Setting up 2 Z9s to be identical twins

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

Girlfriend: 'Why's he using two cameras?' Grandad: 'Cos the third one's being mended.' (Thanks to Fools and Horses)

I'm so impressed by the Z9 I now have two and have been going through and setting them up with the help of Steve's guide. To save time as I have been fiddling with the settings and as keeping them in line is like shepherding cats, I am thinking of taking the Save / Load Settings route with a retired shooting card to store the Bin file and copy the settings to the newer camera. The guide shows you can do this between identical models, presumably as long as both cameras have the same firmware (which they do: C 5.00 & G 0.17).

My question is: will absolutely everything then be identical between cameras (apart probably from clock settings and some operational settings such as PASM exposure mode choice and AF mode)? Or to put it another way, what will not be in parity? For instance, will the name assigned to one Z9 get carried over to the other one — not a desired outcome? Just as identical twins still usually have different names and often wear different clothes, what differences are going to remain? In practical terms I'm wondering whether it's actually safer just to go through the full process manually without trying the neat transfer via Bin file.

Incidentally I have the same question re two Zf bodies - should I post that separately @Steve ? Many thanks.

 

[Johan Schmidt]

They should operate identically, although there might be a slight difference in their sensors as a result of manufacturing processes and tolerances - for that, create a custom profile in LR and apply the profile to the images from both cameras so that they both produce colours exactly the same way

 

[Warren D]

I have re-named the files on my second Z9 as Z92. Did the same with my pair of D850's, 850 and 851. Helps if I need to troubleshoot a body. I don't think the items in the setup menu carry over, I could be wrong. When I got my second Z9 I had already set up the file names and viewfinder options etc when I transfered the shooting menu settings from the first Z9.

 

[DRwyoming]

My question is: will absolutely everything then be identical between cameras (apart probably from clock settings and some operational settings such as PASM exposure mode choice and AF mode)? Or to put it another way, what will not be in parity?

You can set all the menu options and custom controls to be identical but the run-time selectable settings cannot be guaranteed to be the same between the cameras at any given time.

For instance if you have more than one Display configuration setup the cameras with synched settings will both have all of those options but at any given time you may have a different display configuration actively selected on one camera vs the other. Same applies to say cycling through AF Area modes, if you use the menus to allow more than one AF Area mode and use Save/Load settings to synch the cameras they'll have the same options but at any given time one camera may have a different active AF Area mode than the other. Same for things like EVF vs Monitor vs Auto Switching or one of the Priority modes for viewfinder display or of course any adjusted exposure or ISO settings or anything else that's a run-time adjustable parameter.

Pretty easy to configure both cameras to have the same menu setups including custom control configurations like customizing buttons but not as easy to make sure they're identically set up from a use standpoint as the cameras are actually used in the field and their active state settings are changed.

 

[JAJohnson]

My question is: will absolutely everything then be identical between cameras (apart probably from clock settings and some operational settings such as PASM exposure mode choice and AF mode)? Or to put it another way, what will not be in parity? For instance, will the name assigned to one Z9 get carried over to the other one — not a desired outcome? Just as identical twins still usually have different names and often wear different clothes, what differences are going to remain? In practical terms I'm wondering whether it's actually safer just to go through the full process manually without trying the neat transfer via Bin file.

Incidentally I have the same question re two Zf bodies - should I post that separately @Steve ? Many thanks.

Set up the 1st camera to meet your needs. Save these settings to a card. Load them on the 2nd camera. On the 2nd camera you will need to manually set Date and time under the Time zone and date menu in Setup.

The list of what is saved for the Z9 is at the link below.

Save/Load Menu Settings

onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com

The list of what is saved for the Zf is at the link below.

Save/Load Menu Settings

onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com

 

[JamesFarrell]

Girlfriend: 'Why's he using two cameras?' Grandad: 'Cos the third one's being mended.' (Thanks to Fools and Horses)

I'm so impressed by the Z9 I now have two and have been going through and setting them up with the help of Steve's guide. To save time as I have been fiddling with the settings and as keeping them in line is like shepherding cats, I am thinking of taking the Save / Load Settings route with a retired shooting card to store the Bin file and copy the settings to the newer camera. The guide shows you can do this between identical models, presumably as long as both cameras have the same firmware (which they do: C 5.00 & G 0.17).

My question is: will absolutely everything then be identical between cameras (apart probably from clock settings and some operational settings such as PASM exposure mode choice and AF mode)? Or to put it another way, what will not be in parity? For instance, will the name assigned to one Z9 get carried over to the other one — not a desired outcome? Just as identical twins still usually have different names and often wear different clothes, what differences are going to remain? In practical terms I'm wondering whether it's actually safer just to go through the full process manually without trying the neat transfer via Bin file.

Incidentally I have the same question re two Zf bodies - should I post that separately @Steve ? Many thanks.

I’ve owned two identical Nikon bodies over my 18 years of owning Nikon. To answer your question, yes when you copy the settings of Nikon body “A” to a memory card, load that card into body “B” and load settings into B, the name of body A will also be the name of B. So, the solution is simple. After loading the settings of A into B, go into the menu settings of B and change the name of the B body to whatever you want (make sure to save that name change in body B's menu). Do that for the still images and videos. Yes, firmware has to be the same for both bodies before doing this. When I owned two Z9s, I had them named Z9A and Z9B.

One possible “gotcha” is that you should label the memory cards used in each body so that you keep images created with each body separate from each other. IOW, use the card from A only in A. Cards from B only in B. This is to avoid any confusion if you have something come up. Also, having different camera body names will then result in the images from each camera be unique in your software library. Otherwise you might have file name conflicts at some point.

 

[Gov]

Would this work for a Z9 and a Z8? In other words, set up the Z9, save the settings to a card and then put that card in a z8 and load the settings.

 

[JAJohnson]

Would this work for a Z9 and a Z8? In other words, set up the Z9, save the settings to a card and then put that card in a z8 and load the settings.

No. Saved settings can only be used with the same camera model.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

You can set all the menu options and custom controls to be identical but the run-time selectable settings cannot be guaranteed to be the same between the cameras at any given time.

For instance if you have more than one Display configuration setup the cameras with synched settings will both have all of those options but at any given time you may have a different display configuration actively selected on one camera vs the other. Same applies to say cycling through AF Area modes, if you use the menus to allow more than one AF Area mode and use Save/Load settings to synch the cameras they'll have the same options but at any given time one camera may have a different active AF Area mode than the other. Same for things like EVF vs Monitor vs Auto Switching or one of the Priority modes for viewfinder display or of course any adjusted exposure or ISO settings or anything else that's a run-time adjustable parameter.

Pretty easy to configure both cameras to have the same menu setups including custom control configurations like customizing buttons but not as easy to make sure they're identically set up from a use standpoint as the cameras are actually used in the field and their active state settings are changed.

That's a very clear and informative answer which encourages me to go ahead. Thank you.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

Set up the 1st camera to meet your needs. Save these settings to a card. Load them on the 2nd camera. On the 2nd camera you will need to manually set Date and time under the Time zone and date menu in Setup.

The list of what is saved for the Z9 is at the link below.

Save/Load Menu Settings

onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com

The list of what is saved for the Zf is at the link below.

Save/Load Menu Settings

onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com

Excellent; thank you.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

No. Saved settings can only be used with the same camera model.

Yes, that is very clearly stated in Steve's Z9/Z8 guide.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

I’ve owned two identical Nikon bodies over my 18 years of owning Nikon. To answer your question, yes when you copy the settings of Nikon body “A” to a memory card, load that card into body “B” and load settings into B, the name of body A will also be the name of B. So, the solution is simple. After loading the settings of A into B, go into the menu settings of B and change the name of the B body to whatever you want (make sure to save that name change in body B's menu). Do that for the still images and videos. Yes, firmware has to be the same for both bodies before doing this. When I owned two Z9s, I had them named Z9A and Z9B.

One possible “gotcha” is that you should label the memory cards used in each body so that you keep images created with each body separate from each other. IOW, use the card from A only in A. Cards from B only in B. This is to avoid any confusion if you have something come up. Also, having different camera body names will then result in the images from each camera be unique in your software library. Otherwise you might have file name conflicts at some point.

All good & taken on board. Regarding the cards I would follow that practice in all respects. I then usually use Photo Mechanic to rename files by year-month-day-h-m-s for single or multiple camera use projects so the files are in chronological order (I try to keep the clocks in sync but for my purposes a few seconds' variation is immaterial).

 

[Gov]

No. Saved settings can only be used with the same camera model.

Thanks!

 

[jpawlan]

I have re-named the files on my second Z9 as Z92. Did the same with my pair of D850's, 850 and 851. Helps if I need to troubleshoot a body. I don't think the items in the setup menu carry over, I could be wrong. When I got my second Z9 I had already set up the file names and viewfinder options etc when I transfered the shooting menu settings from the first Z9.

I did the very same to my two Z9s. I named #1 to Z91 and #2 to Z92

 

[JamesFarrell]

I’ve owned two identical Nikon bodies over my 18 years of owning Nikon. To answer your question, yes when you copy the settings of Nikon body “A” to a memory card, load that card into body “B” and load settings into B, the name of body A will also be the name of B. So, the solution is simple. After loading the settings of A into B, go into the menu settings of B and change the name of the B body to whatever you want (make sure to save that name change in body B's menu). Do that for the still images and videos. Yes, firmware has to be the same for both bodies before doing this. When I owned two Z9s, I had them named Z9A and Z9B.

One possible “gotcha” is that you should label the memory cards used in each body so that you keep images created with each body separate from each other. IOW, use the card from A only in A. Cards from B only in B. This is to avoid any confusion if you have something come up. Also, having different camera body names will then result in the images from each camera be unique in your software library. Otherwise you might have file name conflicts at some point.

One additional suggestion I can offer is labeling the ID of the camera body on its exterior. I add a small letter symbol identifier that I wrote on a blank Avery mailing label, cut it to size to fit on the Nikon body part just below the part of the body that is below the flash shoe mount. I reenforced the label with a small pice of clear tape being careful not to cover the small opening on the Nikon body that is the audio microphone input. The reason for this idea is to easily identify which camera body took an image that I look at in my computer image library collection in case I see that an image has some issue that needs some investigation of the camera body that took the image. For example, seeing excessive dust spots or some other issue, something not right from the camera, that needs addressing. Or if I make some setting changes in haste while shooting and neglect to reset my camera to my preferred default settings. Might sound silly to you or unnecessary but this practice has saved me from excessive aggravation when problems arise.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

I did the very same to my two Z9s. I named #1 to Z91 and #2 to Z92

Have just done the same. Nikon had better not release a Z91 or Z92 body; they'd have to be 911 (sounds fast!) and 921 in the naming menu.

 

[Front Yard & Washhouse]

One additional suggestion I can offer is labeling the ID of the camera body on its exterior. I add a small letter symbol identifier that I wrote on a blank Avery mailing label, cut it to size to fit on the Nikon body part just below the part of the body that is below the flash shoe mount. I reenforced the label with a small pice of clear tape being careful not to cover the small opening on the Nikon body that is the audio microphone input. The reason for this idea is to easily identify which camera body took an image that I look at in my computer image library collection in case I see that an image has some issue that needs some investigation of the camera body that took the image. For example, seeing excessive dust spots or some other issue, something not right from the camera, that needs addressing. Or if I make some setting changes in haste while shooting and neglect to reset my camera to my preferred default settings. Might sound silly to you or unnecessary but this practice has saved me from excessive aggravation when problems arise.

Not silly — a good suggestion: I should have done that while going through setting up cameras in the past... breaking off till the next day, forgetting, and having to look in the menus to see which one I was working on!

 

[wotan1]

I also have two Z9's. I am frequently confused as to which camera is which. I used to tell them apart because I kept an L bracket on one of the bodies. But I took that off because I have not been using a tripod attached to the camera body lately and I felt it got in the way.

The only problem with copying memory settings between cameras is that if I make a mistake in a menu I end up copying it into the other camera, spoiling both cameras. I did that recently when I thought it was wise to set the camera on HDR. That proved a mistake because when you put the camera into HDR it makes two images every time you shoot. I had a great day of shooting but I ended up with a lot of ghost images.

Live and learn. I will never make that mistake again.