Nikon is rumored to release a new firmware update for the Z9 camera addressing AF issues in heavy snowfall or rain, where the AF fails to lock on the subject.
Multiple user reports and forum discussions have documented challenges with the Nikon Z9’s autofocus in heavy snow and rain, where the system often locks onto or becomes distracted by falling snowflakes instead of the intended subject, causing focus hunting, loss of lock, and difficulty acquiring or tracking faces, eyes, or animals with subject detection active.
Photographers working in snowstorms or rain, particularly those shooting wildlife and birds, have described the AF jumping to high-contrast particles close to the camera, resulting in lower keeper rates and frustration during continuous shooting, especially when compared to their experiences with earlier DSLRs. The problem is widely viewed as a limitation of phase-detect autofocus when confronted with dense airborne particles.
Previous Z9 firmware updates can be found here.
