My initial Z9 with 500 pf shooting impressions - mindblown!

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A 800mm PF with f6.3 would be interesting depending on the price. As it provides twice the image size of the 500mm PF lens it would be great for small animals but I would also expect it to need to be used on a tripod or monopod as any camera movement is going to be magnified more as well.

What is an inherent problem with a DSLR is having a different light path for autofocus than for exposure so it can never be completely accurate. AF fine tuning helps but a 200-500mm lens for example that has an AF Fine Tune adjustment setting for it at 500mm is going to be less accurate at a 200mm zoom focal length. Even a prime lens that is adjusted with a target distance of 40 meters is going to have its accuracy diminished at shorter or greater distances. It is why I still use manual focusing most of the time and why Nikon provides lenses with AF manual override.
 
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For me the D3 was a game changer as it provided full frame high ISO performance in a pro build camera which was only available from Nikon with Canon having only the APS-H cameras. The Z9 is going to do the same and it is its in camera optical stabilization that is the game changer for a full frame camera. People are using the 500mm PF with a TC-14 teleconverter and getting sharp pictures while shooting hand held. I had difficulty with that combination on a D850 and using a tripod when photographing jaguars in the Pantanal.

The Z9 optical stabilization is going to allow more options for shooting hand held and getting sharp images at high magnifications and much slow shutter speeds.
 
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My Z9 arrived yesterday. Still in the process of reading about, learning, and trying different settings. One thing for sure it will be awhile before I will need the 120 frame shooting. I am waiting for Steve to do a video on basic set-up and birds in flight setting tips. I did print selected pages of the Z9 Manual. This process should be interesting.
 
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With every new digital camera I need to spend days in trial and error mode to learn what works best in any given situation. I spent the $20 for Steve's mirrorless e-book as it is a good starting point. Nikon provides a special technical guide for sports shooters which can be of some use as well. But it is time in the field trying out different settings with different subjects and situations that I have found necessary. No real shortcuts for investing ones time with the cameras and this is when digital EXIF files are invaluable in reviewing images on a monitor and noting what settings produced the most consistent results.
 
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