The Nikon Z9 shifts into 4th gear! Today, Nikon’s professional monobloc mirrorless camera receives a new Firmware Update v4.00 packed with new features — most notably, anew Auto Capture function that enables automatic shooting and filming based on multiple criteria. We had the opportunity to preview this feature firsthand and speak with the teams at Nikon France. Let’s dive into the details.
Auto Capture: The Nikon Z9’s Killer Feature for Pros?
If we had to summarize Firmware Update v4.00 with just one feature, it would undoubtedly be this new Auto Capture mode arriving on the Nikon Z9. Thanks to it, Nikon’s professional body is now capable of automatically triggering based on multiple — and cumulative — criteria, whether shooting stills or video.
Jointly developed with professional photographers, including teams from Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Paris, this new feature vastly expands the possibilities for at least two key groups: photojournalists — especially sports photographers — and wildlife photographers. However, studio photographers, event photographers, and even street photographers might also find valuable uses for it.
Three Cumulative Criteria to Fine-Tune Auto Capture: Movement, Distance, and Subject Recognition
Thus, the Z9 is capable of automatically triggering based on three criteria, which can be combined for even finer control.
The first criterion is motion detection: the camera can detect a movement (within the lens’s field of view), the direction of movement, its speed, and the size of the object (from level 1 to 5, increasing by 20% increments of frame occupancy).
You can therefore precisely define under which conditions the camera will trigger. For instance, you could start capture only when the subject moves from left to right or diagonally, and at a specific speed, allowing you to ignore slower subjects. Obvious use cases include sports like speed skiing.
By positioning a camera near a track and framing the area where an athlete will pass — for example, exiting a gate — it becomes possible to let the camera trigger automatically, based on the selected capture settings (single shot, low, normal, or ultra-high-speed burst).
On top of motion detection, two more layers can be added: distance detection and subject recognition. Selecting a specific focus range enables the elimination of moving elements that are too close or too far. The measurement setting is very simple using the AF-ON button on a selected focus point. However, this function may be limited to certain Nikkor Z lenses capable of precise distance communication.
Finally, subject recognition adds yet another filter to Auto Capture, allowing the camera to trigger only when a certain subject is detected. The Z9 can recognize humans, animals (including birds), cars, motorcycles, planes, trains, and bicycles. This will be extremely valuable for wildlife photographers — avoiding unnecessary captures triggered by moving branches — but also for sports photographers who might want to trigger only when a face is visible.
Additionally, Nikon clearly worked closely with professionals: it is possible to restrict detection to specific AF zones by selecting 9×9 areas via the touchscreen or using the joystick for more granular control.
You can also set the reset delay between two Auto Capture shots and configure the maximum burst duration.
The Nikon Z9 allows you to save five Auto Capture presets (which can be named) for quick recall. It is also possible to choose the shooting mode: high-speed continuous shooting is used in S mode, but all burst levels are available in low or high continuous modes. When shooting at 120 fps (JPEG 11 MP), the pre-capture mode is activated.
The only downside: it is not yet possible to quickly access this feature via a custom button — but Nikon hinted that this could come in a future update.
When Should You Use Auto Capture on the Nikon Z9?
During the presentation, Ludovic Drean, head of Nikon’s professional services in France, emphasized the importance of collaborating closely with AFP’s technical teams to develop Auto Capture to meet agency needs. Sports photographers often face the need to cover multiple angles simultaneously — impossible manually. Sometimes, a photographer’s sole job, once the camera is positioned, is to trigger at the perfect moment.
Thanks to this new feature, it is now possible to set up a camera at an original viewpoint and let it trigger autonomously. For example, equestrian photographers could place a fisheye camera under a jump to capture dramatic action angles.
Moreover, Auto Capture is compatible with NX MobileAir and NX Field apps, allowing professionals to remotely control cameras and automatically transfer photos to FTP or LAN servers without touching the camera. This could prove to be a major advantage in sports competitions. Nikon is clearly aiming to test this feature during the 2024 Paris Olympics with professional photojournalists.
Wildlife photographers will also love Auto Capture, long accustomed to photo traps (camera traps triggered by movement or infrared beams). With Auto Capture, Nikon eliminates the need for external accessories. For example, the image above captures a bird emerging from a rock crevice.
Additionally, the various settings modes will appeal to studio photographers or self-portrait enthusiasts. No doubt, new creative uses will emerge, especially since Auto Capture is compatible with video recording too.
What Battery Life Can You Expect with Auto Capture?
Battery life naturally comes into question with a function that allows the camera to trigger automatically. When used alone (with a 3300 mAh EN-EL18d battery), the Nikon Z9 can reportedly operate for 4 hours and 37 minutes according to Nikon.
Using a 26,800 mAh power bank increases autonomy to 13 hours and 20 minutes, and up to 21 hours and 46 minutes with a 57,600 mAh “Power House”. To conserve battery, the Nikon Z9 can enter standby mode automatically after 30 seconds of inactivity while still being able to instantly wake and resume Auto Capture operations.
In short, battery life should not be a limiting factor for professional photographers. However, memory card storage will need to be closely monitored, especially when using Auto Capture for video recording.
Nikon also indicates that light protective housings with weather sealing are in development to protect the setup in extreme environments.
What About Auto Capture on the Nikon Z8?
With this new feature arriving on the Z9, it’s natural to wonder about its absence from the launch of the Nikon Z8 — a more compact version of the Z9 with similar specs. Nikon has not ruled out bringing Auto Capture to the Z8 in a future firmware update, but for now, this feature remains exclusive to the Z9.
Other New Features in Nikon Z9 Firmware v4.00
Besides the new Auto Capture mode, the Nikon Z9 also gains several additional updates. Here are the highlights:
- Enhanced 3D tracking mode: better detection of smaller, more distant subjects, with tracking area extended to the edges of the AF frame
- Support for up to 99 FTP profiles and automatic reconnection after 15 seconds in case of error or connection loss
- Addition of 5 new shutter sounds
- Lo2 sensitivity setting in N-Log
- More extensive customization: more menu functions can now be assigned to customizable buttons
- Additional information displayed in the NX MobileAir app
- Buffer extension: pre-capture buffer increased from 30 to 300 seconds, allowing up to 120 photos according to Nikon
- 11 zoom levels for the High Res Zoom mode (introduced in video mode with firmware v3.00)
- New slow-motion mode: instead of recording in 120p MP4, the Z9 can now record at 30p for 4x slow-motion playback
- New reduced viewfinder magnification mode
- Addition of focus distance display in meters in the EVF and LCD screen for compatible lenses
Availability of the Update
This firmware update is available now for the Nikon Z9. It can be downloaded free of charge from Nikon’s official website.
Our First Impressions
Clearly, Nikon is on a roll with professionals! This new Z9 update, arriving more than a year and a half after its release, brings new features eagerly awaited and even completely new to sports and wildlife photographers. We had the chance to preview Auto Capture at Nikon France and can only applaud the Japanese manufacturer’s inventiveness and software expertise, with a relatively simple setup process.
Until now, automatic shooting features were limited to a few playful functions on smartphones, like smile detection or eye-opening detection.
Here, Nikon equips its flagship mirrorless camera with a groundbreaking feature that should prove extremely useful for photojournalists and wildlife photographers. No doubt Nikon will inspire competitors — once again demonstrating that the company listens to professional photographers and knows how to innovate. Special kudos to the Nikon France teams who were heavily involved in developing this technology.
Here are two videos showcasing how Auto Capture works in the field:
And here is a tutorial on Auto Capture shooting provided by Nikon France:
