I shoot a lot of live bands with my Z6, I never used eye detect autofocus because it was just too slow, but the firmware 3.4 has completely changed that, Its like having a new camera.
So nice to see the difference between old and new software and hats off to Nikon for continuing to update a camera that’s 3 years old 👏👏 love Nikon 😀. Thank you Becky, Kon and Sam 👍👍
I wish you kept the F stop the same or all the settings the same. You used f2.2 on one with new firmware and f5.6 on one with older firmware.. 2:30 and 4:04
3.4 is an amazing upgrade. I wish I upgraded a day before. I had a dance shoot never used eye af because it was horrible with 3.3. From some test shots with 3.4, I think I'm comfortable now to turn it on and use it.
This is the difference between consumer electronics company and camera company. You don´t have to buy newer and more expensive to get better. This is amazing, bravo Nikon!
Thanks for the test. I did notice on the updated Z6 it seemed to be shooting in Manual mode with f/2.2, 1/3200 and Auto-ISO. For the non-updated it seems it was using Aperture Priority at f/5.6, ISO 200. Not sure if the difference in aperture had an impact on the test. But I'm sure the new firmware is still a huge improvement in auto-focus!
It’s a huge improvement! I use eye detect all the time for portraits and before it was…ok. But now it’s a night and day difference. I think that Nikon learned a lot making the Z9 and then used that knowledge to update their other cameras. It’s cool that they still care about the O.G.’s!
I have a Z6 , did the firmware update ,and it definitely works better . I wouldn't have bought a Z7 ll , if I knew this upgrade was coming . I guess I will have to keep them both LOL . Hoping for another firmware update for the Z7 ll to come soon .
I had not used the eye detect very much with my Z7 with the older firmware version since I seldom take photos of people. However, I updated to 3.40 and took many photos of the grandkids this weekend indoors in available light shooting at F1.8 or F2, and it worked really well. Out of several hundred frames, only a few missed critical focus. Very impressed by this update Nikon! It will be interesting how the Z6II and Z7II will fare once they get a corresponding update.
I had the version one Z6 for one year now and downloaded the latest firmware a couple weeks ago. Since I'm a focus and recompose type of guy for stills, I never really counted on eye detection in full auto mode however I'm now using it in that mode and I think I like it. I use a D5 and D500 for sports, just purchased the Z6 to see how mirrorless feels. I'm retired from a career in anesthesia and the surgeons had a saying regarding techniques, "don't be the first to switch to something new or the last to change from something old". So that's where I am now. I really enjoy your weekly broadcasts and also ones like this. You both seem really nice. Ted in Sebastian, Florida
Hi, when you say sports, does that include hockey? I'm looking to upgrade my D7200 and have been wanting a Z6 for some time now. I'm photographing almost only hockey, would be interesting to know someone's experience on hockey. I have a G2 Tamron 70-200/2.8.
Confirms what I have experienced with eye autofocus when taking pictures of my active grandchildren using my firmware updated Z7 Very enjoyable video as always
I bought a Z6 in Sept 2020, then upgraded to a Z6ii in May 2021 for the improved autofocus and faster start-up time. Recently purchased a well-used Z7 with v3.4 and WOW! it's got the same start-up time as the Z6ii and the autofocus is as good. Should have stuck with my old Z6 !!
I have z6 and didn't update. I was about to buy z6II, but now I'm just gonna wait for the next gen Expeed 7. Thanks for the video, it was super helpful!
I would like to see a comparison between the Z6 / Z6ii / D500 to see if the mirrorless autofocus works as well as the DSLR autofocus, for still photo sequences and for video.
Z6II user here, I can tell you that 3.4 firmware eye AF works much better than my Z6II in the latest 1.3 firmware from October. My eye AF performance is about on par or slighty better than the 3.31.
i´m so glad and surprised that Nikon still brings updates with this much improvement and about what a remarkable piece of camera the z6 is considering it's "reputation" and price point. just got one mint condition with 800 shutter count and an additional battery for under a 1000€. you can't beat that, its an incredibly high quality camera body with a beautiful bsi fullframe sensor.
Y’all are like a Z9 bonus feature for me. I discovered your channel while doing research for the Z9 and have enjoyed everything I’ve watched from you. The two of you have great on screen chemistry. I always look forward to your next video. Keep up the good work
Hiya, I'm on a pretty tight budget & am looking to buy a used Z6 in March 2024. As Nikon experts what are your honest thoughts & opinions on how good the AF is now after all the firmware updates, and considering the Z6 is now 4/5 years old? Many thanks
My Z6 works the same as your test. Animal works better as well, prior version would not eye recognize our black Carine Terrier which it does now. I do find that a brighter setting nets better results. My Z7ii could use improvements in low light as well. A 500mm on a tripod should be able to keep a moose in the open in focus with a high success rate.
Could you do a similar review of the Z5? There is some confusion as to what improvements were made to AF. I think the 1.2 firmware for the Z5 improved eye-detect AF, but it was not mentioned in the release notes.
That was pretty conclusive, although I did notice you handicapped the older firmware with a lower, fixed iso 200. When I upgraded my Z7ii firmware it then rejected my Duracell batteries. For this reason I have not upgraded my Z6 firmware for a while. It’s great Nikon is upgrading firmware so often.
Eyes and face recognition is improved. No doubt about that. But if the focus ability is also improved simultaneously when the recognition is triggered? What I mean is that if the eyes or face in the taken pic is on focus at the same time
Great review, they lack of quality eye detection has really limited how I use my Z6. I am excited about the improvements you demonstrated in your review and can't wait to update the firmware and give it a try for some street photography!
The update surely gets the eye quicker, and I will take it. However, when the old version switches from face to eye, its hard to argue that there is a real difference between face and eye with focus at that distance.
The problem is also with the lenses... If you have a lens with an aperture of 2.8, for instance, my Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 will focus always even under dim light and 5 stops fill flash... The trick, Nikon has done is that it is focusing for faces even without pressing any focusing button like shutter release ... And if you push that button, then it focuses... But the face detection the focus system have done before...
having the subject go out of frame and come back in is a more difficult test as you would get to experience how the camera re-acquires focus with the update.
Thank you for the informative test! I wonder if You could do the same with the Z50? I upgraded without comparing to the original firmware but I am quite sure it was a major improvement as well.
Hello Both, Great to see them improving the first generation cameras. Nice to see a side bt side of both old and new software. I do like these not reviews but this is what it dose videos. Keep well, keep safe and do get vaccinated.
Think it would have been better to stay at the same aperture, traditionally autofocus performance is better the wider open you have the lens. But still nice review.
I can't imagine a portrait photographer ever needing faster autofocus than that. It looks as though it would even eye track a dancer with ease. Sports action wildlife might be different and a head to head test against the competition would be interesting. It is obviously a huge improvement.
Ok,well said…. But… I do not understand why the ii serie, with 2 processor, cannot be improved… soon! And why we haven’t seen anything on it…. Very confusing…
Okay I always say this but it is so great to see both of you in the field with the camera in your hands and describing what you're doing and showing us the limitations of the autofocus. Looks like a really good upgrade. I'm waiting to see what they can do with the z72 and the z62 since they have a dual processor I feel that it's going to be quite an upgrade, listen I don't want to be a downer cuz I really like Nikon but it begs the question why weren't these cameras released with this in the first place? Why did those cameras have to wait 3 years for the proper upgrade? Why are the z62 and z72 still waiting? It's not like it was a really hard fix, it's codes Canon and Sony had codes Nikon was lagging behind. If Nikon Couldn't Write the codes themselves they could have subcontracted somebody that could. I don't know what the copyright laws are on code but they could have been legal and similar to Sony and Canon and not made everybody wait that bought their equipment. Now back to you two, I just enjoy your work thank you too bad you couldn't talk Damon and Tilly into joining you. Your buddy Sam there did a good job though.
I too expected Nikon to have caught up to its competitors more quickly. I think that when Nikon conceptualized the Z6 and Z7, eye autofocus was not recognized by their planners and decision makers as the paradigm changing feature that it eventually became. By the time it became apparent Sony had developed and delivered eye autofocus as a game changing feature in the A7III, Nikon was probably well beyond they point they could change the processing power requirement they designed in the Z6 and Z7. This probably meant they had to both figure out how to code the eye autofocus feature (without breaking copyright) AND do so in a way that delivered results comparable to Sony, with less processing power. If this is the case, that is a big challenge in a market which was already contracting, THEN got hit with a worldwide pandemic. Sony (and to a lesser degree Canon) have substantially broader businesses than Nikon; possibly allowing them to function with less impact in what was a revenue-challenged environment. Eye autofocus (for all manufacturers) has gotten steadily better since its release. Nikon’s firmware update 2 was good, update 3 was very good, and update 3.4 is notably better. Though Nikon had to play catch-up, eye autofocus has brought great improvements to parts of the photographic experience. Sony changed the world for the better. That said, I feel my Nikon Z6 always had good autofocus overall. In addition, Nikon delivers enough value overall to remain my brand of choice. As has been said, at this tier, these are all very good cameras. The Z9 further confirms Nikon continues its commitment to deliver excellence. When the updates for the Z6 II and Z7II come out, I expect they will be substantial; not as good as the Z9, but still a real improvement.
Thanks for spotting that Sajal! We will make sure that our settings match on our cameras next time - this was an impromptu test but you're totally right, they should have been set up the same. We'll be doing more of these and will be sure to match up shutter speeds, apertures etc. Thanks for your support!
@@graysofwestminster Yes , I think so , Master indeed . Fantastic mover . Also huge props to Becky and Kon or whoever the credit goes to for thinking up this amazing idea . It`s the ideas that drives your fabulous success . Netflix beckons !!! They can`t afford you . You`re ours !!!
Hi B & K! Greets from Malaysia! This was a great test as it shows that Nikon actually CAN do autofocus for video shooters. What I saw here looks to be excellent autofocus performance for talking head docu style videos. As a suggestion… perhaps you could create some videos showing a Z6 put on a tripod and then you both walk in front of the camera and move around and record yourselves with no one manning the camera. How would the autofocus work? Could you trust it? I say this because I, like many… are solo operators and need autofocus we can trust if we want to appear in frame. For such applications I had only Canon and Sony cameras in my sights. Based on this video of yours and this seemingly transformative firmware…. Maybe Nikon (Cheaper Z’s) can now be trusted too for solo content creators?? 🥰
@@qiyuxuan9437 hi yuxuan! In other videos I have seen… Z series video autofocus does indeed at times look bad. I would have agreed with you had I not seen this video. But what I saw in this video shows me that this firmware might have made the Z6 very useful for talking head videos. There are people like myself, and I think there are lots, where video is more important than stills. Prior to this video… i would say the Z6 did not inspire confidence that you, as a solo operator and presenter in front of the camera would trust it to focus on you and stay in focus. Based on this video… this now “SEEMS” it might be possible… I think if B & K could make some videos showcasing what a Z6 can do video wise in talking head style content creation… much like they do themselves… but without a third person operating the camera… it might make the Z6 far more attractive to a wider audience. Unfortunately only a super tiny group of people can financially afford a Z9... Anyway these are my thoughts… everyone looks at it differently and has their own needs and value system. Peace all 🥰
@@zaharib I have a Z6II, and in video mode, AF is much much slower, and the viewfinder itself is laggy compares to still mode. Im pretty sure Sony A7M3 also had simlair af degradation in video mode. Pretty sure this video is recorded through hdmi recorder while the camera is in still mode. The video af is fine if you film interviews, anything fast moving will be very inconsistent. I just filmed an airshow with my Z6II last weekend, and I had to switch back to manual focus, because it keep losing focus on plane, even tho nothing else was in the sky.
@@qiyuxuan9437 Hi yuxuan! Ah… that would make the difference… having the external recorder… thanks for sharing your experiences… 🥰 Looks like might have to just wait for the next Nikon after the Z9… 🤪
Unfortunately, you only tested the tracking part of the AF which technically, is deep learning inference. This part improved considerably. However, I have received reports from several photographers that the actual AF has detoriated in combination with EyeAF and low light, resulting in blurry results. Unfortunately, you failed to do a full test. I recommend to disable EyeAF wirh firmware 3.40 in low light. It seems to work but images may be blurry. I.e., don‘t rely on it for critical work.
I shoot a lot of live bands with my Z6, I never used eye detect autofocus because it was just too slow, but the firmware 3.4 has completely changed that, Its like having a new camera.
So nice to see the difference between old and new software and hats off to Nikon for continuing to update a camera that’s 3 years old 👏👏 love Nikon 😀. Thank you Becky, Kon and Sam 👍👍
Great review!! I'm so happy to see this since I have both the original Z6 and Z7 and this is a huge improvement!!
Out of the 2 cameras z6 an z7 which one do you prefer more ? And is there any difference in the image quality between the 2 ?
@@danielmcdonald9917 there is, but only if you crop a lot or print really big.
This is a really good demo of the new firmware. Going out in the field-literally-really put it to its test. And your banter is always enjoyable.
Hey Jim, nice to see you..lol
@@bassangler73 Great channel, isn’t it?
@@jimwlouavl yes it is!!! I bleed Nikon so it definitely is a good one for me
I wish you kept the F stop the same or all the settings the same. You used f2.2 on one with new firmware and f5.6 on one with older firmware.. 2:30 and 4:04
Excited for what might come for gen2 cameras, loving Nikon's commitment to ongoing firmware development.
3.4 is an amazing upgrade. I wish I upgraded a day before. I had a dance shoot never used eye af because it was horrible with 3.3. From some test shots with 3.4, I think I'm comfortable now to turn it on and use it.
This is the difference between consumer electronics company and camera company. You don´t have to buy newer and more expensive to get better. This is amazing, bravo Nikon!
Thanks for the test. I did notice on the updated Z6 it seemed to be shooting in Manual mode with f/2.2, 1/3200 and Auto-ISO. For the non-updated it seems it was using Aperture Priority at f/5.6, ISO 200. Not sure if the difference in aperture had an impact on the test. But I'm sure the new firmware is still a huge improvement in auto-focus!
The dance moves must be a standard part of every AF test from now on.
Please repeat the same test with a Nikon Z6 FW 3.40 and Z6 ii FW 1.30. This comparison would be interesting.
This update is a huge update for us base Z shooters. I loved it
It’s a huge improvement! I use eye detect all the time for portraits and before it was…ok. But now it’s a night and day difference. I think that Nikon learned a lot making the Z9 and then used that knowledge to update their other cameras. It’s cool that they still care about the O.G.’s!
I have a Z6 , did the firmware update ,and it definitely works better . I wouldn't have bought a Z7 ll , if I knew this upgrade was coming . I guess I will have to keep them both LOL . Hoping for another firmware update for the Z7 ll to come soon .
I had not used the eye detect very much with my Z7 with the older firmware version since I seldom take photos of people. However, I updated to 3.40 and took many photos of the grandkids this weekend indoors in available light shooting at F1.8 or F2, and it worked really well. Out of several hundred frames, only a few missed critical focus. Very impressed by this update Nikon! It will be interesting how the Z6II and Z7II will fare once they get a corresponding update.
Thanks guys, have updated my Z6 to 3.40 but no opportunity to test it myself yet, but looks like a good improvement
I had the version one Z6 for one year now and downloaded the latest firmware a couple weeks ago. Since I'm a focus and recompose type of guy for stills, I never really counted on eye detection in full auto mode however I'm now using it in that mode and I think I like it. I use a D5 and D500 for sports, just purchased the Z6 to see how mirrorless feels. I'm retired from a career in anesthesia and the surgeons had a saying regarding techniques, "don't be the first to switch to something new or the last to change from something old". So that's where I am now. I really enjoy your weekly broadcasts and also ones like this. You both seem really nice. Ted in Sebastian, Florida
Hi, when you say sports, does that include hockey?
I'm looking to upgrade my D7200 and have been wanting a Z6 for some time now. I'm photographing almost only hockey, would be interesting to know someone's experience on hockey.
I have a G2 Tamron 70-200/2.8.
Confirms what I have experienced with eye autofocus when taking pictures of my active grandchildren using my firmware updated Z7 Very enjoyable video as always
I was considering part exchanging my Z6 to the Z6 II but after the update it is so much better. More money towards the Z9..........
I bought a Z6 in Sept 2020, then upgraded to a Z6ii in May 2021 for the improved autofocus and faster start-up time. Recently purchased a well-used Z7 with v3.4 and WOW! it's got the same start-up time as the Z6ii and the autofocus is as good. Should have stuck with my old Z6 !!
I'm impressed. Very good video.
Can You do the same test for the Z5 too?
I have z6 and didn't update. I was about to buy z6II, but now I'm just gonna wait for the next gen Expeed 7. Thanks for the video, it was super helpful!
the update is great, my z6 has been improved much!
I would like to see a comparison between the Z6 / Z6ii / D500 to see if the mirrorless autofocus works as well as the DSLR autofocus, for still photo sequences and for video.
Z6II user here, I can tell you that 3.4 firmware eye AF works much better than my Z6II in the latest 1.3 firmware from October. My eye AF performance is about on par or slighty better than the 3.31.
i´m so glad and surprised that Nikon still brings updates with this much improvement and about what a remarkable piece of camera the z6 is considering it's "reputation" and price point. just got one mint condition with 800 shutter count and an additional battery for under a 1000€. you can't beat that, its an incredibly high quality camera body with a beautiful bsi fullframe sensor.
Y’all are like a Z9 bonus feature for me. I discovered your channel while doing research for the Z9 and have enjoyed everything I’ve watched from you. The two of you have great on screen chemistry. I always look forward to your next video. Keep up the good work
Great update. Got Z7 and was wondering if it’s worth picking up a cheap Z6 for low light / faster shutter speed bird photography?
No definitely not z7 will be more then enough it’s still brilliant at lowlight
very nice improvement i never upgraded to z6 ii since it was marginal upgrade it’s nice to see z6 still getting better
The AF looks great through the EVF but I'm wondering about the actual image. Has v3.40 seen off the slightly front-focused Eye lash detect?
Thanks. Great A-B comparison.
Hiya,
I'm on a pretty tight budget & am looking to buy a used Z6 in March 2024.
As Nikon experts what are your honest thoughts & opinions on how good the AF is now after all the firmware updates, and considering the Z6 is now 4/5 years old?
Many thanks
Excellent short and sweet field test! Really pleased to have been an early adopter of the Z system, seeing more Z's on the streets of London now too!
My Z6 works the same as your test. Animal works better as well, prior version would not eye recognize our black Carine Terrier which it does now.
I do find that a brighter setting nets better results.
My Z7ii could use improvements in low light as well. A 500mm on a tripod should be able to keep a moose in the open in focus with a high success rate.
Can you please do bird photography in the firmware 3.4 on the Z6.
Great video guy's cheers. i have both Z6 & 7 and love both even before the new firmware and now they are even better.
Did my firmware update and the results are similar
How about Z6 ver 3.4 vs Z6II testing? I am doubting if both focus nearly identical.
Could you do a similar review of the Z5? There is some confusion as to what improvements were made to AF. I think the 1.2 firmware for the Z5 improved eye-detect AF, but it was not mentioned in the release notes.
Straight to the point and super helpful!
More test please. Very informative.
if the yellow square is on your eye, this does not mean at all that the eye is in focus)) you need to look at the finished picture
That was pretty conclusive, although I did notice you handicapped the older firmware with a lower, fixed iso 200. When I upgraded my Z7ii firmware it then rejected my Duracell batteries. For this reason I have not upgraded my Z6 firmware for a while. It’s great Nikon is upgrading firmware so often.
Awesome, next update 4k 30?
Looking forward to the z6ii updates.
Eyes and face recognition is improved. No doubt about that. But if the focus ability is also improved simultaneously when the recognition is triggered? What I mean is that if the eyes or face in the taken pic is on focus at the same time
Great review, they lack of quality eye detection has really limited how I use my Z6. I am excited about the improvements you demonstrated in your review and can't wait to update the firmware and give it a try for some street photography!
Literally, in the field 😀
Excellent,to the point and real life test.Good as always.Bravo.
I have a Z7, and noticed the improvement right away. Looking forward to see what they do to update my Z6 II. Thanks!
The update surely gets the eye quicker, and I will take it. However, when the old version switches from face to eye, its hard to argue that there is a real difference between face and eye with focus at that distance.
I'm expecting big things for the MkII versions after seeing this on the original ones.
Hi B & K! Great test, thanks for doing it. Can you advise which lenses are being used and what camera settings please?
I have already upgrade my firmware, deffo is faster and further away to detect the eyes.
Hi, great review... this is exactly the video i've been waiting for. Does z5 has the same face / eye tracking performance after firmware update 1.20?
The problem is also with the lenses... If you have a lens with an aperture of 2.8, for instance, my Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 will focus always even under dim light and 5 stops fill flash... The trick, Nikon has done is that it is focusing for faces even without pressing any focusing button like shutter release ... And if you push that button, then it focuses... But the face detection the focus system have done before...
Very helpful video - thank you. It would be helpful also to see a similar test for video AF, when you have a moment.
Why did you use two different f-stops in the tests? F2.2 on the v3.4 firmware, F5.6 on the v3.1 firmware.
Thanks for doing this test!
Excellent video but I was a bit disappointed because from the title I thought also try the Z7 with the new fw.
having the subject go out of frame and come back in is a more difficult test as you would get to experience how the camera re-acquires focus with the update.
Does this mean there will also be an update for the D780 coming?
Thank you for the informative test! I wonder if You could do the same with the Z50? I upgraded without comparing to the original firmware but I am quite sure it was a major improvement as well.
Hello Both, Great to see them improving the first generation cameras. Nice to see a side bt side of both old and new software. I do like these not reviews but this is what it dose videos. Keep well, keep safe and do get vaccinated.
You get vaccinated
Think it would have been better to stay at the same aperture, traditionally autofocus performance is better the wider open you have the lens. But still nice review.
I can't imagine a portrait photographer ever needing faster autofocus than that. It looks as though it would even eye track a dancer with ease. Sports action wildlife might be different and a head to head test against the competition would be interesting. It is obviously a huge improvement.
It would be interesting to test with F mount glass
It’s great to see Nikon trying to improve the Z6 several years after introduction. Wondering how would it compare now against the A7 III.
It is better now
You should shoot both cameras at the same aperture ;)
It would be great to get birds eyes tracking too
Ok,well said…. But… I do not understand why the ii serie, with 2 processor, cannot be improved… soon! And why we haven’t seen anything on it…. Very confusing…
Nice improvement..I imagine after the Z9 has been out for a while the tech will trickle down...
I would have liked to have seen the same lens used at the same setting to take that variable out of the test.
Do you think Z 5 will get AF update ?
I am really surprised by the improvement of eye detect AF, Nikon finally learn something from Fujifilm, keep it up!
Okay I always say this but it is so great to see both of you in the field with the camera in your hands and describing what you're doing and showing us the limitations of the autofocus. Looks like a really good upgrade. I'm waiting to see what they can do with the z72 and the z62 since they have a dual processor I feel that it's going to be quite an upgrade, listen I don't want to be a downer cuz I really like Nikon but it begs the question why weren't these cameras released with this in the first place? Why did those cameras have to wait 3 years for the proper upgrade? Why are the z62 and z72 still waiting? It's not like it was a really hard fix, it's codes Canon and Sony had codes Nikon was lagging behind. If Nikon Couldn't Write the codes themselves they could have subcontracted somebody that could. I don't know what the copyright laws are on code but they could have been legal and similar to Sony and Canon and not made everybody wait that bought their equipment. Now back to you two, I just enjoy your work thank you too bad you couldn't talk Damon and Tilly into joining you. Your buddy Sam there did a good job though.
I too expected Nikon to have caught up to its competitors more quickly. I think that when Nikon conceptualized the Z6 and Z7, eye autofocus was not recognized by their planners and decision makers as the paradigm changing feature that it eventually became. By the time it became apparent Sony had developed and delivered eye autofocus as a game changing feature in the A7III, Nikon was probably well beyond they point they could change the processing power requirement they designed in the Z6 and Z7. This probably meant they had to both figure out how to code the eye autofocus feature (without breaking copyright) AND do so in a way that delivered results comparable to Sony, with less processing power. If this is the case, that is a big challenge in a market which was already contracting, THEN got hit with a worldwide pandemic. Sony (and to a lesser degree Canon) have substantially broader businesses than Nikon; possibly allowing them to function with less impact in what was a revenue-challenged environment. Eye autofocus (for all manufacturers) has gotten steadily better since its release. Nikon’s firmware update 2 was good, update 3 was very good, and update 3.4 is notably better. Though Nikon had to play catch-up, eye autofocus has brought great improvements to parts of the photographic experience. Sony changed the world for the better. That said, I feel my Nikon Z6 always had good autofocus overall. In addition, Nikon delivers enough value overall to remain my brand of choice. As has been said, at this tier, these are all very good cameras. The Z9 further confirms Nikon continues its commitment to deliver excellence. When the updates for the Z6 II and Z7II come out, I expect they will be substantial; not as good as the Z9, but still a real improvement.
Sorry, but settings were completely different on both cameras.
Auto ISO vs 200
f 2.2 vs 5.6
Shutter Speed may or may not affect.
Thanks for spotting that Sajal! We will make sure that our settings match on our cameras next time - this was an impromptu test but you're totally right, they should have been set up the same. We'll be doing more of these and will be sure to match up shutter speeds, apertures etc. Thanks for your support!
@@graysofwestminster thank you, love your show Konstantin and Becky.
Does it work just as good on a person without a slidey neck ?? Blimey Sam , great respect mate !! Howdedodat ????
He is a master of his craft. No man can move their neck as well as he does!
@@graysofwestminster Yes , I think so , Master indeed . Fantastic mover . Also huge props to Becky and Kon or whoever the credit goes to for thinking up this amazing idea . It`s the ideas that drives your fabulous success . Netflix beckons !!! They can`t afford you . You`re ours !!!
So were the photos in focus?
Can your compare gen 1 and gen 2 with current firmware on both?
Hi B & K! Greets from Malaysia! This was a great test as it shows that Nikon actually CAN do autofocus for video shooters. What I saw here looks to be excellent autofocus performance for talking head docu style videos. As a suggestion… perhaps you could create some videos showing a Z6 put on a tripod and then you both walk in front of the camera and move around and record yourselves with no one manning the camera. How would the autofocus work? Could you trust it? I say this because I, like many… are solo operators and need autofocus we can trust if we want to appear in frame. For such applications I had only Canon and Sony cameras in my sights. Based on this video of yours and this seemingly transformative firmware…. Maybe Nikon (Cheaper Z’s) can now be trusted too for solo content creators?? 🥰
Video AF dosent work as well as still mode.
@@qiyuxuan9437 hi yuxuan! In other videos I have seen… Z series video autofocus does indeed at times look bad. I would have agreed with you had I not seen this video. But what I saw in this video shows me that this firmware might have made the Z6 very useful for talking head videos. There are people like myself, and I think there are lots, where video is more important than stills. Prior to this video… i would say the Z6 did not inspire confidence that you, as a solo operator and presenter in front of the camera would trust it to focus on you and stay in focus. Based on this video… this now “SEEMS” it might be possible… I think if B & K could make some videos showcasing what a Z6 can do video wise in talking head style content creation… much like they do themselves… but without a third person operating the camera… it might make the Z6 far more attractive to a wider audience. Unfortunately only a super tiny group of people can financially afford a Z9... Anyway these are my thoughts… everyone looks at it differently and has their own needs and value system. Peace all 🥰
@@zaharib I have a Z6II, and in video mode, AF is much much slower, and the viewfinder itself is laggy compares to still mode. Im pretty sure Sony A7M3 also had simlair af degradation in video mode. Pretty sure this video is recorded through hdmi recorder while the camera is in still mode. The video af is fine if you film interviews, anything fast moving will be very inconsistent. I just filmed an airshow with my Z6II last weekend, and I had to switch back to manual focus, because it keep losing focus on plane, even tho nothing else was in the sky.
@@qiyuxuan9437 Hi yuxuan! Ah… that would make the difference… having the external recorder… thanks for sharing your experiences… 🥰 Looks like might have to just wait for the next Nikon after the Z9… 🤪
The eye autofocus seems to work on Sam, but will it work on Becky’s sheep 🐑 ?
Hi. Looked in the text. Can you confirm the lenses you are using for this test.
Z 85mm f/1.8 S
F stops were not consistent between the 2 tests
Someone's got a brand new bag?
This will be very useful for many users of the Z series original cameras.
What were your settings?
AF-C, Full AF Area, human face/eye recognition.
Hahhahaaa...best video so far on autofocus.
Unfortunately, you only tested the tracking part of the AF which technically, is deep learning inference. This part improved considerably. However, I have received reports from several photographers that the actual AF has detoriated in combination with EyeAF and low light, resulting in blurry results. Unfortunately, you failed to do a full test.
I recommend to disable EyeAF wirh firmware 3.40 in low light. It seems to work but images may be blurry. I.e., don‘t rely on it for critical work.
I’d rather do the test with a busier background
I believe 3.40 works great with humans, but it is not so good with birds.