Nikon Z System News and Commentary

News and commentary appropriate to Nikon Z system users. Latest post on top.
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Z50 and Zfc Firmware Updates

Nikon today updated firmware for two older DX cameras, both for bug fixing. The Z50 firmware is now 2.60, and the Zfc is 1.80. 

Along with the camera updates, Nikon also updated NX Studio to version 1.9.0 and Wireless Transmitter Utility to version 1.14.0. These updates were mostly to provide support for the Z5II, which is about to ship.

Nikon Just Cancelled Most Rebates

Just a word of advice: if you're here in the US contemplating certain Z-mount lenses that are currently in stock at dealers, you might want to buy now, not later. 

The biggest issue is the retaliatory tariffs against products made in China. This has already caused Fujifilm to cancel imports of certain products into the US, at least temporarily, but I believe that it's going to impact Nikon the same way, as well. Moving production out of China to another country is possible, but that takes time and money. So certain lenses aren't going to show up on Instant Rebates any time soon, I'd guess. Those include these four lenses you might be considering for summer wildlife trips:

  • 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
  • 400mm f/4.5 VR S
  • 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S
  • 800mm f/6.3 PF VR S

All four of these lenses are in stock at B&H this morning, as well as several other dealers I looked at. I'd be really surprised if these specific lenses go back onto Instant Rebate any time soon. I suppose that NikonUSA might have abundant supply and decide to move that stock, but I'd tend to bet the opposite: NikonUSA removed most products from Instant Rebates starting today—no Z-mount lenses have a rebate, and only four older cameras do—and I believe Nikon is now trying to figure out how to re-price things moving forward. Lenses made in China are their biggest problem due to the huge tariff now being imposed on them (and it doesn't help that the dollar's value has gone down, too). The China-made Nikon products also includes the following other lenses:

  • 17-28mm f/2.8
  • 20mm f/1.8 S
  • 24mm f/1.7 DX
  • 24mm f/1.8 S
  • 24-50mm f/4-6.3
  • 28-75mm f/2.8
  • 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
  • 35mm f/1.8 S
  • 50mm f/2.8 MC
  • 70-180mm f/2.8
  • 85mm f/1.2 S
  • 85mm f/1.8 S

No cameras are impacted at the same level, as they're all made in Thailand (currently subjected to 10% tariffs). 

Nikon, of course, isn't the only one grappling with the issue. Sony changed their sales information three times in the past week or so, and I'm not sure they've settled on their final decisions yet. Canon is apparently about to announce price increases here in the US.

We're entering the second largest buying season for cameras (father's day/graduation/pre-vacation), so what's in stock in the US today may not be in stock tomorrow, and may come back at a higher price when new inventory does arrive. 

I can tell you that since tariffs were first mentioned and then got revealed, I've seen an increase in book sales, probably because some of you were already buying in anticipation of prices increasing. Well, this is your last warning: prices just rose (cancellation of Instant Rebates), and they likely will do so again (tariffs and dollar devaluation). Once current stock moves out of the dealer, there's a really good chance that Z System products will become more expensive. At least for the foreseeable future. 

Minor Firmware Updates (Z9 5.20, Z50II 1.01)

Nikon released a minor update to the Z9 firmware (version 5.20), with one new ability (support for NX Field), a renamed custom setting, and a series of small bug fixes. 

They also released a minor update to the Z50II firmware (version 1.01), with one new ability (support for pre-release capture using a Smallrig SR-RG2), the same renamed custom setting, and a series of small bug fixes, including one that I had reported earlier.

Updating the Wish List

Update 4/19: in less than a day we had 64 really good firmware update changes identified, and the list grows a bit every time I check my email or think of something I missed (currently 120 solid suggestions). I've done my best to consolidate the emails I get with the list below, as well as conform the style and language so that it's easier to parse. I've removed some lengthy explanations, left/edited a few shorter ones. 

Due to the volume of email I'm getting on this, I'm not responding directly back unless I see a misunderstanding in the request. For instance, one person wrote asking for a feature that their camera already had, they just didn't know where it was or how to use it. This has turned out to be common: a number of feature requests are coming in that show that the person making the suggestion doesn't know all the capabilities of their camera. The Z9 generation cameras are among the most complex Nikon has ever created, so this isn't totally surprising (it's one of the reasons why I have some simplification items on my wish list and probably need to add more; it's also suggesting where I need to do more instruction).  

If something is already on the list below, you don't have to repeat it back to me. Indeed, please read the current list carefully to make sure your request isn't already covered, as it will help me deal with the huge volume of emails I'm getting if you don't repeat things.

As I intimate at the end of this article, this is just Step 1 in the process. I'll let you know when we're ready to progress to Step 2. By the end of Step 3, I'm hoping to have grabbed Nikon's full attention ;~). 

_____________________________

I've removed my aging "Wish List" from the Cameras/Articles section of this site. It was getting out of date given that Nikon had addressed, at least partially, quite a few of the items on it. Moreover, new cameras, features, and suggested changes needed to be added to the list. 

Thus, I need to rebuild the list, but I also want to make sure that it represents not just my ideas, but fixes as much real user pain as possible. To do so I need to open ideas up to my readership and get them fully involved (keep reading to the end). 

I've separated "wishes" into the categories of things we want Nikon to consider doing in future firmware:

  • Fix — a clear bug or issue with replicating a specific result. 
  • Change — the current implementation needs to be rethought and a different solution made.
  • Add missing — a clearly missing item that is necessary to stay current with other Nikon products.
  • Add new — something that can be added that would improve usability of our cameras.
  • Restore — return a feature from previous cameras that was removed.
  • Simplify — mostly renaming and regrouping existing features. If a name isn't meaningful to you, suggest a better name. Meanwhile, grouping of similar menu items would shorten the scroll through the menus to find the right item, plus put like things together where they belong. 

I want to get this list "more right" this time, because I'm going to do my best to get all of these items raised to Tokyo's rapt and clear attention. I'll need your help to do that, and I have a plan for how to do that. But it's a little premature to reveal that plan. First, I need to get your buy in on the things I believe that need to be done, along with your suggestions for additional items. We need a clear and vetted list this time, as on the previous one Nikon took some liberties, both in how they interpreted an idea as well as whether it was important enough to implement.

I'm going to limit this to Z9 generation cameras only. At this point, Nikon is not going to backfill firmware demands other than bug fixes for the Z5, Z6, Z6II, Z7, Z7II, Z30, or Zfc. I know some will complain about that, but the reality is that Nikon has only so many engineering resources, and those currently have their hands full with just Z9 generation cameras (Z50II, Zf, Z5II, Z6III, Z8, Z9, plus whatever comes next). I'm also editing out a few functions that would be clearly next generation (i.e. would require a new EXPEED capability, different hardware, etc.).

Here's my current proposed list:

  1. Z50II/Z5II/Z6III — (add new) For U1/U2/U3, add the ability to name the user setting in Save user settings, and then show that name on the display/EVF when that user setting is chosen.
  2. Z50II/Z5II/Z6III —  (add missing) When U1/U2/U3 are selected, add Exposure mode setting to PHOTO SHOOTING menu, so that it can be changed.
  3. Z6III/Zf — (add missing) Add Subject motion to (CSM #a3) Focus tracking with lock-on.
  4. Zf/Z6III/Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add AF-A Focus mode.
  5. Z50II — (fix) Fix bug where using UVC/UAC streaming once means any USB connection later removes menu options.
  6. Z50II — (add missing) Add Commander mode ability to pop-up flash. 
  7. Z6III — (add missing) Add Birds to subject detection.
  8. Z6III — (add missing) Add Cycle AF-area mode as a button customization.
  9. Z6III — (add missing) Add the Non-CPU lens data entry system from the Zf 2.0 firmware.
  10. Z6III — (add new) Allow reprogramming the Monitor Mode button and top OLED panel illumination buttons in Custom controls (shooting, playback, video). Requires adding Monitor mode as a button customization option.
  11. Z6III — (add missing) Add Focus point border width.
  12. Z8 — (add missing) Add customization for Focus Mode button.
  13. Z8 — (add missing) Add Image quality (HSFC)
  14. Z8 — (add missing) Make front LED work as tally light.
  15. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Programmable AF distance limit set-up. Similar to Auto capture, but just one of the functions separated out from Auto capture: press a button and lock the from and to focus distance (focus range) so that the camera will only look to focus within the range previously set. This is to “tell” the camera not to grab the background. Also useful for photographing through foliage.
  16. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Ability to use the Rear LCD as a trackpad (while using EVF) to freely move focus position.
  17. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add MF subject detection area.
  18. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add User settings to SETUP with options for Save user setting, Use user setting, and Reset user setting. These would be named U1, U2, U3 to match lower cameras. As part of this, add Cycle user setting to programmable button functions.
  19. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add Save bank settings and Recall bank settings to the SETUP menu. 
  20. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Nikon Imaging Cloud and Flexible Picture Control support.
  21. Z8/Z9 — (change) Add an option to #F2 Lens control ring assignment: Require button press. A common issue brought up by users is that they like the ability to assign the control ring to something but don’t do so because it is easily accidentally moved and then their setting is wrong without them noticing. Requiring a button held down while rotating the control ring would “fix” this. The question is which button. For Aperture it should be the Mode button, for Exposure compensation and ISO it should be the named button.
  22. Z8/Z9 — (change) When using two memory cards and pressing Delete you’re presented with a Delete on both? option that doesn’t seem to have any real options. Really should be Delete on slot 1, Delete on slot 2, Delete on both slots.
  23. Z8/Z9 – (change) When using the i menu to change Picture Control, use the same on-screen interface as the Z50II/Z5II.
  24. Z8/Z9 – (add new) Add Save EVF/Monitor position (settings). Also when you change from daytime to nighttime photography you might want to change the brightness of the monitor and viewfinder together, so needs a Restore function, too.
  25. Z8/Z9 – (change) The split screen display zoom should allow the user to move both areas independently from one other. When you use a shift/tilt lens you want maximum DoF and need to look at close area and distant area together. Also, you should be able to change aperture when using the split screen display, for the same reason.
  26. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add a user-settable aperture for focus only (e.g. different from shooting aperture). This would improve low-light AF when photographing at apertures smaller than wide-open. 
  27. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add a Complete shut down option for power. Many sub-systems stay active when the Power switch is moved to Off. This means that a camera not used for a few days with a battery left in, may be at “no charge” when you pick it up and try to use it immediately. 
  28. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add RAW histogram ability. Preferably in live view.
  29. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Return the ability to assign Spot metering (and other metering methods) to a button.
  30. Z8/Z9 — (change) Allow each button customization to have a different Recall shooting function. In other words, you can assign multiple buttons to a recall function, but they each recall different things.
  31. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Focus point VR.
  32. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add open gate video recording. 
  33. Z8/Z9 — (change) Add additional banks. Also: separate PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING banks. 
  34. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add Lightning (flash) trigger to Auto capture.
  35. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add the Non-CPU lens data entry system from the Zf 2.0 firmware.
  36. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Allow a bank to be assigned to a button customization (e.g. switch banks). Alternatively, add Cycle bank option. 
  37. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Direct support of UVC/UAC streaming.
  38. Z9 — (change) PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING banks are not independent as they are on the Z8.
  39. Z9 — (add new) Add AF-area mode of Close focus priority and also Far focus priority (Needs to interact properly with subject detection.)
  40. Z9 — (add missing) Add SETUP > Release option > [both releases active] [only release for orientation active] to help disable accidental shutter release from the non-active release when camera is in different orientation.
  41. Z9 — (add missing) Add HEIF support.
  42. Z9 — (add new) Add content authentication.
  43. Z9 — (add missing) Add Pixel shift shooting
  44. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Starting storage folder to Auto bracketingMultiple exposure, and HDR overlay.
  45. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add Allow full frame with DX lens option in Image area
  46. Z9 Generation - (change) Improve live histogram so that borders aren’t the same color as data. In particular, if the border were yellow and you had pixels at maximum value, the right border would change to white (or blink). 
  47. Z9 generation - (change) Allow Auto ISO minimum shutter speed and Auto ISO maximum sensitivity to be added to the MY MENU. Also include the minimum shutter speed within the ISO sub-menu when selected as an option on the "i" menu (the sub-menu that already has auto ISO on/off and maximum sensitivity)
  48. Z9 Generation — (simplify) The lack of menu consistency is annoying for those with multiple cameras. For example, in the PHOTO SHOOTING Menu, the primary and secondary slot selection menus use different naming on Z8 & Z9 because of mismatched slots; can’t we conform wording no matter what the slot configuration is? In the PLAYBACK Menu, the Z6III lacks Auto series playback options. There is non-conformity across Z9 generation bodies that needs resolving.
  49. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Use selected aperture above f/5.6. This is a corollary to the previous item, which would allow accurate focusing for lenses with focus shift above f/5.6. 
  50. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Rate to the playback 𝒾-button Manage series menu.
  51. Z9 Generation — (add new) In playback, if a button (say Fn1) is assigned to Rating, then pressing 𝒾-button and then Fn1 would rate the whole series that the current photo is part of (if any). Ditto if some button is programmed for Select for uploadProtect, or Delete. Rationale: when you take many bursts in fast-action settings, you want to be able to quickly scroll back and rate whole bursts via quick button presses.
  52. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add focal length in mm to the shooting/video display, controlled by Custom viewfinder/monitor shooting display. Currently this shown just for power zoom lens, but would be useful for manual zoom lens too.
  53. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the FITS file format. Astrophotographers have for a long time had an issue with Nikon cameras: RAW files. It’s not the format as such, but that there are factors baked into the RAW files which are strongly detrimental to astrophotography. Ideally, there would be nothing but the original sensor output data, encoded into a FITS file (FITS is the standard astrophotography file).
  54. Z9 Generation — (add new) Create an NX Settings program, where on connection of camera to computer, you can get a full (printable or comma delimited) listing of all current camera settings. Would also be nice if we had the ability to directly change settings when connected. 
  55. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Focus point display > Color blindness adjustment. About 8-10% of the population has a problem with red focus squares. 
  56. Z9 Generation — (fix) When Auto ISO is active in Pre-release capture, minimum shutter speed is currently ignored. (This is because the image sensor is in a video mode for pre-release, and Nikon didn't add minimum shutter speed to video Auto ISO.)
  57. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add any Pre-release capture capability that supports raw files, even if at a slower frame rate (e.g. <15) or requiring High efficiency compression. 
  58. Z9 Generation — (add new) For gridlines add DX5:44:3, 2:1, 7:69:16, 21:9. Yes, gridlines that show some of these were improvements, but still require post production to complete. Also: add Centerline grid, which provides just a centered horizontal and vertical line (crosshair). 
  59. Z9 Generation — (add new) In the PHOTO SHOOTING menu add a Save/load photo shooting menu option. In Reset photo shooting menu, then add Yes, from saved options. Do the same for VIDEO RECORDING menu. Do the same for the CUSTOM SETTINGS menu. 
  60. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Storage folder and File naming should be grouped in Storage, with sub-options Rename folderSelect folderRename files. One might argue that File numbering sequence should go here, too.
  61. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add BT.2100 to Color space. It's there, but only shows up when HEIF is selected. Should really be shown but grayed out in Tone mode of SDR.
  62. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Make a new Flicker reduction group, with Release with Frequency Detection and Tune Shutter for High-frequency options.
  63. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Create a new group for Lens corrections (VignetteDiffractionDistortion), and a similar group for Flash (ControlModeCompensation).
  64. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Consider grouping multi-image sequences (e.g. Auto bracketingMultiple exposureHDR overlayInterval timer shootingTime-Lapse videoFocus shift shootingPixel shift shooting). Or consider moving these to a separate menu entirely. 
  65. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Consider grouping audio items in the video menu (Microphone sensitivityAttenuatorFrequency responseWind noise reduction).
  66. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Group all the SETUP menu things that save settings (Save user settingsReset user settingsSave/load menu settings).
  67. Z9 Generation — (add new) For Save/load menu settings, add the ability to create multiple named settings files. 
  68. Z9 Generation — (simplify) In the SETUP menu, group the viewfinder and monitor settings. There’s potentially a third category, which is Both displays (e.g. Limit monitor mode selection, etc.).
  69. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Add a Save position group, with sub-options for FocusZoom. It's possible that other things might be added to this in the future (wink, wink).
  70. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Group EXIF data writing components (IPTCCopyright informationImage comment).
  71. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Remove Tone mode. This also requires changing Image qualityImage quality should only have NEF(RAW)HEIFJPEGNEF(RAW)+HEIF, and NEF(RAW)+JPEG. This also requires RAW recording to become Compression choices, which has sub-options for RAW recording and HEIF/JPEG compression. This simplifies intent, and reduces menu sprawling. (Set Picture Control will then have limited choices when HEIF is set, not a separate menu item for HEIF Picture Controls. I suspect Nikon did things the way they did so that they would be “remembered.” But that should have been done by a bit more programming, not forcing users to do the work.)
  72. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Maximum shutter speed to VR options (VR turned off automatically when shutter speed is set above that).
  73. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Instant Release mode change capability to button programmability. Allow a button to be programmed to a specific frame rate. Useful when the camera is set to a continuous mode, but you want to take a single image.
  74. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add AF/MF subject detection options to button customization. Simple option: toggle between last specific setting and Off; more complex option: Cycle Subject detection options.
  75. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Zebras while camera is set to take still photos.
  76. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add File naming > Use Long names > [entry]. The world has long passed the 8.3 file name limitations. Since DCF dictates 8.3, these names would be new EXIF data that could be picked up by ingesting programs, such as Nikon Transfer, Photo Mechanic, and Adobe Lightroom. As part of this, allow more (user definable?) digits for file number.
  77. Z9 Generation — (restore) Add the ability in Multiple exposure to create a composite RAW image (DSLRs allowed this for years).
  78. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Over > MTR > under to Bracketing order. The rationale behind this has to do with night photography (astrophotography, auroras, etc.), where it might be difficult to see the first image in a sequence when it's at MTR or Under.
  79. Z9 Generation — (restore) Put the word Highlights back on the display page for highlights! If you don't see blinking, you don't know which page you're on (unless you're really anal and have studied each of the display variations for subtle clues). 
  80. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the ability to preview the RED LUTs when using N-Log
  81. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add VR type (Normal, Sport) to Recall shooting function.
  82. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add ability to instantly switch camera from its current Release mode to a pre-chosen Pre-release capture setting via button (#F2). In general, there are a lot of requests that all have a similar theme: the user is photographing something relatively stationary and has set the camera one way, but now there's action they need to deal with and they want the camera set a different way (and vice versa). Recall shooting function doesn't completely deal with this. 
  83. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add a forced Save menu settings prior to a firmware update, along with a Load menu settings after the update has installed.
  84. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add option Start as a #F2 button customization for the multiple image settings (Interval timer shooting, Time-lapse video, Focus shift shooting, and Pixel shift shooting.
  85. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow Pinpoint AF in AF-C, which triggers an immediate Focus mode switch to AF-S. That way you don't have to set two things. A related request: a button customization to override Focus mode/AF-area mode to Pinpoint AF and AF-S on a temporary basis (e.g. Pinpoint focus only). 
  86. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow magnification (zoom) during Depth of Field Preview.
  87. Z9 Generation — (add new) Consider adding Release mode to PHOTO SHOOTING menu so that it is stored in banks. Other changes to settings suggested elsewhere may remove the need for this, though. 
  88. Z9 Generation — (change) Make Exposure delay only apply when Release mode is set to Single. It's antithetical to the way almost everyone uses continuous modes. Perhaps there's a couple of other options here (Only applies to first frame versus Never applies to continuous Release modes). 
  89. Z9 Generation — (change) For Maximum shots per burst make it so that there are separate settings for CL versus CH
  90. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Shutter speed bracketing. Use Auto ISO to keep exposure constant, but vary shutter speeds used. This is applicable to photographing water, for instance, where the exact shutter speed is often determined by trial and error.
  91. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the following to the Control ring functions: Shutter speedFlash exposure compensation, Focus tracking speed, and AF-area mode
  92. Z9 Generation — (change) Allow separate gridline selections based upon horizontal and vertical camera position.
  93. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add 3D-tracking (hold) as an AF-area mode. This means when you press the button (shutter release/AF-ON) to focus, the camera locks onto the subject and stays tracking focus on it even if you release the button.
  94. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add a button customization of Set hyperfocal distance only. This overrides focusing system as long as held.
  95. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow a still image to be taken while recording video, even if that image is an H.265 derived frame rendering (e.g. HEIF). 
  96. Z9 Generation — (add new) Actually return the missing Lock image orientation we had with DSLRs. 
  97. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Delete focus stack series. If you messed up the start or end point, you might want to delete all the taken images and try again.
  98. Z9 Generation — (change) Focus stack shooting should be simplified to (1) focus on near point, (2) focus on far point, and (3) select number of images.
  99. Z9 Generation — (change) Allow user to pick multiple grids simultaneously (e.g. 1:1 and 16:9). 
  100. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Cycle gridlines.
  101. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add additional possible customizations to the OK button. If you're going to move it off its default use, might as well make it more flexible.
  102. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add +JPEG. Similar to +RAW, but the other direction. Perhaps this can be Add JPEG or RAW as a single entry (i.e. add the option you're not using for the next image).
  103. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add ISO dial extension to CSM #F2 Command dial. When ISO button pressed with Auto ISO active, Rear Command dial would then be Minimum shutter speed, and Front Command dial would be Maximum sensitivity.
  104. Z9 Generation — (restore) Use of map to set time zone (touch sensitive). 
  105. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Auto to Daylight saving time.
  106. Z9 Generation — (add new) Change Date format to Date and time format and add 24/12 hour time display option.
  107. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Unicode characters to text entry screens.
  108. Z9 Generation — (restore) Some items (e.g. AF-ON only) are still missing > indicators to show that additional options may be set.
  109. Z9 Generation — (change) Change Release timing indicator to Briefly darken, Lines at all edges, Lines at left/right edges.
  110. Z9 Generation — (change) Change Virtual horizon type to Centered lines, Border indicators
  111. Z9 Generation (dual slot) — (add) Add Synchronize to Copy images
  112. Z9 Generation (add new) — Add Subject priority exposure. This is actually an extension/improvement of Matrix metering face detection.
  113. Z9 Generation (add new) — In conjunction with raw histogram ability added to the camera, add Expose to the right exposure choice. Probably an extension of previous item.
  114. Z9 Generation (change) — Change camera behavior on power off. Don't reset anything unless user has selected new Cancel exposure changes item (default: Restore exposure changes). I noted earlier that "Save Position" was going to get extended. This is one of the extensions.
  115. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add Power on time indicator to Battery info. Measures minutes camera has been on. As I've noted, CIPA battery values are really a proxy for minutes: just divide by two (as CIPA requires camera to be constantly on and take two images a minute). 
  116. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add a new Customizations page to Display page options that shows what button customizations were pressed (in action) when photo was taken.
  117. Z9 Generation (change) — Half press of shutter release cancels image magnification.
  118. Z9 Generation (restore) — Restore Aperture setting function to Command dials (the move from Customize command dials to Command dials being a sub-function of CSM #F2 lost some abilities; this one is key for Zf users).
  119. Z9 Generation (add new) — Add a sound notification when video recording is stopped by camera (high temperature, file size, out of space, out of power).
  120. Z9 Generation (change) — When in Manual exposure mode, use the shutter speed that was set as the minimum shutter speed when Auto ISO is active.
  121. Z9 Generation (change) — Allow flash at faster than 1 second when using Focus shift shooting. This seems to be an arbitrary decision as this isn't enforced elsewhere. Insect macro photography relies on fast flash, and OMDS and Sony allow faster flash in focus stacks. Potential loss of customer.
  122. Z9 Generation (change) — When you create a network profile of any sort, a text file is placed on the card, and the username and password are stored in that file unencrypted. This is a security risk. Any username/password should be encrypted.
  123. Z9 Generation (simplification) — PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING should be contextual. By this I mean that this is the first menu shown in the menu list when the camera is set to stills (PHOTO SHOOTING) or video (VIDEO RECORDING). Not only does this simplify, it also acts as a warning; it's easy to move the still/video switch without noticing; the menu redaction will tell you immediately that you're not in the mode you wish to be. Implicit within this request is that SHOOTING banks would be separated, too. 
  124. Z9 Generation (change) — Add ability for Virtual horizon indicators to work when camera pointed down (i.e. provide a new mode that establishes when camera is pointed perfectly down.
  125. Z9 Generation (change) — Shooting menu bank should allow both Command dials (Front for Custom Setting bank and Back for Shooting menu bank. Rename function to Change menu banks.
  126. Z9 Generation (fix) — Release mode is dealt with inconsistently among various cameras in terms of U# (user settings) and banks. Some respect it, some don't.

Okay, here's where you come in. I'm sure you have your own thoughts on this. Before I try to put this list high on Nikon Tokyo's attention, I want to make sure it's relatively complete. So if you have your own thoughts here, send them to me via email in the following form: [camera], [type of change], [change], and if you have time, the reason the change is necessary (this will become important later in my plan to get Tokyo's attention ;~). Note that I'm talking about firmware type changes here, not hardware ones. Hardware starts to trigger new models, and that's not our goal at the moment. What we really want to define is "the perfect Z9 generation camera." Any future generation of cameras should pick up on and inherit that.

Once I have your inputs, I'm move forward with the rest of my plan, and let you know what you can do next to help. Don't worry if you don't have anything specific you want to see addressed beyond what I've presented; you'll have your chance to add your voice on all the proposed changes later in the process. Again, my goal at the moment is to just get a well-informed, tight, clear list of firmware changes that would drive the existing users into nirvana. Well, at least photographic nirvana. 

Sensor Stabilization and Nikon DX

The number one objection I keep hearing from people about the Nikon Z50II is simple: it doesn't have sensor-based image stabilization. But then I look at how early buyers are using the camera, and, well, they don't particularly need stabilization.

VR, VC, IS, OIS, or whatever you want to call image stabilization has its uses, for sure. However, its biggest use to date is as a marketing point that locks in the sale. Had Nikon included sensor VR in the Z50II, the marketing check list would have been complete and the camera would be flying off shelves. Those flying cameras probably wouldn't have taken better pictures, though.

Why do I write that? 

Well, most lenses I see people using on the Z50II have VR in them. If you're trying to stay compact, the 12-28mm and 16-50mm both have effective VR capabilities. If you're going for action or wildlife, the telephoto lenses you'd pair with the body all have perfectly fine VR (Nikon) or VC (Tamron) capabilities. Finally, if you're buying a low-cost, fast Chinese DX prime, that extra couple of aperture stops gives you basically the same level of improvement (via shutter speed) as the kit lens VR does. 

No doubt that sensor VR would improve all the above some and would be nice to have in reserve, but I just don't see it being all that necessary. Consider that the list price of the Z50II is US$910, would you really want the complication and extra cost that sensor VR would add? I mean, would you be just as happy with a Z50IIVR at US$1199? 

Customers often say they need something when it's really just a want. And often a want triggered by Keeping Up With the Jonesism or loud marketing trumpets. 

I was discussing this and other similar items with another pro recently and made the comment "if I had this camera at this price 10, 20, 30 years ago I'd have been knocking it out of the park compared to my competition." 

Nikon with the Z50II, Z5II, Z6III, Z8, Z9, and Zf has done something I don't remember them having achieved nearly as well before: these are all pretty superb products at different price points with minimal compromise as you go down the line. Yes, compromises exist (viewfinder, rolling shutter, and in the case of the Z50II, lack of sensor VR), but what's left in total are six very complete cameras that really do almost all jobs well. 

Let me put it the opposite way from what me and my pro friend were discussing: "someone using a Z50II today is knocking very close to what I'm achieving with the best gear that's available to me."

Get over it. The Z50II doesn't have sensor VR. It's still a fine camera. Prioritize VR lenses if you feel you really need help keeping the camera steady. 

Maybe Nikon will come out with a camera above the Z50II that has sensor VR some day. I suspect they will, as I know they've tinkered with this in various early prototyping. They could, for example, just stick the current DX sensor (or a newer one) into the Z5II body and get a bunch of "upgrades" to easily create a Z70 with little new engineering work. (The upgrades would be EVF, rear LCD, dual slots, optional battery grip, thumb stick, and of course, sensor VR.)

What strikes me is that Nikon has been successfully putting out the best camera available at a price point throughout the Z9 generation. The Z9, of course, started that, but we then got the parade of other cameras that were arguably best in class at a lower price when they first appeared. To me, many of the "no sensor VR" complaints are actually coming from people who wanted the Z50II to be in a different class (more of an R7 competitor than an R100 one, for example). In its class, the Z50II is best in class as far as I'm concerned. 

And yes, I actually follow my advice to you further up the article: I consider the Z50II a fine camera for some of my needs, and I prioritize VR lenses when I think I need any stabilization help. 

Crowd Product Management Came Up With...

I asked last week about which missing Nikkor you'd make if you were the Product Manager at Nikon. As usual, I got a ton of responses. Curiously, though, those broke down to basically just seven lenses that rose above the rest. Let's count those down to #1:

#7 — We'll begin with a "lens" that got a lot of support, though only if I grouped a couple of specific design choices.

  • Wide Angle f/4 — The actual focal length differed a bit on some of the responses, but seemingly the idea here was always a wider prime, but keep it compact. Almost all mentioned f/4; the remainder f/1.8. While faster wide angle primes got votes, they didn't get as many as the slower aperture definition. Moreover, the "fast" wide angle prime requests ranged more across the board in focal length and purpose (e.g. 10mm to 18mm, astrophotographer versus some other use). Almost all the wide angle f/4 requests were for 14mm or 16mm, and the purpose was clearly "compact wide." 

#3, 4, 5 and 6 (essentially a tie) — This tight grouping surprised me a bit. Each of the following choices got about equal response:

  • 16-80mm f/4 DX — It apparently doesn't need to be fast, but it needs to DX sized with optical performance as the goal. If coupled with the few that asked for an f/2.8 or f/2.8-4, this group would have risen out of the tie.
  • 24mm f/1.2 S — It wasn't a surprise to me that variations on the current lens lines got nominations, but it was a surprise to me that the top vote getter—by a wide margin—was extending the f/1.2 line to 24mm. I'm not 100% certain what these folk are looking for, as we're also missing a 24mm f/1.4, but it appears that image quality comes first and foremost.
  • 8-15mm fisheye — It should be noted that most of the lenses that got frequent requests replicate something that was done in the F-mount by Nikon. This was the lens that was most directly asked for (no modifications). If you add this to #7 (wide angle f/4) the whole "need another truly wide angle lens option" rises to #3 by itself.  
  • 300mm f/4 — A surprise to me, but there were plenty of people who want something akin to the 300mm f/4 PF, but with closer focusing, to near macro level (e.g. 1:2 or at least 1:4). The surprise to me here wasn't so much the 300mm part, as that's a clear focal length hole in the current Nikkor telephoto lineup, but that almost all of the folk asking for this focal length also mentioned closer focusing as a requirement.

#2 — While the above lenses had what I'd call strong support, there were two that had significantly higher levels of request:

  •  The 100/120-300mm f/2.8. A few people wanted a bit more focal length at the wide end, but the clear demand here was for a zoom that went to 300mm and retained that f/2.8 aperture. I agree with this being a high need in the Nikkor lineup, despite the fact that we can use the existing F-mount version using the FTP adapter. I'd also point out that on a RED KOMODO-X (why isn't it KOMODO-Z?) with its APS-C crop, this would be the "right" wildlife videography lens, too. 

And finally, #1

  • Anything that's in the 70-200mm or 70-300mm realm that's not fast aperture. By far the most asked for option was the "carry along telephoto", something like a 70-200mm f/4 or a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6. Many actually wrote that they'd accept either. The goal here was apparently to keep size and weight minimal (with a more consumer pricing being the second most mentioned attribute). I found this interesting, as the Tamron 70-300mm already exists in the Z-mount, so there's something that people aren't resonating with on the Tamron. Likewise, the 70-180mm f/2.8 is compact. Thus, something about this category isn't being clearly served at the moment.

One message to Nikon: 300mm played a part in #1, #2, and #3+. Seems like a clear message to me.

The Nikon Zf Gets a Major Firmware Update

The Zf finally got its long awaited firmware update today, bumping the camera to version 2.00. As implied by the number, this was a major update. The following changes were made:

  • Nikon Imaging Cloud and Picture Control Recipes (Flexible Picture Controls) are now supported.
  • Birds was added as a separate subject detection category.
  • Additional bracketing increments were added, including for Interval timer shooting
  • Added display of focus information to displays during manual focus.
  • Allows Long Exposure NR when series type functions are set (e.g. Interval timer shooting) and Electronic shutter is used.
  • Hi-Res Zoom and its options were added for video recording.
  • Added file name support for external video recorders, such as the ATOMOS ones.
  • Added lower ISO options when using N-Log.
  • Added Auto series playback options.
  • Made numerous changes to Custom Settings and control options, including abilities to support power zoom lenses, picking up options that were done for other Z9 generation cameras, and even adding som (such as double tapping the Rear LCD). 
  • Fixed a number of bugs and stability issues.

If you're using your Zf with Nikon-supplied software, you need NX Studio 1.7.1 or later, NX Tether 2.2.0 or later, IPTC Preset Manager 1.3.0 or later, SnapBridge 2.12.0 or later, and NX MobileAir 1.2.0 or later. These were not the versions that were promoted when the Zf was first introduced, so if you haven't upgraded those apps and install the firmware update, make sure you do the software updates, too.

Thom and Mark Do Z5II

As with all recent Nikon camera introductions, Mark Comon (Paul's Photo and Creative Photo Academy) and me will be providing our detailed assessment of the just announced Nikon Z5II. The primary discussion won't be so much about about image quality or focus performance, as those things are well established by the other recent cameras using the same technology and image sensor. Instead, this is the first time that we need to go deep into the 24mp full frame lineup and explain how the multiple options Nikon is offering play out against one another. 

There's a lot to discuss, as Nikon now has Z5, Z5II, Z6II, Z6III, and Zf models packed into that space. Which camera might be best for you and why is the key element to our discussion; we hope to make things clearer for you (certainly clear than Nikon has). While our hands on experience with the Z5II is minimal at this point, we're pretty sure we can put this new camera into perspective for you.

As with all our New Product Presentations, we'll be doing this via a free Zoom web session on Tuesday, at 5pm PST (8pm EST). You can sign up to attend—again, free—by heading to the Creative Photo Academy Web site and clicking on the Z5II session. You'll get an email with how to log on when you do. As usual, this event will be recorded, and those who sign up for it but don't attend will get an email with a link to view the recording a day or two after the presentation. 

Nikon Needs Z Nikkors

I mentioned it at the end of my Z5II introduction, but one of the issues for Nikon in their current fiscal year is that they've played out their hand pretty well in filling a basic lens set for the Z System (and faster than Sony did after they introduced the original A7). The problem for Nikkors is now shifting into a more treacherous terrain: finding traction in the margins.

Just as a reminder, we have the following in the full frame (FX) line:

  • f/1.2 primes (35mm, 50mm, 85mm)
  • f/1.4 primes (35mm, 50mm)
  • f/1.8 primes (20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm)
  • slower primes (26mm, 40mm, 50mm, 105mm)
  • telephoto primes (two 400mm, 600mm, 800mm)
  • f/2.8 zooms (two sets: 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 17-28mm, 28-75mm, 70-180mm)
  • f/4 zooms (14-30mm, 24-70mm, 24-120mm)
  • variable zooms (24-50mm, 24-200mm, 28-400mm, 100-400mm, 180-600mm)

That's 34 solid lenses that do a good job of giving us a good basic coverage. Yes, Nikon needs to "fill" a few holes in the above (e.g. 85mm f/1.4, 105mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/4 or similar). I suspect we'll see those holes filled in the coming two years.

Which brings us to the clear holes in the Nikkor Z-mount set:

  • Wide angle primes below 20mm (e.g. 14mm)
  • Fisheye (circular and full frame, e.g. 8-15mm)
  • Faster zooms (no f/2 zooms yet)
  • Short, fast telephoto (e.g. 180-300mm f/2.8)
  • Telephoto gap filling and extension (e.g. 500mm, and 1200mm)
  • Modern tilt/shift, perhaps with AF

Here's the dilemma: each new Nikkor lens needs to have a big enough market size potential to justify the R&D and production work for it. Moreover, as we customers all fill up our lens cupboard, demand for many of the existing lenses goes down (unless Nikon can drive significantly more new customers to the Z-mount). 

It seems clear to me that Nikon miscalculated lens adoption. For quite some time they were suggesting that they'd achieve a 2x attach rate (number of lenses bought per camera), but in reality, they really haven't budged from the 1.6x attach rate that is seen pretty much industry wide. 

The influx of inexpensive but adequate Chinese primes is not helping things for Nikon, by any means. Once China starts producing zoom lenses, there's a fair chance that the CIPA-stated attach rate starts to go down, as China is not part of CIPA reporting while Nikon is. The bottom line is that whatever lens Nikon produces next has to provide some real traction in a market that is getting slippery. 

You and I both have lenses we want Nikon to make, I'm sure. When I write about what Nikkors should be made, I always get a plethora of suggestions that fill your specific need. Today, however, I'm going to ask you to do something different: if you're going to write me about Missing Nikkors, what I want you to do is suggest the one lens that you feel is both missing and would sell well enough overall to drive lens sales upward. Be the Product Manager: find the product that Nikon needs to make that gives them the most boost. 

________________________

Bonus coverage: One surprise to me with the Z5II announcement is that Nikon did no lens leveraging with it. By that, I mean this: what would have happened if Nikon announced a 14-24mm f/3.5-5.6 and 50-135mm f/4-6.3 compact zoom lens set with the camera? Coupled with the existing 24-50mm f/4-6.3, that would provide a 14-135mm three lens set of very small size and perfectly good capability for a more consumer-oriented 24mp camera such as the Z5II.

I know that Nikon has looked at producing a variable aperture wide angle and telephoto zoom to go with the mid-range one. I heard they were really close to producing the wide angle lens. But at the moment we're in a lens drought. Nikon clearly has the capacity to produce eight new lenses a year, and has proven that time and again. Last year: four new lenses. One quarter of the way through this year: one new lens, suggested four again. 

I have to believe that some of the lens drought we're currently in has to do with Nikon renovating its Tochigi, Japan factory. Not scheduled to complete until 2027, the change at Tochigi involves demolishing over a dozen scattered buildings and consolidating their work into two new ones. This implies that other facilities will have to lead the way on new lenses for the time being. Design in Japan, manufacture in Thailand (or China, et.al.) adds time and difficulty to getting new lenses out the door.

Nikon Introduces the Z5II, with Surprises

Nikon today introduced the highly anticipated Z5II. The short summary: the Z5II is comprised of mostly Zf internals in a body nearly identical to the original Z5. That makes the Z5II the sixth Z9-generation camera with EXPEED7 goodies, leaving only the Z7 line to await such an update (in full frame). I'm told that the Z5 will continue in the lineup at (eventually) a new reduced price. 

Wait, I wrote surprises in the headline, so what were those? I basically see three things that go beyond what was expected for a Z5 update:

  1. The price. At US$1699, that makes the Z5II and the Z6II the same price currently, and this price is decidedly higher than what most expected. The good news is that the Z5II is a better camera than the Z6II while using the same image sensor. 
  2. The feature set. I was surprised by the original Z5's feature set and how extensive it was, and once again Nikon has put in one heck of a lot of the Z9 generation goodies to load up the Z5II (see below). Curiously, HEIF seems to be missing, but things like 12-bit N-RAW, Hi-Res Zoom, and other more advanced and non-entry features are present. 
  3. The offer. At least for the initial rollout, NikonUSA is providing a free one-year subscription to Adobe's Lightroom+1TB Creative Cloud offering when you register your camera. That's US$144 worth of software and cloud goodness that seems to indicate that at least the Nikon and Adobe sales teams are talking to each other.

About that price. NikonUSA's current Instant Rebate program expires in a week, on April 11th. My guess is that the next round of discounting will have to start addressing the problematic log-jam Nikon currently has in pricing of their full frame lineup. I believe that the future pricing will sort into an order that goes like this: Z5 < Z6II < Z5II < Zf < Z6III. All these are 24mp cameras, but with different feature sets at staggered price points. (If you want more of a discussion about this, Mark Comon and I will be doing our usual "new camera launch" type of presentation for the Z5II on Tuesday, at 5pm PST (see Creative Photo Academy site for details and to sign up).)

Let's get to the details about what's in the Z5II. Major things the new camera gets from the Z9 generation change:

  • Subject detection autofocus with all the trimmings (e.g. Wide-Area custom settings); yes, and Bird is a choice
  • Focus performance has improved to -10EV (at base ISO with f/1.2 lens)
  • Pixel shift shooting is included (up to 96mp from 32 images; requires free NX Studio software to stitch)
  • Nikon Imaging Cloud support, including downloadable Recipes (i.e. Flexible Picture Controls) to go with the new Picture Control button on the top of the camera (ala the Z50II)
  • Restructured menu system (PHOTO SHOOTING, VIDEO RECORDING, CUSTOM SETTING, PLAYBACK, SETUP, NETWORK) 
  • Additional customization options
  • Maximum frame rate increases to about 14 fps from 4.5 fps (as with the other non-stacked image sensors, the exact frame rate you get depends upon whether you're using mechanical shutter or electronic)
  • As with the other Z9 generation cameras, we get button and control position shifts from the original Z6/Z7 positions
  • Higher end options such as Voice memo, Skin softening, and High-frequency flicker reduction are surprisingly included
  • Better video capabilities show up in spades (10-bit H.265 support, 12-bit N-RAW, N-Log, no crop at 4K/30P, the addition of 4K/60P and FullHD/120P, waveforms, and much more)

And the (few) things the Z5II didn't get from the EXPEED7 bin:

  • 10-bit HEIF (Nikon Japan says HEIF is in the camera)
  • IPTC data entry
  • WR wireless flash support; the MC-DC2 type slot is dropped, replaced by the MC-DC3 remote that plugs into the headphone jack, thus you can't plug an WR-R11 into the Z5II

Battery remains the long-lived EN-EL15 type, again using the C iteration. USB charging happens in camera with B and C versions of the battery, but note that the camera no longer comes with a standalone charger or USB wall wart, just a USB C cable. CIPA ratings range from 330 images to 380, depending upon how you've got the camera set and whether you're using the EVF or Rear LCD.

All of this happens in a body that is remarkably close in size to the original Z5 while gaining an ounce in the changeover (it's still smaller and lighter than the Z6III). Said body is weather sealed and now features an articulated Rear LCD instead of a tilting one. While the EVF has the same dot pattern and most other characteristics as the Z5, Nikon claims that it can go far brighter, up to 3000 nits and "6x brighter than competing cameras" (Nikon didn't state what those are ;~); the Z5, by comparison was 1000 nits).

Nikon made a few other changes that aren't just about Z9 Expeed7 improvements. One is that instead of the old D600/D750 image sensor, the Z5II has moved to the Z6II/Zf image sensor. That means we go from FSI (frontside illumination) to BSI (backside) and add in dual gain to the Z5II. There's no real change in pixel count, but many changes to video capabilities, some rolling shutter improvements, and overall better data transfer speed. Since that last bit impacts focus speed, one should expect Zf level autofocus from the Z5II, which is to say, really good for casual work, and even able to stretch into action, when needed. To reiterate the levels at which I think action works on the various Z9 generation cameras, from lowest to highest:

  • Z50II — The electronic shutter speed, rolling shutter, and EVF conspire here to make the Z50II a bit erratic when you press it against the top frame rates with moving subjects you have to follow. Another issue can be top shutter speed if you're using mechanical shutter.
  • Z5II and Zf — A small step upward with the EVF, but with some of the same issues as in the DX sibling.
  • Z6III — A clear step forward. The partial stack sensor and the EVF do some heavier lifting and rolling shutter is significantly reduced.
  • Z8 and Z9 — The full stack sensor and the split-stream off it make for no hiccups and no visible rolling shutter. 

For some reason, the sensor VR on the Z5II is now rated at 7.5 stops CIPA instead of 8 stops (on the Zf). We do get Focus point VR, though. I'm sorting through a few other similar oddities and will report on those as I understand them.

Even at the US$1699 price point, the Z5II probably is going to be a decent seller initially (and it ships to customers "in April"). While Z5 owners have had multiple chances to upgrade already (via the Z6II, Zf, and Z6III) and the new model is at a higher list price, the Z5II significantly undercuts the Z6III. By that I mean that the Z5II is probably 95% the camera the Z6III is, but at 500 fewer shekels. Some future Z6III sales are going to shift to the Z5II because of that. Meanwhile, the original Z5 is still on the market at the US$999 price point, and remains a reasonably compelling entry-level full frame camera; the Z5II sits almost exactly between that Z5 and Z6III in price (particularly if you factor in the Lightroom offer). 

So who benefits from this revised Z5II?

  • The remaining DX DSLR folk that were looking for how they'd get into mirrorless and have always envied FX. Accounting for inflation, the Z5II is at the D7xxx price point and offers a ton of upgrades.
  • The remaining D600/D750 folk that didn't want to pay US$2000+ to get similar image quality. US$1700 is a large ask, but at least now the bottom entrant of the current full frame mirrorless lineup sees feature and performance gains that would make the switch worthwhile.
  • Those that were on the fence about the Z6III. As I've discussed the Z5II with others, we've had a tough time describing the compelling reason to update to a Z6III over now the Zf and Z5II. Yes, you get a better EVF in the Z6III, but you may also need to buy new storage cards (CFexpress) and the other "gains" are all in the not-needed category for some users (e.g. rolling shutter improvement). 

And who is not looking at the Z5II so positively?

  • Original Z5 owners looking to upgrade. Yes, they see more performance and features, but they also see a significant price increase. 
  • The gift-shopping crowd. Again, the higher price becomes the issue, particularly if you need to buy a lens along with the body. (It's a US$2000 proposition to buy the Z5II with the 24-50mm kit lens.)

Commentary: Despite Nikon's continued insistence that they're primarily targeting high-end products, in reality they're simply rebuilding their very wide DSLR lineup again, though perhaps with a few more features at the lower end this time. By holding older cameras on the market and ingeniously staggering the updates, we now have eleven cameras spread out from US$710 list to US$6000 list. That's fourteen Z System cameras Nikon has come out with in less than seven years. Indeed, by the time we hit the actual seven year Z anniversary, I expect that list to be at least fifteen. Given that at least a third of those cameras sell for less than the historical prosumer/pro lower bar—which has always been somewhere around US$2000 since the D100 first appeared—Nikon's actions speak differently than their words.

On the other hand, I find it great that Nikon is taking the Z9 generation technology all the way down into what can be called more consumer cameras. We now have the Z50II providing current technology without having to go upscale in list price, with the Z5II doing the same while nudging the price (this could be an anticipated tariff adjustment). When you also consider inflation, a new-to-Nikon consumer purchasing in the US$1700 and under category is today getting more camera and better value for less money. Hopefully we'll see this extend to the Z30 soon with II refresh, too.

According to one inside source I've talked to, the camera update that's been problematic for Nikon to figure out how to manage correctly in this generational transition is the Z7. They can't simply make it into a Z8 with no split sensor data, as that would undermine the sales of the Z8. Those sales of the Z8 have continued at higher levels for far longer than expected, and Nikon simply doesn't want to undermine the Z8 until they have to. I've been saying that a Z7III isn't likely until there's an impending change to the Z8 that would clearly differentiate the two, and I believe that may be exactly Nikon's attitude, too. 

So at this point we have six current generation cameras (Z9, Z8, Z6III, Zf, Z5II, and Z50II on EXPEED7) and five older generation cameras (Z7II, Z6II, Z5, Z30, and Zfc on EXPEED6). The older generation cameras will live in the price cracks of the newer generation, giving Nikon what looks to be a broad line of differently priced cameras, again very similar to what they did in the teens for DSLRs.

I expect another EXPEED7 camera—a new, more video oriented model—to be next and further updates of the older cameras will probably stall into 2026 and later. That said, Men's World Cup and the Winter Olympics are in 2026, so I expect high-end action by Nikon to defend the Z9 in late 2025 or early 2026. Whether that's more big firmware updates or a real Z9II is unclear. I actually believe Nikon management is debating that very choice right now in Tokyo as they prepare for their year-end press and business meetings. (I outlined the low-hanging fruit for a modest Z9II update in an earlier article.)

Nikon has entered their new fiscal year (only two days ago) in a relatively good place, with strong sales driven by a fairly strong lineup. This, however, is going to be a fiscal year of tests for Nikon, though. Is a Z5II and a ZV going to be enough to continue growth in sales and market share? Will the tariff and world economic situations become a huge friction to overcome? What new lenses would really keep the Nikkor side of the business moving forward? While Nikon management will pat themselves on the back again in the first week of May, they're almost certainly concerned about the road ahead, as it's about as rocky as ever. 

Should You Now Avoid Some Z Older Cameras?

Update: With the introduction of the Z5II, some of my commentary needed updating, so I've done that in place in this article. Consider these my recommendations as of April 3, 2025.

As a corollary to my Big Updates versus Small Updates article, if you're looking to buy new, does this still make sense for older Z System models? I'm going to take a strong stance here and say it's time to take some models off your buying radar. Let me go through the lineup that lingers:

  • ZfcConsider. You really have to prefer the legacy design and operation, and not want or need maximum performance to consider this camera. Otherwise you should think Zf for both (design/performance), or Z50II for just the latter (performance). I'm starting to think that the Zfc is really best only with small primes that have aperture rings (and can be manual focus). The more you desire excellent autofocus and other performance features, the more you should avoid the Zfc. 
  • Z30Consider. The Z50II now means that you only buy the Z30 because (1) price, (2) don't use EVFs, and (3) you really want small as possible. That also limits you to basically three lenses that truly make sense, the 24mm, 12-28mm, and 16-50mm DX lenses. The minute you break out of that narrow set, it starts to become "you saved US$300 to have handling issues." 
  • Z50Don't Buy. The Z50II is simply a better camera, hands down.
  • Z5 — Consider. The original Z5 stays at the US$999 price while the Z5II comes in far more expensive, so if you're looking for an entry full frame camera at a modest price, the original Z5 is still the choice. It appears the original will stay on the market and thus remain Nikon's price leader for full frame.
  • Z6Don't Buy. There's still some new ones out there lingering on shelves, plus this model is showing up regularly in under US$1000 refurbished. I suppose if you were considering a Z5 at US$1000 that you should rather consider a Z6 refurbished at the current US$750, since both cameras use the same basic tech (EXPEED6), but the Z6 has a bit more capability. Other than that, this model is done and gone as far as I'm concerned.
  • Z6II — Don't Buy. This is trickier than you think. At the Z5II introduction, the Z6II was exactly the same price for a clearly lesser camera. Meanwhile, even if Nikon decides to discount the Z6II further—and I believe they will given the circumstances—you still have the original Z5 to consider at a lower cost without a lot of feature or performance penalty. 
  • Z7II  — Consider. This might even be a no-brainer for some. We don't appear to have a Z7III on the horizon, and the Z8 is much more expensive, so the current US$2000 body price for a Z7II should appeal to someone that wants a decently solid high-pixel count camera. The landscape, architecture, astrophotography crowd isn't going to find that the older tech is holding the back in any significant way. Even for travel and portraits (at high pixel counts!) this camera is still workable. The alternative is what looks to be a long wait or a lot of extra cash (for a Z8). 

The rest of the cameras in Nikon's lineup (Z50II, Z5II, Z6III, Z8, Z9, Zf) are all fine cameras, and with Nikon's latest technology. If one of those is the right model for you, buy away.

Big Updates Versus Small Updates

We're now six years into the Z System, and a number of cameras have had updates. One thing that gets mentioned almost as a throwaway after each update are statements such as "not much of an upgrade" versus "upgrade makes a big difference." 

It's worth taking a moment to consider what Nikon has done in moving the Z System forward, and being more specific about the different progress that has been made for each model. Let's take it camera by camera, starting with DX:

  • Z50 to Z50II — This was a massive change, and deserves more respect. The Z50 went from being a somewhat likable, feature limited camera with a lot of small annoyances, to being the most well-rounded and performance-capable camera anywhere near its price point. Customization and controllability got better, focus got way better, video got better, frame rates got better, features got better and extended, plus even the small tweaks to what's shown in the EVF help the camera, too. When Nikon does a job like this, they should be applauded at the standing ovation level, not just a bunch "yeah, buts..." Big win.
  • Zfc — No changes yet.
  • Z30 — No changes yet. One could say that the Z30 was a Z50 with a very modest update and an EVF removal. Now that we have the Z50II you can see just how modest the Z30 update really was: extremely. No applause necessary ;~). 

Up until the Z50II it seemed that Nikon wasn't all that serious about DX. The Z50 was a low-end placeholder, the Zfc was a way to disguise almost no upgrade work being done by putting that in a legacy-design body and creating an update that catered to nostalgia. The Z30 was really a way of disguising that same modest update as something that would instead appeal to "creators." The Z50II seems to put that to an end, unless by creator you mean someone who never uses an EVF and just wants a smaller camera (and is willing to suffer considerable consequences in doing so). 

Personally, I don't think the Zfc needs an update, but a Z30II incorporating the Z50II changes would be a very useful product, particularly at the price point. The problem for DX now is starting to be the one we've had since 2007: it needs more lens support. I don't care whether that comes from Nikon or third parties, but particularly with zoom lenses we have a number of missing lens components now. 

Moving to FX we see:

  • Z5 — No changes yet, though pretty clear indications that it is next for the EXPEED7 makeover (see next article). Will Nikon do what they did with the Z50II? Let's hope so. But given that the Z5 lives at the bottom of the FX price chain and really needs to sell at US$1000 at times, the temptation for Nikon to strip something down will be high. 
  • Z6 to Z6II — While the list of changes was actually fairly long in this update—I identified over two dozen in my review—most of these had minimal impact on how good a camera it was. Quite a few seemed to be just addressing something that didn't get done in the original model, as opposed to truly extending performance or feature set. This led to a lot of grumbling and dissatisfaction among the Zsumers, though most eventually came to the conclusion that the Z6II was indeed preferred over the Z6; it just wasn't a dollar-worthy upgrade.
  • Z6II to Z6III — A substantive change that improves virtually all the questionable aspects of the II model. That's "marred" by one small thing: some modest reduction of dynamic range at the lower ISO levels. Some might also include a bit of rolling shutter in electronic shutter mode, but both of these things are not likely to be a detriment to someone who understands the camera well. The Z9-level features really do improve the overall operability of this model to the point where it's probably all the camera that most people really need. Major win.
  • Z7 to Z7II — Same thing as with the Z6: no performance or feature set extension that made a clear difference, but a lot of small things that made for a slightly better camera. Not worth paying for the upgrade, but it did make those coming into the system for the first time to a Z7II feel a little better about it.
  • Z8 — Surprisingly, firmware 2.00 made changes that were well worth getting, and it did it for free. (I'll deal with that more in the Z9 section, next.) Significant win.
  • Z9 — Nikon's biggest surprise of all. When you think about it, the Z9 basically "fixed" all the Z7/Z7II complaints in spades with its initial iteration. I took a preproduction Z9 and a Z7II to Africa and almost never picked up the Z7II, as it was such a downgrade. So some might say the Z9 was a pro-level, massive upgrade of the Z7II. But wait, there's more. As in firmware 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and eventually 5.0. Every one of those major number upgrades simply made an already excellent camera clearly better. What became evident over time is that the Z9 was actually rushed to market (yet still beat the competition up), even though the engineering team still had significant work left to do on it, which they eventually completed. Funny thing is, I don't think they're done, though I now expect firmware 6.0 will more likely be the Z9II. Big win.
  • Zf — A substantive update to the Zfc ;~). One reason why I don't have strong hopes for a ZfcII any time soon is that the Zf was really the update. Not only did the Zf get the Z9-initiated EXPEED7 goodies, but there are small differences to how Nikon tackled the legacy body ideas, too. Coupled with a better FX sensor and EVF and all that entails, the Zf became the ultimate retro-style camera, and I don't think Nikon needs two of those. Significant win.

Looking back at Nikon's whole mirrorless history, it now seems clear that there were three turning points: (1) Nikon 1 pioneering on-sensor PDAF and WYSIWIG EVF; (2) Z6/Z7 generation maturing the Nikon 1 technologies into the mainstream ILC market; and (3) EXPEED7 then pushing Nikon's in-camera capabilities to new abilities and extremes. No fourth turning point is on the radar at the moment, but given that there are usually long periods before each major shift, that's not surprising. That actually describes Nikon engineering's modus operandi over many decades: every four or eight years deploy clearly new technology at the top, then work it down through the lineup. 

Some are predicting EXPEED8 is on the near horizon (because EXPEED7 is four years old). I'm not so sure about that as it would be a huge R&D investment right on the heels of EXPEED7, and that's not very Nikon-like. My expectations would instead be that they instead turn to a helper chip, not a new base processor. We've already seen that idea from Sony with their AI processing unit. Moreover, the split data stream Z8/Z9 cameras should be well suited to multi-chip upgrades. Which has me predicting an add-on chip for the Z8/Z9 updates when we get them, and then EXPEED8 integrating that and more for the eventual other model updates. But I could be wrong; maybe Nikon saw a need to push EXPEED updates faster. The reason why I doubt this, though, is that they haven't yet taken full advantage of EXPEED7's capabilities.

As I write this, the "un-upgraded" models are: Zfc, Z30, Z5, and Z7II. I expect the Z5II shortly, leaving Nikon with only three un-upgraded models (the Z8 and Z9 were upgraded via firmware). And to my overall point, we've gotten three substantive upgrades this round already: Z50 to Z50II, Zfc to Zf, and Z6II to Z6III. Nikon's current lineup is pretty strong at the moment, and only going to get stronger.

What’s Next for Z?

It’s been four months since our last Z camera introduction. Thus, the rumors and conjectures are flying again. My you’re an impatient lot. I'm seeing swirling and near viral rumors about potential Z30II, ZfcII, Z7III, Z9II, Zv, and even ZfR models. 

While most of the current rumors are not credible, the one that I most believe and is likely to be the next Z System camera revolves around the Z5. Now approaching its fifth birthday, the Z5 has been a solid performer for Nikon, and needs to continue to cement the bottom of the full frame lineup for as long as possible. One important thing to note, the Z5 uses the front-side illumination (FSI) image sensor that’s now thirteen years old, and not any of the more current back-side illumination (BSI) 24mp sensors (Z6II, Zf, Z6III). 

Since Nikon has worked its way mostly down from the top in introducing EXPEED7—Z9, Z8, Zf, Z6III, Z50II—it stands to reason that they’ll continue this practice and eventually address the entire permanent lineup, including the Z5. The tricky part for Nikon is that with six FX cameras and three DX cameras, they have a bit of a logjam happening where they need to be careful to keep both the pricing and feature sets rationalized. 

For a Z5II to work in the current lineup and keep its price point intact, it needs to be BSI 24mp, EXPEED7, and nothing more. It’s not likely to have a new shutter, new EVF, move to CFe cards, or other Z6III-like additions. It’s possible that Nikon might move from a tilting Rear LCD to an articulating one, but I doubt that they would up the dot count because of cost. A Z5II is almost certainly going to be mostly a Zf’s internal digital bits in a Z5-like body. And that requires BSI 24mp and EXPEED7. 

I was a bit surprised when the original Z5 was announced. The only real cripple points from a Z6 were (1) the FSI instead of BSI sensor, (2) a 1.04m dot Rear LCD, about half the capability of the Z6’s, (3) lower frame rates, and (4) a less sophisticated shutter. Video specs were lower primarily due to the image sensor. For the most part, you got most of a Z6 at a lower price when you bought a Z5. 

That’s going to be the mantra for the Z5II, too: the Z5II should be most of a Z6III at a lower price. 

Again, Nikon has a pretty clear way to accomplish that. The Zf image sensor and EXPEED7 and all that brings “for free” would be the center of all Z5II improvements. On the other hand, Nikon would likely stay with the current shutter, Rear LCD, EVF, SD cards, and so on. Perhaps they'd change the body build to match the Z6III design in order to conform with the new manufacturing processes they have in place. I’d bet we get a Picture Controls button on the top plate, just like the Z50II, but no other new controls. Controls would also move to the current Z9-generation locations (which is really just button name swaps). 

Anything more than the previous paragraph starts to become a problem. First, Nikon really wants to continue to sell Zf’s and Z6III’s, so a Z5II can’t encroach too much in terms of build quality, features, and performance of either. But more important, the original Z5 has been holding down the “best entry level full frame camera” position for quite some time. So it really has to stay at the US$1499 suggested list price, and it needs to be able to withstand deep discounting over time. Adding too much to a Z5II would be counterproductive to both those things.

The good news is that the Zf image sensor and EXPEED7, all by themselves, would give a Z5II better video, a larger and better feature set, and most importantly, better autofocus. The thing I’ll be looking at is whether Nikon prunes some EXPEED7 features in a Z5II, such as Pixel-shift shooting. I hope they don’t. It was the fact that Nikon didn’t neuter Z6 features in the original Z5 that made it a hit. 

Which brings us to the “when” question. This is a little tricky, as Nikon’s fiscal year ends on March 31st, and they’re going to want something new shipping in their upcoming first quarter to jumpstart their next fiscal year sales. Nikon tends to report their fiscal year results in the second week of May, and they prefer to introduce any new products during that time frame in conjunction with the financial meetings, as it allows them to not only wrangle the business press for more time together, but also helps them clarify where their next fiscal year predictions are coming from. So, my original bet on the Z5II launch point was “sometime in early-to-mid May.” That would also give NikonUSA a chance to have big presentations and finished cameras ready to sell at B&H’s Bild show the following month.

However, as the rumor sites are now suggesting, I too am hearing that Nikon may have moved up the Z5II target date to an April launch (likely late April). Nikon is going to want to get some significant new product sales in before their next Q1 ends June 30th, so if the Z5II is indeed next, it needs to ship in May. Add in a lens or two—I’m hearing companions to the 24-50mm f/4-6.3 compact zoom are coming, and that would fit nicely with the Z5II though I don't know if they'll be announced at the same time—and Nikon would get a jump start on their next year’s total sales growth. 

So in answer to this article’s headline: Z5II, and sometime this spring. Maybe a supporting lens or two.

Z8 and Z6III Get Firmware Updates

Nikon today introduced Z8 firmware 2.10 and Z6III firmware 1.10. While some are calling these "major updates," note the numbering. Nikon's true major updates are a change to the number on the left of the dot. So before we deal with what's in these updates, let's make sure to correctly identify Nikon engineering's pattern of numbering:

  • X.## — When X to the left of the dot changes, that's a truly major update, generally introducing significant high level features.
  • #.X# — When the X immediately to the right of the dot changes, that indicates that there are feature additions and changes. Often this has to do with an existing feature, where something is added or changed. Sometimes it has to do with a new accessory (in this case power zoom lenses). 
  • #.#X — If the X that changes at the end of the number, that generally indicates bug and performance fixes.

Note that each level of update can also contain things in the lower levels.

While Nikon hasn't been 100% perfect with the above, I know from interviews that the above is their internally stated goal.

Okay, now on to the Z8 2.10 firmware. The feature additions and changes here have to do with video and controls for it:

  • Hi-Res Zoom is now available when Imaging area is set to DX.
  • #G10 was added to include Power/Hi-Res Zoom collaboration. This allows for a continuous zoom that starts with a power zoom lens optically zooming and continues seamlessly with Hi-Res Zoom when the maximum optical focal length is reached. This feature first appeared on the Z50II.
  • #G13 added Shutter mode to the list of options.
  • #G15 added Zebra pattern color to the list of options.
  • #G18 added options for Brightness information display.
  • PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING modes can be set individually in the bank system. (I don't like the way this option was done; it basically is a kludge until they do it right ;~)
  • #F2 and #G2 add an option for Save and load power zoom position.
  • #F10 adds Zoom ring control (PZ lens).
  • #F11 and #G9 is now Assign power zoom (two consolidated power zoom features).
  • Power zoom speed (zoom buttons) can be added to #F1 and #G1.

A number of bugs and performance issues were addressed, including buffer capacity changes that shouldn't happen, a lockup that happened during burst photography, a problem with Auto capture not starting properly, an ATOMOS AirGlu BT connectivity bug, and the fact that sometimes the camera could create images that wouldn't respond to i > Retouch

The Z6III 1.10 firmware basically provides the same feature additions and changes, though Custom Setting numbering is different than for the Z8 as the two cameras each have some features the other doesn't. The big news in the Z6III firmware update has to do with bug/performance fixes:

  • The noise jitter described by Horshack on dpreview has been addressed. It isn't 100% gone, but in terms of visibility, it is. One thing I had noticed is that the jitter was really in the Green/Magenta levels, and high ISO video on the Z6III with the new firmware seems to not run to a slight green tint as did the earlier version. Whatever Nikon did seems to have also addressed color shift at high ISO.
  • A number of "video stopped prematurely" problems were identified and addressed. One big one was sometimes an N-RAW video would end abruptly and not record to the card.
  • Audio noise for non-powered microphones set manually was addressed.
  • When using a Micro-Nikkor lens on a tripod with Electronic VR active, the image would jitter. Now fixed.
  • Other more esoteric or minor problems were addressed.

Curiously, the Z8 firmware does not include support for Flexible Picture Controls or Nikon Imaging Cloud. Frankly, that's a big miss by Nikon, and needs to be addressed. 

Zeiss Returns With Otus

Zeiss today woke up from a long slumber—their last lens was introduced in 2019—to introduce two new lenses for mirrorless cameras, the 50mm f/1.4 Otus, and 85mm f/1.4 Otus. These new manual focus lenses are available in the Z-mount, as well as the Canon RF and Sony FE mounts. Prices are US$2500 and US$3000, respectively, so not inexpensive for manual focus lenses. As usual, Zeiss is using Distagon/Sonnar optical designs.

Commentary: It's going to be interesting to see how well these lenses fare against the Chinese onslaught of primes. That may be one reason Zeiss opted to do whatever it took to get an RF mount license, as RF is still moated against the Chinese optic makers (and most Japanese, for that matter).

I am amused by the lengths that Zeiss went to in order to explain why a manual focus lens is relevant these days. For instance: "in low light conditions by manually adjusting focus one can have more control...and achieve sharpness exactly where they want." 

Or perhaps: "Some photographers simply prefer the tactile experience and control that comes with manual focusing." While it was true that the early mirrorless cameras and lenses tended to not have fine user control over focus with their fly-by-wire systems, when Zeiss was taking their long nap that changed. With my f/1.2 Nikkors, for instance, it's auto subject detect to the eye, roll focus if I want it slightly fore or aft, and I not only feel in full control of that with my camera set properly, but have things like magnification and focus peaking at fingertip control, as well. I'm unclear how Zeiss thinks that will be different than what they provide. 

The good news, at least for the Nikon Z-mount versions, is that recent cameras can even subject detect in manual focus, plus the full set of examination tools is available on a lens that supplies information to the camera, as do these new Oti. 

It's nice that we once again have Zeiss in the lens market, but it feels like it's too little effort way too late to make a tangible difference. Back when the DSLR Otus lenses came out, they shined as examples of well disciplined, sharp, lenses. The 55mm f/1.4 ran rings around all the Nikkor F-mount lenses. Today in the Z-mount, we have three pretty incredible 50mm Nikkors and a pair of 85's. I'm betting that the f/1.2 Nikkors out Otus the new Oti. 

What happened to older content? Well, it's now in one of the archive pages, below:

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