I saw Jared's video on a desktop today & paused the video at least 50 times to see where the focus points were.
There is no doubt that R3 & A1 were probably 30% & 25% better than Z9 based on the AF box overlay. I haven't checked the JPEGs available for download. So I am not sure how sharp the Z9 photos are. (I am assuming Jared has uploaded the photos for us to download)
As far as I noticed, the Z9 was actually not even focussing on Jared's head, but the corner of his left eye (right on the screen) & his curly hair beside it! At the same time the R3 would mostly focus on his right eye (left of the screen), while the A1 would switch between his eye & his head.
Canon R3 seemed the most accurate to me. Its AF box was the tiniest & would perfectly encompass his eye, while the A1 wasn't too far behind, but a number of times it would focus bang on his head. Z9, however was clearly slower following his face & would focus on his hair beside his left eye. For a camera with the best hardware that's bizarre.
However, the AF setting 5 & erratic option is not thr best setting for such a scenario.
In my limited use I have found such a setting works best for following a slow moving subject with distractions.
The AF setting on the Nikon is not actually the stickiest, it simply is slower in its ability to focus anything that moves including the subject you want to lock on to. The sticky setting is such a misnomer. That's my opinion anyway!
I think Z9 would have done significantly better with AF setting 3 paired with erratic. It would have actually stuck on to Jared better, as it would have followed him better. I am not sure how such settings work in Canon & Sony, but this is how I feel about the Z9...it seems like I am the outlier here!
I hope Nikon releases 2-3 firmware updates soon to get it 20-25% better...
Agree and well put.
Jarrod simply has put all three cameras up on standard settings as claimed to work by all manufacturers and that's fair.
The focus tracking system should be simple and accurate in the ideal world, the Canon was, the Sony was nearly, The Z9 wasn't quite.......that's the real world results.
Having to address the Z9 and optimize settings for different situations and then bank them on different buttons is plainly unreasonable...........
The Canon worked well, the Sony was close, the Nikon needed adjustment to help get closer to the mark if at all.
This focus tracking business in the whole industry should be simply................turn it on and that's it, it should just work, and that's what Jarrod has done, no different to what the consumer would want to do regardless of brand, We shouldnt need a college degree or become geeks.
Having to go in and adjust settings to optimize performance for use a multitude of different situations simply means that the tracking business is unfinished.........regardless of brand.
If this tracking buissness i was finished you would just turn the camera on, flick the switch to tracking, regardless of the situation or subject bingo it works and thats all that should be required, anything else is a distraction from photography.
I love the Z9 its a great camera for what i do, i think that its not as sticky in certain situations or as accurate and you are somewhat dependent on critical settings for different scenarios to rein in focusing closer. I still have a long way to get the best out of it, Nikon has a way to go to make it better and user fendly not just offer a pile of new optional settings.
I think 3 D tracking and all those things are somewhat still to complicated for the average person or even some experts at times. Its adding in cases to much vulnerability not less.
I still think the D6 is amongst the stickiest in challenging sports action and low light. i could be wrong, Wild life photography is a little less challenging.
I would like to see this trending tracking focusing situation move up a level in accuracy and above all be more user friendly with simplicity.
I feel Its like Not all of us can walk around in the wild and each time we want to take a shot relying on memorizing every key board short cut for every changing situation before we take a photo..........photography should be relaxing as well, yes many of us out there have no difficulty and are geeks at heart, Sadly not me.
Thank the universe i still have my skill sets.
Come on Nikon jusice it up.