Z9 Release Thread

[Birna Rørslett]

If you have an L bracket for the older DSLRs such as D3, adapting it to Z9 is a matter of minutes using a Dremel. The battery compartment lid won't fit unless some metal is cut away. Recirculating stuff is the sustainable approach. Or we could try building a tower of old, no longer used brackets?

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The Z9 can capture ProRes 422 HQ internally, and with a future firmware update, this will be extended to 12-bit raw 8k/60p… in camera.

The value of shooting in 8K is that we can crop that in post and then export in 4K. Still photographers, which mostly is what I do, can pull frames from 8K and do a lot more with them than we can with smaller images. I would love to take an 8K burst of a moving subject and then pick the still images I would like to use, for example.

I am not quite convinced that there is a benefit. The video is constrained to a widefield aspect ratio (16:9 or so, 33 MP?) and there is some compression, whereas with stills you can shoot lossless RAW and can capture the whole image (2:3 aspect ratio, 45 MP) at 20 fps and jpg at 30 fps. Probably the stills bursts are a bit higher quality and they're easier to work with as you don't have to open the whole sequence at once before starting to select images. Video editing software is designed with a different evolutionary track and at least I find there are many things that I am not able to do in Premiere but can do in Photoshop or even Lightroom. A moving subject is typically shot at slow shutter speed on video while a fast shutter speed is used for stills. Thus the 8K video (shot at 180 degree equivalent shutter speed) would results in blurred still images of a moving subject.  I just don't see where the benefit would be coming from. I can manage to shoot action with 45 MP stills but even 4K let alone 8K video just kills my computer's working space very quickly. And my computer chokes on 4K 60 fps video in some software (while with others it works OK).

You can even shoot 120 fps with 11 MP stills on the Z9. There was an interesting video on owls showing how well it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDX3rC7-nnw

[Michael Erlewine]

I am not quite convinced that there is a benefit. The video is constrained to a widefield aspect ratio (16:9 or so, 33 MP?) and there is some compression, whereas with stills you can shoot lossless RAW and can capture the whole image (2:3 aspect ratio, 45 MP) at 20 fps and jpg at 30 fps. Probably the stills bursts are a bit higher quality and they're easier to work with as you don't have to open the whole sequence at once before starting to select images. Video editing software is designed with a different evolutionary track and at least I find there are many things that I am not able to do in Premiere but can do in Photoshop or even Lightroom. A moving subject is typically shot at slow shutter speed on video while a fast shutter speed is used for stills. Thus the 8K video (shot at 180 degree equivalent shutter speed) would results in blurred still images of a moving subject.  I just don't see where the benefit would be coming from. I can manage to shoot action with 45 MP stills but even 4K let alone 8K video just kills my computer's working space very quickly. And my computer chokes on 4K 60 fps video in some software (while with others it works OK).

You can even shoot 120 fps with 11 MP stills on the Z9. There was an interesting video on owls showing how well it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDX3rC7-nnw

No argument. I have found that I tend to become familiar with my equipment and use it to accomplish whatever I can. I don't have the Z9 yet, so I have to wait to see what I can pull out of that camera. However, I like the video offerings in the Z9, especially the ProRes, and look forward to that whole implementation. Someone pointed out to me, why I would need a Z9, because it is a 'sports' camera (from a very well-know blogger) and I am a 'stills' photographer. My response was that the Z9, as far as I can tell, is not just for sports, but is an 'all round' camera, IMO, including for my work. The only worry I have is if the lo ISO (64) is up to par.

[John Geerts]

For my way of shooting, XQD cards are just fine on the Z9. They are more than snappy enough. I see absolutely no reason to invest in a new card type and readers for these, but of course this is my view on the matter only.

My view as well.  I have a few pretty fast XQD cards which do fine right now.   First have to see what the future firmware updates will bring, and how the CFExpress market will evolve. The Angelbird cards look tempting.

[Michael Erlewine]

My view as well.  I have a few pretty fast XQD cards which do fine right now.   First have to see what the future firmware updates will bring, and how the CFExpress market will evolve. The Angelbird cards look tempting.

I agree, as long as we are not interested in the quite-advanced video capabilities of the Z9. I sold off most of my video cameras (Sony FS-5, etc.) and almost don't miss it. Yet, the Z9 will give me what the Sony offered and a lot more. I don't need a dedicated video camcorder. And with the Z9, I want to pick stills from bursts of  stills or from the 8K video of say a small insect or something.

[MFloyd]

Interesting and very affordable is SmallRig. But no personal experience with this brand.

https://smallrig.com/

For Z9

https://smallrig.com/smallrig-l-bracket-for-nikon-z-9-3714.html

[Michael Erlewine]

Interesting and very affordable is SmallRig. But no personal experience with this brand.

https://smallrig.com/

For Z9

https://smallrig.com/smallrig-l-bracket-for-nikon-z-9-3714.html

Yes, I have one of these SmallRig L-Brackets on order because it was not expensive  ($69.00). If it is good, fine, but it will have to last me for a while, until the market sorts out which is the best. I like RRS L-Brackets, but they are not out and are expensive. I will pick up a better one, if I need to. I am still collecting the collaterals I will need when my Z9 arrives, whenever that is.   As of now, I have a 2nd battery, two Delkin 1 TB cards, XQD/CFExpress Type B Memory Card Reader, the L-Bracket, and some clear filters for my longer telephoto lenses which I will take outside, the Nikon Z 70-200mm S and the Z 100-400mm S, both of which can accept the 1.4 Z teleconverter. I don't really have the very long telephoto lenses. Wish I could afford one. I also have an alternate tripod-foot for the Nikon S 100-400 lens.

[rs]

The only worry I have is if the lo ISO (64) is up to par.

About 2/3rds of a stop worse than the Z7, according to Jim Kasson: https://blog.kasson.com/z9/nikon-z9-edr/

[Michael Erlewine]

About 2/3rds of a stop worse than the Z7, according to Jim Kasson: https://blog.kasson.com/z9/nikon-z9-edr/

Well, that is disappointing, for sure. Any more links on that?

[chambeshi]

Besides Bill Claff's database photonstophotos, there is this test from a video perspective
https://www.cined.com/nikon-z-9-lab-test-rolling-shutter-dynamic-range-and-latitude-test/

Brad Hill's test is the only other I can recall, but more about noise and image quality at higher ISOs
http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog.html#anchor_Z9_Prelim_ISO

[Ethan]

Besides Bill Claff's database photonstophotos, there is this test from a video perspective
https://www.cined.com/nikon-z-9-lab-test-rolling-shutter-dynamic-range-and-latitude-test/

Brad Hill's test is the only other I can recall, but more about noise and image quality at higher ISOs
http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog.html#anchor_Z9_Prelim_ISO

What a load of rubbish!

CMOS sensor have limitations and will manifest Rolling Shutter no matter what or which camera brand. It is the nature of the sensor.

Let's have these wannabe reviewers compare CMOS with CCD.
Did they ever shoot with CCD cameras?  Sony or Ikegami....... Arri....
They cannot afford one not even rent it.

CMOS might get there in the future and in the mean time people waste their time reading rubbish.

Yeah right. using Davinci or other programs to process without a Sony ref monitor and a Waveforms and vectorscopes. And if they do, do they know how tor read the information?

Everybody is now a pro video expert. I am not as only produced some 300 TVC's and 900 TV series hours...... and transited from Maviola to Flame and Fire.

[Jack Dahlgren]

What a load of rubbish!

CMOS sensor have limitations and will manifest Rolling Shutter no matter what or which camera brand. It is the nature of the sensor.

Let's have these wannabe reviewers compare CMOS with CCD.
Did they ever shoot with CCD cameras?  Sony or Ikegami....... Arri....
They cannot afford one not even rent it.

CMOS might get there in the future and in the mean time people waste their time reading rubbish.

Yeah right. using Davinci or other programs to process without a Sony ref monitor and a Waveforms and vectorscopes. And if they do, do they know how tor read the information?

Everybody is now a pro video expert. I am not as only produced some 300 TVC's and 900 TV series hours...... and trabsited from Maviola to Flame and Fire.

 I regret that I read that review, especially the comments. So happy to have this forum as a refuge from internet craziness.

[John Geerts]

A lot of rubbish floating around on the web and youtube.  Hardly any useful info can be found.

As already experienced with the Z6 and Z7,  the AF-S lenses perform very good, and on the Z9 even better. Also thanks to the improved Auto-Focus.  Even the 300/2.8 AF-I works fast on the Z9

Auto focus accuracy is better than with the F-mount camera's. The Z-mount sensor, in combination with the FTZ adapter, works smoothly. Working just as fast as 'native' lenses. 

[golunvolo]

A lot of rubbish floating around on the web and youtube.  Hardly any useful info can be found.

As already experienced with the Z6 and Z7,  the AF-S lenses perform very good, and on the Z9 even better. Also thanks to the improved Auto-Focus.  Even the 300/2.8 AF-I works fast on the Z9

Auto focus accuracy is better than with the F-mount camera's. The Z-mount sensor, in combination with the FTZ adapter, works smoothly. Working just as fast as 'native' lenses.

  I have NAS and you are not helping... 

[Jack Dahlgren]

  I have NAS and you are not helping... 

Nikon is trying to help by keeping output below demand.