Field Testing Nikon Z9 Firmware 4.1 for Bird Photography | Worth the Upgrade, Room for Optimization

In my four-hour test, here are the conclusions:
1. The new firmware's bird detection is undeniably a significant autofocus improvement for bird photography.
2. WA (1x1) mostly replaced the original SinglePoint focus function.
Areas for improvement:
1. Nikon's AI training for bird detection could be enhanced further.
2. There were two instances where WA (1x1) failed to focus on birds while SinglePoint succeeded, so I've chosen to retain Fn2's SinglePoint focus function.
Expectations:
1. Nikon is likely to continue enhancing AI recognition capabilities.
2. These functions will likely be migrated to cameras like the Z8 without technical obstacles.
00:06 - Settings
02:33 - Test
11:24 - Conclusions

[@petersuvara]

Interesting approach. Never seen anyone use single point AF like this.

[@MarcMol]

Appreciate your efforts here. I Agree with the 2 recommendations below, also to note your S/S settings for both video and photos are almost around the wrong way. For small twitchy birds 1/250s is way too slow, (and reflects your many OOF shots) needs to be 1/500s bare min. Plus trying to shoot thru heavy twig/branch cover is extremely difficult with ALL AFarea modes, ALL brands inc Sony, Canon & Olympus will struggle, there are NO miracles here, your best bet is to use Sing pt and M focus.

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

Thank you for your comment. I completely agree with your second point-there are no miracles, and this was just a test to see what Bird detection could offer in this scenario; it's a new feature for me. Regarding the shutter speed issue, in the case of the video, it's because the lowest ISO in 8K mode is 800, which leads to a faster video shutter speed. For the photos, using 1/250s was indeed just for testing purposes, and I didn't seriously use any of the photos. However, it's worth discussing that sometimes, in the dense jungles of Colombia, I have to use shutter speeds lower than 1/30th of a second to capture birds under a thick canopy of trees. I rely on a large number of rapid continuous shots to potentially obtain clear photos. So, it shouldn't be a fixed value and should be as high as possible in appropriate lighting conditions.

[@thomastuorto9929]

Yup1 I AF, (still using a D810/200-500) Then fine tune manually in the crowded branches. Wildlife Photogs who practice this is missing out in my opinion. Relying on AF totally = missed photos in some shooting scenarios. I get some killer photos of small birds feeding in the marsh grasses ( a lot of time = dappled light) that I like better than a clean image on a tree branch.

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

@@thomastuorto9929 Absolutely, I completely agree. MF is a skill that every wildlife photographer should master. AF, while incredibly useful, isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

[@MarcMol]

@@SuBirdsNatureTours Isn't that what I just said. I understand your video was in 8K, however you were still @ 1/1500s. It's just that all your settings did not do justice in what you were trying to show ;)

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

I lack experience in making review videos, thank you for your feedback and advice. I will work on improving in the future.

[@yesidtac7863]

Execelente equpi

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

Thanks Yesid!

[@wildlife_whitetaledeagel]

Why singel ,point?

[@stanleyyow4496]

Hello bro stop miss leading others. The way you customize W-C1 is totally wrong.

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

Thank you for your comment. I want to clarify that this was just a test to see if W-C1 could potentially replace Single-Point. Different scenarios indeed call for different focusing modes. I'm open to your feedback and appreciate your input.

[@thomastuorto9929]

What lens are you using in this vid? Tords the beginning of the vid, the camera focused rite on the Cedar Waxwing's eye but your photo playback showed it front focused on it. (f 5.6? could tried to f7.1 or f8 for a deeper depth of focus)I get that with my D810 without spending another $5500. plus expensive memory cards. I want to test Canon's R5 or its rumored replacement 7 the Sony A7RV before I purchase. Breaks my heart to think I'll have to eventually replace all my Nikon lenses if another brand is chosen. Who knows, maybe a ZF to use my current lens with or a Z6II on sale. But at this point, a D850 looks the best option if staying in the Nikon camp for me. Then don't need to upgrade from LR6 either. Thank you for putting the vid up.

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

Thank you for your comment. I also noticed the issue you mentioned. The lens I tested with is the 800/5.6, and it indeed has a very shallow depth of field. The D850 is a great choice, and it's currently available at a reasonable price in the second-hand market. Compared to the Z9, I didn't find it to represent a revolutionary change in bird photography. It's something to consider.

[@livejames9374]

Try auto area bird

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

I haven't had great experiences with Auto Area in the past, but I haven't tested it this time. I'll give it a try, and thanks for the suggestion.

[@livejames9374]

@@SuBirdsNatureTours I think you’ll find it much more reliable and useable than past fw iterations. Enjoy.

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

@@livejames9374 Thanks

[@eric00214]

By far the superior AF mode for Bird Subject Detection is Auto Area AF mode. It's instant acquisition regardless of the background whether in front of a busy tree background, or in front of brown reeds, or even behind reeds. It will grab small birds behind branched and deep in trees/branches. It's teh only AF mode needed with Bird AF mode. I was also able to instantly acquire Tree and Barn Swallows 30-35 yards out against trees and reeds with Auto Area AF mode.. Watching this video, it it the complete wrong set up with bird subject detection. Don't use Wide C1 for bird behind branches or leaves, it's going to always try for the closest object. Sorry but it's just painful to watch this video knowing you're in the wrong AF mode and knowing how good Auto Area AF mode is. I am getting 90%+ hit rate with Auto Area AF mode. It's instant, more intelligent and insanely accurate and sticky. Whoever told you to use ANY Wide AF mode... you should never listen to again lol

[@SuBirdsNatureTours]

I feel like the doors to a new world are about to open for me, haha. In the absence of Bird Subject Detection, I never really used all those various modes like Auto Area AF. I'm very excited to do more testing and see if it works as well as you say. Thanks a lot!