ShunCheung

Red is Canon's color, though. 😀

Thom Hogan also has comments on this deal: https://bythom.com/newsviews/nikon-acquires-red.html

I am merely reusing Nikon company news' title. It is not quite a done deal yet, but it seems close and a very interesting development: https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2024/0307_01.html

That image looks very familiar, but this is the first time in 2024. Glad the tradition is continuing.

Note: Consider keeping uploads no larger than 1600 pixels on the long side when it matters, and sticking with 1000 pixels when the image feels no pain at that resolution. On data size/compression, try to keep things under 1mb, shooting for 600kb when you can stop there. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site (at Flickr, Photobucket, your own site, etc.). New to this thread? The general guidelines for these Wednesday threads are right here: https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/398109-guidelines-for-nikon-forum-wednesday-image-threads. For now, we're sticking with 1, 2, or 3 images per week as you see fit.

The D500 has the feature to send to a smart device as well as has the airplane mode. I always have the airplane mode set to ON, on my D500, and I never have any battery drain issue. At least nothing that I would worry about. E.g. the frame counter on the top LCE will remain on, and I am sure it drains the battery a little over time. However, on the D500, the airplane mode is part of the Set Up menu. On the Z8 and Z9, there is a separate Network Menu to collect the communication-related setting.

The BL-7 battery chamber cover for the Z9 is a separate, $37.95 item. I have an extra one on a separate battery so that it is ready to be inserted.

Vermilion Flycatcher: This bird kept on flying off and then returning to that same branch, such that I started shooting as soon as he took off, and sure enough he returned after a few seconds. This image was right before he landed.

If the airplane mode is off, even though the camera itself is switched off, the camera can still communicate with other devices. I recently installed SnapBridge on my fairly new iPhone 15 and used that app a bit with my Z8, and I noticed that the Z8 could still communicate with the phone even though the camera is off. Therefore, potentially there could be battery drain when such communication is in progress. I find SnapBridge very frustrating to use as it is not robust software and the communication is flaky. If one is not using it, it is best to switch on the airplane mode.

Certainly no birds in flight on the surface of the moon, nor any 100-meter dash. Kind of hard to do that with a spacesuit on. 😉

The battery should last a lot longer than a year and half. I have EN-EL18a that came with my D5 in 2016 and are still ok. The usual suspects are either through the lens mount or wifi/bluetooth. Otherwise, the camera may be malfunctioning. 😐

Bill, does calibration or anything help? Wonder the new battery will make a difference.

Please double check the airplane mode is on and see whether that makes a difference. Don’t think the FTZ will drain your battery, but third-party adapters could be a problem. In any case, remove the FTZ overnight.

A couple of things come to mind: Have you recently switched on Snapbridge or Bluetooth? If the Z9 is connected to a mobile phone via Snapbridge, that may continue to drain your battery. Try to turn on the airplane mode unless you really need to turn that off. Do you have any Sony E to Nikon Z adapter mounted on your Z9? I heard of a case that one such third-party adapter would drain the battery on a Z8, even though the camera is switched off. It is always good to have a second battery anyway, as Li-ion will gradually go bad, at least gradually lose its recharging capability.

I used Google translate. It seems to do a pretty good job. More power to those who can read French directly: https://phototrend.fr/2024/02/interview-nikon-mitsuteru-hino-cpplus-2024/ However, Nikon is not going to comment on information that they haven't officially announced. Don't expect any real information on future, up-coming products. However, it sure looks to me that Nikon has stopped producing all F-mount products, but on certain items, there may be sufficient stock so that one can continue to purchase new F-mount items for another couple of years.

I am sure NASA will have at least half a dozen Z9 special edition on hand when they land on the moon. If one is damaged, they'll just take out another one. They will only be on the moon surface for a week so that there won't be all that much time for wear and tear. There won't be any sports event or wildlife to warren 20 fps. 😃 The weight for the Z9 and lenses won't matter much due to the lower gravity, and dropping it won't be nearly as bad, either. I wonder whether I can purchase one of those left-over special edition camera after the program. I am sure they'll have a lot of extra ones for training and won't actually go into orbit. And at the end of the trip, they'll leave a lot of the equipment behind on the moon to minimize the weight that needs to be lift off from the moon. I hope that they won't forget to collect any memory card. 😉

I just read about the temperature on the moon surface. Apparently it can fluctuate between +121 to -133 degrees Celsius (+250 to -208 Fahrenheit). That is a huge temperature range that is way outside of the Z9's normal operation temperature. I assume radiation can affect the electronics as well as the memory cards. We'll see how Nikon modifies the regular Z9 for such harsh environment.

Avocets I was using my Nikon 800mm PF lens and I stopped down to f11, but depth of field is still shallow.

Julia Fischer and Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Davies Symphony Hall, after they performed the Brahms Violin Concerto. Those two played the same piece together at the Nobel Prize concert in December 2023, but with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. Nikon Z8 with the 24-120mm/f4 S, heavily cropped

That is mentioned in the Nikon USA press release I linked to earlier. I assume the problem is due to the thin/non-existing atmosphere on the moon, but clearly I am no expert in this area.

Upon further reading, those Z9 for moon landing will be extensively modified for NASA, unlike those that are in use on the International Space Station: https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/551263-nasa-sent-13-nikon-z9-and-15-z-lenses-onto-the-international-space-station For moon landing, those Z9 will be modified to withstand the strong radiation on the moon surface. The controls will also be modified since the astronauts will be in spacesuits with heavy gloves. For the space station, the Z9 hardware is unmodified, the same as the regular Z9 we can buy, but Nikon has developed specialized firmware for those Z9 for space usage.

Received the following news from Nikon USA. There is also a press release: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/about-nikon/press-room/press-release/lptu8wg2/MIRRORLESS-GOES-TO-THE-MOON%3A-NIKON-ENTERS-INTO-SPACE-ACT-AGREEMENT-WITH-NASA-FOR-ARTEMIS-MISSION-SUPPORT-WITH-THE-NIKON-Z-9-CAMERA.html Today, Nikon Inc. announced that the brand has entered into a Space Act agreement with NASA to support the Artemis program with handheld universal lunar camera development. For the upcoming Artemis III mission to the Moon, NASA will equip its crew with the Nikon Z 9 full-frame mirrorless flagship camera and several NIKKOR Z mirrorless lenses. Nikon engineers are working closely with NASA to develop solutions and modifications that will ensure maximum reliability for the gear when being used under the extreme lunar environment. Together, the teams are redesigning various circuits and control sequences within the Z 9 to withstand the vast amounts of radiation, running vacuum thermal testing, developing a custom camera grip with common controls for easy usability with the crew’s thick spacesuit gloves and creating a special “blanket” to protect the camera during extravehicular activities. Special modifications will also be made to the Z 9 through a firmware that will expand noise reduction, adjust file naming sequences, reduce power consumption, optimize shutter shield and simplify the astronauts’ workflow. The 30-day Artemis III mission is scheduled to launch in September 2026 and will be the first human landing on the lunar surface since 1972 as well as the first time a woman will walk on the Moon.

Mary, no worries. Great backlit ostrich.

Note: Consider keeping uploads no larger than 1600 pixels on the long side when it matters, and sticking with 1000 pixels when the image feels no pain at that resolution. On data size/compression, try to keep things under 1mb, shooting for 600kb when you can stop there. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site (at Flickr, Photobucket, your own site, etc.). New to this thread? The general guidelines for these Wednesday threads are right here: https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/398109-guidelines-for-nikon-forum-wednesday-image-threads. For now, we're sticking with 1, 2, or 3 images per week as you see fit. All of a sudden, February is almost over, but actually we have one more day in February due to the leap year. Sunset at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, 24-120mm/f4 S Nikkor (Z mount) @ 34.5mm, f5.6