Scribblings About Things
Nikon Z50II and Z9 Minor Firmware Updates Released
Earlier this week Nikon has released minor firmware updates for both the Z50II and the Z9.
The new firmware for the Z50II (Version 1.01) can be downloaded here from their official site.
Similarly, the new firmware for the Z9 (Version 5.20) can be downloaded here from their official site.
As mentioned these are minor updates, so I decided to just write about both in one article.
Firstly for the Z50II, FW 1.01 fixes some bugs with remote shooting and Snapbridge, renamed an item in Custom Settings, and added support for pre-release capture with Smallrig’s remote as well as a new language.
As for the Z9, FW 5.20 also tackled with bugs affecting remote shooting and burst shooting operations, as well as renaming the same item in Custom Settings menu.
An interesting note for FW 5.20 is that NX Field, which used to be a paid upgrade, is now available to the Z9 with this firmware upgrade. While I am not the targeted audience for NX Field, this is definitely a generous move for those who use Z9’s in such situations.
On a more interesting note, the particular bug fix regarding pressing playback after shooting multiple bursts could in some instances corrupt images, I actually fell victim to this bug once on the Z7. While I had no issues recovering the files using a file recovery software, I was unable to replicate that error and just ignored it as a one-off event and just attributed it to user error. Quite interesting to see now that a fix is out for it for the Z9, so perhaps the other models might be affected as well?
Just wondering what the exact conditions are to trigger that bug..hmm..
Nikon Z50II Manual Available
The reference guide for the newly announced Z50II can now be downloaded at the official Nikon pages (English or Japanese).
I was snooping around to see if the new Picture Control button can be reprogrammed, and while it can be reprogrammed, the reference manual only included a complete list of custom functions, but did not have an appendix for which functions are available to which buttons, so I am still not sure how flexible that button is if you do not use picture controls much.
That said, I noticed something interesting in the reference manuals too.
Under Custom Controls (Shooting), “Cycle AF-Area Mode” is an option available; and similarly under Custom Controls (Playback), “Delete” is an option available.
I personally use Cycle AF-Area mode very often on my Z8, and was surprised to see Z6III and Zf omitting this option.
Similarly, a good photographer acquaintance of mine uses the “Delete” function mapped to one of the function buttons of the Z8 for quick review and culling through the EVF, and we were both surprised that the Z6III omitted this option too.
It is sure delightful to see it being implemented in the Z50II, and if I were to make a smart guess, I think the Expeed 7 siblings (Z6III and Zf) would have these options enabled in their next firmware update too.
Nikon Z50II Announcement and Opinions
Last week the Nikon Z50II has been officially announced, and camera shops in Japan today are beginning to accept preorders for the camera.
The official press release and specifications of the camera can be viewed here:
As what most people and I have expected, the Z50II is pretty much an updated Z50 with Expeed 7, USB-C and UHS-II slot.
But I do not mean it in any negative way; on the contrary this update is definitely very welcomed, as Expeed 7 comes with an entire set of benefits which makes it a very prominent update to the Z50.
While it sports the same 20.9MP APS-C sensor from the Z50/Zfc/Z30, the new Expeed 7 CPU in it does squeeze quite a bit of performance out of the sensor, mainly in the autofocus department (which inherits the subject detection modes from the full frame Expeed 7 siblings) as well as low light sensitivity - it can now focus down to -9EV!
Physically the camera also sees a revamp in its button layout, and overall it is slightly larger and heavier than that of the Z50, which may be a detriment for some who are looking for a more compact APS-C solution.
The tilting screen is gone, now replaced by an articulating screen. I personally am not a fan of articulating screens, but I guess with all the new video modes in the camera Nikon is trying to target hybrid shooters or single-man videographers, and hence this design decision.
The button layout has also changed, which makes it much more similar to the Z6III than the original Z50 - definitely a welcome change since there are also now more physical buttons around.
There is also an emphasis on Imaging Recipes and Picture Controls, with a dedicated button present to swap picture controls on the fly. I think the casual users of this camera would definitely appreciate this new feature, as together with the imaging recipes from Nikon Imaging Cloud it allows users to play around and experiment with various looks without having to go through the hassle of post processing the images.
Like always with any announcements, there are definitely some negative opinions floating around - and this time the 2 loudest complaints are about Nikon’s decision to only include a single slot and to exclude IBIS. In my opinion for this price bracket these are definitely acceptable compromises, as IBIS and double card slots would greatly increase the cost and size of the camera. Taking this note positively, it means that there remains an option for a higher end APS-C model if Nikon deems it profitable - one with double slots, IBIS and a perhaps a newer APS-C sensor. Only time will tell I guess.
While I am not in the market for an APS-C camera any time soon, I am glad with the direction they are taking with updating the older bodies and am now looking forward to see how they would proceed with the Z5’s replacement.