Nikon Z9 firmware 4.0 Auto Capture

[fcotterill]

I've found more time today to compare the minimum & maximum range of distance settings possible for five Z Nikkors using Auto Capture. Zooming to a longer focal length increases this distances in 10cm increments automatically, but stays at further setting if one zooms back to the shortest focal length

Under the Distance submenu, it is clear Nikon has set focal length specific limits to the inner/outer bounds on ranges of Subject Distances permitted for a trigger zone. The new Suppl manual doesn't mention these restrictions.

So the next step is to test if the particular camera+lens rig triggers using only Motion and/or Subject Detection criteria outside of these set zones

14-30 f4S: 14=0.2m/2.1m, 24= 0.4m/3.6m, 30=0.6m/4.5m

24-120 f4S: 24=0.4m/3.6m, 30=0.6m/4.5m, 120=2.4m/24m

100-400 S: 100=2m/20m, 400=8m/80m

400 f4.5S=8m/80m

800 f6.3S PF=16m/160m

 

[arbitrage]

 

[Asafser]

I've found more time today to compare the minimum & maximum range of distance settings possible for five Z Nikkors using Auto Capture. Zooming to a longer focal length increases this distances in 10cm increments automatically, but stays at further setting if one zooms back to the shortest focal length

Under the Distance submenu, it is clear Nikon has set focal length specific limits on the ranges of Subject Distances permitted for a trigger zone. The new Suppl manual doesn't mention these restrictions.

So the next step is to test if the particular camera+lens rig triggers using only Motion and/or Subject Detection criteria outside of these set zones

14-30 f4S: 14=0.2m, 24= 0.4m, 30=0.6m

24-120 f4S: 24=0.4m, 30=0.6m, 120=2.4m.

100-400 S: 100=2m/20m, 400=8m/80m

400 f4.5S=8m/80m

800 f6.3S PF=16m/160m

Thx for the info,
I wonder why Nikon apply the Near distance limitations (if its not a bug ...) and not letting us use the lenses from the MFD? Can it be relate to subject magnification somehow = the camera needs "some space" - enough pixels - to detect changes (subjects) ?

looking forward for your tests if the rigs can trigger outside those zones , when in subject/motion criteria

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

I am testing this now on mine and a feeder -- what is painful is the AREA selection tool -- I wish this was more like C1 and C2. AND the minimum distance one can set on my Z400/2.8 TC with 1.4TC engaged is 11.2m --
The 400/2.8 TC at 400mm can be set at 8m closest.

and that as noted by others is ODD.

One can still tether and send the images to a laptop via USB-C to monitor activity if you wish AND this delivers power to the camer as well.

 

[John Navitsky]

I am testing this now on mine and a feeder -- what is painful is the AREA selection tool -- I wish this was more like C1 and C2. AND the minimum distance one can set on my Z400/2.8 TC with 1.4TC engaged is 11.2m -- and that as noted by others is ODD.

can't you ALSO use c1 or c2? i thought the area selection was to further refine? (no, i haven't actually played with it so sorry if this is noise)

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

You can pick any af mode. But as far as I can see WHEN ONLY using Auto-Area AF you Either select all focus points OR work through methodically selecting each one individually until you have the coverage you want - then save or start

Clarification -- focus points can be enabled or disabled nine at a time 3x3 by tapping on the monitor.

Currently I am trying Subject Detection (Animals) & Distance range 11.2m-12.3m.

 

[fcotterill]

Set the frame rate, exposure settings, and AF mode, before launching Auto Capture. This allows Custom Area so the Area menu is not relevant, as the latter only works in AutoAF mode.

See the setup sequence in this athletics example, it's clear from 1:44...

 

[thelordofthelight]

The AF point selection option is only available if you use Auto area AF. If you use anything other than that, this option gets greyed out. For instance if you use wide -L, then it tracks within the wide-L box .

 

[fcotterill]

These limits make sense given how the Auto Capture app is programmed to use the focus points (within lower upper limits). This seems to be one of its primary currencies to detect and track subjects.

So the options vary with field of view, and subject sizes and distances (pg 22 and 25).

Thx for the info,
I wonder why Nikon apply the Near distance limitations (if its not a bug ...) and not letting us use the lenses from the MFD? Can it be relate to subject magnification somehow = the camera needs "some space" - enough pixels - to detect changes (subjects) ?

looking forward for your tests if the rigs can trigger outside those zones , when in subject/motion criteria

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Here is a brief VID made from a series of 30fps burst taken with Auto Capture (AC) together with Pre-Release Capture on the Z9 - using a Z 400/2.8 TC at 560mm and the Camera's AF in Auto Area C2 set to observe my recently re filled bird feeder.

Basic settings 30 fps, with 0.3 second pre-release capture and 1 second auto capture.

This should provide roughly 39 images per "event".

Obviously I can change the duration of the auto capture - to any of the predefined settings from 1 second to 30 minutes- for this bird 3-5 minutes would be fine, but most smaller birds land and leave in 1 second.

Auto Capture was triggered based on Subject, distance and movement -- an Animal had to enter the Af-Area I defined at a distance of between 11.2m and 11.9m from my camera's sensor and the animal had to be at least size 1 and moving speed 2 -- so not a fly but actually the size of a Coal Tit or larger.

This vid was created using 147 images - each shown at 0.02 seconds ~ real time in the video. I deleted the first initial pre-capture images 9 frames that were not in focus.

Then clearly you see the camera take the next 30 images and the AF resets and auto-capture starts again - the sequence is 30 - 9 - 30 - 9 - 30 - 9 - 30 = 147 images.

All 4 groups of 9 shot pre-capture images are out of focus -- and I do not understand why - since all images in the 30 fps bursts are in focus.

Had I chosen a longer record time or shot vids all the actual capture images would have been in focus.

This is why testing is so important to understand how this works. Based only on this one test I would not choose to combine pre-release capture with auto-capture. I am not convinced AC works well with pre-release capture as well - in my initial testing the pre-release capture images were all out of focus -- which implies the camera is not actively in AF-ON while waiting in AC. BUT since the AC guide indicates AF should work for pre-release while using AC - so NO DOUBT it was MY ERROR.

 

[John Navitsky]

also it would be interesting to combine this with automated upload

 

[raptor photo]

A couple of questions:
Is the Z9 the first camera to get this feature?
How long can it be left alone?
Will it be coming to the Z8?
It is incredibly useful for me, if it is coming to the Z8 it will be an easy purchase.

 

[John Navitsky]

A couple of questions:
Is the Z9 the first camera to get this feature?

of any camera? no. there have been camera features to automatically capture. for example https://chdk.fandom.com/wiki/CHDK

Will it be coming to the Z8?

it’s been stated that the z8 will get the auto capture feature

 

[joe43]

Comments on Auto Capture Workflow: Read both the Firmware update and Auto capture manuals as explained below. Corrections/additions welcomed.

The Nikon AC guide says it AC can be used for stills and videos. The Nikon AC guide says to start AC from the Photo Shooting Menu. It does not limit this step to videos or stills. The AC guide says to start AC by pressing the video record button. I am assuming this applies to both videos and still images. Nowhere in the AC Guide does it state to use the Video Recording Menu to start AC for videos.

How do you determine if Auto Capture will take still images or video images?

The answer is in the Z 9 ver 4 firmware guide, page 14+. It states you select photos or videos from the DISP switch. And you use the highlight Auto Capture in either the Photo shooting menu or video recording menu. And then make all needed selections.

My guess is that for still images in AC you start from the Photo Shooting menu and then press the Video record button. For videos in AC you start from the Video Recording Menu and then press the video record button. I believe Rici says this in his video.

 

[Garfield]

I reported earlier that my adapted Sony 200-600 wasn't supported by Auto Capture, but I was in error -- third party lenses (at least the Sony using the Megadap ETZ21) does in fact appear to be supported.

What I discovered is that AC does not support any crop modes, at least when using video.

 

[John Navitsky]

What I discovered is that AC does not support any crop modes, at least when using video.

in general i think

 

[raptor photo]

I reported earlier that my adapted Sony 200-600 wasn't supported by Auto Capture, but I was in error -- third party lenses (at least the Sony using the Megadap ETZ21) does in fact appear to be supported.

What I discovered is that AC does not support any crop modes, at least when using video.

It supports RAW right?

 

[fcotterill]

[EDITED]
Another pair of "How To" videos from Nikon Europe. Stills and Video, respectively
Impressive examples and more detailed explanations

 

[Garfield]

It supports RAW right?

Yes, at least NRaw for sure -- didn't test Prores Raw but I'm sure it works.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

A couple of questions:
Is the Z9 the first camera to get this feature?

First NIKON Mirrorless YES

How long can it be left alone?

Until the power dies -- one can connect to a power source -- power bank, v/gold battery and solar units

Will it be coming to the Z8?

RIcci indicated it would AND I can see no reason why it would not.

There has been a lot of whining over the last few days since 4.0 came out == a) why did 4.0 not include all the Z8 stuff and b) when will all the Z9 new stuff come to the Z8. Like all such firmware. V4.0 for the Z9 has been in the works for a long time and has been going through extensive testing. It was released earlier this week AFTER the Z8 was launched and initial reactions to the Z8 have been positive. There is NO DOUBT (and Nikon said so) that the Z8 will receive a firmware update that amongst other things offers lower ISO settings when shooting N-Log (and probably other formats as well). ANY firmware update is like filling a glass with water - it is made up of a whole bunch of things and only when the level in the glass is high enough will the trigger be pulled. WHO knows if any of the feedback that I and others have been giving will make it to the next Z8 firmware update -- but what is probable is that AC, delayed release and a host of the other goodness in v4.0 will. [My guess is a month or so for the next firmware update to the Z8].

Now v4.0 has been released -- when will Aviation Subject Detection, HLG/HEIF and other firmware updates come to the Z9 -- same rules apply. The glass has to be full enough and the testing complete to allow Nikon to release a 0.x level firmware update. [my guess is it will be a few months at least for the Z9].

 

[Larry]

Comments on Auto Capture Workflow: Read both the Firmware update and Auto capture manuals as explained below. Corrections/additions welcomed.

The Nikon AC guide says it AC can be used for stills and videos. The Nikon AC guide says to start AC from the Photo Shooting Menu. It does not limit this step to videos or stills. The AC guide says to start AC by pressing the video record button. I am assuming this applies to both videos and still images. Nowhere in the AC Guide does it state to use the Video Recording Menu to start AC for videos.

How do you determine if Auto Capture will take still images or video images?

The answer is in the Z 9 ver 4 firmware guide, page 14+. It states you select photos or videos from the DISP switch. And you use the highlight Auto Capture in either the Photo shooting menu or video recording menu. And then make all needed selections.

My guess is that for still images in AC you start from the Photo Shooting menu and then press the Video record button. For videos in AC you start from the Video Recording Menu and then press the video record button. I believe Rici says this in his video.

Strongly agree that one need to read the manuals. Tried Auto Capture late afternoon of 6/14 before digesting the manuals and results were frustrating. After a good read and experimenting yesterday AM got what I was looking for (see inserted pic). I thought go straight to start as I have been doing similar pics by hand for several years but, needless to say, my late 70-year-old brain is not as fast as the Z9 processor. I have noticed the closest distance for the Z800 lens is 16 m and the Z70-200 is 4m which is short of the closest focus distance of those lenses (800=5m, 200-1m). Assume these numbers are set keep the focus change small and fast.

 

[Larry]

Strongly agree that one need to read the manuals. Tried Auto Capture late afternoon of 6/14 before digesting the manuals and results were frustrating. After a good read and experimenting yesterday AM got what I was looking for (see inserted pic). I thought go straight to start as I have been doing similar pics by hand for several years but, needless to say, my late 70-year-old brain is not as fast as the Z9 processor. I have noticed the closest distance for the Z800 lens is 16 m and the Z70-200 is 4m which is short of the closest focus distance of those lenses (800=5m, 200-1m). Assume these numbers are set keep the focus change small and fast.

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You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

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whats not to like about the results... nicely done.

 

[fcotterill]

The Nikon manual is true to form, but the pair of videos from Nikon Europe do a much better job with examples. They are for Stills and Video respectively.

See top post on this page for Min/Max distances that delimit the trigger zone for five Z Nikkors. The values of these variables possibly reflect on how the Auto Capture app is using focus points to identity and track subjects with respect to the field of view and magnification of the lens.

 

[RockvilleBob]

I've found more time today to compare the minimum & maximum range of distance settings possible for five Z Nikkors using Auto Capture. Zooming to a longer focal length increases this distances in 10cm increments automatically, but stays at further setting if one zooms back to the shortest focal length

Under the Distance submenu, it is clear Nikon has set focal length specific limits to the inner/outer bounds on ranges of Subject Distances permitted for a trigger zone. The new Suppl manual doesn't mention these restrictions.

So the next step is to test if the particular camera+lens rig triggers using only Motion and/or Subject Detection criteria outside of these set zones

14-30 f4S: 14=0.2m/2.1m, 24= 0.4m/3.6m, 30=0.6m/4.5m

24-120 f4S: 24=0.4m/3.6m, 30=0.6m/4.5m, 120=2.4m/24m

100-400 S: 100=2m/20m, 400=8m/80m

400 f4.5S=8m/80m

800 f6.3S PF=16m/160m

I just tried Auto Capture with the 800 6.3 and discovered as you point out, the minimum focus with the 800 in auto capture is 16m. I was hoping to use this for birds in flight but that distance makes Auto Capture useless for smaller birds in flight.