coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Finally getting around to reporting on my experience with the Z9.
From a quality standpoint, I don’t see much difference even when using the FTZ adapter with my non Z lenses. I tried the 70—200, 80-400, 200-500 and my go to lens, the 24-120. If there was any difference, I couldn’t tell.
As somebody mentioned, it would have been nice if they took it up to 60 megapixals.
-The Z9 focus is really fast, especially with the 14-30mm Z lens.
-The viewfinder is very bright. A little hard to get used to at first.
-The FPS are nothing less than a WOW! Excellent for sports or action photography. Did a few bursts at 20 fps. Your hard drives space will get sucked up real quick.
-Battery door. D850 you just push it out. Z9 has a latch. I find it cumbersome but in a Nikon webinar they liked it.
-You can charge the battery while it’s in the camera.
-Preview button is moved to the RH side. When I use both, the D850 and the Z9 it gets a little challenging. Guess I’ll have to buy another Z9.
-Focus selector ring on the back does not lock. Have to keep resetting the focus point. This is a pain. Maybe there is a way to lock the focal point but Haven’t found it yet. You can program a button right above it that you just have to get in the habit of pushing it when you go to take a picture.
-There are a ton of presets you can program into many menu’s and buttons. More than I can count and probably use.
-The Z9 is very quiet. The D850 is a “clunk” and the Z9 is a “click” when taking pictures.
-When taking pictures with the timer it’s hard to know when the shutter went off unless you are looking at the front of the camera where the light is.
When I was taking my test shots I used the timer to avoid camera movement. Had to listen closely.
Again, there are a ton of settings and bells and whistles, most of which I probably won’t use for my type of shooting.
I love how much lighter it is in the configuration I will mostly be using it in which is with the 14-30mm lens on it.
My sensor is already pretty dirty. There is a curtain that you have have cover it when it’s off. I would suggest to have it activated at all times.
Nikon put on an hour long webinar last night which went through all of the buttons and some menu’s on the camera. They said more are on the way.
One of the main reasons I purchased the Z9 (technology aside) is to use it for my air to air photography with the formation team I fly with. The camera is a pound and a half lighter and the 14-30mm works better than my 14-24 wide angle. Would be nice if it were a 14-120mm.

Sorry if I waffled on aimlessly but there is just a lot to digest about this camera. There are lots of videos out there already made by pro's. I'm just sharing my experience which is limited at this time.
I am attaching some photos I took this weekend. If some look a little soft it’s because in order to get the prop movement I shoot shutter priority at 250th or 320th of a second. And it’s not the smoothest ride in the back seat of a Nanchang.
Feel free to ask questions. I’ll answer if I can.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Thanks for your insight.

Don

Bill_de Loc: US

I'm glad you put the pictures at the end. If I had seen them first I might have forgotten to read the text,

Thanks for the great intro to the Z9!

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OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

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The pricey Z9 has an impressive list of capabilities and features. But their literature say that in order to process raw data files at high speed---they cut the file size megabytes by 30%. If so--how large are the raw files. I presume it outputs both a raw file and a tiff or jpeg at the same time? How large of those? If a person chooses not to film in a string---can one select the full raw data? Or maybe the full data is compressed and then "uncrompressed" back to 100% in post? Is the raw data simply 70% of what it would be otherwise---lost? Those are the important facts which the brochure info didn't say? Also, they said they improved the roll in action video. Which means they didn't eliminate the roll and distortion caused with a single bayer sensor in video. They spoke of a stacked sensor---but I didn't see that explained. What do they mean by stacked?-----ew

Bill_de Loc: US

Do you really think that the members here have the answers about this newly released camera. You could do better using Google. This should answer your last question.

https://www.nikon.com/news/2021/0303_cmos_01.htm

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OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

Nikon----so what you just said was that a "member" describing his new Z9 doesn't know the file size coming off the camera in RAW? Doesn't know if it outputs a jpeg along with the raw or a tiff or what those file sizes might be?----Is that what you claim---that a new owner is stupid and using auto everything? Get real and don't pick a fight for the sake of it?-----ew

OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

And PS---the Nikon literature on B&H said that the data was cut by 30% to facilitate the quantity in so many shots in a string.---I don't have to google that------smarty.---ew

Bill_de Loc: US

You had a lot of question marks in that post. I simply suggested that you could find the answers using Google rather than needing to be spoon fed. Guess I was wrong.

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Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

looks like a winner!

Dat Quach Loc: California

Wow, thank you for sharing your experience with the Z9 and awesome photos! You must have a steady hand and the camera must have an excellent VR system to get blurry props at low shutter speed when flying. It is not an easy technique to master.

Is John Wayne airport in the photo with #719 climbing?

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Here's a link you may find applicable;

http://taipeigeek.blogspot.com/2021/10/list-of-nikon-z9-continuous-burst-data.html

lots more info out there as well on Google

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Many thanks for the useful reporting. It's good to see this one and some others over in the sports section describing their hands on experience with this new beauty.

OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

I already read the sales literature on B&H---I merely asked a few questions which as of now aren't ansered as to the size of the output files of various types---Do your links answer that. I thought I was asking someone who owned an used one? Why don't you read your links and tell me?----ew

Grahame Loc: Fiji

One of the questions you asked was .............



If you look at the first three rows it gives raw file sizes 55,33,22MB for the different rate options respectively. Yes, I read the link.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Dat,
Thanks.
No, not John Wayne. Zamperini Field in Torrance.
The Tiger Squadron is based there.
www.tigersquadron.com
#tigersquadron