Nikon fine-tunes shutter speeds with new Z 9 firmware

Nikon has released firmware (version 2.10) for its flagship, full-frame mirrorless Z 9 camera, which fine-tunes shutter speed settings and improves AF tracking.

The update has introduced what Nikon calls ‘a new High-Frequency Flicker Reduction function.’

This function, when enabled in photo shooting mode, allows the shutter speeds of the 45.7MP Z 9 to be fine-tuned in smaller increments.

Previously, shutter speeds could be adapted to1/3 or 1/2 EV increments.

However, the new advancement allows users to adjust shutter speeds to those as small as1/96* EV.

The ability to adjust shutter speeds more precisely than ever before makes it possible to control the effects of flicker – even when signboards and high-frequency LED lighting are in view whilst shooting.

The Nikon Z 9’s full shutter speed range is from 30-1/32,000sec.

Indeed, that top shutter speed was enough for the Nikon Z 9 to capture a speeding bullet at 1/32,000th of a second.

However, when High-Frequency Flicker Reduction is enabled, shutter speed can be fine-tuned in very small increments at speeds between 1/8000sec and1/30sec.

The Nikon Z 9 in hand

Improved AF tracking

The firmware update is designed to also improve AF tracking performance, particularly when shooting small subjects – especially those that take up a tiny portion of the frame.

Further to this, the focus accuracy has been refined for when eye or face-detection AF is used with continuous-servo AF (AF-C).

Nikon says that these updates ‘will help photographers and videographers with more stable shooting.’

Issue fixes

The Z 9 firmware version 2.10 has also fixed the following issues:

With certain Z mount lenses, choosing [Focus] for Custom Setting a1 [AF-C priority selection] with [Continuous AF] selected for [Focus mode] would sometimes disable the shutter release even when the subject was in focus.
[Aperture lock] could not be selected for Custom Setting f4 [Control lock] in modes M and A when an F mount lens was attached.
Assigning [Recall shooting functions] to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] would render [Save current settings] unavailable when an F mount lens equipped with an aperture ring and power contacts was attached.
Auto distortion control would sometimes not be applied to pictures taken with [ON] selected for [Auto distortion control] in the [PHOTO SHOOTING MENU].
The camera would not recognise custom Picture Controls saved to a memory card using the Mac edition of Picture Control Utility 2.
Recalling shooting functions would sometimes result in unexpected changes to exposure if:
▸ ISO sensitivity was set to a fixed value in mode M,
▸ an option other than [Exposure maintenance off] was selected for Custom Setting b7 [Keep exp. when f/ changes], and
▸ [Recall shooting functions] or [Recall shooting functions (hold)] was assigned to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] both with no option (or mode M only) selected for [Shooting mode] and with no check next to any of [Shutter speed], [Aperture], and [ISO sensitivity settings].
When [Recall shooting functions] or [Recall shooting functions (hold)] was assigned to a control using Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)], subject detection would not function as expected if the setting for [AF subject detection options] recalled by pressing the control differed from the option currently selected for [AF subject detection options] in the [PHOTO SHOOTING MENU].