Everything you need to know :)

https://backcountrygallery.com/reading-understanding-histograms-photography/

The D500 is an excellent camera and the AF fine tune capability is handy. However, as others have mentioned, PLEASE be sure that you actually have an AF Fine tune problem before you mess with it. I've seen far too many cameras on my workshops that weren't tuned properly (and didn't need tuning in the first place) and they consistently produce soft images. Tuning a setup that doesn't need it will usually make things worse, not better.

Personally, nowadays, I shoot with a setup for a few days before any tuning. If I see consistent front or back focus issues, then and only then do I recommend tuning. In too many cases, people have a poor copy of a lens or poor technique and try to skirt the real issue with AF Fine tuning.

So, my advice is to confirm you see wither consistent front or back focusing first, then turn to fine tuning.

The answer is easy - use the D850 and the 500 PF. WAY lighter, super versatile, and it will get you far better results than the smaller sensors (assuming you're filling the frame adequately of course).

Thanks for the kind words everyone - sorry for the delay in responding, I am in Costa Rica and our wifi went out for a few days.

Not sure I follow - you mean why I do it?

I think the part that may be missing from our conversation is that, when I'm concerned about minor subject movement, I keep AF engaged with the AF point on on the eye the entire time. With the AF-On button pressed, if the subject moves or sways a little (or if I do LOL), the camera adjusts and keeps critical focus on the eye.

You quoted a piece of text and it's out of context. The second sentence is the most critical. Here's the complete quote:

"With my AF point solidly on the eye, I focus and I keep pressing the AF-On button as I fire away in short bursts. Since the camera is in AF-C, this effectively compensates for any minor changes in subject distance and keeps critical focus consistently on the eye."

This was the section of the article that talked about using the technique to compensate for minor subject movement. If there is minor movement between yourself and the subject, when you attempt to focus and recompose, you often find that the eye falls slightly out of focus - my way keeps it consistently sharp. :)

However, it also depends on how picky you are too. I run workshops all the time and have discovered that what most people consider "sharp" I would consider a throwaway. So YMMV :)

I actually did an article on this exact topic - I think you'll want to move your AF points after you read it :)

https://backcountrygallery.com/the-secret-to-sharp-eyes-better-compositions/

First, you need to see if memory is the problem. Launch the Activity Monitor and check out the memory tab. If it's maxed out while using LR & PS, you need more RAM. Otherwise, it may be an issue elsewhere (not really sure if it's a fusion drive issue).

Hmm - not sure on that one then. I was thinking you may have had Auto ISO on - when it's on, it can limit "Flexible Program" functionality. With Auto ISO off, it should work as you expect. If anything else comes to mind, I'll post.

What exposure mode and are you using Auto ISO?

Just thought of another reason why I may not use a hood - heavy wind. In a heavy wind, the greater sail area provided by the hood makes the lens more subject to vibration and shake (the larger the lens, the larger the hood, and the worse the problem of course). So, as long as I don't need it for flare prevention, I often take the hood off on really windy days.

I use hoods most of the time, however, there are two times when I may forgo them.

1. When shooting macros of small animals and there's little chance of any kind of flare. When you get close to a sensitive subject, they tend to become skittish. A frog doesn't know the difference between a lens hood and the front element - all it knows is some big, black thing is too close for comfort. Remove the hood and your working distance is the same but the critter is more comfortable.

2. On overcast days with a long lens in a cramped car. I'll sometimes (stress sometimes) remove the hood from my 600mm when I'm in a cramped vehicle with little space to maneuver - but only if it's a cloudy day and without any chance of flare. This can also help when you pull up to a sensitive animal since you can keep the entire lens inside the car and not have anything "scary" protruding out of the window. I've frighted off more than a few sensitive animals (mostly birds) when the lens hood of the 600mm starting come out of the window!

As for the you tube people, who knows. Maybe they are just trying to demo a technique and aren't really taking a photo.

It probably depends on the camera, but I would think it would be closer with mirrorless than it is with a DSLR. Still, it would be interesting to test :)

Ever lock onto a subject and discover it wasn't quite in focus? These tips will help :)

https://backcountrygallery.com/the-false-positive-autofocus-trap/

For me, most of the time, no (although I do always like to correct for chromatic aberrations). However, it really depends on the image.

Lens corrections do two things - they knock off vignetting and try to cancel out distortion. However, for my wildlife work I often like a soft vignette and the ones the lens produce can actually add to a photo (my 180-400 in particular does to mind). Second, anytime you push / pull or stretch an image to correct it, you lose just a touch of definition. Maybe not much - and in many cases you may not notice it - but IMO why do it if you don't need it?

That said, if I have an image that looks like it could stand a correction, I try it both ways and pick. If it looks better with the distortion control, I go that route, if it's a wash (or the uncorrected image looks better), I leave it alone. Of course, YMMV depending on what you shoot :)