Nikon releases a teaser video for the upcoming flagship Z 9 mirrorless camera

So nothing really interesting or groundbreaking at all.
Before making that statement you might want to wait for Nikon to give us the real specs.

So far the only facts Nikon has given out are:
1) Stacked FF sensor
2) 8K video
3) Dual tilting rear LCD (via this recent teaser)

That is all we officially know. We don't know the resolution (other than it has to be high enough to do 8K). We don't know the buffer, the card slots, the FPS or anything else special it may or may not do.
 
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A global shutter would require a monstrously powerful processor that I don’t believe is possible yet, nor necessary for photography as if the readout is fast enough global shutters don’t matter.
Why do you need a powerful processor for global shutter? The sensor takes a massively parallel pixel snapshot before sending to the processor. It is just a faster transfer than current sensor read outs but the processing for evf and to the cards is the same.
 
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As a Fuji user for many years, I find Nikon's inclusion of Fuji's 3-way tilt screen to be an interesting decision. Both designs—3-way tilt vs fully articulated—have advantages and disadvantages. As a stills shooter, I easily prefer the Fuji design which is faster to deploy, less vulnerable to damage, vastly more compatible with L-brackets, and far more discreet in use.
The Lumix S1H screen has the best of both worlds
 
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Decisions will also be heavily influenced by the rather different selections of native MILC lenses offered by each brand, although both will be able to adapt existing DSLR glass with only a fairly minor loss of performance.
Z mount cameras do not adapt F lenses nearly as well as RF mount cameras adapt EF lenses
 
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honestly it sounds like everything the R3 should have been and canon didn't deliver at all
the dual CF card etc are small addition but huge impact as well.. I'm not gonna switch to nikon but I'm happy for nikon owners, this looks like a great camera, would have been worth an upgrade from the R5 if it was the R3 or even R1..
now for our sake let's hope it will move canon to announce what's their R1 will be and when do they plan on releasing it.. cos next olympics are way off still and the R5 being a beast still has flaws that are worth correcting quickly
 
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honestly it sounds like everything the R3 should have been and canon didn't deliver at all
the dual CF card etc are small addition but huge impact as well.. I'm not gonna switch to nikon but I'm happy for nikon owners, this looks like a great camera, would have been worth an upgrade from the R5 if it was the R3 or even R1..
now for our sake let's hope it will move canon to announce what's their R1 will be and when do they plan on releasing it.. cos next olympics are way off still and the R5 being a beast still has flaws that are worth correcting quickly

We're just sitting on the edges of our seats to find out if the animal eye AF and tracking match or best Canon's. It is a hell of a camera coming by the looks of it, but so far it's been shown on a mere human subject instead of something interesting. But heck, they showed off it can be your next studio camera.
 
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Billybob

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Will be interesting to see what they have once it's launched. Eye-controlled AF, or really eye-controlled focus point selection, is a far more interesting feature to me than high MP count. As for the fps value, ultimate maximum fps is not nearly as interesting as maximum fps with continuous AF. But it will be very interesting to see the reviews and comparisons. Question is though, when will we see the R1 announced?
I have to agree that eye-control is more interesting, and if it works, clearly more innovative than a high-resolution sensor.

However, for my type of shooting, the high-MP count (is 40-50MP even particularly high when we have a two-year-old 60MP Sony and 80-90MP cameras in the works?) is a far more useful feature. A focus assist that produces less detail than my 11-year-old Nikon d800 is far less important than quick snap-on AF that is super-sticky in a body that allows me to crop as needed.

Thus, innovation is nice, but a camera that puts together the best of existing technologies is a win in my book.
 
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Billybob

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So nothing really interesting or groundbreaking at all.
So far with what has been announced, rumored and teased, I'd agree that this camera is not groundbreaking. However, even if there are no surprises (there may be one or two), if this camera turns out to have comparable features to both the A1 and R3, just with a 40-45MP pixel sensor and no eye-control focus-point selector, it will be a very interesting camera.

Assuming the rumors so far are correct, the Z9 with have a stacked 40-45MP sensor with extremely fast readout speed, super-sticky tracking, no EVF blackout, no signifcant rolling-shutter distortion, and dual CFE/XQD card slots all in a pro-grade body. In certain respects if Nikon pulls it off, it will be the best features of the A1 and R3 with a few less MP than the A1 and no eye-control.

I find such a camera most interesting indeed.
 
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Z mount cameras do not adapt F lenses nearly as well as RF mount cameras adapt EF lenses

The FTZ2 is due with the Z9 (and spotted in Tokyo). It may make adapting some lenses better, but Nikon have used way to many systems in the past and its come back to bite them in the rear end. If you have the latest E lenses, you are a-ok as long as you're happy with slightly slower AF in some lenses due to lack of power (expected to be sorted in the FTZ2). But the guys with their 30 year old screw drive AF lenses want those adapted too.
 
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Even better would be a screen that tilts both vertically and horizontally AND swings forward for vloggers AND can be flipped into reverse to protect it from scratches.

i.e. a 2-way tilting screen with a ball joint on the left side (as viewed from behind the camera).

I believe the Panasonic S1H has such a screen.
Vlogging with this size of camera?
This sport is for Arnold Schwarzenegger only.
 
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entoman

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Vlogging with this size of camera?
This sport is for Arnold Schwarzenegger only.
No, I doubt if anyone would use a Z9 or R3 for vlogging, but I’d really like Nikon, Canon and Sony to take a close look at the Panasonic S1H type of articulation, and either copy it (patents permitting), or come up with another design with the same functionality. It would benefit everyone, whether videographers or photographers.
 
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Even better would be a screen that tilts both vertically and horizontally AND swings forward for vloggers AND can be flipped into reverse to protect it from scratches.

i.e. a 2-way tilting screen with a ball joint on the left side (as viewed from behind the camera).

I believe the Panasonic S1H has such a screen.
Interesting design. My EOS R (and presumably the R3, I haven't looked that closely) has a joint on the left side that allows swinging out and a 360° rotation. The Panasonic S1H adds a hinge joint at the top for tilt.

Screen Shot 2021-10-06 at 12.47.57 PM.png
 
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People are seriously having issues capturing the right moment with 12-20 fps and CFExpress/ SD UHS II on the R5? I predominantly shoot sports with my R5 and not once have I had a moment where the buffer made me "miss the touchdown". Obviously we're all entitled to our opinion based on our experience, but I just don't see how that's happening. Nor would I call the R5, a $3800.00 camera a consumer camera. So if we're enthusiasts we all need an R3 or R1 now?
 
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People are seriously having issues capturing the right moment with 12-20 fps and CFExpress/ SD UHS II on the R5? I predominantly shoot sports with my R5 and not once have I had a moment where the buffer made me "miss the touchdown". Obviously we're all entitled to our opinion based on our experience, but I just don't see how that's happening. Nor would I call the R5, a $3800.00 camera a consumer camera. So if we're enthusiasts we all need an R3 or R1 now?

Do you shoot subjects faster than humans, humans are pretty slow compared to pretty much any vehicle and most animals.
 
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A global shutter would require a monstrously powerful processor that I don’t believe is possible yet, nor necessary for photography as if the readout is fast enough global shutters don’t matter.

I didn’t know Olympus had cross type, but regardless Sony, Canon, and Nikon don’t yet have a solution.
Olympus might have x type AF points but they’re not nearly as fast and accurate as the non X from Canon or Sony , and I speak from experience. Can’t comment on the Nikon’s though.
 
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Are you having buffer issues with your A1?
I've been finding the ~150 shot buffer to be more than adequate. And I'm not even using the CFexpress cards. Just V90 SD.
I have more buffer issues with my R5 using CFexpress but I understand the R5 is just a consumer model and not flagship so that has to be expected.
I'm sure the R3 will do fine with its 20MP files.
No, but I’ve used one. What staggers me about the Sony ‘flagship’ is the restrictions and limitations to functionality. Few of their lenses actually enable 30fps many are 20fps or even less and if you shoot RAW at those high fps you are tied to lossy compression.

Most people will be fine with the buffer, but on the occasions you hit it the lock out and the time it takes to clear are not consistent with ‘pro’ level tools.

The AF from the R5 is consistently rated as ‘better’ by actual users and the resolution difference between the A1 and R5 is similarly considered by users to be a non difference.

Given all that and the fact that the R5 is considerably cheaper than the A1 I’d find the Sony a very hard sell and an impossible tool to justify purchasing.
 
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Olympus might have x type AF points but they’re not nearly as fast and accurate as the non X from Canon or Sony , and I speak from experience. Can’t comment on the Nikon’s though.

We'll Sony, Nikon, and the Canon's I tried all just can't focus on certain extremes. Such as a fence or even the ribs on a lens.
this video shows the issue on a Sony, but it is not a Sony specific problem.
 
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entoman

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Interesting design. My EOS R (and presumably the R3, I haven't looked that closely) has a joint on the left side that allows swinging out and a 360° rotation. The Panasonic S1H adds a hinge joint at the top for tilt.

View attachment 200647
Yes, the Panasonic articulation is a clever design, extremely versatile. It combines the “vlogging” forward facing option found on current Canons, with the on-axis 2 horizontal and vertical tilt of the Z9, and even flips over to protect the screen.

If only all cameras had this!
 
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People are seriously having issues capturing the right moment with 12-20 fps and CFExpress/ SD UHS II on the R5? I predominantly shoot sports with my R5 and not once have I had a moment where the buffer made me "miss the touchdown". Obviously we're all entitled to our opinion based on our experience, but I just don't see how that's happening...
I shot half a soccer game with the R5 to compare it to the 1DX III. Player hit a goal, then as soccer players do, the team erupted into a big celebration across half the field. It's utter chaos. Midway through the celebration, I hit the buffer limit and was SOL. Missed some shots I should have gotten. Haven't used the R5 for sports since.
 
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Billybob

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No, but I’ve used one. What staggers me about the Sony ‘flagship’ is the restrictions and limitations to functionality. Few of their lenses actually enable 30fps many are 20fps or even less and if you shoot RAW at those high fps you are tied to lossy compression.

Most people will be fine with the buffer, but on the occasions you hit it the lock out and the time it takes to clear are not consistent with ‘pro’ level tools.

The AF from the R5 is consistently rated as ‘better’ by actual users and the resolution difference between the A1 and R5 is similarly considered by users to be a non difference.

Given all that and the fact that the R5 is considerably cheaper than the A1 I’d find the Sony a very hard sell and an impossible tool to justify purchasing.
Interesting framing. Of course, you are the only one who could justify whether it's worth your hard-earned money. But let's look at your criticisms a bit closer:

"Few of their lenses actually enable 30fps many are 20fps or even less"

True, but many hit 25fps, and most of the lenses you'd want to max out burst rate--135GM, 70-200GM, 100-400GM, 200-600G and the exotics of course--do come close to 30fps if not hit it. I don't see it as Sony's fault if third-party lenses don't hit the max burst rate.

" and if you shoot RAW at those high fps you are tied to lossy compression."

This is also true, but with 50MP, you're not losing anything significant. To the point, you're going to have more resolution than the R3 can ever hope to achieve, and I haven't heard any complaints about a loss of DR or variations in color fidelity.

"Most people will be fine with the buffer, but on the occasions you hit it the lock out and the time it takes to clear are not consistent with ‘pro’ level tools."

If you say so. I've never tested, but there has already been someone in this thread to question the validity of this assertion.

"The AF from the R5 is consistently rated as ‘better’ by actual users"

Oh, come on! No one is going to accept this assertion without some independent support especially when the readout speed of the A1 gives it a tremendous advantage. Personally, my R5 has let me down on multiple occasions due to its inability to keep up with fast and erratically moving subjects. It also can be slow locking on. These are areas for which the stacked sensor was designed for. A1 users I know wax poetically about how the A1 locks on and is very sticky once it does. So, please excuse my skepticism about this claim.

" and the resolution difference between the A1 and R5 is similarly considered by users to be a non difference."

True. I've never used the A1, but I have used the 60MP A7r IV. I struggle to see a difference between that Sony and the R5. Most say that you need to (at least) double the resolution to see a difference, so 5MP is trivial.


"Given all that and the fact that the R5 is considerably cheaper than the A1 I’d find the Sony a very hard sell"


YMMV. For me, the fast readout, lack of rolling shutter, stickiness of AF in tracking fast and erratically moving birds, and zero blackout and no lag had me tempted. But in the end, I prefer Canon and Nikon ergonomics, and I wanted a pro-style body. But I was definitely tempted.

"and an impossible tool to justify purchasing."

Again, YMMV. I'm willing to wait for the Z9 or R1 and--perhaps even more importantly--whether a company offers a compelling prime like a 600mm pf/DO f/5.6. Whichever company comes out with this lens first--even if it's Sony--will get my money for both the lens and body.

So, unlike you, there are circumstances for which I can justify purchasing an A1.
 
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