There’s been a lot of Nikon news recently, most of all the introduction of the Z5 II. But its older cousin the Zf also just got a firmware update, and it looks very interesting for Zf users. The firmware version jumped from 1.21 to 2.00, and with it brought some big changes. Here are the five most important new features you’ll be getting.
Nikon Imaging Cloud Service
The new firmware gives the Zf access to the Nikon Imaging Cloud. It’s a service that allows you to wirelessly transfer images from your camera to Nikon’s cloud service, and then automatically transfer to other cloud services like those from Dropbox, Adobe, and Google. Previously, the only cameras compatible with the cloud were the Z6 III, Z50 II, and Z5 II.
Bird Subject Detection
A personal favourite autofocus mode of mine on the Z8 is the bird detection mode. Now it’s available on the Zf. This allows you to isolate birds as the target of subject recognition, which seems to me the only obvious thing to ever take a picture of! Just kidding, but it should help Zf users who want to photograph birds. Especially in photos where there are multiple potential subjects, and you don’t want the camera to choose incorrectly.
More Support for Video Features
If you use one of Nikon’s power zoom lenses like the Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ, you now get full support for the power zoom function on the Zf, such as the ability to assign a button to the power zoom or the power zoom speed. It’s also possible now to use Nikon’s High-Res Zoom feature on the Zf, meaning that full HD videos can smoothly use a digital zoom (up to 2x) without losing resolution. The Zf was already a great camera for videography, and these new features flesh it out further.
Focus Distance Display During Manual Focus
For manual focus fans, the Zf can now display distance information during manual focus for lenses that support it. This could be quite useful for quickly setting your focus distance, especially if you are repeatedly using the same distance or want a set amount of magnification.
Live View Display Goes to 400%
For hypercritical focusing, especially when in manual focus, the live view magnification now goes to 400%. This increased magnification can be useful when you really need critical focus – for example, astrophotography or macro photography, or even when you’re standing a little farther away from the live view screen.
Download Version 2.00
If you have a Nikon Zf, head on over to Nikon’s website to download the latest firmware and get all these great new features!
For completeness, here are all the Version 2.00 updates that Nikon has listed on their website:
Note: Users of the following software will need to update to the latest versions.
- • NX Studio version 1.7.1 or later, NX Tether version 2.2.0 or later, IPTC Preset Manager version 1.3.0 or later, SnapBridge version 2.12.0 or later, NX MobileAir version 1.2.0 or later
Note: The changes listed below under “Still Photography”, “Video Recording”, “Playback”, “Controls”, “Displays”, and “Network” are detailed in the Supplementary Firmware Update Manual.
Note: Due to the addition of new menu items, some Custom Settings menu items have been renumbered.
■ Still Photography
- • Added support for the Nikon Imaging Cloud service.
- – Importing imaging recipes (image editing settings published on Nikon Imaging Cloud) to the camera is now available.
- – Uploading images taken with the camera to Nikon Imaging Cloud and automatically transferring them to other cloud services is now available.
- • Added support for importing Custom Picture Controls based on “Flexible Color” created in NX Studio.
- • Added [Birds] to [AF/MF subject detection options] > [Subject detection] in the photo shooting menu.
- • Added [Large] to the size options available for [Secondary slot function] > [JPEG primary – JPEG secondary] in the photo shooting menu.
- • Added new bracketing increments for use during auto bracketing with [AE & flash bracketing], [AE bracketing], or [Flash bracketing] selected for [Auto bracketing set]. This change also applies to [Interval timer shooting] > [Options] > [AE bracketing] > [Increment].
- • Long exposure noise reduction is now enabled when the following menu items are set to [ON]:
- – [Interval timer shooting] > [Electronic shutter options] > [Electronic shutter]
- – [Time-lapse video] > [Electronic shutter options] > [Electronic shutter]
- – [Focus shift shooting] > [Electronic shutter options] > [Electronic shutter]
- • Flash mode is now set to off when [Focus shift shooting] > [Interval until next shot] is set to [0] during focus shift.
■ Video Recording
- • Added support for the Nikon Imaging Cloud service.
- – Importing imaging recipes (image editing settings published on Nikon Imaging Cloud) to the camera is now available.
- • Added support for importing Custom Picture Controls based on “Flexible Color” created in NX Studio.
- • Added [Birds] to [AF/MF subject detection options] > [Subject detection] in the video recording menu.
- • Added low ISO sensitivity options to [ISO sensitivity settings] > [ISO sensitivity (mode M)] for use during N-Log video recording.
- • Added [Hi-Res Zoom] to the [VIDEO RECORDING MENU].
- • Added a [Hi-Res Zoom speed] item to the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in position of g7.
- • Added options for customizing the brightness information display to g15 [Brightness information display] in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- • Added a function to include file names used in the camera when recording videos to an external recorder that supports file name transmission via HDMI. The following Atomos external recorders support this function (as of March 2025).
- – Ninja V *
- – Ninja V+ *
- – Ninja (2023 models)
- – Ninja Ultra
- – Shogun (2023 models)
- – Shogun Ultra
- – Shogun Connect *
* Some recorders may require an ATOMOS OS upgrade or paid activation of the recorder. Contact ATOMOS for details.
■ Playback
- • Added [Customize retouch options] to [Retouch] in the playback “i” menu.
- • Added [Auto image rotation] in the playback menu.
- • Added [Auto series playback options] to [Series playback] in the playback menu.
- • Added a width of 4608 pixels to the size options available for [Resize (current picture)] and [Resize (multiple pictures)] for [Retouch] in the playback “i” menu when RAW images are displayed.
■ Controls
- • Separate settings are now available for [ISO sensitivity settings] > [Auto ISO sensitivity control] in the photo shooting menu when the ISO sensitivity dial is set to C or to a value of 100 to 64000.
- • Added [Save and load power zoom position]* to f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] and g2 [Custom controls] in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- • Added a [Zoom ring control (PZ lens)] item to the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in position of f11.
- • Custom Settings f12 and g8 in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] is now [Assign power zoom]. In addition, [Power zoom speed] has been divided into two items: [Power zoom speed (zoom buttons)] and [Power zoom speed (zoom switch)]*.
- • Added [Focus point border width] to a10 [Focus point display] in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- • Added an [Easy ISO] item to the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in position of b3.
- • Added an [Exposure delay mode] item to the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in position d5.
- • Added [Half-press to cancel zoom (MF)] items to the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in positions d18 and g16.
- • Added to the custom control roles assignable via the following items in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU]. New reset options have also been added.
- – f1 and g1 [Customize i menu]
- – f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] and g2 [Custom controls]
- – f3 [Custom controls (playback)]
Note: Added an advanced feature of [Exposure setting (mode M)] to Custom Setting f2 [Custom controls (shooting)] > [Command dials] > [Exposure setting] and exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity can now be set using the command dials in photo shooting in mode M.
Note: The command dial roles in mode S can now be switched using Custom Setting g2 [Custom controls] > [Command dials] > [Exposure setting] when recording video.- • Added [Double-tapping operation] to f4 [Touch Fn] > [Assign touch Fn] > [Move focus point] in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- • Made updates to [Non-CPU lens data] in the [SETUP MENU].
- • Increased the character limit from 3 to 256 for “Category” entries in IPTC presets.
* This feature is available with NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ lenses (as of March 2025).
■ Displays
- • Added focus-distance information to the focus distance indicator displayed during manual focus.
- • Live view display zoom is now up to 400%.
- • The option selected for [Viewfinder display size] (formerly [Finder display size (photo Lv)]) in the [SETUP MENU] now also applies in video and playback modes.
■ Network
- • Added a [Nikon Imaging Cloud] item to the [NETWORK MENU].
- – Firmware can now be downloaded directly from Nikon Imaging Cloud.
- • Added features to [Connect to FTP server] in the [NETWORK MENU].
- • ATOMOS AirGlu BT accessories and MC-N10 remote grips can now be used together.
- • A warning now appears when the connection to an ATOMOS AirGlu BT accessory is unstable or disrupted.
■ App-Related Changes
With NX MobileAir:
- • the camera live view display for photo mode now shows NX MobileAir status, and
- • camera settings saved to a memory card using [Save/load menu settings] can now be downloaded to the smart device or copied from the smart device to the camera memory card using NX MobileAir.
■ Other Changes
- • Changed the video low-capacity warning so that it is now displayed in white on a red background when there is less than one minute remaining. The warning is now also displayed when recording is not in progress.
- • The RGB histogram is now easier to view when [Mode 1] or [Mode 2] is selected for d12 [Warm display colors] in [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- • Fixed the following issues:
- – Some operations would prevent the focus points from being displayed or cause delays in monitor display.
- – The monochrome option would not be available in the “i” menu when B&W (black-and-white photo mode) was selected.
- – The exposure compensation icon appeared in the settings display for g2 [Custom controls] > [Command dials] in the [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- – Files could not be uploaded if the destination folder name contained half-width spaces when an FTP server was added in the connection wizard in [Connect to FTP server] > [Network settings] in the [NETWORK MENU].
- – The camera would sometimes stop responding if the monitor was closed while zooming in the image during playback when connected to an external monitor or recorder via HDMI.
- – The displayed images would be corrupted when zooming in during playback with the camera monitor closed and the camera connected to an external monitor or recorder via HDMI.
- – The values on the control panel would remain on after the camera was turned off and the lens was removed while the camera was connected to SnapBridge via Wi-Fi and upload of pictures to smart devices was enabled even when the camera was off.
- – Renamed d13 [Display on during burst] in [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
Lots of great stuff there. My favourite is that now the ISO dial works in an honest and non-astonishing way: turn the dial to 400, and your ISO is set at 400, instead of using 400 as some boundary in an automatic setting.
And you can set it up so C effectively turns on Auto ISO while the other settings are manual ISO. This keeps me out of the Auto ISO settings menu and lets me reassign a button away from invoking My Menu. Brilliant!
To be fair it did that before in manual, it was only with auto ISO on where it would act like an upper auto ISO limit or minimum ISO depending on if it was M or ASP mode which confused many. You could set it to C and turn auto ISO on/off with a bound ISO key easily with the front command dial and still can, or set it like a Fuji with Firmware 2.0 and have C be the switch which is what everyone wanted. You can still configure it the other way if needed, for example in M mode it’s still nice to have Auto ISO on and set it to minimum 200 in the menu so the ISO wheel acts as the maximum ISO setting, the camera choosing the lowest unless it needs to climb higher up to the dial position. This was useful for going in/out doors to keep the ISO from going way up by accident or capping the top at the second iso gain point for max quality.
Is the bird update coming to the Z6 iii. next?
I have zero doubt it’s coming, it seems they work off a baseline firmware and the Z6iii just was probably on one that didn’t have it at release which the z50ii and z5ii were working off the one that didn’t for launch. We will see it in a firmware 2.0 before long, probably with a bunch of improvements like this Zf firmware update.
I’d love to see auto capture added to more of them as well. That’s probably most valuable in the Z50ii as your less fearful of leaving it alone in the woods