Testing out the Nikon Z9 over the past few months has been nothing short of an amazing experience. If you notice, I didn't mention overheating during the entirety of this video, and that's because it was never an issue through all of my testing. It's a breath of fresh air to see a camera that just exactly what it's supposed to do without making compromises.
Probably the same exact setup that I run now to be honest. I would use high quality slide in ND's on my matte box though. I am still getting a feel on the Nikon Glass.
Thanks for review. Very thorough. I'm a bit surprised by the lack of video reviews with this camera since the major firmware upgrade. I did a lot of searching before finding yours. It is very much appreciated. From what I have seen so far, this camera surpasses the video capabilities from other well known hybrid cameras.
It's head and shoulder above what Sony and Canon deliver in mirrorless bodies. From an image quality standpoint, there really isn't much better out there. Add an external pro level sound recorder and you can shoot Hollywood movies with Z9s.
Most of the Z9 Video on YT are by photographers. so its very rare to find anyone who try to get the film look using N-Raw. there are many B-Raw videos where they color grad to get the cinematic look but i haven't seen any who tried to do that with N-Raw. I am glad that i found this video today. you actually tried to show the real potential of N-Raw and Z9 for video/film making. some of the shots are looking very beautiful and you tried to push the N-Raw files. I hope you put more Z9 N-Raw videos. I am wondering if you can also try to get the ARRI look using these files as people do with B-Raw.
I shot Nikon for almost a decade back when my D3S cameras were state of the art. This was all back before I was doing commercial filmmaking. When the D90 came out it was pretty incredible as it supported video - this was actually before the Canon 5DM2 kickstarted the whole DSLR video revolution. Nikon was first when it came to video in a DSLR body but really dropped the ball. As filmmaking became more of my bread and butter I transitioned to Canon, BlackMagic and now I shoot pretty much just with my REDs unless a production calls for something else. One thing I notice with Nikon and this goes back to even my photo days with Nikon is that they seem to have really deep / crushed blacks straight out of the camera. Even when I used other glass other than Nikon’s so it’s definitely how the sensor renders the image. I think it has a naturally more “cinematic” look than Canon for instance which always felt more “airy” if that can be used to describe it while Nikons image rendering always evokes more of a “heavy” feeling to me. Alexa also feels more on the “airy” side to me. I know all of these attributes can be finessed in post but one of the reasons I gravitated to RED is that it’s out of box sort of sits in the middle of those two looks and requires very little effort to make it look great… Great review - I also have a Canon 1DX M3 that I occasionally use for hybrid jobs. Your review has me considering selling it to buy a Z9.
One of my favourite LUTs outside of Nikon Log is a RED one. I don't own a RED but I have been thinking to myself for a while how good RED footage looks. And you so eloquently described it as "heavy". I totally agree. And same with Nikon's look being more cinematic. Great comment and from a cinematic perspective no less. Cheers.
I shot a short film about 2 years ago with a RED One MX (it was already ancient and so freaking heavy, but still an amazing image) and my Z 6 ii with an Atomos Ninja. We used the two different cameras as part of the strategy to visually separate two different worlds in the film, so in theory, we didn't need the footage to match up all that well. Much to my surprise, the Nikon footage held up incredibly well next to the RED, and I feel like even if I had chosen to use both cameras within the same scene we could have graded the footage to match up quite well. I always described RED footage as having a sort of gritty or crunchy look but in a good way, but I think I like your descriptor of "heavy" better. I think that "heaviness" was a big part of what pushed me towards Nikon when I bought my current kit, even though I knew Nikon was playing catch up in terms of many video features and AF performance. Now here I am in 2023 trying to convince myself I don't need to pull the trigger on the Z 8 sitting in my shopping cart because my Z 6 ii is still a great camera. I desperately want RAW, though! 😅
Dude, thank you. I have a z9 and z7ii. I have watched thousands of nikon youtube videos and this is possibly the most educational thus far. Seriously, thank you.
What a great review man. I admit, some of the terminology is over my head, but I do agree, in my tests of the Z9, it is hard to argue that something is missing.
You know you're one of the only people to accurately explain TicoRaw or even breakdown the Raw dilemma faced by manufacturers. Some have recently tried with the whole Red being bought out by Nikon but no ones explained it like this and you did this a year ago 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 This is likely why RED sold b/c Nikon was likely going to do what RED did. Dude not even Marquis Brownlee broke this down in detail.
What a fantastic review and finally a deep dive into the video aspects of the Z9. As a hybrid shooter the Z9 is incredible value in it's ability to take high quality stills and immediately switch over to RAW video, period. But also doing so near instant. If just doing video it can boot up in milliseconds vs minutes. Such a powerful tool. Great review. You have a new subscriber.
Ey man, this content was impressive and inspiring. As a Z9 user for both, photo- and videography this content is real "tech-porn". Love it! But for now, I didn't use N-RAW because I will wait for the final release of DaVinci Resolve 18, because I am edit and cc on a M1 Max and I am very happy to see, that N-RAW is finally nativly supported in the new version. What do you think about the N-Log? In my feeling, the HLG footage is way more sharp than my N-Log footage. Whats why I am using HLG but I would love to use more N-Log. Again, very nice content, I would love to see more Nikon Z9, N-Log and N-Raw videos from you. And maybe you can make an step by step video what DR preferences you use and how you edit Nikon RAW footage
Just purchased a Nikon Z8 and have a ton of questions on Pro Res Raw codec, camera color matching, etc. So glad you are covering issues like this... Thank you Sidney. Appreciate you...
Bro you are a beautiful human being. My god, I fell in love with u several times thought out the video. Idk why but you do an awesome job explaining and reviewing. This is probably the best review I have ever seen. Respect!
Wow, this makes me excited about my recent purchase of the Z9! I am mainly interested in shooting wildlife and nature videos, with my focus as photography. Thank you for not hating on Nikon! It seems like a lot of popular TH-camrs are hating on the Z9. I am a long time Canon shooter, but made the switch because the Z9 checks all the boxes for me. I do admit that some of the terminology was over my head as I mostly shoot stills, but hung with you for most of it. I see Premier Pro doesn't support .NEV files. Do you know who does or how to convert them such as Final Cut Pro? I heard Da Vinci resolve does, but I haven't used it before.
I know I'm 6 months late to this party, but thank you for the detailed breakdown of RAW (and some of the legal wrangling). You answered questions I didn't even know I had - color me subscribed😊
Sidney, love you man. Let me explain. I'm still a rather new photographer who has always had an interest in story telling and video. I shoot mostly wildlife/action/sports and so I begged, borrowed, and well...bought the Z9. In the last two weeks, I've immersed myself in video lingo trying to absorb everything I can from camera angles, to frame rates, raw recording, codecs, gamma, luminance and well, at least know I sound like I know something. When I watch others videos I feel like I'm making some gains as I understand most of what they were saying. When I listened to your video I suddenly realized I don't know a thing. Imagine you 10 years ago? You get the point. I have a job outside of photography that is pretty demanding. I don't have time to go to film school during the day full time. My question to you is, where do you go to start learning from the ground up, the ins and outs of video - and then apply it to hybrid cameras? I'll look to see if you have a way to PM you. Appreciate your review and response in advance.
Great review +1 Sub :). Just picked up the Z8, the video and photo quality is outstanding. 12bit Nlog 8k is amazing. for stills it passed the Spaniel test, can the focus lock on to a springer spaniel at the beach chasing a ball. eye af nailed every shot at 20fps RAW.
Unless there's an injunction, which has real teeth, to stop Nikon's RAW in video, the rest is just hoopla. Anyone can sue anyone for anything in America, just walk down to the courthouse and pay the fee. If this takes years (and nobody knows at this time), Nikon z9 users will continue to use the RAW function, and the company suing Nikon can't turn back the clock.
I am glad you brought out that point. Because the RED Patent only last until 2028 I believe. This means that it could most likely be drug out to court for that amount of time, and through the Appeal process.
Great review big thanks 🙏🏽 I was really curious about the N-Raw. What your felling compare to others raw formats? And realistically how many stops the Z9 is getting.
N-Raw is a favorite, and I hope more companies take this step into next generation raw technology. It would also be cool to see Nikon implement this technology in a dedicated cinema sensor.
11:50 omg now I don't feel crazy 😮 you said that. I thought I was the only one. It definitely produces amazing images, but I've seen higher quality from the D850, Df, D3s, D5, and D6. The Z9 beats them in color and different technical aspects of image quality but pure image quality without editing, it's still in the pack of past bodies. Having a clean image with vibrant colors is one thing, but having character, micro contrast, and high image quality is another. Leica still produces some exceptionally high image quality but if you look close, the images aren't always tac sharp. The images lean more on the art side than technical.
Hey Sidney - great work on really getting into the details on this. What's your experience of grading N-log NRAW vs N-Log H265 on the Z9? How does that compare?
17:30 I'm thinking you probably could just downsample to 4K and no one would even notice the noise, b/c I can't even see it with no NR added as it is. I mean I'd have to put my face on the screen to see it.
Only the high end Hasselblad, PhaseOne, and Pentax medium format bodies aside from cinema cameras can handle super high dynamic range. Like the Arri Alexa 35.
Man they got so much right with the Z9. Going to have a very hard time talking myself out of this when it comes time to add a high end body to the kit 😂
@@sidneybakergreen I probably would have by now if the Z8 rumours weren't swirling so much! I do love the idea of the Z9 but would honestly love a slightly "lite" version of it in a smaller cheaper body and knowing my luck I'd pull the trigger and then they'd announce it. Amazing channel btw! Rock solid content
@@sidneybakergreen also you don't happen to have some of these clips available as raw samples by any chance? I'd love to have a play with some raw clips in Resolve but can't find many
Stumbled upon your video and found tico raw in recommended videos. Searched a bit more and found your video on it. You are awesome man. Also, will nikon give tico raw for z7ii via firmware update? Tired of waiting for internal raw recording for my z7ii. External recorder are out of my budget and honestly, spending that kind of money is not smart for the kind of videos i make... Your answer would be quite helpful. Waiting to hear from you. Thanks in advance.
Hey Sidney, I have a problem with downloading the N-RAW 12 Bit files from my camera to my Mac. The Nikon Software ( Transfer 2) Just downloads the preview. (MP4) How can I download the NEV files?
Would using a black magic external recorder make the nikon raw files compatible and cut out the step of converting the files? I am also using a z9/Z7ii with an Atomos Ninja V for use in Davinci. I am desperately trying to figure out the best way to get the best video out of my Nikons. Any help would be really appreciated.
Please NIkon... bring this video performance to the Z8 at a lower price point, and leave out the super fast sports stills performance of the Z9 Making due with my Z6 for now, but I'm holding back from switching to black magic for video. This is really exciting to see from NIkon though. There is hope for video!
Normally I actually just viewed the log lol. I’ve been doing it long enough, but yes there was times I also used view assist too if I needed to be extra careful. I never used an external monitor I don’t believe.
Anyone has informations about the file sizes of 8K N-raw? I haven't found any official information about how many minutes will I able to record on a 512GB CFexpress card:/
I can understand that frustration; but honestly, I’m of the opinion that unless you’re going to use a professional color grading program like DaVinci resolve or Baselight, then there is no point in shooting raw. Final cut and especially premier pros Lumitiri just don’t have the color tools or capabilities to really take advantage of raw. Thank you for the comment man!
Where you seeing that you still had shadow details in the waveform? What did you use to gauge exposure? Specially on an shot like this you may be better off over-exposing about two stops. This sensor does a great job holding details and the shadows are way cleaner this way.
@@sidneybakergreen in N-log you have one noisy stop of shadows. Even on the 12-bit RAW. Did a bunch of testing. I'm shooting everything 2 stops over the meter to make sure I have two stops on both ends.
@@MojoPapiFPV It's fine to overexpose Log as that what the logarithmic function of the curve is designed to do. It's designed to protect whites, highlights, and highlight roll off. However, Nikon Raw is linear raw. You do not overexpose linear data as their is no protection in the that upper range. Digital caters to shadows. Digital in a raw format is always linear. Log was created to counter this, and give footage more of a film like response. So my priorities with the these shots specifically shot in raw was to maintain highlight fidelity and skin tone fidelity. Raw in and of itself is generally noisy to begin with. Even R3D. Which is why you take care of it in post. I have more overexposed examples, and I threw them out because they didn't pass QC. This is not LOG raw, it's linear raw. You should treat it with that respect. I approach this in a more pragmatic way. However, everyone has their own workflow. If yours floats your boat, then great!
@@sidneybakergreen I'm sure it's a better app but unfortunately, I don't have the time or desire learn a new software lol. Possibly down the road. I was just wondering if Premiere allowed raw workflow Or if it accepted everything except raw.
3 features are missing that are annoying and makes the purchase so difficult. 1 you can’t film on both SD cards, this is a major oversight from Nikon. 2 No Anomorphic Desqeeze (at least preview) I want this camera to use without any rig and I want to use it with anamorphic lenses and for me personally this is a big deal! Both can be fixed in a firmware update and I hope Nikon does it! 3. No flip screen - I can live with it and would get it if they fix the other 2 issues, but it would’ve been perfect camera if it had a flip screen. The image is amazing, I don’t need or want more then what Nikon can provide when it comes to image quality, autofocus, IBIS and all that are also great.
I can agree that for some, the first one this can be an issue. Although the second one isn't an issue in the world of cinematography. First, you should trust the back of your screen to begin with. Period. You'll get a lot of exposure inconsistencies. That's why you should be using a monitor. At the very least you should be using one if that's the only thing you use. Using a monitor solves that issue. I shoot anamorphic on the Z8 without an issue because I use a monitor. Most sets that are using anamorphic lenses are using a monitor regardless. Most professionals are using a monitor... Even with minimal setups.
@@sidneybakergreen I completely agree with you, and that for most people that Is not an issue, just for my specific use case I want to use anamorphic lens and not rig the camera in anyway, as this will be 1 out of 3 cameras (each for specific reason) tbh I am not stressing out about it as by the time I come to the point I need to to be this style of camera, new cameras that will fit my criteria better might come up.
Thank you for posting. I want to move from my Nikon D300s and move into mirrorless.. I also shoot a lot of video BMPCC4K in BRAW. I was thinking of getting a Z6II, Blackmagic 12 external recorder to acquire BRAW full frame with my vintage lenses and also shoot top quality pics on the same platform. Though I do like my BMPCC4K and BRAW. Getting a Z6II, Battery grip, Blackmagic 12 external recorder, RAW upgrade from Nikon I would be at $4,000 plus rigging hardware, cables, extra batteries in a larger platform that I don't like using with my BMPCC4K so I can actually see and power my BMPCC4K. (Blakmagic Pocket C4K monitors are worthless in daylight no matter what anyone says.. they are fine as in OK in controlled studio work.. worthless in sunlight. so it has to have a external monitor.. So I'm weighing going used cheap Nikon mirrorless Z6, ZFC to get into mirrorless or maybe skip over the middle and go Z9 since I would eventually outfit it loaded with gear.. and the Z9 has all that in a smaller package.. what do you think?
Testing out the Nikon Z9 over the past few months has been nothing short of an amazing experience. If you notice, I didn't mention overheating during the entirety of this video, and that's because it was never an issue through all of my testing. It's a breath of fresh air to see a camera that just exactly what it's supposed to do without making compromises.
If you had the Z9 as your main camera instead of the Z-Cam, what kind of setup would you run you think? (lenses, filters, external monitor, etc)
Probably the same exact setup that I run now to be honest. I would use high quality slide in ND's on my matte box though. I am still getting a feel on the Nikon Glass.
@@sidneybakergreen What are your thoughts on the Z9 not having a shutter angle? Has it limited you in anyway?
Could you provide sample N-RAW files for us enthusiasts to try them on our own video editor?
Thanks for review. Very thorough. I'm a bit surprised by the lack of video reviews with this camera since the major firmware upgrade. I did a lot of searching before finding yours. It is very much appreciated. From what I have seen so far, this camera surpasses the video capabilities from other well known hybrid cameras.
It's head and shoulder above what Sony and Canon deliver in mirrorless bodies. From an image quality standpoint, there really isn't much better out there.
Add an external pro level sound recorder and you can shoot Hollywood movies with Z9s.
One of the best reviews on the video capabilities of the Z9
Thank you so much !
Most of the Z9 Video on YT are by photographers. so its very rare to find anyone who try to get the film look using N-Raw. there are many B-Raw videos where they color grad to get the cinematic look but i haven't seen any who tried to do that with N-Raw.
I am glad that i found this video today. you actually tried to show the real potential of N-Raw and Z9 for video/film making.
some of the shots are looking very beautiful and you tried to push the N-Raw files. I hope you put more Z9 N-Raw videos. I am wondering if you can also try to get the ARRI look using these files as people do with B-Raw.
i knew you would comment lol...
I can't believe you have less than 30K subscribers. Keep at it dude, you're going to have a massive channel. This is PREMIUM content!
I shot Nikon for almost a decade back when my D3S cameras were state of the art. This was all back before I was doing commercial filmmaking. When the D90 came out it was pretty incredible as it supported video - this was actually before the Canon 5DM2 kickstarted the whole DSLR video revolution. Nikon was first when it came to video in a DSLR body but really dropped the ball. As filmmaking became more of my bread and butter I transitioned to Canon, BlackMagic and now I shoot pretty much just with my REDs unless a production calls for something else.
One thing I notice with Nikon and this goes back to even my photo days with Nikon is that they seem to have really deep / crushed blacks straight out of the camera. Even when I used other glass other than Nikon’s so it’s definitely how the sensor renders the image. I think it has a naturally more “cinematic” look than Canon for instance which always felt more “airy” if that can be used to describe it while Nikons image rendering always evokes more of a “heavy” feeling to me. Alexa also feels more on the “airy” side to me. I know all of these attributes can be finessed in post but one of the reasons I gravitated to RED is that it’s out of box sort of sits in the middle of those two looks and requires very little effort to make it look great…
Great review - I also have a Canon 1DX M3 that I occasionally use for hybrid jobs. Your review has me considering selling it to buy a Z9.
One of my favourite LUTs outside of Nikon Log is a RED one. I don't own a RED but I have been thinking to myself for a while how good RED footage looks. And you so eloquently described it as "heavy". I totally agree. And same with Nikon's look being more cinematic. Great comment and from a cinematic perspective no less. Cheers.
I shot a short film about 2 years ago with a RED One MX (it was already ancient and so freaking heavy, but still an amazing image) and my Z 6 ii with an Atomos Ninja. We used the two different cameras as part of the strategy to visually separate two different worlds in the film, so in theory, we didn't need the footage to match up all that well. Much to my surprise, the Nikon footage held up incredibly well next to the RED, and I feel like even if I had chosen to use both cameras within the same scene we could have graded the footage to match up quite well. I always described RED footage as having a sort of gritty or crunchy look but in a good way, but I think I like your descriptor of "heavy" better. I think that "heaviness" was a big part of what pushed me towards Nikon when I bought my current kit, even though I knew Nikon was playing catch up in terms of many video features and AF performance. Now here I am in 2023 trying to convince myself I don't need to pull the trigger on the Z 8 sitting in my shopping cart because my Z 6 ii is still a great camera. I desperately want RAW, though! 😅
Dude, thank you. I have a z9 and z7ii. I have watched thousands of nikon youtube videos and this is possibly the most educational thus far. Seriously, thank you.
What a great review man. I admit, some of the terminology is over my head, but I do agree, in my tests of the Z9, it is hard to argue that something is missing.
Let me know if I can clarify any terms for you! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment :)
Just discovered you channel in researching my Z9’s 8K N-RAW for new project - excellent work and very educational! Thank you very much :-)
You know you're one of the only people to accurately explain TicoRaw or even breakdown the Raw dilemma faced by manufacturers. Some have recently tried with the whole Red being bought out by Nikon but no ones explained it like this and you did this a year ago 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
This is likely why RED sold b/c Nikon was likely going to do what RED did.
Dude not even Marquis Brownlee broke this down in detail.
All my time in the trenches of the raw debate is proving useful I guess lol
What a fantastic review and finally a deep dive into the video aspects of the Z9. As a hybrid shooter the Z9 is incredible value in it's ability to take high quality stills and immediately switch over to RAW video, period. But also doing so near instant. If just doing video it can boot up in milliseconds vs minutes. Such a powerful tool. Great review. You have a new subscriber.
Ey man, this content was impressive and inspiring. As a Z9 user for both, photo- and videography this content is real "tech-porn". Love it! But for now, I didn't use N-RAW because I will wait for the final release of DaVinci Resolve 18, because I am edit and cc on a M1 Max and I am very happy to see, that N-RAW is finally nativly supported in the new version.
What do you think about the N-Log? In my feeling, the HLG footage is way more sharp than my N-Log footage. Whats why I am using HLG but I would love to use more N-Log.
Again, very nice content, I would love to see more Nikon Z9, N-Log and N-Raw videos from you. And maybe you can make an step by step video what DR preferences you use and how you edit Nikon RAW footage
Just purchased a Nikon Z8 and have a ton of questions on Pro Res Raw codec, camera color matching, etc. So glad you are covering issues like this... Thank you Sidney. Appreciate you...
Bro you are a beautiful human being. My god, I fell in love with u several times thought out the video. Idk why but you do an awesome job explaining and reviewing. This is probably the best review I have ever seen. Respect!
You are amazing! Thank you for clearly taking the time to bless us with such useful information!
Happy to help!:)
you explained more in 20 mins then most of what I learned in 6 months, thank you, bro.
Great film. I purchased a Z9 and now learning about the camera. Everyday is a school day
I love the feeling of constant learning with a new camera!
Wow, this makes me excited about my recent purchase of the Z9! I am mainly interested in shooting wildlife and nature videos, with my focus as photography. Thank you for not hating on Nikon! It seems like a lot of popular TH-camrs are hating on the Z9. I am a long time Canon shooter, but made the switch because the Z9 checks all the boxes for me. I do admit that some of the terminology was over my head as I mostly shoot stills, but hung with you for most of it. I see Premier Pro doesn't support .NEV files. Do you know who does or how to convert them such as Final Cut Pro? I heard Da Vinci resolve does, but I haven't used it before.
Thanks for the skinny on T.Raw!
Red needs to catch a beating.
Keep on keeping on... Nota 10!
One of the best Z9 video reviews I’ve seen. Very informative. Thank you 🙏
I'm loving loving N-Raw and the Z9!!
Your reviews are always spot on!✌🏾 ❤💙💜🥰🥰🥰
I know I'm 6 months late to this party, but thank you for the detailed breakdown of RAW (and some of the legal wrangling). You answered questions I didn't even know I had - color me subscribed😊
Excellent in-depth video!! You earned a subscriber!
Beautiful Video. You desrve a lot more subscribers...!
Sidney, love you man. Let me explain. I'm still a rather new photographer who has always had an interest in story telling and video. I shoot mostly wildlife/action/sports and so I begged, borrowed, and well...bought the Z9. In the last two weeks, I've immersed myself in video lingo trying to absorb everything I can from camera angles, to frame rates, raw recording, codecs, gamma, luminance and well, at least know I sound like I know something. When I watch others videos I feel like I'm making some gains as I understand most of what they were saying. When I listened to your video I suddenly realized I don't know a thing. Imagine you 10 years ago? You get the point. I have a job outside of photography that is pretty demanding. I don't have time to go to film school during the day full time. My question to you is, where do you go to start learning from the ground up, the ins and outs of video - and then apply it to hybrid cameras? I'll look to see if you have a way to PM you. Appreciate your review and response in advance.
Awesome video of the Z9, thanks...
awesome review!
Great review +1 Sub :). Just picked up the Z8, the video and photo quality is outstanding. 12bit Nlog 8k is amazing. for stills it passed the Spaniel test, can the focus lock on to a springer spaniel at the beach chasing a ball. eye af nailed every shot at 20fps RAW.
Great edit. Great work. Love the colors and contrast.
Unless there's an injunction, which has real teeth, to stop Nikon's RAW in video, the rest is just hoopla. Anyone can sue anyone for anything in America, just walk down to the courthouse and pay the fee. If this takes years (and nobody knows at this time), Nikon z9 users will continue to use the RAW function, and the company suing Nikon can't turn back the clock.
I am glad you brought out that point. Because the RED Patent only last until 2028 I believe. This means that it could most likely be drug out to court for that amount of time, and through the Appeal process.
Well now Nikon just bought RED 😅 so much for 2028
Excellent video. Well done 👍
Thank you 🙏🏾 appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment :)
hehe loved the seamless edit to your intro!
Sa-Weet!
I’m so glad someone noticed that! I was very particular about the pacing and the footage chosen ! Thank you
This was excellent. Amazing job and the best review. Thank you
Super thorough review. It is very appreciated!
Thank you for the kind words :)
have a Z9 but waiting on my 2nd Z9 and the Z400mm f2.8 lens to arrive
That guys playing disk golf like an absolute goober 😂
Great review big thanks 🙏🏽 I was really curious about the N-Raw. What your felling compare to others raw formats? And realistically how many stops the Z9 is getting.
N-Raw is a favorite, and I hope more companies take this step into next generation raw technology.
It would also be cool to see Nikon implement this technology in a dedicated cinema sensor.
I love my Z9. I only do stills but it's crazy what I can recover in post when shoot in a bad situation or simply mess up.
You are under rated bro! You deserve more subs
Wonderful review Sidney, thanks so much for sharing!
This is such a great review. Great job friend
Excellent choice in camera. Z9 is a beast.
Fantastic review. Subscribed and will be back for more. Keep up the good work
11:50 omg now I don't feel crazy 😮 you said that. I thought I was the only one. It definitely produces amazing images, but I've seen higher quality from the D850, Df, D3s, D5, and D6. The Z9 beats them in color and different technical aspects of image quality but pure image quality without editing, it's still in the pack of past bodies. Having a clean image with vibrant colors is one thing, but having character, micro contrast, and high image quality is another. Leica still produces some exceptionally high image quality but if you look close, the images aren't always tac sharp. The images lean more on the art side than technical.
Great explanations and examples. Thank you.
Hey Sidney, what did you use to throw the haze in the air in the window test?
Hey hey bro great to see you, is a long time 😀😀😀😀
Thank you man! Hope you're doing well!
I really appreciate for your honest review. Great work!
Very cool. I live in Anaconda Montana, 100 miles South East of Missoula. Proud z9 owner getting into the video side of things. New sub. 💪🏻
The moment you said codec nerd, I subscribed.
Hey Sidney - great work on really getting into the details on this. What's your experience of grading N-log NRAW vs N-Log H265 on the Z9? How does that compare?
This is brilliant, thank you!
This is an awesome test case....top video. Loved it.
Much better than the camera sniffer fro and the husband wife fake content creator.
Great review 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you!
@@sidneybakergreen you’re more than welcome bro. Maybe I’ll run into you on the west side soon lol.
Awesome! Awesome Colors ❤️🙌🏻
Thanks for your indepth analysis, always appreciate it! Does the TicoRaw also apply the nikon Z8?
Yes
17:30 I'm thinking you probably could just downsample to 4K and no one would even notice the noise, b/c I can't even see it with no NR added as it is. I mean I'd have to put my face on the screen to see it.
Love your videos. Would love to see a comparison between N-raw and Braw. Its hard to switch from braw once you get used to how flexible it is
N-Raw is far more flexible than BRAW, and produced a much higher image fidelity.
so you are a pilot too😍
Only the high end Hasselblad, PhaseOne, and Pentax medium format bodies aside from cinema cameras can handle super high dynamic range. Like the Arri Alexa 35.
Great tests and explanations, Sidney! (What drone did you use for the Montana aerials?)
Mavic 2 Pro
Man they got so much right with the Z9. Going to have a very hard time talking myself out of this when it comes time to add a high end body to the kit 😂
Dude just get the Z9 😂 I can't even lie or help you not spend the money 😂 just do it 😂
@@sidneybakergreen I probably would have by now if the Z8 rumours weren't swirling so much! I do love the idea of the Z9 but would honestly love a slightly "lite" version of it in a smaller cheaper body and knowing my luck I'd pull the trigger and then they'd announce it.
Amazing channel btw! Rock solid content
@@sidneybakergreen also you don't happen to have some of these clips available as raw samples by any chance? I'd love to have a play with some raw clips in Resolve but can't find many
greath vid ) what are good cards for this Z9 . Thank you ..
Stumbled upon your video and found tico raw in recommended videos. Searched a bit more and found your video on it. You are awesome man. Also, will nikon give tico raw for z7ii via firmware update? Tired of waiting for internal raw recording for my z7ii. External recorder are out of my budget and honestly, spending that kind of money is not smart for the kind of videos i make... Your answer would be quite helpful. Waiting to hear from you. Thanks in advance.
I am not sure about that. :/
Amazing as always! What cards are you using for RAW? My SanDisks crap out after a few minutes of 8k n-raw, and even overheat at 4K 60 PRHQ
Nikon Recommends the newest sony cards
Lexar Cobalt or Delkin Black cards are your best bet.
Hey Sidney, I have a problem with downloading the N-RAW 12 Bit files from my camera to my Mac. The Nikon Software ( Transfer 2) Just downloads the preview. (MP4) How can I download the NEV files?
great review, thank you!
Would using a black magic external recorder make the nikon raw files compatible and cut out the step of converting the files? I am also using a z9/Z7ii with an Atomos Ninja V for use in Davinci. I am desperately trying to figure out the best way to get the best video out of my Nikons. Any help would be really appreciated.
You don't have to convert Nikon Raw to work in resolve....
You have to convert ProRes Raw, but I like Nikon Raw better. More options
Hope Z-9 is able to keep the true raw, and doesn't let the Red patent trolls win!
My z8 gives me the option to shoot 12 bit nraw or 12 bit prores raw… whats the difference??
Please NIkon... bring this video performance to the Z8 at a lower price point, and leave out the super fast sports stills performance of the Z9
Making due with my Z6 for now, but I'm holding back from switching to black magic for video. This is really exciting to see from NIkon though. There is hope for video!
Did you use Nikon’s view assist to expose shots? Or perhaps an external monitor with false color? Thanks, Dave!
Normally I actually just viewed the log lol. I’ve been doing it long enough, but yes there was times I also used view assist too if I needed to be extra careful. I never used an external monitor I don’t believe.
Anyone has informations about the file sizes of 8K N-raw? I haven't found any official information about how many minutes will I able to record on a 512GB CFexpress card:/
I kept tellin people, give Nikon some time to navigate the mirrorless space and they'll be kings of both video and photo.
Nicely done. Now I only if the big 2 video editors support Nikon raw in their software.
I can understand that frustration; but honestly, I’m of the opinion that unless you’re going to use a professional color grading program like DaVinci resolve or Baselight, then there is no point in shooting raw.
Final cut and especially premier pros Lumitiri just don’t have the color tools or capabilities to really take advantage of raw.
Thank you for the comment man!
The sad thing is that Nikon is considered the underdog.
I'm taking Solace in knowing that I thought Nikon was cool before everyone else thought Nikon is cool
@@sidneybakergreen I’ve been shooting Nikon since the late 70’s
@@RobDTom I was born in 96
whats the memory card use to record raw video in nikon ???
Sony Tough or ProGrade
That intro was sliiiiiick
We can change ISO WB in post like a typical raw?
Yes. All of the camera raw tab is open
Where you seeing that you still had shadow details in the waveform? What did you use to gauge exposure? Specially on an shot like this you may be better off over-exposing about two stops. This sensor does a great job holding details and the shadows are way cleaner this way.
In Raw, you protect highlights. In Log you protect shadows.
@@sidneybakergreen in N-log you have one noisy stop of shadows. Even on the 12-bit RAW. Did a bunch of testing. I'm shooting everything 2 stops over the meter to make sure I have two stops on both ends.
Leeming LUT seems to be about 3.5 stops over meter, so I know I'm not crazy 😜
@@MojoPapiFPV It's fine to overexpose Log as that what the logarithmic function of the curve is designed to do. It's designed to protect whites, highlights, and highlight roll off.
However, Nikon Raw is linear raw. You do not overexpose linear data as their is no protection in the that upper range. Digital caters to shadows. Digital in a raw format is always linear. Log was created to counter this, and give footage more of a film like response.
So my priorities with the these shots specifically shot in raw was to maintain highlight fidelity and skin tone fidelity. Raw in and of itself is generally noisy to begin with. Even R3D. Which is why you take care of it in post.
I have more overexposed examples, and I threw them out because they didn't pass QC. This is not LOG raw, it's linear raw. You should treat it with that respect.
I approach this in a more pragmatic way. However, everyone has their own workflow. If yours floats your boat, then great!
@@MojoPapiFPV Refer to my longer my comment.
I never "like" videos. I liked this video. (and sub'd)
Great video! Does premier support raw editing?
If you're shooting raw, do you footage justice and use resolve.
@@sidneybakergreen I'm sure it's a better app but unfortunately, I don't have the time or desire learn a new software lol. Possibly down the road. I was just wondering if Premiere allowed raw workflow Or if it accepted everything except raw.
3 features are missing that are annoying and makes the purchase so difficult.
1 you can’t film on both SD cards, this is a major oversight from Nikon.
2 No Anomorphic Desqeeze (at least preview) I want this camera to use without any rig and I want to use it with anamorphic lenses and for me personally this is a big deal!
Both can be fixed in a firmware update and I hope Nikon does it!
3. No flip screen - I can live with it and would get it if they fix the other 2 issues, but it would’ve been perfect camera if it had a flip screen.
The image is amazing, I don’t need or want more then what Nikon can provide when it comes to image quality, autofocus, IBIS and all that are also great.
I can agree that for some, the first one this can be an issue. Although the second one isn't an issue in the world of cinematography. First, you should trust the back of your screen to begin with. Period. You'll get a lot of exposure inconsistencies. That's why you should be using a monitor. At the very least you should be using one if that's the only thing you use.
Using a monitor solves that issue. I shoot anamorphic on the Z8 without an issue because I use a monitor.
Most sets that are using anamorphic lenses are using a monitor regardless. Most professionals are using a monitor... Even with minimal setups.
@@sidneybakergreen I completely agree with you, and that for most people that Is not an issue, just for my specific use case I want to use anamorphic lens and not rig the camera in anyway, as this will be 1 out of 3 cameras (each for specific reason) tbh I am not stressing out about it as by the time I come to the point I need to to be this style of camera, new cameras that will fit my criteria better might come up.
Thank you for posting. I want to move from my Nikon D300s and move into mirrorless.. I also shoot a lot of video BMPCC4K in BRAW. I was thinking of getting a Z6II, Blackmagic 12 external recorder to acquire BRAW full frame with my vintage lenses and also shoot top quality pics on the same platform. Though I do like my BMPCC4K and BRAW. Getting a Z6II, Battery grip, Blackmagic 12 external recorder, RAW upgrade from Nikon I would be at $4,000 plus rigging hardware, cables, extra batteries in a larger platform that I don't like using with my BMPCC4K so I can actually see and power my BMPCC4K. (Blakmagic Pocket C4K monitors are worthless in daylight no matter what anyone says.. they are fine as in OK in controlled studio work.. worthless in sunlight. so it has to have a external monitor.. So I'm weighing going used cheap Nikon mirrorless Z6, ZFC to get into mirrorless or maybe skip over the middle and go Z9 since I would eventually outfit it loaded with gear.. and the Z9 has all that in a smaller package.. what do you think?
I would Rent the Z9 and see if you feel that it would be a good addition to your kit. I personally cant recommend the camera enough.
Thank you. Well done. Is there a way to edit N-Raw without a PC? Help!
Without any computer? No. You need an NLE, and I only recommend DaVinci resolve
@@sidneybakergreen Thank you. I have an M1 Mac and I couldn't figure out how to do it until I realized I had to run DR in Rosetta. Thank you.
@@CLARKEIMAGERY I have an M1 Mac and run resolve normally.
The new beta version of DaVinci Resolve 18 does support the n-raw files on M1 Macs nativly, without using rosetta :)
The intro is ironic now given the RED lawsuit. If they wanted to, they could...maybe, maybe not lol.
Nikon replied and basically said deal with it 🤷🏾♂️
Also I made this during the time of the lawsuit
if it would be raw would it not take enormous bandwidth 48gb minute.
No.
Woah! I was aware of RAW being patented lol pretty dumb if u ask me
Welcome to the mutual feelings club 😂
👍🏾🙏🏾
red SUCK
Less footage of you, more of your test footage. Show us what you’re talking about.
Hey brother I need to get you on my livestream with Fame Voyager to talk about your review. I love it! I’m looking for your email.
Sidney@sidneybakergreen.com :)
@@sidneybakergreen Email sent sir. Thank you
@@apstudios01 its going to be cool.