What new features would you want in a Z8/9ii

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My llst (I already sent these to Nikon but another vote in favor might help)

  • Vertical button has 3 option. On, Off and position dependent. When the camera is horizontal the switch is disabled. When vertical, it is enabled (say w/in 20 degrees of vertical)
  • Pressure sensitive shutter button. When pressed hard, there will be a click which will engage high speed mode. High speed frame rate will remain on as long as the shutter is pressed hard (or perhaps while the camera is shooting). Camera will return to normal shooting mode (single shot or low speed frame rate) after the shutter button is released
  • Turning the camera on and off for a short time (say less than 5 seconds) would reset some user defined functions (such as bracketing, exposure compensation, frame rate, meter and focusing mode, …). If turned off for a longer period time, additional user defined sets could be returned to the default values (banks, metering modes, …)
  • Raw capturing at least 30 FPS (in full frame mode), as well as precapture of raw images.
  • Metering mode that sets the exposure (Shutter speed, aperture, ISO depending upon the mode) to allow X% of the image to be clipped (% to be clipped can be set by the user as well as if the clipping is measured by color channel or luminosity).
 
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This is a long shot and I can't think of any great ways to make it happen, but I would like some means to keep the viewfinder in the same relative spot for both horizontal and vertical orientation.
 
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  1. Better autofocus (obviously), but more specifically, I want it to track subjects as they move outside the focus box like Canon and Sony does (without having to switch to full screen zone). If that was the only improvement, I would upgrade!
  2. A 3rd dial that can be used for EC, but it seems that Nikon doesn't put a 3rd dial on anything so I doubt that will happen.
  3. The ability for the frame rate to be set with the banks. Now, when I change banks the framerate from my previous bank copies over.
  4. I don't need more FPS or MP. I usually use 12-15 now even though I could go up to 20 FPS.
  5. Better viewfinder would be okay, but not a dealbreaker
  6. I like the Nikon menus...no need to change
  7. Better button customization. I want to program a button switch from bird to mammal. Right now I have a button that jumps to the subject menu, which is great, but I want to be even more lazy.
 
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1. Better AF
2. Better AF
3. And, of course, better AF

More pixels would be nice, since everybody crops (c), but not at the expense of the noise. Better dynamic range is also always welcome. There are always more nitpicks, but if Nikon could give me at least AF of same level as Sony, I would trade for new body same day. Everything else is not that important.
 
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1. CFExpress 4.0 support
2. Raw pre capture
3. Lighter body
4. A software close range limited - that restricts the lens to min to say, 10 meters, or even make the max range controllable. This is extremely useful when in hides.
5. Pixel shift shooting like in Z8
6. Extreme slow motion, something like maybe 1000fps? I know I'm dreaming right now but hey!
 
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fcotterill said:
  • Stacked Sensor with Cross-type AF points not restricted to one set(s) of colour pixels - solves Closest Subject Priority glitches;
  • Real-Time Clipping - highlights and shadows;
  • Auto VR, which allows refined control over maximum shutter speed that switches VR off;
  • Higher EVF resolution - Z6 III spec;
  • Focus-Stacking Burst mode, which captures a batch of images over preset focus distance, eg 20 HE*RAW frames covering 10 cm at 120fps from initial AF position;
  • PreCapture RAW at up to 60 fps (also available in High-speed burst mode);
  • High Speed Burst eg 5 seconds at 120fps with options to use with both PreCapture and/or Focus-Stacking Burst
  • Expanded Custom Menu options;
  • RSF Hold improved - allow at least 3 different RSF Setups/Bank, and add missing features especially camera Mode - S,A,M;
  • Depth of Field Bracketing with constant exposure (using Auto ISO);
  • Capture RAW Stills in video (even if jpg feed);
  • Auto Lock vertical controls Auto Locks when camera horizontal (menu option)
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thelordofthelight said:
All from @fcotterill‘s list plus:
1. Customizable focus distance limiter
2. Unlimited button customization like in Sony cameras
3. Ability to take backups directly on to SSDs without needing a PC
4. More FPS/Buffer options - At least 40 FPS in compressed Raw, 50-60 in HE*, 70-80 in HE and so on…
Click to expand...
The market for such a camera is probably existing Z9 and Z8 owners, but also fence sitters waiting for improved/new features in a Nikon camera, which makes particular Nikkors even more irresistible.

So Cross-type AF sensors will likely be one strong magnet, together with at least some high speed action features including high fps PreCapture RAW.

If delivery is late 2025, or more likely 2026, Nikon will have finalized the Z9 II performance specifications and feature set months earlier, because designing and testing flagship cameras take an average of 3 years from project inception to first public airings.
 
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Also would like voice commands. Saying F8 would be nice but being able to jump to a command - such as silent mode on or off would truly be handy. All too off I remember the menu function but can not find it and there is not enough room in My Menu for everything and if there was, it would be too long.

Or an option to have menu items in alphabetic order
 
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Pre-ccapture to NEF or Raw files would make this far more useful to me than the current capture to JPG. My wife's Olympus cameras have for years been able to do pre-capture to Raw so the technical aspects are not the issue.
 
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Calson said:
Pre-ccapture to NEF or Raw files would make this far more useful to me than the current capture to JPG. My wife's Olympus cameras have for years been able to do pre-capture to Raw so the technical aspects are not the issue.
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MFT is 1/4 the surface area of FF; of course it's a technical issue.
 
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It is likely the speed imaging solutions developed primarily by Nikon Robotics will also empower the company's future still and video cameras

人の可能性を拡げる、ロボットの目 | ストーリーズ | Nikon 企業情報

ロボット、さらには人の可能性を拡げるためにニコンが開発した「ロボットビジョン」。高精度な“目”はどのようにして生まれたのか。その舞台裏を語ります
www.jp.nikon.com
 
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Calson said:
Pre-ccapture to NEF or Raw files would make this far more useful to me than the current capture to JPG. My wife's Olympus cameras have for years been able to do pre-capture to Raw so the technical aspects are not the issue.
Click to expand...
The buffer is basically forever on a Z8 so not having pre-capture won't stop you from getting a shot. Just hold the shutter down and wait. There's no shutter to wear out and you're basically recording a 20 FPS video that you'll scan through, same as video and flag the keepers. Just upload those and delete the rest. You don't have to load the 5000 images to your computer and carefully look at each one. This can be done of the back LCD in a very short time, just have a key bound to zoom into 100/200% to quickly check focus and another to star it and upload them. I don't even pull cards off my cameras anymore. All transfers are done via the camera through my home wireless router to a folder on my Mac. I don't even own a CF Express reader.
 
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Many good points but the one thing that often annoys me is the vertical grip shutter button on the Z9. It might just be my clumsy hands but the lock switch trips to easily for me and I often get the camera firing away when this happens. Often this happens at inopportune times.
Weight and size reduction would be good provided it does not come with reduced battery life.
 
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- raw in pre-capture
- a shutter button with a possibility to raise it (treaded hole in it) what makes it easier shooting with gloves
- enough MPx but increase the DR that sets the benchmark for any other brand and type out there
- increase subject detection ( bird & mammal)
- increased buffer capacity (I personally settle for 20FPS) including CFxB 4 memory cards, perhaps even 2 of those slots on the Z8II
- ditch that ridiculous feature of banks that are written on the mem cards but stored in-body
- have finally the cat miauw shutter sound (kidding)
- and smell 2025 and have file names that go beyond the 8 characters. We are way past the MS-DOS era
 
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The best subject detection AF on the planet. Lighter weight Z9. Very fast Bluetooth image transfer to hard drives in my pocket, autodetect of blurry and out of focus images which I could delete with one click when I desired, lower cost, add auto-leveling to the IBIS capability, automatic stacking of images to lower noise in low light higher frame rate at least 40 fps raw, higher resolution EVF and back screen. I am very happy with with Z9 and Z8. My only real complaint is sometimes I have to spin the manual focus ring to wake up the camera's focus system.
 
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I love my Z9 and don't think I would really need a ton added to it. Pre capture Raw, like everyone else, would be nice but one thing that I would really like would be to have the ability to tweak face detection. I would love to be able to have additional option to only find faces with eyes, meaning the front of their head and not the back. Would be awesome to use for sports as often times player closest isn't always the one I'm trying to focus on. Might be good for animals too I would think. Yes there are techniques to help with this but it would make it easier when you are shooting in the moment. Would probably be something you would want to turn off or on but would be cool option.
 
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