At the beginning of July, Nikon issued firmware update v3.00 for the Nikon Z 8 mirrorless camera. However, the company has now been forced to issue a further firmware update, v3.01, after some users reported issues.
Firmware 3.00
Firmware update 3.00 for the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera brought some great improvements to Pixel Shift shooting. This feature allows you to take multiple pictures while shifting the camera’s image sensor to create very high-resolution images.
After the update, you could also use focus shift and exposure bracketing for pixel shift images. This delivers greater depth of field and dynamic range. In addition, there were other improvements for both video and still shooting.
What was the problem?
Soon after firmware 3.00 was released, Nikon Z8 shooters around the world began to report issues when using some third-party lenses. In particular, Tamron and Viltrox lens owners were experiencing problems after upgrading their cameras’ firmware. As a result, Nikon, Tamron and Viltrox all advised owners not to carry out the update while non-Nikon brand lenses or lens adapters are attached to their Z8s.
What has Nikon done?
Nikon has now released another firmware update for the Z8, version 3.01. This doesn’t add any new features and is designed to fix the third-party lens issue. On the Nikon website, it simply says that the update, “Fixed an issue that prevented the camera from operating properly with some lenses.”
However, the update still carries the warning, “Do not update the camera firmware with lenses other than Z-mount NIKKOR lenses or mount adapters other than FTZ II/FTZ attached; failure to observe this precaution could result in camera malfunction.”
What we think
Modern cameras and lenses include increasingly complex electronic components. Unfortunately, with the wide range of third-party lenses on the market, it’s impossible for camera manufacturers to ensure compatibility across all products when updating firmware. The important thing is how a company responds to a problem. Credit is due to Nikon in this instance for resolving this issue within a couple of weeks. If you have a Nikon Z8, you should install the new firmware as soon as possible. Bear in mind the warning regarding any lenses attached when updating your camera, however.
Pricing and availability
Firmware update v3.01 for the Z8 mirrorless camera is available free of charge from the Nikon website.
