p.4 #2 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
I have not noticed any significant low-light focusing issues with the Z8 or Zf. I mean for sure, in really low light, if the ISO is 25600 +, then focusing will be varying and not always on point, but the image quality typically isn't going to be great at those settings, either. When using fast lenses wide open, focusing has been accurate for me. However, if I do want to shoot stopped down, e.g., in a scenario where main light is flash, and if the lens has a fast maximum aperture, I would expect improvement in the low-light focusing. Software features such as taking more time to focus can be used for static or slowly moving subjects, but I don't like this approach very much as it requires a separate setting, and does not work for continuous focusing.
On a 24-70mm f/4 lens, low-light focusing will likely remain iffy as there is no wider aperture to focus using, but that's the compromise one makes with such lenses (cost, weight, and compactness being their benefits). However, when using, e.g., f/1.8 primes, the wide-open focusing will likely make shooting easier in many situations involving low ambient light and actual taking the picture at a smaller aperture.
Both the Z8 and Z9 have gotten a rich set of feature improvements via firmware updates, arguably beyond anyone's expectations. Small differences in release schedule and feature sets are not that big a deal. The Z9 is likely to be replaced soon while the Z8 will probably be updated significantly later, so from a business perspective, it's understandable that Nikon's focus on the Z9 is in the Mk II model.
p.4 #3 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
Thom loves to complain, no? Isn’t his whole enterprise based on complaints?
(at least that’s what it seems like to me whenever I have a look… Very long winded and adding nothing of substance)
rick-reno wrote:
Thom Hogan writes about the Z8 fw vs what we've got in the Z9.
p.4 #4 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
ronno wrote:
Thom loves to complain, no? Isn’t his whole enterprise based on complaints?
(at least that’s what it seems like to me whenever I have a look… Very long winded and adding nothing of substance)
Thx Ronno, exactly indeed the point I made earlier. On the one hand do I understand that it is difficult to stand out on the web with something. Some do reviews (with sniff tests), others with extremely useful videos, others setting up rumor websites and others trying hard to become an authority on something.
There was a time I did follow much more YouTube content creators but limit it now to 2 or 3 and none of them that are in love with their own voice or smother themselves in complaints and/or negativity. For that same reason did I suspend my InstaGram and FaceBook account like 10 days ago.
Each of us can always find things to moan and bitch about on that lens or body but at the end of the day I do like to take pictures and if we blame our gear for not getting the picture is that most of the time not gear related. Make no mistake, I shall immediately update the FW on my Z8 on the day of release and shall look forward to a Z8II or Z9II but love my current bodies I have today
p.4 #8 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
Nikon actually does have form on this. The D800 was still getting major firmware updates through to 2018, almost seven years after release and four after discontinuation. The last big one was getting full support for the wonderful 70-300 AF-P zoom lens.
p.4 #9 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
Daniel Bliss wrote:
Nikon actually does have form on this. The D800 was still getting major firmware updates through to 2018, almost seven years after release and four after discontinuation. The last big one was getting full support for the wonderful 70-300 AF-P zoom lens.
Very true. That was a win-win again, more lens sales for Nikon, more value for photographers.
p.4 #10 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
Vinnie_VdB wrote:
Thx Ronno, exactly indeed the point I made earlier. On the one hand do I understand that it is difficult to stand out on the web with something. Some do reviews (with sniff tests), others with extremely useful videos, others setting up rumor websites and others trying hard to become an authority on something.
There was a time I did follow much more YouTube content creators but limit it now to 2 or 3 and none of them that are in love with their own voice or smother themselves in complaints and/or negativity. For that same reason did I suspend my InstaGram and FaceBook account like 10 days ago.
Each of us can always find things to moan and bitch about on that lens or body but at the end of the day I do like to take pictures and if we blame our gear for not getting the picture is that most of the time not gear related. Make no mistake, I shall immediately update the FW on my Z8 on the day of release and shall look forward to a Z8II or Z9II but love my current bodies I have today ...Show more →
100%! Well said
p.4 #14 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
Can someone in marketing explain to me what Nikon is trying to achieve by delaying the Firmware release? I worked four years in digital marketing. I understand Nikon want to create a viral effect, but what kind of effect you can create if no one is using it?!
I recently bought a Milvus 35mm f1.4. This lens won't be a good fit for the Nikon ZF or the Z6iii, but handles ok on my Z8. The firmware 3.0 do get me excited but the wait just...... The only things the delay release has achieved is to make someone like me rant in an online forum.
p.4 #15 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
mikegao wrote:
Can someone in marketing explain to me what Nikon is trying to achieve by delaying the Firmware release? I worked four years in digital marketing. I understand Nikon want to create a viral effect, but what kind of effect you can create if no one is using it?!
I recently bought a Milvus 35mm f1.4. This lens won't be a good fit for the Nikon ZF or the Z6iii, but handles ok on my Z8. The firmware 3.0 do get me excited but the wait just...... The only things the delay release has achieved is to make someone like me rant in an online forum. ...Show more →
The FW was delayed to fix an issue.
p.4 #19 · New Nikon Z8 Firmware 3.0 - Enhanced Pixel Shift and More
I've only had 30 minutes to play with FW 3.0 so these observations are subject to revision/correction when I spend more time on it tomorrow, all on the new focus limiter feature.
I checked if the focus limiter setting interacts with subject detection, for example if the default (nearest) subject the camera detects changes if the focus limiter does not include that subject. The limiter doesn't interact with the subject detection logic. For example, I set up two faces, one at distance A (nearest) and another at distance (B) further. With focus limiter disabled the camera selects face A by default, as expected. If I then set the focus limiter to only include face B's distance, the camera still selects face A as the default, even though it is now unable to focus on face A. This is kinda what I expected since the limiter operates at a lower level in the AF system, same as how a limiter on a physical lens might work. It's also expected because I don't expect the camera to be evaluating phase pixels for distance across the entire sensor full-time. Hopefully a future AF implementation will implement subject-aware limiter functionality.
If the lens is set to a distance that's outside the focus limiter range, for example if you set it using the MF ring, any focus operation will move the lens to within the defined focus limiter range, even if the active AF point isn't within that range. For example, using the same Face A and Face B distances in the above paragraph, if I set the limiter to Face B but manually focus on Face A, and move the AF point to Face A, the first AF operation will "focus" on face B, even though the AF point is over Face A. Of course it's not actually focusing to the AF point but instead just resetting the lens to the defined/active focus limiter range.
You can set 4 unique focus limiter distances by using custom settings banks (A-D), then switch between them by setting a Fn/control to "Access My Top Menu" and setting the top menu item to the Custom Settings Bank setting. In other words, the camera includes the a16 focus limiter setting in the bank-specific settings.
