Nikon’s flagship mirrorless digicam, the Nikon Z9, has been repeatedly improved by way of free firmware updates since its launch in December 2021. About 18 months after its launch, firmware model 4.0 makes the Z9 a fair higher digicam than it already is, because of a intelligent new Auto Seize perform.
When the Nikon Z9 launched, PetaPixel defined that it made different cameras seem like antiques, an outline that has solely turn out to be extra reflective of the Z9’s prowess and capabilities following quite a few firmware updates.
Firmware model 4.0 is the third main firmware improve for the Z9, arriving lower than eight months after firmware version 3.0, and it provides vital new options and features, together with an Auto Seize mode, video enhancements, shutter sound customization, and extra.
Auto Seize Can Detect Topics and Fireplace the Digital camera
The brand new Auto Seize characteristic allows computerized taking pictures when a topic meets one in every of a number of pre-configurated standards. Nikon has designed this characteristic with skilled photographers in thoughts, particularly those that should place a digicam in a location the place they’ll’t stay for prolonged durations.
Customers can set the Z9 to file nonetheless pictures or video when one in every of three standards is met, together with movement, distance, and topic detection. Photographers can mix any of those three settings.
With the movement setting enabled, the Z9 will start taking pictures every time movement is detected. For the space setting, customers can choose from a variety of distances, and the digicam will file solely when a topic is inside that vary. Nikon notes that the space setting is simply obtainable when utilizing a Nikkor Z lens. Lastly, the digicam can file when a selected topic is detected inside the body, together with folks, animals, or automobiles.
“This characteristic permits the person to shoot remotely and with out having to manually decide the timing of taking pictures/recording, enabling extra freedom to carry out different duties, or to go away their digicam outdoors in locations they can not stay for prolonged durations of time, akin to when recording wild animals,” Nikon explains.
Nikon additionally factors out a situation the place a photographer works with a number of cameras and might now go away one in a spot with Auto Seize enabled whereas working with one other digicam elsewhere.
Contemplate a sports activities photographer: they might need to arrange a digicam close to a objective or to seize images when topics are inside a selected set distance vary. Nonetheless, whereas an automatic digicam handles that scenario, a photographer can proceed manually taking pictures different pictures.
Auto Seize eliminates the necessity for photographers to run distant management cables between cameras, and photographers don’t want any community connection when utilizing Auto Seize, a requirement of another handbook distant seize workflows.
Auto Seize will also be used with the Z9’s Pre-Launch Seize perform “for extra dependable seize of decisive moments.”
Efficiency Enhancements
Regarding Pre-Launch Seize, firmware replace 4.0 enormously enhances this current characteristic. The time that the Z9 can proceed to buffer frames earlier than canceling taking pictures in the course of the pre-release seize part of Excessive-Velocity Body Seize has been elevated from 30 to 300 seconds, permitting customers to attend for much longer between the half press and full launch of the shutter launch.
Further efficiency enhancements embody improved topic acquisition when utilizing 3D-Monitoring, particularly when capturing images of small and fast-moving topics that usually evade the digicam’s sturdy topic detection options.
Firmware 4.0 Guarantees a Higher Person Expertise
Nikon has launched quite a few UI and UX enhancements with its newest firmware. Customers can customise their Z9’s shutter sound, a feature Nikon has previously teased, deciding on from 5 sorts of shutter sounds. Photographers also can set a better quantity for his or her digicam’s shutter.
When working with handbook focus, Z9 homeowners will probably take pleasure in an improved handbook focus person interface, together with a brand new Focus Distance Indicator that shows the approximate distance between the digicam and focus place in user-selected items.
When enjoying again pictures, customers can choose a brand new “Body Advance Zoom Place.” This selection lets customers change how the digicam facilities the show when scrolling via photos throughout playback zoom. A “Want Focus Level” choice will middle the digicam’s show on the lively focus level when scrolling via pictures whereas zoomed. For video playback, Nikon says the progress bar is now extra exact.
Nikon Z9’s Video Options Get Even Higher
Video has been a big focus of earlier Nikon Z9 firmware updates, and model 4.0 is not any completely different.
Firmware 2.0 added a litany of options for picture and video, together with 12-bit RAW video at as much as 8K/60p and oversampled 4K/60p video recording. Due partially to those video options, PetaPixel described firmware 2.0’s enhancements as so vital that Nikon might have conceivably launched the updates as a brand new Nikon Z9 Mark II digicam.
Among the many nearly 20 new features in firmware 3.0, Nikon added a Excessive-Res Zoom perform for 4K video and a brand new C60 Excessive-Velocity Body Seize mode for DX-format video.
Whereas firmware 4.0 doesn’t ship groundbreaking new video options, that’s to not say that the Z9 isn’t a greater video digicam because of the replace. Customers can now set ISO as little as Lo 2.0 (ISO 200) when performing N-Log recording. Nikon says that the expanded low ISO vary delivers elevated dynamic within the shadows and higher noise suppression.
Firmware 4.0 additionally introduces further Hello-Res Zoom pace management choices, growing the management steps from 3 to 11. The extra exact pace management permits for finer zoom pace changes and delivers a extra secure zoom, particularly at slower speeds.
Firmware 4.0 allows new slow-motion playback choices throughout high-speed video recording. Customers can play movies at 1/4 (4x) or 1/5 (5x) of the recorded body charge to create a slow-motion impact.
Availability
Firmware replace 4.0 for the Nikon Z9 is on the market now and customers can download the update from Nikon’s firmware portal.
Picture credit: Nikon
