Thom Hogan

Nikon released their fiscal year results last Thursday and at the surface level there's not a lot to say. They had some ups and downs across all their divisions. Particularly for the Imaging division that makes the Z System cameras, the year-over-year revenue was up, but the year-over-year profits were down. 

Some of the "down" has to do with a write down that Nikon took against Mark Roberts Motion Control (the UK robot arm maker Nikon bought previously) and both the acquisition and a financial loss at RED (the video camera maker Nikon bought this year). But hidden away in the details is another reason why Nikon didn't quite make their forecasted numbers for Imaging: they didn't sell as many lenses as expected (1.31m units instead of 1.35m). Yes, 40k units doesn't sound like a lot, but if those were higher end lenses they expected to sell, it easily explains a lowered profit. None of this, however, is a big thing. Companies have minor misses and adjustments like these all the time. All this I would regard as pretty much business as usual. 

What struck me were two things: 

1. Inventory for Imaging has built to 98.2b yen, up from 74.3b a year ago. Inventory has been rising every year for awhile, and is now double what it was four years ago. Given Nikon's overall Imaging sales revenue, this seems like a lot to carry over, and I have to wonder why. It's possible that Nikon has been pre-building something, it's possible that they now have a bigger inventory because of RED, but I suspect that some of the products just weren't selling at the demand level Nikon anticipated. I'll come back to that thought in a bit.
2. In Nikon's estimates for camera unit volume next year, they're saying they'll sell 950k units, up from 850k in the year just closed. 
   That's a whopping 12% increase year-to-year. They haven't published that optimistic a future unit volume in a long, long time. Moreover, they're saying they'll go from a slightly sub-13% market share to a solid 14% market share in that same twelve months. That, too, is the most optimistic I've seen them. What this tells me is that they expect a pending new model to do quite well. What model that might be is open to speculation, of course, but it has to be a model that's capable of selling 10k units a month. Also, given that they expect revenue to be flat, I think we can rule out a high end model ;~). Z3V anyone?

Nikon didn't say all that much about the tariff situation. Indeed, of the major camera and lens vendors, it seems that Nikon is the only one that hasn't issued a specific official statement about what's likely to come. I still expect price increases in June here in the US, but I also—given the inventory situation I mentioned above—still expect Instant Rebate sales, it just might not be across a wide range of products or with as big a discount, but rather a little more targeted. 

Lest anyone read the above as negative in any way, I'd say this: the rest of Nikon should be thankful that Imaging is executing so well. While the profit is down—not really due to camera sales—I see pretty much everything they did during the fiscal year as being positive. You can't acquire an entire new company without some costs, and it appears that one reason why RED was available is that it currently wasn't making a profit. It'll take Nikon time to digest RED and get it on a better footing. 

By the way, Nikon seems to think similarly to me: there is no real possible unit volume market growth coming in ILC. Nikon projects that only 5.8m units will sell globally across all vendors in 2030, which is down from the year just completed. 

NikonUSA finally figured out their new rebate program, announcing it to dealers the day before it went into effect (good through June 1st). Things aren't quite as bad as was feared, but still a little bit telling. 

• Z30 — US$150 off
• Z50 — US$100 off
• Zfc — US$100 off
• Zf — US$200 off
• Z5 — US$400 off
• Z6II — US$200 off
• Z6III — US$400 off
• Z7II — US$500 off
• Z8 — US$500 off
• Z9 — US$500 off

Body with no discount: Z50II

The Z8 and Z9 discounts are easy to explain: Nikon has a large margin on those products, and NikonUSA has available stock without having to resupply. The Z6III is likely discounted so much because demand didn't quite meet the supply brought into the country and NikonUSA is trying to rebalance; that's especially needed because the Z5II comes so close to a Z6III in most respects, at a much lower suggested list price. The Zf discount is probably to put it more squarely between the other 24mp options. 

As I've reported elsewhere, Nikon corporate appears to have targeted the start of June for their full response to the tariff situation; I'm told there will be price increases, but it's not yet known how much and on which products, let alone whether this will be worldwide or just US pricing. I suspect that we'll learn more about this at Nikon's investor relations meeting on May 8th. Nikon just announced that it is taking a one-time write-down of ¥7.9b (US$55m) in the Precision Equipment Business that wasn't previously anticipated, as well as the fact that Imaging had an underperformance to estimates in the now closed fiscal year. 

There's a lot of checking and counting of beans going on in Tokyo at the moment, including estimates about future beans. Canon has already announced they'll be increasing prices, but I expect all the camera makers will have some form of price adjustments going forward.

Meanwhile, a number of Z-mount lenses have rebates:

• 14-24mm f/2.8 S (US$500)
• 14-30mm f/4 S (US$200)
• 24-70mm f/2.8 S (US$400)
• 24-120mm f/4 S (US$100; more with body purchase)
• 26mm f/2.8 (US$100)
• 28mm f/2.8 (US$70)
• 28-75mm f/2.8 (US$200)
• 40mm f/2 (US$100)
• 50mm f/1.2 S (US$200)
• 50mm f/1.8 S (US$100)
• 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S (US$500)
• 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S (US$400)
• 105mm f/2.8 VR S (US$200)
• 135mm f/1.8 S Plena (US$200)
• 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S (US$1000)
• 600mm f/4 TC VR S (US$1500)
• 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR DX (US$60)

Note that the only China-made lens in the list is the 28-75mm f/2.8, which I don't believe sold well in the US and is probably in inventory in enough numbers to justify the discount. All the rest of these lenses are Japan or Thailand manufactured. 

As I wrote in a previous article, if you want a 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, 400mm f/4.5 VR S, 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S, or 800mm f/6.3 PF VR S any time soon, you'd best buy from existing stock now before they're gone. It's highly unclear what will happen with the next batch of those lenses coming into the US, as they're all made in China. 

My overall assessment is that NikonUSA basically kicked the can a little further down the road when it comes to pricing, probably to exhaust existing inventories prior to the fiscal quarter ending. What happens next is pure speculation, as my sources tell me that Nikon, and by extension, NikonUSA, hasn't come to a full decision yet. 

I wouldn't be surprised though if any of the following were announced (or at least intimated at) at the May investor's meeting: (1) discontinuation of DSLR products (see dslrbodies for an article on that); (2) Z System repricing, particularly in the US; (3) possible discontinuation (or suspension) of some Z products (likely older bodies or China-made lenses).

Just a word of advice: if you're here in the US contemplating certain Z-mount lenses that are currently in stock at dealers, you might want to buy now, not later. 

The biggest issue is the retaliatory tariffs against products made in China. This has already caused Fujifilm to cancel imports of certain products into the US, at least temporarily, but I believe that it's going to impact Nikon the same way, as well. Moving production out of China to another country is possible, but that takes time and money. So certain lenses aren't going to show up on Instant Rebates any time soon, I'd guess. Those include these four lenses you might be considering for summer wildlife trips:

• 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
• 400mm f/4.5 VR S
• 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S
• 800mm f/6.3 PF VR S

All four of these lenses are in stock at B&H this morning, as well as several other dealers I looked at. I'd be really surprised if these specific lenses go back onto Instant Rebate any time soon. I suppose that NikonUSA might have abundant supply and decide to move that stock, but I'd tend to bet the opposite: NikonUSA removed most products from Instant Rebates starting today—no Z-mount lenses have a rebate, and only four older cameras do—and I believe Nikon is now trying to figure out how to re-price things moving forward. Lenses made in China are their biggest problem due to the huge tariff now being imposed on them (and it doesn't help that the dollar's value has gone down, too). The China-made Nikon products also includes the following other lenses:

• 17-28mm f/2.8
• 20mm f/1.8 S
• 24mm f/1.7 DX
• 24mm f/1.8 S
• 24-50mm f/4-6.3
• 28-75mm f/2.8
• 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
• 35mm f/1.8 S
• 50mm f/2.8 MC
• 70-180mm f/2.8
• 85mm f/1.2 S
• 85mm f/1.8 S

No cameras are impacted at the same level, as they're all made in Thailand (currently subjected to 10% tariffs). 

Nikon, of course, isn't the only one grappling with the issue. Sony changed their sales information three times in the past week or so, and I'm not sure they've settled on their final decisions yet. Canon is apparently about to announce price increases here in the US.

We're entering the second largest buying season for cameras (father's day/graduation/pre-vacation), so what's in stock in the US today may not be in stock tomorrow, and may come back at a higher price when new inventory does arrive. 

I can tell you that since tariffs were first mentioned and then got revealed, I've seen an increase in book sales, probably because some of you were already buying in anticipation of prices increasing. Well, this is your last warning: prices just rose (cancellation of Instant Rebates), and they likely will do so again (tariffs and dollar devaluation). Once current stock moves out of the dealer, there's a really good chance that Z System products will become more expensive. At least for the foreseeable future. 

Update 4/19: in less than a day we had 64 really good firmware update changes identified, and the list grows a bit every time I check my email or think of something I missed (currently 120 solid suggestions). I've done my best to consolidate the emails I get with the list below, as well as conform the style and language so that it's easier to parse. I've removed some lengthy explanations, left/edited a few shorter ones. 

Due to the volume of email I'm getting on this, I'm not responding directly back unless I see a misunderstanding in the request. For instance, one person wrote asking for a feature that their camera already had, they just didn't know where it was or how to use it. This has turned out to be common: a number of feature requests are coming in that show that the person making the suggestion doesn't know all the capabilities of their camera. The Z9 generation cameras are among the most complex Nikon has ever created, so this isn't totally surprising (it's one of the reasons why I have some simplification items on my wish list and probably need to add more; it's also suggesting where I need to do more instruction).  

If something is already on the list below, you don't have to repeat it back to me. Indeed, please read the current list carefully to make sure your request isn't already covered, as it will help me deal with the huge volume of emails I'm getting if you don't repeat things.

As I intimate at the end of this article, this is just Step 1 in the process. I'll let you know when we're ready to progress to Step 2. By the end of Step 3, I'm hoping to have grabbed Nikon's full attention ;~). 

_____________________________

I've removed my aging "Wish List" from the Cameras/Articles section of this site. It was getting out of date given that Nikon had addressed, at least partially, quite a few of the items on it. Moreover, new cameras, features, and suggested changes needed to be added to the list. 

Thus, I need to rebuild the list, but I also want to make sure that it represents not just my ideas, but fixes as much real user pain as possible. To do so I need to open ideas up to my readership and get them fully involved (keep reading to the end). 

I've separated "wishes" into the categories of things we want Nikon to consider doing in future firmware:

• Fix — a clear bug or issue with replicating a specific result. 
• Change — the current implementation needs to be rethought and a different solution made.
• Add missing — a clearly missing item that is necessary to stay current with other Nikon products.
• Add new — something that can be added that would improve usability of our cameras.
• Restore — return a feature from previous cameras that was removed.
• Simplify — mostly renaming and regrouping existing features. If a name isn't meaningful to you, suggest a better name. Meanwhile, grouping of similar menu items would shorten the scroll through the menus to find the right item, plus put like things together where they belong. 

I want to get this list "more right" this time, because I'm going to do my best to get all of these items raised to Tokyo's rapt and clear attention. I'll need your help to do that, and I have a plan for how to do that. But it's a little premature to reveal that plan. First, I need to get your buy in on the things I believe that need to be done, along with your suggestions for additional items. We need a clear and vetted list this time, as on the previous one Nikon took some liberties, both in how they interpreted an idea as well as whether it was important enough to implement.

I'm going to limit this to Z9 generation cameras only. At this point, Nikon is not going to backfill firmware demands other than bug fixes for the Z5, Z6, Z6II, Z7, Z7II, Z30, or Zfc. I know some will complain about that, but the reality is that Nikon has only so many engineering resources, and those currently have their hands full with just Z9 generation cameras (Z50II, Zf, Z5II, Z6III, Z8, Z9, plus whatever comes next). I'm also editing out a few functions that would be clearly next generation (i.e. would require a new EXPEED capability, different hardware, etc.).

Here's my current proposed list:

1. Z50II/Z5II/Z6III — (add new) For U1/U2/U3, add the ability to name the user setting in Save user settings, and then show that name on the display/EVF when that user setting is chosen.
2. Z50II/Z5II/Z6III —  (add missing) When U1/U2/U3 are selected, add Exposure mode setting to PHOTO SHOOTING menu, so that it can be changed.
3. Z6III/Zf — (add missing) Add Subject motion to (CSM #a3) Focus tracking with lock-on.
4. Zf/Z6III/Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add AF-A Focus mode.
5. Z50II — (fix) Fix bug where using UVC/UAC streaming once means any USB connection later removes menu options.
6. Z50II — (add missing) Add Commander mode ability to pop-up flash. 
7. Z6III — (add missing) Add Birds to subject detection.
8. Z6III — (add missing) Add Cycle AF-area mode as a button customization.
9. Z6III — (add missing) Add the Non-CPU lens data entry system from the Zf 2.0 firmware.
10. Z6III — (add new) Allow reprogramming the Monitor Mode button and top OLED panel illumination buttons in Custom controls (shooting, playback, video). Requires adding Monitor mode as a button customization option.
11. Z6III — (add missing) Add Focus point border width.
12. Z8 — (add missing) Add customization for Focus Mode button.
13. Z8 — (add missing) Add Image quality (HSFC). 
14. Z8 — (add missing) Make front LED work as tally light.
15. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Programmable AF distance limit set-up. Similar to Auto capture, but just one of the functions separated out from Auto capture: press a button and lock the from and to focus distance (focus range) so that the camera will only look to focus within the range previously set. This is to “tell” the camera not to grab the background. Also useful for photographing through foliage.
16. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Ability to use the Rear LCD as a trackpad (while using EVF) to freely move focus position.
17. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add MF subject detection area.
18. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add User settings to SETUP with options for Save user setting, Use user setting, and Reset user setting. These would be named U1, U2, U3 to match lower cameras. As part of this, add Cycle user setting to programmable button functions.
19. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add Save bank settings and Recall bank settings to the SETUP menu. 
20. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Nikon Imaging Cloud and Flexible Picture Control support.
21. Z8/Z9 — (change) Add an option to #F2 Lens control ring assignment: Require button press. A common issue brought up by users is that they like the ability to assign the control ring to something but don’t do so because it is easily accidentally moved and then their setting is wrong without them noticing. Requiring a button held down while rotating the control ring would “fix” this. The question is which button. For Aperture it should be the Mode button, for Exposure compensation and ISO it should be the named button.
22. Z8/Z9 — (change) When using two memory cards and pressing Delete you’re presented with a Delete on both? option that doesn’t seem to have any real options. Really should be Delete on slot 1, Delete on slot 2, Delete on both slots.
23. Z8/Z9 – (change) When using the i menu to change Picture Control, use the same on-screen interface as the Z50II/Z5II.
24. Z8/Z9 – (add new) Add Save EVF/Monitor position (settings). Also when you change from daytime to nighttime photography you might want to change the brightness of the monitor and viewfinder together, so needs a Restore function, too.
25. Z8/Z9 – (change) The split screen display zoom should allow the user to move both areas independently from one other. When you use a shift/tilt lens you want maximum DoF and need to look at close area and distant area together. Also, you should be able to change aperture when using the split screen display, for the same reason.
26. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add a user-settable aperture for focus only (e.g. different from shooting aperture). This would improve low-light AF when photographing at apertures smaller than wide-open. 
27. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add a Complete shut down option for power. Many sub-systems stay active when the Power switch is moved to Off. This means that a camera not used for a few days with a battery left in, may be at “no charge” when you pick it up and try to use it immediately. 
28. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add RAW histogram ability. Preferably in live view.
29. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Return the ability to assign Spot metering (and other metering methods) to a button.
30. Z8/Z9 — (change) Allow each button customization to have a different Recall shooting function. In other words, you can assign multiple buttons to a recall function, but they each recall different things.
31. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add Focus point VR.
32. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add open gate video recording. 
33. Z8/Z9 — (change) Add additional banks. Also: separate PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING banks. 
34. Z8/Z9 — (add new) Add Lightning (flash) trigger to Auto capture.
35. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Add the Non-CPU lens data entry system from the Zf 2.0 firmware.
36. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Allow a bank to be assigned to a button customization (e.g. switch banks). Alternatively, add Cycle bank option. 
37. Z8/Z9 — (add missing) Direct support of UVC/UAC streaming.
38. Z9 — (change) PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING banks are not independent as they are on the Z8.
39. Z9 — (add new) Add AF-area mode of Close focus priority and also Far focus priority (Needs to interact properly with subject detection.)
40. Z9 — (add missing) Add SETUP > Release option > [both releases active] [only release for orientation active] to help disable accidental shutter release from the non-active release when camera is in different orientation.
41. Z9 — (add missing) Add HEIF support.
42. Z9 — (add new) Add content authentication.
43. Z9 — (add missing) Add Pixel shift shooting. 
44. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Starting storage folder to Auto bracketing, Multiple exposure, and HDR overlay.
45. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add Allow full frame with DX lens option in Image area. 
46. Z9 Generation - (change) Improve live histogram so that borders aren’t the same color as data. In particular, if the border were yellow and you had pixels at maximum value, the right border would change to white (or blink). 
47. Z9 generation - (change) Allow Auto ISO minimum shutter speed and Auto ISO maximum sensitivity to be added to the MY MENU. Also include the minimum shutter speed within the ISO sub-menu when selected as an option on the "i" menu (the sub-menu that already has auto ISO on/off and maximum sensitivity)
48. Z9 Generation — (simplify) The lack of menu consistency is annoying for those with multiple cameras. For example, in the PHOTO SHOOTING Menu, the primary and secondary slot selection menus use different naming on Z8 & Z9 because of mismatched slots; can’t we conform wording no matter what the slot configuration is? In the PLAYBACK Menu, the Z6III lacks Auto series playback options. There is non-conformity across Z9 generation bodies that needs resolving.
49. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Use selected aperture above f/5.6. This is a corollary to the previous item, which would allow accurate focusing for lenses with focus shift above f/5.6. 
50. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Rate to the playback 𝒾-button Manage series menu.
51. Z9 Generation — (add new) In playback, if a button (say Fn1) is assigned to Rating, then pressing 𝒾-button and then Fn1 would rate the whole series that the current photo is part of (if any). Ditto if some button is programmed for Select for upload, Protect, or Delete. Rationale: when you take many bursts in fast-action settings, you want to be able to quickly scroll back and rate whole bursts via quick button presses.
52. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add focal length in mm to the shooting/video display, controlled by Custom viewfinder/monitor shooting display. Currently this shown just for power zoom lens, but would be useful for manual zoom lens too.
53. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the FITS file format. Astrophotographers have for a long time had an issue with Nikon cameras: RAW files. It’s not the format as such, but that there are factors baked into the RAW files which are strongly detrimental to astrophotography. Ideally, there would be nothing but the original sensor output data, encoded into a FITS file (FITS is the standard astrophotography file).
54. Z9 Generation — (add new) Create an NX Settings program, where on connection of camera to computer, you can get a full (printable or comma delimited) listing of all current camera settings. Would also be nice if we had the ability to directly change settings when connected. 
55. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Focus point display > Color blindness adjustment. About 8-10% of the population has a problem with red focus squares. 
56. Z9 Generation — (fix) When Auto ISO is active in Pre-release capture, minimum shutter speed is currently ignored. (This is because the image sensor is in a video mode for pre-release, and Nikon didn't add minimum shutter speed to video Auto ISO.)
57. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add any Pre-release capture capability that supports raw files, even if at a slower frame rate (e.g. <15) or requiring High efficiency compression. 
58. Z9 Generation — (add new) For gridlines add DX, 5:4, 4:3, 2:1, 7:6, 9:16, 21:9. Yes, gridlines that show some of these were improvements, but still require post production to complete. Also: add Centerline grid, which provides just a centered horizontal and vertical line (crosshair). 
59. Z9 Generation — (add new) In the PHOTO SHOOTING menu add a Save/load photo shooting menu option. In Reset photo shooting menu, then add Yes, from saved options. Do the same for VIDEO RECORDING menu. Do the same for the CUSTOM SETTINGS menu. 
60. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Storage folder and File naming should be grouped in Storage, with sub-options Rename folder, Select folder, Rename files. One might argue that File numbering sequence should go here, too.
61. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add BT.2100 to Color space. It's there, but only shows up when HEIF is selected. Should really be shown but grayed out in Tone mode of SDR.
62. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Make a new Flicker reduction group, with Release with Frequency Detection and Tune Shutter for High-frequency options.
63. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Create a new group for Lens corrections (Vignette, Diffraction, Distortion), and a similar group for Flash (Control, Mode, Compensation).
64. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Consider grouping multi-image sequences (e.g. Auto bracketing, Multiple exposure, HDR overlay, Interval timer shooting, Time-Lapse video, Focus shift shooting, Pixel shift shooting). Or consider moving these to a separate menu entirely. 
65. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Consider grouping audio items in the video menu (Microphone sensitivity, Attenuator, Frequency response, Wind noise reduction).
66. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Group all the SETUP menu things that save settings (Save user settings, Reset user settings, Save/load menu settings).
67. Z9 Generation — (add new) For Save/load menu settings, add the ability to create multiple named settings files. 
68. Z9 Generation — (simplify) In the SETUP menu, group the viewfinder and monitor settings. There’s potentially a third category, which is Both displays (e.g. Limit monitor mode selection, etc.).
69. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Add a Save position group, with sub-options for Focus, Zoom. It's possible that other things might be added to this in the future (wink, wink).
70. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Group EXIF data writing components (IPTC, Copyright information, Image comment).
71. Z9 Generation — (simplify) Remove Tone mode. This also requires changing Image quality. Image quality should only have NEF(RAW), HEIF, JPEG, NEF(RAW)+HEIF, and NEF(RAW)+JPEG. This also requires RAW recording to become Compression choices, which has sub-options for RAW recording and HEIF/JPEG compression. This simplifies intent, and reduces menu sprawling. (Set Picture Control will then have limited choices when HEIF is set, not a separate menu item for HEIF Picture Controls. I suspect Nikon did things the way they did so that they would be “remembered.” But that should have been done by a bit more programming, not forcing users to do the work.)
72. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Maximum shutter speed to VR options (VR turned off automatically when shutter speed is set above that).
73. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Instant Release mode change capability to button programmability. Allow a button to be programmed to a specific frame rate. Useful when the camera is set to a continuous mode, but you want to take a single image.
74. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add AF/MF subject detection options to button customization. Simple option: toggle between last specific setting and Off; more complex option: Cycle Subject detection options.
75. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Zebras while camera is set to take still photos.
76. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add File naming > Use Long names > [entry]. The world has long passed the 8.3 file name limitations. Since DCF dictates 8.3, these names would be new EXIF data that could be picked up by ingesting programs, such as Nikon Transfer, Photo Mechanic, and Adobe Lightroom. As part of this, allow more (user definable?) digits for file number.
77. Z9 Generation — (restore) Add the ability in Multiple exposure to create a composite RAW image (DSLRs allowed this for years).
78. Z9 Generation — (add missing) Add Over > MTR > under to Bracketing order. The rationale behind this has to do with night photography (astrophotography, auroras, etc.), where it might be difficult to see the first image in a sequence when it's at MTR or Under.
79. Z9 Generation — (restore) Put the word Highlights back on the display page for highlights! If you don't see blinking, you don't know which page you're on (unless you're really anal and have studied each of the display variations for subtle clues). 
80. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the ability to preview the RED LUTs when using N-Log. 
81. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add VR type (Normal, Sport) to Recall shooting function.
82. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add ability to instantly switch camera from its current Release mode to a pre-chosen Pre-release capture setting via button (#F2). In general, there are a lot of requests that all have a similar theme: the user is photographing something relatively stationary and has set the camera one way, but now there's action they need to deal with and they want the camera set a different way (and vice versa). Recall shooting function doesn't completely deal with this. 
83. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add a forced Save menu settings prior to a firmware update, along with a Load menu settings after the update has installed.
84. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add option Start as a #F2 button customization for the multiple image settings (Interval timer shooting, Time-lapse video, Focus shift shooting, and Pixel shift shooting.
85. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow Pinpoint AF in AF-C, which triggers an immediate Focus mode switch to AF-S. That way you don't have to set two things. A related request: a button customization to override Focus mode/AF-area mode to Pinpoint AF and AF-S on a temporary basis (e.g. Pinpoint focus only). 
86. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow magnification (zoom) during Depth of Field Preview.
87. Z9 Generation — (add new) Consider adding Release mode to PHOTO SHOOTING menu so that it is stored in banks. Other changes to settings suggested elsewhere may remove the need for this, though. 
88. Z9 Generation — (change) Make Exposure delay only apply when Release mode is set to Single. It's antithetical to the way almost everyone uses continuous modes. Perhaps there's a couple of other options here (Only applies to first frame versus Never applies to continuous Release modes). 
89. Z9 Generation — (change) For Maximum shots per burst make it so that there are separate settings for CL versus CH. 
90. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Shutter speed bracketing. Use Auto ISO to keep exposure constant, but vary shutter speeds used. This is applicable to photographing water, for instance, where the exact shutter speed is often determined by trial and error.
91. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add the following to the Control ring functions: Shutter speed, Flash exposure compensation, Focus tracking speed, and AF-area mode. 
92. Z9 Generation — (change) Allow separate gridline selections based upon horizontal and vertical camera position.
93. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add 3D-tracking (hold) as an AF-area mode. This means when you press the button (shutter release/AF-ON) to focus, the camera locks onto the subject and stays tracking focus on it even if you release the button.
94. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add a button customization of Set hyperfocal distance only. This overrides focusing system as long as held.
95. Z9 Generation — (add new) Allow a still image to be taken while recording video, even if that image is an H.265 derived frame rendering (e.g. HEIF). 
96. Z9 Generation — (add new) Actually return the missing Lock image orientation we had with DSLRs. 
97. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Delete focus stack series. If you messed up the start or end point, you might want to delete all the taken images and try again.
98. Z9 Generation — (change) Focus stack shooting should be simplified to (1) focus on near point, (2) focus on far point, and (3) select number of images.
99. Z9 Generation — (change) Allow user to pick multiple grids simultaneously (e.g. 1:1 and 16:9). 
100. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Cycle gridlines.
101. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add additional possible customizations to the OK button. If you're going to move it off its default use, might as well make it more flexible.
102. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add +JPEG. Similar to +RAW, but the other direction. Perhaps this can be Add JPEG or RAW as a single entry (i.e. add the option you're not using for the next image).
103. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add ISO dial extension to CSM #F2 Command dial. When ISO button pressed with Auto ISO active, Rear Command dial would then be Minimum shutter speed, and Front Command dial would be Maximum sensitivity.
104. Z9 Generation — (restore) Use of map to set time zone (touch sensitive). 
105. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Auto to Daylight saving time.
106. Z9 Generation — (add new) Change Date format to Date and time format and add 24/12 hour time display option.
107. Z9 Generation — (add new) Add Unicode characters to text entry screens.
108. Z9 Generation — (restore) Some items (e.g. AF-ON only) are still missing > indicators to show that additional options may be set.
109. Z9 Generation — (change) Change Release timing indicator to Briefly darken, Lines at all edges, Lines at left/right edges.
110. Z9 Generation — (change) Change Virtual horizon type to Centered lines, Border indicators
111. Z9 Generation (dual slot) — (add) Add Synchronize to Copy images. 
112. Z9 Generation (add new) — Add Subject priority exposure. This is actually an extension/improvement of Matrix metering face detection.
113. Z9 Generation (add new) — In conjunction with raw histogram ability added to the camera, add Expose to the right exposure choice. Probably an extension of previous item.
114. Z9 Generation (change) — Change camera behavior on power off. Don't reset anything unless user has selected new Cancel exposure changes item (default: Restore exposure changes). I noted earlier that "Save Position" was going to get extended. This is one of the extensions.
115. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add Power on time indicator to Battery info. Measures minutes camera has been on. As I've noted, CIPA battery values are really a proxy for minutes: just divide by two (as CIPA requires camera to be constantly on and take two images a minute). 
116. Z9 Generation (add missing) — Add a new Customizations page to Display page options that shows what button customizations were pressed (in action) when photo was taken.
117. Z9 Generation (change) — Half press of shutter release cancels image magnification.
118. Z9 Generation (restore) — Restore Aperture setting function to Command dials (the move from Customize command dials to Command dials being a sub-function of CSM #F2 lost some abilities; this one is key for Zf users).
119. Z9 Generation (add new) — Add a sound notification when video recording is stopped by camera (high temperature, file size, out of space, out of power).
120. Z9 Generation (change) — When in Manual exposure mode, use the shutter speed that was set as the minimum shutter speed when Auto ISO is active.
121. Z9 Generation (change) — Allow flash at faster than 1 second when using Focus shift shooting. This seems to be an arbitrary decision as this isn't enforced elsewhere. Insect macro photography relies on fast flash, and OMDS and Sony allow faster flash in focus stacks. Potential loss of customer.
122. Z9 Generation (change) — When you create a network profile of any sort, a text file is placed on the card, and the username and password are stored in that file unencrypted. This is a security risk. Any username/password should be encrypted.
123. Z9 Generation (simplification) — PHOTO SHOOTING and VIDEO RECORDING should be contextual. By this I mean that this is the first menu shown in the menu list when the camera is set to stills (PHOTO SHOOTING) or video (VIDEO RECORDING). Not only does this simplify, it also acts as a warning; it's easy to move the still/video switch without noticing; the menu redaction will tell you immediately that you're not in the mode you wish to be. Implicit within this request is that SHOOTING banks would be separated, too. 
124. Z9 Generation (change) — Add ability for Virtual horizon indicators to work when camera pointed down (i.e. provide a new mode that establishes when camera is pointed perfectly down.
125. Z9 Generation (change) — Shooting menu bank should allow both Command dials (Front for Custom Setting bank and Back for Shooting menu bank. Rename function to Change menu banks.
126. Z9 Generation (fix) — Release mode is dealt with inconsistently among various cameras in terms of U# (user settings) and banks. Some respect it, some don't.

Okay, here's where you come in. I'm sure you have your own thoughts on this. Before I try to put this list high on Nikon Tokyo's attention, I want to make sure it's relatively complete. So if you have your own thoughts here, send them to me via email in the following form: [camera], [type of change], [change], and if you have time, the reason the change is necessary (this will become important later in my plan to get Tokyo's attention ;~). Note that I'm talking about firmware type changes here, not hardware ones. Hardware starts to trigger new models, and that's not our goal at the moment. What we really want to define is "the perfect Z9 generation camera." Any future generation of cameras should pick up on and inherit that.

Once I have your inputs, I'm move forward with the rest of my plan, and let you know what you can do next to help. Don't worry if you don't have anything specific you want to see addressed beyond what I've presented; you'll have your chance to add your voice on all the proposed changes later in the process. Again, my goal at the moment is to just get a well-informed, tight, clear list of firmware changes that would drive the existing users into nirvana. Well, at least photographic nirvana. 

I asked last week about which missing Nikkor you'd make if you were the Product Manager at Nikon. As usual, I got a ton of responses. Curiously, though, those broke down to basically just seven lenses that rose above the rest. Let's count those down to #1:

#7 — We'll begin with a "lens" that got a lot of support, though only if I grouped a couple of specific design choices.

• Wide Angle f/4 — The actual focal length differed a bit on some of the responses, but seemingly the idea here was always a wider prime, but keep it compact. Almost all mentioned f/4; the remainder f/1.8. While faster wide angle primes got votes, they didn't get as many as the slower aperture definition. Moreover, the "fast" wide angle prime requests ranged more across the board in focal length and purpose (e.g. 10mm to 18mm, astrophotographer versus some other use). Almost all the wide angle f/4 requests were for 14mm or 16mm, and the purpose was clearly "compact wide." 

#3, 4, 5 and 6 (essentially a tie) — This tight grouping surprised me a bit. Each of the following choices got about equal response:

• 16-80mm f/4 DX — It apparently doesn't need to be fast, but it needs to DX sized with optical performance as the goal. If coupled with the few that asked for an f/2.8 or f/2.8-4, this group would have risen out of the tie.
• 24mm f/1.2 S — It wasn't a surprise to me that variations on the current lens lines got nominations, but it was a surprise to me that the top vote getter—by a wide margin—was extending the f/1.2 line to 24mm. I'm not 100% certain what these folk are looking for, as we're also missing a 24mm f/1.4, but it appears that image quality comes first and foremost.
• 8-15mm fisheye — It should be noted that most of the lenses that got frequent requests replicate something that was done in the F-mount by Nikon. This was the lens that was most directly asked for (no modifications). If you add this to #7 (wide angle f/4) the whole "need another truly wide angle lens option" rises to #3 by itself.  
• 300mm f/4 — A surprise to me, but there were plenty of people who want something akin to the 300mm f/4 PF, but with closer focusing, to near macro level (e.g. 1:2 or at least 1:4). The surprise to me here wasn't so much the 300mm part, as that's a clear focal length hole in the current Nikkor telephoto lineup, but that almost all of the folk asking for this focal length also mentioned closer focusing as a requirement.

#2 — While the above lenses had what I'd call strong support, there were two that had significantly higher levels of request:

•  The 100/120-300mm f/2.8. A few people wanted a bit more focal length at the wide end, but the clear demand here was for a zoom that went to 300mm and retained that f/2.8 aperture. I agree with this being a high need in the Nikkor lineup, despite the fact that we can use the existing F-mount version using the FTP adapter. I'd also point out that on a RED KOMODO-X (why isn't it KOMODO-Z?) with its APS-C crop, this would be the "right" wildlife videography lens, too. 

And finally, #1

• Anything that's in the 70-200mm or 70-300mm realm that's not fast aperture. By far the most asked for option was the "carry along telephoto", something like a 70-200mm f/4 or a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6. Many actually wrote that they'd accept either. The goal here was apparently to keep size and weight minimal (with a more consumer pricing being the second most mentioned attribute). I found this interesting, as the Tamron 70-300mm already exists in the Z-mount, so there's something that people aren't resonating with on the Tamron. Likewise, the 70-180mm f/2.8 is compact. Thus, something about this category isn't being clearly served at the moment.

One message to Nikon: 300mm played a part in #1, #2, and #3+. Seems like a clear message to me.

As with all recent Nikon camera introductions, Mark Comon (Paul's Photo and Creative Photo Academy) and me will be providing our detailed assessment of the just announced Nikon Z5II. The primary discussion won't be so much about about image quality or focus performance, as those things are well established by the other recent cameras using the same technology and image sensor. Instead, this is the first time that we need to go deep into the 24mp full frame lineup and explain how the multiple options Nikon is offering play out against one another. 

There's a lot to discuss, as Nikon now has Z5, Z5II, Z6II, Z6III, and Zf models packed into that space. Which camera might be best for you and why is the key element to our discussion; we hope to make things clearer for you (certainly clear than Nikon has). While our hands on experience with the Z5II is minimal at this point, we're pretty sure we can put this new camera into perspective for you.

As with all our New Product Presentations, we'll be doing this via a free Zoom web session on Tuesday, at 5pm PST (8pm EST). You can sign up to attend—again, free—by heading to the Creative Photo Academy Web site and clicking on the Z5II session. You'll get an email with how to log on when you do. As usual, this event will be recorded, and those who sign up for it but don't attend will get an email with a link to view the recording a day or two after the presentation. 

Nikon today introduced the highly anticipated Z5II. The short summary: the Z5II is comprised of mostly Zf internals in a body nearly identical to the original Z5. That makes the Z5II the sixth Z9-generation camera with EXPEED7 goodies, leaving only the Z7 line to await such an update (in full frame). I'm told that the Z5 will continue in the lineup at (eventually) a new reduced price. 

Wait, I wrote surprises in the headline, so what were those? I basically see three things that go beyond what was expected for a Z5 update:

1. The price. At US$1699, that makes the Z5II and the Z6II the same price currently, and this price is decidedly higher than what most expected. The good news is that the Z5II is a better camera than the Z6II while using the same image sensor. 
2. The feature set. I was surprised by the original Z5's feature set and how extensive it was, and once again Nikon has put in one heck of a lot of the Z9 generation goodies to load up the Z5II (see below). Curiously, HEIF seems to be missing, but things like 12-bit N-RAW, Hi-Res Zoom, and other more advanced and non-entry features are present. 
3. The offer. At least for the initial rollout, NikonUSA is providing a free one-year subscription to Adobe's Lightroom+1TB Creative Cloud offering when you register your camera. That's US$144 worth of software and cloud goodness that seems to indicate that at least the Nikon and Adobe sales teams are talking to each other.

About that price. NikonUSA's current Instant Rebate program expires in a week, on April 11th. My guess is that the next round of discounting will have to start addressing the problematic log-jam Nikon currently has in pricing of their full frame lineup. I believe that the future pricing will sort into an order that goes like this: Z5 < Z6II < Z5II < Zf < Z6III. All these are 24mp cameras, but with different feature sets at staggered price points. (If you want more of a discussion about this, Mark Comon and I will be doing our usual "new camera launch" type of presentation for the Z5II on Tuesday, at 5pm PST (see Creative Photo Academy site for details and to sign up).)

Let's get to the details about what's in the Z5II. Major things the new camera gets from the Z9 generation change:

• Subject detection autofocus with all the trimmings (e.g. Wide-Area custom settings); yes, and Bird is a choice
• Focus performance has improved to -10EV (at base ISO with f/1.2 lens)
• Pixel shift shooting is included (up to 96mp from 32 images; requires free NX Studio software to stitch)
• Nikon Imaging Cloud support, including downloadable Recipes (i.e. Flexible Picture Controls) to go with the new Picture Control button on the top of the camera (ala the Z50II)
• Restructured menu system (PHOTO SHOOTING, VIDEO RECORDING, CUSTOM SETTING, PLAYBACK, SETUP, NETWORK) 
• Additional customization options
• Maximum frame rate increases to about 14 fps from 4.5 fps (as with the other non-stacked image sensors, the exact frame rate you get depends upon whether you're using mechanical shutter or electronic)
• As with the other Z9 generation cameras, we get button and control position shifts from the original Z6/Z7 positions
• Higher end options such as Voice memo, Skin softening, and High-frequency flicker reduction are surprisingly included
• Better video capabilities show up in spades (10-bit H.265 support, 12-bit N-RAW, N-Log, no crop at 4K/30P, the addition of 4K/60P and FullHD/120P, waveforms, and much more)

And the (few) things the Z5II didn't get from the EXPEED7 bin:

• 10-bit HEIF (Nikon Japan says HEIF is in the camera)
• IPTC data entry
• WR wireless flash support; the MC-DC2 type slot is dropped, replaced by the MC-DC3 remote that plugs into the headphone jack, thus you can't plug an WR-R11 into the Z5II

Battery remains the long-lived EN-EL15 type, again using the C iteration. USB charging happens in camera with B and C versions of the battery, but note that the camera no longer comes with a standalone charger or USB wall wart, just a USB C cable. CIPA ratings range from 330 images to 380, depending upon how you've got the camera set and whether you're using the EVF or Rear LCD.

All of this happens in a body that is remarkably close in size to the original Z5 while gaining an ounce in the changeover (it's still smaller and lighter than the Z6III). Said body is weather sealed and now features an articulated Rear LCD instead of a tilting one. While the EVF has the same dot pattern and most other characteristics as the Z5, Nikon claims that it can go far brighter, up to 3000 nits and "6x brighter than competing cameras" (Nikon didn't state what those are ;~); the Z5, by comparison was 1000 nits).

Nikon made a few other changes that aren't just about Z9 Expeed7 improvements. One is that instead of the old D600/D750 image sensor, the Z5II has moved to the Z6II/Zf image sensor. That means we go from FSI (frontside illumination) to BSI (backside) and add in dual gain to the Z5II. There's no real change in pixel count, but many changes to video capabilities, some rolling shutter improvements, and overall better data transfer speed. Since that last bit impacts focus speed, one should expect Zf level autofocus from the Z5II, which is to say, really good for casual work, and even able to stretch into action, when needed. To reiterate the levels at which I think action works on the various Z9 generation cameras, from lowest to highest:

• Z50II — The electronic shutter speed, rolling shutter, and EVF conspire here to make the Z50II a bit erratic when you press it against the top frame rates with moving subjects you have to follow. Another issue can be top shutter speed if you're using mechanical shutter.
• Z5II and Zf — A small step upward with the EVF, but with some of the same issues as in the DX sibling.
• Z6III — A clear step forward. The partial stack sensor and the EVF do some heavier lifting and rolling shutter is significantly reduced.
• Z8 and Z9 — The full stack sensor and the split-stream off it make for no hiccups and no visible rolling shutter. 

For some reason, the sensor VR on the Z5II is now rated at 7.5 stops CIPA instead of 8 stops (on the Zf). We do get Focus point VR, though. I'm sorting through a few other similar oddities and will report on those as I understand them.

Even at the US$1699 price point, the Z5II probably is going to be a decent seller initially (and it ships to customers "in April"). While Z5 owners have had multiple chances to upgrade already (via the Z6II, Zf, and Z6III) and the new model is at a higher list price, the Z5II significantly undercuts the Z6III. By that I mean that the Z5II is probably 95% the camera the Z6III is, but at 500 fewer shekels. Some future Z6III sales are going to shift to the Z5II because of that. Meanwhile, the original Z5 is still on the market at the US$999 price point, and remains a reasonably compelling entry-level full frame camera; the Z5II sits almost exactly between that Z5 and Z6III in price (particularly if you factor in the Lightroom offer). 

So who benefits from this revised Z5II?

• The remaining DX DSLR folk that were looking for how they'd get into mirrorless and have always envied FX. Accounting for inflation, the Z5II is at the D7xxx price point and offers a ton of upgrades.
• The remaining D600/D750 folk that didn't want to pay US$2000+ to get similar image quality. US$1700 is a large ask, but at least now the bottom entrant of the current full frame mirrorless lineup sees feature and performance gains that would make the switch worthwhile.
• Those that were on the fence about the Z6III. As I've discussed the Z5II with others, we've had a tough time describing the compelling reason to update to a Z6III over now the Zf and Z5II. Yes, you get a better EVF in the Z6III, but you may also need to buy new storage cards (CFexpress) and the other "gains" are all in the not-needed category for some users (e.g. rolling shutter improvement). 

And who is not looking at the Z5II so positively?

• Original Z5 owners looking to upgrade. Yes, they see more performance and features, but they also see a significant price increase. 
• The gift-shopping crowd. Again, the higher price becomes the issue, particularly if you need to buy a lens along with the body. (It's a US$2000 proposition to buy the Z5II with the 24-50mm kit lens.)

Commentary: Despite Nikon's continued insistence that they're primarily targeting high-end products, in reality they're simply rebuilding their very wide DSLR lineup again, though perhaps with a few more features at the lower end this time. By holding older cameras on the market and ingeniously staggering the updates, we now have eleven cameras spread out from US$710 list to US$6000 list. That's fourteen Z System cameras Nikon has come out with in less than seven years. Indeed, by the time we hit the actual seven year Z anniversary, I expect that list to be at least fifteen. Given that at least a third of those cameras sell for less than the historical prosumer/pro lower bar—which has always been somewhere around US$2000 since the D100 first appeared—Nikon's actions speak differently than their words.

On the other hand, I find it great that Nikon is taking the Z9 generation technology all the way down into what can be called more consumer cameras. We now have the Z50II providing current technology without having to go upscale in list price, with the Z5II doing the same while nudging the price (this could be an anticipated tariff adjustment). When you also consider inflation, a new-to-Nikon consumer purchasing in the US$1700 and under category is today getting more camera and better value for less money. Hopefully we'll see this extend to the Z30 soon with II refresh, too.

According to one inside source I've talked to, the camera update that's been problematic for Nikon to figure out how to manage correctly in this generational transition is the Z7. They can't simply make it into a Z8 with no split sensor data, as that would undermine the sales of the Z8. Those sales of the Z8 have continued at higher levels for far longer than expected, and Nikon simply doesn't want to undermine the Z8 until they have to. I've been saying that a Z7III isn't likely until there's an impending change to the Z8 that would clearly differentiate the two, and I believe that may be exactly Nikon's attitude, too. 

So at this point we have six current generation cameras (Z9, Z8, Z6III, Zf, Z5II, and Z50II on EXPEED7) and five older generation cameras (Z7II, Z6II, Z5, Z30, and Zfc on EXPEED6). The older generation cameras will live in the price cracks of the newer generation, giving Nikon what looks to be a broad line of differently priced cameras, again very similar to what they did in the teens for DSLRs.

I expect another EXPEED7 camera—a new, more video oriented model—to be next and further updates of the older cameras will probably stall into 2026 and later. That said, Men's World Cup and the Winter Olympics are in 2026, so I expect high-end action by Nikon to defend the Z9 in late 2025 or early 2026. Whether that's more big firmware updates or a real Z9II is unclear. I actually believe Nikon management is debating that very choice right now in Tokyo as they prepare for their year-end press and business meetings. (I outlined the low-hanging fruit for a modest Z9II update in an earlier article.)

Nikon has entered their new fiscal year (only two days ago) in a relatively good place, with strong sales driven by a fairly strong lineup. This, however, is going to be a fiscal year of tests for Nikon, though. Is a Z5II and a ZV going to be enough to continue growth in sales and market share? Will the tariff and world economic situations become a huge friction to overcome? What new lenses would really keep the Nikkor side of the business moving forward? While Nikon management will pat themselves on the back again in the first week of May, they're almost certainly concerned about the road ahead, as it's about as rocky as ever.