What a fantastic resource. I've been a longtime Nikon user, but some aspects of the settings of the Z9 threw me a bit. You answered all of the questions I had in mind. Thank you!
Hudson, I want to thank you enormously for your videos on Banks and suggested initial setup. I have used them and made them my own and it's the first time I've ever used banks. Much appreciated. Also suggesting the reprogramming of the Fn4 button for my menu. THE QUESTION: Never mind: You got to the way I'm doing things now at 21:20 of your current video and answered all the questions I had about corrupting the reference tables by "deleting all photos" instead of reformatting the cards. So prior to this video, I developed the system you allude to at the end of this video (sort of) where I'll take the days shots off the card, reload the original settings off the card back to the camera, then format the card, and then reload my desired programmed settings back onto the card. I've also saved the original settings to the computer as a separate file. I completely agree with all the grips you have (including your other videos on DOF preview) and I have to thank you for teaching me more about things I have never utilized before on these bodies (and appreciate where you are coming from). Many Many Thanks. As predominately a sports/wildlife/action shooter with occasional portraits, landscape, food, and astrophotography thrown in you've been a tremendous asset helping ease the transition to Nikon Mirrorless with the Z9 and help me start to get the most out of the camera. Last thing: Even though it took some getting use to, I have adopted the "Hybrid" shooting for action with my preference for 3D on the "shutter" release button and AF-On for Wide Area. At the moment, just works better for me. Many Many thanks and a strong thumbs up for this channel and your efforts. High Praise my friend for your dedication to helping the community.
I love your suggestion of adding the Save/Load item to My Menu. I've been actively using and loving (for the most part) Custom Shooting and Menu Banks since I got my D850 in 2017. I'd always saved a back to my computer, updating it when I came up with better base settings along the way, but I love your solution of keeping them on a spare SD card that I never use and on one of the cards in the camera. In fact, I immediately implemented this idea after watching your video. Thanks.
I subscribed to your channel today after watching many of your tutorial videos related to Z9. I really appreciate your way of explaining things in detail. I could not understand one thing though, that's if I save settings does it only save the Shooting Menu Banks and Custom Settings Bank? What about all other menu settings like the playback menu, Set up menu etc? Will those settings be also saved or will those go back to company default settings? Thank you Henry for your support videos.❤
Hey man. Thanks for the kind words. First name is Hudson, but no big deal. No, Save Settings stores everything, the Custom Settings banks, the Shooting banks, the My Menu and all the other menus and settings. Each bank only covers a limited set of menus, but Save and Load settings is the whole shooting match. I load my settings before pulling my card, down load my images format and then resave them. Sometimes on a shoot I get to tweaking settings and just hit Load Settings to get back to my start point. The huge key is 1) Load Settings before 2) Format Card, and then 3) Save Settings before you tweak a thing. Keep that reference point locked down.
Thank you so much! I could not wrap my head around these banks until you explained this! 🙏🏽 I’ve been used to the U settings on prior cameras. Very different mind set.
I just got my Z8 (I know I said it was too big and pricy for my needs, and it still is, but I'm not going to waste the summer shooting opportunities waiting for another Z. LOL) I'm sifting through BANKS and recall settings features, and Nikon could really beef up their documentation on these features. Thankfully, we have you (and Thom if you like to sit back and read) to help. That release and mode are the real sticklers for me. Lots of other settings I'd like to restore more easily as well. I'm writing because I'm giving up a bank to restore the other three to it, as another approach to restoring settings. Credit to someone (beatboxa?) on DPReview who suggested this. (long live DPR!) Minimally, all Nikon needs to do is sync them so that when you change one, the other changes too. Then use a separate memory card for video, and restore those settings from it. This is where matching cards would REALLY help, I did this with a Sony, as you can just swap them in the camera, restore, and it is like having 11 modes (3 onboard +4c1+4c2.) Cheers! I hope you're still doing photo tours when my kiddos go off to college. With any luck by then they will want to go too. ;)
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I'd also like the ability to tell the camera which settings I want to be "global settings" that never change. Then LIMIT and hide them from the menu. Then i don't need to setup MyMenu, and I free up another button. They also need to introduce double-press and long-press customization. The menu button could access menu, "i" menu, and mymenu. You could set which one was the default too! Same for the non-programmable AF button. THIS WOULDN'T TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES.
Hudson.... I'm a new Z8 user and I'm working through the process of setting up and saving menu banks.Your video has been very helpful. Actually, all of your videos are great! By all appearances, my saving and loading appears to be working as described on your video. However, I find it odd that after saving my menu settings, when I look at the memory cards (and the files) on my PC, I don't see a file created on either of my memory cards for the purpose of storing the settings banks. That seems really odd to me. Is that to be expected? Thanks in advance! Update: Problem solved - I pulled the card out of my camera and stuck it in an external reader connected to my PC. And the NCSET file was there. For some reason, when I use my PC (with File Explorer) to look at my cards while in the camera, via a USB cable, the file does not show up. So, though odd behavior, the problem is solved. So I believe I now can store multiple version of the saved file (and banks) on my PC.
I like your settings backup strategy on a card. One other place I put that file is in a folder on my computer. I change my "default" settings from time-to-time and I date and write a description in the folder so I can reset the camera back to specific settings. For example, I don't shoot at night often, but have a folder with the settings that I've saved for when I do that. I just load that one when I'm going to do that kind of shooting. Thanks for this video...
I have a separate small XQD card that I carry with me which I have my saved only my Bank settings. That way it doesn't matter if I accidentally (forgetfully) format the CFX cards in the the camera and wipe out the saved Banks... which you've just mentioned !
It would be helpful if Nikon could release an approach or theory behind how to use the two different banks. So powerful if they could be used in tandem (meaning synchronized). I’d appreciate having 4 setting banks for each shooting bank and the ability to assign switching setting banks with a button. For example, a shooting bank might be set for bird photography with four setting banks for four different bird scenarios. Birds in flight. Big birds, etc. currently I use a function button to fast switch between shooting banks I am frustrated by all the settings that don’t come with in particular the frame speed frames per second. It would be great to use the i-menus to switch shooting banks (landscape wildlife people etc) then have four special settings cases for each that can be fast switch assigned to a function button. at least, if the shooting bank selection synchronized transition to the same numbered user bank we’d at least have a complete camera switch. One can wish.
So, if I could push them in a direction... I'd have them look to Leica's Q system. 6 user programmable profiles accessible in the quick (think i) menu. They cover every possible setting in the entire camera. They are stored internally, but can be exported and imported to and from the memory card. When you save them you can name them, you can update each individually. When you enter one it sets the camera exactly the way it was when you stored or last updated it. Adjusting settings once in is sticky even if the camera is turned off and back on or the battery is replaced. Only by going back to the menu and reselecting the profile does it reset to the programmed parameters. That is perfection in my opinion. Nikon would do well to learn from it.
this is an awesome video! thanks man!.... I have decided............ I am not going to complicate my life.... I am glad this works for you. before banks we had to dial the settings and it is faster easier and not frustrating and complicated.
I felt that way with the D200, 700, 800 and 850, but they were simpler cameras. I shoot everything from landscape and milky way to birds in flight, sports and street. The settings for each require dozens of changes in multiple menus to really dial this beast of a camera in (the Z9) unlike the older, simpler, but less capable dslrs. I find the banks simplify my life immensely and I see why they were there in those other bodies all along. You might check out my setup videos to see what I'm talking about, but if one batch of settings with minor tweaks works well for all that you like to do, then feel very fortunate. It's not so for me. :)
Hey Hudson, thanks for the detailed videos. I have just ordered by Nikon Z8 and was wondring that how would I go to user settings which I used on my Z72 but your videos have given me some satisfaction and work around to make myself comfortable. Thanks again.
Thanks for clearing up the Shooting banks mystery for me. So now it seems they are of very little use (to me). I was hoping that they would give a fixed starting point from which you could make changes to suit the moment. But as they alter as you do throughout your shooting day I don't get what real purpose they serve as they will never be set to anything predictable. Thanks also for the introduction to Save/Load settings. I will be making more use of that but entirely agree that Nikon should designate a tiny part of the memory to that function. The Z9 is an amazing bit of kit but Nikon still need to listen to their users to fine tune it to perfection
Hi Richard, a pos solution for you. If you can manage with only 3 fixed starting points: use bank A as the working bank and always copy either BC or D into A before you start. No loading/saving onto cards you might format etc.
Good explanation Hudson, I was used to the Nikon banks from my D500 and came to appreciate their flexible nature compared to the User settings on the Z6/7. Using the bookmark analogy was a great way to explain their use! I would like to see the option to have six or even eight shooting and custom settings banks to have enough to be able to customize stills and video banks separately. Great video!
Thanks for this explanation on using the banks! So to clarify, you have to change both photo settings bank and custom banks everytime? Mapping the banks to the 'I' menu was a great idea for a workaround!
I put a Kirk Ent plate on my Z9....I do like my Titanium but the Arca plate you mention from Luma Labs doesn't appear the have the quick disconnect the Kirk plates have. With the Kirk plates and quick disconnects I use just the one Luma Loop camera strap and I can switch between my Z6ii and Z9 or my 70-200 2.8S lens which also has a Kirk Arca plate with quick disconnect...heck I can even switch to my AR-15 all with my one Luma Loop strap lol
Is there any way to tie both bank A’s to be one change via a button? I have my F1 button set to SHOOT banks, but would love when I go into SHOOT bank the matching letter CUSTOM bank loads too. Having to have both on the i menu works sorta, just multiple steps.
Thanks for a great teaching set of videos on the Z9. One question about formatting. Since we are working with Firmware version 4.0, when using the two format buttoms, you have the option in slot 1 to hit YES (quick format) or YES (full format). Am I safe at keeping all my settings using the quick format option? Thanks again, very informative videos.
Nope. It's just a deep level erasure vs junking the file table of contents for overwrite. Both methods nuke your saved settings sadly. The key remains... 1) Load settings, 2) format, 3) save settings. Either that or use delete all instead of format to not nuke the saved settings.
Thanks Hudson for your very informative videos. They are clear, well done add much appreciated. Can’t wait to get my Z9 to put these tips into practice. Maybe I am missing something but would the following approach work and thus avoid to have a separate dedicated card to save your default banks. Before formatting your card, load the default banks previously saved on your card into the camera. Once the default saved banks are in my camera, you can then format the card and then resave the banks that you just loaded in your camera back to the freshly formatted card.
Thanks for the video. I have a Z9 on order (since November 1!!!) and am still waiting for it to be delivered. My UK reseller tells me I should be in the next batch they anticipate receiving - hopefully before the end of the month. Until I could get hold of the camera I have refrained from watching these set-up videos but with the excitement building I thought I would take a look. Currently I use a Z6 and a Z7ii. You keep talking about saving the banks to the memory cards, however, this concerns me as my workflow throughout all my life with Nikon cameras, DSLR and now mirrorless, is to off load all the images to the computer after the shoot then, as soon as I have checked and backed these up I reformat the memory cards so they are ready for the next shoot. This would, I assume, defeat the procedure you are advocating. Any suggestions? Thanks
😂😉... watch Hudson's video would be a good suggestion! He explains it all immaculately and two options to boot! My guess i sthat you skipped parts of the video which were most important? Anyway, have another watch of it.
@@selianboy8508 I will, however, as I said, I didn't want to immerse myself in all things Z9 (there is so much already on UA-cam), until I actually have my hands on mine and I am able to follow along with the suggestions as I get familiar with the new system. I was just int6rigued by this particular video enough to dip in. Still don't know when mine will actually be here as deliveries to the resellers seem to be in very small numbers with frustratingly long delays between each shipment. I am in the NPS scheme but it has still been 5 mon the since the order was placed. I do believe I am getting close to the top of the waiting pile!!! Ever hopeful!
Thank you for making such a detailed video. I have a question... when you save your backup settings to your XQD card - does it create a bin file that you can backup to your computer? Then you can copy it with your card reader back to your xqd card if you need to restore, rather than use an expensive memory card? Will that work? I also saw someone use shooting bank b c d and leave a as a blank that you copy to. what do you think of that method? thanks.
There are as many ways to work with the banks as there are photographers working with them. :-) I like to use all four banks, but my standard bank A is a bit of a flexible shooting everyday bank that evolves with my preferences. B, C and D are specialized. I have videos describing how I set each of them up. The first is long and incredibly detailed and the other three are quick derivations. Yes, there's a bin file and that's another way to stay safe with the backup. I just wish they'd set a few kilobytes of this camera's massive internal storage to serve as the backup container instead of putting it on the card... :-(
If you just use two banks for action and landscape, can you copy A to C and B to D so you have two copies of each and then copy them back to the original bank when you desire? Thanks for all the work you put in for us. It does help when trying to get your head around this beast. I had an issue where the rubber ring on the eyepiece had worked loose and was occasionally covering the sensor on the view finder. I wasn't sure if I had lost my mind or the camera had lost its as it was doing some crazy, er, doo doo.
Try the hoodman Eyecup. You'll love it. That's a pretty funky way to accomplish that. Just save your settings, when you finish a shoot. Download your images from the card, put it back in, load your saved settings, format the card and save the settings back to it. ;-)
Thanks for your excellent video. I would like to switch between foto and video both in bank A. In the fotomode I would like to be in Aperture priority and in Video i would like to be in ful manual . mode. However everytime I switch the video in manual mode to photo, it stays in manual mode and not in A mode. Is there a way to fix this?
So if you want to save more settings as banks- can you have multiple files?. Also what are these filed called? So for example- if I have my 4 banks, then I go out on safari and make adjustments and want to keep those adjustments for that week, but also want to keep my usual original files... can I save both as different names and then load one or the other? This was a bit hard to follow as a newbie.
Hiya Hudson! If the banks settings are saved in the camera (not just the cards), why worry too much about backups? Yes, anything you’ve changed is also recalled in cam next session, but one original setup on my card is all I’d need (I guess)… long as I didn’t format the card by mistake. BTW - I am a long-standing fan of yours).
The banks are like bookmarks. Every change you make stays saved in them. Each bank takes you to where you were last in that particular bank. Nothing is set in them. So to save a consistent starting point, you set up the banks how you like them when you take the camera out of the bag, save your settings (which sadly only saves to the card), and then you can load your settings again to get back to your preferred base point in every set of banks whenever you want or need.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto Thanks Hudson! So, nothing… ever… is stored in the z9… even changes you tweak in the field? How then does the camera recall your tweaked settings when your turn it off then on? i.e. if I tweak my Astro settings (say to iso 500) from base (card stored original settings), the camera somehow “knows” my change the following day.
Again, the banks are like bookmarks. Each one remembers exactly where you left off. But... There is no saved start point, except saving your preferred settings. At the end of the day if you've tweaked all your settings for the given shoot, there is no way except reloading your saved settings to get the camera back to a consistent starting point. Yes it remembers each and every setting you change, but without saved settings you have no consistent base to return to at the start of the next shoot. Those saved settings they put on the card sadly instead of on internal memory.
I'm still finding instances where changing something in shooting bank B affects bank A. Like back button focus modes where I disable the half press shutter focus. That, and other settings seem to be global settings.
Kudos for explaining this as much as anyone can explain such a convoluted system :) Maybe they can do a firmware update in the future or maybe the camera architecture won't allow for a drastic change. As you say - maybe 8 banks - Some you could set up for still scenarios, others for video scenarios - and drive settings NOT global but actually so you you could put AFS on one bank and AFC on another and 20fps on one and 120fps on another - or maybe that wouldn't make sense in the context of the mode dial. I did figure out how to assign the Fn1 button to toggle between Shooting banks via the command dial - without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. I guess I need to assign Fn2 to Custom settings banks.
Back button vs shutter is in the custom settings and therefore is not global. Your custom settings banks do control that. :) there are only two sets of banks. Custom settings and shooting. Custom settings banks only control the custom settings menu. The shooting banks control two menus. The shooting menu and the video recording menu simultaneously. I do wish they'd move to a single deeper set of banks that cover all the menus and include the frame rate setting. Alas...
If you leave the power switch on continuously and let the camera go to sleep, will it wipe the settings when it goes to sleep? Thanks Hudson, Tom KC3QAC
I know SnapBridge has varying reviews with Nikon users, but would be nice to see Nikon implement custom settings bank backup option in there. We can already transfer firmware updates from the phone to the Z9, why not have a custom settings bank backup in there as well? Save the setting via Bluetooth to SnapBridge on a mobile device, and have another backup in you need it in the field. It would be a nice failsafe option in case I accidentally format a memory card before loading settings back to the camera. If I'm in the field, and don't have access to a backup on my computer until getting home, I could quickly (debatable with SnapBridge...) load my settings back to my Z9 via Bluetooth. Doesn't seem like it would be all that challenging to implement since the app and the file transfer functionality between phone and Z9 already exists.
canon solved the custom settings problem very well, all settings in one click. and you decide if the cam save the changes or not. do not understand why it is so complicated in the z8/9
Doesn't the NX software save the camera settings. Is so that is a way around storing them on memory cards and/or making them less vulnerable to accidental loss.
Nope, it does not. I find it really lacking for editing too. I tried the latest version recently. Once again it made me wonder why the camera companies even expend such energy instead of focusing on what they excel at and coordinating better with Adobe and other software specialists to demosaic the raw files.
That's one of the main topics of this very video... The fact that they are sadly wiped out along with various methodologies to consider to mitigate that annoying fact.
Again that's one of several options I discuss in this very video you're commenting on. There's even a link to that discussion section in the video's full description if you click the title or 'show more' :)
Nikon really should do this automatically... i.e. when you format a card you get the option of 'load settings and format card' (from your card) which in turn makes the camera load the settings from the card you have in your camera, then it it formats the card, then it 're-makes' the 'save settings' to card feature. This way the back-up of your settings is always done automatically instead of you manually having to do this every time. Having given up on using the Manual method a few years ago - because I often forgot to do it - and then given up on using the save the setting onto a spare card method simply because I often forgot to deal with it anyway (yup... I know, bad admin and memory! 😂), I simply resort now to the fact of life that I always have to shift through menus to sort it all out once again. But really, in my user case, it is not much of a hassle as I don't really need to change much from the default! But boy! Would it make life simpler if Nikon implicated this as an automated feature! Great video and thanks. EDIT: Why are the 'save settings' not saved in the camera memory itself AS WELL AS backed up to your card! Apologies... somehow I missed this latter point at 22:00. My bad!
Coming from the M1X which does save the setting in body and card if so desired (or swapped to a smartphone!), I found Nikon's Z9 setting system incredulous.
Why can't Nikon let me backup to my phone? We have this great app with a connection to the camera that can perform a Firmware update. Are you telling me they can't send a few kilobytes back from the camera to the phone? Or even better save them to the cloud somewhere. It is amazing how advanced these cameras are in some cases but still so antiquated in others.
You could do this (if the feature is available btw) but in all honesty... would you? It seems to me that this procedure is simply too time consuming and eventually you will not bother. Simply follow Hudson's advice of LOADING/FORMATING/RE-SAVING each time you format. But maybe Nikon will automate this procedure one day and you can simply choose an option to save-format-resave all in one click of a button. Mind you, why the settings cannot be saved somewhere 'in-camera' additionally and at the same time as to a card, ready to be used at anytime, I haven't got a scoobie doo!
@@iTriguy1 yup, I know what you mean by managing to remember spare cards and all that. We have our phones with us all the time so your option is a logical one indeed. But I still think that Hudson's suggestion is a better option, although you need to get used to the loading/formatting/saving procedure. I used to do what Hudson advocates some years ago, but ended up not always remembering to do it so haven't bothered in recent years... however with the advent of so-much-to-offer cameras like the Z9, I think I might have to rethink this one! But it is not really a camera for me and I will await the mythical Z8. But as you say, we all find our own best-for-ourselves' techniques.
Nikon has the worst, most horrific, menu bank storage system I've ever encountered on ANY product over the past 3 decades. It is so god-awful bad and ridiculous, I'm considering ditching my Nikon system for another brand. It is incomprehensible that the software side thought this was a deployable solution. The only thing worse, would be for Nikon to produce a lens foot that doesn't utilize the Arca-Swiss standard. Doh!
This seems more than a bit extreme. 😅 Most of the brands have plenty of odd quirks. At least for those of us who've been shooting nikon continously for decades they are familiar evolving quirks. The banks are a legacy of the pro dslr bodies. The closest I've come to a perfect UI in a camera body is my Leica Q3. They've really thought things through beautifully, but that comes at a steep cost.
Leica's Q system is the best I've used. 6 programable profiles cover every setting in the camera. They are easily accessible from the quick menu touch screen. They save internally but are importable/exportable from and to the card. All settings changes stick (even through power downs) untill you switch and rechoose the profile which returns you to the profile set point. An additional 7th default profile at the end is locked to factory settings. So simple and useful. Nikon should take notes.
Your explanation was very clear and informative. The clouds have lifted to reveal the sunshine. Thanks, American dude, from bonnie Scotland.
Great info, Hudson. You have a real talent in simplifying complex topics into easy to digest nuggets. Keep up the great work!
By far the best Video for this special Theme. Thank you for your work. Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
What a fantastic resource. I've been a longtime Nikon user, but some aspects of the settings of the Z9 threw me a bit. You answered all of the questions I had in mind. Thank you!
Your 4 vids are the best I have seen - I watched them while finalising my current set-up for my pair of Z9
Hudson, I want to thank you enormously for your videos on Banks and suggested initial setup. I have used them and made them my own and it's the first time I've ever used banks. Much appreciated. Also suggesting the reprogramming of the Fn4 button for my menu. THE QUESTION: Never mind: You got to the way I'm doing things now at 21:20 of your current video and answered all the questions I had about corrupting the reference tables by "deleting all photos" instead of reformatting the cards. So prior to this video, I developed the system you allude to at the end of this video (sort of) where I'll take the days shots off the card, reload the original settings off the card back to the camera, then format the card, and then reload my desired programmed settings back onto the card. I've also saved the original settings to the computer as a separate file. I completely agree with all the grips you have (including your other videos on DOF preview) and I have to thank you for teaching me more about things I have never utilized before on these bodies (and appreciate where you are coming from). Many Many Thanks. As predominately a sports/wildlife/action shooter with occasional portraits, landscape, food, and astrophotography thrown in you've been a tremendous asset helping ease the transition to Nikon Mirrorless with the Z9 and help me start to get the most out of the camera. Last thing: Even though it took some getting use to, I have adopted the "Hybrid" shooting for action with my preference for 3D on the "shutter" release button and AF-On for Wide Area. At the moment, just works better for me. Many Many thanks and a strong thumbs up for this channel and your efforts. High Praise my friend for your dedication to helping the community.
Just wanted to say thanks for the effort you put into making these videos. Such great content!
I love your suggestion of adding the Save/Load item to My Menu. I've been actively using and loving (for the most part) Custom Shooting and Menu Banks since I got my D850 in 2017. I'd always saved a back to my computer, updating it when I came up with better base settings along the way, but I love your solution of keeping them on a spare SD card that I never use and on one of the cards in the camera. In fact, I immediately implemented this idea after watching your video. Thanks.
I subscribed to your channel today after watching many of your tutorial videos related to Z9. I really appreciate your way of explaining things in detail. I could not understand one thing though, that's if I save settings does it only save the Shooting Menu Banks and Custom Settings Bank? What about all other menu settings like the playback menu, Set up menu etc? Will those settings be also saved or will those go back to company default settings?
Thank you Henry for your support videos.❤
Hey man. Thanks for the kind words. First name is Hudson, but no big deal. No, Save Settings stores everything, the Custom Settings banks, the Shooting banks, the My Menu and all the other menus and settings. Each bank only covers a limited set of menus, but Save and Load settings is the whole shooting match. I load my settings before pulling my card, down load my images format and then resave them. Sometimes on a shoot I get to tweaking settings and just hit Load Settings to get back to my start point. The huge key is 1) Load Settings before 2) Format Card, and then 3) Save Settings before you tweak a thing. Keep that reference point locked down.
Thanks for taking the time to create this video. This actually makes it sound like I might start using the settings banks 🙏🙏👍
Thank you so much! I could not wrap my head around these banks until you explained this! 🙏🏽 I’ve been used to the U settings on prior cameras. Very different mind set.
Thank you for sharing this! I unboxed my Z9 a few weeks ago and I definitely had questions about the banks in the settings.
Waiting for my Z9, looking forward to using your "Z9 school" when I get it in my hands. Great channel you have.
Thanks so much for you detailed videos and your whole approach to teaching!! Love what your doing!!
I just got my Z8 (I know I said it was too big and pricy for my needs, and it still is, but I'm not going to waste the summer shooting opportunities waiting for another Z. LOL) I'm sifting through BANKS and recall settings features, and Nikon could really beef up their documentation on these features. Thankfully, we have you (and Thom if you like to sit back and read) to help. That release and mode are the real sticklers for me. Lots of other settings I'd like to restore more easily as well. I'm writing because I'm giving up a bank to restore the other three to it, as another approach to restoring settings. Credit to someone (beatboxa?) on DPReview who suggested this. (long live DPR!)
Minimally, all Nikon needs to do is sync them so that when you change one, the other changes too. Then use a separate memory card for video, and restore those settings from it. This is where matching cards would REALLY help, I did this with a Sony, as you can just swap them in the camera, restore, and it is like having 11 modes (3 onboard +4c1+4c2.)
Cheers! I hope you're still doing photo tours when my kiddos go off to college. With any luck by then they will want to go too. ;)
👍👍
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I'd also like the ability to tell the camera which settings I want to be "global settings" that never change. Then LIMIT and hide them from the menu. Then i don't need to setup MyMenu, and I free up another button.
They also need to introduce double-press and long-press customization. The menu button could access menu, "i" menu, and mymenu. You could set which one was the default too! Same for the non-programmable AF button. THIS WOULDN'T TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES.
Hudson.... I'm a new Z8 user and I'm working through the process of setting up and saving menu banks.Your video has been very helpful. Actually, all of your videos are great! By all appearances, my saving and loading appears to be working as described on your video. However, I find it odd that after saving my menu settings, when I look at the memory cards (and the files) on my PC, I don't see a file created on either of my memory cards for the purpose of storing the settings banks. That seems really odd to me. Is that to be expected?
Thanks in advance!
Update: Problem solved - I pulled the card out of my camera and stuck it in an external reader connected to my PC. And the NCSET file was there. For some reason, when I use my PC (with File Explorer) to look at my cards while in the camera, via a USB cable, the file does not show up. So, though odd behavior, the problem is solved. So I believe I now can store multiple version of the saved file (and banks) on my PC.
this is a great help, thank you
good video. Nikon doesn't always make it easy, so your video does help. TY Hudson.
I like your settings backup strategy on a card. One other place I put that file is in a folder on my computer. I change my "default" settings from time-to-time and I date and write a description in the folder so I can reset the camera back to specific settings. For example, I don't shoot at night often, but have a folder with the settings that I've saved for when I do that. I just load that one when I'm going to do that kind of shooting. Thanks for this video...
Thanks so much Hudson - can't image figuring this all out on my own.
I have a separate small XQD card that I carry with me which I have my saved only my Bank settings. That way it doesn't matter if I accidentally (forgetfully) format the CFX cards in the the camera and wipe out the saved Banks... which you've just mentioned !
It would be helpful if Nikon could release an approach or theory behind how to use the two different banks. So powerful if they could be used in tandem (meaning synchronized). I’d appreciate having 4 setting banks for each shooting bank and the ability to assign switching setting banks with a button. For example, a shooting bank might be set for bird photography with four setting banks for four different bird scenarios. Birds in flight. Big birds, etc. currently I use a function button to fast switch between shooting banks I am frustrated by all the settings that don’t come with in particular the frame speed frames per second. It would be great to use the i-menus to switch shooting banks (landscape wildlife people etc) then have four special settings cases for each that can be fast switch assigned to a function button. at least, if the shooting bank selection synchronized transition to the same numbered user bank we’d at least have a complete camera switch. One can wish.
So, if I could push them in a direction... I'd have them look to Leica's Q system. 6 user programmable profiles accessible in the quick (think i) menu. They cover every possible setting in the entire camera. They are stored internally, but can be exported and imported to and from the memory card. When you save them you can name them, you can update each individually. When you enter one it sets the camera exactly the way it was when you stored or last updated it. Adjusting settings once in is sticky even if the camera is turned off and back on or the battery is replaced. Only by going back to the menu and reselecting the profile does it reset to the programmed parameters. That is perfection in my opinion. Nikon would do well to learn from it.
this is an awesome video! thanks man!.... I have decided............ I am not going to complicate my life.... I am glad this works for you. before banks we had to dial the settings and it is faster easier and not frustrating and complicated.
I felt that way with the D200, 700, 800 and 850, but they were simpler cameras. I shoot everything from landscape and milky way to birds in flight, sports and street. The settings for each require dozens of changes in multiple menus to really dial this beast of a camera in (the Z9) unlike the older, simpler, but less capable dslrs. I find the banks simplify my life immensely and I see why they were there in those other bodies all along. You might check out my setup videos to see what I'm talking about, but if one batch of settings with minor tweaks works well for all that you like to do, then feel very fortunate. It's not so for me. :)
Hey Hudson, thanks for the detailed videos. I have just ordered by Nikon Z8 and was wondring that how would I go to user settings which I used on my Z72 but your videos have given me some satisfaction and work around to make myself comfortable. Thanks again.
I'll publish a detailed settings guide. Stay tuned.
Thanks for clearing up the Shooting banks mystery for me. So now it seems they are of very little use (to me). I was hoping that they would give a fixed starting point from which you could make changes to suit the moment. But as they alter as you do throughout your shooting day I don't get what real purpose they serve as they will never be set to anything predictable.
Thanks also for the introduction to Save/Load settings. I will be making more use of that but entirely agree that Nikon should designate a tiny part of the memory to that function. The Z9 is an amazing bit of kit but Nikon still need to listen to their users to fine tune it to perfection
Hi Richard, a pos solution for you. If you can manage with only 3 fixed starting points: use bank A as the working bank and always copy either BC or D into A before you start. No loading/saving onto cards you might format etc.
Good explanation Hudson, I was used to the Nikon banks from my D500 and came to appreciate their flexible nature compared to the User settings on the Z6/7. Using the bookmark analogy was a great way to explain their use! I would like to see the option to have six or even eight shooting and custom settings banks to have enough to be able to customize stills and video banks separately. Great video!
Thanks for this explanation on using the banks! So to clarify, you have to change both photo settings bank and custom banks everytime? Mapping the banks to the 'I' menu was a great idea for a workaround!
Thanks! Yep that's right. Be sure abs check out my firmware 2.0 video for a cool, way to get to your action settings instantly.
I put a Kirk Ent plate on my Z9....I do like my Titanium but the Arca plate you mention from Luma Labs doesn't appear the have the quick disconnect the Kirk plates have. With the Kirk plates and quick disconnects I use just the one Luma Loop camera strap and I can switch between my Z6ii and Z9 or my 70-200 2.8S lens which also has a Kirk Arca plate with quick disconnect...heck I can even switch to my AR-15 all with my one Luma Loop strap lol
Is there any way to tie both bank A’s to be one change via a button? I have my F1 button set to SHOOT banks, but would love when I go into SHOOT bank the matching letter CUSTOM bank loads too. Having to have both on the i menu works sorta, just multiple steps.
I wish. The i-menu method I use is the fastest I've found. Easy, quick three screen taps or a bit of joystick nav in the viewfinder.
Thanks for a great teaching set of videos on the Z9. One question about formatting. Since we are working with Firmware version 4.0, when using the two format buttoms, you have the option in slot 1 to hit YES (quick format) or YES (full format). Am I safe at keeping all my settings using the quick format option? Thanks again, very informative videos.
Nope. It's just a deep level erasure vs junking the file table of contents for overwrite. Both methods nuke your saved settings sadly. The key remains... 1) Load settings, 2) format, 3) save settings. Either that or use delete all instead of format to not nuke the saved settings.
Thanks for the response. I'll use the delete all method. Big fan!
Thanks Hudson for your very informative videos. They are clear, well done add much appreciated. Can’t wait to get my Z9 to put these tips into practice. Maybe I am missing something but would the following approach work and thus avoid to have a separate dedicated card to save your default banks.
Before formatting your card, load the default banks previously saved on your card into the camera. Once the default saved banks are in my camera, you can then format the card and then resave the banks that you just loaded in your camera back to the freshly formatted card.
Yep. That's what I'm doing. I even suggest that in this video as an alternative. :)
Thanks for the video. I have a Z9 on order (since November 1!!!) and am still waiting for it to be delivered. My UK reseller tells me I should be in the next batch they anticipate receiving - hopefully before the end of the month. Until I could get hold of the camera I have refrained from watching these set-up videos but with the excitement building I thought I would take a look. Currently I use a Z6 and a Z7ii. You keep talking about saving the banks to the memory cards, however, this concerns me as my workflow throughout all my life with Nikon cameras, DSLR and now mirrorless, is to off load all the images to the computer after the shoot then, as soon as I have checked and backed these up I reformat the memory cards so they are ready for the next shoot. This would, I assume, defeat the procedure you are advocating. Any suggestions? Thanks
😂😉... watch Hudson's video would be a good suggestion! He explains it all immaculately and two options to boot! My guess i sthat you skipped parts of the video which were most important? Anyway, have another watch of it.
@@selianboy8508 I will, however, as I said, I didn't want to immerse myself in all things Z9 (there is so much already on UA-cam), until I actually have my hands on mine and I am able to follow along with the suggestions as I get familiar with the new system. I was just int6rigued by this particular video enough to dip in. Still don't know when mine will actually be here as deliveries to the resellers seem to be in very small numbers with frustratingly long delays between each shipment. I am in the NPS scheme but it has still been 5 mon the since the order was placed. I do believe I am getting close to the top of the waiting pile!!! Ever hopeful!
Thank you for making such a detailed video. I have a question... when you save your backup settings to your XQD card - does it create a bin file that you can backup to your computer? Then you can copy it with your card reader back to your xqd card if you need to restore, rather than use an expensive memory card? Will that work? I also saw someone use shooting bank b c d and leave a as a blank that you copy to. what do you think of that method? thanks.
There are as many ways to work with the banks as there are photographers working with them. :-) I like to use all four banks, but my standard bank A is a bit of a flexible shooting everyday bank that evolves with my preferences. B, C and D are specialized. I have videos describing how I set each of them up. The first is long and incredibly detailed and the other three are quick derivations. Yes, there's a bin file and that's another way to stay safe with the backup. I just wish they'd set a few kilobytes of this camera's massive internal storage to serve as the backup container instead of putting it on the card... :-(
If you just use two banks for action and landscape, can you copy A to C and B to D so you have two copies of each and then copy them back to the original bank when you desire? Thanks for all the work you put in for us. It does help when trying to get your head around this beast. I had an issue where the rubber ring on the eyepiece had worked loose and was occasionally covering the sensor on the view finder. I wasn't sure if I had lost my mind or the camera had lost its as it was doing some crazy, er, doo doo.
Try the hoodman Eyecup. You'll love it. That's a pretty funky way to accomplish that. Just save your settings, when you finish a shoot. Download your images from the card, put it back in, load your saved settings, format the card and save the settings back to it. ;-)
Great videos. I'm having a problem with custom A showing up in my I menu. I cannot figure out how to get it there.I have Two jpegL icons in there ,???
Thanks for your excellent video. I would like to switch between foto and video both in bank A. In the fotomode I would like to be in Aperture priority and in Video i would like to be in ful manual . mode. However everytime I switch the video in manual mode to photo, it stays in manual mode and not in A mode. Is there a way to fix this?
So if you want to save more settings as banks- can you have multiple files?. Also what are these filed called? So for example- if I have my 4 banks, then I go out on safari and make adjustments and want to keep those adjustments for that week, but also want to keep my usual original files... can I save both as different names and then load one or the other? This was a bit hard to follow as a newbie.
Hiya Hudson! If the banks settings are saved in the camera (not just the cards), why worry too much about backups? Yes, anything you’ve changed is also recalled in cam next session, but one original setup on my card is all I’d need (I guess)… long as I didn’t format the card by mistake. BTW - I am a long-standing fan of yours).
The banks are like bookmarks. Every change you make stays saved in them. Each bank takes you to where you were last in that particular bank. Nothing is set in them. So to save a consistent starting point, you set up the banks how you like them when you take the camera out of the bag, save your settings (which sadly only saves to the card), and then you can load your settings again to get back to your preferred base point in every set of banks whenever you want or need.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto Thanks Hudson! So, nothing… ever… is stored in the z9… even changes you tweak in the field? How then does the camera recall your tweaked settings when your turn it off then on? i.e. if I tweak my Astro settings (say to iso 500) from base (card stored original settings), the camera somehow “knows” my change the following day.
Again, the banks are like bookmarks. Each one remembers exactly where you left off. But... There is no saved start point, except saving your preferred settings. At the end of the day if you've tweaked all your settings for the given shoot, there is no way except reloading your saved settings to get the camera back to a consistent starting point. Yes it remembers each and every setting you change, but without saved settings you have no consistent base to return to at the start of the next shoot. Those saved settings they put on the card sadly instead of on internal memory.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto Thanks! Hudson.! You are VERY patient. I’m enjoying my Z9, and that there are teachers like you out there, is a gift!
I'm still finding instances where changing something in shooting bank B affects bank A. Like back button focus modes where I disable the half press shutter focus. That, and other settings seem to be global settings.
So there are 12 banks? 4 for shooting stills, four for shooting video and four more custom banks?
Kudos for explaining this as much as anyone can explain such a convoluted system :) Maybe they can do a firmware update in the future or maybe the camera architecture won't allow for a drastic change. As you say - maybe 8 banks - Some you could set up for still scenarios, others for video scenarios - and drive settings NOT global but actually so you you could put AFS on one bank and AFC on another and 20fps on one and 120fps on another - or maybe that wouldn't make sense in the context of the mode dial. I did figure out how to assign the Fn1 button to toggle between Shooting banks via the command dial - without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. I guess I need to assign Fn2 to Custom settings banks.
Back button vs shutter is in the custom settings and therefore is not global. Your custom settings banks do control that. :) there are only two sets of banks. Custom settings and shooting. Custom settings banks only control the custom settings menu. The shooting banks control two menus. The shooting menu and the video recording menu simultaneously. I do wish they'd move to a single deeper set of banks that cover all the menus and include the frame rate setting. Alas...
@@HudsonHenryPhoto thanks!
Thanks!
Maybe I don't understand how it works, but I wish you could have different folders for each day of shooting.
If you leave the power switch on continuously and let the camera go to sleep, will it wipe the settings when it goes to sleep? Thanks Hudson, Tom KC3QAC
Thanks!
I know SnapBridge has varying reviews with Nikon users, but would be nice to see Nikon implement custom settings bank backup option in there. We can already transfer firmware updates from the phone to the Z9, why not have a custom settings bank backup in there as well? Save the setting via Bluetooth to SnapBridge on a mobile device, and have another backup in you need it in the field. It would be a nice failsafe option in case I accidentally format a memory card before loading settings back to the camera. If I'm in the field, and don't have access to a backup on my computer until getting home, I could quickly (debatable with SnapBridge...) load my settings back to my Z9 via Bluetooth. Doesn't seem like it would be all that challenging to implement since the app and the file transfer functionality between phone and Z9 already exists.
It would be nice, but I'd really like them to dedicate a few kilobytes of internal memory for it. There's plenty I think...
Separate SD card for me backed up twice, one at home one in your bag.
The link to Lumalabs Full Arca plate is down.
This video is years old. Luma's sad closure has been discussed in more recent videos.
Is there a different way to format an XQD card without doing it via Z8
You can format and drive (including memory cards) in a Mac or PC, but you should do it in your camera for best performance.
canon solved the custom settings problem very well, all settings in one click. and you decide if the cam save the changes or not.
do not understand why it is so complicated in the z8/9
Yeah, Canon and Sony do it better. Leica does it best. Nikon's system woks great when you understand it, but it's way too complicated to get there.
Doesn't the NX software save the camera settings. Is so that is a way around storing them on memory cards and/or making them less vulnerable to accidental loss.
Nope, it does not.
I find it really lacking for editing too. I tried the latest version recently. Once again it made me wonder why the camera companies even expend such energy instead of focusing on what they excel at and coordinating better with Adobe and other software specialists to demosaic the raw files.
When you set up and save these settings to your card what happens to them when you format the card ?
That's one of the main topics of this very video... The fact that they are sadly wiped out along with various methodologies to consider to mitigate that annoying fact.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I suppose I could save them to a spare XQD card in event I need to reload the settings .
Again that's one of several options I discuss in this very video you're commenting on. There's even a link to that discussion section in the video's full description if you click the title or 'show more' :)
Nikon really should do this automatically... i.e. when you format a card you get the option of 'load settings and format card' (from your card) which in turn makes the camera load the settings from the card you have in your camera, then it it formats the card, then it 're-makes' the 'save settings' to card feature. This way the back-up of your settings is always done automatically instead of you manually having to do this every time.
Having given up on using the Manual method a few years ago - because I often forgot to do it - and then given up on using the save the setting onto a spare card method simply because I often forgot to deal with it anyway (yup... I know, bad admin and memory! 😂), I simply resort now to the fact of life that I always have to shift through menus to sort it all out once again. But really, in my user case, it is not much of a hassle as I don't really need to change much from the default!
But boy! Would it make life simpler if Nikon implicated this as an automated feature!
Great video and thanks.
EDIT:
Why are the 'save settings' not saved in the camera memory itself AS WELL AS backed up to your card!
Apologies... somehow I missed this latter point at 22:00. My bad!
Coming from the M1X which does save the setting in body and card if so desired (or swapped to a smartphone!), I found Nikon's Z9 setting system incredulous.
Why can't Nikon let me backup to my phone? We have this great app with a connection to the camera that can perform a Firmware update. Are you telling me they can't send a few kilobytes back from the camera to the phone? Or even better save them to the cloud somewhere. It is amazing how advanced these cameras are in some cases but still so antiquated in others.
You could do this (if the feature is available btw) but in all honesty... would you? It seems to me that this procedure is simply too time consuming and eventually you will not bother. Simply follow Hudson's advice of LOADING/FORMATING/RE-SAVING each time you format. But maybe Nikon will automate this procedure one day and you can simply choose an option to save-format-resave all in one click of a button. Mind you, why the settings cannot be saved somewhere 'in-camera' additionally and at the same time as to a card, ready to be used at anytime, I haven't got a scoobie doo!
@@selianboy8508 I would and I would find it less cumbersome than managing cards. But each to their own.
@@iTriguy1 yup, I know what you mean by managing to remember spare cards and all that. We have our phones with us all the time so your option is a logical one indeed. But I still think that Hudson's suggestion is a better option, although you need to get used to the loading/formatting/saving procedure.
I used to do what Hudson advocates some years ago, but ended up not always remembering to do it so haven't bothered in recent years... however with the advent of so-much-to-offer cameras like the Z9, I think I might have to rethink this one! But it is not really a camera for me and I will await the mythical Z8.
But as you say, we all find our own best-for-ourselves' techniques.
I will have to watch this video a number of times to understand this. Slow older person.
these things are so confusing - glad you go over it all but im still not loving this Nikon UX
Drink every time you hear the word bank
Nikon has the worst, most horrific, menu bank storage system I've ever encountered on ANY product over the past 3 decades. It is so god-awful bad and ridiculous, I'm considering ditching my Nikon system for another brand. It is incomprehensible that the software side thought this was a deployable solution. The only thing worse, would be for Nikon to produce a lens foot that doesn't utilize the Arca-Swiss standard. Doh!
This seems more than a bit extreme. 😅 Most of the brands have plenty of odd quirks. At least for those of us who've been shooting nikon continously for decades they are familiar evolving quirks. The banks are a legacy of the pro dslr bodies.
The closest I've come to a perfect UI in a camera body is my Leica Q3. They've really thought things through beautifully, but that comes at a steep cost.
Pleased I came back to watch this more attentively.
A few ‘A-ha’ moments…
Very confusing ....
U modes on Z6/Z7 et al are pointless because current settings are reset when you decide to change a lens. Sadly brain dead implementation.
Leica's Q system is the best I've used. 6 programable profiles cover every setting in the camera. They are easily accessible from the quick menu touch screen. They save internally but are importable/exportable from and to the card. All settings changes stick (even through power downs) untill you switch and rechoose the profile which returns you to the profile set point. An additional 7th default profile at the end is locked to factory settings. So simple and useful. Nikon should take notes.
Thanks!