Nikon has released a new firmware update for its flagship full-frame mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z9. Firmware version 5.10 adds a slews of videocentric features and enhancements to the top-of-the-range camera that are squarely aimed to address the needs of professional-level videographers. Top of the bill is a new shutter mode that allows the user to set the 'shutter angle' to one of 15 steps, ranging between 5.6° and 360°, when shooting in Manual exposure mode.
We explain what shutter angle is more fully here, but it essentially controls the amount of time the shutter is open for each frame of video, and enables videographers to set the amount of smoothness verses the amount of blur in their footage. The new control eliminates the need to select a shutter speed whenever the frame rate is adjusted, allowing users to always achieve optimal motion blur at the desired frame rate.
Among other enhancements that moviemakers will welcome is that they can now change the color of the zebra pattern display, in addition to customizing the size, transparency, and display position of brightness information displays, such as the histogram and wave-form monitor. Nikon says that these capabilities were added to make video recording easier by allowing videographers to confirm appropriate exposure, even when recording high-contrast scenes.
There are tons of other enhancements, all of which can be viewed on Nikon's Z9 Firmware page. While the majority are centered around video, there are many other general enhancements and bug fixes, so it's worth making the update even if you're a dedicated stills shooter who never touches video.
The new firmware update has been released ahead of the launch of the upcoming videocentric Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens, and Nikon unintentionally leaked Z9 firmware version 5.10 at a recent Japanese trade show, when an eagle-eyed visitor spotted that a Z9 with a pre-production Z 28-135mm had been updated with hitherto unreleased firmware.
Updating the firmware on Nikon cameras is easy. Download it via this link onto a memory card, pop it into a Z9, select Setup Menu > Firmware Version and follow the on-screen instructions. Although as Nikon says the update takes around six minutes to complete, you might want to put the kettle on.
It's refreshing to see that Nikon isn't only providing firmware for its latest Z-series cameras – the company also released firmware updates to improve security for its much older Nikon D500 and Nikon D5600 DSLR cameras on the same day.
