Starlight View's refresh rate drop is the reason it can focus in much lower light than the z7 because the z7 remains stuck in 60fps feed on the LV. The z9 drops the refresh rate and hence collects more light for the af system to use. This is the difference.
Yes they've done that to combat focus shift. I personally dislike it but that's how they have done it.
I’ve not shot a Z9 but maybe that’s a good solution. I love that I can shoot my A9II’s in the studio at f11 but gather light at f1.4 to put a huge amount of light on the sensor for AF. When you think about it, it’s a perfect and sensible solution. Almost like having a camera that’s designed for, err, photographers.
Tell me about it. The z lenses have less focus shift anyway so it seems odd they were so insistent on this. It should be customised in the menus. But they've not allowed that either. D'oh! If only a big youtuber would do a video on it; then they'd listen.
@Sagittarius I just recently acquired the Z7-II, haven't had a chance to work with it in the studio. Next possible time is about a month away.
As for F/9, it provides the DOF I need for full length dance shots, full length fashion, half body fashion or portraiture. F/4, where I'm sure the AF would have an easier day, does not.
Yea, that's precisely what is needed. I should have some control over the focusing aperture. I'm lucky that I have a D850 and an excellent lens kit for it, although man, I love, just love some of the S line glass. So I don't have to rely on the Z bodies to make things work. But without question, if I had to, I'd have no choice but to add a Sony or Canon solution to the kit if I found they handled what I do (studio wise) better in terms of AF, and from what you report, it seems the Sony does.
Like I said, I don’t want to sound like a troll, I like Nikon and the Z system. But, now having a few months with Sony, I have to say they have systems that are far more attuned to practical day to day photography for the like of folk like me. photojournalists, wedding photographers, studio photographers and the like. Nikon now seems to be aiming for BIF photographers and the like……
Sony's newer bodies do. It is called aperture drive if I am not mistaken. It basically allows you to choose how camera will work with lens for focusing. It can use aperture set or it can make aperture go to wide open.
They need to make a menu setting. Focus at widest aperture on / off. A firmware fix I would hope.
I don’t know about Canon (or the Z9 for that matter) but you can certainly do this with any Sony circa 2018 onwards. It’s really attuned towards photographers frankly. My big concern was giving up the Z lenses. But boy, the GM2 versions of the 24-70mm and 70-200mm 2.8’s easily equal the Nikkor Z equivalents at a fraction of the size and weight. I also added the 20mm 1.8G, 35mm 1.4GM and Sigma 85mm 1.4 DG DN. I’d be hard pushed to better those lenses in Z mount. To be balanced I miss the 14-30mm Z and that’s about it.
Yes that’s exactly it. My A9II’s from 2019 do this, and any Sony body since.
Nice to see that we’re getting somewhere in this discussion now. Finally some level headed constructive analysis/criticism with a plausible explanation of root cause of poorer studio performance with Z’s. You would think that Nikon could add a feature like the Sony Aperture Drive via a firmware update, unless of course it is Sony’s own IP?
Yep, it’s really as simple as that. The question is do Nikon understand photographers and their needs enough to implement it?
I cannot think of a reason why Nikon would be hardware limited to add this to even original Z6 and Z7, aside from perhaps their AF algorithms aren’t anywhere near as sophisticated as Sony from the same era. I suspect the problem is they don’t or won’t understand the problem. Their lens and body roll out seems more attuned to BIF and similar niches, not jobbing photographers.
Yet they make quite a big deal about highlighting studio work in their marketing campaigns including a decent sprinkling of studio photographers in their Nikon ambassador lineup. Maybe the most vocal complainers have been bird/wildlife photographers on the other hand, so that’s kind of dominated their development efforts of late? If so, then the studio community need to start getting more vocal about their grievances/misgivings perhaps…
Or rather the bird/wildlife community are more “captive” users whereas jobbing photographers such as you just quietly say “screw this for a laugh” and go out and buy a couple of Sony bodies? 😊
I could agree with you there, but might come across as trolling. Or, as I like to call it, a dose of the bleeding obvious 😉
Wonders never cease. They were deleting stars in astro images for years. It took Thom Hogan I believe visiting nikon and mentioning it to get it fixed. (Paraphrasing). Sony bodies still do it! So they can spare me with their marketing speak were they claim they listen to their customers. Yet to see the real evidence of this. Many of the big players are guilty of this to be fair.
I could believe that. It makes you wonder about the studio guys that are on nikons payroll. Like come on...mention these things please.