Autofocus setup for D850 while shooting macro

Folks...the OP is asking for help with D850 focus settings while shooting macro...

Can we please try and keep the discussion at least relevant to his enquiry? If you want to talk about GH5 and Nikon's commercial viability, please do it in another thread?

Alternatively, if you have direct input about how to focus this camera while shooting macro...fill your boots!

Some of the above posts on the best autofocus settings for the Nikon D-850 (and D500 as they are quite similar) are a bit confusing, and may benefit from some detail, below, and also from the suggestions of more Wetpixelers.

Let us chat about the Custom Settings Menu (CSM) and Focus Mode Lever/Button choices for the D500 camera:

1. Menu > Custom Settings:

a1. AF-C: Release is my choice as the focus is already set to continuous. 

a2. AF-S:  Focus, as the camera has not yet focused.

a3. Focus tracking with lock-on:
a) One can choose speed of subject movement that blocks the shot, quick or slow (1 -5). Which one? 
b) choose the amount of motion that blocks the shot, erratic vs steady? Which do you recommend?

a4. On: to select and focus faces (Is this correct?)

a5. Normal: (?)

a6. Number of Focus Points:  55 vs 15, which do you recommend?   

a7. Up to the user.

a8. AF activation: Set the shooting button(s) toShutter/AF-ON (index or thumb can press to shoot, my choice) or AF-ON button (only the thumb can press to shoot).   

a9. Limit AF-area mode selection:  There are 7 modes, #1 is factory checked. Choices 2 to 7 can be checked with the right multi-selector. 

2. Now let us move to the Lower Left Side Lever & Button choices:

Press info to show the choices in the viewfinder.

Set the Focus Mode to AF or M with the AF/M lever. 

To select one of the checked AF-area modes, press the AF/M center button and turn the front, sub-command dial, such as the 3D Area mode.  Which do you prefer?

To select Focus Mode AF-C (continuous) or AF-S (single), turn the rear, main command dial.  C or S depends on the subject being photographed.

I hope all the above will stimulate more discussions. Please tell us your experience and suggestions.  

Hi Mehmet

So... back to your original question.

I'm using a D500 which is not so different to the D850 in terms of focus. On moving macro, I still use AF-S (or if really fast moving AF-C) but set a single focus point close to the intersection of rule-of-thirds lines - usual using the top left one. I then  move the camera to follow the subject and as the eye of a subject crosses the intersection point, I release the shutter. You need to be far enough back to get however much of the body of the subject you want into the image space - of course. 

All this sounds like what you have done. Works for me 

On 3/19/2020 at 12:57 AM, Interceptor121 said:

Don't know what happened anyway AF On is used to reframe the shot without changing the focus so it is useful in super macro. If you then refocus the shot with the shutter this defeats the purpose of AF ON so I am unsure about the comment

AF ON and peaking on live display only use contrast detect on each camera to mark the edges of objects in focus. I consider this a manual focus technique not an autofocus technique as I am moving the camera to reach focus

I always use back button focus and turn off the shutter focus.  Once you release the back button, if you're in C it should follow the subject. In S, I just find the eye and hit the shutter ASAP.