RoamingScott wrote:
That all sounds very promising, since the Z9 has a lot of computational overhead room to grow in terms of auto focus firmware updates where the other Z brethren do not. Sounds like the Z9 is starting at a pretty good point, although still more fiddly to shoot BIF than the A1, if I’m understanding you correctly.
Personally I find the Nikon wide area boxes rather tough to keep a fast moving subject in and miss Sony’s wide mode tremendously, but I’m also dealing with blackout which makes it harder.
Yes, I think that is one big difference....on Sony, Wide works so well and you don't have to be as accurate with aiming which is essential for swallows and the like. On Nikon that would be Auto but Auto seems to get distracted way easier than Sony Wide. Nikon Wide-Area is great but once the birds get small, fast and erratic it will be challenging to keep them in that area.
The other thing I find I miss in Nikon Wide-Area is that there are no "dancing squares". I really like having those dancing squares in Sony Zone so I actually know what part of the Zone it is using at any time. When my Nikon Wide-Area box is over a subject plus surroundings and it isn't indicating a subject box then I have no idea what it is actually focusing on as the entire box outline just goes green.
I hope to discover many more nuances with the Nikon system today in better light (fingers-crossed).
Wait…wide area with AF-C goes green on the Z9? That’s new for the Z cams if so. A major pain point on the 6 and 7 models is no AF-C focus confirmation in any AF mode.
arbitrage wrote:
Yes, I think that is one big difference....on Sony, Wide works so well and you don't have to be as accurate with aiming which is essential for swallows and the like. On Nikon that would be Auto but Auto seems to get distracted way easier than Sony Wide. Nikon Wide-Area is great but once the birds get small, fast and erratic it will be challenging to keep them in that area.
The other thing I find I miss in Nikon Wide-Area is that there are no "dancing squares". I really like having those dancing squares in Sony Zone so I actually know what part of the Zone it is using at any time. When my Nikon Wide-Area box is over a subject plus surroundings and it isn't indicating a subject box then I have no idea what it is actually focusing on as the entire box outline just goes green.
I hope to discover many more nuances with the Nikon system today in better light (fingers-crossed)....Show more →
Just mentioning this comment here as this is the dedicated thread for AF and customization. I reported before that RSF override for subject detection works only for shutter AF. Today I noticed a strange (though good) behavior. It really appears it depends on which button one presses first. If i press my AF-ON or Joystick or Fn1/2 to which i assigned another AF-ON + AF area mode, and then try to override those modes with lens fn, it doesn't turn off subject detection whereas if i pressed the ln fn button to first turn off subject detection and then press the AF-ON or other buttons, it seems to turn off subject detection. I just noticed this and was in the field so couldn't test further.
In case anyone else is using a button for subject detection using RSF override, are you seeing this?
RoamingScott wrote:
Wait…wide area with AF-C goes green on the Z9? That’s new for the Z cams if so. A major pain point on the 6 and 7 models is no AF-C focus confirmation in any AF mode.
Goes green when in focus in all AF modes when in AF-C.
gannis wrote:
Just mentioning this comment here as this is the dedicated thread for AF and customization. I reported before that RSF override for subject detection works only for shutter AF. Today I noticed a strange (though good) behavior. It really appears it depends on which button one presses first. If i press my AF-ON or Joystick or Fn1/2 to which i assigned another AF-ON + AF area mode, and then try to override those modes with lens fn, it doesn't turn off subject detection whereas if i pressed the ln fn button to first turn off subject detection and then press the AF-ON or other buttons, it seems to turn off subject detection. I just noticed this and was in the field so couldn't test further.
In case anyone else is using a button for subject detection using RSF override, are you seeing this?...Show more →
Yes. As long as I press and hold the button that turns Subject Detection off first, it stays off as I change to other AF area modes with other buttons.
So what Nikon really needs now is a wide area-XXL covering the whole frame! Also I'm looking forward to test what the new AF area mode similar to group, with configurable AF box sizes could do.
Btw, i do see those dancing dots at times in the Z9 when using auto area af but it generally turns into a box very quickly.
arbitrage wrote:
Yes, I think that is one big difference....on Sony, Wide works so well and you don't have to be as accurate with aiming which is essential for swallows and the like. On Nikon that would be Auto but Auto seems to get distracted way easier than Sony Wide. Nikon Wide-Area is great but once the birds get small, fast and erratic it will be challenging to keep them in that area.
The other thing I find I miss in Nikon Wide-Area is that there are no "dancing squares". I really like having those dancing squares in Sony Zone so I actually know what part of the Zone it is using at any time. When my Nikon Wide-Area box is over a subject plus surroundings and it isn't indicating a subject box then I have no idea what it is actually focusing on as the entire box outline just goes green.
I hope to discover many more nuances with the Nikon system today in better light (fingers-crossed)....Show more →
nextlife1 wrote:
Yes. As long as I press and hold the button that turns Subject Detection off first, it stays off as I change to other AF area modes with other buttons.
This is really sounding like a video game control. “”To jump, press X and O together.” To super jump, while holding X and O, press the green button.”
I think I am going to underutilize the camera. And that is OK. I will just miss a shot now and then. I have no interest (ability) in memorizing all of these command sequences for the ultimate shortcuts while at the same time composing and metering.
I think you’ll get plenty of fine results without min-maxing the Z9 controls as described.
gdsf2 wrote:
This is really sounding like a video game control. “”To jump, press X and O together.” To super jump, while holding X and O, press the green button.”
I think I am going to underutilize the camera. And that is OK. I will just miss a shot now and then. I have no interest (ability) in memorizing all of these command sequences for the ultimate shortcuts while at the same time composing and metering.
gdsf2 wrote:
This is really sounding like a video game control. “”To jump, press X and O together.” To super jump, while holding X and O, press the green button.”
Well Sony has said that it learned a lot of its AI from the Playstation. Maybe it is spreading.
I can see it now, earning points to unlock AF features....
1bwana1 wrote:
No, I did mean Artificial Intelligence. Sony specifically said there was much overlap, especially in the predictive movement parts of AF.
Ok. I was talking about the UI. That is why a I thought you might has mistyped.
1bwana1 wrote:
Well Sony has said that it learned a lot of its AI from the Playstation. Maybe it is spreading.
I can see it now, earning points to unlock AF features....
I look forward to chatting with other people on safari. "What are you after on this trip?" - "I need a shot of a giraffe at sunset to get achivement points to unlock the timelapse mode".
The level of software engineering and electrical engineering and design that goes into consoles and games is absolutely phenomenal. It isn't shocking at all that knowledge learned elsewhere in their business is applied to the cameras.
gdsf2 wrote:
I agree. And I think enjoy it more. But for those who enjoy optimizing the controls - more power to you.
It's not really anything new for me. I had my D850 buttons programmed for different AF modes and was constantly changing based on the conditions. So it is really instinctive for me to hold different buttons in while shooting--don't even really think about it. Just working on switching my "muscle memory" to the way I have the Z9 buttons programmed.
Yeah, me to. But in a limited manner. Even though wildlife shooting is fast paced I never felt the need so move so fast I needed this level of customization. Just like I never use keyboard shortcuts on the computer.
But for people who do, I can understand the appeal. And I am certainly not opposed to trying new technology or techniques. So, we shall see.
