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Nikon Z9 - Does it live up to the hype?
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- Опубліковано 16 сер 2024
- I've been using the Nikon Z9 intensively for 6 months of intensive use - so the camera live up to the hype? Here's the good and the bad!
0:00 First thoughts
0:51 Why the Z9?
2:31 The short answer - Yes or no?
3:03 Quality of build
4:00 WYSIWYG shooting
4:42 Focus Modes - Eye detect!
6:28 Customizability
8:44 Sensor shield
10:51 Batter life
12:36 Vertical grip/ergonomics
13:04 S lens compatibility
14:39 Geotagging
15:58 Size and weight
17:31 Worst eyecup EVER
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Hey Andy. I've been shooting the Z9 now for 2 years (and use all 4 banks - portraits, action/wildlife, landscape, astro. All valid likes and dislikes. When retooling the Z9 after the firmware update 5.0, I found that making an Excel spreadsheet of all the settings and customizations for each bank extremely helpful - both in letting me know what I already used, and in keeping the banks very similar - and changing only things that made sense to change - so that muscle memory won't mess with me in the field. This included setting things up on the i-menu and items on My Menu. Items like using the record button in stills (Action/wildlife/sports) for cycling through the AF modes I want was extremely useful - and using the DISP button on to turn Subject detection off quickly - and using C1 for a 1x1 box that acts like single point with SD turned off - and uses eye detection when on - very quick. Use the quality button to cycle displays (not something I do a lot). Completely agree with the eye piece. One thing that seems to have really improved with the last FW updates is the cameras ability to regain focus if it gets lost on the background. My lens now racks focus on it's own from infinity and back and grabs close focus very quickly. I was trying to demonstrate the problem it had in the past to a Sony user, and couldn't make it malfunction after 10 attempts. Needless to say, the Sony friend was very impressed. Several basic things Nikon also needs to add - but obviously can't because of some issues - but programmable Zebras in stills (it's in video) would be nice so you could really start forgetting about the right side of the histogram. I rarely take my D850 out anymore - and I loved that camera. PS _ I do use the Dx/Fx switch for one of my buttons - and it helps not only enlarge the object in the viewfinder, but help with eye detection as well. Happy shooting. Nicely done.
Thanks for the thorough explanation of your setup. I'm actually going to look at incorporating some of these into my Z9 - and I love the idea of a spreadsheet. On the DX/FX switch, I figure I'll be cropping for bird photography anyway, so I would rather have the subject larger in viewfinder to help with eye detection - and I can always upsize the file if needed.
I'm actually considering selling my D850 and my D500, and use that money toward picking up a Z8 to use strictly for landscapes. It would help lighten my pack a bit when I'm hiking into a location! 🙂
@@AndyCrawfordPhotos Thanks Andy. There are many hidden goodies in that menu system and in the camera's programmability. A few pitfalls - but just a few. The spreadsheet REALLY helps (and is a PITA, time wise - had to do it over several days). However, 2 benefits. If your camera and card ever get "wiped" - you can go back and "quickly" set it back up. Side benefit: You learn to change some of the defaults you didn't know were there. (i.e. Flash/bracketing menu - EC for FLASH (is really EC on the camera) and is set as a default to balanced flash (subject and background) for metering (instead of just background). Control of Flash ISO sensitivity is set by default to background and subject instead of just subject. Good luck and best wishes.
Hello, I think I’m the UK version of you! I still use my D850, with battery pack along side my Z9 (zed 9). Everything you have stated in this video, I could repeat of myself…… Wow! Anyway a tip….. I use my red video button for fast FX-DX switching and use the fn3 front button for portrait use and in landscape recall. So I can switch instantly from say “animal to bird” . Great channel, I don’t know how I missed you before today? Thank you……..TonyH
Hey, Tony, glad you found me! Thanks so much for the tips on the fn3 button. Been trying to figure out a good spot for FX/DX switching - and the video button might be the ticket. 🙂
Great! Good luck
I have both the D850 and the Z9. Love them both and don't really see myself getting rid of the D850. Perfectly happy using both systems. I purchased the Z9 January 2023 and so far no issues. I've heard other accounts of the rubber ring on the eyepiece coming off. I have not experienced that myself. I've actually tried to remove it and it takes a bit of force to pull the rubber out of its groove in the plastic mount, but obviously it does happen. You can reinstall it but you need a little bit of force to push it into its groove but it's not that difficult. Just placing it on there lightly will not solve the problem. Wild Alaska did a video on that to show the process. I think the main cause of the ring rolling out is from taking your camera in and out of camera bags. The surface of the padding can be a bit grippy and will tend to roll the rubber eye piece out if you have it fitted really snugly in the bag and once it starts to peel off it's easy to pull it off the rest of the way. I ended up getting some microfiber bags on Amazon to put my cameras in, not because of this issue, but because I noticed that the rubber grips were starting to develop some wear marks in the high spots from pulling the camera in and out of the bag. They come in different sizes. The 9 x 11.8" fits the Z9 nicely and the 7 x 9.8" fits regular body sizes, like the D850 or Z6/7/8. This has the added benefit of protecting the eyepiece from being rolled off.
I ended up replacing the stock eyepiece with one from Zemlin (see the quick vid here: ua-cam.com/video/wE3mzvWWAmo/v-deo.html), and I think it will be a better fit - but I might look up the Wild Alaska vid to see what they say about that ring: It is the most compact option and it would be nice if I could resolve that issue.
Oh, and I still have my D850 - just can't part with it. But I'll also probably buy a Z8 at some point for when I'm doing strictly landscape work.
Thanks for commenting!
@@AndyCrawfordPhotos Yeah, if you do a search under his videos for 'Z9 eye cup' I'm sure it will pop up. If the rubber rim is not torn in any way you can easily fix it. Worse comes to worst, you could buy a replacement DK-33 for $9.95. Cheap enough to have as a spare in your bag, which I may do as my Zf also uses the DK-33. I remember checking out the Zemlin eyecup last year and it seemed pretty well made but just haven't pursued it since I haven't had any issues with my stock one.
I went from the D850 to the Nikon Z9. No regrets !
I'm with you on that. As much as I loved the D850, the Z9 is a beast!
Great review. I also had(and loved) my D850. I could have used it for the next 10 years, especially when paired with the D500. When Nikon came out with the Z9 I took the plunge into mirrorless. As Nikon comes out with firmware updates, the camera gets even better. I had to laugh when you mentioned the eyepiece. I've had the same problem and look forward to seeing the suggestions below on other options.
Thanks, @steve2268! I just keep loving the Z9 more and more every time I pick it up. So I have a short review of the replacement eyepiece I found - and love. I need to do another comparing two options I found, but haven't had time. In the meantime, here's the link to the review on my new eyepiece: ua-cam.com/video/wE3mzvWWAmo/v-deo.html
I've owned a pair of Z9s since late summer, 2022, and I'm always bumping the rear eyepiece on each of them, whether just in daily use, or by sliding the cameras in and out of a myriad of different types of camera bags, or by setting the cameras on their backs with the eyepieces resting on a desktop or whatever, and I've never experienced a single issue with the rubber eyepiece falling off or even partially lifting up from the mount. I wonder if it's just the copy of the Z9 that Andy has.
Yeah, I obviously have an eyepiece that has something not up to standard. But no worries: I found a replacement I love and the issue hasn't stopped me from thoroughly enjoying my Z9. Thanks for your thoughts!
I enjoy your work and like keeping up with what is going on with Nikon and Canon even though I am a Sony shooter healthy competition keeps them all making the best products. The current firmware on even older Sony cameras most have an option to close the shutter over the sensor when the camera is powered off. I have this on my A1 which is several years old and even the firmware is over a year old. I like it because though I love my Sony the sensor does seem to be a dust magnet. I generally plan my day to avoid changing lens or adding/removing teleconverter in the field if at all possible but it is still nice to have the feature. Tell your buddy to check it out out. It is toggled in Setup/Antidust Function if I recall correctly.
Hey, Sam! Yeah, I know some of the Sonys do have that ability, but my bud's doesn't. The lack of a sensor shield is just mystifying why a shield isn't 1) on every camera and 2) turned on as the default. For me, changing lenses is a must in the field. I refuse to be limited when I hike in to a location. When I used my D850, that meant I simply had to remove dust spots on the back end (even though there was a mechanical shutter over the sensor). But manufacturers should provide equipment their clients can use to the fullest.
Glad you found me over here. Holler if you need anything - and I'd love to have you join me for a workshop, if you can make it!
I sold my D850 3 yrs ago to get the Z7 and 2 weeks ago I sold the Z7 and got the Z8 to go with my 4 Z lenses >> Wild Life in Africa I dont use an FTZ Adaptor as I want to leverage the Z Mount advantage with Z Lenses .. 20. 1.8 S = Milky way , 24-120 F4 , 70-200 f2.8 S and 180-600 Z lens
The Z8 can do it ALL better than big brother in many cases >> but yes the Z9 is great
@@Mr09260 I've not had the chance to work with the Z8, but from all I hear it is up to the Z9 in most instances. But battery life can't be as good. I stand on a boat for hours shooting bass fishing, and I always hated having to lug 4 or 5 batteries with me (with my old D850). I just leave my Z9 on but allow it to go to sleep, and when something happens I tap the shutter button and by the time I've got the viewfinder to my eye it's ready to go. I guess the Z8 would also have the sleep mode and I'd probably be just fine with it - but that's not the way I went. lol
I'll probably move to Z lenses as I have to replace my current selection, but I didn't want to take a bath on it when I bought the body. Two of my S lenses were less than 6 months old! Thanks for commenting!
Great review and channel. Like you, my D850 was my workhorse. I picked up a Z6 just for fun and began to notice I was taking that out more often and enjoying the camera’s performance. The images were beautiful. Needless to say I moved from the D850 to a Z9 and found the transition almost seamless. Weight and functionality were pretty close, so I sold all my old F mount lenses and went with Z lenses and can’t believe the image quality. If you get a chance I liked to know your thoughts on some of the Z lenses for landscapes.
Yeah, I'm still holding on to my D850 - hard to let it go. But I'm keeping it only as a backup. I haven't sold my F mounts yet - 2 were brand new when I had to get the new body. So I can't speak to the difference vs. Z lenses. But I haven't noticed any quality degradation using the adapter. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi mate, I see in the background an stand for photographies. Do you print your photos? Is there any affordable printer that you can recommend? Cheers!
@TheDIYFilmaker I do print some of my own prints. I use the Canon ImagePROGRAF Pro-300, and I love it. The prints are incredible, and I can print up to 13x19 borderless prints. 🙂
JCC eyecup replacement is the gadget to get.
Hadn't heard of that option - might be a good one. I ended up going with the Zemlin eyepiece. Check out the review of it here: ua-cam.com/video/wE3mzvWWAmo/v-deo.html
I’ve looked forward to this review!
Hope it gave you some good info. It really is an outstanding piece of equipment.
Thank you for your video on the Z9!
I purchased my Z9 in late June 2023 to shoot portraits, weddings, and sports. Recently, I got interested in wildlife. Regardless of what I do, I cannot get AF for Birds Eye’s to lock. I use back-button AF. FN1 for AF-Single, and FN2 for AF-3D. My metering is either matrix or center-spot. My slowest shutter is 1/the focal length. With the Z 600 f/6.3 PF, I am at 640. My F-stop varies from 6.3 to F11. I let ISO float unless I can crank it down. It is so bad on cloudy days that I decided to focus manually.
Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you.
JP
First off, you have a beast of a wildlife lens (I'm pretty jealous). But I'm thinking your issue isn't with eye-detect but with your shutter speed. Assuming you're handholding to track birds, shooting a 1/640 is waaaaaay too slow. I know you're using the traditional formula, but at 600mm your heartbeat can cause camera shake. I'm not joking; it's that noticeable with those long lenses. I recommend you crank up the shutter speed to no less than 1/2500 - and faster in some cases. That shutter speed will stop all motion - of the bird and any lens shake. You could open the lens all the way to f/6.3 and use the ISO needed for proper exposure, and I'm confident your images will improve dramatically.
I'm playing with center-spot metering and auto ISO (with a -.7 exposure compensation to protect highlights), but I'm still on the fence about that. I usually set the shutter speed and the aperture, and then scroll through the ISO as needed (but I'm an old full-manual shooter). But my last foray using auto ISO worked well - and let me concentrate on keeping the bird in the frame and not the exposure.
Hope this helps!
Thank you! I will increase the shutter speed as you recommended.
@@johnpeterka8355 Let me know how it goes! :-)
@@AndyCrawfordPhotos - I will let you know. Currently, the ambient light is a real challenge. Thank you! JP
1. Make sure that you are using version 4.10 of the Z9 firmware. It was available for download in October 2023. 2. I have experimented with lots of different settings for custom buttons for autofocus, including back-button AF, which I used to use most of the time. With firmware 4.10 I find that the most effective combination is (a) having the camera focus when the shutter is depressed, (b) having the general method of AF be wide-area L (or a customized wide-area C1 setting which is similar), (c) having the subject detection option set to birds, and (d) setting the AF button on the back to single-point AF. Just to be clear, do NOT use 3D tracking or animal subject detection. When you want to focus on a bird, try to focus on the bird with the AF button/single-point AF, then press the shutter far enough to engage autofocus. Using the AF button first will speed things up. It is also helpful to use the AF button if the camera decides to focus on the background or whatever. I find that, with the new firmware, wide-area L will virtually always pick up the bird and, generally, finds the bird's eye. Most of the birds I photograph are small and either hide in busy foliage or stand in front of it, but the Z9's autofocus works remarkably even in this challenging environment.
Hoodman Eye Cup Replacement >> I love my Z8 Eye Cup
I actually bought and returned a Hoodman eyecup. Just didn't like the rigidity of the silicon, and it sat so far back that I it made it more difficult for me to view the entire viewfinder. Got another option coming in - I'll do a short vid on it, if it works. Fingers crossed!
I have had the same experience withe the Hoodman eye cup. It was simply uncomfortable to use due to its stiffness. I ended up giving it away.
I have set to be able to view the histogram in the viewfinder on my Z9. I own both the D850 and the Z9. The Z9 is a D850 on steroids.
I definitely have the histogram displayed in my viewfinder - and I LOVE that mirrorless ability. And I agree: the Z9 somehow stepped up the power of the D850! Thanks for watching and chiming in!
The hoodman Nikon z9 eyecup is much better.
Thanks. I saw that last night: Probably gonna give it a try. Not sure about the size of the cup, but it's got to be better than the factory eye cup. :-)
I tried the Hoodman HoodEYE for additional long-term eye comfort, but the damned thing would fall off all the time with even the slightest bump, which was a BIG problem when putting my Z9 into my camera bag or removing it, and this was true regardless of which camera bag I used. I personally would NOT recommend it.