Nikon has released its third—of four—teasers for its upcoming Z9 mirrorless camera system. In this latest teaser, Nikon shows off the sports-oriented autofocus and hints at the frame rate of what will be Nikon’s flagship full-frame mirrorless camera system.
The video comes in at just 28 seconds and unlike the previous videos, wherein Nikon showed off the body of the camera, this new teaser focuses, quite literally, on the various AF modes this camera will offer. In addition to an Eye AF mode, which appears to have little problem keeping up with athletes as they’re running around, Nikon suggests that it too will offer a Vehicle AF or Motorsports AF mode, which appears to lock onto both two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles.
The last little bit of information we get from this teaser is a continuous burst of shots as a long jumper leaps into the air. Doing some back-of-the-napkin math while slowing down the audio, I was able to count 34 individual (physical) shutter actuations in 1.65 seconds, which comes out to roughly 20 frames per second. It's unknown whether this was a simulated shutter sound for the electronic shutter or the actual sound of a physical shutter, but considering how Nikon stopped the other noise in the video and isolated the shutter sound, it seems clear Nikon wanted us to focus on the sound of the shutter firing away.
A section of audio pulled from the video during the section where a photographer holds down the shutter in continuous capture mode.
We’ve learned quite a bit about Nikon’s new Z9 camera from these teasers and still have one more to go.
youtube is now full of videos that show how well the tracking box "sticks" to the subject... and shocker... this teaser is fake. The actual tracking box doesn't track as perfectly as is depicted in this teaser. Not even close. period.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned here yet, but it’s been confirmed that those super sticky ultra-real-time AF tracking boxes were indeed edited in the video afterwards, and not captured directly from the camera. Jared Polin got this confirmation directly from Nikon :(
BTW, one nice thing about Mortimer Hilmer is that this dude is the real deal as a photographer. He has the body of work to prove it.
I will post what someone else wrote on FM forums because it struck me as so insightful: "I speculate that only a very small percentage of the youtubers who make enough money to get Pre-production are working professional photographers / video pros. Are there any films out there by Gerald Undone? Is Tony shooting the next cover for Vogue? Ultimately most of these reviewers play with borrowed toys for a few weeks then move on to the next thing to borrow. They pretend that they are not paid…but getting to borrow a pre-production unit for a review is in itself huge compensation. Being out of the gate with a review the day a product is announced gets them massive views = money. So yeah - they get paid while pretending to not be getting paid by Sony or Canon but that’s BS."
One more thing about Hilmer: he uses the cameras in very challenging environments. You get to see that they really hold up under tough conditions.
Most YTers we see trying out gear in their home, their backyard, maybe take a walk around their city, etc...and of course maybe use some artificial test scenes. I wonder if most of the gear they review would hold up in the cold conditions of Svalbard?
They're all like baby birds begging for attention but unfortunately most have very little if any rock solid professional photography experience. In many cases they have just a day to a week to "give their very insightful in depth NO BS review" on any given piece of gear and oftentimes the gear being reviewed is gear by a manufacturer the YouTuber doesn't even use on a regular basis.
So run out of your homes full speed and go buy what they suggest, and afterwords make sure to subscribe to "their channel" and you will reach photography nirvana and greatness at the same time.
Sure, world finals are the expectation, and we all hope they deliver to this.
But at the end it is a camera and I do give very little on the spec. For me it is important that the camera allows me to take the picture I want to capture. And for this I am sure that the Z9 can deliver.... but the A1 already does.
So, I am really hoping for a phantastic product launch that gives some inspiration for new opportunities to overcome limitations which I took for given…..
Well...well...well...this is getting very interesting...from Nikon Rumors...and at this late stage, NR is almost always correct:
120 fps in DX mode with reduced resolution (11MP) No rolling shutter (better than Sony A1 and Canon R3) --I take this to mean faster readout speed There will be an 8K 60p video option with 1 hr time limit The Nikon Z9 will be the only camera on the market without a mechanical shutter Will sell for less than $6500
I would be shocked too...but one interesting point is that a while ago, along with many of the other features that have proven true, NR reported that the Z9 would have this special shutter to close just to protect the sensor. That didn't make much sense to me, since one would just have the mechanical shutter close to do that. I don't even know how feasible it would be to build a special protective shutter and have the m shutter at the same time.
But the special protective shutter makes sense only if the camera is e shutter only. And that rumor predates this e shutter only rumor by a few months. So who knows?
BTW, another factor: given this close to launch, would NR want to squander credibility on rumors that are not any close to being true?
NR generally gets things right, esp close to a launch. I just don't see the admin of that site putting out junk rumors with the camera launch around the corner.
I don't really think rumors sites need to really concern themselves that much about credibility, it's more about what ifs than what actually is most times. So if only 2 out of 10 rumors are junk, that's really not even an hit to their credibility.
What I really want to know, how are people are coming to an conclusion about FPS based on an teaser where apparently the photographer was using an lens adapter in that last scene.
One thing Nikon has that another company that starts with an "S" doesn't, are true pro level super tele zooms. These are enormously useful for the pro's...they are among the most used at the Olympics, for instance.
Nikon has two world class super tele zoom lenses that that other "S" brand does not: the 120-300 f2.8 and the 180-400 f4, that are true optical masterpieces.
I would bet that the Z9 auto focuses those lenses at 20 fps with the FTZ adaptor.
I have full confidence that Nikon will knock it out of the park. This teaser looks very impressive. I love how my Z6II AF system responds as it is too.
When I read here the reaction to some really harmless remarks, then I get the impression the fans are desperate. But why if it is such a great company with such great products ? (And so many fans.) I am buying from big and or small companies. So what, why this despair and aggression ? It should be an opportunity to rejoice that you get soon such a formidable camera. (price still unclear)
For this price I prefer a new notebook. More useful and more fun for me. But obviously not allowed to say too loud around here ...
Because Nikon gets often attacked by Sony shills? Has nothing to do with being desperate. It is rather the other way round. Sony fans are getting really nervous?
I had not finished my note, when there was already an answer. Well if that is not nervous .... I am a Leica or L-mount user. Do you now feel threatened and attacked by the huge/enormous/overwhelming number of L-mount fans ? I still have many Nikon lenses, but did not upgrade anymore, because the Nikon support for D lenses is a shame (the lack of). If they are so great, why can’t they finally offer an AF adapter for the millions of D lenses ?
The only Nikon I’ve ever used is my wonderful FM2N, so I’m no expert. I do know, however, that the DSLR cameras had/have ‘3D’ tracking, which people seem to love. Is it true that this has not been carried over into mirrorless Nikons? Just curious.
Congratulations to Nikon. They publish with the Z9 a product which reached finally the level of the Sony A9 II which is several years old and also the level of the Canon EOS RP. Well done!
So in your opinion 20fps is not good enough? I bet you never shot sports. (At a high end level) The last thing you want is having to go through 500 images to find your winner shot whilst the guy next to you shooting at a mere 12fps find one faster and gets the image published. Mate, FPS isn’t everything.
Pretty Bad. The last frames at around 21 sec. (when jumper is landing) have no boxes to indicate the AF location. What happened, AF just died? Or did Nikon forget to draw in these phony little boxes? Note: you will not see this while playing video. You have to go frame by frame. Not sure why Nikon thought that was a good AF teaser?
Ignoring the obvious negativity, my comment on the last bit of the jumper is that, if you look closely, seems obvious (to me at least) that the video transitions out of evf recording back to a normal video feed to end the teaser, so no, eye AF doesn’t drop out, they just stop showing it to you.
Another mystery: Right in the middle of that jumper sequence they doubled the focal length within one frame. Wow! I am sure the camera is better than what they show in this video.
The criticism that most people level at Nikon is that they are very good at engineering but bad at marketing.
Who knows what's going on here or how they made this video, but Nikon has a very long history of making highly competent cameras. It is highly unlikely that their engineering team has just been out to lunch with the Z9.
But I'd believe that their marketing folks have dropped the ball easily.
The very beginning starts off with the runner. It’s just a normal video nothing to do with the camera, there’s no AF box etc. then we go into “camera view” right up to that last bit you mention, where it seems to me that’s where “camera view” stops and the normal video resumes to end the whole thing. This is just what I see, I don’t actually know. It’s just a teaser. We’ll all find out soon enough.
well said. as a long time Nikon shooter, there is ZERO doubt that Nikon doesn't make good quality products. Nikon does not support content creators on YouTube for example, Sony & Canon wisely. As Nikon's client base ages, younger buyers will almost certainly buy Sony or Canon, and not even think about Nikon. Like you said, that's a marketing issue. Im already all in to Nikon Z line, own 6 lenses and the Z6ll and Z50, they are excellent cameras. However, the Z50 has some strange issues with the display becoming all wacky (will be sending to Nikon to repair). But barring that, and the auto focus issues, I am happy.
Do you know it’s not going to show the autofocus point boxes during video? My Sony a7siii shows eye and face detection af boxes during video so why cannot Nikon . I’m very very interested in this camera and it’s video capability.
In video mode, cameras usually output "clean" video over their HDMI port. Regardless of what the camera shows in its viewfinder, the HDMI signal shouldn't have other things drawn on top of it -- otherwise it can't be captured and used for another purpose. When I'm using my camera with an HDMI capture module for broadcasting, I don't want AF boxes showing up.
Guys it’s a 30sec commercial. Turn on your tvs at home and watch a commercial - no af boxes around the actors’ faces / eyes visible to you, just a clean video. The af boxes are only visible to camera operator during recording / production. This particular one, teaser 3, starts off normally and then goes into a “camera / evf view” for a good bit and then, in my opinion, jumps out of this view back into a normal video for us to watch. Again just my opinion, we don’t actually know. We’ll find out soon.
A camera can have a clean out with hdmi and have info and face n eye on the camera lcd screen. And yes it makes sense for the ad that they put eye and face dect boxes on the video simulating the rear lcd. But then again it may be an actual video capture of the rear lcd. If it is the actual rear lcd then the Z9 is phenomenal at af tracking. Better than my a7siii. I’m thinking this camera will be the d3 even in its tank like build . The d3 is the king of camera builds .
If it beats his A1 he'll jump ship immediately to Nikon, since he already prefers the glass and the files. No brand loyalty, but that's not a bad thing, especially when you get to keep writing new cameras off lol.
No it can't. I have a Z6ll and it can not. It has trouble focusing on a tree that's 6' from me from time to time. I have to shut the camera off, then put it back on. Then other times its excellent at AF, its not consistent and it does get frustrating. I love Nikon, been with them for 20 years. Its OK to talk truthful about our products and not stick our heads in the sand and pretend something doesn't exist because its not a positive. Lets hope Nikon gets this right with the Z9 and trickle to the Z6lll and Z7lll.
Mike222 - Really - trouble focusing on a tree? Maybe you need to get a new hobby? I've been using a Z6 professionally since Jan 2019 and have never encountered such an issue. I have hundreds of of in focus trees. It's amazing. I can even focus on my ginger cat from a greater or lesser distance without issue. I'm happy to tutor you if you like?
Without being snarky -- this sounds like an issue with a loose or intermittent electrical connection to the lens. The Z6 in normal operation doesn't do this.
Do all your lenses do this, or just one? Does cleaning the contacts help?
DJI Ronin 4D already : 1. Using LIDAR for auto focus (useful when low light), Automated Manual Focus (AMF) mode. The unique AMF mode will track subjects and turn the focus wheel during recording, with the option for the camera operator to jump in and manually pull focus when needed. To help in manual focus and AMF modes, there will be LiDAR Waveform available on the monitor to help cinematographers ‘locate focus points and pull focus with extreme precision.’ 2. Instant wireless (roughly 20,000 feet) output 1080p/60fpsd video to remote monitors & allow 3rd person cooperate to control camera. 3. Direct support SSD via USB, no need external recorder for ProRes RAW.
Why traditional camera maker still try fix AF via better algorithm, faster/more processor...
Why traditional camera still has "not enough good" smartphone connectivity apps...
Why traditional camera's menu worst than BMPCC 4K or DJI Ronin 4D user-friendly touchscreen menu.
Continue.... Why camera has own RAW (since most of them use Sony sensor), can't provide "standard" Adobe DNG Raw and CinemaDNG RAW? Similar to Adobe PDF, standard is better.
DJI Ronin 4D is modular system which may allow partially upgrade in future. Canon M50 Mark II only upgrade firmware and rename label.
Lidar has been around since the 1960s, gimbals since the 1500s, SSD has been on many cinema cameras before, the wireless remote is an add on module that is, no better than that also available for many other cameras. However the DJI innovation is being ambitious enough to realise that they cram this into a package with a decent cinema camera and make it easy to use and (relatively) affordable. They did the same with drones. Following in the footsteps of the Sony Mini Dv Handycams, Canon 5D, Gh5, , their original phantom, A7III and Nikon Z6, I do think the Ronin 4D will open up some amazing opportunities for "Entry" level film makers. I worry it will price out some as well. I agree the Z9 isn't so innovative, but I have some Nikon bias so whilst I will hope to grab both, the Z9 is the one I am most looking forward to.
It's sized differently depending on the situation.
Anyway there is no explanation now, and none is needed. Its called a teaser for a reason. There will be full explanations once the camera is officially announced.
Eye-tracking seems very sticky and smooth. But is the camera focusing in the right place? Have a look at the screenshots I have uploaded. In the first shot of the runners, the second runner appears to be in focus, the face of the runner with the AF box is sharpened. 2nd shot, the shoe is in focus, face sharpened, second runner OOF as should be. 3rd shot, eye and face in good focus. Tennis player, upper part of the left thigh in focus, eye less sharp. Long jumper, chest always in focus, not eye most of the time. Soccer, left thighs of two players at different planes in focus, but the strangest part is that area inside the focus box is sharp, rest of the face is blurred. Some of these probably can be explained by the tilt of the focal plane and motion blur and/or video quality. But there is enough in the video to say, something weird is going on. As a DPR member for 16 years, I love doing useless things. :)
I've looked at your images on my 4k screen and can assure you that the images are overall equally blurry and not suited for judging the AF performance of the z9.
Bear in mind, you're analyzing frame grabs from a 1080/30p video. We don't know the resolution, frame rate, shutter speed or other settings used to capture the raw footage. Based on the rate of the slo-motion clips, it looks like some of the raw footage was shot at 120 or possibly 240 fps. If the teasers were shot with Z9s - a common marketing strategy is to use the product to shoot the promotional vids - those high fps sequences may have been shot at 1/500-second. But it's all speculation. What we do know is that if the shutter speed was slower than about 1/1250-second, each individual frame of video could have captured motion blur and that makes evaluating where within the frame the camera grabbed focus a difficult proposition.
The AF tracking looks impressive. Let's wait to get more info before raising too many questions or concerns about real world performance.
" I was told by multiple people that the Z9 could easily be another “D3 moment” – a significant advance in camera technology and performance (the D3 announcement in 2007 positioned Nikon back on top). The camera will have a “D3 level of innovation” – it will be far more than a D6 in mirrorless form. The dual-pixel sensor will allow an EVF near equal to an optical viewfinder, faster frame rates, effectively no blackout, and no significant rolling shutter. There is also a major update to the AF system. Even critics and skeptics who are testing the camera are speaking very positively about it. Expect to see some amazing Z9 sample photos from surfing in Mexico. "
" I was told that the Nikon Z9 is already in products and I received several more tips from people close to the manufacturing process in Asia confirming the above statement – here are some quotes:
“Heard from a guy who handled the Z9 this week he was totally blown away…at all levels.”
“And, this is no catch-up game from Nikon, it’s surpassing the competition with huge margins!”
“The price of the Nikon Z9 is going to be a surprise, of the positive one.”
NR is not the most reliable source of information, and they moderate their site by policing people that do not pray from the same hymn sheet as their moderators (content must be pro-Nikon). I would not hold information posted their in the highest regard (it is highly likely to be biased). (Posted from a happy Nikon user since 1984).
Oh come on there's tons of criticism of Nikon in the NR comments. You just have to not be an obvious troll. And even then there are some of those around.
NR works hard to filter out the trolls. They were hit very hard when the Z series was initially released and thereafter and the admin had to bring on other admins just to maintain the discussion.
Regardless of the moderation of NR comments in the discussions, this is a thread on the content of one of the posts on NR, so not the same thing.
I agree that the comments cited are very optimistic. I hope they prove to be true. But with most things these days, I prefer a cautious optimism until the product is revealed.
Photo-Art: I still pwn my D3s and don't plan on retiring it until the shutter fails. The D3/D3s is a very iconic camera that produces distinct looking images. It would be fabulous if the Z9 will be looked back on as iconic as the D3/D3s was.
Your 99.9% statement is, sorry to be blunt, ridiculous. NR gets stuff wrong all the time. He is not very good at vetting his sources, never has been, and that's a plain fact. Often he doesn't care, if he can get clicks. He published a fake Z-mount lens roadmap last year without the slightest concern whether it was authentic. It was nonsense, but it got clicks.
The Z9 may be a great camera, and the anonymous comments that NR published may turn out to be true. Nikon is certainly capable of leapfrogging ahead.
But there's no way we can know. We have zero information about who made those statements, how (or even if) they were exposed to Z9 information, or what their motivations might be.
The same would be true in the opposite direction -- i.e. if somebody published an anonymous "I know a guy who saw the Z9, and it's a total fail" comment. Would you believe that with no information about who said it? Of course not.
Well 99.9% is an exaggeration of course but he's certainly right more often than not. From what I can tell it's about the most reliable of the rumor sites out there.
Sorry, Urbex, I think fans of his site overlook and downplay his errors, and end up with a false sense of his accuracy.
Were I running a Nikon rumor site, I would not publish some of the things he does, and I certainly wouldn't write the (often crappy and misconstrued) headlines that he does, but, overall, I have no real problem with his site. There's no big harm in speculation, rumors, and wishful discussions.
However, I think it's worth keeping the record straight on his accuracy. He's accurate one or two days before an actual announcement (often when Nokishita publishes real information that he copies), but in the weeks and months leading up to any new product announcement, he frequently gets a lot wrong. I never take his information at face value.
@photo Art I’m sure hoping for the same thing. The D3 is the camera that brought me back to photography. No I’ve never owned one and couldn’t afford one . When I came back into photography it was the Nikon d7000 . It too was a breakthrough camera in its own right and I too think has its own distinct look to its files . I will own a d3 or d3s because of its files . But for now a Z9 is in my sights . I own fe’s , Nikkormat’s , NikOmat , d810,d500,d850 , tons of f mount lenses dating back to 1961 (200 f/4) and so many more third party f mounts . The look of Nikon files seem more natural in the digital world compared to the other companies. I haven’t had the chance by not owning the Z series yet to compare them . But I’m sure they are still with the Nikon tradition with a more modern update.
the tracking indeed looks amazing, but why is the actual eye AF box still big compared to sony's? some of the Z cameras would occasionally front focus on the lashes instead of the iris and i wonder if the z9 will be much better at tracking but still occasionally have issues with accuracy on what it's actually focusing on. i hope nikon can live up to all the hype
'Eyelash AF' isn't an issue I've come across at all with the Z6II, from what I've seen from others, it is something Nikon rectified from the Z6/Z7 first-generation AF with firmware updates.
The thing that catches my eye is how tightly the AF boxes stick to the eye and car headlight. It's a very smooth motion, suggesting the processing of image identification is also very fast. If the AF motor can move the focal plane in that same manner, the Z9 will be a real monster for action shooting.
Is that enough to jump back up the market share? I think some of this new power needs to trickle down TBH, theres a much smaller market for these high end cameras. As good as the Z9 looks to be, it doesn't make me want to buy a Z50.
But if this is any indication where Nikon ML is heading, that's a good thing. To Sony's credit and in a similar fashion to my above thought, they added in much of the A9 AF design to cheap cameras like the A6400, here's Hoping other brands follow suit.
When I watch the video, to me what sticks out with the tracking is that if that is the way it really looks in the EVF, if it is that smooth, then this is a game changer.
As someone on FM forums pointed out: "If it is that stable when actually viewing through the EVF and tracking fast subjects it is a game changer. R5 and A1 are no where near that stable."
"I've never seen an Eye-AF system in real life stay that rock solid without any jiggle as it does in some of those track and field sections of the teaser."
Now maybe the AF boxes were added later based on EXIF data. We don't know.
In the first teaser when we see the back screen of the camera the AF on the model behaves the way one is used to.
But we will have to wait a bit longer to find out.
Those boxes were definitely added in post on the video. Sony does the same for their promo videos, where they move perfectly smoothly, and then once you use the cameras, they jump around quite a bit more.
some of the clips did look unnaturally sticky. you can see some clips with natural jitter as the camera tracks someone's face or a car, but other clips the box didn't move at all and just stayed on the eye. but maybe it looks unnaturally sticky because it seems the slo mo effects for certain clips included slowing down the AF tracking box, so the jitter wasn't noticeable and it looked extra sticky. we shall see.
The Z9 should be enough to keep Nikon in the game. It’s exactly the camera that the market is ready for, and if I’m being honest, looks like a straight forward logical next step for Nikon. 8k, stacked sensor, 45mp, pro target market. Sony has grabbed allot of pro photographers over the last few years, but I think this should put a plug in that hemorrhage. It looks like it checks all boxes…now enough with the stupid cryptic teasers and get this camera out already!!!
Oct 28 is Nikon rumors. The other date I’ve seen floating around was sometimes during first week of November. Either way both estimates are close to one another, so should be a merry Xmas.
I think a lot of Nikon shooters are just pretty happy with their cameras and also don't really get *excited* about cameras.
Nikon DSLR's, in particular, are old workhorses -- conservatively and cautiously designed. They don't tend to have gee-whiz features or do anything that particularly stands out. But they're overall reliable, well-designed, don't have major flaws, and crank out good images without a lot of fuss.
Nikon shooters that I know get a lot more excited about lenses than cameras. When the 500/5.6PF came out, you couldn't buy one for love or money, because the wildlife folks (including me) lined up to buy them. And, to my mind, that makes a lot of sense: lenses matter a lot more than bodies for what kind of images you can get.
Damn, that looks really good. I can't wait for the A1 vs R3 vs Z9 shootout by actual sports and bird photographers. No lame dpreview tests where someone walks at snails pace straight toward the cameras.
So want to replace my D500 and keep using my 500 PF. Still I'd be happy if Nikon releases a Z7III which is 90% the performance and under $4K and finally make a true mirrorless D850 killer, as the Z9 will be $7K for sure.
I'm using the 500PF on a FTZ on Z6 and it works great. The D500 focuses a little bit more reliably with the bare lens (though not much), but the Z6 focuses quite a bit better with a 1.4x.
Good to hear about the better AF with 1.4x TC. I suspected that might be the case as that was one area of weakness with Nikon, they were a long way behind Canon when it cae to using TC's, with lenses slower than f/5.6, but uch better with bare lenses. Mirrorless can focus with much slower apertures and have all points available.
Yeah, it's difficult to find a good side by side comparison of the AF from someone that understands how to use all 3 brands, obviously not surprising though.
This isn't to say that the D500 is *bad* with the 500PF + TC. I have lots of in-focus shots of birds in flight with it and it definitely is reliable. But it doesn't have the same "this is absolute magic, literally every shot is in focus" quality as the bare lens on the D500.
@HibikiTaisuna: the 500PF, by itself, is a reason to shoot Nikon. It is that good.
I did use the 500mm f5.6 PF on the Z6II and Z7II with birds and kids running and had excellent results.
Obviously a black out free EVF and faster fps would help but the AF itself worked very well. Not a bit difference compared to the D850. Maybe better thanks to eye AF.
I've found the 300PF to be a remarkably good people-in-action lens. The amount of defocus you get when shooting a full-body shot (athlete running, person on bicycle, etc.) is enough to get good-looking subject/background separation while still showing the contours of the natural setting.
I've gotten some great shots of cyclists with it, for instance.
A1 does 15 - 18 fps at 14 bit raw and with AF-C... So its a low target Nikon has to beat.. Not to forget that crop size mount of Sony which will forever hold them back from designing exotic lenses
@amit_sharma The crop mount of the Sony is also bad for a good IBIS performance with full frame cameras. Not very effective at Sony especially when you're doing videos while handholding the camera. I have seen much better performance from the Z 6 II / Z 7 II.
No.. there is a lot hidden in the actual performance of the Sony A1. Its a bit more hyped. The specs are misleading and actual performance is not what is written
Yes.. i tried it out. And its widely reported as well that it doesnt really do 30 fps in 14 bit raw with AF-C. To get 30 fps, you have to be in 12 bit RAW and shoot lossy compressed... both of which are pretty useless for me.
Here are the specs on dpreview as well.
"Impressive 30 fps shooting, but only in lossy compressed Raw, JPEG or HEIF"
The Miata is light. And if you'll look for it's technical drawings, you'll see that it's basically mid engined, cause the engine is moved as far back, as possible - weight distribution 50/50. Alpine is 44/56.
I think they share the same philosophy - the sports car should be as light as possible. I get it. One of the best drives of my life was in Yaris 1 liter manual in the blizzard - one hour of flat out driving on completely empty roads to the city from the ski resort. that car weights 1900 pounds, and that was FUN, sideways everywhere...
As a Pentax fan and former analogue Pentax user I am crossing my fingers. Never understood why the K1 wasn’t mirrorless if they had to release new fullframe lenses anyways.
Really hope for their sake it is as good as it looks, i.e, direct recording. Looked around, and for me, Nikon files are the best to work with. Given the amount of work postprocessing generates with digital files, staying with this brand for as long as possible
Nikon files are already the best to work with since 2012 with the release of the Nikon D600 as entry level full frame camera. Such a unmachted dynamic range from that images. You could expose with one shoot for the highlights in the the sky and recover everything else in RAW. That was impossible with Canon. Later on the D810 was winning the crown for best in class image quality competing with medium format at ISO 64 which is still true with the Nikon D850 and Z 7.
Sometimes I wonder, whether with all those AI powered car-af, bird-af and whatever-af, we are slowly approaching the point where the action photographer could be replaced by an autonomous drone taking all the shots.
Not really. Photography is still an art that speaks with the beauty of images. That is the reason while some people still shoot crappy pictures with expensive gear.
Somewhere out there is an article about using a network of cameras which take photos at the same time, and provide enough info for a computer to re-create the scene in 3D space. Then the software user gets to move a floating camera around to get the perfect angle on the photo.
I find the overlay tracking a little questionable (way too smooth when tracking), but if accurate, it would appear Nikon is on its way to closing the AF gap and likely pulling away a little.
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise: - Nikon was always clearly ahead of Canon in AF in DSLRs the past 10+ years, - The AF of the Z7II is much better than it’s given credit for
The Z9 is just were we could logically expect a top Nikon camera to be.
@photography-lover, I fully expected them to catch up. This was a do or die moment for Nikon. Failure here... would have eroded too much faith. They HAD to stop the Sony bleeding.
That said I'm still find it hard to believe the overlay is an accurate assessment, but we will see.
Compared to Sony how long it took them from the original A7 camera in 2013 until where they are now. Sony was having 5 year head start in advance.
And Nikon took only 3 years with the start of the Z-system in August 2018 to surpass all the competitors with this performance. That is simply a stunning engineering performance of Nikon.
Yes. Sony since 2013 with the A7 series, which matured as something professional in 2017. Nikon, only 3 years old, features a flagship-level camera... Nikon showing how to make excellent cameras.
That has to be one of the silliest statements I’ve read in a while. It’s like saying that if a new phone brand enters the market you expect its first model to be like the original iPhone and you think it will take a decade to catch up. Nikon could piggyback on Sony innovations in the mirrorless market (eye AF anyone?), not to mention the sensors….
Let’s not talk about piggy backing please. They bought another camera company to get into all of this. In the film days no one made their own “sensors” either.
@photo-art Why are you incessantly quoting from a rumours site in this forum as if their opinion should impress anyone? Maybe you’re just too easily impressed. But after seeing post after post of yours here, I’ve become quite curious about about your need to be proselytising a camera that’s not even on the market yet….
@mblack Yep, they did that many years ago and made no bones about it. But they also came up with a lot of innovations afterwards (in body stabilisation of an FF sensor for ex)… and they basically created the FF mirrorless ILC market (Minolta far in the past) while N and C sat on the sidelines for years
@docno….. not quite. They lost money for 10 years while they threw all sorts of pasta at the wall. They bailed out Olympus for a while and took their IBIS technology in the process. The a7 was a lucky hit. Good for them though. It pushed other makers to do the same. But it wasn’t the planned success that you’re making it out to be. More of a happy accident.
@m black: "The a7 was a lucky hit." "But it wasn’t the planned success that you’re making it out to be. More of a happy accident."
And then, just by accident, they designed the A9 and the A1. Imagine how good Sony cameras would be if they were designed on purpose, not just accidentally
I’m not saying that at all. Previous to the a7, how many APS-C mirrorless bodies did they have? And tried new designs. And how many SLT’s and DSLRs did they have? Lots, right? Right. The a7 was a happy accident. But they used that as a spring board onto a9’s and a1’s. Once they found their hit, they gained focus.
@mblack let me quote the a900 review from this site: “ The DSLR-A900 features Sony's 'Super SteadyShot' sensor-shift image stabilization system (a development of the 'Anti-Shake' system we first saw on the Konica Minolta 7D) - something many were skeptical was even feasible with a full frame sensor in a camera this compact (kudos Sony on that clever bit of engineering). This system works by moving the sensor in the opposite direction to the sensed shake movement of the camera.” …. Funny, no mention of Olympus there. Also, they indeed lost money for a while, but they found their feet with mirrorless FF while your Nikon sat on the sidelines for years
Could you explain in detail what you mean? Like you would be saying "Sony A1 is 1.5 times the Nikon's FPS"? By that notion any camera can be said 'measured by'. Not sure that statement has much validity, especially with the lack of technical information about the Z, only teasers.
I'm a Nikon shooter and to date there's not one review of this camera. It'll be measured in due time by actual photographers. Hopefully it will indeed be best in class and its tech trickles down to more affordable models for folks like me.
Sony users getting nervous..... they're worried that if the Z9 is a seminal camera, all they'll be able to attack is Nikon's marketing. @cylon, don't you have a medium format camera?! Talking about weight of a camera like it matters.
The weight and size of the 100s isn't bad at all. Much smaller size than the z-9. I would have to assume less weight as well. If the way it ends up being the same, them I will stand corrected. I bought and returned the gfx 100 because of its size, bulk, and weight.
The population of pros has been decimated over the past few years. The whole camera market now is pretty much enthusiast and hobby based now. People seem to be unable to admit this reality.
The Sony A1 is used by tons of hobbyists, as well as pros like Mark Smith that absolutely appreciate the size and weight benefits for travel and easier free movement due to lighter weight. Gfx 100s reviews also noted how great the smaller size and weight was for "pro" work.
I truly hope that this Z9 can be the bee's knees for all Nikonians. Had it been around a year ago I might have considered it instead of my R5. But now invested completely in lots of top RF glass I'm done. There isn't anything the R5 doesn't provide me performance wise. I was a Nikonian with their top bodies and glass for 15 years. So it's fun to see them joining the party once again.
You never know...I was using my Nikon F100 and jumped to digital with the Canon 5D, but went back to Nikon with the D700 due to ergonomics and color. Was a good move as Nikon produced some amazing cameras with the D8XX series. Mirrorless certainly has been a new challenge for Nikon but I think they are starting to hit the sweet spot with the range of bodies and lenses. Some gaps to fill but have come a long way in 3 years.
Eye af to the side of the face is interesting to see in may situation. Why i do 3d tracking and pick the point by touching the rear lcd screen on my z.
My Zfc's animal eye AF works even it just catches a small corner of my dog's eye almost from the back when her head is turning from about 10 feet away. The Z9 will be multiples better.
That looks like the new FTZ mount on the camera. The current FTZ has a beveled front edge, not the sharper front end like this one. Please please please have shaved off the bottom foot; or at least moved the bulge somewhere else. Bonus points if it has a focus motor for classic AF lenses, even if it's a bit slow (I'm not expecting lightning fast focusing when I'm using a lens built in 1984).
I would love to see some of these teased features on an Nikon D500 DSLR Camera mirrorless replacement. That would be more in my budget range an we get that cropped factor for birders like myself.
Those are my expectations when I see Flagships(Z9) introduced, some of the goodies flow down to the more affordable units. Not that an Nikon D500 DSLR Camera mirrorless replacement is going to be exactly cheap.
The also rumored 100 400 becomes an 200 to 600. Great for us birders.
Agree. I was kind of skeptical as to the need for a mirrorless D500 like camera. But I kind of doubt this tech will trickle down to the more "affordable" FF models any time soon. Crop sensor will help keep costs down.
Well almost all the brands are stating they want to sale higher priced units across the board so I would fully expect an mirrorless D500 like camera in the next 12 months. Tease me.
Do I expect everything, certainly not, but things like better AF and Video features, why not? I think the D500 was introduced at $2000. Today, $1,600. The crop factor is an given. It won't be on the same level, but it will improve from the R&D gained on making the Z9. Slowly but surely.
The focus system seems completely faked. It tracks the tennis player's eye from a frame or so in the future, and the jumper's eye from behind his hand.
"Lets have a million teasers for a camera only 20 people will buy."
Thanks for the insightful comment At the end of the day those 20 people will most likely have better color science than anything else that's on the market, but rather than bloviate on a BB I'm going to wait to see with my own eyes first IMHO Nikon has always had better color with their digital products than their competitors. Thankfully I'm at the point where I'm lucky enough to be ready to purchase a new system from either Canon or Nikon now that all these great products are going to soon hit the streets. I've been hesitant only because I wanted to wait to see what Nikon's offerings were going to be and wanted to give them a chance to get more native glass out as well. If I were to buy a system TODAY it would most definitely be Canon as they have all the product that I would need moving forward but unfortunately the color isn't the best I hope Nikon's offerings raise their standard once again Let's wait and see
"Lets have a million teasers for a camera only 20 people will buy."
It's about bringing attention to the brand, just like when they sit an Chevrolet Corvette in the showroom. They might not buy that, but guess what, they have other things that are also for sale. So tease on.
It never hurts to give people something to dream about, even if they might not buy it. Without these products, I think it would be a pretty boring website.
I think in today's day and age that analogy does not work. Having a halo product to draw the crowd and then they buy something else? Who is really that naive these days? People research cameras, they compare them, they budget them in. Nobody in their right mind goes "OMG Z9 is amazing, let me get a Z50" The days of 'romance' advertising are gone. Cameras are technical computer based machines and people buy them for specific needs, even if their needs are simple like shooting their kids on auto. I am yet to meet someone who would be swayed by a 'halo' rather than the actual reality at hand for which you have to shell your hard earned dollar.
@Currantos Wrong. It still works the same way with Canon and Sony. Users do talk about the functionality, performance and image quality of top tier cameras and they hope to get some of the benefits in smaller models.
This may not sell like a Canon Rebel, but I do think it will be the best flagship on the market. Well... at least until the R1 comes out, but that will likely be $1500-$2000 up the hill anyway, so it better trounce the cheaper bodies.
Currantos; These teasers are prevalent everywhere, cars, stereos, Iphones, etc. Most manufacturers are proud of their products and will use their best product to stir up interest in the rest of the line. I would rather read about the Z9 than the lower priced models even though I won't buy either one.....right now.
Give it a rest Cylon. Jeez. You own a Fuji medium format. A company further back in market share, with an even smaller closed mount ecosystem. Everyone knows you have a weird hate on for Nikon. We know you think 1000g is heavy and 800g is not. Ironically, Nikon Z is the most adaptable of any mount. Stop projecting. Just because the system is unattractive to you, doesn't mean the same for all.
No, there is no conspiracy about people randomly hating other camera company. Nikon simply offers the worst selection of cameras right now, along with the worst selection of native lenses, stuck in a consumer hostile closed mount, and still refuse to adapt to change and are building brick dslr style grandpa cameras.
No one wants to adapt lenses. A huge hassle of constantly switching adapters on and off and off and on, pushing the center of gravity away from you, etc. If you think adapted lenses are the future, then hurry straight to canikon HQ and tell them to stop maming native lenses...adapted lenses are awesome, so they should simply make dslr lenses so they can sell to both audience and jumpstart an adapted lenses revolution! Completely out of touch.
So much to unpack there. It’s 2.8 Trinity from Nikon is regarded as the best. Their 1.8 primes outperform the former standard Zeiss Otus. Worst selection? Hardly.
It’s funny how the Sony narrative warps over time. In the beginning Sony’s marketing and early adopter spin was “adapt any lens ever made by anyone”. For the first 5 years of their 8 year FF MILC existence that was the case. Then about 3 years ago 3rd party support and G Master lenses started coming in earnest. Nikon is way ahead of where Sony was 3 years into the new system and they have everything covered from 14-200mm. Soon to be 400mm. Plus all the adaptable F mount G lenses. You are not a Nikon user so why do you try to speak with authority about the line?
I've used them before, from the d40 days to the d500. It is all public knowledge. Worst autofocus, a mild refresh with the Ziis. The smallest selection of native lenses. Anticonsumer closed mount. No lenses that reach beyond 200mm, 4 years into the game. They are a lumbering giant that adapts extremely slowly to market change. Still building their top tech into giant monstrous bodies. Market share plummeted to 16% and it is easy to see why.
Dude, you're so dilusional I'm starting to feel sorry for you. I used the a7II. Based on that experience, I can confidently say Sony is the worst camera system I've ever used. What's that you say? The a7II is different than the a7III? Of course it is. The D500 is further apart from the Z6 that the a7II/III. Once again, you have now confirmed you have zero practical experience with the Z's are only regurgitating what you've read/watched by people with only very slightly more or equal experience. When did you switch to Sony? I assume you saw the potential and became an early adopter with the a7I. And you must have a few lenses over 200mm since that's important to you. Monstrous bodies? You mean the ones less tall than a gripped a1? The ones that weigh less than a 5lbs barbell? That's heavy for you? Sad.
It is funny that you say a gripped A1, because a grip is completely unnecessary. Nope! You compare the A1 directly with the Z9. Old brick dslr style vs sleek and lean, but still insanely powerful.
No reason whatsoever to add a grip with modern lenses that are centered rather than front heavy dslr teles. The grip doesn't add to the fps, since you don-t need more batteries to make the flapping mirror go faster. So, you are stuck with a humongous, bulky, and heavy camera.... And if you want high tech, but in a sleak and moderb package, you are completely locked our. More of that old, out of touch thinking. Maybe Nikon IS right for you!
I mean, come on now... no teles beyond 200 after 4 years is a complete joke. And a closed mount is a huge anticonsumer slap to the face. That is why there is an endless parade of beggars asking for Z lenses during every 3rd party sony announcement...which has been pretty nonstop lately.
Thecylon is clearly only trolling and gets a kick from denigrating. Bet they had a parent that told them their friends were bad and their things were bad and so on. Oldest power game in the book. Don’t take the bait. That only gives that type of person nourishment. Let them sit alone until, hopefully, they get help.
3 years Cylon, 3 years. And you didn’t answer any questions. Just deflecting with non-importance babble. When did Sony have a greater than 200mm? And shhh, don’t tell anyone, but people have access to all the great telephoto F mount lenses to adapt. And time to hit the gym buddy. If you arm curl 5 lbs, those 2lbs camera won’t feel heavy to you anymore.
Canon came out with mirrorless at the same time as Nikon and they have had their 100-500 for a year now? Longer than a year?
No third party choice either due to that consumer hostile closed mount. I always feel bad for the canikon beggars in every new third party sony e announcement thread.
Best tell dpreview that light lenses are unimportant. They were raving about how the new sony 70-200 dropped the weight by 30%. You need to tell them about your manliness.
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