While it's been awhile now since Nikon released firmware 2.00 for the Z 8, I wanted to wait until I had a good chance to really test some of the new features (especially pixel-shift) before saying anything about it. Of course, we've now had the release of Z 9 firmware update 5.00 where some of the key updates in Z 8 firmware 2.00 have been added to the Z 9. Interestingly, before Z 9 firmware update 5.00 we seemed to be in an almost perfect firmware leap-frog game where anything significant added to the Z 8 would show up in the Z 9 (and vice versa), but the lack of pixel shift in Z 9 firmware update 5.00 has broken the leap-frog pattern (which seems to have caused some Z 9 users a lot of grief...but personally I'm not bothered at all by the Z 9 NOT getting pixel shift...more on that below).

Anyway...here's a few of my thoughts on the key features of Z 8 firmware 2.00. Of course, my comments carry the bias of a wildlife photographer who shoots still photos - so you should expect no comments below on any video "improvements" in Z 8 firmware 2.00. While I am only discussing what I (as one wildlife still photographer) see as the five most "consequential" updates in Z 8 firmware 2.00 I am aware that photographers from other genres (or indeed even other wildlife photographers) may find other new additions in firmware 2.00 to be more significant than I do.

A. Pixel Shift Shooting

Pixel shift gives the user the ability to create higher resolution photos than the native resolution of their camera's image sensor. It also can be used to reduce image noise (in images of identical resolution to their camera's sensor OR at a higher resolution). I suspect most users are drawn to it for its ability to shoot higher resolution images and not for noise reduction. Anyway...with the Z 8 pixel shift gives you the option of doubling the height and width of your image, resulting in a quadrupling of the total number of pixels. So your Z 8's 45.4 MP native resolution jumps to 181.8 MP (I'm counting actual image pixels here). It's not worth getting into details here, but the process of using pixel shift involves shooting multiple images of a single scene and then merging those images using software (in this case NX Studio).

Anyway...the only thing that matters to me about pixel shift is if it works well. Specifically, I want to know if it can produce 181.8 MP images that are of higher quality than I can produce via upsizing (AKA up-sampling) 45.4 MP Z 8 images. SO...I did a bunch of testing of pixel shift captures (vs. up-sampling native resolution images) with various scenes, including landscapes and of objects at close range, In this testing I used a variety of different high-end and very sharp lenses, like the Plena and the Z 400mm f2.8 VR S. And, I captured the images over a fairly wide ISO range - from ISO 64 to ISO 3200. Of course, all images were shot under very controlled conditions on a firm tripod and using a cable release, VR OFF, et cetera.

Bottom line: I won't be using pixel shift on my Z 8 or, if it ever shows up on it, on my Z 9. With very careful post-processing (and following a very specific routine) I was able to produce higher quality images (here meaning sharper but with equal contrast and dynamic range...and less noise) via upsampling standard Z 8 images than I could with pixel shift.

That said, there are a couple of important points that I have to make. First, the difference in quality between the high resolution Z 8 images produced via pixel shift and by my up-sampling of native resolution Z 8 images wasn't huge. But it was consistent, noticeable, and...for me...significant. So...because the images produced by my up-sampling of native Z 8 images were consistently better than those produced by pixel shift, I see no reason for me to use it (or, for that matter, want it as a new feature for my Z 9's). Second, it is VERY POSSIBLE to up-sample Z 8 images and get a pretty horrible result (far worse than using pixel shift) if one choses the wrong "routine" (e.g., the wrong up-sampling algorithm in Photoshop). It did take some experimentation on my part (with a decent amount of time spent tweaking settings and variables) before I came up with the "secret-sauce" for producing up-sampled images that were consistently better in quality than the pixel-shift images. I recognize and accept that others may not have the interest in image post-processing (or have the requisite software) needed to obtain optimal results when up-sampling there own images and thus may prefer or need to use pixel shift. Finally, and this should go without saying, regardless of how you quadruple the resolution of your Z 8 (via pixel shift or careful up-sampling) don't expect those images to be nearly as sharp when viewed at 100% magnification on a quality display as Z 8 files captured at its native resolution.

B. "Birds" AF Subject Detection Option

Simply put - this update in subject detection options is great! Expect your Z 8 to more quickly grab a bird's eye, track the bird more reliably, and do better with detecting birds that are small in your viewfinder than "Animal" mode does. As far as I can tell, the "Birds" algorithm in the Z 8 works as well as that in the Z 9. So if you're a bird photographer your Z 8 is now a better bird photography camera.

But what if you primarily photograph mammals - does "Birds" subject detection mode offer YOU any advantages? Actually (and probably surprisingly to some), it does. Even though Nikon is sloppy with their biological nomenclature - birds ARE animals and the terms "animal" and "mammal" are NOT synonymous - it's easy to assume that "Animal" mode would be the best subject detection mode to use on mammals (and that it would outperform "Birds" mode when shooting mammals). Turns out that this isn't always the case. I have found that "Birds" AF subject detection mode works far better than "Animal" mode when shooting most species of marine mammals, including seals, sea lions, and multiple whale species (to date I've tested it on Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, and Fin Whales). With terrestrial mammals it tends to be more of a crap shoot and varies by species (and even coloration of individuals) - sometimes "Animal" mode works better; sometimes "Birds" mode works better. On dogs I have found that which mode works best varies with head colouration, and especially the colour (and tonal) contrast between eye colour and the rest of the head. And, I have found that with almost ALL terrestrial mammals I have found that "Birds" mode works better (than "Animal" mode) if the subject occupies only a small proportion of the FOV (or of the viewfinder).

So...here's the rule of thumb I apply to my own use of "Birds" vs. "Animal" AF subjection detection modes: If I'm shooting birds, I use "Birds" mode. If I'm shooting marine mammals, I use "Birds" mode. If I'm shooting terrestrial mammals that are "small" in my viewfinder (i.e., occupy only a small proportion of the viewfinder) - I start with "Birds" mode and switch to "Animal" mode only if "Birds" mode isn't working for me. And (finally!) if I'm working closer to a terrestrial mammal and it's filling a larger proportion of the frame I freely experiment with both "Birds" mode and "Animal" mode. What should be obvious from this is that for shooting wildlife in general my default subject detection mode is "Birds". Note that if you feel you absolutely need to be able to switch between "Birds" mode and "Animal" mode (or vice versa) with the simple push of a button it is possible to set up Recall Shooting Functions (RSF) to do this. Me? I just put "AF subject detection options" in "My Menu" (and I use RSF for something else, namely switching my camera to my preferred landscape shooting settings).

C. Auto Capture

In my books Auto Capture is pretty cool and I've used it to good success on my Z 9's. In a nutshell, it permits remote/unattended capture of images or bursts of images when one or more "pre-defined conditions" (such as subject detection, movement, or distance) are met. So, as an example, you could use it to photograph a squirrel or bird (or lion or tiger!) when it moves into a pre-defined zone and the camera recognizes it as a subject. You could refine the portion of the image the auto capture is "sensitive to" by using a custom Wide Area AF mode with the appropriate subject detection turned on. Anyway...now Z 8 shooters have what Z 9 shooters have had for quite some time (tho' with Z 9 firmware 5.00 auto capture has been refined and improved and currently offers capabilities [like "reserve" mode] that the Z 8 now lacks!). Here's an example of an image (JPEG: 5.6 MB) - a nuanced image of a Red Squirrel captured with my Z 9 and Plena lens - made possible with auto capture (while I COULD have captured this image without auto capture, given how close the camera was to the subject it would have been more challenging and certainly more intrusive on the subject).

A couple of important things to know about auto capture. First, if anyone is looking for a "formulaic" or "step-by-step and foolproof" approach to using auto capture...well...you're going to be disappointed. Bottom line is that it's a "tinkerer's" dream - what works best in its setup in one scenario or use case may be extremely different from what works best in the next use case. As an example, in the situation where I was using auto capture to nab squirrel images I initially thought using Auto-area AF paired with "Animal" subject detection would be perfect. In reality, that AF combination sucked in this case - the AF was slow and the camera-triggering was highly unreliable. I switched the AF mode to a custom Wide-area mode (with "Animal" subject detection) and AF and camera triggering worked great. But, I have talked to others who have used auto capture in similar but slightly different use cases and they found Auto-area AF area mode worked great. Bottom line is that your auto capture setup and configuration may need tweaking/tinkering before you get it working optimally.

Second, auto capture does draw a lot of power and draws down your batteries quite quickly (depending on a handful of factors). With my Z 9 and shooting in temperatures slightly below 0C (32F for that 3% or so of the world's population that doesn't do celsius) I got between 4 and 6 hours of battery life on my Z 9. With the smaller and less powerful battery of the Z 8 expect to have significantly shorter auto capture bouts on a single battery. So if one is going to use auto capture regularly you might want to consider using an additional power source for your camera (like a decent powerbank, etc.). Note that the addition of the "Reserve" feature added to auto capture in the Z 9 firmware update 5.00 (which allows you to turn auto capture on at a specific time in the future and for selected durations) can be used to extend the battery life (and usefulness) of auto capture on the Z 9. I have no insight into whether or not this Reserve function will be added to auto capture in the Z 8 (presumably so, but...).

D. Custom Controls (Shooting) - Cycle AF-area mode

Y'know...some may consider this little custom control addition to be a minor thing, but I personally consider this to be the most consequential new addition to my day-to-day shooting in the entire Z 8 firmware update (and it certainly had the biggest impact on the setup and customization of my Z 8). For those that don't know, this new feature allows you to cycle through (or toggle through) various AF-area modes as you repeatedly press a single button. And, best of all, you can limit the number of AF-area modes the button will cycle through. For instance, I never use Auto-area AF...so I have excluded it from the list of AF-area modes I toggle through.

Why do I consider this addition so significant? Well, while ALL of the various AF-area modes of the Z 8 (and Z 9) work very well, they certainly differ in what they "excel" at. And, there are users (including myself) who often want to switch between modes on the fly (i.e., switch AF-area modes during a single shooting burst). While it was possible to switch AF-area modes "on the fly" before, if you used several different modes you had to dedicate several of your camera's buttons to different AF-area modes. This wasn't a huge deal on the Z 9, but it can be a big deal on the Z 8 (simply because the Z 9 has a lot more customizable buttons on it). But if you use "Cycle AF-area mode" you don't need to dedicate as many buttons to AF-area modes. Note that this new custom function WAS added to the Z 9 in firmware 5.00 (and I am very glad it was).

E. Custom Function a11 (Focus point display) - Focus point border width

This new option allows you to control the width (and visibility) of your primary focus box. You now have 3 settings to choose from: 1 (thinnest), 2 (medium thickness), and 3 (thickest). I'm finding I'm liking setting 2 - thick enough to increase visibility but not so thick that the focus box is intrusive.

There are, of course, many other things that were updated or changed with Z 8 firmware update 2.00. And, there were some very vaguely worded "improvements" that may be quite consequential but hard to evaluate or quantify. As examples, Nikon states that in firmware 2.00 other changes include "Improved the accuracy of [3D-tracking] for small, fast-moving subjects when [Auto], [People], [Animal], or [Vehicle] is chosen for [AF subject detection options] and no subject of the selected type is detected" and that they "Made other improvements to the autofocus operation and its reliability". These two statements by Nikon may cover updates that ARE quite significant, but they are next-to-impossible to evaluate.

As a final note, this will be my last blog post focused specifically on Z 8 firmware updates. In recent days I sold my Z 8 and have no plans on replacing it. I know I will be asked why I sold it so here's an explanation: I already own two Z 9's which are better suited to my needs as a wildlife photographer than the Z 8 is. Primary reasons for me preferring the Z 9 include the better battery, it's dedicated vertical controls, and it's increased number of customizable buttons. And, because of the different number of buttons (and button configuration) on the Z 8 and Z 9 I found it challenging to set up my Z 8 to be similar enough to my two Z 9's to be able to use them efficiently side-by-side in the field.

Gotta run...more soon (really!). 😉

Cheers...

Brad

Feedback to: feedback@naturalart.ca

24 Jan 2024: DxO Modules Make Nikon's Latest Lenses BETTER!

About a week ago DxO released new optics modules for 3 Nikkor lenses - the Nikkor 120-300mm f2.8E, the Nikkor Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3, and the Nikkor Z 600mm f6.3S. For those that don't know, these modules work within DxO's various software packages and come in camera/lens combinations - so there is a separate module for the Z 8 + 180-600mm vs. the Z 9 + 180-600mm, et cetera! And, these lens modules go a LONG way to improving the optical quality of the lens they are built for.

Because I own two of the three lenses that these new modules support (the 120-300mm and the 600mm f6.3S) and have oodles of test files for the third lens (the 180-600mm), I was keen to try out these modules to see what effect they'd have. Here's a quick summary of what I found:

1. Impact of the Z 9 + Nikkor 120-300mm f2.8E module: