Z9 Release Thread

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Lots of info indeed. But is the focus is on a video/film-camera.

That's what we are supposed to be interested in now. According to market analysts, video is driving the camera market. I find it very difficult to believe, but what do I know. ;-)

[Jan Anne]

Some of the shown “videos” are actually bursts of photos at 20 to 120fps to show how well the AF tracking is working

[MFloyd]

That's what we are supposed to be interested in now. According to market analysts, video is driving the camera market. I find it very difficult to believe, but what do I know. ;-)

It’s the truth. Especially in a social media environment. One of the reasons of my Z9 order. Still image will remain but will continuously decrease in importance. This is my view, at least.

[Hugh_3170]

Correct - with very high "in focus" rates - 100% in some sequences for large numbers of images.  Quite impressive.

Some of the shown “videos” are actually bursts of photos at 20 to 120fps to show how well the AF tracking is working

[chambeshi]

One conclusion of this video review is the interesting point of how the Z9 demonstrates Nikon is not holding back with FX MILC specs, because they have no cinema cameras to protect from becoming obsolescent. bottom line it does indeed sound like the Z9 is the best video ILC released to date.
https://youtu.be/NGo7nfc31r4

The final 3 minutes are a pithy synopsis of Nikon's status and trajectory to their new status with best ever Nikkor lenses, best video in ILCs, and the best flagship ILC ever made. Finally, kudos to the reviewer who makes strenuous efforts to take such a camera out into the wild. He not only had the Z9 up on the Northern Japanese Alps, but exposed and working in extreme climes.... These landscapes are definitely a beautiful place to visit.

This young lad must be a prominent personality in Japan, considering Nikon gave him a prototype for 1 month (+ a beta release of NX Studio). He is clearly experienced, with previous Nikon MILCs (since starting off a few years ago with a D90!). Interesting he found a few unfamiliar features using a Nikon pro flagship ILC for the first time: including ENEL18's and the size/weight; but he found his fear about the Z9 being too heavy had been a storm in a yunomi. As this was released on 28 Oct, we have since left key uncertainties behind us: including optimal cards, EVF performance, "which ENEL18* versions?", concerns about battery life etc etc.

Yet again (as with D5 and D6) it is clear Nikon has designed the Z9 to NASA's standards. This applies particularly to no issues with overheating in hot climates nor freezing up in hypothermic conditions, from +35 C down to -20C in 20m/sec winds, when an actioncam froze (despite trying to keep it warm)...and at the time he was using a well worn obsolete ENEL18a from Nikon Japan

(This video might have been shared last month, or even on 28 October. This is in Japanese but it has coherent subtitles.)

[longzoom]

It’s the truth. Especially in a social media environment. One of the reasons of my Z9 order. Still image will remain but will continuously decrease in importance. This is my view, at least.

I share your vision, especially when it will be possible to extract any image from video, with a full resolution of 46 MP sensor! I somehow believe this will be soon. This way or that.  LZ

[Jan Anne]

Can’t remember the last time I’ve read a book, magazine or newspaper, mostly check gear reviews on Youtube nowadays and sometimes check sharpness and boke tests on the familiar review sites around the time I am to purchase new glass as there can be a lot of noise amongst paid youtube reviewers.

For my other hobbies I mainly use Insta to stay in touch with vendors, friends and share content for both, Insta used to be photos only but is nowadays fifty fifty photo and short videos with the latter increasing in popularity after the major success of TikTok amongst the younger generations.

Planned to go into video 4 years ago when I bought a full spec MBP15 but that never materialized, might use the same excuse to buy a nice MBP14 

[Wally]

(This video might have been shared last month, or even on 28 October. This is in Japanese but it has coherent subtitles.)

Just for completeness - video shot in Japan, but he is / speaks Chinese

[Bent Hjarbo]

Can’t remember the last time I’ve read a book, magazine or newspaper, mostly check gear reviews on Youtube nowadays and sometimes check sharpness and boke tests on the familiar review sites around the time I am to purchase new glass as there can be a lot of noise amongst paid youtube reviewers.

For my other hobbies I mainly use Insta to stay in touch with vendors, friends and share content for both, Insta used to be photos only but is nowadays fifty fifty photo and short videos with the latter increasing in popularity after the major success of TikTok amongst the younger generations.

Planned to go into video 4 years ago when I bought a full spec MBP15 but that never materialized, might use the same excuse to buy a nice MBP14 

The MBP14 is awesome 

[MFloyd]

I share your vision, especially when it will be possible to extract any image from video, with a full resolution of 46 MP sensor! I somehow believe this will be soon. This way or that.  LZ

To a limited extent, however: for fluidity reasons, video requires a 180° shutter rule eg 1/50s for 25 im/s. This shutter speed may be unsuitable for still image purposes. 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Can’t remember the last time I’ve read a book, magazine or newspaper, mostly check gear reviews on Youtube nowadays and sometimes check sharpness and boke tests on the familiar review sites around the time I am to purchase new glass as there can be a lot of noise amongst paid youtube reviewers.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

Reading in general and especially on paper might have advantages compared to consuming online content. At least I find that reading a book immerses me in its world (this is true of books with photographs on paper as well) whereas online content is often briefly skimmed upon, before moving to the next thing. I believe this shift makes it harder to sit down and solve certain more difficult problems which require abstract thinking while the acquisition of individual pieces of information is easier now than ever.

In my opinion the slower pace of viewing photography in print has its place; just like when reading books, one is encouraged to delve deeper into its world.

[chambeshi]

http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog.html#anchor_Z9_Prelim_ISO

to quote his interim summary of comparisons of lossless Z9 RAW using Capture ONE:

"..... The Z 9 vs. the Z 6II

Now this is interesting. If you downsample Z 9 images to the exact size of Z 6II images then the Z 9 slightly outperforms the Z 6II in ISO performance (at least in visible noise). This tells ME that there really is no net advantage in ISO performance of the Z 6II over the Z 9 in a field setting (and there's actually a slight benefit to shooting the Z 9). And, it also tells me I may have to re-consider the initial thought I had of keeping my Z 6II simply for use in high ISO situations where it would "beat" my Z 9.

The Z 9 vs. the D6

OK...at least to me this is VERY interesting. To be clear, this means that while a D6 still wins in delivering less visible noise at high ISO's compared to downsampled Z 9 images, it doesn't "win" by much at all (only 1/3 stop at ISO 12800). This makes ME wonder if there is really any value (beyond nostalgia!) in keeping even my D6 for those "very high ISO moments". I honestly did not expect the downsampled Z 9 files to be this competitive with D6 files...."

[David H. Hartman]

In my opinion the slower pace of viewing photography in print has its place; just like when reading books, one is encouraged to delve deeper into its world.

I miss printing B&W negatives in my wet darkroom. I miss holding a physical silver print in my hands.

Dave

Thank you for the link.

[Hugh_3170]

Great link Ilkka - thank you. 

I have always felt that I get more out of printed media - both for written and image content.  And I do know how Dave feels about wet prints straight out of the darkroom - always an excitement moment.  The nature of screen based writing seems to be different between technologies where screen size seems to more strongly dictate or influence writing styles.  This is less obvious to me in book sized print, although I concede maybe more obvious in tabloid versus broadsheet newspapers - although the targetted audiences are usually different in this latter example.

Still remember writing papers and theses at university with a very large table with several open books and reprints of published papers placed around the work surface. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/

Reading in general and especially on paper might have advantages compared to consuming online content. At least I find that reading a book immerses me in its world (this is true of books with photographs on paper as well) whereas online content is often briefly skimmed upon, before moving to the next thing. I believe this shift makes it harder to sit down and solve certain more difficult problems which require abstract thinking while the acquisition of individual pieces of information is easier now than ever.

In my opinion the slower pace of viewing photography in print has its place; just like when reading books, one is encouraged to delve deeper into its world.

[David H. Hartman]

...If you downsample Z 9 images to the exact size of Z 6II images then the Z 9 slightly outperforms the Z 6II in ISO performance (at least in visible noise)...

I remember discussion regarding the Nikon D750 v. D800 and the same was noted regarding noise where the D800 image was downsample to the D750 image size. Also a video comparing the final results with fine quality prints when the files from a 24MP and 60MP Sony cameras were compared for both noise and fine image detail. The Sony comparison was a particularly good one as the cameras were of the same vintage.

The take away is noise at the 100% pixel level is not an indication of the noise one will see in practical application.

Dave

If I remember photographer names and sites I'll post links.