Saturday April 8, 2023: Steve Simon's NIKON Z9 MASTERY ONLINE BOOTCAMP Firmware 3.10 Extensively Covered!

The NikonZ9: Everything You Need to Know. Transformational Strategies To Simplify Your Process And Let Creativity Soar with Steve Simon

If you can't make the Saturday's Class, you will be given a link to watch the class online and you will receive all the set-up cards, handouts and BIN file for you to populate all your settings to your Z9 in seconds. You will be eligible to take the next and future live class at no charge.

It's here! Nikon's Flagship Z9 camera has been much anticipated and did not disappoint. The Z9 is the culmination of more than 100 years of Nikon history and innovation. It is the most advanced and capable camera Nikon has ever produced; and with the new Version 3.10 firmware, an amazing camera got even more amazing! A hybrid mix of groundbreaking new technologies and advanced features expanded from its latest most offerings, the Nikon Z mirrorless bodies and the previous flagship D6 camera. 

The main class (6 hours) March 3, 2023 and the follow up class to discuss implementation of the camera settings and how things are working out at a later date (1.5 hours) TBA. The bootcamp will be recorded and participants will have access to view the class at their convenience. There will be new bootcamps monthly as long as there is demand and you are welcome to take it again for free if you like. 

The cost of this workshop covers tuition and 4 Nikon Z9 series set-up cards, a detailed slide-deck handout and assorted NIKON Z9 pdfs. You also get the Z9 "bin" file which lets you populate the entire menu including all banks in less than a second using the camera's Save/Load settings function. All settings based on the latest version 3.10 Firmware. 

Some of the ground breaking features this camera incorporates are:

• 45.7MP Stacked CMOS sensor
• 30 fps JPEG shooting
• 20 fps Raw shooting (for over 1000 compressed Raws)
• 120 fps JPEG shooting at 11MP resolution
• 8K/30p capture and 4K-from-8K, with ProRes 422 HQ option
• 8K/60p, 12-bit 8K N-Raw and 4K ProRes RAW to be added with f/w
• Internal 10-bit N-Log and HLG capture
• 3.69M dot OLED EVF with reduced lag and greater brightness
• XM dot rear LCD with multi-directional tilt
• Twin CFexpress Type B card slots
• Full-time electronic shutter camera
• Sensor shield to protect sensor

So much more is added to this camera in the 2.O Version Update and now there is 3.10. Read all about them HERE.  

The Z9 is always evolving. People that take this online class can come to future online classes for a refresher at no charge. 

The Z mirrorless cameras are amazing. But the Z9 has made it possible to get images I never could before with any other camera. 

 “I just spent the last two days with Steve Simon, what a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, he cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days.”    Oscar Piñeyro

 Master This Camera

The core of the Z9 Body's most important features will be covered including the new Version 3.0 Firmware Update. This will be a 6-Hour Online Course. We will take a short lunch break. Students will have access to a recording of the class so they can go back on their own time and review. The Nikon Z9 is a bold introduction to set a new standard in state of the art mirrorless cameras.

A surprise for many has been the Z9’s marriage of speed and high megapixel count. It’s fast, considered a full frame “sports & fast action camera” capable of shooting 20fps over (for more than 1000 compressed RAW files using the new High Efficiency compression option) meaning a very large and fast buffer pushing through high resolution files without locking up. Its stacked CMOS sensor means the Z9 completely abandons the mechanical shutter and there’s no banding or barrel distortion in silent mode shooting. 

This new sensor has enabled Nikon to accelerate AF performance with new subject recognition algorithms trained to recognize a range of popular shooting targets like people, animals and moving vehicles at 120AF calculations per second. 

It recognized eyes, faces and torsos maintaining focus on the person you are following. With animals, it now can be used to track birds beyond the dogs and cats that previous Z body eye detect has been able to focus on. Vehicles tracked include planes, trains, bikes and motorcycles as well as cars. 

And it does so simply, with the “Auto” subject mode letting the camera determine the moving subject to lock on and track. (There is also People, Animal and Vehicle if you want to be specific). All AF systems are significantly improved in firmware updates. 

For the first time there is 3D Tracking AF on a mirrorless Nikon body, something DSLR shooters have been asking for. I was never a fan of that mode, letting the camera decide what to focus on but I know many photographers have sworn by it with great success. I’m putting the new mirrorless 3D mode through its paces and this new AF system is so  much better than anything I’ve used on previous Nikon bodies. Also, now that the 493 point AF system covers some 90 per cent of the frame, it’s more dependable and versatile compared to the central array coverage on previous DSLR bodies. 

Stabilization VR

One of the great features I love about the mirrorless Nikon Z bodies is the in-camera stabilization which works really well. Z9 stabilization ups the ante combines in camera VR with the stabilization in the new Z VR lenses. Initially, this 'Sychro VR' mode will only be available using the Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S (after a promised firmware update), the Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR and the just-announced Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S.

Many of the buttons and menus items will be familiar to Nikon users who enjoy the evolution over revolution when picking up a new Nikon offering. The Playback Button has been repositioned from top left to lower right of the body but if you want to maintain your muscle memory you can program the Protect button for Playback or do what I do, customize a lens function button for Playback to review an image quickly with your eye to the viewfinder. 

What’s nice is the buttons are back-lit and illuminated making them easy to see when light gets dim. I’m excited about the dedicated AF Mode button on the lower left of the front of the camera. It’s what I was used to with my Nikon DSLR’s and is essential for changing focusing systems on the fly. The workaround on previous Z Mirrorless bodies was to program a function button for that task but this is better. 

There is no SD Card slot on the Z9 but two CF Express Type B Slots which are super fast and enable pique performance. Older XQD cards can also be used. 

The electronic viewfinders in the Z6II & Z7II bodies are comfortable and easy to get used to coming from the DSLR world, comparable to optical viewfinders. The Z9 EFV is similar but and even nicer and there is no black out when burst shooting, and it's smoother now with the faster refresh rate in version 2.11 turned on. The tilting rear LCD screen is now multi-directional and just short of a fully articulating screen but it will let you view and see the screen when holding the camera high above our head or aiming it straight down both when shooting vertical as well as horizontal for easier framing. 

The Z9 incorporates a “sensor shield” which looks like a closed shutter but it’s designed solely to protect the sensor during lens changes. 

BATTERY POWER

The Z9 uses the EN-EL18d, the latest Nikon large battery iteration used by previous flagship Nikons like the D6 & D5 and is rated to deliver 740 shots per charge. All previous EN-EL18 batteries will work but you can only charge the b, c and d versions in-camera over USB. The charger that comes with the Z9 also only supports the three most recent variants.

Everything will be covered from shooting modes to Auto ISO, white balance, metering choices, histograms, exposure compensation, file formats, image review and other shortcuts to customizing your Nikon Z Mount mirrorless cameras to your own unique shooting style.

The Bank system has been much improved and Steve will send you Set Up Cards for Travel/Street; Action,  Landscape and Point & Shoot. You will also get a Nikon "Bin" file to populate all the menu items from your memory card! Then, in our Zoom class, we go over important menu items together. 

Shot with Nikon Z9

You will learn Steve’s “Big Eight” transformational technical strategies and learn his minimalist philosophy when it comes to Nikon gear. This masterclass is designed to let you take control of your camera and speed up your response time so you don’t miss a moment.

(Photo: Van Tsciclas)

Steve will dive deep into autofocus and personalizing your Z9 by customizing buttons & dials to program function buttons,  AF-ON (for back button AF) and the sub-selector button. The Z9 is the most customizable camera body Nikon has ever manufactured. 

Steve wants to insure you fully understand these concepts and the  positive impact they will have on your shooting process moving forward. You will learn about programming Bank Settings and set-up the very useful My Menu screen. 

Students can download Steve’s User Settings for Street & Travel,  Fast Action Hybrid, Landscape Photography and Point & Shoot.

What to have at your side for our online class: 

• Your Nikon Z9 mirrorless body and at least one lens
• Fully charged camera battery (Z9 battery should last through the class)
• CF Express Card
  
• A strong desire to learn the best ways to configure this amazing camera!

(Photo: Walt Custer)