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

[Cameron T]

So... Why are we waiting again?

If they can roll it out to current Gen cameras, why are we being held back by a last Gen camera?

I don't care about the cloud service really myself, I just want feature parity (and hopefully pre capture raw, but that's a pipe dream).

 

[fcotterill]

Because the main reason for the update will be the cloud service. When you want to make a real splash with a new system wide feature you wait until its really ready across the whole system.

What I find intriguing (and havent heard mentioned yet) is the idea that the images uploaded to the cloud service will have all the data Nikon needs to fine tune their AF algorithms and subject detection. The Ai will be able to train on what people are actually shooting with Nikon cameras. I would expect to major advancements in Nikon's AF tuning at some point after the cloud service is up and running.

Engineers have admitted obliquely in interviews that Nikon's market research revealed many 300 f4E PF owners used a TC14 (ie 420 F5.6). This influenced their decision to design the 400 f4.5S as a similarly light telephoto prime.

My inference is they mine exif data off public image platforms, and other metadata in images could also inform other aspects of their R&D

 

[John Navitsky]

What I find intriguing (and havent heard mentioned yet) is the idea that the images uploaded to the cloud service will have all the data Nikon needs to fine tune their AF algorithms and subject detection. The Ai will be able to train on what people are actually shooting with Nikon cameras. I would expect to major advancements in Nikon's AF tuning at some point after the cloud service is up and running.

now that would be _very_ interesting

 

[RichF]

That's certainly possible, but I suspect not. I think there might be a more substantial update coming: content authentication, cloud, pixel shift (?), AF enhancements (?), something else (?)

We'll see in due time.

If there is a major update coming, I hope that it will include raw precapture

 

[John Navitsky]

If there is a major update coming, I hope that it will include raw precapture

me too, but more and more, i’m thinking it’s unlikely