As a bird ID photographer first and everything else is second I shoot Manual with auto ISO, I pick the shutter speed and depth of field f/stop I want and the ISO has to be what the ISO has to be. These use in camera high ISO NR low.
Using the setting available in the Z9 such as all the adjustments possible in picture control or in Adobe light room classic (LRC) speak profile you can now have LRC use the settings you put in the camera rather than Adobe defaults and if you got it right in camera the results are quite surprising.
The Wood Duck had no editing done but crop in LRC. The Sparrow I did use the masking slider in LRC.
If some images are important and really need help I use first LRC sharpening and noise reduction sliders and if needed Topaz DeNoise AI.
The Wood Duck was in very low morning light in the shade. The Sparrow more light but shutter speed set anticipating more movement.
Z9 w/ Z800 PF
Hand held VR Sport on
Manual with auto ISO
Wide Area AF custom 5x3
Subject recognition and animal tracking on
ISO 7,200
center weighted metering
1/250 f/6.3
View attachment 49564
Z9 w/ Z800 PF
Hand held VR Sport on
Manual with auto ISO
Auto-area AF
Subject recognition and animal tracking on
ISO 9,000
center weighted metering
1/800 f/6.3
.3
View attachment 49565