New Z9 firmware update - V5.10

[CoyoteCreationsNW]

I try to keep my cameras and editing software updated. The frequent software updates that do little for performance have become common for Topaz qnd even some for Adobe. I did the upgrade but have not noticed anything significant after a few hours shooting owls.

 

[wotan1]

Although I am not into video I am in the middle of updating firmware on both of my Z9 bodies.

Going smoothly, the first is done and the second is 2/3 done. Now 75% done.

I really think Nikon is going to do a more comprehensive update when they roll out the image sharing program for all of the current bodies.

Second camer sut completed the update by the way.

 

[Johan Schmidt]

I agree with you Nimi.! We love everything Nikon add. I am not a good video shooter yet but I was happy to see what we can do today with this camera and this firmware.
i was watching this morning on YouTube channels, how some are frustrated with Nikon for not giving a precapture raw yet, instead of being happy that we got something videographers are asking for certain time.
i hope you will get both requests soon , even I don’t understand what they do; I have to read more about open gate and RedRaw. I am still learning a lot from you and thank you!

This is the best Nikon camera people have ever had access to, yet some people will still complain!

 

[fulltimewanderer]

Just a crazy thought here. Is it at all possible that during the design phase of the Z9 that Nikon had a list of features that they wanted to incorporate into the Z9 ? Maybe the camera came up a little short and they are playing catch up to get the camera to the standards that they had originally planned ? Just a crazy thought with design, production, and release dates that Nikon needed to stay on schedule. So my hat goes to Nikon for releasing a great camera and continuing to make it a Great camera that deserves the title as the first Nikon Mirrorless Flagship Camera.

 

[John Navitsky]

Just a crazy thought here. Is it at all possible that during the design phase of the Z9 that Nikon had a list of features that they wanted to incorporate into the Z9 ? Maybe the camera came up a little short and they are playing catch up to get the camera to the standards that they had originally planned ? Just a crazy thought with design, production, and release dates that Nikon needed to stay on schedule. So my hat goes to Nikon for releasing a great camera and continuing to make it a Great camera that deserves the title as the first Nikon Mirrorless Flagship Camera.

they clearly have planned way ahead. they have decided on a hardware and software architecture that provides them a lot of flexibility as a strategy. so maybe some features are opportunistic, but they clearly aren’t winging it.

and we know they were playing catchup at first, so they definitely released before they had everything they wanted ready

 

[JAJohnson]

Just a crazy thought here. Is it at all possible that during the design phase of the Z9 that Nikon had a list of features that they wanted to incorporate into the Z9 ? Maybe the camera came up a little short and they are playing catch up to get the camera to the standards that they had originally planned ? Just a crazy thought with design, production, and release dates that Nikon needed to stay on schedule. So my hat goes to Nikon for releasing a great camera and continuing to make it a Great camera that deserves the title as the first Nikon Mirrorless Flagship Camera.

Of course, the product plan for any electronic device includes features planned for initial release and those planned for availability over time. Plans for enhancements are subject to availability of funding, development and testing resources, and various unknowable factors. We can only be certain of what Nikon has shipped to market. All else is speculation.

 

[fcotterill]

{edited}
Nikon positions s firmware updates as fundamental, if not crucial, in its overall strategy of the Imaging Division. Since 2029, they have changed how they evaluate customer feedback to identify new features added to improve the Z cameras

Executives have underscored this in interviews.
The most recent explanations, earlier this year, by Mitsuteru Hino, Head of UX Planning, Imaging Business Unit are particularly revealing, pertinently
"....At the end of 2021, we launched the Nikon Z 9. Since its launch, we have had three major firmware updates, v2.00, v3.00, and v4.00. The v2.00 firmware update was already planned. But for v3.00 and v4.00, most of the items reflected customer requests or feedback....."

The above statement was a few weeks before v5.00 was released

Z8 FW update?

Does a Z9 firmware update imply same thing for the z8 in the near future?

bcgforums.com

 

[marc]

no rumors, but i think there’s a reasonable chance we might see one end of next year as that would be four years

Yep..........it will be called the Z9II

Seriously though I'll be a little miffed IF we have to wait for the Z9II to get RAW PreCapture.

 

[John Navitsky]

Yep..........it will be called the Z9II

i do somewhat expect the z9ii end of ‘25

Seriously though I'll be a little miffed IF we have to wait for the Z9II to get RAW PreCapture.

i think if we don’t get it, it will be because they can’t reasonably deliver it on this camera, and i’m ok if that happens.

i suspect the z9ii is going to have hw that will allow it to deliver features that the z9 is incapable of. as such, i don’t think they have a huge incentive to artificially hold the z9 back.

 

[jpgrove]

Appears to be a very minor update and more worthy of a 5.03 or something like that. I'm sure that those who shoot PZ or video might appreciate the modifications and hope that Nikon continues to refine and improve the camera's capabilities in other areas.

A stills shooter may think so, but to get some of the video features in has likely involved some pretty hefty work and testing.

The big take for me is the bug fixes!

 

[Calson]

For most of the past 24 years if I wanted new camera features or new capabilities it meant buying a new camera. With the Z9 camera I can now do this with the only cost to me being one of taking time to work with the new firmware.

I abandoned underwater photography with the advent of DSLR cameras as each new model required buy a new $3,000 housing. Going from the D100 to the D200 to the D300 would have required spending $9,000 on new housings. It became too expensive for me to continue.

Most people taking "pictures" are shooting video clips and Nikon has been playing catchup to Sony and Canon that have had pro camcorders and pro zoom and cine lenses which are still not available to Nikon shooters. Buying RED is much like Sony when to get into the still camera photography market needed to purchase Minolta in 2006.

 

[Darrellhar]

I don't shoot video but appreciative for any new features that Nikon wants to add to the camera. I honestly don't use all of the still features they have given us over the last three years either. The fact that the Nikon cloud service wasn't added to 5.1 leads me to believe that another firmware will be eventually released. Who knows what it will have or if it will just be that feature but again I'll take anything that they are willing to give us. Makes me even happier that I decided to move up to flag ship body (a first for me) when I moved on from my beloved D850. I have not regretted the upgrade for a second.

 

[groob]

I'm still intrigued by all of the secrecy and speculation behind FW updates. It seems to me that a camera company such as Nikon could use this as a marketing tool. Laying out proposed FW updates or providing general insights could be used effectively to boost sales. Think of how many more units they would sell if they suggested that RAW pre-capture was on the table?

Overpromising and/or being overly specific could also lay the groundwork for a securities fraud class action suit.

 

[carbon]

Overpromising and/or being overly specific could also lay the groundwork for a securities fraud class action suit.

There is a sort of unfortunate saying, “Everything is securities fraud.”

Literally anything can be construed as securities fraud. Such is modern life, I guess.

I first heard the phrase through Bloomberg’s excellent financial newsletter by Matt Levine. It was eye-opening.

 

[Ken Miracle]

The consensus from Nikon regional representatives and on forums is keep your camera software current.

One example is Fw 1.20 in April 2021, which officially added only minor updates to the D6 AF [RSF Hold was the most relevant new feature]. However, it was clear the Autofocus had received a major boost with this update, stickiness and improved subject recognition.

I remember that D6 update it was a clear jump up in AF

 

[Ken Miracle]

Not a video guy. Both Z9's updated

This bug fix did fix a minor annoyance I had on long days of birding. I did not have that happen on the first 2.5 hour birding outing but standby timer expired and was reactivated a couple of times and now for a long one today Christmas Bird Count.
"The viewfinder and monitor shooting displays (live view) sometimes caused overexposures when the standby timer had expired and reactivated."

 

[JPatton]

I would like to see Nikon add Deep Tone Monochrome under Picture Control to the Z9 like in the Z6 III. Have tried to emulate it under regular monochrome but so far have failed.