I got my Z9 today. First time experience and some thoughts...

[Laci55]

I got a phone call from my Photo store yesterday that my Z9 will arrive today. I just could not wait for the post delivery so I drove to the store and took the camera home. (st about 110 km drive...) I got the camera in the morning and 1round 12 I had an indoor tennis tournament to take picture of... I charged the battery to around 40 % because I had no more time and took the camera to the event... I do know it was very stupide with a totally new camera but I could not resist to the large to try it... My sport shooting camera is the Sony A1 for this time but it can be changed now... For indoor tennis and court side shooting Im using the Sony wit FE 135 1,8 lens. With this setup I can take pictures at 3200 ISO and 1250 /sec with wide open lens. With the Z 9 I was using Z 70-200 2,8 lens wide open at 6400 ISO and around 1250/sec. I used the 3D tracking for this very darn and certainly stupide test too...

Some thoughts...

Looking the pictures at the cameras screen was a very different experience in comparison with the Sony. The Sony screen is crisp and has much higher resolution so I was worried that my pictures are not so good as I thought they should be. After seeing the pictures on the computer screen I was very much satisfied though with the crisp and well focused pictures. Comparing a very sharp prime lens with half of the ISO value is quite crazy but that was what I was doing...

The white balance (Auto on Z9) was very pleasing with nice colors. I do not want to discuss the Nikon versus Sony color thing at all but I could not let it be to mention the for me more pleasing Nikon colors at this set up...

The AF is extremely fast and accurate too and I do not think that there is any difference in this respect between the A1 and the Z9 at least not in this fast and not so serious comparison.

No more ranting... Am I happy with this camera? yes, You bet...

Some pictures from the not so well lighted hall. (By the way no problem with any type of flickering in this artificial light...)

































--
'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...' Kipling
www.imaginestudio.se

 

[Mattitude V1]

Good to hear. At this point we’ve seen enough complaints about what they need to tighten up with regard to AF, but I think we’re also seeing lots of people remark on how impressive it is in a lot of respects. I just can’t wait to get mine.

 

[Blue_fuji]

Very nice captures!

I used to have the 135 GM with the RIV and liked using its crop mode with it.

Now I have the Z9 and the A1 with their latest 70-200 counterparts. Cant wait till spring. The Sony will be much lighter for travel and the Nikon is built for war. The Nikon probably wont fit in the sling bag, but ill still try.

How are you liking the two flagship mirrorless punch?

 

[Laci55]

I am not complying at all! By the way this "test" was done with the "old" firmware. I just updated the firmware to 1,10 now... I do not know if it could make any difference or not but I was very much happy with the results!

 

[Laci55]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it???

 

[rhlpetrus]

I got a phone call from my Photo store yesterday that my Z9 will arrive today. I just could not wait for the post delivery so I drove to the store and took the camera home. (st about 110 km drive...) I got the camera in the morning and 1round 12 I had an indoor tennis tournament to take picture of... I charged the battery to around 40 % because I had no more time and took the camera to the event... I do know it was very stupide with a totally new camera but I could not resist to the large to try it... My sport shooting camera is the Sony A1 for this time but it can be changed now... For indoor tennis and court side shooting Im using the Sony wit FE 135 1,8 lens. With this setup I can take pictures at 3200 ISO and 1250 /sec with wide open lens. With the Z 9 I was using Z 70-200 2,8 lens wide open at 6400 ISO and around 1250/sec. I used the 3D tracking for this very darn and certainly stupide test too...

Some thoughts...

Looking the pictures at the cameras screen was a very different experience in comparison with the Sony. The Sony screen is crisp and has much higher resolution so I was worried that my pictures are not so good as I thought they should be. After seeing the pictures on the computer screen I was very much satisfied though with the crisp and well focused pictures. Comparing a very sharp prime lens with half of the ISO value is quite crazy but that was what I was doing...

The white balance (Auto on Z9) was very pleasing with nice colors. I do not want to discuss the Nikon versus Sony color thing at all but I could not let it be to mention the for me more pleasing Nikon colors at this set up...

The AF is extremely fast and accurate too and I do not think that there is any difference in this respect between the A1 and the Z9 at least not in this fast and not so serious comparison.

No more ranting... Am I happy with this camera? yes, You bet...

Some pictures from the not so well lighted hall. (By the way no problem with any type of flickering in this artificial light...)

Thanks for posting your feedback. Re this image, have you noticed any difficulty with the net in front of players? There was an early Z9 report here where it was tested at a volleyball court, with the Z9 tending to stay with the net instead of with players. Here maybe you had a large part of the player's body and the face (eyes) above the net, so that it could be an easier situation than with the player face behind the net.

BTW, congrats!

--
Renato.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/
OnExposure member
http://www.onexposure.net/
Good shooting and good luck
(after Ed Murrow)

 

[Laci55]

Thank You so much for Your comment! I had no problem with the net in front or behind the players! I did not even know about this problem...lol... Besides of the shooting experience and the AF I was very much impressed with the auto WB in this not so well lighted hall... Have a nice day!

 

[TomS53]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it???

Where did you get the FTZ II update from? Nikon USA site does not show an FW update for the FTZ II. Granted you are not in the US and may have access to other FW that Nikon USA has not posted. Good Luck/Enjoy the new camera! Stay Safe!

 

[Laci55]

Actually I am not so sure that this update is for the FTZ II. The adapter is working fine with the Z9 and as I wrote about the camera do not know about this update... Could it be so that the firmware updates are different for the original FTZ and the FTZ II adapter???

 

[Stavrosf]

Actually I am not so sure that this update is for the FTZ II. The adapter is working fine with the Z9 and as I wrote about the camera do not know about this update... Could it be so that the firmware updates are different for the original FTZ and the FTZ II adapter???

Yes, you should expect that they have different firmware updates. So, FTZ latest firmware was on July of 2020 (1.1). There is no firmware update for FTZ II.

 

[Blue_fuji]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

I have the 50 1.2 for the Z and just ordered the 35 GM used. Was thinking of the 200-600 as ive heard its great with the A1 especially for the price compared to the 600 f4.

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it??

I only have the Ftz I. But i think i had to update it before using it with the 500 pf with the z6ii. I think the firmware process should be the same as with dragging the downloaded bin file to the card.

--
'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...' Kipling
www.imaginestudio.se

 

[Laci55]

Thank You so much for the info! This is why my camera could not detect the firmware update file... Have a nice day!

 

[Laci55]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

I have the 50 1.2 for the Z and just ordered the 35 GM used. Was thinking of the 200-600 as ive heard its great with the A1 especially for the price compared to the 600 f4.

The 200-600 is a very nice lens! Sharp, reasonably fast AF but of course the 600 4,0 bokeh, AF speed is in a totally different class... So is the price also of course...lol...

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it??

I only have the Ftz I. But i think i had to update it before using it with the 500 pf with the z6ii. I think the firmware process should be the same as with dragging the downloaded bin file to the card.

 

[Roland Wooster]

I think the previous problem with volleyball was when the person's face was entirely behind the net (net is higher in volleyball than tennis, in tennis to re-create the situation you'd need to sitting on the floor shooting through the net to experience the same situation).

 

[Karl Huber]

I got a phone call from my Photo store yesterday that my Z9 will arrive today. I just could not wait for the post delivery so I drove to the store and took the camera home. (st about 110 km drive...) I got the camera in the morning and 1round 12 I had an indoor tennis tournament to take picture of... I charged the battery to around 40 % because I had no more time and took the camera to the event... I do know it was very stupide with a totally new camera but I could not resist to the large to try it... My sport shooting camera is the Sony A1 for this time but it can be changed now... For indoor tennis and court side shooting Im using the Sony wit FE 135 1,8 lens. With this setup I can take pictures at 3200 ISO and 1250 /sec with wide open lens. With the Z 9 I was using Z 70-200 2,8 lens wide open at 6400 ISO and around 1250/sec. I used the 3D tracking for this very darn and certainly stupide test too...

Some thoughts...

Looking the pictures at the cameras screen was a very different experience in comparison with the Sony. The Sony screen is crisp and has much higher resolution so I was worried that my pictures are not so good as I thought they should be. After seeing the pictures on the computer screen I was very much satisfied though with the crisp and well focused pictures. Comparing a very sharp prime lens with half of the ISO value is quite crazy but that was what I was doing...

The white balance (Auto on Z9) was very pleasing with nice colors. I do not want to discuss the Nikon versus Sony color thing at all but I could not let it be to mention the for me more pleasing Nikon colors at this set up...

The AF is extremely fast and accurate too and I do not think that there is any difference in this respect between the A1 and the Z9 at least not in this fast and not so serious comparison.

No more ranting... Am I happy with this camera? yes, You bet...

Some pictures from the not so well lighted hall. (By the way no problem with any type of flickering in this artificial light...)

I bought a Sony A1 at the same time I picked up my Z9 and I hear you about the color difference between the Z9 and the A1. Colors are definitely better from the Nikon. The only other thing I have had to take into account is the size of the A1. It's difficult for me to feel I have a good grip on it, but in all fairness, I have only been using it for a couple of weeks so need some time "getting used to" the Sony.

 

[Blue_fuji]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

I have the 50 1.2 for the Z and just ordered the 35 GM used. Was thinking of the 200-600 as ive heard its great with the A1 especially for the price compared to the 600 f4.

The 200-600 is a very nice lens! Sharp, reasonably fast AF but of course the 600 4,0 bokeh, AF speed is in a totally different class... So is the price also of course...lol...

I guess thats why i went for the 500 PF. And seeing how hard it was to get the first year and 1/2, it was a big hit.

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it??

I only have the Ftz I. But i think i had to update it before using it with the 500 pf with the z6ii. I think the firmware process should be the same as with dragging the downloaded bin file to the card.

--
'If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...' Kipling
www.imaginestudio.se

 

[TONY SAM]

Very high level of noise

better to stay with 24MP camera. Glad i have the Z6

 

[Laci55]

Hi, so nice to read Your kind comment! THX! I love my A1 too mostly because I have -what I think- the best lenses for that camera.( 50 1,2 / 135 1,8 / 24 1,4 600 4,0, 200-600 6,3) Withe the Z9 I have the holy trinity and the 1,4 extender for the 70-200. So on the Nikon side I am not so well equipped for my sport and wild life photography but this could change...

I have the 50 1.2 for the Z and just ordered the 35 GM used. Was thinking of the 200-600 as ive heard its great with the A1 especially for the price compared to the 600 f4.

The 200-600 is a very nice lens! Sharp, reasonably fast AF but of course the 600 4,0 bokeh, AF speed is in a totally different class... So is the price also of course...lol...

I guess thats why i went for the 500 PF. And seeing how hard it was to get the first year and 1/2, it was a big hit.

I think You did the right thing!

Let me ask You something because You have both the A1 and the Z 9 too.

I just updated the Z9 with the latest firmware. I got the FTZ II adapter too and tried to update the firmware from 1,0 to 1,10 but even if I am doing the procedure after the description the MA firmware I 1,0 and the camera do not noticing the 1,1 firmware on the card... Is there any firmware update for the FTZ II too??? Have You the FTZ II adapter too and could You update it??

I only have the Ftz I. But i think i had to update it before using it with the 500 pf with the z6ii. I think the firmware process should be the same as with dragging the downloaded bin file to the card.

 

[Laci55]

The A 1 is a nice camera. I used it for a couple of month now so I got used to it. The ergonomic of the Z9 suite better for my taste though. The color thing os the first difference I saw after just some hours use of the Z 9. New testing soon...

 

[Laci55]

The main thing always is that one is satisfied with the gear! I am already very happy with the Z9. The tastes are different and there is nothing wrong with it. Enjoy your photography!