Rumors: New Nikon Z9 Firmware Update With Enhanced AF Acquisition Coming Soon (or not 🙂)

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

JAJohnson

JAJohnson

Well-known member
Supporting Member
Marketplace
Member's gallery
Given that the Olympics will be soon upon us I think this rumor has the ring of truth. As always, time will tell.

nikonrumors.com

Rumors: new Nikon Z9 firmware update with enhanced AF acquisition coming soon - Nikon Rumors

A new Nikon Z9 firmware update with enhanced AF acquisition is rumored to be released soon. I was told that the firmware update will be released for the Summer Olympics (end of July), but as we know from previous reports, there could be a delay. Stay tuned for updates. Related posts: Nikon...
nikonrumors.com nikonrumors.com
 
Member's gallery
Cameron T said:
Rumor is incredibly thin on detail. We'll see. New updates is always great though.
Click to expand...
There hasn’t been a Z9 update for changing the default values for encryption keys, so that has to be coming soon. I don’t expect a Z9 firmware update with only that so it makes sense that more content may be coming, for example, focus point VR, pixel shift, more AF enhancements, etc.
 
Member's gallery
I said a week after the Z6III was announced that a Z9 FW is due within a month or so if there was truly improved AF algorithms in the Z6III. The last FW with any AF related improvements was back with FW 4.10 with Bird SD on October 4th. FW 5.0 was features for portrait shooters. So this isn't a surprise.

I really only care to see Pre-Capture in Raw. It can be 20fps in HE* and AF improvements
 
Member's gallery
JAJohnson said:
Given that the Olympics will be soon upon us I think this rumor has the ring of truth. As always, time will tell.

nikonrumors.com

Rumors: new Nikon Z9 firmware update with enhanced AF acquisition coming soon - Nikon Rumors

A new Nikon Z9 firmware update with enhanced AF acquisition is rumored to be released soon. I was told that the firmware update will be released for the Summer Olympics (end of July), but as we know from previous reports, there could be a delay. Stay tuned for updates. Related posts: Nikon...
nikonrumors.com nikonrumors.com
Click to expand...
If this rumour is correct , then there are probably Pros/Ambassadors testing the beta software already with respect to its "enhanced AF Acquisition", for release before the Paris games start
 
Member's gallery
Cameron T said:
I'm not sure raw pre capture is going to happen this generation of cameras. I wish though
Click to expand...
If pre-capture raw doesn't come to the Z9, it's not because of the processor. There is still plenty of overhead left based on an NPS zoom call in the fall of 2022 that said the engineers said they were only and 50% of the limits of the EXPEED 7. So if there is a hardware limit it could be sensor based limited if there is any. Limitations.

I think there is definitely a possibility until/unless Nikon comes and says otherwise, though the longer it goes ava the more FW updates come without it it's less and less likely i agree
 
Member's gallery
EricKlees said:
There is still plenty of overhead left based on an NPS zoom call in the fall of 2022 that said the engineers said they were only and 50% of the limits of the EXPEED 7.
Click to expand...
this is really good to hear. from what i picked up from some of the interviews with leica on c2pa marking was it took a lot of horsepower so good to hear nikon planned ahead
 
Member's gallery
John Navitsky said:
this is really good to hear. from what i picked up from some of the interviews with leica on c2pa marking was it took a lot of horsepower so good to hear nikon planned ahead
Click to expand...
I wouldn't expect a new EXPEED 8 processor until a flagship Z9 successor someone in late 2025 or 2026 even if they have it done and ready. They didn't have the 7 in enough cameras yet to have made enough of a return on it yet IMO. It just wouldn't make sense to introduce a new processor in a low end body. Could they? I guess but why?

Plus, camera processors aren't like Intel processors, meaning they don't come out with new ones every year, it's about 3-4 years, about the same cycle their flagships are on be it Sony, Canon, Nikon or any other brand
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
EricKlees said:
I wouldn't expect a new EXPEED 8 processor until a flagship Z9 successor someone in late 2025 or 2026 even if they have it done and ready.
Click to expand...
yah, this is why i have my 🤞 because if the expeed7 doesn’t have enough horsepower for c2pa, then we’re stuck waiting until the expeed8 powered cameras

EricKlees said:
They didn't have the 7 in enough cameras yet to have made enough of a return on it yet IMO. It just wouldn't make sense to introduce a new processor in a low end body. Could they? I guess but why?
Click to expand...
def not in a low end body. it’s possible we’ll see a z9s/z9h/z9ii before the normal schedule, but who knows
 
Member's gallery
EricKlees said:
If pre-capture raw doesn't come to the Z9, it's not because of the processor. There is still plenty of overhead left based on an NPS zoom call in the fall of 2022 that said the engineers said they were only and 50% of the limits of the EXPEED 7. So if there is a hardware limit it could be sensor based limited if there is any. Limitations.

I think there is definitely a possibility until/unless Nikon comes and says otherwise, though the longer it goes ava the more FW updates come without it it's less and less likely i agree
Click to expand...
I don’t think it would be sensor related as it is capable of the speed already to shoot 20FPS RAW. I think it is related to either buffer limitations since it could have 20 RAW files sitting in buffer before it can begin writing to the card which would cause potential issues hitting the buffer very quickly when you finally press the shutter. The other possible issue could be with either hardware or software limitation on the way they are currently achieving the pre release capturing. It is possible they would have to rewrite the code to do it a different way or possibly a hardware limitation on the way they are doing it. It very well could be capable of doing it and they want to wait until the next generation to enable as well.
 
Member's gallery
abc123brian said:
I don’t think it would be sensor related as it is capable of the speed already to shoot 20FPS RAW. I think it is related to either buffer limitations since it could have 20 RAW files sitting in buffer before it can begin writing to the card which would cause potential issues hitting the buffer very quickly when you finally press the shutter. The other possible issue could be with either hardware or software limitation on the way they are currently achieving the pre release capturing. It is possible they would have to rewrite the code to do it a different way or possibly a hardware limitation on the way they are doing it. It very well could be capable of doing it and they want to wait until the next generation to enable as well.
Click to expand...
Apparently they run it more like video, as opposed to stills, so different pipelines. Doing pre capture raw stills would require an entire rewrite of how it's done at this time. Or so Thom says.
 
Member's gallery
John Navitsky said:
yah, this is why i have my 🤞 because if the expeed7 doesn’t have enough horsepower for c2pa, then we’re stuck waiting until the expeed8 powered cameras


def not in a low end body. it’s possible we’ll see a z9s/z9h/z9ii before the normal schedule, but who knows
Click to expand...
I'm not holding my breath for a mid cycle Z9h. When i heard that rumor last fall i kinda chuckled a bit. I find it highly unlikely when they still have the Z50 and Z5 to refresh.
 
Member's gallery
Cameron T said:
Apparently they run it more like video, as opposed to stills, so different pipelines. Doing pre capture raw stills would require an entire rewrite of how it's done at this time. Or so Thom says.
Click to expand...
Not a fan of Thom to be honest for a few reasons. But i doubt it's a total rewrite. They came out with it pretty fast after the launch of our the Z9.

The code is there. It should only be a difference of handling of the file format. It's likely the comparison issue with the HE* if that's what they are going use for the raw files

If you look at Canon s "195fps" is so limited it's a complete joke and virtually unusable 95% of the time. Sony's 120fps Bryson is better but you barely get a full second before the buffer ava in some combination of settings you only get about 100 frames before you hit the buffer.

So there is a lot of limits on with his fos or pre-capture in raw.
 
Member's gallery
EricKlees said:
Not a fan of Thom to be honest for a few reasons. But i doubt it's a total rewrite. They came out with it pretty fast after the launch of our the Z9.

The code is there. It should only be a difference of handling of the file format. It's likely the comparison issue with the HE* if that's what they are going use for the raw files

If you look at Canon s "195fps" is so limited it's a complete joke and virtually unusable 95% of the time. Sony's 120fps Bryson is better but you barely get a full second before the buffer ava in some combination of settings you only get about 100 frames before you hit the buffer.

So there is a lot of limits on with his fos or pre-capture in raw.
Click to expand...
I believe Thom is probably referring to changing precapture from video to stills.
 
Member's gallery
Not much time til the Olympics. Wonder If not before the Olympics perhaps Nikon will wait for a more opportune time?
 
Member's gallery
I note Nikon has had time to work on improvements to AF that were released in the less expensive bodies, Z6iii and Zf. I suspect they have already been working on improving performance in the Z9.

The rumor would suggest they already have something better and have released it for beta testing. If it is in beta testing I would expect an imminent release assuming they don’t find a major bug.

It is already the 9th. I would expect that if they are going to act it will be in the next week to ten days. Otherwise it will be delayed probably until after Labor Day.

The Z9 is their flagship and I believe they will give it due reverence and attention. Plus it is about time for the Z9 to have firmware advantages over the Z8.

Of course I am a dedicated Z9 user and I am rooting for a return to firmware superiority. I want to feel smug again. :):):):)
 
Member's gallery
RichF said:
Not much time til the Olympics. Wonder If not before the Olympics perhaps Nikon will wait for a more opportune time?
Click to expand...
I feel it's unlikely Nikon would release a FW update this close to a major event line the Olympics. Even through they have the best overall track record with the least issues with FW updates. It's a big risk for people to update of they are a paid pro at the Olympics.

I see it only if they've tested it for a couple months... MAYBE, not at this point, of expect a few people having it at the Olympics and pushing it out to the masses afterwards
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top