Steve Perry's review of the Nikon Z9

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Docpelt said:
Is the Z9 set up guide available or are you still working on it? I have my Z9 in a box waiting as the are the best!!
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Surely you are not waiting to use your flagship camera until Steve tells you how.
 
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ajm057 said:
My "Z9 review from today" in Aviemore Scotland -- t'was a dark and drizzly morn, n the wee bitie things were oot in vast numbers as wa wandered doon to the fishery nd the hides well before the sun showed its face above the mountains. Osprey were our target and hour upon hour Osprey there were none to be seen. But all of a sudden the radio cracked and oor spotter was heard to cry The Bigun is circling the fishery - clockwise around and around he went patrolling his patch his ground his regime. The laird of the skies none were allowed to be close. Around and Around he went and then the cry "he's diving" and with a mighty splash we saw him disappear only to reemerge in moments almost bouncing oot of the pond with a vast Trout in his claws, but back down he went again; more work to improve his grip and around he turned into the light breeze and up and away again this time to depart with breakfast for himself and his family. 8 hours one dive and one success. 3 seconds and the Z9 caught every shot once the operator put it on target and started to shoot. At that moment the clouds eased but still a bit dark, but see for yourself.

One chance - one ~3 second burst at 20 fps - 60 shots almost all in focus (yes a couple grabbed water droplets while the bird was submerged) - lead to 15 shots with good wing position -- see album

Short video from the 60 shots

All shots were taken with a Z9 and Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S-line lens and a tripod with Acratech long lens head. F/4.0 a/1600th, exposure bias at 0 EV and auto-iso set iso levels between 450-900. Images processed with DxO Pure Raw 2 Deep Prime, tones adjusted in LRC and cleaned using Topaz DeNoise AI - standard AI settings. No cropping or additional sharpening was applied to these images.
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cool images and "review" :)
 
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Steve said:
It's coming, probably in Sept. I've had workshops all summer and no time for long videos like that. Also, I've added something like 120 pages to the AF book (mostly for the Z9) and the Z9 Setup guide I've been working on is over 300 pages. It's a lot of work and haven't given me much time for reviews.

That, and at this point I'm actually surprised anyone still wants a review. There's a LOT of them out there! TBH I'm a little worried that I'll spend 50+ hours putting it together and it won't get that many views. Review videos are a losing proposition for me because of how I do them, so I have a tendency to put the off. For the time it takes for a single review video, I can put out two or three normal videos and, collectively, have a lot more views.
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I would prefer the book any day to a review! Good luck with it Steve!
 
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ajm057 said:
t'was a dark and drizzly morn, n the wee bitie things were oot in vast numbers as wa wandered doon to the fishery nd the hides well before the sun showed its face above the mountains. Osprey were our target and hour upon hour Osprey there were none to be seen. But all of a sudden the radio cracked and oor spotter was heard to cry The Bigun is circling the fish
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t'was a joy to read your excitin tale in yer rich Irish accent!

I am especially glad I get to see your delightful photos without having to endure the wee bitie things.
 
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fotogrob said:
In the month I've owned a Z9 after coming from a D500 and D850, I can attest there is a learning curve. Steve's mirrorless edition has been a great help.
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My experience exactly. For me, I would characterize my learning curve as "steep", and look forward to Steve's guide/review in whatever form it takes.
 
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300 page Z9 setup guide ??? Can you turn that into an artificial intelligence program that runs inside the Z9? <grin> I'd even settle for an iPhone app that asked a couple of questions, wirelessly connected to the Z9, and made all the settings... :)
 
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Steve said:
I’m hoping to wrap it up late Sept, :)
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Have you thought about shorter video to cover narrow use area of the z9? For example, what are the your recommended setting for BIF, night skies, running/fighting/playing animals, .. and why did you make the decisions about the settings?
 
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Many of us Z9 users are awaiting Steve's review and e-book on the Z9, but in the mean time there is a comprehensive review of the Z9 published today on PhotograpyLife. Since I already have the Z9, I am more interested in Steve's e-book than the review. However, a good review can inform you of some features of this feature rich camera about which you may not be aware, and I found this was the case with this review.

Cheers,

Bill
 
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MarcoScocco said:
I would point out that a lot of people here in the UK at least, could not get the Z9 and still cannot get it. From my point of view, I am waiting for Steve's review to make the final call on buying the camera or not. I have a basic idea, having read a lot about it and watched a lot of videos, but I want an in deep review from a wildlife photographer as wildlife is all I do after all. So, from my point of view, he can take all the time he wants, probably better than rushing out there a video. Still relevant in my opinion and not only relevant, needed.
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Frankly, at this point waiting for Steve's review to pull the trigger is probably not needed. There have been plenty of reviews telling us this…'tis true that none of them are as good as Steve's would be IMO…but it is clear that you won't regret the purchase. It is significantly better at action than my Z7II…albeit it a lot heavier as well. I'm also waiting on his Z9 book…and am afraid that a lot of my previous setup tinkering will go down the drain once I read and absorb it. I even discovered yesterday that I need to reorganize some of the Fn button settings on my Z7II since I discovered some inconsistencies in setup compared to how I set up the Z9…for instance Fn1 and Fn2 in action U mode or bank do the same two things, but they're opposite between the two bodies which makes my feeble brain confused. For me at least…the ebook will be far more useful than the review would be…so I understand his reluctance to spend the time actually writing and filming one at this point. To be fair though…he shoots the Sony as well and so has to split his time and effort between the brands where Nikon only shooters got their detailed in depth review out already…but I have to agree that his review would likely be the best one you'll read…it's just it might not be worth his effort/time at this point.
 
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Anjin San said:
Frankly, at this point waiting for Steve's review to pull the trigger is probably not needed. There have been plenty of reviews telling us this…'tis true that none of them are as good as Steve's would be IMO…but it is clear that you won't regret the purchase. It is significantly better at action than my Z7II…albeit it a lot heavier as well. I'm also waiting on his Z9 book…and am afraid that a lot of my previous setup tinkering will go down the drain once I read and absorb it. I even discovered yesterday that I need to reorganize some of the Fn button settings on my Z7II since I discovered some inconsistencies in setup compared to how I set up the Z9…for instance Fn1 and Fn2 in action U mode or bank do the same two things, but they're opposite between the two bodies which makes my feeble brain confused. For me at least…the ebook will be far more useful than the review would be…so I understand his reluctance to spend the time actually writing and filming one at this point. To be fair though…he shoots the Sony as well and so has to split his time and effort between the brands where Nikon only shooters got their detailed in depth review out already…but I have to agree that his review would likely be the best one you'll read…it's just it might not be worth his effort/time at this point.
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Good point, but, to be honest, I am not in a rush to spend 6k. So, not a big issue to wait for the review in my case. Also, I am not so sure it is a grand slam as you seem to imply. I am coming from a D500 and D850 whose autofocus is spectacular, especially the D500. I saw good things about the z9 but also people highlighting some flaws with the autofocus system, people I actually follow like Mark Smith. So, overall, I am still not sure it is worth it. I will wait for Steve's opinion.
 
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Pacific1976 said:
Anyone have any information of the long-awaited review of the Nikon Z9 by Steve Perry? Has there ever been a more wanted review? Has Steve ever taken this long to post his video review of a new Nikon?
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Well, after7 months using the Z9 i understand Steeve needs time to complete a comprehensive detailed review : comparing with DSLR there are so many options and different way of using on one side and because Nikon updates may change the game every 4 months on an other side, Z9 or ML era will now request nearly a Microsoft team for reviewing.

We need to think that Z9 and AI is now more a computing engine with a sensor and no longer a simple electro mecanic gear. Hot challenge for reviewers.
 
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IMHO....interest in a large comprehensive review is waning. The AF eBook has been updated and includes the Z9....... BUT folks are still craving for how to set up the darn thing - well! LOL! Suggestions for customized button settings, AF Area mode selections in the field, etc. Macros and focus shift shooting using the Z9? Video usage? etc. Folks wanna' go SHOOT something....and be happy with the results.
 
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Butlerkid said:
IMHO....interest in a large comprehensive review is waning. The AF eBook has been updated and includes the Z9....... BUT folks are still craving for how to set up the darn thing - well! LOL! Suggestions for customized button settings, AF Area mode selections in the field, etc. Macros and focus shift shooting using the Z9? Video usage? etc. Folks wanna' go SHOOT something....and be happy with the results.
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agreed that there is little need for another Z 9 review. Years ago, there was the acronym, I think I am getting this correct, AYACC - And Yet Another C Compiler. We could have AYAZ9R.

Yes an in depth discussion of how to set up the Z 9 would be helpful. Not simply set it this way, but if you use Wide Area Large the AF system will perform better than in these type of situations versus perhaps Dynamic area. Or only use dynamic area in these cases ..
 
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Butlerkid said:
IMHO....interest in a large comprehensive review is waning. The AF eBook has been updated and includes the Z9....... BUT folks are still craving for how to set up the darn thing - well! LOL! Suggestions for customized button settings, AF Area mode selections in the field, etc. Macros and focus shift shooting using the Z9? Video usage? etc. Folks wanna' go SHOOT something....and be happy with the results.
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RichF said:
agreed that there is little need for another Z 9 review. Years ago, there was the acronym, I think I am getting this correct, AYACC - And Yet Another C Compiler. We could have AYAZ9R.

Yes an in depth discussion of how to set up the Z 9 would be helpful. Not simply set it this way, but if you use Wide Area Large the AF system will perform better than in these type of situations versus perhaps Dynamic area. Or only use dynamic area in these cases ..
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Totally agree with both. I could use more information on how to use the Z9.
 
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The guide and review are still in progress. Unfortunately, my mother passed away a couple weeks ago and that has delayed everything I'm working on (the Z9 review and the setup guide). It's really been a rough year. I hope to be back on track by the end of the month and posting more regularly - and getting the book out. It's frustratingly close to finished, just no time to work on it. I can't wait to share it - I think it'll clear up a LOT of the confusion I see here and elsewhere about the Z9 :)
 
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Steve said:
The guide and review are still in progress. Unfortunately, my mother passed away a couple weeks ago and that has delayed everything I'm working on (the Z9 review and the setup guide). It's really been a rough year. I hope to be back on track by the end of the month and posting more regularly - and getting the book out. It's frustratingly close to finished, just no time to work on it. I can't wait to share it - I think it'll clear up a LOT of the confusion I see here and elsewhere about the Z9 :)
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Sorry to hear about your mom. I went through the same grievance and pain with the loss of my mom, dad, and especially my precious wife. The Z9 isn't really that important, in the big picture.
 
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Steve said:
The guide and review are still in progress. Unfortunately, my mother passed away a couple weeks ago and that has delayed everything I'm working on (the Z9 review and the setup guide). It's really been a rough year. I hope to be back on track by the end of the month and posting more regularly - and getting the book out. It's frustratingly close to finished, just no time to work on it. I can't wait to share it - I think it'll clear up a LOT of the confusion I see here and elsewhere about the Z9 :)
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Take care of family business first…that’s way more important. Connie and I offer condolences for your loss.
 
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