Nikon Z8 - Recall Shooting Functions (hold) with 3D Hand-off

Recall Shooting Functions (hold)

The Recall Shooting Functions option on the Nikon Z8 camera is such a good idea by Nikon, it allows the user to switch from their current camera settings to completely new settings at the touch of a button. When I'm photographing butterflies along the river bank and a pair of squacco herons suddenly flies overhead, I can instantly switch to the camera settings needed to get the best shot of them. When they've gone, I press the button again and I'm back where I started from, absolutely brilliant!!

From this-to-this at the touch of a button!!

Scarce Swallowtail butterfly

A pair of Squacco Herons

Whatever the settings are on your Z8 while you’re taking photos, when you press the Recall button they will immediately change to the defaults you have set up. A second press of the button will revert the camera to the original settings.

This is how to set the 'Recall Shooting Functions (hold)' on your Nikon Z8 camera: NOTE* I recommend setting Back-button Focus on your camera using the AF-ON button before setting up Recall Shooting Functions as detailed below.

Open the camera's MENU

Choose CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU

Go into the menu item CONTROLS

Go to item f2 - Custom controls (shooting)

Select a camera button to set up Recall Shooting Function (hold) on - I use the Fn2 button as it's perfectly positioned for me to use quickly.

Scroll to the Recall shooting functions (hold) option

Select the settings to suit your shooting requirements, my settings for quick bird photos are:

Shooting mode - M (manual)

Shutter speed - 1/3200

Aperture - f6.3

Exposure compensation - +1.0

ISO sensitivity settings - Auto (sensitivity 64, Max 4000)

Metering - [Matrix]

Area mode - Wide Area [C2] (set at 19x11)

AF subject detection options - 🐦‍⬛ (Bird)

Focus tracking with lock-on -

1. Blocked Shot AF response, the camera will track and focus on objects at the same distance as your subject. High values (4-5) make the camera slow to refocus when the shot is blocked. Low values (1-2) make the camera quickly refocus on new subjects passing in front of the camera. I use setting 2

2. Subject motion, birds in flight are rarely steady so the Erratic setting works best.

Release mode - High/10fps

Select DONE to save your settings (Don’t choose Save Current Settings as that only saves the current settings on your camera)

Focus Mode Hand-Off to 3D

Using the Wide Area mode is great for getting a quick focus on your subject but, once you have this, 3D Area Mode is far better at maintaining focus on a bird that is rapidly moving. Normally, if you focus on a bird with Wide Area mode and then need to change focus mode to 3D, you will lose the initial focus point and the 3D will then try and find it again, which can cause you to miss the shot. Hand Off allows you to switch between focus modes while still maintaining the initial focus point on your subject. While in Recall Shooting Function (hold) mode you cannot change the focus mode setting from the one that you have chosen in the setup menu above. However, you can set up FM Hand-off using a button to switch to 3D while holding it down. You can use the Fn1 or Fn2 buttons on the camera but, if you are using a Nikon Z lens, I think a far better option is to use a L-Fn button on the lens, which you can quickly and easily press with your thumb, while taking the shot.

Setting up Hand-Off:

Assign Recall Shooting Functions (Hold) to either F1 or F2 button on your camera.

Go to f Controls in the Custom Settings Menu.

Go to f*2 Custom controls (shooting)

Select the Lens Fn button (L-Fn)

Choose AF-area mode + AF-ON and set it to 3D-tracking.

Now, whenever you use the Recall Shooting Functions (Hold) button and get focus on your subject, simply press and hold the lens Fn button to switch to 3D mode without losing focus.

All you have to do now is go take great bird photos, it's like having two cameras with you. Great job Nikon 👏👏👏