/functions you discussed work for that camera too so thanks. Hey, you mentioned that you're heading to WA. If you find yourself in Bellevue, I'd love to buy you a beer. In fact, I'm located next to the Bellevue Brewery... So, yeah. Cheers!
Best camera settings for Sony I’ve seen. (And I’ve watched countless hrs) I own the a7iii with 4 lenses. Especially excited about using your settings with my new Sony 200-600 on Lake Coeur d’Alene, ID December 4th. (I live in Wash State) Bald Eagles will hopefully be constant & be btn 200-400. Fingers crossed. Have you done a video showing your birds in flight photos and camera settings for those? I realize each day will be different because of what mother nature gives you for lighting, but I think it may guide amateurs in the right direction. THANKS!
Hello Mark, Great work on the guide. One tip but maybe you already know it, in the menu DISP Button and then monitor you can also select monitor off so it won't be on all the time. If you do so you can still use the menu's and the playback but you can't see the settings, you'll have to watch the finder for that but I use that anyhow. Best wishes Lesley
I know an awful lot about photography... 35 years and counting! I keep up with tech and I use cameras to their full... but let me tell you - Mark Smith is so much better than all those other numpties out there professing to know anything about photography. He totally understands what the point of a camera is but at the same time understands every aspect of a modern camera and, more importantly, how to utilise it to YOUR needs. Mark is not interested in himself and how he does it (perfectly by the way) but is at pains to tell YOU what a camera can do for you. A camera is but a light-tight box. Listen to this man and you will understand what a light-tight box can do for you! Fantastic stuff Mark...
Wow thanks so much. That is really nice of you to say.
@@MarkSmithphotography I think that you will find that you are the one saying it my friend. About 15 years ago I was advised to start creating TH-cam vids... something tells me that I have missed the boat! Keep your tuts going and me thinks it might be time for me to subscribe - you will be the first I subscribe to if I get around to it! Entertaining education is your forte... "poop"... as you might well say! :) BTW, I would have a go at your Mom and Dad for their great use of imagination when they chose your forename considering your 'unusual' surname... just saying !! If I had the gelt I would be in your midst under your inspiration. Unfortunately I live across the pond so it is a bit of trek. One can never stop learning. I was in tears watching you and your exhausted thankful pal sitting in your hands wholly trusting you before humming its way off again. Anyway, this fanboy is off to bed as I have a full day's shoot tomorrow!
I agree !!
Good luck on your shoot tomorrow.
Ha... very kind of you but it was only a Mayor Making Parade - full of old and bold wearing wigs and gowns and that was only the men! It went ok thanks but I woke up this morning feeling weirdly faint so not really on top of my game today.
Lucky enough to just have my first A9 and this was a super helpful video - completely changed my setup, loving the focus zones and BBF. I know this is an older video and there are newer cameras but it’s still super helpful for us second hand camera amateurs! Thank you very much indeed.
6:50 best explanation on why to use back button focus. Never really knew why people used it until you explained it. Thank you Mark.
This video had the most positive impact on my photography. I remember watching it around 4 years ago. I wrote down every setting and made all of the changes. Instantaneously I had so much more understanding of the camera. From the back button focus to the lens buttons (manual focus peaking with magnification) it was a complete game changer. A few years later I upgraded to the A1. Mark’s A1 video was equally as good. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve shared this with. Great Great Great Video!!!
This is still so relevant Mark, I cannot thank you enough! I had been struggling to set my a9 up for a bit now, but thanks to your clear step by step guild, I feel way more confident to use it properly, and I'm having fun again, instead of sitting down, scratching my head, wondering what to do.
Thanks again!
Got my a9 a few days ago after lots of research. Mark's instruction and techniques have really stood out in how clear and purposeful they are. Can't wait to try out these customizations in the field tomorrow. Thanks for the help, Mark.
Best video I've seen in forever. My son just sent me his a9 to try out and this video set me up PERFECTLY for what I want to use it for. Couldn't be more grateful. Can't wait to watch more. Thanks Mark!
Thank you sir!! I bought the Sony a9ii camera and followed your tutorial in order to set it up.
I greatly appreciate your assistance. I have watched other podcasts and found yours the best!!!
When you do videos like this Mark it really comes across how selfless you are and how much you will do to help your fellow photographers achieve better results through sharing your knowledge. Having owned the A7R3 now for about 6 months I was happy to see that I came to many of the same methods using area similar settings but a few of the things I were wishing for like a way to easily toggle between zone and center AF are right under my nose, I just didn't know how to set that up, huge thanks for going into such details. I also never though about rippling water giving AF problems but I was upset that many of my birds in flight over the water weren't tack sharp and it never occurred to me where I shoot is always windy (it's a saltwater bay) and that small bit made so much sense. The best video covering the Sony a9 in regards to wildlife photography to date, great stuff!
Thanks for the compliments. Good to hear you found it useful.
Mark Smith you are the BEST... Thank You for your OUTSTANDING Video... So HELPFUL and very well explained ... You are a great Teacher ... Nobody so far has really explained the Importance of getting to know Your Camera features and how to use each Function properly ... i'm a Beginner in Aviation Photography but found the importance of getting to know how to shoot Birds in their Flights to perfectionate my Skills ... the Sony A9 became my Camera by pure accident as the Shop i ordered a Sony A7 III by error sold it to someone while on my way to collect it , so being very professional they sold the A9 to me for the Price of my deal i already had with them for my ordered A7 III ... BEST Camera i ever had i my Life so far and do not even want to upgrade to the A9 II... thank you heaps for making that Video... You Nailed it
Just incredible! I’m shooting with a Sony a6400 But this video walked me right through set up and explained everything in such great detail! This is by far the best camera set up for wildlife photography that I have found anywhere. I appreciate Marks sincerity just trying to pass on the knowledge he has gained. Fantastic!
Thank you Mark..took me two nights on my couch following this setup step by step. A good way to learn my new a9..( new to me ). I have been using Nikon gear after switching over from canon. The A9 will be replacing my nikon. D5..Thank you Mark... Great Job..
Hi Mark, I just wanted to say thank you so much for this video mate. Just got me an a9 and the 200-600 G. I watched your setup suggestions and followed them to the end. I still have heaps to learn and harder still to remember what each button does while out shooting. It will all come in time though. Yesterday I went to a sanctuary for a practice run and I am blown away by the wedge-tailed Eagle shots I got from this combo. I mean, I had tree branches in front of this bird while flying towards me and it just stayed focused on the bird. Mate, I owe you a beer when you come down under. Many many thanks again for your time and for sharing this information with those of us who just love capturing amazing shots. I now have a shot I might frame and when I walk past it every day I will think of you.
Great job Mark the way you explain things is a joy to watch .Rob.
Thank you Mark for one of the best educational videos I have seen in any category. I bought my A9 as a second camera to my Canon DSLR - mainly for travel because of its size. I found the instruction manual complicated and until this video was disappointed with my results. Your video has transformed this camera into a phenomenal bit of kit which I now understand so much better. I am considering trading in my Canon gear and using Sony as my default. Wildlife photography, particularly birds in flight is my passion. I was previously happy with two or three sharp images from a sequence of many shots - that has changed completely. Thank you. Ospreys in Florida are now on my bucket list once the world settles down again!
That is awesome!
Really have enjoyed this tutorial- have owned an a9 a couple years and still learning to optimize settings as my skills improve.- especially BIG.
I have an A7M3 since 2018 , shot 50.000 frames with it so far, and this video taught me the most about it I have ever learned. Thank you so much!
For reasons unknown to man I have completely missed this video, but it helped me utilize elements of my A6400 that I had been wanting to try.
I think you are gem for the community of Sony bird and wildlife shooters, and I hope to be able to enjoy your content for years to come.
Huge thanks for this video. Just got my A9 ii and have set it up with ease thanks to your helpful explanation. I also understand what it can be capable now and feel so much more confident. Huge appreciation for your work.
Nice comprehensive video on your A9 settings! Great work.
Thanks
You make this so easy to understand. Thank you and your son so much.
Thanks for all the advice, the A9 is my first DSLR and your video has helped me enormously in understanding this great camera.
Thank you sooo much Mark, for putting this together. I have set it all up now like you said and am going practice on my new A9. You are a saint! Love your Style.
Really helpful video Mark! Really nice to see you talking about your settings and how you use them! More of this please :)!
Very nice Mark , always a good idea to watch your videos one of the best.
Mark you are the absolute best youtuber! Thanks for all of your hard work and for sharing your customer settings!
Thank you Mark set my Sony A7iii up to most of your setting. but watching your tube l understand so much more about my camera thank you so much .
Great job Mark! I have had the A9 for 2 years and you still helped me with some settings. Thanks!
Awesome
This was very usefull. I have an A9 incomming, so I look forward to test this setup. But I do also look forward to see more bird photographing from you again. Inspiring!
Mark, I just used this video to set up 2x BBAF types, zone and spot, and can’t thank you enough!! It’s a game changer!! Th🙏🏼nks 🙏🏼g🙏🏼in!!!
Your AF-ON / AEL custom system is genius! and makes sense, it's easy to remember too because of where those 2 buttons are located, I'm going to use this.
Note: for the monitor on/off, I use myself the "Monitor off" setting in DISP, along with only one other display mode, so when I push UP, it will turn the monitor on and off, and I leave FINDER/MONITOR to auto, that way, I can choose to turn the monitor on and off, and it will remain in that state, and the EVF is behaving as usual (on when I look, off when I don't)
Mark, thank you very much for this video. Perfect for "us birders" and from a real practical point of view !
Thank you ! Wow! Over an hour of setting up video. You are the man! Lots to set up and to remember on what is in custom setting! Thanks you for sharing your personal preferences. I picked up a few ideas to set up my a9. Look forward to meet you when you have seminar in Colorado...the colorful state.
You've come up to speed on the Sony Alphas pretty quickly.
I will leave you with this. I was a manual shooter for decades until the a9. Mark Galer showed an interesting setup using Aperature Priority Mode (NOT your typical A mode though).
Essentially the magic happens with a feature Sony calls "AUTO ISO Min. SS" (this is NOT AUTO ISO where you set min and max ISO values!).
I assign AUTO ISO Min. SS to my C2 button and set the starting point at 1/2000. I also restrict my AUTO ISO to min 100 and max 6400.
Now what happens is when the a9 goes to set exposure, it starts with the aperture you have chosen, it then meters based on your metering and as it seeks to set exposure, it will first start the SS at your requested min (the AUTO ISO Min. SS), from there it starts increasing the ISO to your max. If it hits 6400 (or what ever max you set), it will then have to start going slower than your 1/2000. So you are able to shoot for a target SS and get it as long as the camera can still inside your ISO restrictions. I assign it to the C2 button because I will go back and forth between 1/500 and 1/2000.
The other benefit is that you can utilize the Exposure Compensation dial to add or subtract 1/3 ev at a time. And as it tried to add stops or take away stops, the AUTO ISO Min. SS still does its magic, helping you to more quickly nail exposure, yet putting constraints around the SS
Sounds interesting but I really like to control both the aperture and shutter speed on my own. I'm constantly changing both of those as I see fit.
@@MarkSmithphotography you are preaching to the choir, I shot full manual for over 20 years (and still do on my a7R3).
Being Aperture Priority mode you obviously still fully control aperture. And in using the "AUTO ISO min. SS" setting, you do also control SS. But in cases where your camera runs out of the ability to expose, then and only then does it dip into the SS.
This is not your normal Aperature Priority mode, you DO get to control SS most of the time.
I first switched over to this shooting method for sports and racing. Only when I run out of light do I start loosing SS, but usually it nails my requested SS or faster. The plus here is more even exposures over groups of photos. With the a9, you can turn a 3 second burst of 60 photos into almost a 3 second video clip (every shot is in focus and evenly exposed usually). When I was shooting those in manual and panned from where I set exposure past a direct sun or brighter (or darker) area, the images would start blowing out and going too dark.
Since the a9 can set exposure in 1/60 second, it can literally set focus accurately 3 times for every shot taken at 20fps. That fast exposure engine is part of the technology you pay so much money for in the a9, why not use it? I was always a manual exposure guy, because I could absolutely set exposure better than the camera. But the a9 can do it better and light years faster, you just have to learn the metering system and fine tune the buttons for fast adjustments. The camera will then get you the SAME exposure settings you yourself would have done, but do that for each photo taken. And in a 20fps burst where you pan in and out of over exposing light areas, you are going to loose shots due to over or under exposure in manual mode, especially at 20fps.
The key for me was assigning "AUTO ISO Min. SS" to the C2 button and locking the focusing andmetering spot together like you did in the video.
And technically, you arent shooting in full Manual anyway. You trust the camera to set ISO and White Balance from what I could tell in your settings. So why not try this, the a9 will surprise you on how good it will expose for you within several constraints and priorities you place on it? Its like going o e more step beyond AUTO ISO and AWB.
Your focusing and other settings are spot on for BiF.
Any way thanks for sharing Mark.
I'm not getting uneven exposure when I shoot bursts. Perhaps it's because I'm not shooting such high bursts though. What's the max shutter speed the camera will choose?
@@MarkSmithphotography the max normally is 1/32,000, but let me do a test in this mode and make sure it's not limiting it to say 1/8,000 (which I've seen it go to that in this mode)
That AUTO ISO Min. SS is more about creating a constraint on the lower end of the SS not the upper so I suspect it will go to the max 1/32000.
The reason you are getting even exposures in bursts even when panning is you havent run out of room on your AUTO ISO yet. It happens to me all the time shooting sports in artificial lights.
Rarely do I see my ISO dropping towards 100, I'm usually pushing it to my max setting (I dont let it go higher than 6400 in artificial lighting).
I wont be buying the 400 f/2.8 any time soon, so my biggest struggle is getting enough light out if the 100-400GM and still be able to stop the action.
When I'm shooting outdoors, most of the time light is usually the opposite problem, so the AUTO ISO simply keeps lowering down to 100 to deal with excess of light, as I pan and burst at the same time.
Believe me, I get you on Manual (w/ AUTO ISO and AWB). Just letting you know you now have a tool with settings (and some practice) that can get you the exposure settings you would have manually chosen but at 1/60 of a second.
I LOVE being able to have a camera system that now handles focusing and exposure so advanced, that I get to focus on composition and the story of the shot. Great times to be a photographer.
Have a great day Mark!
@@Hangs4Fun awesome. Thanks for the great info. I'll have to play around with it.
Thank you SO MUCH for this very comprehensive, helpful guide. I especially appreciated the step-by-step instructions regarding custom buttons and how to set them up according to the shooter's needs. My a9 is now set up with approx 98% of the settings you recommended and I'm anxious for the weather to clear so I can go out and try my new custom buttons. Thank you again for going to the trouble to help all of us regular folks!
Where can I buy the ebook?
With firmware version 6 it gets even better. Love my A9.
Very lucid, detailed and beautiful explanations that everyone must watch who are using the camera. Many many thanks. ❤❤
Great work and thank you for this, really helpful.
Thank you Mark. Happy to see ur latest video sponsored by Sony. 👍
Hi Mark, Are you going to publish a setup guide for Sony A1 like you have done for A9 for bird photography? Thanks
Yes
Mark, even though I don’t use Sony, I thoroughly enjoyed your video on setting up the Sony A9. Your knowledge of this Sony model is encyclopaedic! Excellent video. Alun
Nice Taylor 12-string in the background. I have an 855e of my own from 1981. Really good guitar.
I have come back to this video for reference so many times ! I set up my alternate focus area on my lens button and not the button in the back because I am always mushing them with my face ! IF this was a tv show it would get an Emmy !
man this is so great!! everytime i get a new camera body (i go though a lot) i come back here for my auto tracking/zone two button focus!!! you rule brother!!!
This is one of three similar videos Mark has put out explaining how to configure the D850, the D500, and the A9. I own and use a D850 and an A9, and I can't praise both videos highly enough. Bird photography is quite different from, say, landscape photography. Mark is highly skilled in bird photography and has spent countless hours learning how to use the unique capabilities of each camera system. The video here is much, much more than just how to make an A9 look like a D850 or vice versa. He is ideally placed to understand and use the differences. These videos are also downloadable as E-books for ridiculously low fees. Expect to watch this video several times, with real outdoors practice between viewings.
Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it.
Some grey out functions are not because of RAW, but the electronic shutter. All what i can say is, you and the A9 working perfectly together!:)
Thank you for this, Mark. So grateful for these amazing tips. You are amazing!
Fantastic information. Thanks for your hard work 🙏👍📸
Your videos persuaded me to move to Sony. This video has helped more than I can say in that move. Superb content and advice. I have bought the e-book as a small token of appreciation for all your hard work in putting this together.
Excellent guide to set-up. Although I've had my A9 for 2 years you've helped iron out functionality I have been having difficulty with. Thank you
Hi Mark - Just got myself an A9ii, i found your video incredibly helpful in getting it set up and didn't even know about the dual focus area etc, thanks very much!!! Off out to try it out now ....
Hey Mark, your video is systematic and packed with great information. Many thanks for your efforts. I would suggest that you include page numbers on your ebook.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this knowledge! I only recently got into photography and just upgraded to the a9. Without these videos, I wouldn't know where to begin!
I’m right there with you. Thank goodness for Mark putting this together.
Thanks Mark, I've been loving the A9 for over a year but when using zone I get great focus as something like an eagle dives to the water and then focus switches to the ripples in water just in front of the bird.. I think the last 3 mins of this video has given me the answer I need.. I had considered moving the zone to the top of the finder but I think using the smaller tracking focus area will probably make more sense.. thanks in advance.. great video full of info
Hi enjoyed the video very much. I am a Silver Surfer from the UK. I am using a Sony A6400 with the new 200mm- 600mm and have applied most of your settings for the A9 to the A6400 and has improved the combination of lens and camera. I am going to a military air display at the weekend weather permitting. I will be looking at the results. With adapters, I also run Canon and Nikon lenses with full functionality on the A6400. Expensive but cheaper than changing my whole gear. Went for Sony native lens for its lightness. I hope to see a similar video on the A6400.
Just switched over from an A77 to the A9 and this video was very helpful!
Amazing video Mark.
I just received my A9 and the Sony 200-600mm lens today. I can’t wait to see what it can do now that it’s setup for wildlife & birds in flight.
Circ. of Focus Point, I think you'll find it useful: It lets the focus point/focus area come round through the other side when you reach the end of one side of the screen. Instead of a hard stop at the end of the screen, your focus point will "circulate" through to the other side.
I found your style of teaching to be very informative, concise and extremely helpful especially as a new Sony user (formally Canon).
Thanks for this excellent tutorial. I discovered all the functions this A9 has with you, Great job!
There are a few more tricks for navigating through the menu. I think some of them are new with the latest firmware update. While in the menu, pressing the Fn button takes you from tab to tab-no need to scroll up to the top. SS dial scrolls you back and forth by page, Aperture dial scrolls you up and down on the page.
Ahh, that is great info.
Very informative guide, will you be updating it for 6.0? thanks for you great work
Great video. I watched it 2 or 3 times. You know, I did find a use for that C3 custom button, even though it's located away from the right side of camera. I use it to enable and disable aps-c mode when I need some reach, without having to dive into the menu.
You sir, are a godsend!
FN Button always getting in the way.. Too funny!! Awesome video! I've watched several times as I await my A9 This weekend. Also purchased your ebook to support your efforts by making these videos. Thanks so much!
I have a Sony Cybershot RX10 Iv and I have been looking for help with the proper settings for bird photography. It’s not the same camera but it has a lot of the same menu functions. Your video has been very helpful. Thank you!
Mark I just got the A7R4 your walk through works with it also ! Thanks bud , you rock
Mark - this is great! You are an amazing teacher. I have an a9 coming tomorrow and I’m half way through your video and so glad I’m watching it. It will help so much. I’m coming from canon and was using the 7d (Mark one). Based on your videos I’m expecting a pretty big improvement. Thank you again for this video. Btw I also love the videos of you capturing wonderful images of the birds. Not only are the images fantastic but the commentary is great too.
Awesome tutorial, super helpful to get started! Thanks!!
I watched the entire video, very helpful. Thanks.
Great info! I don't have anything on the Sony line, but I'll be sure to share this with anyone who'd like to start shooting with the A9!
Really helpful video. Thank you very much Mark !!!
Thank you Mark for putting this video together! I just received my new A9 this week and without this video I would have had no idea where to start. Now I'm going out to try to find some birds to shot. Ps; I purchased the E-book as well for later reference. Thanks again
Thank you so much for sharing with us your knowledge. I love your work.
Outstanding video Mark! Thank you so much. I use the same hardware and have just reset everything to align with this video. Can’t wait to get back out and shoot some more with these settings.
Ciao Mark, grazie per le tue indicazioni sul menu della a9, ho seguito i tuoi consigli anche perché ti considero un bravissimo fotografo, alcuni tuoi scatti sono bellissimi, congratulazioni, anch’io considero il falco pescatore un uccello maestoso, di nuovo ciao
Brilliant video Mark helping me set up my newly acquired A9 II for still images. You mentioned in the video that you might do a similar video on setting up the Movie mode. Have you made that video yet? I can't seem to find it in the playlists. Grateful for a link if such exists. Many thanks. Kevin
I haven't yet!
@@MarkSmithphotography No worries Mark. I look forward to it. Continue the inspirational work!
Thanks Mark, very useful, I've downloaded the book!
thanks
M2 Fabulous training video. Cant wait to practice my new settings and truly enjoy the fab a9
Hey Mark, I’ve been a subscriber a while now, so I apologize for not giving you TONS of praise all over again. Lol
I had an a7iii but used most of the settings for birding (Bald Eagles) I received my a9 less than 3 hrs ago & had to watch your video for the 15th time. Well, ok, 14th.
Thanks again for the best camera tube I’ve watched...and I’ve watched countless hours of others.
Take care, stay healthy.
P.S. I am interested to learn how you use your tripod setup. Maybe a future video?
Hey Mark , not sure if you’ll see this but just want to say thanks again for excellent video ( i know this is 2 years old ) but I just got the Alpha 1,
I used your settings on the A9 , A9ii and now A1 ( different menu layout ) I always rewatch when I struggle finding something, I primarily shoot BIF .
Awesome tutorial! Mark, can you please do a tutorial for the Sony 100-400gm lens? Thank you.
Hi Mark, thanks for taking the time to make all your amazing videos. Must be difficult to find the time to do it when you have a busy schedule of work, but somehow you still manage to make the time to produce great tutorial videos. I know you did this tutorial a while back. I was just wondering since progressing on to the A1 and having a lot more experience with the Sony range of cameras is there anything you would change now to the settings in this Sony A9 Bird In Flight / Wildlife Photography Setup and Usage Guide to maybe make things better from a user perspective or would you still maintain all the same configuration changes you made in this video guide? - Many Thanks
That was a lot of work Mark but we all appreciate it. Come down to Boynton Beach and I’ll show our bird areas !!
I amazed myself by watching the whole hour+ but it was really worth it, even just for the Reg. AF Area+AFOn tip alone never mind the other great tips. Awesome !
Thanks Mark, excellent video, helped me set up my new A9 :-)
Wow. Great video thank you Mark.
Thanks
Top man well done very helpful big help 👍
Great Video I learned so much. may the Lord Bless you as you continue to share your skills.
Mark, just got an A9 for bird photography. I watched your video a couple of times - excellent and packed with info. My question is whether for a beginner to get birds in flight in focus whether it wouldn’t make sense to start with WIDE TRACKING and LOCKED ON rather than zone focus? The Sony has focus sensing over almost the entire field, so with the wide tracking option it seems easier to lock onto and hold that bird in focus? Am I oversimplifying? Thanks
Mark, this is amazing, thank you! I don't have the a9; I have the a7Riii and some of the features/functions you discussed work for that camera too so thanks. Hey, you mentioned that you're heading to WA. If you find yourself in Bellevue, I'd love to buy you a beer. In fact, I'm located next to the Bellevue Brewery... So, yeah. Cheers!
pretty sweet setup you have going there mark
Awesome stuff. It's made my new A9 a breeze to operate! Thanks.
Thanks for all your great videos.
Excellent simple video.
9:37 You can now navigate between tabs in the MENU by pressing the Fn button. [Introduced in the last firmware update]
thanks for the info
Awesome job. Do you have a set up guide for Sony A 77ii. Thank you
Best camera settings for Sony I’ve seen. (And I’ve watched countless hrs) I own the a7iii with 4 lenses. Especially excited about using your settings with my new Sony 200-600 on Lake Coeur d’Alene, ID December 4th. (I live in Wash State) Bald Eagles will hopefully be constant & be btn 200-400. Fingers crossed. Have you done a video showing your birds in flight photos and camera settings for those? I realize each day will be different because of what mother nature gives you for lighting, but I think it may guide amateurs in the right direction. THANKS!
Super helpful, thank you!
Hello Mark,
Great work on the guide.
One tip but maybe you already know it, in the menu DISP Button and then monitor you can also select monitor off so it won't be on all the time.
If you do so you can still use the menu's and the playback but you can't see the settings, you'll have to watch the finder for that but I use that anyhow.
Best wishes
Lesley
So good, I just watched it a second time (took notes this time) Thanks Mark! Making me want to move to FL.
Soooo Helpful