Nikon's flagship mirrorless camera has been continuously pushing boundaries since it's release in late 2021, with a bevy of free firmware updates adding high-performance features, increasing the camera's already stellar value. This week, they pushed those boundaries even further with the introduction of Firmware 4.0, adding features like Auto-Capture and offering even deeper customization of powerful video features. Here are some of the most noteworthy changes and additions for the Z 9:
Auto Capture
This new feature will allow for automatic shooting when a subject meets one of several pre-configured criteria. Available in both photo and video mode, Auto Capture will detect either Motion, Distance or a Subject in the frame and begin shooting autonomously, ensuring that you never miss a moment again. According to Nikon, this new setting is tailored to sports & wildlife shooters that may be using multiple cameras and don't want to have to worry about a mess of remote control cables, or for those that want to leave their cameras unattended in a location that could be unsafe for the shooter. Auto Capture can also be combined with the improved Pre-Release Capture mode for even more reliability.
Advanced Shooting Enhancements
- Customizable Shutter Sound: Users can now choose between 5 distinct types of sounds played when the shutter is released, and can now set a higher volume for the sound.
- Pre-Release Buffer Expansion: To better respond to the needs of those working on location, the time Pre-Release Capture can remain active has been increased from 30 seconds to 300. The extra buffering time allows users to more time to nail the decisive moment in their scene.
- Focus Enhancements: Superior subject acquisition performance with 3D-tracking is used to capture stills of small and fast-moving subjects that cannot be detected with subject detection.
- Exposure delay mode: This item is added to the Custom Settings menu, which helps to reduce blur caused by the camera shake that occurs when the shutter-release button is pressed.
- Improved manual focus UI: The focus distance indicator for manual focus now displays the approximate distance between the camera and the focus position in units selected by the user.
- More custom controls: The number of functions that can be assigned to custom controls has been increased, as well as the number of controls that can be customized.
- Playback enhancements: The new [Frame advance zoom position] option that allows users to choose how the camera centers the display when scrolling through pictures during playback zoom can now be assigned to a custom control. When [Prefer focus point] is selected, the camera centers the display on the focus point active with shooting. Additionally, the accuracy of the progress bar displayed with video playback has been increased.
Advanced Video Enhancements
- ISO sensitivity can now be set as low as Lo 2.0 (ISO 200) with N-Log recording: ISO sensitivity has been expanded on the low end to increase dynamic range in shadows and enable rich and clear expression of shadow tones in which noise is suppressed.
- Hi-Res Zoom speed options: Speed steps have been increased from 3 to 11 for more precise speed control. Finer adjustment of the zoom speed is now possible, enabling a look that better matches the user’s intent with more stable zooming at slower speeds, for example.
- Slow-motion video function: This new feature enables high-speed recording of videos that play back at 1/4 (4×) or 1/5 (5×) the frame rate for a slow-motion effect.
Download
To install Firmware 4.0, visit the Nikon Download Center, or bring your camera in to any McBain location to have us install the firmware for you for a nominal $5 fee.