It’s safe to say that Nikon’s Z 9 is the company’s most advanced flagship camera yet. Here you can read some never-before-seen stories from the camera’s development. This is the behind-the-scenes story of Z 9 from the people who made it.
The demand for mirrorless cameras in recent years has been undeniable and Nikon has revealed for the first time the process it has gone through, from planning to production, before its release.
The team is adamant that when it comes to production, they are not limited by conventional technologies. One of the experts revealed:
Building the foundation for the camera takes a lot of time because we start from the very beginning, even building the foundation from a completely new starting point. And the demands of new image processing tools and top templates were huge, so from day one we had to make some very difficult decisions due to the limited development time frame. regime.
Many moons ago, in the pre-pandemic days of 2018, Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 hit the market. Despite the positive reviews, the company accepts that improvements can be made as far as functionality and performance are concerned. This comes amid growing demand for new mirrorless devices by working professionals in the industry. The feedback led to various Nikon divisions working together to unify. The D6, often considered the “perfect” DSLR, has become the model the team aims to beat.
Citing the limited time frame as one of their biggest obstacles, the team remains determined not to overlook the development of the camera from the user’s point of view, with the aim of exceeding the expectations of photographers. professional expert. This means feedback is needed throughout the process.
However, the Z 9’s production progress was in line with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which certainly threw a wrench into the routines of testing. Once completed, the capabilities of new camera models are always tested before being released to the public. However, all sporting events in which the Z 9 is normally tested have been cancelled. This means the team will have to recreate something similar. Then a plan was hatched to rent sports facilities, such as gyms and ice rinks, to select photographers to test the Z 9’s performance. Athletes college degree was invited as a live model and feedback was provided in the early stages of development so that any necessary changes could be made.
With the arrival of the Z 9, a notable change has been made. Although considered by many to be one of Nikon’s greatest achievements, the mechanical shutter was eliminated. It signaled the beginning of a new era and priorities shifted to other features.
It was decided that the design of the electronic viewfinder (EVF) was required. The EVF tracks the subject in real time and requires multiple parts to come together to configure the best way to achieve that goal. The result is a hybrid of the two; a performance that allows an unrestricted display of OVFs, but also includes everything the EVF brings to the table.
Just like we did with the D6, we take the way people see, feel and experience the camera very seriously. We recognize that there are important elements of design and functionality that are not always quantifiable.
The Z 9 also comes with a built-in vertical grip, as well as a four-axis tilting monitor that the developers say they believe give users more flexibility when framing shots.
One of the goals with the Z 9 is also to establish Nikon’s position in the serious video market. It has been a huge hit, with recording up to 125 minutes, offering 4K 120p that can be captured in full-frame, 8K 30p, HLG and N-Log internal recording, and detection counts. The world’s largest subject in the video.
High heat environment simulation was created to evaluate the processor’s capabilities in hot weather. In the end, it was decided that the Z 9 would be equipped with a built-in vertical grip that provides sufficient heat dissipation performance for long-term video recording without using a cooling fan. This was the result of the decision that the Z 9 should offer excellent anti-drip protection, excluding the option to include a cooling fan that required opening.
They also note that functions that were reviewed during development but cannot be accepted will be added through firmware updates. It looks like the Z 9’s development will be ongoing.
The research team concluded:
In the end, this is only the beginning of the story. The tremendous amount of feedback we receive encourages us to keep pushing further. Our point of view is to never be satisfied with everything as it is at a particular point in time and our vision is to continue to deliver products that exceed our users’ expectations time and time again. .
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