Pure truth here. We'd never have gotten to this point on dpreview because we'd have been gagged long before this point. We can see how difficult finding out the truth on matters can be sometimes.

In your mind, what qualifies as proof?

I'd settle for a smattering of images that missed focus, combined with EXIF data and the focus modes used for each (appropriately labeled, including AF-S, AF-C, wide area, single point, etc) to determine the actual cause. If we couldn't do that from the images/etc alone, we'd be at an impasse still unless someone wanted to film the camera hunting, or not, etc.

Of-course you don't need my permission, nor did I infer that you did. I was telling you to enjoy your new-found platform which it seems you have indeed found, at-least for the time being. Despite you saying that you do not intend to enlighten me, you did include that snippet from Thom at the end. Of-course I have no idea as to the overall context in which that message was written. You know, it would actually make more sense to me if there was in fact some credence to your claims as it would at-least partially justify why you have been on this personal mission for all these years like a dog with a bone. Yes, I don't know what I don't know and perhaps all the DPReview dirty laundry will come to light now. Who knows. They're getting shut down anyway so I doubt anyone will sue for defamation. What I do know is that I have derived a lot of pleasure from using all my Nikon cameras, D500, D850, Z7 and now particularly the Z9 and I will continue to do that whilst humbly accepting that all brands have their pros and cons.

I leave it up to you forum alphas to hash it out then. Have fun! (P.S. you don't need my permission to have fun 😉)

I don't keep my OOF images, I'm a judicious culler. That said, if you cant comprehend why focussing with light at f1.4 on the sensor trumps focussing with light at f5.6 falling on the sensor in near dark situations, REGARDLESS OF BRAND then there's no hope.

I'd love to make a video, but I can't. I sold my Z7ii last year. Solely for the reason that it couldn't focus at small apertures under modeling lights.

Do you honestly think that I'm making this up?

I will put out an olive branch. I was sincerely giving honest advice as I am sure I had seen some dissatisfaction with Nikon from you before. If you took what I said the wrong way due to outside influencers, then I can't help that. But moving on, I was not making anything up to defend anything as I really don't care what you do or shoot with and what I said is a serious suggestion that you should check out all comers with regards to a ML camera. Other than what you replied to me about the Canon R5, I have no idea what cameras you've looked at. You have now clarified some issues with other brands and that is all good. So, if you don't want the Z9 you will have to wait until Wednesday and see what the Z8 delivers and then wait for the reviews and user experiences once it's out there. It will probably have an updated firmware compared to the Z9 and the Z9 will also get this firmware so, any slight AF misgivings will be different.

As for "You just hate hearing the truth about nikons first two bodies it seems", I have never had any issue regarding the "truth about Nikons first two bodies" (which I assume you mean ML bodies) as I have always stated that the Z7/Z7II never had the AF tracking ability of the D850 and had always stipulated that back in the early days and ever since and that the D850 (and D4/5/6 and D500) is still king for tracking birds etc. Look up any of my posts regarding this fact. All I have ever said is that I find the Z7/Z7II much nicer to use for me and that is that. So, unless you have also read into my posts something else deliberately to bolster your flawed argument against me, or TO Shooter has gotten in your ear and together made up your response narrative which is wrong in every sense.

Congratulations on once again making up something I never claimed, nor even close to claiming. It's impressive.

No, I just tend to believe user error is the cause of most problems, barring the rare equipment malfunction.

AFAIK you've not claimed anything on this thread. Let alone contributed anything useful. All you've done is had a total emotional breakdown and thrown about a lot of insults towards folk having a factual discussion. Without contributing anything useful in the process.

I'd suggest you read back on your own posts and take a quiet moment to reflect on them.

Perhaps come back when you have something constructive to add.

LOL. I have never tried to get any thread locked down in any forum anywhere. Again, this doesn't suit your narrative that you are somehow hard done by, but then it seems you are the common denominator of threads and posts being removed and not only where I have been involved. Get over the fact that there is no conspiracy, it is you and nothing else. But let us be clear on all this, you were the one that dragged my name into your posts here with your derogatory comments and snide remarks about me. I had never mentioned you at any time up until those points as I had hoped you had grown up, but it seems not. I was also hoping on a clean slate but it seems as though you can't let anything go, you always have feel as though you be the winner and control the narrative even telling me what forums I should post in so you can have a free reign to spout anything that suits you and your agenda. Unbelievable.

As for your accusation of "preferential treatment" by Niukon. I had only ever received one thing before the official date of release, the 500 PF, and that was a mistake on Nikon Australia's part as they sent it to the b&m store where I buy all my gear at, and as I was first on their list, I received it. Nikon had sent it out to them by mistake, that is all. My store rang me an hour after I picked it up and told me it was sent out by Nikon in error and Nikon was hoping I would send it back but the store said that they really couldn't do that as I had paid my money, and they asked me to promise that I would not post images or talk about it until after the official release date. I complied. So, as I stated many times previously, there were absolutely no favours given by Nikon. However, I have already stated this elsewhere and you know it but that doesn't fit your negative narrative about me.

So, why don't you just let it drop and move on.

I don't deal in conspiracy theories, I don't hang around with anyone that does. But you like buzzwords, as people grasp on to buzzwords, so to make yourself look better you want to tie me to something that has a bad connotation. I don't appreciate that. It is a fact that DPReview controlled the posts on the Zees, removing most anything that didn't put them in a good light. I'm sure you realize that there was a PM system on DPReview, and several of us that would get our posts pulled, our posts modified, temporary bans, etc., corresponded through PMs and by email. Further, I don't feel I am hard done by. There were repercussions to posting negatively about the Zee system. So be it. Kim Jong Un moderation tactics certainly helped to do DPReview in, so they paid a price for it. I lost some posts that I would just as soon not have, but there's really no value to most of the posts on forums anyway. Your 15000 "Thank you for your kind remarks" as an example.

On your "I had never mentioned you at any time", I suggest you run back through some of your FM posts.

If you were hoping for a clean slate, I'd suggest cleaning up your remarks to me. Read through all the bs you wrote after your "LOL".

It wasn't the 500Pf I was referring to, so that's another piece of before release gear. Hell, for all your shilling, I was hoping you were getting something out of it. To do it for nothing, tens of thousands of posts, borders on something beyond just being a fanboy.

It's not really a negative narrative about you. You just overtly take the position and push the position that everything Nikon is golden. I do not believe that to be true. If you don't like being called out, cut the bs, and all will be fine. As long as you're throwing out "your derogatory comments and snide remarks about me", "I had hoped you had grown up" and "you always have feel as though you be the winner and control the narrative even telling me what forums I should post in so you can have a free reign to spout anything that suits you and your agenda." and similar bs, expect some push back.

As I pointed out, this is not DPReview, so don't expect to get posts pulled just because someone doesn't agree with you.

Plus 1.
Having worked in a camera shop - I found it rare for a "customer problem" to be anything other than "user error" - often in the sense of either the customer not being intelligent enough or not being prepared to comprehend how to use the equipment to a good standard.

Either or perhaps both options could be behind one posters perceived problems.

Wow, any of my comments is changed around in order to denegrate at any opportunity - saying conspiracy theories is a buzz word, I mean really? What else would you like me to call it?

I think you'll find the control by the DPR mods was not about "protecting" the Z cameras but stopping the downward spiral of the forums into slanging matches (which serve no useful purpose) and for no other reason and thus you are reading way too much into things.

"15000 thank you for the kind remarks" comment is just another example of pushing extremes to bolster your flawed digs at me. I mean, please tote them up and get a real figure. That sort of extreme comment just makes you look petty, and dare I say it, immature as that is what a child would do.

"I had never mentioned you art any time" was in reference to this new forum, DPRevivied. That is what I am talking about as a clean slate. You chose to use my name here on a couple of derogatory posts towards me.

As for receiving Nikon items before release, I have never received any other items before release other than the 500PF, not a one ever. So, that puts to bed another cheap dig at me (will they ever stop) about being a shill for Nikon. As for defending Nikon, I would do the same for any other brand if there were people who were being overly critical, which I found at times from you and a few others. However, as I do not own another brand camera, it is not my problem to be suppotive of them.

As for my comment, "you always have feel as though you be the winner and control the narrative even telling me what forums I should post in so you can have a free reign to spout anything that suits you and your agenda" you did say go back to FM forums just a reply or two back and you would only be saying that to control who posts here and what can be posted.

As for pulling posts, I never expected any posts to be pulled at DPReview or here so I don't know how you came up with that little dig at me again. You have no evidence yet you still insist that it was I who somehow managed to have it done. Unbelievable. You just can't resist a dig even when there is no evidence and when I swear that I never asked posts or thread to be deleted. Not one of the comments I have made here didn't have a reply from you with a caveat dig in some way shape or form.

Actually TO, I said I would shut up and let the forum alphas hash it out, but looking at the comment you got from Thom, I don’t see any real revelations there, do you? The world of selling products, goods and services is based on building a reputation and a brand and an important part of that is getting your customer base to pass on along good comments and recommendations. Many happy owners of products are pleased and willing to do this without expecting any kick back or favors and something that one would likely be very willing to do especially if prompted for an opinion. Pleased, happy consumers have a tendency to be loyal to the brand they have invested in and want to say good things about it. This is expected and normal. So, yeah, no surprise that the dpreview community and the site in general became an important influencer in that sense. Hell, if someone asked me for a buying opinion on the Z9 I would recommend it without hesitation and it would be my honest opinion and would not involve me selling my integrity. If I were a pleased, happy Canon or Sony owner I would do the same. Therefore, I am technically a potential influencer. Is this supposed to be a bad thing and an indicator of a larger conspiracy to make Z cameras seem better than they actually are? Yes, you made it rather clear that were not buying into this “BS” from a very early stage and still are - to the point of appearing to be some kind of personal vendetta that has occupied a significant number of years of your forum based existence. The real question is who is actually propagating the BS? Your opinion is just that, an opinion, and one opinion of many albeit a rather loud and tainted one. There is no debate that Nikon had to play catch-up with certain aspects of the AF functionality of their new Z cameras compared to their peers and this is something that is generally accepted, was already generally accepted quite some time ago, but for many the specific use cases that were impacted did not overly dominate their use and enjoyment of the camera, but for some it did, and I guess for those where it really mattered and was disruptive to their use of the camera had to seek alternate solutions, such as keeping a hold of their D500’s or D850’s in the meantime. Simple as that. You on the other hand (and I’m sure you’ll correct me if I am wrong here as I am just guessing) never owned or tried a Z6/Z7-II, but chose to denounce and deride it from the DSLR forum sidelines on your crusade to cut through all the supposed BS and in the process got a lot of people fed up, frustrated and generally unhappy. You saw the truth and the rest of us were just blind and/or covering up the truth, and let’s not forget, you were the real victim in this, getting your posts deleted by the mods, getting banned, etc. What a tremendous sacrifice it is to protect the TRUTH 🙂.

The fool on the hill, maybe the best picture of me ...
... I've read this thread for post 1 and all the subsequent ones:

I'm sure you must feel shame. You have to.

You are all grown-up.

What you have done here is less than Honorable in any human context.

You have voluntarily entered a paradise without any Police:

- and you start spitting on the floor,
- shitting on the carpets,
- punching the nose of your neighbors

Some People I thank

- the others I point

You did it for me, thanks. It was a good insight into how a Pro brain works.

Thanks again.

First:
this way of answering is missing respect for somebody who freely expressed his opinion.
Second:
you have said exactly the same things but..
Third:
you value so high your knowledge and judgment.... that you " I'm not suggesting" somebody else needs to move to another forum.

Here is another of your judgment again.
Pissing out people for sport, uh ?

Please state was game are YOU playing in THIS FORUM.

(enough is enough - I no-know you from DPR - here I know you enough)

Hurra!!

( best quote of the day )

That's a very good ALIBI
I saw people getting it out of a drawer, when they know they were at fault, and have nowhere to go and defend themself!

Another personal attack?

( How people reading your comment would say: "Great post by @XRay" is lost on me )

I think the same and it is, for this reason, I'll keep reading.

(hoping some pearls to appear and grows my understanding)

I worked all my life around my huge defects.

( I think it's a great-a-thing - more when somebody does that instead of complaining )

I don't think so reading what I've read here.

I've got the clear impression you are a "Flamer".
Now it's up to you to prove the contrary in the next few days.

I have no clues there... waiting for your corrections avidly!!

( DP beginner doesn't mean fresh-man )

flames again? Why ???

( never lose hope )

A personal attack that nobody needs HERE.

( should I remember everybody > we are in Paradise and not in DPR ??? )

That's not a crime nor does netiquette frown upon that

( but you can't stop flaming by yourself, arent you ? )

How many times does this sentence repeat itself during this thread?

( explain how you can bring down the flames by repeating it )

That's for me I'm sure :-D

( Thanks for the detailed inside on an argument I knew nothing of )

What a GREAT POST, very helpfull

( my compliments )

If that is not a flaming response to.... "if you cant comprehend why"

( I know - bad habits are hard to die - I insist we are in Paradise - not DPR )

( I think you completely missed that point of what you write )

You didn't, that's a fact

( whatever you can argue after, has no sense - you are not speaking of photography )

A Z9 can output exactly what it's doing. You can do that very easily with an Atomos or Acsoon accessory (the latter is cheaper and uses your phone). When my teaching assistant was complaining about something, I had him record the video of what the camera was doing while he was taking stills. It was very informative. The problem was not the one he thought it was.

Yes, unfortunately the people with the problem don't have the z series cameras to do such a thing at this point.