Speaking with the local rep, they are working on incorporating RED Codecs in the next FW. There are no hardware limitations, just programming.
Rumors: New Nikon Z9 Firmware Update With Enhanced AF Acquisition Coming Soon (or not 🙂)
- Thread starter JAJohnson
- Start date
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).
EricKlees
Well-known member
There will almost undoubtedly be some AF tweaks/enhancements but new features like pre-capture raw or 30fps no clue.
But I've heard rumblings from about 5 or 6 months ago that the limitation did the pre-capture may very well lie in the sensor limitations. So if that doesn't come with the next FW update i will consider that to be the case and that will be reserved for the Z9 II as a know for a fact that Nikon engineers were working on our at the very least looking into pre-capture raw back in October 2022 based on an NPS zoom call
If there's a limitation because they're basically frame capturing the video stream and can't pull RAW from that due to bandwidth constraints that would make sense as it's a camera design problem.
I'd be very very happy if they could firmware in HEIC support though with JPEGS as those 10 bit files have a lot more editing room and it would be a significant upgrade to precapture, they also look great on apple XDR and other HDR displays that support them.
If they can add RAW precapture it would stave off sales of R5ii and A1/A1ii as the Z8 is much more competitively priced so I would think that would very much be in their interest to do. They can always enchance that further in a future camera. Waiting for a new camera release would just look like catching up and being on par, releasing now is on par and the next camera can then surpass everything on the market and they can take more time to develop it.
I'd be very very happy if they could firmware in HEIC support though with JPEGS as those 10 bit files have a lot more editing room and it would be a significant upgrade to precapture, they also look great on apple XDR and other HDR displays that support them.
If they can add RAW precapture it would stave off sales of R5ii and A1/A1ii as the Z8 is much more competitively priced so I would think that would very much be in their interest to do. They can always enchance that further in a future camera. Waiting for a new camera release would just look like catching up and being on par, releasing now is on par and the next camera can then surpass everything on the market and they can take more time to develop it.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
i do think it is VERY possible that pre-capture raw may not be feasible in the expeed7 based cameras. that said, i'm skeptical that it's a _SENSOR_ issue, but rather some other sort of imaging pipeline limitation.
probably just semantics nit tho either way
EricKlees
Well-known member
I don't think it has anything to do with the processor when it comes to the pre-capture raw. I spoke to one of the main guys that worked on the Z9 team before retiring and said that they were barely at 50% of the limits of the EXPEED 7. This was after the 2.0 firmware release so maybe around the 3.01.i do think it is VERY possible that pre-capture raw may not be feasible in the expeed7 based cameras. that said, i'm skeptical that it's a _SENSOR_ issue, but rather some other sort of imaging pipeline limitation.
probably just semantics nit tho either way
I'm pretty certain is there is a bottleneck or hardware limitation it had something to do with the sensor tech.
I mean the cameras that are doing pre-capture in raw with Sony and Canon are a broken version with some fairly significant limitations ava those are with a 24mp sensor which should make it even easier
kanonka
Member
I'd take better AF over pre-capture any time of the day...
beano
Active member
Yes, I saw somewhere (maybe Ricci or Matt AU) mentioned that the Expeed 7 processor was operating at approximately 50% of max capability at release of FW 4.10 for the Z9. If true, it will have a lot of headroom for additional features, and I can easily think there might be some Red Codec goodness making its way in.
Even if it will not bring much ROI to Nikon for existing users, it will surely pave the way to eat into Canon and Sony sales, lure peeps over to Nikon, especially Sony users, seeing their glass would be compatible. Just thinking out loud, but Nikon will need to work a bit more on tracking-performance, as we have seen from various threads here over the last while.
Anyway, exciting times ahead, current users will certainly see big benefits with these free FW upgrades. Going forward, I can see Nikon maybe charge something for more significant upgrades, where new features are added. Personally, I will be happy to pay something for this SaaS-type model.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
yah, i could totally see this
this is the part that doesn't track. you can already get the images off the sensor ~20fps raw normally (no pre-capture). maybe 120fps, although maybe that's with some sort of line skipping.
so you can clearly get the content off of the sensor and get it all-the-way-to-the-card in raw today. it doesn't track that the sensor would be the limitation for pre-capture (at least up to 20fps).
more than 20fps, definitely possible.
i still feel like they are somehow taking advantage of the stream that goes to the evf for pre-capture for some reason.
beano
Active member
Yes, agreed, sensor is fast enough, same with the processor. The limitation might be the pre-buffer capacity (MB)
John Navitsky
Well-known member
yah, buffer is certainly pretty limited
fcotterill
Well-known member
According to NR
nikonrumors.com
New Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 spotted at a trade show - Nikon Rumors
Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 was spotted at the Inter BEE 2024 trade show in Japan (reported here). The last officially released Z9 firmware update was version 5.0. Here is what to expect – new shutter angle for video: New control options for PZ lenses (rotate angles, direction): See...
nikonrumors.com
fcotterill
Well-known member
There are still several updates of features, which should be feasible for Nikon to add in Firmware
The Z System Wish List | Thom Hogan
Thom's current wish list for the Nikon Z system
www.zsystemuser.com
The 28-135 PZ lens is pretty far along. If the 5.10 FW nomenclature is permanent I expect it’ll be released when the lens is available for purchase.According to NR
New Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 spotted at a trade show - Nikon Rumors
Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 was spotted at the Inter BEE 2024 trade show in Japan (reported here). The last officially released Z9 firmware update was version 5.0. Here is what to expect – new shutter angle for video: New control options for PZ lenses (rotate angles, direction): See...
Thanks for sharing.
Last edited:
Yes, some of Thom’s wishlist could be done in firmware, I think. Some will probably not happen until a Z9II / Z8II.
Also he needs to refresh that list a bit: Z8 has pixel shift.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
5.10 suggests minor features
Adriano
Member
If it is only that it is quite disappointing IMHO. Without any communication strategy and expectations management concerning fw updates I find it quite natural that now people expect more.
Vincent_VdB
Well-known member
I disagree. First of all, we all bought our gear with a certain firmware on it. Sure enough Nikon has spoiled us, Z9 users, with serious FW updates, updates we were not aware of when we bought that nice camera. Heck, my first Z9 came with FW 1.x I believe.
Nikon is not obliged to inform us on their roadmap for FW updates. It not only gives insight to competition what is in store for the users but internal policies can also shift on what might be initially planned to go into the Z9 but perhaps is now part of the Z9II roadmap (speculation from my side).
Adriano
Member
They do what they want, no discussion there. I love my Z8, love it even more with fw 2.0, and will continue loving it even if the fw remains 2.0. I just think that the play with it a bit to create some hype and let people talk about what is coming next, and that's fine, but it can easily backfire. A the end of the day it is a double edged sword strategy. That's all.
Just because a processor is reportedly running around 50% capacity doesnt mean they can push it higher. Power delivery, thermal issues, stability issues.
Your car can rev to 7k rpm but it shifts at 3k rpm for a reason. The other 4k rpm creates a lot of heat, fuel consumption, wear, noise, vibration etc.
Your car can rev to 7k rpm but it shifts at 3k rpm for a reason. The other 4k rpm creates a lot of heat, fuel consumption, wear, noise, vibration etc.
Cameron T
Well-known member
I don't think it's unrealistic to expect the flagship to have feature parity (pixel shift, etc) at least.
The shutter angle is a welcome addition. PZ controls is a non-event for me (I dont use zooms, let alone PZs).According to NR
New Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 spotted at a trade show - Nikon Rumors
Nikon Z9 firmware update version 5.10 was spotted at the Inter BEE 2024 trade show in Japan (reported here). The last officially released Z9 firmware update was version 5.0. Here is what to expect – new shutter angle for video: New control options for PZ lenses (rotate angles, direction): See...
ajrmd
Well-known member
My take is this is an internal company FW update designed to showcase the PZ lenses and it may or may not be released in the future. Given the product cycle and competition, it's difficult to say whether FW updates are on the horizon or whether new features will be relegated to newer bodies.
Cameron T
Well-known member
That's an opinion. I'm fairly sure this would be released, along with the update as needed for other current (expeed 7) bodies, given it has a full version number and not just left as the same number with a t for test, etc.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
it’s possible it just adds cloud since that appears to be a priority of theirs atm
Cameron T
Well-known member
Could be, but it adds shutter angle and other things as well it seems. So maybe they pushed back any updates to roll this in? Who knows.
Any day now nikon...
Any day now nikon...