Nikon Z9 Review

The report dimension of “lossless compressed” is as anticipated, however the two excessive potency RAW choices are strangely small due to the TicoRAW excessive potency compression set of rules. (Nikon is heading off a lawsuit from RED for this, so be grateful for it.)

For comparability, mRAW at the Nikon D850 is 26 megapixels and about 30 MB on reasonable. sRAW at the D850 is an insignificant 11 megapixels, and the ones information reasonable about 22 MB.

So, the Nikon Z9 has controlled to method mRAW report dimension territory with excessive potency superstar, and sRAW territory with excessive potency RAW! That’s very spectacular for 45-megapixel, 14-bit information.

And report dimension isn’t the one attention amongst those 3 RAW report varieties. Of the bunch, excessive potency superstar (the center choice) has the most important buffer – 1000 pictures at 20 FPS. In the meantime, Nikon claims 685 pictures at 20 FPS for top potency, and an insignificant 79 pictures for lossless compression (despite the fact that you’ll be able to spice up that dramatically through taking pictures 15 FPS as an alternative of 20 FPS).

On the other hand, the excessive potency RAW choices are handiest price the use of if they maintain excellent symbol high quality. Nikon says that prime potency superstar and lossless compressed RAW are “just about similar” in symbol high quality – however that prime potency superstar “produces higher-quality footage than Prime Potency.”

That’s great in concept, however I sought after to look how the 3 choices in point of fact when put next aspect through aspect. Traditionally, one of the best ways to look minor variations between Nikon’s RAW compression choices has been to have a look at critically underexposed pictures at base ISO. So, let’s do this right here. Those pictures are 100% plants (an excerpt 640 through 960 pixels in dimension) and not using a resizing on my phase, underexposed 5 stops and recovered in Lightroom. Whether or not you click on those pictures or no longer, you’re viewing them at complete dimension:

(For technical main points, all 3 pictures have been shot at base ISO 64, f/8, and 1/20 moment with the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 lens at 50mm. Each and every symbol used to be intentionally underexposed through 5 stops and recovered with Lightroom’s Publicity slider. No noise aid or polishing have been carried out on those pictures. The 960-pixel plants have been achieved in Lightroom and exported as JPEG pictures with “Restrict Record Dimension” set to 1000 KB within the sRGB colour house.)

To my eye, all 3 pictures have the similar symbol high quality, each on the subject of noise and point of element. I see no higher or worse efficiency from any of the 3 pictures above.

I additionally sought after to check the diversities with a real-world scene. I intentionally underexposed every of the next pictures through one quit, then recovered it in Lightroom in an effort to display the result of extra standard shadow restoration with every RAW layout. Right here’s the entire, unedited symbol:

And those are the corresponding plants after one quit of brightening:

As soon as once more, I see no symbol high quality variations in anyway. For real-world scenes that require atypical ranges of post-processing like this, you’re not likely to ever see even the slightest symbol high quality advantages to taking pictures Uncompressed RAW.

After all, I sought after to check at ISO 6400, with none publicity restoration:

On this case, too, I don’t realize any symbol high quality variations between the photographs even upon such shut exam.

In the long run, all the Nikon Z9’s RAW compression choices supply superb pictures. The one time I’ve been ready to look variations between them is when taking pictures a hyper-exaggerated symbol that’s one thing like 10 stops underexposed, and recuperating with essentially the most competitive gear in Photoshop. Below the ones cases, Uncompressed and Prime Potency Megastar nonetheless glance the similar to me, whilst Prime Potency has a bit of extra colour noise and a more potent tint shift. It’s not anything significant for real-world pictures, and you’ll be able to use any of the 3 codecs with out fear.

That stated, these days, the most important distinction between those 3 RAW choices isn’t symbol high quality in any respect – it’s post-processing strengthen. Only a few device choices presently (at the same time as of August 2022) strengthen Nikon’s excessive potency / excessive potency superstar information. Handiest device from Adobe and Nikon can strengthen those information these days. In case you use different RAW processing device, you want to make use of Adobe’s DNG converter or export the picture as a TIFF in an effort to edit it in other places, which will negate the report dimension benefit of Prime Potency RAW.

Thankfully, IntoPix (which has the patent for the Nikon Z9’s TicoRAW excessive potency compression set of rules) simply launched a TicoRAW device construction equipment for Apple’s M-series processors. It’s no longer simply Apple customers who will have the benefit of this launch. Device builders like Seize One, Topaz, DxO, and others have been ready at the construction equipment earlier than they put the assets into supporting the Z9’s excessive potency information for all customers, irrespective of their running machine.

So, the strengthen will exist very quickly – almost certainly earlier than the top of the 12 months with maximum picture modifying device – although it’s no longer but there for everybody.

Metering and Publicity

The Nikon Z9 makes use of the similar metering machine as prior Nikon Z cameras – the TTL publicity metering machine that makes use of the primary symbol sensor for metering choices. It’s no longer a machine that we’ve in reality complained about previously, however it’s beginning to glance a bit of old-fashioned on a camera that does virtually the whole thing else appropriate. It’s time for Nikon so as to add some new customizability to matrix metering, or, higher but, put into effect a extra constant metering machine that incorporates ETTR publicity for optimum knowledge seize.

As an example, take the next panorama symbol. What publicity does Nikon’s matrix metering machine counsel?

Actually that it is dependent. The publicity above (1/8 moment in aperture precedence mode) is what Nikon’s matrix meter advised once I located the focusing field over the mountain. In the meantime, the picture under is what the matrix metering machine produced once I merely repositioned the field over the foreground:

The picture above (at 1/3 moment) is in truth so much nearer to the right kind ETTR publicity, despite the fact that one of the most patches of snow at the mountain are a bit of too some distance long past. Extra importantly, that is over a complete quit brighter than the prior symbol, in spite of being the very same scene and the similar time of day.

As standard, Nikon is putting a heavy emphasis at the focusing field when opting for an publicity in matrix metering. I take into account that Nikon desires the primary field (which most often aligns with the point of interest field) to be wisely uncovered. On the other hand, in scenes just like the panorama above, there’s no obtrusive field (equivalent to an individual’s face) that merits publicity precedence over the remainder of the scene.

That’s why there will have to both be a brand new matrix metering mode this is impartial of focal point level, or a menu strategy to can help you alternate the load given to the point of interest level on matrix metering suggestions. However, Nikon may just use its newfound subject-recognition talents to mechanically alter the significance of the point of interest level when metering – putting extra significance on the point of interest level when it’s a portrait and not more when it’s a panorama, for instance.

Thankfully, you’ll be able to beef up the consistency of the Z9’s meter through the use of highlight-weighted metering blended with a good publicity repayment – about +1.7 or +2.0 does the trick) – which is what I like to recommend for panorama photographers. On the other hand, even with this trick, you’ll almost certainly transfer again to matrix metering for topics like flora and fauna or portraits, so it’s no longer very best. (It additionally makes the loss of a devoted metering mode button at the Nikon Z9 extra noticeable.)

Once more, maximum of that is not anything distinctive to the Nikon Z9, and it’s no longer a significant factor on the finish of the day. Nevertheless it is going to turn that there’s nonetheless room for growth even within the age-old characteristic of metering.

Lengthy Exposures with the Z9

The Nikon Z9 is most likely the most efficient camera Nikon has ever made for taking pictures lengthy exposures, together with topics like ocean waves with a powerful ND clear out or superstar trails at night time.

A part of the Z9’s suitability for those topics is because of the integrated prolonged shutter speeds in handbook mode. If you permit “Prolonged Shutter Speeds (M)” within the taking pictures/show menu, the Nikon Z9 can take lengthy exposures on the following shutter speeds:

• 60”
• 90”
• 120”
• 180”
• 240”
• 300”
• 480”
• 600”
• 720”
• 900”

This is equal to the choices on different Nikon cameras just like the Z7 II. It’s an overly helpful capacity, albeit a unusual department of to be had shutter speeds that excludes some helpful exposures like 45 seconds. (There’s a 1-stop distinction between 30 seconds and 60 seconds, for instance, while some shutter speeds right here have a 1/3-stop distinction, and others have a 1/2-stop distinction.)

The Z9 additionally has “Bulb” and “Time” shutter pace settings if you want an extended or extra exact publicity. New to the Z9, Nikon now units a stopwatch going at the height LCD whilst you use “Time” exposures. Sadly, there’s no strategy to remove darkness from the highest LCD all the way through those exposures, so it’s unimaginable to look the timer at the hours of darkness until you shine a gentle on it. Since maximum “Time” exposures are going to happen at the hours of darkness, the another way fascinating stopwatch characteristic is far much less helpful.

Past that, as you’ll see later on this evaluate, the Nikon Z9 autofocuses in lower-light stipulations than any earlier Nikon Z camera, due to a brand new “Starlight View” mode within the Capturing/Show menu. The camera additionally has a dim, pink mode that gained’t destroy your imaginative and prescient at night time, plus illuminated buttons to look what you’re doing extra simply (despite the fact that no longer the entire helpful buttons remove darkness from, together with DISP, publicity repayment, and ISO). Altogether, the Nikon Z9 is a superb camera for astrophotography and different lengthy exposures at night time.

Voice Memos

An invaluable characteristic at the Nikon Z9 for sports activities and different match pictures is the strategy to file voice memos when reviewing a picture. The Z9 isn’t the primary Nikon camera to have the voice memo capability; each the Nikon Z6 and Z6 II have it as neatly (despite the fact that, interestingly, the Z7 and Z7 II don’t).

Voice memos handiest paintings on pictures that you just’re actively reviewing. You’ll be able to’t file a memo for a photograph on the identical second that you just’re taking it. If you’ve recorded the memo, it’s stored in your card within the layout “DSC_1234.WAV.” The string of numbers corresponds to the report title of the related picture (on this case, for instance, DSC_1234.NEF).

You’ll be able to’t file voice memos for video information. Apparently, you can also’t file voice memos for nonetheless pictures if the picture/video transfer at the again of the camera is simply set to video mode. So in the event you to find that the voice memo button isn’t operating, that’s almost certainly why.

Battery Lifestyles

The Nikon Z9 has higher battery existence than some other Nikon Z camera but. To me, all of it however removes the criticism that mirrorless falls wanting DSLR battery existence.

The legit CIPA numbers don’t inform the similar tale, even though. They display the Nikon Z9 as getting 740 photographs consistent with rate by the use of the rear LCD, or 700 photographs consistent with rate by the use of the digital viewfinder. This falls wanting maximum DSLRs. As an example, the Nikon D850 will get 1840 photographs consistent with rate in keeping with CIPA, and the Nikon D6 will get a whopping 3580!

What explains the variation? It’s in large part because of CIPA’s checking out requirements, which specify a 30-second period between pictures, with the camera last energetic the entire time. It’s most commonly this energetic time – no longer the pictures themselves – that depletes the Z9’s battery to CIPA’s said figures. Necessarily, they’re announcing the Z9 can also be left on and energetic for approximately six hours directly, taking a photograph each and every so frequently, earlier than the battery dies.

In our crew’s utilization at Photography Lifestyles, it took about 2500 real-world pictures or two complete days of flora and fauna pictures to empty the Nikon Z9’s battery on reasonable. I in my opinion by no means were given just about that as a panorama photographer, the place a complete day of pictures tended to empty about one bar of my Z9’s battery. Then again, in the event you shoot a lot of 20+ FPS bursts with the Z9, you might want to almost certainly recuperate over 2500 pictures earlier than the battery dies. (Nikon specifies greater than 5000 consistent with rate if you’re taking one lengthy collection of pictures, however that’s a best-case situation.)

The Z9 has an power saving mode if you want it in a pinch, which bumps up the CIPA figures ever so somewhat to 770 photographs consistent with rate (rear LCD). You’ll be able to additionally alter more than a few menu settings to beef up your battery existence additional, equivalent to turning off the GPS and decreasing the brightness in your LCD.

In apply, I didn’t to find any of those battery-saving adjustments to be important at the Nikon Z9. Even with options like GPS enabled, the Z9 simply lasted an afternoon of pictures in our checking out, each for flora and fauna and panorama pictures. Provided that you repeatedly switch all of your pictures wirelessly, or shoot hours of video on finish, may you run right into a pinch. However that’s true of any Nikon camera, together with DSLRs. General, due to the EN-EL18d’s large capability (about 1.7x the EN-EL15b, for comparability), the Z9 gained’t provide you with battery anxiousness – as long as you take note to rate it in a single day.

GPS

With the Z9, Nikon has selected so as to add local GPS features to considered one of their Z-series cameras for the primary time. (Prior to now the D5300 and D6 DSLR had local GPS features.) This can be because of the Z9’s high-capacity battery, or possibly simply because they’re looking to throw the whole thing they are able to at this camera. Both method, it’s a welcome sight.

To regulate the Nikon Z9’s GPS settings, cross to the “Location knowledge” choice within the setup menu. There you’ll be able to flip the GPS off and on, mechanically set the camera’s interior clock, create a timed location log, and notice your present place. In case you don’t care about making location logs, simply turning the GPS extensively to “on” is all you want to do to embed latitude and longitude knowledge into your Nikon Z9 information.

With regards to battery existence, even with the GPS on all day, I had no factor the use of the Z9 for a complete day of taking pictures and not using a spare battery. It kind of feels to attract little or no energy, despite the fact that be aware that the GPS can stay energetic and create logs even if the camera is grew to become off, if the battery stays charged. So, it may be a relentless (albeit very low-level) drain through the years. For what it’s price, I by no means to show mine off.

Menu Banks

The Nikon Z9 is the primary Z-series camera to have menu banks, a divisive characteristic carried over from Nikon’s top-end DSLRs. Menu banks are an alternative choice to the U1/U2/U3 modes that most of the Nikon Z cameras another way have.

I’ve written an in depth article to the Nikon Z9’s menu banks (which can be cut up into “Photograph Capturing Menu” and “Customized Settings Menu” banks), discovered right here. That article additionally covers my common beneficial settings for the Nikon Z9’s menu and button format.

One thing fascinating concerning the Nikon Z9 as of firmware model 2.0 is an choice within the the customized controls menu referred to as “Recall Capturing Purposes (Cling).” Necessarily, it allows you to revert the Z9 to a pre-chosen state, equivalent to settings to briefly transfer the Z9 to a state for motion pictures. This environment behaves because it did at the Nikon D6, however it’s no longer completely intuitive to arrange, so I like to recommend Nikon’s article in this subject.

The Nikon Z9, as with different Nikon cameras previously, doesn’t do an excellent process enforcing the menu financial institution choices. There’s no technique to lock a menu financial institution, for instance, and a few settings nonetheless can’t save to the financial institution even whilst you’ve decided on the “prolonged menu banks” choice within the menu (just like the camera’s power mode, or the rest within the Setup menu).

Different Options

For one of the most Nikon Z9’s maximum necessary options, I’ve devoted a complete web page later on this evaluate. That incorporates:

• Viewfinder and LCD
• Prime FPS taking pictures and buffer
• The totally digital shutter
• Focusing and monitoring
• Video options

Later on this evaluate, you’ll additionally to find detailed ISO checks, dynamic vary checks, and specs comparisons towards the Z9’s competition. And, in fact, I’m satisfied to reply to any questions you will have within the Reader Feedback phase on the finish of this evaluate.

What’s Lacking?

The Z9 obviously has a very good characteristic set, however this web page wouldn’t be whole with out having a look at what’s lacking. Listed here are one of the most noteworthy omissions and problems at the Z9:

• No sensor-shift mode for greater decision pictures
• No publicity prolong mode (self-timer handiest, which is proscribed to two, 5, 10, and 20 seconds of prolong and can’t be assigned to a customized button)
• No back-in-time buffer for RAW pictures (just for 30 and 120 FPS JPEG)
• No devoted metering mode button
• No in-camera, multiple-exposure RAW choice
• No U1/U2/U3 modes or lockable menu banks
• Menu banks don’t recall some settings, like your Customized Liberate Mode selection (AKA the furthest-right choice at the launch mode dial)
• No 4:5 side ratio crop
• No touchscreen AF regulate when having a look during the viewfinder
• No strategy to mechanically amplify the point of interest level when manually focusing
• No RGB histogram in reside view
• No obtrusive spotlight clipping indicators in reside view (like overexposure zebras – which can be handiest present in video mode – or the histogram edge converting colour when clipped)
• No local histogram in response to RAW knowledge (handiest imaginable to manually upload by the use of unwieldy UniWB way)
• Can’t cause the AF help lamp on maximum exterior flash heads, nor use their infrared beam despite the fact that it would
• Can’t upload “minimal shutter pace” to My Menu to be accessed briefly by the use of a serve as button (even though “ISO sensitivity settings” can also be added, which accommodates the “minimal shutter pace” choice)
• Inconsistent labeling and minor typos within the menu and in other places, compiled in a listing through Thom Hogan at the bottom of his review
• Handiest English, Spanish, and French to be had for US model of the Z9

These types of problems don’t seem to be new for the Nikon Z9 and are discovered on different cameras within the Z-series lineup, too (and a number of non-Nikon cameras). However, relying in your necessities, they’re all issues chances are you’ll realize and want the Z9 did another way.

Past that, there’s room at the Z9 (or the eventual Z9 II) for some extra complex options that would take it to the following point. In my article on options that extra cameras want, I described options already discovered on some cameras nowadays – in different phrases, the generation already exists – however nonetheless lacking on many cameras, together with the Nikon Z9 in some instances.

Now that I’ve coated the Nikon Z9’s options intimately, the following web page of this evaluate will duvet the camera’s construct high quality and dealing with issues. So, click on the dropdown menu under to leap to the second one web page of this evaluate, “Construct High quality + Dealing with.”