Did firmware 1.4 fix Nikon's biggest issue?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2024
- In this video, we discuss the top issue with the Nikon Z autofocus system. Is this the firmware we've all been waiting for?
OTHER PEEPS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM:
Heaton: After upgrading 1.4: • Nikon Z6ii Firmware v1...
Darrell Oakden Photography: • Upgrading your Camera'...
Same issue but with the Z9?
• Nikon Z9 Firmware 2.0,...
and
• Nikon Z9 Initial Thoug...
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First time here? Hi, I'm Omar Gonzalez, a professional portrait and event photographer in the NYC/NJ area. On this channel, we talk about cameras, lenses, tech, and techniques to improve our photography.
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Its SOOO nice to finally see someone do a review on the firmware for the Z6 and Z7ii. !!! Im so sick of the Z9 videos! Not everyone can afford $5500 for a camera and $6500 for a 800mm lens!! Thank you my friend!
Haha...The Z9 is awesome indeed. I was surprised that someone reported a similar issue on that beast. (see my links).
@@ogonzilla In deed it is awesome!!
I have a Z6ll & a Z8 and recently received my Z9. The Z6ll is an amazing excellent camera, but what I’d love to see is the new processor (Expeed 7) in a Z6lll or Z7lll. Nikon needs to get these cam out this year! You’re absolutely right not everyone can afford a flat ship camera. I would expect Nikon to raise the price of the Z6lll/Z7lll to $2,500 and $3,500.
Agree! Now that Nikon has proven it's prowess again, they have to bring A7IV/R6 AF level to their lower tier Full Frames.
@@michael-4k4000 I truly hope Nikon can further raise the performance of the dual chipped Gen ii's. Not only would it bolster user-loyalty, but would cement Nikon as the new King of "Kaizen". I also would like to see Nikon keep their current price-points. Nikon's ability to undercut CaSony in the FF arena has drawn many to try their platforms. With the X-H2(S) and other CaSony current and planned bodies also in the pipeline, If Nikon can continue to pull off Z9-esque price-points across their spectrum they will regain lost turf.
Thank you for this! I feel like so few people are giving attention to this firmware update. Awesome job.
I still feel like Nikon's holding back a little with the dual-Expeed 6 processor setup in the mark II's. I know they won't touch the Z9's capabilities, but I'm sure there's more to come. 1.4 is definitely an improvement in tracking & acquisition. Regarding your example question about objects moving toward you - in my experience, Auto Area AF actually handles that quite well. And/or Wide-Small. I tested this quite a bit with my Border Collie running at me (he's fast 😎) and I was surprised at the results / number of keepers (sharp eyes) with the F 70-300 AF-P via the FTZ.
People have kept saying that the Expeed 6 hasn't been tapped to its full potential and that there is a massive improvement coming for like a year already. I have no idea what is this based on. Probably just some assumption by somebody who has as little idea as the rest of us and other people keep echoing it.
Would be great to finally hear some explanation to WHY is there allegedly still headroom available. I doubt there is because nobody ever elaborates on that. Double processors don't mean double the speed. I'm tired of these unfounded rumors...
@@veeaa Easy. We just had a pretty understated firmware update for the mark 1's, which GREATLY improved the performance of tracking & acquisition in a single-processor, 2018 build. Many say tracking is now close to, if not equal to the mark 2's. Those same people stated all along "these mark 1 bodies have peaked, this is it, they won't improve" blah blah blah. Clearly, incorrect.
We are not even in the v2.0 level yet for the mark II's. What my expectation / speculation is based on is actual, measurable history from Nikon. In fact it would be ODD if the mark II's didn't follow the same trend we've seen in all their other mirrorless bodies to date. Stay tuned.
I think people feel like the Z6ii just isn’t any better than the Z6 even with dual processors. But holy smokes, after owning a Z6ii since launch I picked up a used Z6 the other day. The Z6 even on fw 3.4 is noticeably worse than the Z6ii. The Z6ii on fw1.4 is definitely a pretty good sized step over the original. Maybe the upgrades have been so incremental that we don’t notice? But if you step back and compare the two the Z6ii IS better.
A dual processor is not twice as fast.
@@csc-photo I agree with you. It is kind of like we are seeing a kaizen style update that fuji would do with their cameras. Maybe not to that extreme, but I have been impressed with what they are rolling out and how long they are supporting things. Many companies would say screw it and focus only on the newest, greatest thing.
First off - recently came across your channel and it is fantastic. Love your delivery and candor! Thank you! One thing I did notice though and I’d be interested to hear your results on is…when you did the firmware 1.3 test, the light stand didn’t have a lot of contrast on it. The firmware 1.4 test had a lot more lighting contrast on the stand, so that would give the focus a better chance of noticing the stand. If you wanted to, see if you can match the lighting from 1.3 and see if it grabs it same still or not with 1.4!! Great video and thanks for talking about this update - congrats on the recent owl photo as well! :)
I've shot dozens of events on D850 and was hesitant to move to the Z system for this reason.
I can confidently say the Z6ii is much better for events in my experience. Wide-Area L is the superior mode vs the entire frame of AF in busy scenes like events with lots of faces moving around, dancefloors etc. The box is already quite large, it moves really quick using the joystick and the focal point is usually in a pretty consistent place for events. You're normally composing some kind of shot, I just move the box with me when I'm looking for a composition. Between that and the target mode it's very hard to miss focus if you know how to use it.
1.4 definitely improved the full frame AF (it was so bad I almost never used it on 1.3) but for a busy scene, wide-area L is way better. I've set Fn2 on the front of the camera to AF modes so it's really easy to cycle between when needed. Once you get to know the different AF modes and where they shine, the Z system is very capable. I've shot all sorts of things with mine now (plenty of fast paced sports, wildlife and events) and it is leagues ahead of the Nikon DSLRs imo. I've not had many situations where I thought the Z6ii didn't do extremely well, especially compared to previous cameras
I'm having a lot of trouble focusing quickly and reliably with the Z6ii, especially in low light, which I feel like was a lot easier on the D750. Are there some settings I need to change to fix it?
@@DEGAtv Have you tried wide-area L? I had a lot of success with wide area L and back button focus. The joystick moves the box as quickly as I can compose a shot and gets the eye really quickly even in questionable light
@@Flamamacue I typically use single point as that was what I had the most success on with my D750, but it doesnt seem as good. I use wide area eye af sometimes for portraits, but haven't found it reliable in scenes with fast motion. I just downloaded 1.4 so maybe it will be better now...
@@DEGAtv I dont use single point unless it's a static subject that doesn't have a clear thing for the AF to grab on. For portraits I either use the full frame eye AF or if it's a really obvious and clear shot of a face but for fast paced events in mixed lighting like weddings and events the "Wide-Area L" gave me around a 95% hit rate precomposing with the joystick. Even if it doesn't get the eye or face it still gets a lot closer than an F mount AF would have gotten me.
I own 2 z6iis, 1z6, 1z7 , z9 and Sony a7r3. I believe to be successful with mirrorless cameras today you need to be able to choose the correct AF mode for the right situation. I have my function buttons set to toggle throw those AF modes so I can quickly pick the correct focus mode for the correct scene. I have to do this with my Sony as well.
I do that with the Z9 as well.
Which system do you think is better overall for autofocus?
The Z cameras need vertical planes of contrast for focus to work. In dark situations there is often not much contrast. So it will seek out brighter parts of the scene thinking you’re thinking that’s what you want to focus on; the people don’t have enough contrast for an auto mode to do well on. I’ve been using the Z6 v1 since new. Since firmware 1.0 and in AF-C dynamic it rarely misses. It takes a little bit more work with the joystick or tap to focus on the rear LCD but no missed shots. No guessing. No struggling in important situations. It just works. That all said, I appreciate your video and glad to see the improvements with 1.4. Thanks for showing it!
Good job on the video Omar. Yes many of us event photographers struggle with the same issues. You did a good job of pointing out the flaws in the system which hopefully will get corrected rather than ignored!
Thanks! I think Nikon did fix the biggest flaw. Now speed and reliability next! Thanks for watching. :)
7:56 the setting are in Auto AF-C People the camera is looking for people. Not objects. For Objects use AF Small or Single point for precise AF.
Omar you are one of the few TH-camrs that both love Nikon and tell the truth regarding its short comings. We had a graduation last year and we had the autofocus, moving and focusing on background. It was awful.
We was able to compensate, but we missed critical shots and I have been a Nikon shooter for Decades. I had both the Nikon Z6 and my son used the Z6II.
My son now owns my Z6 and although the autofocus has gotten better with Nikon z6 at firmware 3.40 and Z6II at firmware 1.40 the problem still isn't fixed as compared to my Sonys.
The voice memo feature that I used on the Z6 is great for sports and other historical event type of photography. We have a contract with a city for certain buildings that are being redone at the facia and the voice memo feature is invaluable to keep track of this documentation.
The Nikons are better built than Sony and are good cameras, but some Nikon guys are feeling left out and we are hoping that Nikon fixes this because we have a business that shoots, Nikon, Sony and Blackmagic. Nikons video capabilities are very good.
I still own Nikon equipment, but this has got to be fixed for event photography. Omar, I think the word that you are looking for to describe Nikon fan boys are "Nikonians".
I'm not a fan of a brand, I shot Fuji as well. I'm a fan for what works because these companies don't care about you personally, they only care that you buy their products.
I have already tried the test that you did Omar, switching between autofocus modes, so its not me, it's probably not you as well. I know the camera, its something that has to be fixed in firmware whether other people and TH-camrs want to admit it or not.
Thank you! I just purchased the z6ii because didn’t want to purchase the z8 as well as new glass on top of it. I was really worried the firmware update didn’t help because no one was talking about it. Yes of course the z9 has everything and everything is great but it’s also $5500 . The z8 is still $4000 . Comparable Sony camera is $3000 I love Nikon though. So easy to use and a make sense camera a button and menu configuration. Thanks again for video!
It has been an issue, especially frustrating because Nikon’s own DSLRs never had this issue with missing objects closest to the camera. Haven’t had enough time with 1.4 yet to confirm the issue has been resolved. I do notice it finds and tracks eyes much better.
Most mirrorless cameras do not have "cross" type autofocus points, which means they will be blind to lines that are either going vertical or horizontal (depends on AF design which orientation it will be blind to). You may recall that DSLR's, even though they had very few autofocus points, usually had a mix of cross type and non-cross type.
I haven't had a chance to do a thorough test, I just got the z6ii this week. I'm much happier than I was with the z6 so far. I haven't used anything else, so thankfully I don't miss what I don't know. :)
Im sticking with my D750 - its just so easy to use
Starting to want to grab my D750 instead of my Z6ii sometimes... Thought the autofocus would be much better, not worse :/
i have a d750 and was thinking about going to the z6ii. are you telling me to stay put? LOL
@@delanescott7872 Im waiting for the Z8 - it should have Z9 AF in it. Im also interested in the Z30 as it is getting some good reviews. I need a more discrete camera.
Very much appreciate the honesty. Awesome channel.
I’m frustrated with the Z camera AF (had a Z5, now Z6ii). Turning off “Apply settings”? A separate “Low Light AF” mode that you have to toggle in the menus? Why is it like this?
For manual focus, the Z6ii is great, no complaints.
could not agree more. Terrible focus system. Mine displays M in C mode! I miss my D500
For me, 1.4 has represented a big improvement. Generally, I find the eye acquisition and stickiness to be much improved. That's a major improvement for me and, as to static images of the kind being discussed in Omar's video, I also find acquisition much improved.
Of note, in a series of comparisons with my Z9, it consistently acquires human eyes at further distances on static subjects.I swap the same lens between the Z9 and Z6ii and I routinely find I have to step further forward for the Z9 to hit an eye acquisition. Of course, the Z6ii yellow eye box is more jittery, but that's how it works (it would be great if they smoothed that out). Now, these were static subjects and I've not compared the two cameras on moving people to see if it true for that, although I'm skeptical.
And one other thing that the Z6ii does with 1.4 is acquire my shaggy dog's eyes. Previously, it simply could not unless I basically stood a foot away and he was looking straight into the camera.
So, for me, at least, the 1.40 improvement has been marked. Since the firmware was an incremental .1 improvement, I'm still hoping that when 2.0 comes out, that will be an even larger step forward.
If there ever is a 2.0 nikon has seemed to not care about the z6ii anymore putting out bug fixes only a new update was just announced and it's very lame indeed nothing improved just fixed two bugs 🐛
I uploaded the FW update on my Z6ii and I have experimented with it briefly. It is not a wow moment with the AF update, but it appears to be stickier with holding focus on a subject in AFF and AF small/large, and does require some adjustment to technique when moving from subject to subject (Unpress and repress the AF-ON button quickly). It also seems to be much improved with no jumping to the background with focus when panning in a busy background area. It doesn’t seem to have made any improvement with the actual subject tracking at all, which was very disappointing for me. I think that many of us are spoiled with the Z9 AF, but I still love the Z6ii as a walk about and astrophotography camera and still use it a lot for video. I used to live with the AF issues and made adjustments to the way I shot to accommodate the deficiencies of the Z6/7 series. Now when I switch back to the Z6ii from the Z9, those deficiencies are much more apparent. I am hoping that we see a major FW 2.0 update in the near future that will improve the AF functionality.
I’m a photographer in nightclubs and had a big discussion about switching from the nikon D750 to the Z6ii in the Nikon Z mirrorless group in Fb.. The suggestion I was given by those who REALLY understood what kind of work I’m doing (mostly candids of people dancing or standing in the crowd etc..) was to NOT switch to the z6ii.. They told me that the focus with single spot and the assistance of the flash focus I’m using in my D750 is faar better than the autofocus system in z6ii which can’t be helped by the flash! Even though others had the exact opposite opinion (because they probably didn’t understand the struggle with the lights in nightclubs), I made the decision to wait till a kind of z6iii is released as I don’t have the budget for a z9… Now that I see that you face the same problem in this “kind of photography” I’m totally convinced to stick with my reliable D750 and wait… Thanks for this video Omar!
I'm in a similar situation and have a tried & true 750 and don't want to give it up until I know the Z6 is sorted out.
Exactly the person I made this video for!!! 😀 thanks for watching
@@ogonzilla 😂😂, it seems that this discussion had a serious impact on many of us! Thanks a lot mate, I appreciate it! 💪
For this kind of situation, D500 is the king. Especially paired with sigma 18-35 f1.8
I used to shoot at nightclubs for a few years. I find that DSLRs are overall better than mirrorless in clubs. It’s more of a semi-analog device forcing you to be more connected to that unpredictable low light situation and your shooting technique. Mirrorless cameras try to assist you too much in those scenarios.
There is a definite improvement but I still have the same issues you have with bright background. I'm hoping for another update in time to improve this issue.
The best camera channel no question. I've had my fair share on Z6 frustrations to the point where I'm using an 810 for any critical work, it's just too risky. I think 1.4 is good though, it's definitely an improvement. I came from using two 750's, mainly on single focus and they never let me down. Oddly I've had problems with my Z6 and Z6ii even on single focus.
Right there with ya. Regardless of how many pretend this issue does not exist... unless it only exists on some models for some reason. Like yourself, I also have had issue even in single point. I know all the modes well, and primarily use wide-area with eye af and assigned subject tracking as backup. The AF is still not as trustworthy as the current CaSony. That being said, 1.4, brought my Z6ii close enough that I'm far more confident.
@@cohoonatube Hey Chad, I guess I’m pleased I’m not alone here. I’ve found it all a little odd really, Nikon know how to develop and manufacture photographic equipment but here we are having these basic problems. I almost sold my Z6 for a 750, crazy.
Its interesting that I think people are disappointed as they feel like the Z6ii just isn’t any better than the Z6 even with dual processors. But holy smokes, after owning a Z6ii since launch I picked up a used Z6 the other day. The Z6 even on fw 3.4 is noticeably worse than the Z6ii. The Z6ii on fw1.4 is definitely a pretty good sized step over the original. Maybe the upgrades have been so incremental that we don’t notice? But if you step back and compare the two the Z6ii IS better. The amount of manual overrides I have to do with the Z6 as compared to the Z6ii isn’t trivial.
Yep..the Z7 was eh....as well.
Agree... I didn't even consider the Z6ii until FW 1.2 dropped. That one provided a huge performance boost. 1.4 has truly increased my confidence in the normal "this-is-what-I-need-focused-on" mode :D. I don't remember fighting that with 3D on Nikon DSLRs as much.
the reason why I was interested in Nikon is because I kind of like their colour science and there's a line of cameras definitely has really nice dynamic range. I generally like to do a lot of architectural photography and landscape. but I'm looking for a generally a camera for around two grand. the z62 really does like check off a lot on list, but once again those low phase detection auto points and people complaining about the autofocusing system not being that reliable. making me wonder whether or not to get it
Did you end up getting it in the end? I am contemplating right now getting either the X-T5 or the Z62 since they are basically the same price, but one is FF and the other APS-C...
Don't know any other real competitors around the 1900€ mark that seem logical (Sony A7iii just seems old to me now and the IV is more like €3k)
Thanks
I've never had a problem with the AF, even shooting wildlife. It's the blackout that's a killer.
Just got an opportunity to use my z6ii with firmware 1.4. I regularly practice action shooting with my 2 german shepherds to improve the skillset and explore the cameras capabilities. Today I noticed a definitive improvement in auto area focus mode. The auto area consistently tracked the dogs both running toward camera and across frame like never before. There was no selecting objects in the background or on the edge of the frame which was a consistent problem in past practices/testing. Don't believe the naysayers, it is definitely better.
Same experience here with my 6 young children... about as fast as your shepherds lol. I was very pleasantly surprised at the af enhancements.
I find it better as well due to many more keepers.
@@ogonzilla how many "keepers" of german shepherds does one need? Or even of six young children running around?
I’ve updated to firmware 1.40 on my nikon z7ii and what I’ve noticed is that the eye autofocus was performing way much better in a studio environment. Before the update, I felt that they eye autofocus was struggling a lot.
Upgraded to 1.4 on my Z7II AND IT DID MUCH BETTER focusing.
I shoot quite a bit of youth soccer and after using FW 1.4 last weekend I noticed it did a better job of picking up the eye in wide area AF, especially from distance, where it rarely did before. But it was still inconsistent.
I did shoot one half in full auto AF just to see what happened and I got some decent shots but it just doesn’t go where you want it to consistently.
I haven't done the update yet. I always check and see if it causes other people issue. I've never been happy with the Z6ii when I am doing urban photography at night. I was hoping to hear it corrected the low light focus issues I was having.
I am considering renting and trying out a Fuji XE4. I really like how small it is. When I replaced my DSLR I rented a couple of Sony cameras and found they were just uncomfortable in my hand.
I just tried the 1.4 firmware and it seems really snappy. But I did not try those challenging situations. I'm happy that they are making improvements. We are now a long ways from the original z6 and z7.
How is the original Z6 now? Thinking about it
I would love to see this test with the original z6!
Do you think with the latest firmware 3.4, they would match the z6ii and 1.4 on this test?
It's like Nikon used their userbase as beta testers with the Z6II and Z7II. I'm a Nikon F mount user and Fanboy. I expect the Z8 or Z7III to be the camera that gets me to migrate to Z mount. Atleast I hope so.
The D850 and Z7II seem almost interchangeable now, so the Z7III will probably make you happy.
Good to know they made slight improvement with the low light AF. On using different AF modes, I make use of the U1,U2,U3 in the dial which will instantly bring up my desired settings including AF mode depending on the situation I am shooting in. Not sure if you are making use of that. Just wanted to point that out.
There is a low light at setting too in the menu you can turn on or off
Thanks for this video. I have not installed the update yet. I will say that since I’ve converted to mirrorless I get much better auto focus performance when I use prime lenses. My 28mm does a much better job than the 14-30mm in grabbing focus and produces better images. Try this test with a prime and see what you think.
Nikon still has the same two major issues, easily solvable with a firmware update:
1. No blinkies or zebras in still mode while shooting. This is a basic functionality of literally every single camera, except Nikon, making it basically incapable to expose shots precisely without looking at an already exposed shot. Extremely annoying. I know there is a workaround using custom picture control tools, but it means that I cannot use picture control anymore.
2. Most buttons cannot be customized. I still have to do many common things from menu, even though I literally NEVER use some buttons - such as DELETE while not in playback or EXP.COMP. while smart exposure compensation is on. I would give $100 more for the camera if I could map PLAY to the god damned EXP.COMP button.
Yes!!! And why do they arbitrarily limit which functions can be assigned to which Fn buttons? It’s insane. My Lumix G9 lets me map any function available to any Fn button.
The zebras thing is just… no words…🤦🏼♂️
No one will listen to us. Nikon made mirrorless but stick with the same principles as they were in DSLR. Therefore you have more function to work with same number of custom buttons but there is a lack of buttons. I read the manual of Z9 - nothing changed with the customization. Still table, still you can assign for example to the record button only few option. Now Nikon will cut the coupons from Z9 and made next Z's with AF system from Z9 but the customization won't be changed.
Didn’t notice any improvement on my Z6ll after the 1.4 firmware update. Am sure Nikon did something but it’s a minor update. I didn’t tell my wife I updated the Z6ll and she didn’t notice any change either. The Z6ll is about 18 months old now, would imagine they have done about all they could do regarding the AF.
Hi sir.... Wht is u r standerd profile settings...like sharpness,mid sharpness and clearity
just note that at 7:10 the light stand has a sharp defined light hitting it. on the other tests it was in the dark so I dont see is doing better.. did you recreate with the exact same light setup?
Hi Omar, New sub here. Great video! I've only tested video with the new firmware and have yet to notice any real difference. Stills is next. Sony looked WAY better in your studio with the light stand experience. Nikon thought it was part of the door or something? Anyway, good stuff. Cheers!
This is primarily an artifact of the old style AF algo that Nikon uses in these cameras. Soon or later, they will consolidate all cameras to use similar algo as Z9 (albeit a little loss of battery efficiency for Z6/7).
Sony, at large is a “mode less” algo. Where it uses ML and classic Image segmentation to learn from the scene (scene implies both contrast and depth map) the ideal object to prioritize. Then it goes into object specific algo. Nikon first does a mode specific branching and then uses ML to do mode specific fine tune to arrive at the object at right depth. Back in the DSLR days with 3D tracking, Nikon did the similar (without all the ML/sensor read out info). But with mirrorless, Nikon (and Canon) decided to hack up a primitive AF since using the full scene deep analysis like Sony does requires a lot of software and hardware investment. Now they have caught up on hardware side on Z9 and fine tuning the software side.
I think the truth is this. The Z6ii and Z7ii are basically at their final form, there will be small incremental improvements but that's it. They are great for most people in good to decent light situations, but people need to realize that the Z6ii and Z7ii are never going to reach the level of the Canon R6 / R7, or A7iv, and that's ok because they are significantly cheaper.
i had the z6 for 3 years already so i want to try another brand the focus problem is there. but quality is very important to me.. and in this part the z6 shines so i bought a z6ii.. it has the best quality in my eyes.. colors are really nicer than others. focus is not really a problem, sony is better, but nikon is catching up, maybe the next update?
Best camera I used for low light in events was Nikon D300S, never missed focus
Hi Omar, as always, I like your comments. I didn´t check eye AF with Firmware 1.4, which worked fine for me in version 1.21. AF_ C with no eye detection works even worse with FW 1.4. The focusing squares are randomly jumping from one area to another, even holding the camera firmly in one position. I couldn´t figure out what the cameras logic is. Nikon should give us a clue.
Very helpful video. I shoot event photography like you, so I am encouraged from your comments to see how 1.40 performs on my Z6ii's!
Maybe in your 1.3 test, the light was not as bright as in the 1.4 test and thus the 1.3 was struggling to focus on the pole?
I think overall the issue with the z62 and the z6 itself is the fact that it only has 273 phase detection points. since most of the competition generally has generally over 400. constantly going to cause it to hunt for its subjects especially in longer focal distance and in lower light. do not understand why they didn't make this camera with at least 400 or more. actually willing to buy this camera but everyone keeps saying that the autofocusing system really does hunt for its subjects a lot dur the low number of focusing points.
Hello Omar . You just told people that Sony is light years ahead of Nikon when it comes to autofocus 😄
Thanks you, this is the only useful review on the 1.4 firmware
Interesting issue Omar, I never checked it on my Fuji X-H1 & X-E3. I actually still prefer the latter using the little fuji primes when photographing family or friends. As a hobby user I am quite happy still with the results I am getting although it's doing face detection only in AF-C mode only with eye detection available in AF-S...
One thing that has to be said. In the test, you were going from an over exposed target to an under exposed one. That's hardly a level playing field when discussing focus ability?
I take this is a reminder for those of us with GAS that there’s no silver bullet when it comes to gear. It’s all about learning to work with what you’ve chosen.
Is it me or did you light the light stand better after you updated firmware? Was it brighter with a side highlight but not before?
That was just a clip I grabbed from one of my many boring tests. I also tested it in the other lighting. Same results.
@@ogonzilla Excellent, just checking. I truly like your vids.
nice presentation. I am still using Z6ii+Z24-70F/2.8 with V1.3, af-c, back button focus (af-on enabled) auto-area focus with people detection and impossible to have these yellow boxes, always erratic red squares as if i was in auto area. Any idea which menu, parameter would be conflicting (a1, a2, a6,...) with this mode ?
Thank you for the information in this video. I think that at this point we all know that Nikon is just not quite there yet in terms of autofocus for these kind of situations (events photography in poor lighting conditions) except for the Z9 (?). My question to you is, why on earth did you decide to start shooting with Nikon if you were already shooting with Sony (which we all know how well it works under these circumstances)? Why to make your life complicated when it wasn’t before? “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”? Hugs Omar. I like your Fuji videos since I use Fuji but I also like your videos about other brands because I also enjoy technology and other brands as well.
Image. Quality.
I was shooting Nikon DSLRs and when I made decision to switch to mirrorless, I really wanted to give a try with Sony. Yes, the AF is great but other than that I couldn't extract the kind of image I used to get in my Nikon DSLRs. Returned and got Z6ii. I am completely happy about it. Except for the fact that it does struggle in the low light situations.
@@ogonzilla I understand. Personally I think that your images taken with your Sony A7III look great.
@@rameshjn I see. That is understandable. I am just thinking because in his case he could use Sony for work and Nikon/Fuji for his enjoyment and personal projects. He could even use the Nikon for situations where he knows he is going to have good light. But then for the tough job I personally just wouldn't opt to struggle and I would use the better tool for the job, specially if I already have it. I think Nikon have a promising future in the mirrorless world, it took them way shorter time to get where they are today in the mirrorles world than I took Sony for example. Nikon just waited a little bit too long, but they are catching up. In my opinion Canon with the R3 has already matched (if not surpassed) Sony in aufocus performance. But until Nikon have a bullet proof camera (besides the Z9), which will happen eventually, I think it is just safer to go with Canon or Sony for strugle free (or almost free) working experience.
@@Guairenito you are overthinking it and stressing out more than Omar is about missed shots. If it were enough of a headache for him he’d use a different camera. He has plenty available. All systems have their pros and cons and he has chosen nikon because the pros outweigh the cons for him and his work.
The "bonus tip" can you explain that one a bit more...either here or in a separate video?
Thanks for the info. Didn’t know there was an update. 😆
There is a noticeable difference with the focus, however Canon just announced the R7 with an Auto focusing system that will still be far better than my Z6 ii. It seems that ALL Nikons efforts are for the Z9...
Good for them! it don't help us though . I'm not new to Nikon focus. But to dial in is a bit ridiculous.
I love Nikon cameras..truly do. Started photography with Nikon. .. but I sold all my gear and went to Sony. Hold up.. I tried this in the past and never switched to Sony as they felt technical.. didn’t like colors or ergonomics. Tried the A7IV and was done. AF is cheating. I’m never in a function menu. Mapped buttons for Eye AF on/off, switch between human/animal/bird, .. I CAN USE WIDE AREA AND TRUST IT. Sorry for yelling. Colors from A7IV are VERY good. I no longer frame then pick focus point. I friggin just point the Sony at something with a heartbeat, it grabs the eye and I compose in seconds.
Yup. Still holding on to my Sony a9. 😃
Good morning Mr Omar.
Do you use AS-C or AF-S mode at events on your Nikon z6ii.
AF-C mostly
@@ogonzilla I use af-s on my Nikon Z6 and it misses focus especially in low light situations.
@@ogonzilla thank you sir.
I will use af-c for my next event tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
@@ogonzilla thanks for the swift reply.
I'm glad you made this video Omar as it's one of the main reasons I'm thinking of selling my Z5. The auto area AF is so stupid at times and as someone who loves capturing spontaneous family moments, it's turning into a real dealbreaker. I feel im spending too much time thinking about which mode and point size I need that I'm not enjoying the moments. Or one minute eye AF is working fine, the next it's found a tree in the background.
I've had similar responses to the ones youve mentioned from fanboys and their naivety is getting boring now. I came from a Sony A6400 and the difference in AF intelligence and accuracy is night and day. It's such a shame as the Z5 was perfect for an enthusiast. Dual card slots, weather sealed, full frame, IBIS, ergonomic, affordable at £900 used, etc. Most my work is personal but on paid occasions I knew it could do the job. It's AF system is supposedly much worse than the Z6 ii so I'm sure you can imagine my frustrations at trying to capture spontaneous toddler and baby moments!
Wait for a update?
@@ajphelps16 I doubt they will update the Z5 again. They blame an old sensor and processor usually.
Honestly, this is my biggest fear with buying a camera, since it's basically impossible to objectively quantify how good the AF system is at picking the right target. I guess my D3200 will have to serve for a while longer.
I am curious, why you moved from Sony to Nikon?
I think Nikon needs to fine tune their Z AF algorithm little bit better. Ricci did a video explaining the Z system AF mode. I believe in auto area AF, the camera chooses whatever it wants in front of the camera and everything is a fair game, which is kind of dumb. Sometimes that means focusing on the backgroung rather than the object near the camera where you want it to focus. It happens to my Z6 as well. Albeit frustrating, I would use subject tracking whenever that happens.
Damn right. I feel that the A/Focus system is the low point of this camera. scale of 1 to 10 its a 2 at best.
@@MrRudyc Honestly, Z6’s AF system is probably 6 out of 10 for me. I mostly shoot landscape and static objects, once in a while Portraits. I don’t shoot birds or sports. So it’s more than adequate for me. 🤷♂️
I mostly use a single focus point for all my shooting, I just don't trust the autofocus mode. This has been the case since my 5D MKII days and continued to my D800E which I still use today in addition to a few Z bodies that I own. I sometimes even resort to manual focus on the D800E when it completely fails to acquire focus in high contrast situations with crazy dynamic range. That said, I would really like to have an awesome autofocus system just to try it out and see how much of a difference it makes to my workflow being a slow shooter of still subjects mostly. Viewing all the videos on the 1.4 firmware upgrade so far, I am not compelled to even burn the calories required to grab my Z7II out of the bag to upgrade it, a bit underwhelming TBH. The only good thing I can see from your test at least is that it started recognizing the pole in front of it which was not happening at all before the update, in all other tests I saw on other channels so far, I could not notice any visible improvement between 1.3 and 1.4.
Nikon camera system will always back focus first. I think that is what is going on. Nikon seems to be just catching up so that they don't get left behind further than they let themselves get behind in the DSLR era.
Is there a update for the z50 ?
im having the same issue with the z6 coupled with the 70-200 f2.8s and its a little bit frustrating that im thinking of selling the z6 for a z6ii body as the update doesnt cover the original z6 .... why ?🤔
Probably because this update uses both processors in the Z6II to operate.
@@UnconventionalReasoning yeah I thought that to so sold my z6 for the ii surprising how much better it is with the 70=200 s.
Thx for addressing the problems that a lot of fan boys are talking small. In my experiences the update is doing a little better but still it's far from perfect .
I tested my z7ii in the studio and it’s still not as reliable as my Sony a7riii. I’ve gotten so used to not having to think about or even have to check focus with the Sony. I still have to babysit the focus with the new firmware. I guess one has to upgrade to firmware z9 to get that level of reliability of a 4 1/2 year old came.
The Fan Boy “oh but the Z9 is great, it is class leading” while the Zx2 versions can’t compete with an EOSR or A73 for basic focusing is a challenge. Nikon is still behind in cameras that most use.
1.4 does focus in AFC people/ animal on what you point the camera at. Prior it was all over the place which ironically took a while for a Nikon fix. It’s not amazing.
Anyone still has the Nikon Z 6ii Firmware V.1.30 ???? I really needed it. As the Frimware v.1.40 is having a problem with the Tamron lenses. The V.1.30 is perfectly fine until the Tamron releases a new Firmware.
I think my Z6ii improved after version 1.4. The auto area mode at least doesn't get confused as much anymore and if you shift the center of the frame to the new subject it grabs it quickly when before as you know it would just be stuck at one focal distance (usually the longer distance) and would stubbornly refuse to let go and focus closer. I am still reluctant to say that these are good cameras though even though I tried really hard to believe in my investment lol. I also have a D850 and it comes out of the bag 99% more than the Z6ii. The Z6ii is a video camera in my eyes considering I have the D850. Also, with the 1.4 update the only thing that was fixed was auto area sensitivity nothing else about autofocus was addressed so it think it's funny that people are claiming in multiple videos that the eye af is somehow magically better than it was before. I've seen a number of unfounded claims regarding firmware 1.4 and AF performance. I think this touches on your "fan boy" mentality comment which I admit I was guilty of as well but once reality set in it was hard to deny that these cameras are not the best at anything other than being affordable and having nice lenses (although I still like F mount lenses more for some reason but thats another can of worms haha). I'm confident that the Z9 is something in it's own class but I didn't want to wait 3/4 of a year to get one nor did I really want to spend 6 grand on camera body just to get features that lesser cameras from other makers already posses.
I will say that owning a Z9 that nothing compares, not really. Although I do like the Canon R3. I recently ordered a Z7ii with grip, since I do more studio and set work which is well lit, I would hope that it won't be a major issue. I also still use my trusty D750s but hoping the Z7ii will be a good photo camera while shooting video with the Z9 or somehow visa versa. I hopefully did not just throw away $4k (body, grip and SD card).
@@reneefariasphoto40 I sold all my Z stuff and kept all my Nikon DSLR and F Mount gear. I’ll use this until the cows come home. I love the D850 very very much. After some use I just couldn’t get into the z system. Maybe down the road but not now.
@@Raevenswood Well to each their own. As for me, I am still keeping and using my DSLRs. I have not stopped just because I am using mirrorless. As a business there are video advantages that mirrorless provides and that DSLRs simply can’t match. Heck I still use my F100s from time to time. 😎
I question whether testing with a thin light stand is fair. If I am developing AF software, one approach is to find the nearest object as perhaps what the user wants. I think you mentioned this in a previous video. On the other hand, maybe I should look for shapes the user is likely to be choosing. A long thin pole, or the fencing that the user is shooting through, or perhaps I should seek something that looks like a face or an object with width and shape that is of greater interest. The AF might be doing me a favor in most situations if it ignores the thin line in the frame and finds something more desirable in an image. As cameras get more intelligent, we cant always expect their decisions to be the same we make for the given context. (Which isn't to say there shouldnt be user controls to redirect the decisions, like the wide area focus, etc.)
I think with getting the z9 and z8 to almost perfection now maybe Nikon may concentrate more on getting z6ii and 7ii up to par. It makes sense to get flagship cameras perfect first otherwise it will ruin your credibility !
I never had a problem focusing with the Z6 II. Once you get into the camera and shoot it, you figure it out. I shot more than 250K photos over two bodies before getting a Z9. The Z9 is great, but that Z6 II was great too. I'll never understand the internet myth here. And I'm a sports shooter. I shot football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, wrestling and more with the Z6 II and never once complained about focus issues.
Have you ever shot at a nightclub or bar?
Have you ever shot at a nightclub or bar?
I went from Sony to Nikon because of the Z9 and i thought it would be good idea to get used to the system so i sold all of my Sony gear. Bought Z9 and while im still waiting in got Z6 and i have to say that after Sony Z6 feels terrible! Yesterday i had some job to do and AF simply doesnt work! Im a bit worried about Z9 too after trying Z6 to be entirely honest.
wouldn't it be nice nikon let us adapt some parameters used by the focus logaritm. like min to max distance eg.
Lots of wandering off topic in this video.😀
I use the Nikon D4 or D4s, they’re magical with the 50 1.4 or 1.8…amazing colors, speed, never and issue!!! For events the combo is stellar, and you can always use a 20mm or 35mm 1.4 as an upgrade.
Congratulations
Who cares?
Well, I think it is better, but not blown away. My man cave has both super bright TV plus light stand plus plastic head plus a coffee table long side away. I moved the camera around and the focus was fairly crisp. Used the 25-200 lens at around 80mm. The focus mode was wide S&L and the people with eye detect and it was pretty snappy. I did detect I was a bit sloppy in button pressing . Haven’t been using the camera a lot recently, but will be sure to fix this. I tried changing the Apply to Live View settings, even put this in My Menu for further trials. But, could you give me a hint as to what difference I am looking for? Did not seem to matter a bunch although I did see a small change in the viewfinder. Will try outside too. I can tell you this: if I ran Nikon, there would be experts demonstrating this stuff to me and telling me exactly what they planned to produce in terms of videos that clearly educated my customers and wowed them, even at the Z6ii level. Or else. Why would I even consider leaving this to TH-camrs or the current group of marketing non-performers?
Using an f/5.6 lens is unlikely to produce the best AF results.
@@UnconventionalReasoning An interesting reply, had to think about it a bit. Relevant, because the 4.5-5.6 closes down with zooming rather faster than I expected. I will try my very underused 105mm macro to verify, but I am thinking you are correct. Still, it’s a flexible lens that I do like a lot.
@@EdwardKilner is it the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens? There is no ultra-zoom with a f-stop range of 4.5-5.6, less than one stop. If it is the 4-6.3, then yes, it goes from 4 to 5.6 unexpectedly quickly. And if either lens is adapted, that's an added layer of detail that will affect the AF.
Has anyone experienced eye misfocused issue using 85 1.8s lens?
Ohh then it’s time to upgrate it !
My 50mm 1.8s Lens is after the new 1.4 firmware louder 😐 anyone else noticed the same problem?
I have seen no improvement but I also tried the z9 and it has the exact same issue a bird on a fence post will not focus unless you go to base of post then get focus then move up to bird. I hate to say it but my patience are wearing thin with Nikon. As a wildlife photographer they are falling behind
Still not as good as the competition
I like the way Nikon is coming out with firmware upgrades. Hopefully more firmwares in the future.
You like that they come out with a tiny AF change every 6 - 8 months? I really didn't realize how much better the competition was until I tested an a7iv.
@@RiposteThis Good for you. I use Nikon lenses and prefer using the Nikon platform. Good choices for everyone.
@@victorlim5077 and that’s fine but the z6ii and z7ii aren’t going to have any significant jumps in performance and will never be anywhere near the a7iv or r6. I think fanboys think that a firmware update is going to catch Nikon up to Sony and Canon, and that’s just not true for this generation. Z6iii and Z7iii on the other hand, those could be there.
@@RiposteThis Hopefully. :-) Maybe 3rd time lucky
even with the update my 300mm 2.8 afs and 200--400 F4 have a difficult time switching from close subjects to distant subjects. I was about 12 feet from my Hummer feeder and my 6II could not see it in the screen (nowhere) very pissed. Great glass bad system with non S/Z lenses.
I dont care for the focus system on the Z cameras. I still have my D850, and traded my D500 for the Z6ii. Im wondering if i made a big mistake. Especially after seeing Sony's focusing system. PISSED
That's why dani diamond moved on to Sony?
You need to do longer videos, in a good way 🤙
I have a solution for you that never fails in those situations ever.
Firmware update: D-S-L-R
Dslrs suck
No updates for the Z5? Has the Z5 been orphaned? If so I'll never buy another Nikon product again.
It’s really really bad! Firmware not helping much. I have z5 and z6ii and both are struggling with focus! We need Nikon to work harder, otherwise Sony is the way to go!
In 10 years people will look on us and our focus problems, like we were the first cavemen. 😁
It’s like: do you remember the people buying the first Canon 5D? Only the Center point was usable. THEY HAD TO FOCUS AND RECOMPOSE!!! How could they survive in the wild?!?!? 😜😁😜
I personally experienced a high AF performance increase following 1.4 (from 1.3). Like you, I had the same issue with the Z6ii not being able to assess correctly what I wanted to focus on... especially when it was the single most glaring forefront object (Wide-Area/eye) :D. I'm now having a more consistent experience than even you seem to be... wondering if the adapted lens plays a part? Thanks for the great videos. I've also found it funny how often in Nikon centered forums many insist this issue does not exist, and it's somehow always user error or lack of proficiency. Looking forward to seeing what Nikon brings to the table with 2.0!
Did one event with 1.4. Much better grabs!
@@ogonzilla Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback Omar, love your work, channel, and... bike!
Im also excited about seeing how 1.40 update performs on my Z6II's. I had similar experience with struggling to find focus on dominant items in the frame, and I noticed it especially if the batteries in my battery pack were getting low. I popped in two fresh batteries and performance was snappy again...
@@paulward4299 It's been much better. More keepers. Light hasn't been crazy low though....so more tests coming
I’m sorry but I have to at least partly agree with the “fanboys” or whatever you call people that have different opinions than you. Basically the complain is the camera doesn’t automatically to some things perfectly all by itself. While I can agree smart features can be useful and all those nice things to have, this still does not change the fact that you are in charge of handling your tool and getting the results. Not matter how great our tools are and will get, this will not change. Any tool will have some limitations and will need workarounds in specific use scenarios. That’s why you’re there. And if you have some feature that can benefit you immensely if it would work as close to perfect as possible, then get the camera system that do that feature the best, you have a choice I assume.
I look forward to 2050 when people will complain that when they sent their camera-drone to photograph an entire event while they sit at home, the device was 2 seconds late when it came back.
I hope you don’t take what I said too seriously
TNX Omar! And there are more discriminated people than you guys... the Z5 owners abandoned in the pre-historical age... Yes, they have paid less, but they still paid an Expeed6 processor equal to the Z6,7, and to me it means that Nikon keeps them toooooo much behind on purpose... NO thanks to the beloved Nikon
Fujifilm win.. hahaha
Has Z 6 and it is much worse.
Disappointed with this minor update. I still get poor autofocus, Nikon have coned us mark 2 owners as the mark 1 camera have no real difference in af performance. I wish I went for a z7 and saved 1k. Poor show Nikon, all they care about is z9
That’s not true… my Z6ii is noticeably superior to my Z6 on the most current firmware.
You're the guy that waits for peoples mouths to be open. I heard this was your style. Interesting style but its a style.