Even before I had managed to get firmware 3.0 loaded into my own Z9 the "buggy" emails started arriving. (I was not given any pre-release version of this firmware, as were some influencers, so I'm reacting to rather than already on top of such issues.)
I've now confirmed at least two bugs in the new firmware, and one is important for some of you. I've seen reports of at least six different issues, and we're not even a day into the release. I'll see if I can confirm the other four.
It appears that Nikon's name changing has bungled MyMenu and perhaps Save/Load settings. Here's my suggestion: Load your settings into your Z9 prior to updating, as they'll be retained, however then delete all your MyMenu options prior to updating. You'll have to resurrect those manually after the update. The reason for this is that it seems that some things in MyMenu, if left in the camera during the update, will cause you to be unable to make any further MyMenu changes and can also cause grayed out options there. Likewise, for any item that changed in name, it's probably worth going through your settings after the update to make sure that your camera is still set as you wish (the old C30/C120 Custom Setting, for instance).
I'm still trying to verify the other small issues. My initial assessment is that this update didn't get enough testing, let alone with the right testers, and may have been rushed to market. I suspect that rush was two-fold: (1) having something big to announce while competitors are announcing new cameras; and (2) with the Z9 now appearing in stock here in the US, creating a new push to move bodies out of stores via a new viral marketing message.
At the moment I'd still recommend installing the update, as the features and performance tweaks do seem useful and the bugs rare and in some of the lesser-used areas. I'll keep an eye on this further, do another full pass of my own testing, and let you know if this recommendation changes.
I'm also getting hints that there might be a third reason for this firmware rush: three different sources of varying provenance are now telling me that a Z9 II is coming "sooner rather than later" (and likely to be more of a Z9s type update, so don't panic). Which means that the Z9 base firmware needs to fully resolve soon. The original Z9 was rushed to market in the first place, so there's been a frantic effort to get it "fully optimized and settled." I've still got a long list of things that could (should) be changed or added to fully round out the Z9, even though Nikon did address two or three of my points in the 3.0 release.
I've written before that I believe we'll see a Z9 II prior to the Paris Olympics (August 2024), but perhaps Nikon is prioritizing getting the Z9 into full competitive suit before Canon announces the R1 and Sony an A1 Mark II. I think I should probably adjust my Z9 II prediction to "sometime in 2023" at this point.
It's tough to gauge exactly what Nikon is up to at the moment. Japan just re-opened from the pandemic closure, so subsidiary contacts have basically all been electronic in the past two years, and mostly one-way. Nikon's always been Apple-like secretive, but with the staff all holed up in Tokyo, it's been easier to keep secrets secret. I do note that we've not seen a new model identified at any regulatory agency recently, so unless there's a crash program to certify going on that we can't yet see, I don't think any new camera model is imminent. I suspect that early 2023 is going to be very busy for Nikon, however.
