Book Updates (again)

[Chris Weller]

HE* raw for precapture would be ok too. And maybe allow a bit more in FPS?

I’ve wondered if Nikon’s adding jpeg fine to precapture in Z9 FW 5.0 was for sports photographers and the Olympics or was an indication they could not do any form of raw precapture and jpeg fine was the best we could get with current hardware.

I didn't know this happened in 5.0 :( . I have a Z8. This doesn't bode well for getting RAW at all. You're right.

 

[JAJohnson]

I can understand why the 14 bit NEF file would cause some issues at anything above maybe 15 fps, but I'm not clear why they wouldn't just make a 12 bit file for this purpose. Sony uses a hybrid 13 bit file for their A1 to get 30 fps. Olympus has a 14 bit raw file Pre-Capture feature at 40 fps, I believe.

I'm not sure if the compressions to HE* or HE actually helps with the bandwidth. I think Thom Hogan mentioned something about this on his site, that the camera still has to process the full 14 bit NEF file first, then compress it, so it doesn't matter if it's compressed in terms of handling more FPS for the Pre-capture. I'm not sure I get it, because you get a lot more buffer or at least images written to the card in HE* and HE than you do uncompressed Raw with normal shooting.

It's really frustrating...I think they can do it.

I hope they think of wildlife shooters and not just the Sports crowd for this feature. It's a complete game changer. I just shot 27,000 photo's of birds at a great location and 90% of the keepers were using Pre-Release and are JPG's :(.

Regarding processing of HE*/HE raw files, I think Thom Hogan is right, at least for now. Over time, I suspect that compression algorithms will be improved and smaller, high fidelity compressed raw data will be created by the camera without conversion.

Also, I wonder if raw pre-capture will be featured in the rumored “Z6 III” and made available later for Z8/Z9. Example is pixel shift availability in Zf prior to Z8 (and not yet in Z9).

I don’t think Nikon considers sports photography more important than wildlife photography. Nikon is in an aggressively competitive business and has to ensure that it’s providing top tech to professionals shooting high-profile sports events.

 

[Chris Weller]

Regarding processing of HE*/HE raw files, I think Thom Hogan is right, at least for now. Over time, I suspect that compression algorithms will be improved and smaller, high fidelity compressed raw data will be created by the camera without conversion.

Also, I wonder if raw pre-capture will be featured in the rumored “Z6 III” and made available later for Z8/Z9. Example is pixel shift availability in Zf prior to Z8 (and not yet in Z9).

I don’t think Nikon considers sports photography more important than wildlife photography. Nikon is in an aggressively competitive business and has to ensure that it’s providing top tech to professionals shooting high-profile sports events.

Yeah...I'm hoping that the RED algoryhm's might come to the rescue here for our Z8's and Z9's! Their purchase may open this up.

I agree. about Wildlife vs Sports concentration. They gave us the 400 4.5, the 600 PF, the 800 PF, the 180-600 - I wouldn't consider any of these primarily Sports lenses. They are all Wildlife lenses first and foremost. Also, the 600 TC isn't really a sports lens 1st either- the 400 TC is. In fact if they were concentrating on the sports crowd they would have released a Z mount version of 120-300 2.8 before any/all of these lenses.

I shoot a lot of both Sports and Wildlife and love shooting both.

I don't really know the market, but I imagine there may be more high-end enthusiasts willing to buy lenses like the 400 4.5 and the 600 pf for Wildlife then there are Sports photographers who will purchase high end Sports lenses.

 

[RichF]

Just a quick heads-up. I've updated both Secrets To The Nikon Autofocus System and the Z8/9 Setup guide (both are at version 1.7).

You can download them from the My Account area:

https://bcgwebstore.com/my-account/

It was less than a month since the last update! Hopefully this will hold us for awhile.

Does that mean you are NOT expecting any major FW updates in the near future? I don't but would love to see raw 30 FPS and raw precapture

 

[Pat Cassity]

I've thought about it, but It gets complicated really fast form a programming standpoint. Who should pay for the update, who just bought the book and shouldn't? How much of an update constitutes a fee? All that kind of stuff. And, the big one - how many people purchase the book in part because of the free updates? Charging for updates may ultimately cost me more than not.

With luck, Nikon will get to a point where their mirrorless system is more mature and things will slow down a bit. I think they need to, not just because of me but because it's a pain for users to constantly be learning new controls, deciding how to implement them, and readjusting their field workflow.

Steve, Instead of charging for updates, maybe you add something to the ordering page, or somewhere here in the forums that would give members the ability to contribute whatever amount they fill comfortable with, to help you offset some of your times and costs. Just a thought.