Z9 Firmware 2.0: feedback on AF, RSF...

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fcotterill

fcotterill

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It is great the current Nikon flagship has improved significantly. Here's a couple of initial observations after install and setup...

1. Initial testing suggests customizing one of the Wide-Custom AF modes to Single-Point with Subject-Detection has significant potential. As found previously with W-area S / L, the eye-tracking still sticks even if the subject moves and/or one moves the frame... the single point locks on the eye on my ginger cat even if the frame is circling his face 😺

2. Neither Recall Shooting Function (RSF) and RSF Hold did not operate independently..... Sadly it is true!

3. Far more seriously, I find this Nikon update has now cramped the scope to configure RSF. The single setting is now universal. Since this upgrade, the camera has removed the flexibility to have 4 different RSF settings in respective Custom banks. This is either a Malicious bug, or worse....

4. If RSF Hold is active, changing exposure settings is then saved; this modification the applies if you have setup RSF in another Custom Bank(s)
 
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Just updated my Z9 and the first thing I tested was the 120FPS EVF and WOW! I could see an obvious difference between 120 FPS and 60 FPS. All i did was to point the camera to a clutter/ leaves and then pan it at 60 FPS vs 120 FPS and the latter is more pleasant to follow/ pan. I'm sure this will be a killer feature for fast action panning like swallows and flycatchers. I just added this function to the top of my menu list, configured to video record button.

RSF is a disappointment, like you said.

The 19X11 wide box is awesome. Doesn't extend throughout the screen but is still significantly bigger then Wide-L and covers the most critical part of the frame that we'd generally use to compose so this is great.

Can't wait to go out and test to see if there are meaningful AF improvements (tracking stickiness, shooting against clutter etc.)
 
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fcotterill said:
It is great the current Nikon flagship has improved significantly. Here's a couple of initial observations after install and setup...

1. Initial testing suggests customizing one of the Wide-Custom AF modes to Single-Point with Subject-Detection has significant potential. As previously, the eye-tracking still sticks even if the subject moves and/or one moves the frame... it locks on the eye on my ginger cat even if the frame circles his face 😺

2. Neither Recall Shooting Function (RSF) and RSF Hold did not operate independently..... Sadly it is true!

3. Far more seriously, I find this Nikon update has now cramped the scope to configure RSF. The single setting is now universal. Since this upgrade, the camera has removed the flexibility to have 4 different RSF settings in respective Custom banks. This is either a Malicious bug, or worse....

4. If RSF Hold is active, changing exposure settings is then saved; this modification the applies if you have setup RSF in another Custom Bank(s)
Click to expand...

I'm not seeing 3. I'm able to use 3 independent RSF settings across 3 banks in testing and they work as expected. I do agree that your point 4 does raise potential issues for some niche setups but for my use case there will be no impact. I think I'll use one custom bank for enable/disable subject detection and one custom bank for a slow shutter speed button. I'm actually delighted that if I tweak settings with RSF (hold) enabled then it remembers them. That removes any need for me to dig into the menus to update RSF settings as I can just do a quick tweak to the shutter speed depending on what the scenario is.

I'm a bit sad that RSF and RSF (Hold) can't be properly configured separately but not surprised after all the info about how the D6 works. It's certainly not going to affect me very often though if I can quickly switch between custom settings banks to swap my RSF button behaviour.
 
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1. The 120 refresh was easy and nice to look at.
2. RSF had a tendency to be tricky before the update. I think it has to do with how you set up BOTH the Shooting Bank and the Custom Bank.
In other words, think that RSF needs careful setting up of BOTH the shooting and the Custom Banks

I do know that my Fn3 Button RSF is different when I am on Custom Setting Bank D than the RSF (Fn3) I am going to have to write each option down and test it to see why the results are different. I DO have different RSFs being called. I am just not sure how to be certain how each is set up and saved

Or maybe they have 'fixed' the way you SAVE the Recall Shooting Function set up before assigning it to a button [it was not particularly logical to start with] I am certainly not finding it easy to set up different RSF settings for different banks in Firmware 2.0.
 
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pwaring said:
I'm not seeing 3. I'm able to use 3 independent RSF settings across 3 banks in testing and they work as expected. I do agree that your point 4 does raise potential issues for some niche setups but for my use case there will be no impact. I think I'll use one custom bank for enable/disable subject detection and one custom bank for a slow shutter speed button. I'm actually delighted that if I tweak settings with RSF (hold) enabled then it remembers them. That removes any need for me to dig into the menus to update RSF settings as I can just do a quick tweak to the shutter speed depending on what the scenario is.

I'm a bit sad that RSF and RSF (Hold) can't be properly configured separately but not surprised after all the info about how the D6 works. It's certainly not going to affect me very often though if I can quickly switch between custom settings banks to swap my RSF button behaviour.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your SitRep. Changing both Shooting and Custom banks together does appear to influence how the Z9 saves a setup of RSF in the current Custom bank, as does how it recalls.
For example, with fw 1.11 I'd set RSF to change to slower 'Portrait' settings under the 'Action' C-bank D [1/800, 12fps etc]; the standard 'Wildlife' C-bank A [@15fps etc ] had an 'Action' RSF [1/2500, 20 fps etc]
In my latest testing, the respective RSF Hold toggles some settings [including fps] but it recalls the shutterspeed from the latest change in another bank, not the instructed setting....
Compared to previously, RSF behaviour has become more fickle. As suggested above a software Bug wrt how exposure settings are selected and saved, but perhaps I've yet to decipher Nikon's convoluted 'logic'.

UPDATE..... Even while it's active, RSF Hold gives a fantastic advantage to still switch between other custom settings (AF modes, AE-L) etc. This is in addition to being able to change exposure settings Bl*dy marvelous (y) (y)

eft said:
Changes for English speakers are documented in the Supplementary Firmware Update Manual.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
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I have a question regarding the custom focus area mode. Where do you go to set that up I have been through the menus like three times and can’t find that option?
 
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sh1209 said:
I have a question regarding the custom focus area mode. Where do you go to set that up I have been through the menus like three times and can’t find that option?
Click to expand...
fastest way Ive found so far is to have af mode in i menu then use that to select the c-1 or c-2 then press ok and hold. That will bring up the ability to configure.
 
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Wes Peterson said:
fastest way Ive found so far is to have af mode in i menu then use that to select the c-1 or c-2 then press ok and hold. That will bring up the ability to configure.
Click to expand...
Thank you I really appreciate that. That has been driving me crazy for the last 30 minutes lol. Also, I’m assuming that custom setting D 20 is for the 120 frames per second viewfinder?
 
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Very nice update. One thing I like is that you can now assign focus distance recall functions with any Z lens, not just the ones with a dedicated memory set button. With the close AF issue all mirrorless suffer from, this might prove very handy. (Although, I haven't had a chance to get it out this morning to test and see if AF seems better).
 
Is the precapture only in jpeg mode, or can you be in raw and save one of the precapture jpegs? I believe I understand that precapture images themselves can't be raw?
 
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I'm curious how you're all setting up your controls and if there's much change due to the new firmware. I get that it'll take time to adapt to any changes as AF improvements could mean we start favouring some modes more than we did.

I think I'll try the following with firmware 2.00:
  • Back Button AF on AF-ON (Shutter does not AF). Default shooting mode set to Wide C2 (biggest possible rectangle)
  • Multi-selector below AF-ON set to engage AF + Wide C2 (for when something happens and I just want to jam a button and try to grab it)
  • F1 and F3 set to 3D (I keep F3 the same as F1 for vertical shooting)
  • F2 set to Wide C1 (smallest possible square)
  • Lens 1 and 2 set to RSF (hold) - disable subject detection
  • Record button set to be an AF-mode selector to easily change the default AF mode
I think I'll also have a 2nd custom control bank variant where I have RSF (hold) on Lens 1 and 2 and F2 where it sets shutter speed, ISO and AF-mode (Wide C1 or Single Point). I can use this as a low shutter speed for still portraits before just pressing it again to pop back into "action" mode.

When I hand-hold the 400 Z my hands aren't quite big enough to naturally have a finger fall near one of the 4 buttons near the front. Hopefully I can get used to quickly using them for RSF (Hold). Using them for a toggle like that should definitely be easier than having to hold the buttons down.
 
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i haven't given it a huge amount of thought yet. i turned on the 120fps evf. i'll probably change my function buttons that disable subject detection over to the "hold" version so it will act as a toggle. i'll probably set up a custom focus focus mode to be as small as possible, but i haven't thought beyond that.

i have disc dog tonight and dock diving this weekend so will have some time to see if it acts any differently
 
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