As a fast follow up to the recently firmware 2.0 for the Z 9, Nikon has released Z 9 firmware 2.10. While 2.0 was a massive update with several new features added, the Nikon Z 9 firmware 2.10 is less dramatic but still adds several new features.

In this article, we'll break down the highlights from this newest firmware update for the Nikon Z 9 mirrorless flagship.

Like most firmware updates, the 2.10 includes bug fixes and improvements to existing features. However, there are a few key new features added with this update as well.

Z 9 High-Frequency Flicker Reduction

Nikon has added high-frequency flicker reduction, which is their lead feature in this release. While other features are largely refinements or fixes, the high-frequency flicker reduction is a substantial addition to the Z 9's feature set for those that benefit from this function.

Nikon Z 9's Existing Flickr Reduction

The Z 9 already features a standard flicker reduction that detects flicker in light sources automatically and times the image capture based on that analysis. This standard flicker reduction is designed primarily for light sources in a scene — say, artificial lighting in an interior scene, or lighting in a film studio.

The Benefit of High-Frequency Flicker Reduction

The addition of this new high-frequency flicker reduction (HFFR) now adds even more granular adjustment. Think of it as a manual mode to the existing auto flicker reduction. This new mode is designed to solve for high-frequency flicker that is seen in LED lighting, which can be from key lighting but is often seen in large LED displays. These LED displays may take the form of electronic billboards seen at sports arenas or, for my music photographers, we know these sorts of LED walls are employed heavily in live music productions.

When the shutter speed is out of sync with the refresh rate of the LED, banding can occur. That's where HFFR comes in.

How High-Frequency Flicker Reduction Works

This high-frequency flicker reduction is a feature lets a user choose shutter speeds manually at a very granular level to eliminate flicker in LED light sources. With the new high-frequency flicker reduction mode, users can now set the shutter speed in increments as small as 1/96 EV.

This firmware 2.10 update will let users choose much more precise shutter values. So instead of using a standard 1/250 sec shutter speed, you can select for example:

• 1/250.5
• 1/252.3
• 1/254.2
• 1/256.0
• 1/257.9
• and so forth

The idea behind the extremely granular level of increments is that you can precisely sync with the refresh rate of very high speed refresh displays or light sources.

Traditionally, the solution to solving banding was to use a low enough shutter speed that you enabled the full refresh of the LEDs. For sports and concert photography, where we're often looking to freeze motion and action, this has meant choosing between motion blur or clean LED displays in the background of our images (think electronic billboards or video walls). With HFFR, one massive benefit is the potential to still use high shutter speeds AND eliminate banding from LED lighting.

High-Frequency Flicker Reduction is usable as a custom button function. Press the button to enter the mode. Press the same custom button to exit.

In addition, it's possible to save the HFFR setting, so the camera will remember the shutter speed setting last used. So this makes it very easy to toggle the effect on/off once you've found a shutter speed that eliminates flicker.

This flicker reduction feature is available between shutter speeds of 1/30 and 1/8000.

Nikon Ricci gives a demo of how this works here:

Z 9 Autofocus Improvements with Firmware 2.10

In addition, Nikon boasts autofocus improvements for small subjects and enhanced eye/face-detection AF. This means the ability to lock, track and keep focus on small objects.

As a separate line item, Nikon states that AF is more accurate when using eye/face detection.

The immediate apparent benefits of the improved AF performance are for wildlife photographers photographing small animals — birds and other subjects that may not be filling large portions of the frame.

If I'm going to read into these two improvements, I'm going to extrapolate that we may see that this Z 9 firmware update will also improve eye/face AF at further distances than before. This result seems like a natural combination of being able to track smaller subjects (including eyes/faces) at greater distances than before.

Nikon Z 9 Firmware 2.10 Analysis

For me, the addition of high-frequency flicker reduction and the AF improvements are two fantastic advances. The AF improvements are ones that I can see benefiting everyone.

The improved small subject tracking is a very literal interpretation of engineering results. What I read into this, knowing how understated and literal Nikon's approach is to conveying features, is that the Z 9's already impressive AF has been further improved, and this will help with smaller subjects. Obviously size is relative to the apparent size of an object.

This means better face/eye AF at further distances, as well as photography of subjects that are simply smaller naturally (small animals, etc).

On the high-frequency flicker reduction, as a music photographer, I am extremely excited by this advancement. Video walls or large displays are extremely common for live music production. High shutter speeds often produce visible banding. Even using slower shutter speeds below 1/200 sec may not be enough to resolve, if the shutter speed doesn't perfectly match with the refresh rate.

Now with the new ability to fine tune the shutter speed down to an extremely small increment, I'm excited to see how Nikon has solved for this common issue.

Full List of Nikon Z 9 Firmware 2.10 Improvements.

• _{[High-frequency flicker reduction] has been added to the roles that can be assigned to camera controls using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)]. For more information, see the Supplementary Firmware Update Manual.}
• _{Autofocus is now better at tracking small subjects.}
• _{Autofocus now produces more accurate results with human portrait subjects detected via eye/face-detection AF with [Continuous AF] selected for [Focus mode].}
• _{Fixed an issue that resulted in the camera focusing on the background when [Single-point AF], [Dynamic-area AF (S)], or [Dynamic-area AF (M)] was selected for [AF-area mode], or when [Wide-area AF (C1)] or [Wide-area AF (C2)] was selected with a custom focus-area size of [1×1].}
• _{You can now expect better results from vibration reduction during panning shots taken with the camera pointing up or down and an option other than [Off] selected for [Vibration reduction].}
  
• _{Fixed the following issues:}
  • _{With certain Z mount lenses, choosing [Focus] for Custom Setting a1 [AF-C priority selection] with [Continuous AF] selected for [Focus mode] would sometimes disable the shutter release even when the subject was in focus.}
  • _{[Aperture lock] could not be selected for Custom Setting f4 [Control lock] in modes M and A when an F mount lens was attached.}
  • _{Assigning [Recall shooting functions] to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] would render [Save current settings] unavailable when an F mount lens equipped with an aperture ring and power contacts was attached.}
  • _{Auto distortion control would sometimes not be applied to pictures taken with [ON] selected for [Auto distortion control] in the [PHOTO SHOOTING MENU].}
  • _{The camera would not recognize custom Picture Controls saved to a memory card using the Mac edition of Picture Control Utility 2.}
  • _{Recalling shooting functions would sometimes result in unexpected changes to exposure if:}
    • _{ISO sensitivity was set to a fixed value in mode M,}
    • _{an option other than [Exposure maintenance off] was selected for Custom Setting b7 [Keep exp. when f/ changes], and}
    • _{[Recall shooting functions] or [Recall shooting functions (hold)] was assigned to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] both with no option (or mode M only) selected for [Shooting mode] and with no check next to any of [Shutter speed], [Aperture], and [ISO sensitivity settings].}
  • _{When [Recall shooting functions] or [Recall shooting functions (hold)] was assigned to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)], subject detection would not function as expected if the setting for [AF subject detection options] recalled by pressing the control differed from the option currently selected for [AF subject detection options] in the [PHOTO SHOOTING MENU].}

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Nikon has announced version 2.0 of firmware for the Nikon Z 9 flagship mirrorless. Nikon has a long history of substantial firmware updates that not only address small tweaks, but add new features and enhancements to existing features.

What's are the biggest takeaways from the Nikon Z 9 2.0 firmware update? We'll dive into the most notable features for videography and still photography with this Z 9 2.0 firmware update.

Update: The Nikon Z 9 firmware is now available to download.

Headline Features of the Nikon Z 9 2.0 Firmware Update

There are honestly so many different enhancements in this firmware update that you may be wondering about the key features. Here's Nikon USA's own take on the highlights:

Video Enhancements

• 12-bit RAW video straight to memory card
• N-RAW video format
• 12-bit 4.1K ProRes RAW HQ
• Dedicated UI displays for Video
• 1/6 stop ISO adjustment

Still Photography Enhancements

• Pre-Release Capture
• Custom Wide Area AF
• Custom Focus Position Recall
• 120 fps refresh rate for EVF
• Time lapse/bulb timer display
• Motion Blend image compositing in-camera

My Thoughts on the Nikon Z 9 Firmware 2.0

The video updates for the Nikon Z 9 look incredible, particularly the ability to record 12-bit RAW footage straight to a CFExpress memory card and without the need for an external recording device.

However, I'm a still photographer, so I'm going to focus mainly on looking at the photography enhancements here.

120 FPS EVF Refresh Makes The Best EVF Even Better

For me, the biggest enhancement that I'm going to use day to day are the 120 Hz EVF setting for high frame rate. I've already written on why I feel the Nikon Z 9 offers the best EVF experience even with the 60hz refresh rate.

In my experience, the Z 9 offers the best EVF experience already due to multiple factors:

• True blackout free experience
• Consistency of the frame rate regardless of mode
• Consistency of resolution regardless of mode
• Lowest latency EVF

Update: After installing the version 2.0 firmware, I can attest that the 120 FPS is a very nice addition. More on this at the end of this article.

Custom Wide Area AF Options

I love Nikon's Wide Area AF setting for the Nikon Z 9. It's a great option for limiting the active area of autofocus, but still being able to take advantage of next gen AF features like Eye AF and Face AF.

The new custom wide area AF options give more control over the size and proportion of the AF area. This is a fantastic adjustment particularly for sports photographers who may want to isolate focus to a specific range of the image.

You can read more about the Nikon Z 9's AF options in my article Nikon Z 9 Autofocus Modes Explained.

Pre-Release Capture

The introduction of Nikon's “Pre-Release Capture” is pretty incredible. It's something like what we've seen in Apple's Live View photo mode, where the camera is essentially recording and buffering images constantly. When the shutter is released, the buffered images from 1 second before the shutter actuation are written to memory card, recording the instant before you pressed the shutter button.

This new feature is remarkable and I can see a lot of utility for sports photography. This new feature is available in the High Speed Frame Capture+ mode fo the Nikon Z 9 when set to 30 FPS or 120 FPS. These modes are available at full resolution JPG and  4128×2752 resolution JPG, respectively.

I'm extremely curious to see if in the future, Nikon's Pre-Release Capture will be extended to RAW files as well. Nikon's new high efficiency RAW lossless compression has already dramatically shrunk RAW sizes, so putting the benefit of these new tech makes for a tantalizing future.

Nikon Motion Blend

Nikon's new Motion Blend is essentially an in-camera compositing option that can take multiple frames and blend them into a single image. This is similar to a multiple exposure option but with intelligent subject detection and automatic image merging.

While I rarely do this kind of photography, I'm inspired to see what kind of applications this can have for my own work as a music photographer.

What excites me most about this kind of in-camera “retouching” feature is that it hints at a future of intelligent, automated creative workflows. We have seen the ability to do this on a consumer level with consumer level results. But the ability to do this with the image quality of a mirrorless flagship like the Nikon Z 9 is where things get truly interesting for me.

Recall Shooting Functions (Hold)

The Recall Shooting Functions (RSF) feature is the ability to recall a customized setting with the press of a button. This feature has always been present in the Nikon Z 9. The new addition of “RSF (Hold)” lets you make this custom recall without needing to constantly hold the button as you photograph in order to activate those custom settings.

So in essence, you can hit a custom button, change settings to a specific set — including specific shutter speed, aperture, AF mode, AF area, white balance, ISO, etc. Basically you can change almost the entire setup of the camera with the change of a button.

This ability to change settings on the fly and then go BACK to your original settings just as easily is a huge feature.

Improved Auto and Manual White Balance

Personally, I shoot on auto WB the majority of the time with my professional music photography. I find the Nikon nails white balance with the auto mode — the one auto mode I ever use besides autofocus — is exceptionally accurate and consistent.

The ability to have improved auto WB to improve on what is already excellent just gives me even more confidence in this feature I rely on.

Nikon specifically mentions rapidly changing scenes like sports. For me, this sounds perfect for live music photography, my genre of specialization. Perhaps the update is that the Z 9 has increased sampling/adaption rate. Regardless, exciting.

The new manual white balance mode gives the ability to sample a target within the image frame as small as 0.5%. This is a fantastic feature. If we're to understand this feature, I feel like this new precise WB sampling may replace the need for products like an expodisc and give even greater control over precision WB calibration.

Full Nikon Z 9 Firmware Updates

Videography and Cinema Upgrades for the Nikon Z 9 

• _{Addition of internal N-RAW video recording up to 12-bit 8.3K 60p and 12-bit ProRes RAW HQ up to 4.1K 60p. The power of RAW video allows for extreme latitude with tonality, with a range of more than 68 billion colors for flexibility when grading or consistency as part of a multi-camera production.} 
• _{Nikon’s new N-RAW raw video format records a vast amount of scene information, yet is a significantly smaller file size, allowing for much more recording time and less intensive workflow. N-RAW footage can be recorded in the following formats:  8.3K 60p, 24p, or 4.1K 120p, 60p, 30p, 24p while in full frame/FX mode,  3.8K 120p with a 2.3x Crop, or 5.3K 60p, 30p, 24p with a DX (1.5x) crop.}
• _{The N-RAW format also creates an mp4 proxy file, which is efficient for previewing, quick transfers or edits on the fly.}
• _{4K UHD 60p footage can now be oversampled from 8K footage, allowing for the sharpest and cleanest possible 4K content.}
• _{A Red “REC” frame indicator on the monitor and viewfinder has been added during recording to easily identify when video is being captured.}
• _{A Waveform monitor has been added to confirm the brightness levels and position of the subject while recording.}
• _{A new dedicated video info display gives various video recording settings at a glance, such as frame size and rate, audio settings, codec, bit depth and HDMI output settings, all of which can be confirmed on a single screen. Additionally, a frame rate/size display on the top control panel helps to confirm when the rear monitor is difficult to view.}
• _{A “Fine ISO control (Mode M)” enables exposure adjustment in increments of 1/6 EV for ultra-precise and smooth changes in exposure.}
• _{The Fast AF-ON function allows a user to assign different AF speeds to separate controls. From a slow rack focus to a fast transition, two speeds are now assignable on customizable buttons to improve video shooting efficiency.}
• _{To enable slow shutter video recording of extremely dark scenes or intentionally introduce blur when shooting video in M mode, the shutter speed can be set at a slower than 1/frame rate.}
• _{With select frame rates and resolution settings, the user now has the ability to save consecutive frames in a selected section of video footage as a series of JPEG images while the playback is paused.}

Still Photo Upgrades for the Nikon Z 9

• _{For the first time in a mirrorless full frame camera, the Pre-Release Capture feature acquires hard-to-predict moments easier than ever before³, allowing for the burst capture of images up to a full second before the shutter is fully pressed.}
• _{Twenty types of Custom Wide-Area AF selection patterns have been added, giving the user more control over what part of the frame they want to focus on, which can also work in conjunction with subject detection. This is useful for a variety of sports and situations such as volleyball or a finish line. Twelve additional patterns are available for video capture.}
• _{The new Retouch menu feature, “Motion Blend” creates an in-camera overlay from a series of subject movements from continuous shooting into a single picture in-camera. For example, a snowboarder’s aerial can be captured from start to finish sequentially in one finished frame.}
• _{AF stability, tracking performance, and subject detection in low-light situations have been enhanced.}
• _{When reviewing images, users now have the option to skip to the first shot in a given burst.}
• _{For capturing amazing star trails and long exposures, Firmware 2.0 enhances the Z 9’s Long Exposure display to include a live count of the exposure time. Users also can now dim the viewfinder further and with greater precision to preserve power and their night vision.}

Additional Functionality Upgrades:

• _{The Z 9’s Real Live Viewfinder is arguably the most impressive EVF available, and the only one that provides a truly blackout free view. Firmware 2.0 adds the high fps viewfinder display function to increase the refresh rate to 120 fps for an even smoother, more lifelike view.}
• _{Auto Exposure (AE) has been enhanced to have more stable exposure with human faces, such as when a subject turns away from the camera and then faces it again, or when the composition changes.}
• _{Improved “Prioritize viewfinder” monitor mode gives a familiar shooting and review flow.}
• _{“Prefer sub-selector center” is added to the custom menu, improving the operability of the sub-selector.}
• _{Improvements in AWB even when the scene changes rapidly and adjustments to “Choose color temperature” and preset manual WB.}
• _{A new custom setting: Focus Point Selection Speed allows users to adjust the speed that AF points can be moved through the frame.}
• _{For confirmation of high-speed shooting, visual shutter release indicators appear clearly on the display and the Real Live Viewfinder.}
• _{Enhanced memory set/recall function enables instant recall of several focus positions.}
• _{“Recalling shooting functions (hold)” is now added to the conventional “Recalling shooting functions,” enabling the users to maintain the recalled function without continually pressing a button.} 
• _{Option to switch focus/control ring roles helps photographers who don’t need manual focusing employ the control ring.}

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On paper, the Nikon Z 9 EVF doesn't seem groundbreaking. The specs, by themselves, are unassuming, in many ways. Moderate refresh rate and resolution — nothing truly new. But that's far from the whole truth — groundbreaking is exactly what it is.

In actually using the camera, the Nikon Z 9's EVF is a wholly new beast that defies convention. The praise of the Nikon Z 9's view has been made well known. This is an electronic viewfinder that is very much more than the sum of its parts. I would say that the Z 9 offers the best viewfinder experience of any camera I've used.

Traditional Viewfinder Experiences

Viewfinder blackout has been a constant of photography for all through-the-lens viewing experiences involving a mechanical shutter. With SLRs and DSLRs, there is viewfinder blackout as the mirror swings up to exposure the film/sensor.

With mirrorless cameras, viewfinder blackout is a common experience not because of a mirror assembly, but because of processor pipeline/bandwidth and the use of a mechanical shutter.

As the mechanical shutter closes, there's a loss of image light, just as with a SLR camera. In addition, writing the image to media and the associated image processing is prioritized over the live feed for the EVF. The experience is viewfinder blackout for a fraction of a second.

EVF Brightness

Nikon's Z 9 EVF features the world's brightest Quad-VGA panel, which reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. This top rating is brighter than many HDR TVs. For reference, the iPhone 13 Pro features 1200 nits brightness in HDR mode.

EVF brightness doesn't matter much for low light, where high display brightness isn't necessary. So why is EVF brightness important? For bright situations — think sunny midday sun — where your pupils are constricted to reduce light, viewing a dimmer EVF that doesn't match surrounding conditions provides a poor experience.

The brightness of the Z 9's display allows for a more natural, seamless experience with reality. The Z 9's very bright EVF allows for better viewing in a wider range of conditions.

Blackout-Free Experience

In the past, mirrorless cameras achieve a “blackout-free” experience by show images that had just been recorded in place of the frames that were unavailable. It's a clever trick in theory, but one that is a little awkward in actual use. With this image replacement, you're seeing image that were created a fraction of a second in the past, instead of what's happening in front of you.

Nikon is calling the Z 9's viewfinder technology their Real-Live Viewfinder.

For the Nikon Z 9 EVF, Nikon's engineer's have developed a split image processing pipeline. This solves the issue of viewfinder blackout at multiple levels.

Dual Channel Processing

First, there are two image data channels — one for the EVF and one for still image capture. The dual EXPEED chips process both images simultaneously, so there's never a need to prioritize one stream over the other.

100% Electronic Shutter

In addition, the Z 9 features an entirely electronic shutter. There's no mechanical shutter component to cause a loss of light or interruption to the imaging experience. This is an advantage over not only other mirrorless cameras, but the optical viewfinders of DSLRs and SLRs for action.

Fastest Sensor Readout

With the Z 9, Nikon claims the world’s fastest sensor readout — 12x faster data readout than the Nikon Z 7II. This tech is partially what allows for Nikon to do away with the mechanical shutter. In addition, this blazing fast readout allows for very low latency — more on this in the next section.

Here's how Nikon explains how they achieve a blackout-free experience:

Lowest EVF Latency

One notable but less talked about considerations with EVFs is latency. Latency here means any lag between the real world scene you're viewing and the observation of that scene in the electronic viewfinder. With optical viewfinder, the latency is basically measured at the speed of light.

With digital displays and electronic viewfinders, latency is determined by various factors, including sensor readout and image processing.

Nikon already has boasted class-leading image readout from the sensor as well as fat pipes for image processing and double EXPEED processors to handle it all. All of this contributes to the lowest latency of the flagship mirrorless bodies.

More on latency here in this video, which showcases the difference in approaches, and highlights that resolution and potential refresh rates aren't everything when it comes to the best EVF experience.

Nikon's Approach to EVFs

It's clear that Nikon has taken a different approach than the rest of the market in the Z 9. Instead of hard numbers for resolution or refresh rate, I feel it's clear that Nikon has focused on the less tangible and less buzzy aspects that don't necessarily make for easy marketing.

Instead, Nikon has focused on a set of attributes that combine to offer what their engineers offer is the best experience in the real world, not just on paper.

• Lowest latency
• Highest brightness
• Most uniform experience without stutter or lag
• Blackout-free without frame substitution

In Nikon's marketing, there are very few asterisks or caveats. You get what you get, basically, in the most uncompromising way. I have always respected Nikon's engineering team for taking this approach because it means that the end result is often superior for the actual user, not just what sounds good for marketing.

Real World Use of the Z 9's EVF

While the Z 9 boasts modest resolution and refresh rate, in practice the viewfinder experience is the most immersive I've ever used.

The Details That Matter

Unlike other competitors, the resolution and refresh rates are entirely consistent with the Nikon Z 9 throughout the experience. Furthermore, the latency of the Z 9's EVF is the lowest of all flagship mirrorless cameras. In addition, there's no difference in the display performance when passively viewing compared to actively focusing. In addition, there's no lag or black frame that occurs with the start of a burst mode compared to other models.

Combined with the blackout-free shooting experience, lack of a visual difference in resolution or refresh rate, Nikon has unassumingly provided the best viewfinder experience available in my opinion.

Creating Transparent Tools

With the Z 9's EVF, there's nothing to take you out of the experience as a creator. There are no “gotchas” that remind you of the artifice at hand. For me, Nikon's set of small but very calculated decisions add up to be far more than the sum of their parts.

We intuitively understand that the best tools are the ones that are the most transparent. They just “fade away” in our hands without drawing attention to themselves and with the fewest mediations between us and our tasks. The Z 9's EVF is a clear expression of this philosophy.

I personally feel this viewfinder isn't just the best of any mirrorless camera to date, but it's the best viewfinder experience that I've had period. The continuous, bright viewfinder experience that is almost entirely devoid of any lag, visual jolts, or other ‘hiccups' seen in other mirrorless cameras. This makes the Z 9 the best viewfinder experience of all the cameras I've used, from SLRs to DSLR and now mirrorless.

What's most exciting about the Real-Live experience of the Nikon Z 9 EVF is that we will see this technology become not only even better in the coming years, but ubiquitous. The technology of today's flagships will be commonplace in even the entry level cameras of tomorrow. For me, that is incredibly exciting and one reason I'm all in on mirrorless.

Update: Z 9 Firmware 2.0 Notes with 120 FPS EVF

With the new version 2.0 firmware update, the EVF of the Z 9 gets even better. The new update enables a new high refresh rate of 120 FPS. This is a constant rate that does not lower situationally. There are no caveats or gotchas, other than an affect on battery life.

In practice, I've found that the increase to 120 FPS over the previous 60 FPS is a great improvement. The viewfinder experience is just that much smoother. For me personally, the increase to 120 Hz is not a night and day difference, but you can readily see the advantage.

The Z 9 already has excellent battery life, which for me is likely the only consideration for not using this high frame rate mode.

For me, this small but welcome improvement means that the best EVF experience just got even better. Again, the consistency of the experience between playback and shooting mode, the extremely low latency, the lack of a visual stutter when engaging autofocus and more — all of which are unique to the Z 9 and issues found with other EVF implementations — are why the Nikon Z 9 offers an exceptional performance in this regard. Hats off to the Nikon engineering team for this change among many others in the Z 9 firmware 2.0 update!

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The Nikon Z 9 has no shortage of AF modes. As the flagship camera, the Z 9 possesses what are the most sophisticated autofocus seen yet in a Nikon camera, as well as industry leading performance overall.

Whether you're coming from another a DSLR or another Nikon Z camera, the Z 9 has just about an autofocus mode for every situation. Here are my recommendations, including my favorite modes as a professional music photographer.

Focus Mode

For still photography, there are three modes to choose from:

AF-S: Single AF is ideal for static subjects. By default, the Z 9 will be set to focus priority, meaning that the shutter can only be released when the camera achieves focus.

AF-C: Continuous AF allows for continuous focusing while autofocus is enabled (whether via the shutter release or the AF-ON button). This mode is ideal for moving subjects and dynamic scenes. By default, the Z 9 is set to release priority, by which the camera's shutter can be released regardless of whether focus has been achieved or not.

MF: Manual focus allows for manual control over the focus. Enough said.

My recommendation: I use AF-C almost 100% of the time for my own work as a music photographer. With subjects that are often moving, AF-C excels. In addition, I feel that AF-C also synergies with my preferred AF-Area mode that has been restored with the Nikon Z 9, 3D Tracking.

Nikon Z 9 AF-Area Modes

The Nikon Z 9 offers the largest number of AF area modes yet in a Z mirrorless camera. This Nikon flagship offers up many of the same modes as were previously available in cameras like the Nikon Z 6/Z 6II and Z 7/Z 7II, but adds some sophisticated improvements and advancements. In addition, Nikon has re-introduced my personal favorite mode, 3D Tracking.

Let's dive into the different options and cover what these modes do, how they operate and what subjects they're best suited to photographing.

Pinpoint AF

Pinpoint AF is only available in AF-S and offers a very small, very precise AF point that is ideal for static subjects. I've found that Pinpoint AF is ideal for when you're using very shallow depth of field photography or you want to select a focus point that's otherwise smaller than the conventional AF points offered.

I've found that the tradeoff for the precision of the pinpoint mode is that focus speed can be slower, especially in low light (expected if a smaller area is being “sampled” for focus than the standard, single AF point modes).

Single-Point AF

Single-Point AF is similar to Pinpoint AF, but this mode is available in AF-S as well as AF-C. The Single-Point mode offers a standard sized AF point whereby one of the camera's 493 AF points is selectable. This mode is ideal for stationary subjects and when you want to choose the exact point of focus.

Dynamic-Area AF

The Dynamic-Area modes offer various size AF selectable area boxes — small, medium and large. The smallest Dynamic-Area box is the same size as the standard Single-Point AF mode, while the medium and large boxes are larger.

Dynamic-Area AF mode is ideal for fast moving subjects and want to cover a larger portion of the frame with the AF box, whereby the user has to be less precise with point selection due to having a more forgiving and larger area of autofocus. Most importantly, if the subject briefly leaves the AF area, the Z 9 will use the surrounding points to continuously track and focus on the subject.

This mode is ideal if you're working on a specific composition and/or you're able to anticipate where in the frame your subject or the action will be. Sports, wildlife or other scenarios with fast moving, dynamic subjects are an ideal use for this setting. Dynamic-Area AF is only available in AF-C mode.

Wide-Area AF

Wide-Area AF operates like a larger version of the Single-Point AF. It offers a larger field of active autofocus to detect and focus on a subject. Unlike Dynamic-Area AF, Wide-Area AF doesn't use peripheral sensors outside the AF area if the subject leaves the AF point.

There are two options for Wide-Area AF — larger and small. The smallest option is still much larger than Single-Point AF, while the lager option has more area still.

Wide-Area AF is ideal for subjects in motion where selecting a single, smaller AF target is either difficult or not needed, and/or when a larger area for focus is acceptable. The benefit for this mode is providing yourself a larger target for the benefits of either speed and/or simplicity of working.

Wide-Area is ideal for larger subjects or when a very specific focusing area on the subject may be less critical. This mode may be ideal for groups of people in the same plan of focus, such as a group portrait, or large subjects such as a vehicle or train.

3D Tracking AF

3D Tracking AF a mode that's existed in various DSLR models, but makes an appearance for the first time in a Nikon Z mirrorless camera with the Z 9. 3D Tracking takes the appearance of Single-Point AF, but with the exception that a half-press of the shutter release or full press of AF-ON, the Z 9 will continuously track that subject across the frame. When tracking, the AF point will move accordingly across the frame. Due to the need to continuously track a subject, 3D Tracking is only available in AF-C mode.

Previously in the Z series cameras like the Nikon Z 7II and Z6II, there was a tracking mode that could be accessed through the Auto-Area AF mode. For all intents and purposes, this tracking mode was basically identical to the 3D Tracking mode found in DSLR, with the exception of the extra (albeit very minor) steps of accessing it (via the OK button on the D-pad).

Auto-Area AF

Auto-Area AF mode lets the camera intelligently detect and determine subjects. This includes Eye, Face, Animal and Vehicle detection, whereby the camera will automatically prioritize and focus on these subjects. In addition, Auto-Area also extends to determining focus on scenes that fall outside those specific subjects for general photography.

Auto-Area AF will often prioritize nearer subjects over far subjects, and also factors in composition to prefer centralized subjects within the frame over objects or subjects at the periphery.

Nikon Z 9 Subject Detection

Subject detection is not its own autofocus mode but a component of Nikon's intelligent autofocus system. Subject detection was present in all of Nikon Z cameras to a degree with Face and Eye detection, but the Nikon Z 9 brings subject detection to a new high with the expansion from people to include animal and vehicle detection.

Subject detection is available in several modes:

• Wide-Area AF (small)
• Wide-Area AF (large)
• 3D Tracking AF
• Auto-Area AF

These modes implement subject detection to varying degrees of prominence. In Auto-Area AF, subject detection factors in to a very large degree as the default priority whenever an appropriate subject is present.

When multiple subjects are detected (as with multiple people in a scene) the camera will allow for the selection between them. The Z 9 can detect up to 9 subjects simultaneously in a scene.

The default is for People (including eyes and faces), Animal and Vehicle detection to be on by default, but one can also turn off any of these subjects individually.

My favorite Nikon Z 9 Autofocus Mode/Setting

My favorite Z 9 Focus Mode

This is an easy choice. For me, AF-C is the mode I keep my cameras in 100% of the time, and the Nikon Z 9 is no exception. I love the ability to continually focus on moving and dynamic subjects with the ease and precision that Nikon's autofocus system provides.

In theory, AF-S may provide more accuracy in some circumstances with static subjects, but the difference to me feels so slight that the advantages of using AF-C make it my default focusing mode.

My favorite Z 9 Autofocus Mode

With the restoration of 3D Tracking as its own, dedicated mode mode, 3D Tracking is my own personal favorite mode for the Nikon Z 9.

With 3D Tracking AF, I love the combination of specificity in having a small, selectable AF point and also the freedom of composition that tracking allows. I can effectively select my subject, focus, and recompose to my ideal composition and framing with extreme fluidity.

I love that with the Z 9, subject detection also factors into modes like 3D Tracking. If the camera detects a face or eyes near the selected point, it will automatically snap to that subject. In this sense, it almost acts like the Dynamic-Area AF mode in that you have more cushion or wiggle room around your chosen AF point.

For music photography, 3D Tracking gives me control to navigate tricky situations, particularly where there can be layers in a scene that are closely in front of or behind a subject. With live music, this can easily mean a mic stand or microphone in front of a performer's face, or backup dancers behind an artist.

While 3D Tracking requires you to pick the subject (compared to the more full auto mode of the Auto Area AF), I'm so used to this method of focusing after using this kind of single point AF for my entire life as a photographer.

Pair this with AF-C for continuous focus, I feel like I'm always prepared for any subject with the Nikon Z 9.

My favorite Z 9 Subject Detection Setting

I don't often photograph animals or vehicles, so I'm personally turning off animal and vehicle detection off in my subjects customization. Toggling different subjects on and off is very easy, so it's a simple matter to restore one or more subjects after you've customized your camera.

The post Nikon Z 9: Autofocus Modes Explained appeared first on ishootshows.com.

Customizing your Nikon Z 9 settings will enable you to get the highest performance out of this flagship mirrorless camera.

One of the first things that I do when getting a new camera is to start the setup and customization. That's no different with the brand new Nikon Z 9, which is being delivered to retailers this week.

I just received my Nikon Z 9 and I just saw my friend and fellow Nikon Ambassador Moose Peterson share his initial settings. Inspired by his post, I wanted to share some of the things that I choose to change when I'm doing my initial setup in the Nikon Z 9 settings.

Very First Nikon Z 9 Settings

Language: English

The first thing that camera asks you to do when you turn on the Z 9 is to choose a language preference. Simple enough.

Time and Date: Current location

From there, I set the time and date immediately. My preferred date format is YYYY/MM/DD, while the standard is D/M/Y (Day / Month / Year).

Image Quality: RAW

This is an important step. One of the very first things I do immediately with a new camera is to set the image quality level to RAW. And then I leave it there for the rest of the life of the camera as far as I own it. This is the very next step I took in changing my Nikon Z 9 settings aside from setting the language and date.

With the Z 9 being so new, you may want to start out with RAW + Fine or RAW + TIFF until RAW processing software is updated to read all Z 9's NEF files. At this time, Adobe Lightroom for example appears compatible with the lossless compressed NEF files but not the new high efficiency RAW format.

That said, updating to the latest Adobe LR and Camera Raw, you can open all NEF files — just note that the exact color matching won't be as accurate as if you're using Nikon's own Capture NX-D software.

Setup Menu

Sensor shield behavior at power off: ON

The Z 9 is equipped with a new feature for a Nikon mirrorless camera, a sensor shield. This is a physical barrier that expands to cover the sensor when needed. By default, the sensor shield is off. Turning on this setting will have the camera's sensor shield come down whenever you power off the camera.

Copyright Information: ON

Always a good thing to write copyright info to your files in-camera. As a bonus, add in your relevant ITCP metadata, but at the very least adding your name as the copyright holder by default is a good step for all photographers.

Viewfinder Brightness: Manual

For general photography, using auto viewfinder brightness may be fine and beneficial. For my work and particularly using manual exposure mode, manual viewfinder brightness is ideal and my preference. The reason behind this is that I've found that the viewfinder will compensate for the relative brightness of the scene itself based on the image, even if you're in manual mode.

So for example, viewing a very dark scene, the camera will increase viewfinder brightness or otherwise show more detail in the shadows. Using manual exposure mode, I prefer to have the viewfinder not make these corrections and to present a consistent viewfinder experience as I'm making rough exposure judgements based on the presentation of the scene in the EVF.

Location Data > Set clock from satellite

The Nikon Z 9 features built-in GPS capabilities and one part of this function is the ability to keep the clock updated via satellite synchronization. While the Z 9 features an electronic clock like all digital cameras, there's a minute ability for there to be drift in the clock, depending on batter charge and other factors.

Before important jobs, which I'm often using two cameras, I make sure to sync the bodies internal clocks so that the image sorting will be accurate regardless of filename. This new ability to sync internal clocks from satellite is a very nice feature that'll make this minor chore a thing of the past.

This satellite sync feature will consume power at a slow rate. It isn't a huge amount (1-2% every day). But if it is a concern, you can just turn this feature on a day or two before you need to sync cameras for jobs if you'd otherwise have the cameras sitting around for longer where battery drain is a concern.

Photo Shooting Menu

File naming: Custom

I prefer to use two cameras, and custom file naming helps me avoid potential confusion there. I also like to name the files by camera model for archival purposes, so I'm naming this first Z 9's filenaming to “Z9A.” When I add a second Z 9 to my kit, I'll have that camera's filenaming as “Z9B.”

Color Space: Adobe RGB

Adobe RGB will give you the widest colorspace. While the output of your images will likely be sRGB (the default), setting the camera default to Adobe RGB is a must have for me.

ISO Sensitivity: Auto ISO OFF

I prefer to use manual exposure mode and have full control. As such, I also turn auto ISO off. For my photography, I find that auto ISO is essentially another program mode that changes the ISO instead of other exposure variables. Due to the variability of concert photography, I prefer to have control over that as I'm already weary of auto modes for this type of photography.

Set Picture Control: Standard

The default picture control is auto. While I'm using RAW as a default, I still want to have a consistent baseline for image review in camera. I'm setting the picture control to standard with the assumption that the built-in JPG used for fast previewing in programs like Photo Mechanic may have the picture control baked in (along with other variables related to in-camera processing like noise reduction).

High ISO NR: Off

The high ISO noise reduction is set to high by default. Due to the image smoothing behavior of noise reduction, I prefer to see a little more detail when I check focus at 100%, so I prefer to set noise reduction to off. When I process images in Adobe Lightroom, my default setting is zero luminance noise reduction, so this is a more parallel experience for me (I do use a small amount of chroma noise reduction in LR).

Active D-Lighting: OFF

Similar to the above, I prefer to see the image without additional processing, so I opt to have Active D-Lighting turned off by default.

Focus Mode: AF-C

I use AF-C (continuous autofocus) mode essentially 100% for my work. The only time I switch to AF-S (single) is working in the studio for portraiture with still models.

AF-area mode: 3D

3D Tracking is my favorite AF mode of all time. It was present in the Nikon D750 and D850 that I have used and I am thrilled to see it back with the Nikon Z 9. Read more about the Autofocus modes of the Z 9 in detail.

Custom Settings Menu

a12: Built-in AF-Assist illuminator: OFF

As a music photographer, I am generally trying to be as discrete as possible, whether I'm photographing a concert or doing back stage reportage. So, while the built-in AF assist lamp is handy, I always turn it off to be able to work as invisibly as possible.

d11: LCD Illumination: ON

Working in dark environments like a photo pit at a concert, I'm happy to use the illuminated button function of the Z 9. The backlit buttons are a welcome feature to have in a flagship like the Z 9 to be sure.

d16: Virtual Horizon Type: B

By default, histogram and the virtual horizon are coupled with one another as a display option. I've opted for the more minimal Type B leveling that is on the extremes of the frame, rather than the horizon being shown over the whole of the image.

Update: Using the below d18 custom viewfinder display, it is possible to remove the virtual horizon from the display, showing only the histogram. As such, this change to virtual horizon isn't necessary, it's just up to your personal preference.

d18: Custom shooting viewfinder display

For my work, I rarely need the virtual horizon, so I've customized my EVF display options to remove the virtual horizon from Display 3 under this setting. Easy.

Unrelated to the ability to customize the viewfinder, I'm finding that the Z 9's electronic viewfinder offers a truly exceptional experience.

f2 Custom Controls — Shooting

• Fn1: Playback
• Fn2: 100% (1:1) Magnification
• Fn3: Shooting menu bank
• AF-ON: Preset focus point
• Video record button: Live view info display off

My shooting mode customization is largely setup to enable quick image review and rating, which aids me in faster processing (I can rate images in-camera on the fly)

Otherwise, the AF-ON button resets my focus point to center in my preferred 3D Tracking mode.

f2 Custom Controls — Playback

• Fn1: Rating
• Fn3: Filtered Playback

For playback, my very few custom settings at this time are dedicated to in-camera rating and filtering to accommodate that view. Again, this is to aid in my ingest workflow, where using Photo Mechanic by Camerabits, images that are protected or star rated will be downloaded first. For event photography (including concerts) this is a huge boon.

Other Controls:

• Exposure Mode: Manual
• Drive mode: Continuous High (20fps)
• AF-Area mode/subject detection: People only (turning animal and vehicle detection off)

These are not customizations so much as my preferred settings. I use manual mode 100% of the time and always use continuous high with AF-C. I find it's better to have the option for speed when I need it, rather than need to change settings back and forth.

With my music photography work, I am limited to just people, so that's my default for subject detection.

My Menu

• A9: Starlight view
• Photo flicker reduction

I'm sure that I'll add to the My Menu items, but these are the first couple items that I've added. The new Nikon Starlight View is quite interesting — it seems to preserve highlights, but boost the shadows and midtones visibly in the display/EVF. It is almost like a live view mode of high D-Lighting activation. In addition, the Z 9 has increased sensitivity in even lower light in this mode. While I'm not yet sure if this mode is super useful for action, I can see the need to access it quickly.

Update: Having used Starlight View, I find that boost to mid-tones and shadows is so dramatic that it skews my reading of the scene and the relative exposure. I'm going to up to use Starlight View sparingly when needed, but I don't see this as important to low light action photography in my use.

Nikon Z 9 Settings Summary

There you have it. These are the customizations I've made to the Nikon Z 9 settings, which setup up the camera in my preferred way of use. Many of the buttons and controls share a very similar layout to the Nikon Z 7 and Z 7II that I've been using for the last several years exclusively, so the above settings give me that baseline and now even more customization options.

I'm sure that I'll continue to tweak the custom button assignments and to explore the new features of the Z 9. If you're configuring your own Nikon Z 9 settings, I hope the above helps!

The post Nikon Z 9 Settings — Initial Setup and Customization appeared first on ishootshows.com.