New Firmware for All Nikon Z Bodies, April 2021

These new firmware will be available on Monday, April 26, 2021.

Nikon Z Series Firmware Updates:

• Nikon Z 6II + Z 7II Firmware, Version 1.20:
  
  • Increased AF performance, including faster focusing when shooting in low light situations, improved detection performance and enhanced subject visibility during live view shooting
    
  • Improved tracking for face and eye detection as well as subject tracking AF
    

  [*]Nikon Z 6 + Z 7 Firmware, Version 3.30:

  • Adds the Save Focus Position option that allows the current focus position to be saved when the camera is turned off and restored when next turned on
    
  • The Z 6 will also receive the voice memo recording/playing function
    

  [*]Nikon Z 50 Firmware, Version 2.19:

  • Adds the Save Focus Position option that allows the current focus position to be saved when the camera is turned off and restored when next turned on
    

  [*]Nikon Z 5 Firmware, Version 1.10:

  • Adds the Save Focus Position option that allows the current focus position to be saved when the camera is turned off and restored when next turned on
    
  • Faster AF detection speed in low light situations
    

 

Nikon Download Center: Nikon | Download Center

Having used my new Z6ii for a few weeks, one of its bad habits is its refusal to focus on whats beneath the AF point. Single point AF, flower fills the little red box, nothing moves and it decides the grass behind it is nicer.... and it needs me to manually tweak the AF to get it close to focus, where it obligingly now focuses just fine.

 

Never had that with either the D500 or D850.

 

Maybe this FW update will help?

Having used my new Z6ii for a few weeks, one of its bad habits is its refusal to focus on whats beneath the AF point. Single point AF, flower fills the little red box, nothing moves and it decides the grass behind it is nicer.... and it needs me to manually tweak the AF to get it close to focus, where it obligingly now focuses just fine.

 

Never had that with either the D500 or D850.

 

This is apparently an issue with on-sensor PDAF; the camera won't focus on a subject that is far out of focus even if it is right under the focus point. This is reported across mirrorless camera systems. DSLRs can do better in such situations. Manual assistance is suggested to get the focus close enough that the OSPDAF can pick it up and refine the focus and track if moving.

 

I suppose what Nikon could do is allow the camera to do an exhaustive search of all focus distances as alternative to the PDAF in situations where the latter doesn't work. The user could trigger this with a custom function button.

This is apparently an issue with on-sensor PDAF; the camera won't focus on a subject that is far out of focus even if it is right under the focus point.

So, if it can't actually 'see' the backgound because my subject obscures it, how is it focusing on it? It's outside the box!

 

I guess the 'box' is a smaller approximation of the area/size of sensor(s) used.

 

Oddly, pin-point AF, which I guess would fix this (?) is only available in AF-S.

So, if it can't actually 'see' the backgound because my subject obscures it, how is it focusing on it? It's outside the box!

 

If the lens has a large aperture it may indeed be able to see behind the subject and if the background is brighter, has more contrasty detail or is closer to being in focus, it may focus on that.

 

Oddly, pin-point AF, which I guess would fix this (?) is only available in AF-S.

 

Did you try it? As the area gets smaller, it tends to be more sensitive to noise in low light situations.

If the lens has a large aperture it may indeed be able to see behind the subject

Funnily enough, it was the 200-500mm 5.6 + TC1.4E ii, so min of F8! But it just loved the background better!

 

Did you try it? As the area gets smaller, it tends to be more sensitive to noise in low light situations.

 

I'll go and try PinPoint in AF-S and hope not to sway....;)

 

From a user POV, maybe I could have set the focus limiters better too!

So, if it can't actually 'see' the backgound because my subject obscures it, how is it focusing on it? It's outside the box!

I've had that with a DSLR too. But with a DSLR it's easily explained by a discrepancy between the info overlay LCD and the 'direct' reflex viewfinder image. I just have to remember that the AF aims low and to the right of the displayed rectangle.

 

Now I don't know how the generated AF rectangle is superimposed in a mirrorless camera, but I'm guessing there are separate control signals for the sensor AF and the digital viewfinder superimposition. So maybe there's a similar chance for displacement?

 

I 'calibrated' the DSLR AF rectangle by just observing the AF confirmation dot as the camera aim was moved across a definite edge transition. The AF rectangle very obviously didn't exactly align with where the AF sensor stopped/started detecting the edge.

So maybe there's a similar chance for displacement?

I guess if I shoot at an inclined ruler, either left/right or front/back it would look like front/back focus... depending on the generated AF rectangle's offset? But if i shoot truly square on it's fine? Interesting!

 

___________

 

Regarding AF 'types' for ML cameras.

 

I searched for this and read that using a Nikon G lens with the FTZ on my Z6ii, it uses PDAF ONLY?

 

Only Z lenses on Z bodies can also use CDAF.

 

.....and then read the opposite! CDAF and PDAF is/are used on all lens/adapter/body options.

 

Can someone confirm what's true?

 

:confused:

In an EVF or LCD screen the viewfinder or live view image itself is "edited" to show AF areas, they are not "superimposed" as in an overlay. In an optical viewfinder, the AF points are shown in an LCD overlay that is above the focusing screen. There can not be any misalignment in an EVF since there is no physical alignment of separate components; as the focus information is taken from the image sensor itself, the camera knows exactly where the focus areas are within the image.

as the focus information is taken from the image sensor itself, the camera knows exactly where the focus areas are within the image.

Good to know about the location.

 

How about the actual area beneath said red rectangle? It really 'sees' nothing outside of it?

 

I'm aware of the slight image wrapping effect of using very fast lenses, but normally speaking with something like the 200-500mm 5.6, it's a WYSIWYG thing?

Now it is April 26, 2021. Those new firmware are available.

 

Additional info about the new firmware 3.30 for the Z6 and Z7: https://download.nikonimglib.com/archive4/QxyPA008eAtA04EUqqb92P1sPn37/Z7_Z6_FU3.3_addendum_(En)01.pdf

Edited April 26, 2021 by ShunCheung

keeping the focus and spotmetering point in the last place befor switchoff is of no use if it has been moving around at random. A stay-put-in-the middle (even with manual lenses) would be far more useful although the voice memo might record swearing at gthe point being off again.

 

p.

keeping the focus and spotmetering point in the last place befor switchoff is of no use if it has been moving around at random. A stay-put-in-the middle (even with manual lenses) would be far more useful although the voice memo might record swearing at gthe point being off again.

 

p.

 

It's not the focus point that is saved and restored after this update but the focus distance on the lens, I believe.

 

If you want quick access to centered focus point, you can program the sub-selector center to reset the focus point to center (some other buttons such as OK and AF-ON can be used for this purpose as well).

Edited April 29, 2021 by ilkka_nissila

It's not the focus point that is saved and restored after this update but the focus distance on the lens, I believe.

 

If you want quick access to centered focus point, you can program the sub-selector center to reset the focus point to center (some other buttons such as OK and AF-ON can be used for this purpose as well).

I misunderstood this as well.

I’ll try to find out how to reprogram a button for reset af point to center. That will such a relief.

thanks for kind advice., the offending focuspoint-movement-button can be pushed to rectify matters, but faffing around with buttons is not the ideal distraction when trying to take a picture.

 

p.

I misunderstood this as well.

I’ll try to find out how to reprogram a button for reset af point to center. That will such a relief.

Think it’s F3 on the menu that you can program the OK button to place the focus point in the center.

 

That said I find it more useful to program the OK button to zoom to 100%. Same for Playback. Since I use the back button to focus, so in most cases the location of the focus point does not matter because I just focus the subject and recompose. I also program the AF point to wrap around when I use the joystick.

For speed of operation it is convenient to use one of the front "Fn" buttons since loosening the grip on the camara body to reach the killjoystick slows one down -. Also, when focussing and reframing it helps to know that the plane of focus and spot metering stays where you originally wished it to be.

 

p.