Next Upgrade to the Z9!

[michaeladawson]

I don’t begrudge you your wish for the next Z9. However, if that was the big feature upgrade in the next Z9… no thank you. A big pass on my part.

 

[m_black]

Certainly wouldn't hurt. Likewise false colour.

False colour would be great. Even proper shutter angles.

The problem with the pocket wizard suggestion is it's somebody else's product

I didn't even know Pocket Wizard was still around or at least relevant. They were industry leaders in RF remote triggers. Profoto had PW receivers built into some of their older studio strobes, and PW could have easily innovated their tech into speedlights. But they stopped looking for their cheese and companies like Phottix and Godox quickly surplanted them. And Elinchrom and Profoto and Broncolor all came out with their own or licenced RF wireless products, and we know how Godox changed the industry. So, my point is insallig a borderline relevant 3rd party product that consumes the camera's battery and requires menu diving to adjust, is something no one is asking for. A dedicated trigger in the hotshoe is just fine.

No one asked for Nikon's "CLS" IR system, but they gave it to us. Some Nikon's with pop-up flash can also act as a master for CLS use. Problem with CLS though,...is it has limitations brought on by the environment, etc.

Oh I know. I'm quite versed in Nikon's IR CLS. That was their proprietary system and involved preflashes from the pop up flash and/or SU-800. Not a 3rd party in-body radio trigger system. I was using that for OCF for weddings 12+ years ago. All Nikon had to do was make a radio version of the SU-800 with built in receivers in te speedlights and they would have stayed in the lead and stopped me from buying Phottix then Godox. The SB-5000 was needlessly over complicated and too expensive compared to what was coming out from 3rd party brands.

 

[Tailslol]

A simple SIM won't help much. You also need all the social media apps running on the camera to be able to share directly without the need of your phone. Which is really difficult I imagine, since the camera will need to run some variant of iOS or Android, which won't happen.

 

[NickZ2016]

Why do people assume a SIM must equal social media?

 

[bobn2]

Yes, built-in wireless flash controller would be good, but I think that Nikon is unlikely to use another company's system, given that they already have their own. In the best of all possible worlds there would be a standard, universal and open system that every equipment manufacturer would adopt, but that is too much too expect. It seems that even Pocket Wizard doesn't have just one protocol, and not all its products are compatible with each other.

 

[Kuvasauna]

Hi,

Well, you have to pay to play. It costs a lot of money to install towers, antennas, feedlines and base station radios. And then it costs to move the data from the base station to the network controller and then to the media gateway before it hits the internet.

Stan

Yes indeed. I was talking about my personal opinion. If I would get back to commercial photography, I'd have the justification for paying for such a service.

Having a SIM card in a camera would also open up great opportunities for really long distance remote control.

It is a completely different thing, but I've had SIM card in my laptops for a decade now and it is sooo convenient to have connection available all the time and no need to worry about having WiFi or phone nearby. It is only 4G but that is sufficient for streaming Netflix and such.

 

[Richard B99]

...we'll see where this goes. Either way ...it wouldn't matter to you. But at least Nikon finally released a camera with a built-in wireless transmitter!,...which means tons to me.

Time will tell...

The Z9 was always going to have built in wireless networking. Nikon have had infrastructure mode wifi in their flagship bodies. The D5/6 both had a/c class.

The problem with in body is twofold. For wifi, its about antenna. Too small and difficult to get unrestricted signal coverage and good range. That’s why your router has sticky up antennas.

For the PocketWizard, the same problem as wifi with antennas (they too have a separate antenna in the bump) but there is also the issue of adding another radio frequency set (which may not be available on standard wifi chips) plus the PW uses different frequencies in different parts of the world which are not compatible (i.e. PW make two versions of their units which are not interoperable). For this reason alone, I can’t see Nikon building a third parties protocol into their ecosystem.

(I do use PW for ultra reliable long range camera triggering rather than flash, so I am a bit of a fan of their kit. But I genuinely don’t see this happening.)

 

[chambeshi]

If you seek a remote trigger in a ILC, well yes this should be a standard feature. For some of us it should be standard as is a built-in GPS. Many sports photographers rely on such setups, and both GPS and remote control is very useful in wildlife photography.

Ever after Apple and certain Japanese tech companies began to build cameras into their digital phones, the world changed forever. The leading camera companies soon felt the impacts on their sales of P&S and then entry ILCs. The rest is history.

Remarkably, as Thom has pointed out repeatedly , the likes of Nikon marketing enthusiastically embrace content creators on social media, but their imaging instruments are still backward. How does one share a jpg or video clip on a ILC with 1 button press to Instagram?

It's a matter of time before there's more cellular phone in ILCs. A Zfc needs this tech in a SIM card slot and Content uploading Menu to setup dedicated buttons. Here again, FTP and networked cameras will be easier to use. These markets exist and will continue to grow.

Those with no need for these features can continue to keep their camera in Flight mode and live a blissful life.

 

[Chrissi_82]

I think the next upgrade should incorporate ChatGPT,

nope, you are looking for Dall-e 2
"DALL·E 2 can create original, realistic images and art from a
text description. It can combine concepts, attributes, and styles."
Unfortunately, it will only get better, so potentially nobody will care for your photos in 20 years time. They can simply type "sunrise, Kenya, Masai Mara, photo-style" in a text field - eh voila...

 

[Som Prasad]

I for one would appreciate it. Iainly use the Z9 for wildlife, where there is no pressure to post instantly, but again posting instantly is sometimes fun. Also, I tend not to use the Z9 for portraits or people photos (of people I know), because most people want to see it instantly. So even if I carrying the Z9, I will use my phone for such "social" shots. Now if there was a Sim slot built in, and the in camera software would produce a 2-3 mb jpg (I shoot RAW+JPG), then the need for instant sharing would be met. I'd also take my 105mm f1.4E (F mount) out more often.

So horses for courses, but it would be nice to have horse which did different courses. A few short years ago, cars did not have SIM cards till a few years ago, but now one of my cars has one. Yes, it is a different data plan to pay for, but the convenience beats the price.

So go on Nikon, please listen. Let's have a pro flagship but also with built in prosumer features. Even pros have friends and family, and social media cannot be ignored.

Regards

 

[ghostfox_1]

Most people uploading to Instagram/etc still use phones, or over edit photos the point they're terrible, or don't care about the highest quality in the first place and aren't the target market for dedicated cameras.

There are some, but it's still a waste of an ilc image.

 

[chambeshi]

Most people uploading to Instagram/etc still use phones, or over edit photos the point they're terrible, or don't care about the highest quality in the first place and aren't the target market for dedicated cameras.

There are some, but it's still a waste of an ilc image.

However the hardware and firmware are upgraded, indeed adapted to network ILCs, it's inevitable that these devices will become linked by improved built-in wireless into the internet.

High bandwidth cellular networking - as in 5G - has its advantages in this respect, Instagram is a popular example of one application, which could be leveraged by an integrated direct interface in a camera. Many Pros have active IG accounts which serve different purposes; although cameras such as the Z5, Z30 and Zfc will be ideal to share images and video while traveling,at events etc.

Obviously the photographer will have the choice to network their camera if and when they choose.

 

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Oh. Sorry. I see now. You might need such in the future so it'd be nice if you could bring it online. Which, right now, you can't. Yes. That'd be grand. It is somewhat of a PIA to have to fire up the hotspot in the phone all the time. And then have to worry about that battery too.

You know, that would be a really good selling point for me as well. I have a secondary phone with live SIM for times when I need to have multiple computers and tablets attached to the system. Pay for one extra as it were. And that SIM could pop out to go into the camera when needed. Yes, that'd be a selling point.

Stan

 

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Ha! Good one!

You think it'll be that long, then, before they get there?

Stan

 

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Dunno. Most Pro Shooters would upload to their own servers and not social media. And that's the target market.

Stan

 

[JMD-70]

A simple SIM won't help much. You also need all the social media apps running on the camera to be able to share directly without the need of your phone. Which is really difficult I imagine, since the camera will need to run some variant of iOS or Android, which won't happen.

Correct. I didn't go into all of that as I figured it was a given! But trust me,...it could happen! It would prolly require another processor with it's own architecture for coding!

Ty for your input all the same.

 

[JMD-70]

Yes, built-in wireless flash controller would be good, but I think that Nikon is unlikely to use another company's system, given that they already have their own. In the best of all possible worlds there would be a standard, universal and open system that every equipment manufacturer would adopt, but that is too much too expect. It seems that even Pocket Wizard doesn't have just one protocol, and not all its products are compatible with each other.

Yes, Nikon has "CLS",...which as you know is based on "IR" and not was reliable as an RF system.

Also, if Nikon were to change their CLS from IR to RF,...we would prolly need to buy some battery powered module for our Speedlights,...or a new Speedlight if we want the technology embedded in Speedlight.

 

[JMD-70]

...we'll see where this goes. Either way ...it wouldn't matter to you. But at least Nikon finally released a camera with a built-in wireless transmitter!,...which means tons to me.

Time will tell...

The Z9 was always going to have built in wireless networking.

Right. I knew this at announcement of the Z9.

Nikon have had infrastructure mode wifi in their flagship bodies. The D5/6 both had a/c class.

Right! I have been doing wireless transfer of images since the days of the D2x/WT-2,...D3/D3s/D300/WT-4,...and D500/D850/WT-7. Sir, I'm not new to this. Ty. Also, I went through my share of the infamous "Eye-Fi" cares as well as some here have.

The WT-5 and WT-6 are external Wireless Transmitter modules and therefore, are required for the D5/D6 to be able to transmit images.

Note: When I work events, and my Client pay for my "Real Time Instant Image Display Package",...I have no issues with my Z9 transmitting hi-res images to the FTP Server, of which, I have an app that runs a random slideshow,...and cues new images as they come in! Those attending the event are like, "WoW,...that is nice",...as their images pop up on one or two Large ballroom projection screens!

The problem with in body is twofold. For wifi, its about antenna. Too small and difficult to get unrestricted signal coverage and good range. That’s why your router has sticky up antennas.

Hmm! I'm not sure what part of the Z9 Nikon tapped for the "Antenna(s)", but the Z9's built-in Wireless Transmitter works well for me. Also, I'd venture to say they possibly 'tapped' the "Camera Strap Eyelets" as external antenna(s), as that's what I would have done.

While we're on this subject, I cannibalized one of my WT-7 wireless transmitters and the MB-D18 (D850 battery grip) and integrated the WT-7 internals within the MB-D18. Naturally, the MB-D18 has not regular operations as a battery grip. It's sole purpose is to house the circuitry of the WT-7 and En-EL18C battery. The parts are attached to a Nikon BL-5 battery cover and works like a charm.

For the PocketWizard, the same problem as wifi with antennas (they too have a separate antenna in the bump) but there is also the issue of adding another radio frequency set (which may not be available on standard wifi chips) plus the PW uses different frequencies in different parts of the world which are not compatible (i.e. PW make two versions of their units which are not interoperable). For this reason alone, I can’t see Nikon building a third parties protocol into their ecosystem.

(I do use PW for ultra reliable long range camera triggering rather than flash, so I am a bit of a fan of their kit. But I genuinely don’t see this happening.)

PWs have way better range than Nikon Wireless transmitters! Also, PWs just transmit a simple signal to trigger another device. Nikon Wireless Transmitters are doing tons more,...running Wireless Connectivity protocol,...cueing/transmitting images stored on cards, etc. So, the distance images are transmitted to a Server is not as robust as the connectivity of PWs.

 

[NickZ2016]

Hi,

Dunno. Most Pro Shooters would upload to their own servers and not social media. And that's the target market.

But that doesn't depend on SIM,Ethernet or WiFI. The SIM just means instead of hoping for working Wifi or a place to plug in your cable you're hoping for a cell signal.