Emergency Action Button: The Secret Weapon for Wildlife & Bird Photography

Are you tired of missing action shots? You know how it goes – you’re photographing a static subject, using an appropriate shutter speed, F/stop, AF area, etc., when suddenly a bird flies into view. Sigh. You’d love to nail the shot, but your camera isn’t even close to the proper settings, and you miss the opportunity.

Want to know a trick that lets you capture that action with the press of a button? Check out the video below—I’ll share a game-changing setup that’ll make missed action shots a thing of the past.

PS – If you enjoyed this post, I think you’ll REALLY like my e-books and video workshops! Thousands of pages and hours of videos filled with tips, tricks, and techniques – all my best content! Check ’em out – click here (hey, it’s free to look).

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Shanti
Shanti
6 days ago

Works fine on my Z9, only problem is no live view on screen, so must go to menu to change it back,unless there is another way to get live view.

Andy Cummings
9 days ago

I have this programmed to the FN1 button on the Z9. I don’t see how one could hold the Display button and the AF-On button at the same time. This function has also improved my photos of static subjects because previously if I was anticipating action I turned up the shutter speed in advance. But this resulted in lots of static photos taken at unnecessarily high ISO’s. No need for that anymore.

Tom Hall
8 days ago
Reply to  Andy Cummings

One of the selectable options in Recall Shooting Functions is to activate AF-ON while the button is pressed.

Joan Rodriguez
Joan Rodriguez
9 days ago

Great video, very informative. I wonder if something similar can be done with a Nikon D5 or D500.
Best regards.

Joan Rodriguez
Joan Rodriguez
9 days ago

Gran video, muy informativo. Me pregunto si se puede hacer algo similar con una Nikon D5 o D500.

Saludos.

Nigel
Nigel
9 days ago

Hi
will this work on the z6-3 ?

Mark Thorne
Mark Thorne
10 days ago

Tried several times to do the emergency reset using the display button that your video described but it simply reverts to factory settings, not what I saved. Have the Nikon z8.

Tom Hall
9 days ago
Reply to  Mark Thorne

I ran into the same issue. The solution is DO NOT click on “Save current settings” at the bottom of the list. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t do what I thought. It reverted back to the old settings for the DISP button. Instead, after altering the settings click “Menu/Done.”

Mark Thorne
Mark Thorne
9 days ago
Reply to  Tom Hall

Still does not work. My Z8 has firmware version C 2.01, MA 1.00, LF 1.00

Tom Hall
9 days ago
Reply to  Mark Thorne

You got me. My Z8 camera firmware is 2.10 (C 2.10). Changing the function of the DISP button worked when I stopped clicking on “Save current setting.”

Al Waldhuber
1 day ago
Reply to  Mark Thorne

i was having trouble getting the settings to save also, go to the Recall shooting functions (hold) and make sure all settings are unchecked – Then make your settings in Recall shooting function

Leslie C
Leslie C
11 days ago

I’d comment if the site would let me view the video. I’m signed in and it still asks me to sign in to prove I’m not a bot. Getting really annoying.

Latrelle Randolph
Latrelle Randolph
12 days ago

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Tom Hall
12 days ago

As usual with your button-programming ideas, Steve, I like this one. I’ve already set up the display button as you suggested. However, I have a question regarding the Nikon Z8. I don’t have another programmable button that I’d like to sacrifice for scrolling through displays as they’re doing what I consider more useful functions. (Although I see you are using F3 in your Z8/Z9 settings book.) I thought I could put “DISP” on the i-menu; but that doesn’t seem to be an option. Is there any way to scroll through the viewfinder and monitor displays without using a programmable button?… Read more »

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