So this means each of the recent camera develops its User Interface independently?
Yes, apparently, if by user interface you mean firmware.
The Z8 and Z9 share most of their hardware, and aside from smaller battery and slower SD slot, they should have the same performance and feature set, yet each is missing something the other has. One wonders how the autofocus actually compares at this point.
Hopefully, guys such as Keiji Oishi, Department Manager of UX Planning read these threads.
I seriously doubt that.
It sounds like he's one of the culprits as to why the Z9, for example, lost Delay Exposure at launch, and other features, such as the option to customize a Metering Mode to a button.
I do some underwater photography, which has its quirks. One of them is the need to be able to assign almost any function to particular buttons. That is getting better with each release, but why are there limitations in the first place? With FW 2 I couldn't assign the ISO to Fn4, but I could with 3. With 3, I couldn't assign Recall Shooting Functions to Fn4; I haven't checked with 4 yet. It was quite useful to be able to assign the ISO button to Fn4, because that allowed me to push the ISO button with the left hand while spinning the dials with my right, never removing my hands from the handles of the housing. (Before I had to reach over to the right with my left hand to push a lever while my right hand spun the dials. Very awkward and slow.)
Incidentally, he's stated how he prioritized Firmware updates on his appointment:
"....after I took over product planning, we are planning to schedule firmware updates more frequently. We don’t want that kind of delay [again] between the announcement of firmware and its availability. We want to do regular scheduled firmware updates to keep the products up to date for a long time..."
That's pretty nice, actually - and I think quite a departure from previous Nikon practice. It was rare to see updates adding new features. The Z9 came out a bit rushed, so it really needed the 2.x updates, like enabling 120fps on the viewfinder and providing better video specs. But the 4.0 update looks like it feature-jumps the competition, and I suspect it will end up in the Z8 as well.
I'm still having issues with subject detection grabbing focus away from my intended subject, so AF hasn't gotten to the magic state yet for me, but then I have to master it. And re-master it with every FW update, apparently.
The Auto Capture thing sounds extremely useful in many circumstances, but I sure don't see why it is limited to FX. I think a FW 4.01 would add DX to the mix by removing that limitation. Smells a bit like they ran out of testing time so put it off. Probably a few other things as well.
Sure wish Nikon could provide some sort of add-in specialized subject detection capability, perhaps within one of the cards. It would be nice to be able to have Fish as an option when I shoot underwater.
And one more thing while I ramble on - it would be nice if the Info block could be made bigger, with more options. Fill the screen. Right now I have 12 (smallish) blocks of options. How about 24 larger ones, or 48 smaller ones? Even with customizing the menu, you still end up with too much menu diving.
