Nikon Z9 in The Field | Best Wildlife Camera EVER? | Better than A1, R5 & R3? | Surprising Results!

[@borocotochacha]

One of the best reviews I´ve seen by now, thanks Jan! At 18:25 when you compare Z9 with R5 yhe Canon lens is at F7.1 and Nikon at 5.6. That´s an important advantage observation that I´ve doing between both systems final result/combination. Also Z system in less expensive (even more here in Latin America due to taxes). Is just about time, Nikon Z seems to be having a great 2022. Salute!

[@johnvanderploeg]

AWESOME VIDEO!! Still waiting on my z9 but will put a lot of your advice to use when I get it. It sounds like many good things will be coming in firmware updates and I’m confident the af will only get better from here! Thank you for a balanced review.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@j4kke046]

Super video again Jan and that footage in the beginning is insane! 👌

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you very much!

[@markloh4896]

Jan you can set back button focusing with Wide L＆3D Af together in 1 button.What it does it use Wide L first and once the focus acquired it jump to 3D af itself，so basically you don't need 2 buttons

[@jan_wegener]

Great :)

[@slny5065]

Where do you set this? What menu settings? I’ve not seen it. Thanks.

[@brendaberrygreen]

Fantastic. Can you tell us how to set two focus functions to one button? I’d love to have the back button set w AF Wide and 3d and leave the shutter just for release. I used to shoot Nikon 850s for stills and Sony’s for video, but now I can just stick to one system! The video quality is great as advertised.

[@jazinzlaty4823]

Top review!✌️✌️👍🐣 and very important for me because I’m keeping my Nikon lenses and not cancelling my z9 order. We were waiting long time for this autofocus technology Well done thank you 🙏 Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you :)

[@sallyjberry805]

Thank you for this great balanced review. Although I'm pretty much invested in Canon R5 and RF lenses, it's nice to see Nikon come out with a great mirrorless system and help with competition between manufacturers. I really am envious of my friends that have the lightweight Nikon 500mm f5.6 lens for bird photography. My wish is that Canon will eventually come out with a similar RF lens.

[@jan_wegener]

It was a fantastic lens, although personally I start to like zooms more in the 100-500mm range and then a 600mm prime for max reach. If it's your only lens, the 500 PF is amazing tho of course

[@sallyjberry805]

@@jan_wegener You make a good point! The RF 100-500 zoom is much more flexible on composition.

[@RadAlzyoud]

The Nikon Z9 has the option to choose how quickly focus responds if Focus tracking with lock-on something passes between the subject and Blocked shot AF response

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, I have tried that in many different settings, but it did not change the behaviour of the AF Area focus much.

[@jan_wegener]

I usually used Steady and between 3 & 5

[@lexs4579]

@@jan_wegener you can try to turn off the focus tracking with lock-on then it response faster

[@dab7963]

Congratulations on your Z9. I turned off my back button focus. I set the half press shitter button to wide large mode and the AF button to 3D tracking

[@bfqywqd]

120fps 11mp JPGs useful for sports shooters who don't typically shoot RAW. Turnaround speed is key and 11MP is very useable - especially for online / social media use. The speed allows you to get shots you would otherwise not likely get (baseball on bat, football on fingertips, diver's fingertips on water surface, etc, etc.)

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, the only issue there would be to go through the thousands of images taken fast enough?

[@exs1803]

Agree with you, Same thought. Seems reviewer complaining about a great feature. 11MP is more than enough for so many applications. Even if the shots were in raw, there will be the same "problem" with going thru the "thousands of images"" fast enough lol

[@jan_wegener]

@@exs1803 I definitely didn't complain about the feature. It's great to have, but with a limited use case for most

[@victorbastos5859]

Hi Jan...great video as always. Awaiting for your review of the new Sony a7 IV. Cheers!

[@jan_wegener]

Need to get my hands on one ;)

[@shubhamgupta4027]

Yeah... Pls do one video a7iv vs R6

[@romanlukomskiy5657]

Nikon tones and colors straight-out-of camera are something to behold! I'm not a Nikon shooter but I admire that

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

@1:50 freaked me out ! At a glance, I thought the screen was shattered ! :) lol I can't be the only one ?

[@DjCjFoto]

Excellent review, the turkey clip with 100-400s is outstanding, but I would appreciate, if you would let us know what FL, and aperture you shot it with, please. The lens is amazing, I can't wait for mine.

[@jan_wegener]

That would have been around 250-300mm and F5.6

[@kenweir5630]

Hi Jan, enjoyed your review. Regards your comment on the buffer, the bottle neck is not the camera but the memory card that is being used. The Z9 will shoot on full res 20 FPS for a lot more than a few seconds using quality cards which has been tested and proven on other reviews. Given that the Z9 is not only for wildlife but equaly for sports, the 120 FPS is very important.

[@jan_wegener]

I have been using the fastest Wise Advanced Pro Cards, Sandisk Extreme Cards, as well as Delkin Power. The buffer is large and not really an issue at all, but you can definitely hit it.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

I don't shoot Nikon but I understand that you can set the Z9 to focus on about 9 different subjects, with "animals" and "birds" being distinct subjects. There's also an intelligent mode where the camera figures out what the subject is and focuses accordingly. From what I see on your recording, when the Z9 struggles to pick up the bird's eye, the EVF shows a 😺 icon, which is I presume is for "animal". So it may have been user error, if you didn't select "bird" or the intelligent AF mode, that caused your problems. If I'm wrong, please correct me. Thanks.

[@KnightsandWeekends]

One advantage of the inability to start video recording when in still mode - is that the record button is available to be re-programmed. I have mine set up to give me 100% zoom for photo mode.

[@jan_wegener]

being programmable is nice for sure

[@michaelgerber2171]

A fair assesment of the capabilities of the Z9 that mostly matches my own experience with the camera! Just one point - I wonder why you didn't mention the blackout- and lag-free EVF (or did I miss it)? For me, this is actually one of the biggest advantages of the Z9. Tracking birds in flight is so much easier than with DSLRs, and even more so compared to most other MILCs. I have previously tried the R5 and Z7II, and it's practically impossible to follow fast, erratically flying birds with these cameras - this is much easier with the Z9. And two small remarks: - IBIS does work with adapted F lenses, but just along 3 axis, instead of 5 with native Z lenses - The buffer of the Z9 is actually rather small, but with the fastest available CFe-Cards, the limitation becomes practically irrelevant.

[@jan_wegener]

I did right at the start and then didn't want to repeat it again later :) Thanks for the info about IBIS Yes, I found you can hit the buffer relatively fast, but it writes it away quickly

[@DirkDien]

Great content as always Jan, all the best for your channel!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks so much!

[@lcador9]

Excellent analysis of the Z9 functions. I find that assigning a second autofocus mode to the front shutter release button to be vastly more efficient than having to move my thumb between two back buttons. I also employ your prefocus methodology with subsequent switching to 3D tracking on my shutter release. Eleven mp jpgs are great for social media posting and obviously at 120 fps of high interest for fast action sport photographers.

[@ammadoux]

thanks for this video, i am an olympus fan girl, but i have the z50 to use with the 200-500 mm Nikkor and love what i get form both cameras. such pro bodies are out of my thinking, although the price of Olympus flagship is so tempting, but the body is too big for my small hands. maybe one day i will try canon, still dreaming about Pentax. no thanks for sony, LOL. thanks again for this very informative vido, some great shots of your beautiful Australian birds.

[@DarrinSmithGuyana]

Hello. How does the Z50 perform with the 200-500? I'm considering that lens or 80-400 as I already have the body

[@ammadoux]

the 200-500 is so fabulous. its insanely sharp, work well eith the z50 with the adapter, did not make the firmware update yet but the focus is just fine and fast mark you i don't do action or bif the lens is very heavy for me so or always on a tripod pr from car window. i also used this lens with olympus pen f i know weird combination but work so well with those very shy warblers who come on migration. 1000 mm at f5.6 but only MF.

[@juju691]

Great review. I have set the wide area large on the shutter button and 3D on the AF on button. This seems to work best for me. Struggled with AF area. Would love to have you compile a complete setting list for bird photography- if that is possible. Cheers

[@matthewherman5980]

Great spot You’re a chill dude Jan ✌️❤️🤙

[@brucegraner5901]

Well done review and some really nice images, especially the one of the bird against the black background. I don't shoot with Nikons but I have over the years and its good to see them getting back into the game.

[@craigb8379]

Fascinating review, Jan. You are so well placed to give an unbiased and subject-specific review amongst the heavy hitters in the market. Really appreciate you sharing your review 👍

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for watching!

[@fotografiabymiguel]

Great video, Jan. I have the Z9 and I copied most of the settings from my D5, and like you, I used the AF-ON Wide Area L in combination with the 3D Tracking. I am impressed with that combo of AF options. My time in the field has been limited. The one drawback thus far is, once the camera is inactive "not shooting\falls asleep", a scene can be unfolding and the 1-2 sec wake up time, before I can view through the e-viewfinder can be the difference of missing a great action sequence. Are you able to tell me where in the Menu I can change the color of the Autofocus Field?

[@ruley74]

menu a11, AF-C in-focus display set to on.👍

[@jan_wegener]

What usually helps is to keep tapping the shutter button when you anticipate action to happen. And don't wait until moving your eye to the camera, that's when you struggle. Make sure to tap it while moving your heard and its usually ready when your eye is at the viewfinder

[@fotografiabymiguel]

@@jan_wegener I appreciate that tip. I will give that a shot as well.

[@WildwatchNature]

Interesting information about the camera incredible birds photography

[@jan_wegener]

Many thanks

[@TheAshbyTV]

Great review - all the points I wanted covered. Now to start saving :)

[@jan_wegener]

Great to hear!

[@stillsandvideo]

Thank you for sharing your observations and experiences with the z9. It's really nice to see that your comparisons were based on the actual real-life use of multiple brands. Your information was clearly explained and most helpful. Interestingly, I believe it was Henry Hudson Photography that did a post whereby they assigned Wide Area large to the shutter button and 3d tracking to the back focus button to do a hybrid system similar to what you described. You acquire the initial focus with the shutter button and once you depress the back focus, the 3d tracking mode takes over. Again, thank you for a great post and I'm looking forward to future z9 posts.

[@jan_wegener]

It seems to be what a few people have found to be working the best now. Glad you liked the video

[@upendrawerake5991]

Great video Jan! Would you be able to do a review comparing the canon 100-500 and the nikon 500 pf ?

[@jan_wegener]

I might, but I finds them very hard to compare.

[@juantolentino4963]

Very good review. I've been shooting with the z9 for a couple of weeks now. About the focus buttons, is only a matter of getting used to it. Jan, each ones of the lenses you used have buttons on them to assign focus (both 600 and 500 f4 as well as the 500pf). I found the camera really amazing and loving it every second I am out there shooting. As always great information and images.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, but depending on the size of the lens I don't always find them to be in a usable spot

[@street_biologist6727]

Thank you for a wonderful review Jan. I haven't have my Z9 yet. I put my name with one of our local camera stores. Hopefully, I will get one before the summer is over. I have a question though. What lens coat are you using with one of your lenses? The 500mm PF was probably one of them. I have been looking for one for my Nikon 200-500mm. I recently had purchased one but had to return it because although it was a dedicated cover but it didn't fit at all. Thanks.

[@jan_wegener]

I always use LensCoat

[@street_biologist6727]

@@jan_wegener Thank you!

[@zadnitsa]

Thanks for the video, Jan! I love yout channel!!!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Hrishi1970]

It's great that you got to try the Z9! Very good and balanced review!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@heymikeriley]

Great video! How do you feel the video autofocus for birds stacks up to the r3 and a1? If you were going to shoot one of those cameras and trust the autofocus for shooting video, does one clearly rise above or fall behind?

[@jan_wegener]

Video AF was very good. A1 doesn't have eye tracking, so it's out. R3 is very good. Quite similar to Z9, but the R3 has the smoothest Ibis/IS with the good RF lenses, so that has helped for video. Z9 does some odd jerks from time to time.

[@heymikeriley]

@@jan_wegener that’s good to know, thanks! I’d say video is probably even more important to me. I love the Fuji xh2s and the stills autofocus is more than capable, but the video wildlife autofocus is very hit or miss. Would be nice to be able to trust a system more often

[@pimnauta3840]

As a Nikon shooter, I'm glad about this video and the outcome of your opinion, but I just invested in a couple of DSLRs so I'm not looking to get a mirrorless Nikon in the near future. I'll be following the new photography world from a distance and just do my thing with my DSLRs in the meantime.....

[@jan_wegener]

nothing wrong with that :)

[@jogafoto]

Nice review, but regarding the 'weird button' lower left, I think you'll find that is just for changing the AF modes and is not a customizable button from what I remember. Rather than moving your left hand from the lens, the Nikon lenses, particularly Z mounts, have Fn buttons on the lens themselves that can be assigned as well as a secondary ring that can be assigned to change ISO etc. Back button focussing for me is largely redundant with the new eye tracking, I have assigned the AF-ON button to give me the 'pin point' AF so that if the camera is losing focus, I press AF-ON and half shutter press and focus is immediately regained and tracking continues.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, you can switch AF Modes there, but I just find it too hard to reach. I feel like for Mirrorless BBF has become even more important, but there's never one right or wrong way to do it. In the end we have to use what feels most organic to our hands

[@joergneufeld]

Sehr guter und ausführlicher Test der Z9 für Dein Anwendungsgebiet. Interessant zu sehen, welche Stärken besonders überzeugen und wo man auf ein Firmwareupdate hoffen sollte, um die Performance zu verbessern. Guter Vergleich auch mit der Leistung der R3. Ich gehöre sicher nicht in die Zielgruppe dieser Kamera- Klasse , finde es aber faszinierend, welche Bilder damit auch unter schwierigen Bedingungen erreichbar sind. Daumen hoch für das Video! 👍🏻

[@jan_wegener]

Danke!

[@Sashman077]

Thank you so much for this hands on review. I really appreciated the detailed info on the Z9 AF capabilities.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

FYI - DXO’s PureRAW 2 now works with Nikon Z9 NEF. Just got it and now had a chance to try it out in both stand alone and as a plug-in to LightRoom Classic. Creates a DNG file with noise if wanted optical corrections included. Image I tried from Z 70-200/2.8 VR S worked fine.

[@GlennMariano]

You can assign the same left side function button on the bigger lenses left side button. A lot of the big lenses have customizable buttons on them as well.

[@dance2jam]

Absolutely, positively a very fair review of exactly what I am finding in the field in the first three days of use. Great job (as always). I do use both back button autofocus and front button and have been doing that for a long time with the D850 so it's comfortable for me (and in muscle memory). I have alternated modes with the front button (i.e. single point) and find that this acquires focus very quickly and use BB AF with either wide area large (or 3D - which works surprisingly well). *All statements subject to change with experience. I did find that wide area seemed to acquire focus of a BIF much quicker than other modes initially and track very well. I have to say that wide area and 3D do feel a bit redundant. I used Dynamic AF on the D850 all the time, but now it seems extra redundant except perhaps for non-animal work. My use of front function buttons current is top for spot, middle for playback (find bottom right not in memory yet), and bottom button to change quickly to DX mode. Completely agree if hand holding a long lens reaching the AF mode button on the left is not usable and even with long lenses mounted on a tripod it doesn't yet feel natural or organic. I had chalked many of my issues up to "inexperience with the camera, so it is nice to have confirmation. I agree, that if the Nikon AF system just recognized the birds eye like Canon, it would be much easier and faster and eliminate the extra step. I have a feeling this will improve over time with a firmware update. I am really anxious to use the video mode but will have to upgrade almost everything to do so (size of back up, computer speed, ect). Would loved to hear which CF express B card you were using reliably for video mode. Top to bottom I felt this review was extremely fair and accurate to my current experience. Enough to make me check out your master class (Always enjoy your work). ADDENDUM: Went out today and tried capturing Terns fishing. You're right. They need to combine wide area AF and 3D into a single mode. Add in the box tracking bird head or eye prior to pushing AF button and then we can both say SWEET. Thanks for again calling this to my attention and as usual, you are completely on point.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing your own experiences and "struggles" to work through how the camera behaves. I usually use Wise Advanced CfExpres Type B cards, either in blue or the silver pro cards if I need it very fast.

[@dance2jam]

@@jan_wegener Thank you again Jan (so much). Just letting you know I appreciate your channel even when talking Canon, Sony or what ever because you always are very informative (and I can tell how much work you put into your productions). My goodness. If you have a moment, what lens did you use (assuming it was shot with the Z9) at the opening of the video (snake up a tree - like Nikon - didn't see it coming - lol). 100-400 or 500 pf? Thx.

[@martinpettinger]

Good in-depth video Jan.... I would really be interested in a full BIF review of the Canon R3... thank you.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, just need to get one haha :D

[@simons9952]

Very nice video Jan. Did you also test the lenses with TCs?

[@jan_wegener]

I did, worked quite well

[@kennethlui2268]

Great review. When it comes to camera review for bird photography, you are my go to channel as you are a great photographer. Although I don’t use Nikon, I am glad it is back to the game with Canon and Sony.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks 👍

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

First, thank you for the video, always your reviews are very informative. I just yesterday received my Z9 which came much sooner than I thought. So I will only have a 24-70/2,8 S that I found a great deal on used but waiting a few days for that to arrive as well. I’ve been primarily a Sony shooter and have a Alpha 1, A7R IV, and A9 II ( owned many other Sony cameras before these). Also dual shooter with Canon and currently the R5 but passing on the R3 with its fewer megapixels I think. Have shot Canon since the film days when AF first showed up. So key will be what lens for wildlife and BIF? Can I make Z 100-400 S work with a teleconverter like I used to with Sony before I got the 200-600. Just not sure. Also some days I like the Canon RF 100-500 but the teleconverters limitation disappoints. What to do?

[@jan_wegener]

The 500 pf was nice for BIF

[@sparkeyjames]

You can use the Z-TC-1.4 for the Z system lenses like the 100-400 f4.5-f5.6 as the Z9 does feature f8 focusing support just like the D6 and the D850. I use a Nikon 200-500 f5.6 with a TC-1.4EII on my D850 and it will work fairly well but it is not perfect.

[@NeluCiorba]

great review! Jan, I have a question; do you use the presets buttons on 600 mm telephoto lens? Not sure if those buttons worth to use it ... I didn't find any review about this.

[@jan_wegener]

I didn't

[@santoshmahalik]

Thank you for an honest review... Tried Z9 this week and initially faced similar AF issue as you found but once I assigned F1 button it becomes a lot easier... Great camera indeed.. need to learn and master it. Will take your suggestions in field next time on field. Thank you

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, there's certainly a steep learning curve with it, much harder to set up and master than a Canon or Sony

[@OkwyUgonweze]

What did you assign the FN1 button to? Do you mind sharing your set up that helped improved the af?

[@santoshmahalik]

@@OkwyUgonweze Hi, I assigned Single point focus, 3D tracking and f7.1, SS 3200

[@rkbagul]

Lovely video and review..!!! I just wanted to know when you showed the ISO 1600 and 6400 images..what was the picture control settings ? whether standard mode or neutral or flat ? I guess the neutral/flat (with no in camera sharpening / adjustments ) would produce good clean files.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, it was on neutral

[@sheldonwhite4960]

This has to be my next camera oh my god I love the Nikon z9 stunning

[@ruley74]

Nice balanced review Jan👌 A few more outings under the belt and the nuances are becoming more predictable. Spot on with the AF mode assignment, this is where I have settled now with the addition of FN1 to single point if needed. I think within a few months we’ll see some FW tweaks to the AF which should hopefully make it a little more “sticky” and less distracted.

[@jan_wegener]

Fingers crossed!

[@ianbrown704]

Great review as always Jan. Can you set a dial to change ISO without having to press the ISO button? Also how fast it the EVF at coming on as you bring it to the eye? Many Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

You may, but I wasn't able to figure that out. That's my second biggest issue besides the missing back button, a missing real dial. There's only that 4 way toggle thing.

[@TimSiggs]

Thanks Jan for another great video. I'd be interested to know how the Pf500 performed in terms of eye tracking focus compared to the 100-400 in video.

[@jan_wegener]

Quite similar for stills I'd say. Probably not as fast, but you don't notice a huge difference

[@TimSiggs]

@@jan_wegener so good for video focus Jan ?

[@Johnd3s]

Really enjoyed your review of the Z9, lots of good tips, suggestions and observations, thank you. ( are you able to say where in the menu one can change the focus colour?)

[@jan_wegener]

Custom Settings a11, someone in the comments was kind enough to share :)

[@jan_wegener]

menu a11, AF-C in-focus display set to on

[@Johnd3s]

@@jan_wegener many thanks for your kind update

[@albert3316]

Great video! How do you record your evf I can’t find the settings? Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

I used my phone for this one, hence the bad quality. I usually record the EVF via Canon/Sony App, but Nikon doesn't seem to support that

[@DrillerAA]

Not ready to move up to Z9 just yet. All Nikon has to do is look at the Canon M50 and see how to make the LCD rotate into any position. It just can't be that hard. You're right the flagship camera should be able to accommodate the needs of any user.

[@jan_wegener]

I thought it was funny to have such an elaborate construction at the back, yet it cannot flip forward.

[@dabguy0018]

Omg where did you film this?

[@Dadboddave]

I've sold off all my dslr gear to start a new journey in mirrorless. Starting fresh, where should I go? Nikon, Sony or Canon? I will say, I am drawn towards the Nikon because I feel like it could handle abuse.

[@michael-4k4000]

I mainly shoot pictures of doll houses and want to Z9 for the quick speed and high frame rates and 8k. Would this be a good camera for me?

[@jan_wegener]

If you need speed and 8k this would be a decent option

[@nononsenseBennett]

My first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 5700, had an articulating screen. I loved that feature and was glad it was added to other models. I agree with your point about the Z's overly complex display.

[@OutRAjious]

the colors are sublime

[@DalsPhotography]

I can't thank you enough for this video Jan, as another fellow birding photographer, I need to change my camera kind of urgently, still using my old 5Dsr, which I love for the crop in possibility. Now I am decided to get the R5 , just a question, which lens coul you suggest for me to get , taking into account that importing to my counry (Uruguay) will really increase the value of any item. Thanks again and well done!!! Best from Uruguay.

[@jan_wegener]

What lens are you using now?

[@DalsPhotography]

@@jan_wegener In first place , thanks for answering back, that's very kind of you , and the lens I have been using for canon is the Tamron 150-600 G2. As my Canon is not working anymore, I am using my second body wich is my Fuji xt4 with the 100-400 lens they have, I love the in-body stabilization and the way I can handle Fuji commands all with my hands without taking my face from the Eye piece at all. With my older Canon, every now and then I couldn't do so . BUT I need further reach, our birds are usually very small and out of reach. Thank you again Jan, and I will await for your reply. Best wishes from Uruguay. PS I 61, and weight IS a factor these days. I don't like to carry with me those heavy weights, as my back spine is not in perfect shape to endure them. :)

[@jan_wegener]

@@DalsPhotography I do like the 100-500 RF a lot maybe with an extender or 800/11, which has a great price but is limited by the F11

[@DalsPhotography]

@@jan_wegener Thank you soo much Jan! I truly appreciate your words and advise!I thought the 800 was kind of awful, but what I have seen is that people take the iso way up, for birds, and it seems to work...Is the Canon R5 as noisy as it was my 5Dsr? I work with De-Noise from topaz all the time, but if you don't need to use it, much better, right? I truly appreciate your efforts, your videos, and your work. Blessings for you and the family from Uruguay !

[@jan_wegener]

@@DalsPhotography I think it's less noisy and I would recommend DXO Pure RAW for the best NR results

[@axelhildebrandt]

Interesting findings, thanks for sharing your first impressions, Jan! I've never used Nikon but am happy that there is finally a mirrorless Nikon model that can compete with Sony and Canon, at least once people can actually purchase it.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes! I had a friend asking for them at different shops and people say expect December delivery!

[@jonathanherb3752]

@@jan_wegener a year wait?

[@johnpeterka8355]

Thank you for your video, Jan! We recently purchased a Canon R5 and then updated firmware to 1.5.1. We use it primarily for stills. We love everything about the camera except when it locks up during shooting for no apparent reason. We use the SanDisk Extreme Plus 128GB, 150 MB/s, SDXC UHS-I cards and the Delkin Black CF Express Type B 256GB, 1645MB/s. We are considering to return the R5 in exchange for a Nikon Z9. Would you recommend the Z9 over the R5? I tried the Sony cameras, but they are too small for my hands. In addition, I have no idea why the A1 uses the the CF Express card they use. We traded in our Nikon Z7 because of the AF and poor low-light performance. How did the Z9 perform for you in low-light? Thank you!

[@jan_wegener]

It's two completely different cameras and it will depend what you want to do with it in the end and what lenses you already own. The freezing is definitely annoying, even though I never had it happens to me.

[@johnpeterka8355]

@@jan_wegener - thank you for your feedback! I appreciated it very much!

[@johanolsson6502]

Rear screen is still lagging behind compared to the Sony A77 from 2011, to date I recon it's the most flexible rear screen design! Shame they didn't carry it over to their E-mount cameras.

[@set3777]

The only new mirrorless FF camera that has "fully articulating screen" is Canon. Canon has the patent for that since 2018.

[@johanolsson6502]

@@set3777 Funny how the Sony A99II SLT camera from 2016 has a fully articulating screen, same design used in the A77 from back in 2011.

[@set3777]

@@johanolsson6502 Sony simply copied/pirated the Canon Rebel T3i (600D) articulating screen design. Now Canon and Nikon are getting wiser. They have patented their RF and Z mounts systems technologies, camera and lens designs. Sony owns 15% of Tamron and used to own a large share of Olympus which went bankrupt. Sony bought Toshiba sensor factory that used to make sensors for Nikon and Fujifilm and has recruited a Lens designer from Nikon even though Sony had closed their own "Minolta-Konica (Rokkor) " lens factory. Sigma has joined the Leica L mount alliance. I think, Canon now does NOT want to licence 3rd parties to make lenses for the RF mount even. E-mount lens and Z mount lens cannot be adapted to RF cameras

[@mardyseanofficial9502]

Wow, wonderful. Excellent explanation. Love the Z9 but have to wait many year more.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for watching!

[@rolandrick]

Jan, to be honest, I rather prefer the X-T2/X-T3 alike flip screen design of the Z9. Shooting vertical makes no difference, but in normal landscape mode, the full flip out screen of e.g. the R3 lays not in the lens axis, what is to me totally distracting. Also that construction like on the R3, I would be permanently afraid to break it accidentally (even though I’m babying all my gear), it looks not trustworthy in terms of stability. How often do you use a camera like the Z9 or R3 or 1DX III as selfie camera? I for max. 0.01%. What I totally envy the R3 users for is that eye controlled AF. I have meanwhile firmware V2.0 installed, awesome. But the subject detection and the AF is not there where it should be. Even with the Z400 2.8 I can’t achieve the same count of picks like with my OM-1 + ED150-400 combo, which comes with a subject detection better as on the a1 (Sony I could compare it myself), it detects also subjects like birds behind branches and it has ProCapture (on Z9 named Pre-Release Burst since V2.0), what I don’t understand, Sony and Canon don’t offer it. To Canon cameras and lenses I unfortunately don’t have access, I have no contacts and connections to Canon Switzerland. Really would be glad to try that R3 with that new RF600 F4.

[@alyssasnaturesanctuary]

Finally, Nikon has a good sensor. I have never liked the colors of the D1, D2, D3, etc... not accurate at all--way off. And now I am SOOOOOO happy they are using a Sony sensor, it's wonderful, what a perfect combination, I love it. the Z9 is awesome because of the Sony sensor. the best of both worlds.

[@alanpastrana6677]

Jan can you assign a different AF mode to the joy stick botton? On my D850, I can do that and use back button with single point and Auto AF mode with joy stick button. Learned that from Steve Perry's channel on the D500

[@jan_wegener]

Yes you can, but I found it quite uncomfortable to use

[@birdinginsingapore4884]

This is the first time that I heard the call of the blue-winged pitta, awesome video, awesome review! Sometimes I use single point AF (I assign FN1 for this) to acquire the bird first, then shift to 3d or wide area. Your video is very helpful and I will practise more with my Z9. Thanks!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks :)

[@chrisvig123]

Great unbiased review…very informative ty

[@jan_wegener]

My pleasure

[@gerards5858]

An excellent review Jan. I agree with 99% of your conclusions after using the Z9 for a month. Overall a very fair review.

[@Bazzasphotolife]

Fantastic work. Really appreciate it!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks a lot!

[@johnbean5094]

Jan, It is wonderful to have you review the Z9 in the context of your bird photography. Not only is your review of the Z9 hands on in the field, but you are able to make comparisons with your Canon R5 and Sony Mirrorless cameras. That’s the basis for a solid real world review. I’ve been a Nikon shooter for decades and have had wonderful experiences walking with our Native animals and birds. Even my older DSLR Nikon D810 has 3-D tracking, which has always been very capable tracking for example a bird in flight once focus is acquired by half-press of the shutter button (and keep it there for continuous sharp focus on bird). I’ve had an osprey swoop close and then away, and 3-D focus tracking is retained on my older D810! Let’s hope Nikon will make eye tracking as quick as Canon one day, on its Z cameras. Back to your review Jan, I think you included some shots of a Pale Headed Rosella alias Moreton Bay Rosella in your positive Z9 video review. No doubt in time you will present some classic Jan Wegener images of that amazing South-East Queensland Rosella - sharp bird on bokeh background! JohnB

[@jan_wegener]

I have a few shots of them, but I took all the good ones on the R5 :D

[@johnbean5094]

@@jan_wegener Your bird images once edited (as well as in-situ RAW shots) are a joy to behold Jan. The art is simple uncluttered imagery, where the eye is drawn to the bird's eye and then other features such as feather texture and colours. There is nothing to distract from the subject, only nice soft pastal colour background. Then again, some shots in say forests, give enough to illustrate the bird's environment. JohnB

[@KnightsandWeekends]

I've been experimenting also with the various Z9 AF modes with challenging subjects like birds in flight. Like you, I believe I have settled on a hybrid of more than one mode and control.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing

[@knowyouryoga]

Would you be able to test the Sony a7iv?. Might be a good beginner camera for wildlife enthusiasts with bird eye af in video.

[@jan_wegener]

Just need to find someone to give me one and a 200-600 for a little bit :)

[@knowyouryoga]

@@jan_wegener Ahh yes! I hope whoever that is, does it sooner 😋 I would also watch your style of comparison between sigma 150-600 sport for sony avs 200-600.

[@bensaunders616]

Thanks for this excellent field review. It hit all the points of interest for me. I am getting more and more frustrated with the R5 random freezing problem and Canon's lack of attention to it thus far. Though I have been a Canon shooter for 3 decades, I am considering switching and this review really helped with good info on the Z9.

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks. Strange, my R5s have only frozen once in 2 years

[@bensaunders616]

@@jan_wegener Canon has just acknowledged the freezing problem and stated a firmware update will be forthcoming to correct it, but no timeframe given. The recent update to the R3 firmware apparently corrected a similar problem according to the update notes.

[@RaymondParkerPhoto]

Still awaiting delivery. Thanks for the review.

[@jan_wegener]

Hope you don't have to wait for too long

[@TerryKontopoulos]

I have the camera with the 100-400mm and I agree almost 100% with all you said Jan! We defer only in the fingers combinations of B/F as I use it with the Fn1 for 3D... 😉 I think maybe it is the size of the fingers... Very nice video overall with really neutral point of view! Thanks a lot mate!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing! Yes, if you have long fingers that button could be more comfortable to use

[@abaa4167]

Great and fair review. For those asking, custom settings a11 is the area to explore in order to change the in-focus display color.

[@hankdinardo4308]

a11 tell me how to change the color of the AF point?

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks for sharing

[@hankdinardo4308]

@@jan_wegener how do you change the color of the AF point in a11?

[@jan_wegener]

@@hankdinardo4308 menu a11, AF-C in-focus display set to on

[@hankdinardo4308]

@@jan_wegener yes I’m familiar with a11 but done mentioned changing the color. That’s not the case all it does in AF-C is to confirm in green your in focus you can’t change the color to blue

[@garymeredith2441]

As always Jan you do such a GREAT video I love watching them , best thing about your video that I liked about the Nikon , is that Nikon 500 5.6 has a fantastic focal length with aperture this is where Sony and Canon are truly blown it because they are missing it why haven't they come up with a 500 5.6 lens I just can't understand it I mean it's such a no-brainer that both Canon and Sony have seen what Nikon has here .

[@jan_wegener]

Yes and no. I start to quite enjoy zoom lenses in that range, nevertheless that 500 is a great lens and would certainly be a nice addition to the line up for Canon & sony

[@oridanziger6711]

Great professional review and video. You are really a pro

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks!

[@leerothman7570]

This would be one example of why I'm trying my best to be patient till Canon does their R1 development announcement to see what they are bringing to the table with their Flagship. I know the Z9 is a fine camera but won't really blow my R5's overall performance away especially in it's tracking abilities. For Nikon shooters the Z9 is their nirvana so glad they finally did that. For me patience will be my challenge waiting so I hope Canon announces their R1 by the fall.

[@jan_wegener]

You and me both :D

[@michelebelotti2022]

I was thinking the same: as right now, the Z9 and Alpha 1 are flagships for Nikon and Sony, while the R5 is considered "pro", but not the Canon's flagship. I will wait to see the R1 in real world when it comes out, but as you, I enjoy my R5 too

[@Stefan1968ful]

I observed 'jumps' of the Autofocus point when pressing the shutter on the Z9 and by using a Nikkor F lens with integrated VR. It was there too with DSLRs and it's more obvious with the Z9 (I guess also with Z6 and Z7). You can reduce this a bit by setting the VR on the lens to Sport Mode. But you cannot completely escape this. I think this is related to the lens with integrated VR itself. No good. But overall, I like the Z9 a lot. One thing I was very surprised is that the Nikkor 600mm 4.0 FL delivers on the Z9 together with the TC2.0x teleconverter much better or cleaner images than the Canon R5 with the Canon 600mm 4.0 III and the 2x Teleconverter. I would give the Z9 in general for image quality, especially JPG straight out of the camera a ++ compared to what the A1 or R5 are delivering.

[@jan_wegener]

Interesting. Can't comment on the extender use.

[@Jessehermansonphotography]

Very interesting. I have heard the Z9 delivers better AF with the 2x but never heard cleaner images. I have heard the Z9 focuses ALMOST as well as a bare lens

[@jan_wegener]

@@Jessehermansonphotography You will notice that with most high-end mirrorless cameras, the AF speed basically doesn't change with extenders

[@Stefan1968ful]

@@Jessehermansonphotography Well, I just compare it with my R5 with an 2x TC on a Canon EF 600mm 4.0 III. I don't like it at all what I get then. It's not good from IQ at least, the degradation in IQ is at least for me not bearable. For the AF performance, my subjective impression is that the performance slows down. But I cannot measure it, it just feels different with and without 2x TC on the R5. With the Z9 and a TC 2.0x III I still got excellent IQ, not like without TC but still absolutely useable and good, no comparison with what I get on the R5 with a 2x TC.

[@colinfieldgate4719]

Hi Jan, I see that DPReview have judged the Z9 and A1 to be in a different class to the R3 (and so likely the R5 too) citing poorer AF performance in low light and being complex to tune for specific situations (more so that the R5 I guess). What's your take?

[@jan_wegener]

I think it really comes down to what you shoot and how you shoot. Using the word "poor" for any of these AF systems doesn't really make sense. I agree that Canon has the best subject recognition in my opinion and I did find the Nikon complex to figure out as in what mode to use.

[@sswildlifevideos]

Very thoughtful and unbiased review, Jan. I have enjoyed using both Canon and Nikon over the years but made the decision to switch to the R5 and not look back. I was curious to see if the Z9 raised the bar for stills which is my focus and it appears it really does not. Kind of disappointing in my eyes when a company has 1-2 years on the others but doesn't raise the bar. That said it does seem to match Canon and Sony, but the usability, easier to use AF, value and excellent ergonomics of the R5 still hold up to the Z9 in my book.

[@jan_wegener]

I agree, it caught up, but did not really push the envelop. It does very well for video tho. Usability is certain much easier with the R5

[@sswildlifevideos]

@@jan_wegener Thanks again for your excellent videos - really cut to the point and help us photographers with our equipment decisions and learning curve. Cheers, Shrav

[@Rascallucci]

Jan, you the man. I wasn't sure whether you would review a Nikon, but that was what I needed from a person who doesn't typically shoot Nikon and has shot with the R5 and A1 plus even more importantly in the context of birding too which is just the icing on the cake. I don't know whether I might have mentioned to you in the past, the Z9 drew my interest mainly because of the lenses or strictly speaking 1 and potentially 2 lenses. For someone like me who is still not ready for the big jump to drop US$13K+ for a big prime, the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF and the in-development Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 PF (for the Z mount) look like the best upgrade from a zoom, at least on paper. If anything, that is the only part missing from your otherwise excellent review. My question to you would be, did you find the 500mm PF to be sharper than both the RF 100-500mm and the FE 200-600mm? And secondly, the fact that the 500mm PF is a F-mount lens whereby you had to adapt the lens using the FTZ adapter, did you find the AF to be significantly slower than say the native 100-400mm for the Z mount? Overall, my personal reaction or takeout from your review is the Z9's AF and tracking is still not quite as good as the A1 or R5. Would that be a correct take? I have been watching a lot of Z9 reviews trying to help me to decide whether I should move to the A1 or Z9 from my R5. Even before watching your review, I have found some of the Z9's AF modes like Large Area or Small Area to be a bit redundant after the 3D. For a guy who has been shooting the R5, it just looks confusing and more importantly time-consuming. As you know, on the R5 all you need to do is switch to tracking, animal and the camera will do the rest. So, for someone who only really needs one go-to lens for birding, it still seems to me the A1 + FE 200-600mm is the best combo given you know how strongly I feel against the RF 100-500mm. LOL. Unless you are saying the Nikkor 500mm PF is massively sharper than the zooms? Then, I might have to procrastinate a little longer. Would that make sense to you?

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks man! Overall I did not see much of a difference in IQ. But I didn't go through it frame by frame. I think the tracking itself is pretty good, but acquisition can be more tricky and the AF set up and finding the mode that works for you are quite involved. In my opinion there should just be 1-2 modes that work very well and straight out of the box rather than 4 or more different ones that all kinda do certain things well and others not. I really missed the ability to just press a button and the camera would focus on the bird. That's where the Canon is by far the best. Sony tracks the bird the best (# of sharp images in a series), but also lacked behind Canon in finding the bird without help. So each system has a certain flaws we have to work around. The Z9 was certainly the most involved and also by far the heaviest camera (much heavier than R5 & battery grip) If I was buying into a new system now, I would want to buy a mirrorless lens when buying a mirrorless camera. If you hate the 100-500 that kinda just leaves A1 & 200-600. Which has the worst IS/IBIS combo, but that doesn't matter for photos.

[@Rascallucci]

@@jan_wegener Thanks, mate! Based on my research, while the A1 may be behind the R5 in target acquisition, it is definitely the stickiest. To be honest, both the A1 and R5 have excellent tracking especially after the latest firmware update. Looks like the Z9 could be out for me. Having said that, did you watch Mark Smith's latest video with his initial test on the Z9? (kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKOZeJykhquNqas) The 500mm f/5.6 PF certainly looks very sharp plus the colour-rendering is excellent although it isn't a mirrorless lens per se. The coming 800mm f/6.3 PF for the Z-mount will be interesting though. But, if the AF/tracking is a pain to operate, I will find it hard to get over that hump. Sticking with the R5 would be the easiest option for me. But, the RF 100-500mm is not giving me anything apart from faster AF and light weight. Or there is the RF 800mm f/11 which is more of a gimmick lens. Other than that, there is no other lens support. Sony is different, right off the bat there is the FE 200-600mm which I want. On top of that there is Sigma and Tamron. A friend of mine who has only been shooting the A1 with the FE 200-600mm for a few months has already bought another 2 lenses, the Tamron 150-500mm and Sony FE 100-400mm GM. If someone can come out with a 800mm for the E-mount, it would be epic. The most interesting thing is next to no one in the bird photography community has even mentioned the R3. Looks like most people have already shot it down for being too low res. I guess you must be dying for Canon to launch the R1 huh? LOL. That should be one heck of a camera.

[@jan_wegener]

@@Rascallucci Yes, I am very much waiting for an R1. I have been working on a few projects that required me to crop quite heavy and it was a real pain on my older photos with less mpix. And that re-assured me my current stance on the R3 as being very light on the mpix.

[@danielschmaderer]

The 120fps mode with 11MP JPEGs definitely isn’t a good fit for bird and wildlife photography. Probably more for a sports photographer.

[@jan_wegener]

agreed.

[@arunashamal]

@@jan_wegener I was always thinking what would this do for like wedding hybrid photographer. would you for instance be able to capture the first kiss on 120p mode and then later combine the frames to a video??So you have the photos of the first kiss and then a video as well. Nothing is missing. If I get my hands on one I'd love to test a scenario like this.

[@jan_wegener]

@@arunashamal I was thinking the same. I would probably work with people. I tried it with birds in flight and the JPEGs played together were not as smooth as proper 4k/120. That was just one test tho. I think the biggest issue here is the shutter speed. For video you can allow for some motion blurr and for photo that would make your shutter speed likely too slow, so when you put the images together they don't flow as well due to the higher shutter speed. On a tripod and with like 1/250 shutter speed, it could work

[@horstschoninger1265]

Excellent review..... now I have a point to go from there..... Will buy a Z9 anyway, because I can use all my $$$ lenses. Thank you...!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@longrider9551]

The big 3 have all given us gear that eliminates excuses for not coming home with some nice shots 😉

[@jan_wegener]

true!

[@mdavis5011]

Fantastic and very informative video. I plan to take your editing course! I stopped using the Nikon DSLRs (d6 and d850) in favor of the a1. However, I did keep my Nikon glass, because I so much like the Nikon 500mm pf lens. My plan is: if the z9 (mine has been ordered but not delivered from B&H) is as good (or 90% as good) as the a1, I'd probably go back to the Nikon because I so much enjoy using the hand-holdable 500mm f/56. pf. However, if the AF is a struggle or a compromise compared to the A1, then I will sell my Nikon z9 and glass and go with just one system. For me, handholding the Sony 600mm f/4 is difficult and shooting birds on a tripod is not much fun. For now, I"m fully Sony with a lot of Nikon glass and no Nikon z9camera. In the end....if you were going on a one week trip to say Costa Rica, would you at the point take the r5 or the z9 if you could only bring one? Thanks again for the very informative video.

[@jan_wegener]

Are you using a 200-600 on the A1? That's not much heavier than the 500 Personally I would stick to my R5s, because I have all the Canon glass and Canon has the most attractive lenses for me atm.

[@mdavis5011]

@@jan_wegener I’m using the Sony 600mm f/4 on the a1

[@JohanSchmidt]

Good objective review - I agree fully with the AF and different options

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks!

[@neilcam]

Why oh why did I watch this???!! I'm desperately fighting the urge to trade in one of my D5 bodies for the Z9! Besides I want more/longer glass than the 300mm f/2.8 + TC2.0 I'm using at the moment. But still allllll those lovely pixels to crop on the Z9.... Arrrggghhh. Wonderful review Jan. Thanks (through gritted teeth :) )

[@jan_wegener]

hehe :)

[@benphilipwildlife]

Really Z9 is King

[@mustafakasapoglu]

Well after getting used to only back-button focusing, I am pretty concerned how I can improve the mussle reflex for the two button control. Looks pretty confusing especially during the scene where there is a bird and you have very short time to think about all. But I have to tell you how great and how nicely you have presented the tests you have performed. Fingers crossed and waiting for mine to arrive. I appreciate and thank you so much. All the best from snowy Istanbul.

[@jan_wegener]

You get used to it, but I found it a little bit hard to get into myself

[@HaiDHaiYena]

I would guess sports photographers would find the 120fps mode useful for things like a golf, baseball & tennis swing where the subject is stationary... Maybe even the face slapping competition? Haha

[@jan_wegener]

It would be nice there for sure. The only thing I have heard when speaking to pros shooting soccer is that they have to deliver the images within minutes of taking them, so he often doesn't even shoot in 20-30 fps, because it's too hard to go through all the images and select the ones to send off quickly to news agencies. So I wonder if a 120fps workflow would make this even worse to find "the one" image amongst 4000 other frames

[@HaiDHaiYena]

That is interesting to learn. Maybe in a more controlled environment for like a sport magazine cover shoot when you want that one frame in the middle of an action shot then? I'm guessing you would have more than just minutes to deliver an image?

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Awesome video! The best ever I have about what seems to be very complex AF system. Something is scaring me about the IBIS. I already have some F mount lenses with VR and if I have well understood, the IBIS is not engaged with F mount VR lenses where only the VR works. It’s not correct then from Nikon to say the F mount lenses works as native lenses using the FTZ adapter.

[@jan_wegener]

Well, I guess what they're trying to say is they work as they do on the DSLR cameras.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

@@jan_wegener that’s really annoying for me as in my strategy to come back to Nikon with the Z9 or coming Z8 (or D850 equivalent in Z mount) I bought a complete set of the latest F lenses, that are at very good prices on the second hand market. Some don’t have VR and the Z# will work with its IBIS but the 24-70VR and the 70-200FL-VR and the 300PF-VR won’t activate the IBIS 😧🤔🙁☹️😣😖

[@JeffreyOakarPhotos]

Have things gotten better now with all the firmware updates??

[@jan_wegener]

I believe so

[@duncanwallace7760]

How about using one of the lens buttons for 'back-button' focus?... oh I see later on in the vid you tried that!!

[@djack4125]

Jan, any issues with the R5 locking up when shooting stills?

[@jan_wegener]

only ever had that once

[@michaelnowak3570]

Im in the market and was really leaning toward sony until I found out that the dust sealing sucks.