Nikon deserves a big thanks for how many firmware updates they have done on their flagship Z9. This camera is 4 years old, and they are still adding major new features with firmware. We’re not just talking bug fixes and a few new color profiles, we are talking completely new capabilities and functions…incredible! The latest firmware is 5.30 released yesterday, and it has some great new features. I’ll list the things I think still photographers will appreciate the most, but this is not a full list of update features.
-first and probably most important, improved face/people subject tracking. No matter what brand of camera you shoot, we all have had those moments where the autofocus wants to go to the background and sticks there instead going to the subject. This issue was specially addressed with the update, now better people tracking than ever before. If we are lucky, maybe Nikon will tweak the other modes (birds, animals) in the future…or will this be on the new flagship camera when it is released?
-Subject tracking has been added to every focus pattern mode except pinpoint. So the dynamic autofocus modes and single point now can all have subject tracking if you like.
-Cycle subject tracking. Now you can cycle through different subject tracking modes (similar to autofocus patterns). I’ve already set my F1 button to cycle through people, birds and animals.
-You can set one of your front ‘F’ custom buttons to turn off subject tracking. So if your focus is struggling to find that eye and subject, just hit one of your function buttons and turn it off to you can take control of where the focus point is.
-Similar to the recent update in the Z6III and Z8, the Z9 now has an internal electronic focus limiter setting….see this post.
-Okay, this one is just plain cool if you happen to own one of the built in TC telephotos like the 400mm F2.8 or 600mm F4. There are now settings so that when you flip the converter switch on you can also set the camera to go to DX crop mode. So when your 400mm goes to 560mm F4 with the internal converter, the camera sets up DX mode…giving you 840mm. Wow!
There are lots of other items as well, go the Nikon to see all the updates. We use the Z9 daily for workshops and assignments, and it is just magic to keep getting a ‘new camera’ with these major firmware updates. Here is the link to get the firmware if you shoot a Z9. It is well worth it….