Nikon Z8 Menu Setup and Shooting Banks

How Shooting Banks Work

The Nikon Z8 provides a highly flexible menu system that allows extensive customisation of camera behaviour.

​

While powerful, Nikon’s Photo Shooting Banks and Custom Settings Banks can initially be confusing.

​

Understanding how these systems work is important for bird photography, as they allow different configurations to be stored and recalled quickly in the field.

Photo Shooting Banks

Photo Shooting Banks store settings related to image capture and exposure.

​

These allow you to switch between groups of settings without adjusting multiple menu options manually.

​

The available banks are:

​

• Bank A

• Bank B

• Bank C

• Bank D

​

Each bank stores settings such as:

​

• Exposure mode

• ISO and Auto ISO behaviour

• Drive mode

• Image quality and file format

• White balance

• Metering mode

• Selected image processing options

​

Because these settings affect how the image is captured, Photo Shooting Banks are often used to define different shooting scenarios.

Custom Settings Banks

Custom Settings Banks store settings that control how the camera behaves.

​

These include:

​

• Autofocus behaviour

• Tracking sensitivity

• Button customisation

• Release priority

• Display behaviour

​

They are also organised into:

​

• Bank A

• Bank B

• Bank C

• Bank D

​

This separation between capture settings and behavioural settings is a key feature of Nikon’s system.

How the Two Bank Systems Work Together

The Z8 uses two independent bank systems:

​

• Photo Shooting Banks control exposure and image capture

• Custom Settings Banks control camera behaviour

​

Used together, they allow creation of specialised configurations.

​

For example, one combination may prioritise fast-moving wildlife, while another may favour precise focus placement for perched birds.

​

Understanding this separation is essential for using the system effectively.

How Bird Photographers Typically Use Banks

Bird photography often involves rapidly changing situations.

​

A photographer may move from a perched subject to birds in flight within seconds. Adjusting multiple settings manually can result in missed opportunities.

​

For this reason, banks are often configured around shooting scenarios.

Example Bird Photography Bank Setup

Bank A – General Bird Photography
​

• AF-C autofocus

• Bird detection enabled

• Wide-Area AF

• Continuous high-speed shooting

​
A reliable general-purpose setup.
​
Bank B – Birds in Flight
​

• AF-C autofocus

• Dynamic-Area AF or Wide-Area AF

• Faster minimum shutter speed (Auto ISO)

• Continuous burst shooting

​
Optimised for fast-moving subjects.
​
Bank C – Perched Birds
​

• Lower ISO limits

• Single-Point AF or Dynamic-Area AF

• Slower drive modes

​
Provides more precise focus control.

Extended Banks

The Z8 includes an option called Extended Banks, which changes how banks behave.

​

• Disabled:
  Banks act as templates, but changes made while using them are retained when you return to that bank

​

• Enabled:
  Each bank behaves more independently, allowing separate configurations to be maintained​

​

In practice, Extended Banks make it easier to treat each bank as a distinct setup.

Choosing a Workflow

There is no single correct way to use the bank system.

​

Some photographers prefer a simple approach, using one primary bank and adjusting settings manually.

​

Others create multiple specialised banks for different situations.

​

The most effective approach depends on how frequently you switch between subjects and how you prefer to work in the field.

​

With experience, most photographers develop a setup that allows quick adaptation while keeping operation simple.

Continue or Get the Full Guide

This section forms part of the complete Nikon Z8 Bird Photography e-Guide.

​

For the full structured guide in one place:

Next Section