p.1 #3 · Nikon's Pre-release option - help answer please
There are only 2 plausible reasons.
1) Nikon held this feature back to give the next generation a big selling point
2) There is a hardware limitation that prevents providing the feature on Expeed 7 cameras
I think based on Nikon's history of rich firmware updates, it's obvious that it's not number 1.
p.1 #4 · Nikon's Pre-release option - help answer please
It has something to do with the way the pre-release stream is captured. I believe pre-release is taken from the viewfinder feed and this in some way prevents processing them as RAW. You are probably correct that it requires Expeed 8. Likely a hardware decision they made with Expeed 7 gates it that will be done differently in the next gen to enable it.
p.1 #5 · Nikon's Pre-release option - help answer please
jpelt78 wrote:
It has something to do with the way the pre-release stream is captured. I believe pre-release is taken from the viewfinder feed and this in some way prevents processing them as RAW. You are probably correct that it requires Expeed 8. Likely a hardware decision they made with Expeed 7 gates it that will be done differently in the next gen to enable it.
The way they handle the viewfinder feed is also responsible for the TERRIBLE lag during magnification, which gets worse on higher MP bodies. Ironically the Z9, the flagship, performs the worse for this. I really hope they have this sorted for next gen.
p.1 #7 · Nikon's Pre-release option - help answer please
I still find it hard to believe that the EXPEED 7 is not allowing Nikon to do RAW precapture. But that seems to be the consensus out there on the forums.
If that is true, there is obviously something I don't really understand about the RAW file processing chain in Nikon cameras.
In my simplistic view of RAW precapture I imagine the camera needs to store 6-10 RAW files in the buffer (something I believe it is already doing) and just cycling new ones in and old ones out until the shutter triggers them to be saved to the memory card. A 20FPS camera at 0.3s precapture setting (the most common setting used on Sony) only needs 6 RAWs in buffer at a time. A 0.5s setting only 10.
I don't know. All I can say is I think it is pretty clear this feature won't be coming to a FW near you. The Z9II and future bodies will have RAW precapture. Whether that is a processor limitation of marketing choice will never be known for sure.
