{"id":19159,"date":"2025-07-06T08:36:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T20:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tonywhitehead.com\/wildlight\/?p=19159"},"modified":"2025-07-18T09:31:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T21:31:38","slug":"nikon-z8-better-than-z9-for-bird-photography-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tonywhitehead.com\/wildlight\/archives\/19159","title":{"rendered":"Nikon Z8 Better than Z9 for Bird Photography (again)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tar\u0101punga\/Red-billed gull. Focus limiter removes the risk of grabbing focus on the background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On 25 Feb 2024 I wrote on Why the Nikon Z8 is a Better Bird Camera than Z9 (for now)<\/a> At that stage the Z8 was better than the Z9 as a firmware update had enable a function button to be set to cycle AF area modes and this was a huge step forward for me. Before long the Z9 acquired this feature with a firmware update too and put the 2 cameras on a level footing again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent release of the Nikon Z8 firmware version 3.0 has again given it a capability that the Z9 lacks, in-camera focus range limit. This allows you to set the nearest and furthest you want to camera to search for focus and can make locking onto flying birds quicker and easier. Previously focus limits have been a feature of some lenses, usually limiting nearer focus. With F mount lenses I found this was useful to speed focus acquisition on flying birds as the lens didn’t need to rack through the full range in search of focus. I have found this less of an issue on my Z lenses which have largely remained set at the full range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Focus limiter available for Nikon Z8 after firmware v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The focus limiter is accessed through custom setting a16 where it can be switched on and off and the limit ranges set.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Setting the focus limiter ranges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Limit ranges are easily set by focussing on an object using the shutter release for the farthest limit and the Af-On button for the near limit. They can be fine tuned with the front and rear command dials respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Focussing on an object with the shutter button sets the far limit and with the AF-On button the near limit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To be really useful this feature needs to be easily assessable to toggle on and off and redefine distance limits. I have programmed my Exposure Compensation button to turn it on and off. I don’t use exposure compensation as I shoot almost entirely in manual mode with manual ISO selection so this button is free. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Exposure Compensation button programmed to toggle focus limiter on and off<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To access the focus limiter window to redefine limits I have placed this as the top item in “My Menu” and programmed Function 3 button to access this. UPDATE – I after writing this post Tom and Sharang Satish shared that pressing and holding the assigned button (Exp comp) brings up the option to set the focus range limits so all can be managed for the one button.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Fn-3 programmed to load the top item in My Menu which is set to the Focus Limiter setting menu. Not needed as can access by pressing and holding the Exp comp button<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This would have been a useful feature recently when photographing flying swallows<\/a> as at times the focus was jumping to a high contrast background. Realistically the subject recognition capability that identifies birds remains the best tool for bird photographers but this adds a refinement that will make some circumstances easier to manage by eliminating nearer and further subjects from the equation once properly set for the circumstance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that this will be incorporated into a firmware update for the Nikon Z9 as there is no hardware reason it cannot be done and the current flagship body should have this capability for those that have invested in it for wildlife work. Nikon has arguably the best track record of supporting cameras by updating their firmware but there has recently been some separation between the Z8 and Z9 with the Z9 not receiving the pixel shift option that the Z8 gained. I suspect we are in the phase of preparation for the launch of a Z9ii so that the Z9 will be deprioritised to motivate an upgrade to the new camera when launched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gull photo with Nikon Z8 and Nikkor Z 28-400mm 4-8 VR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nikon Z8 Better than Z9 for Bird Photography (again). Firmware version 3.0 adds in-camera focus limiter so Nikon Z8 jumps ahead of the flagship Nikon Z9 for bird photography<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[982,178,17,1001],"tags":[26,25,1332,247,221,1188,1223,1330,1329,1331,1225,609,194],"class_list":["post-19159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bird-photography","category-opinion","category-tips","category-wildlife","tag-bird-photography","tag-birds","tag-focus-limiter","tag-new-zealand-bird","tag-nikon","tag-nikon-firmware","tag-nikon-z8","tag-nikon-z8-firmware","tag-nikon-z8-firmware-v3-0","tag-nikon-z8-focus-limiter","tag-nikon-z8-focus-settings","tag-nikonnz","tag-photo","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"\nNikon Z8 Better than Z9 for Bird Photography (again) - WildLight Photography<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nikon Z8 Better than Z9 for Bird Photography (again). 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