Z8 - Interval between brackets?

[Chris J Newman]

This year I moved up from a D800 to a Z8. Being able to bracket exposures at minimal cost has always been one of the main attractions of digital photography for me, and I do this for virtually all my normal hand-held shots. The Z8 avoids any mechanical disturbance by mirror or shutter, so I think it makes sense to set the maximum frame rate of 20 fps. However, the camera is so fast in various respects that, if I gently squeeze the shutter-release button, for maximum stability, rather than jabbing it, after taking my intended set of three bracketed exposures the camera is likely to start a further set before I release the button.

So far as I’m aware, there is no user control of the interval between bracketing sets. I think such a control would be a useful addition to provide through the next firmware update, and I assume it wouldn’t be difficult to add. Meanwhile, is anyone able to tell me what governs the interval between bracketing sets, and what the duration is under various frame rate settings and shutter speeds?

 

[Andre Yew]

You could also try setting d2 Maximum Shots per Burst to be equal to the number of frames of your bracket series, so it will stop shooting after the bracket is finished. I'm only assuming that it works with bracketing, since I haven't used it in that mode before.

 

[shuncheung]

This year I moved up from a D800 to a Z8. Being able to bracket exposures at minimal cost has always been one of the main attractions of digital photography for me, and I do this for virtually all my normal hand-held shots. The Z8 avoids any mechanical disturbance by mirror or shutter, so I think it makes sense to set the maximum frame rate of 20 fps. However, the camera is so fast in various respects that, if I gently squeeze the shutter-release button, for maximum stability, rather than jabbing it, after taking my intended set of three bracketed exposures the camera is likely to start a further set before I release the button.

It sounds like you asked this question before actually trying bracketing on the Z8. You can set the camera to 20 fps, but if your bracket is 5 frames, when you hold down the shutter release button, the Z8 will capture exactly 5 frames as fast as it can and then stop. The Z8 will not continue to capture beyond those 5 frames, unless you let go and then hold down onto the shutter release again.

 

[Chris J Newman]

You could also try setting d2 Maximum Shots per Burst to be equal to the number of frames of your bracket series, so it will stop shooting after the bracket is finished. I'm only assuming that it works with bracketing, since I haven't used it in that mode before.

Wonderful; I think you’ve solved it for me, thanks. I’ll just need to remember to change that for the rare occasions when I want to shoot a longer sequence.

Unfortunately I can’t see the usual “MARK THIS POST AS THE ANSWER” tick box.

 

[Chris J Newman]

It sounds like you asked this question before actually trying bracketing on the Z8. You can set the camera to 20 fps, but if your bracket is 5 frames, when you hold down the shutter release button, the Z8 will capture exactly 5 frames as fast as it can and then stop. The Z8 will not continue to capture beyond those 5 frames.

Not so! I’ve been shooting with my Z8 all this year, with nearly all attempts intended to bracket 3 shots, but often getting more (I usually manage to stop by 4, which means the next set only does 2, the lower and higher exposures, unless I notice and correct things). It only pauses very briefly after the 3rd shot before starting again. But a quick trial suggests that Andre Yew’s suggestion of setting d2 Maximum Shots per Burst to 3 will control things for me.

 

[shuncheung]

It sounds like you asked this question before actually trying bracketing on the Z8. You can set the camera to 20 fps, but if your bracket is 5 frames, when you hold down the shutter release button, the Z8 will capture exactly 5 frames as fast as it can and then stop. The Z8 will not continue to capture beyond those 5 frames.

Not so! I’ve been shooting with my Z8 all this year, with nearly all attempts intended to bracket 3 shots, but often getting more (I usually manage to stop by 4, which means the next set only does 2, the lower and higher exposures, unless I notice and correct things). It only pauses very briefly after the 3rd shot before starting again. But a quick trial suggests that Andre Yew’s suggestion of setting d2 Maximum Shots per Burst to 3 will control things for me.

Strange. I had double checked on my Z8 before I posted the earlier answer. On my Z8, if I set bracket to 5 frames, when I hold down the shutter release without letting go, it always captures exactly 5 frames and then stop. I have also tried 7 frames and 3 frames, it always captures just that many; the Z8 will not continue to the next set of 5 or next set of 7, etc.

Perhaps there is another setting that affects the behavior, but I am not aware of that, as bracketing always works the way I described on multiple of my Nikon bodies.

I don't like Andrew Yew's solution because you need to set the limit in two difference places. For example, if you set bracketing to 5 frames and then also set the maximum shots per burst limit to 5 frames (Custom Setting d2 on the Z8), and suddenly you want to have a 7-frame bracket but forget to also change d2, you bracketing will be stop prematurely after only 5 frames, and you'll have 2 more frames left over and everything is out of sync. IMO, it is never a good practice that you need to manually change things in more than one place to keeps them consistent.

 

[shuncheung]

It sounds like you asked this question before actually trying bracketing on the Z8. You can set the camera to 20 fps, but if your bracket is 5 frames, when you hold down the shutter release button, the Z8 will capture exactly 5 frames as fast as it can and then stop. The Z8 will not continue to capture beyond those 5 frames.

Not so! I’ve been shooting with my Z8 all this year, with nearly all attempts intended to bracket 3 shots, but often getting more (I usually manage to stop by 4, which means the next set only does 2, the lower and higher exposures, unless I notice and correct things). It only pauses very briefly after the 3rd shot before starting again. But a quick trial suggests that Andre Yew’s suggestion of setting d2 Maximum Shots per Burst to 3 will control things for me.

Strange. I had double checked on my Z8 before I posted the earlier answer. On my Z8, if I set bracket to 5 frames, when I hold down the shutter release without letting go, it always captures exactly 5 frames and then stop. I have also tried 7 frames and 3 frames, it always captures just that many; the Z8 will not continue to the next set of 5 or next set of 7, etc.

Perhaps there is another setting that affects the behavior, but I am not aware of that, as bracketing always works the way I described on multiple of my Nikon bodies.

I don't like Andrew Yew's solution because you need to set the limit in two difference places. For example, if you set bracketing to 5 frames and then also set the maximum shots per burst limit to 5 frames (Custom Setting d2 on the Z8), and suddenly you want to have a 7-frame bracket but forget to also change d2, you bracketing will be stop prematurely after only 5 frames, and you'll have 2 more frames left over and everything is out of sync. IMO, it is never a good practice that you need to manually change things in more than one place to keeps them consistent.

Also tested on my Z9, and even the camera is set to 20 fps, bracketing stops after the specified number of bracketing frames are captured, as I described about the Z8 above.

Check this thread from two years ago. People also described that bracketing stops after the desired number of frames, 3, 5, 7, or 9 are completed: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4718057

Unfortunately, I don't know which settings will cause the Z8 to keep on bracketing from one set of frames to another as the OP described.

 

[Andre Yew]

Also tested on my Z9, and even the camera is set to 20 fps, bracketing stops after the specified number of bracketing frames are captured, as I described about the Z8 above.

Check this thread from two years ago. People also described that bracketing stops after the desired number of frames, 3, 5, 7, or 9 are completed: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4718057

Unfortunately, I don't know which settings will cause the Z8 to keep on bracketing from one set of frames to another as the OP described.

I agree that this is the logical way for it to operate. If I had to guess, OP might not have had bracketing on when he tried his test.

 

[Chris J Newman]

I don’t know what’s been happening!

Just to add to the confusion, I spent some time searching the forum to see if the issue had been addressed before. I noticed a topic misspelt as Z8 Brust Bracketing, but when I tried to open it, I got the error 404 or whatever when a page can’t be found (I had no problems opening other topics). But shuncheung’s link has taken me straight to it.

I noticed that topic has a lot of references to Auto bracketing in the PHOTO SHOOTING MENU. I’ve normally set it with the button on the top. However, I’m pretty sure I’ve looked at the menu option before, because I was aware of the different types of bracketing, and may well have needed to set exposure. Anyway, I’ve just looked at Auto bracketing in the menu, and seen exactly what I expected. I turned the f2 limit of 3 shots to infinity, tried the camera, and it now stops after the 3 exposures it’s set to bracket!

I’ve been irritated by its continuous shooting with bracketing set ever since I got it, at the turn of the year. And in response to Andre Yew, I regularly check the Exposure compensation values, as I usually have - and + 0.7, but sometimes when taking repeated shots of a relatively constant subject, I reduce that to – and + 0.3, and want to check I haven’t lost track of the setting I’m using. I also notice it when changing the overall Exposure compensation.

Now, thank goodness, it’s stopping after the 3 exposures, yet I’m not aware of having changed anything permanently. I do hope it doesn’t revert to repeating the brackets!

 

[madecov]

I also use bracketing often. I set my fn2 button to bracket burst as well as my lens function button. Even if I'm in single frame, it automatically fires off the specified number of bracketed images without having to actuate the shutter release multiple times.

 

[Rico Schiekel]

I just recently (a few weeks ago) used this feature on a Z8 quite a few times in Spain and it always stops after the configured number of bracket frames. It never did more than that.

So having a bracket of e.g. 5 frames, 20 FPS and then holding the shutter button down, it takes exactly 5 pictures and then stops. After that I had to lift the finger from the shutter button. If I wanted to take another bracket I had to hold down the button again.

I've never seen taking any Nikon camera I owned (D500, D850, Z7, Z6, Z7ii, Z6ii, Zf, Z8) doing two brackets in a row without lifting the finger from the shutter button first.

 

[Chris J Newman]

I also use bracketing often. I set my fn2 button to bracket burst as well as my lens function button. Even if I'm in single frame, it automatically fires off the specified number of bracketed images without having to actuate the shutter release multiple times.

I thought that might be useful, as I usually want to revert to single frame without bracketing when shooting from a tripod, or with flash. However, I’ve just tried setting Release mode to S and f2 to Maximum 3 shots per burst, while leaving bracketing on 3 Frames, and my Z8 only takes a single shot before it stops.

 

[Chris J Newman]

I've never seen taking any Nikon camera I owned (D500, D850, Z7, Z6, Z7ii, Z6ii, Zf, Z8) doing two brackets in a row without lifting the finger from the shutter button first.

My previous Nikon experience was a couple of years with a D90, and then twelve with my D800. They were so much slower than the Z8 that I never thought about whether or not I’d lifted my finger from the shutter button before the camera started an additional bracketed set.

 

[jthomas39]

I don’t know what’s been happening!

Just to add to the confusion, I spent some time searching the forum to see if the issue had been addressed before. I noticed a topic misspelt as Z8 Brust Bracketing, but when I tried to open it, I got the error 404 or whatever when a page can’t be found (I had no problems opening other topics). But shuncheung’s link has taken me straight to it.

I noticed that topic has a lot of references to Auto bracketing in the PHOTO SHOOTING MENU. I’ve normally set it with the button on the top. However, I’m pretty sure I’ve looked at the menu option before, because I was aware of the different types of bracketing, and may well have needed to set exposure. Anyway, I’ve just looked at Auto bracketing in the menu, and seen exactly what I expected. I turned the f2 limit of 3 shots to infinity, tried the camera, and it now stops after the 3 exposures it’s set to bracket!

I’ve been irritated by its continuous shooting with bracketing set ever since I got it, at the turn of the year. And in response to Andre Yew, I regularly check the Exposure compensation values, as I usually have - and + 0.7, but sometimes when taking repeated shots of a relatively constant subject, I reduce that to – and + 0.3, and want to check I haven’t lost track of the setting I’m using. I also notice it when changing the overall Exposure compensation.

Now, thank goodness, it’s stopping after the 3 exposures, yet I’m not aware of having changed anything permanently. I do hope it doesn’t revert to repeating the brackets!

On my Z6 iii (which should work exactly like the Z8), I have Bracketing on my i-menu.

Tapping the i-menu selection,

It shows a simplified 5 lines of settings:

bracket on/off

type of bracketing. I've only used AE.

number of shots. I typically use 3 or 5.

increment . Often 1.3 or maybe 1.7

The rear command dial cycles through the lines of settings.

The front command dial changes that line's settings.

Half press shutter sets it.

~~~

If the Bracketing is highlighted on the 12 item i-menu, there's a shorter version if I don't tap it to pull up the 5 lines:

Number of shots with the front dial

Bracket on/off with the rear dial. So this is a quick way to turn off again after setting it by tapping the i-menu and taking the shots.

~~~~~~~~

I'll mention that I don't use exposure brackets as much as I used to. Editing the raw files usually works with a single exposure. A 0.3 or 0.7 bracket set wouldn't be very useful for me.

Bracketing is still very useful for night shots with lights in the scene, backlit sunny days, etc.

 

[Chris J Newman]

Thanks very much for your suggestions. But the Z8 has a bracketing button on top, so to change bracketing I only need to press that button and rotate the rear command dial to change the number of shots in the bracketing set, or the front dial to alter the exposure difference between each shot. I’m not in the habit of using the i-menu much, and have no need of it for bracketing changes. However, I now rarely use the bracketing button except when I want to switch from my usual 0.7 EV difference to 0.3 or back. Using the Shooting menu banks to switch between types of camera use copes with whether I want bracketing or not. (I’d been using these for a decade or so on my D800, but only got round to reminding myself how the system works, and making the settings on my Z8, just over a month ago, after a butterfly walk when I took a lot of photos close-range on my 70-300mm at 300mm, and subsequently realized that I’d left the camera on AF-S rather than switching to AF-C, so I’d typically changed my distance from each butterfly after the camera set focus by enough to miss a sharp set of shots. With my D800 I found it very frustrating that the Shooting menu banks failed to remember bracketing settings, and all too often I would also forget to change them, start taking shots from a tripod one at a time, trying to adjust to the ideal by checking the resulting exposures, and being puzzled because, for example, I might have thought I’d decreased the exposure by 0.3 EV, but the bracketing I’d omitted to turn off had meanwhile increased by 1.3 EV! I’m so relieved that the Z8 remembers bracketing when I change Shooting menu bank, although the Z8 has a similar failing that I don’t find nearly as troublesome, in that I can’t make a general menu bank change that will switch the camera from Single shot release mode to anther setting.)

Regarding using bracketing, I’m keen to get the best dynamic range from the camera that I can (although I would probably struggle to notice much difference between low ISOs). But also I take a lot of photos, saving both raw and JPEG, and want to keep almost anything I think was worth taking. However, I don’t have the time or wish to edit raw files of any but the best, most consequential photos. I find it difficult to anticipate the ideal EV between shots with or without sky, and with bright subjects against a dark background or the reverse. And once I’ve taken a stationary subject, the best raw file is likely to be the one that comes closest to over-exposing anything significant (I wish both cameras and photo processors made it easier to check raw exposure headroom). But the best-looking JPEG file will almost certainly have a lower EV, particularly if most or all of what’s visible is naturally fairly dark coloured.

 

[Thom Hogan]

So far as I’m aware, there is no user control of the interval between bracketing sets.

Not only is there user control, there's camera control ;~0.

So, on a Z8:

• BKT button or Auto Bracketing setting of bracketing: camera stops in continuous Release modes after taking a single sequence.
• Bracketing burst assigned to a button and held during sequence: camera continuously takes bracketing sequences.
• Pre-Release Capture set: no bracketing is done.
• Bracketing set in another function, e.g. Pixel shift shooting: one sequence is done at each interval.

This is Nikon standard behavior, and has been for a long time.

 

[Chris J Newman]

So far as I’m aware, there is no user control of the interval between bracketing sets.

Not only is there user control, there's camera control ;~0.

So, on a Z8:

• BKT button or Auto Bracketing setting of bracketing: camera stops in continuous Release modes after taking a single sequence.
• Bracketing burst assigned to a button and held during sequence: camera continuously takes bracketing sequences.
• Pre-Release Capture set: no bracketing is done.
• Bracketing set in another function, e.g. Pixel shift shooting: one sequence is done at each interval.

This is Nikon standard behavior, and has been for a long time.

Thank you for that information. So far I’ve only been interested in Auto Bracketing for sets of different exposures, as set by the BKT button. My problem was that my Z8 didn’t appear to stop after completing my intended set of 3 exposures, and I hadn’t noticed any statement that the camera was set to stop. (If I had seen that, I would have investigated the apparent failure of my Z8, and if I failed to solve it myself, I would have asked a different question.)

My impression was that the camera would take the set of 3 shots, pause very briefly, and start the next set. Hence I was trying to take my finger of the shutter button at what sounded, from the camera’s default clicks, the right time after 3 shots, but this is difficult at 20 fps. Sometimes I would let go too early, after 2 shots, and sometimes too late after 4 or even 5 shots. So I wanted to extend that pause time (and wondered if it was different at different frame rates and shutter speeds). I’m puzzled as to what had been happening during the 8 months I’ve had the Z8, but since applying d2 Maximum 3 Shots per Burst in response to Andre Yew’s suggestion, then removing that restriction after being told others’ Z8s stopped on completion of the bracketing set anyway, and checking my settings on the CUSTOMS SETTING MENU, the camera is now stopping after its 3 shots and my problem has vanished.