“Autumn Flow” Filmed with Nikon Z 9 in 8.3K 60p RAW, except for the GoPro Max Scenes.
Graded in DaVinci Resolve, Color Managed.
All Footage N-LOG except where SDR is stated. I have filmed most scenes first in N-LOG then switched to SDR. Only at the Peak, when the Goats came up and it got a bit hectic, I switched to SDR as I found it easier to expose correctly with the deep (and glaring) evening sun.
“Nera Verzasca” and “Stiefelgeissen” are old and rare Mountain Goat Races from Switzerland (https://www.prospecierara.ch/tiere/tiergattungen/ziegen.html). The two of these I could at least identify in this beautiful herd.
On clear nights the large Herd filmed, usually stays at the Monte San Lorenzo Mountain (2313 m) or Monte Croce (2242 m) where I have encountered them on several occasions. They are very shy, but if you don’t move much with the camera they stay around and are a sight to behold.
I have mixed in a few GoPro Max Clips as I happened to have them available also from the evening I filmed with the Z 9, and they fit in (hopefully the next Generation of GoPro Max will be 10-bit).
The Camera seen in some of those clips hanging by the Peak Design Clip is a Z 6 II. But for this Video I have filmed with the Z 9 attached at the EVOC Backpack on the PD Clip. While the Z 9 dangles around considerably more than the lighter Z 6, it is actually quite doable.
The Z 24-200mm/f4-6.3 VR is a very capable lens, and stabilized shots very well achievable due to Synchro VR. Of course I had to stabilize the Tele takes with DaVinci Resolve to further smooth the shots, but… this is the first time I feel I can leave my Gimbal at home when filming Action.
As for NRAW N-LOG vs SDR:
Most of this Vid is taken with N-LOG and it takes a bit time to get used to film LOG again coming from other true RAW cameras which don’t really offer or need LOG filming.
Like David Fuller has theorized before (with Nikons conversion of 14-Bit to 12-Bit NRAW) which takes place in the Z 9, I’ confirm:
It looks like with N-RAW N-LOG the Z 9 throws some shadow bits away, and protects the highlights better.
With NRAW SDR it throws some Highlight bits away and protects the Shadows.
On SDR I could see this on scenes where the highlights of the Sky around the Sun were less good protected than with the same scene shot in NRAW N-LOG.
In other more balanced Light/Shadow scenes however (with the Sun in the back on the Autumn landscape), I couldn’t find much difference in Postpro between N-LOG and SDR.
Note that due to the short notice I received the 24-200 and the short good weather window, I didn’t manage to get a ND 16 or Variable ND for use with that lens in time, and it shows when with N-Log and base ISO 800 I had to massively f-stop down and even up the Shutter. Above f5.6 you can see any sensor dust the Z 9 has accumulated, and dust on the front lens as well, so keep both as clean as possible.
I look forward testing the 24-200 with a proper ND soon!
Conclusio for now:
All in all the Z 9 with 8.3K 60p NRAW, N-Log and SDR, or 4K 120p PRR in combination with the Z 24-200 is an awesome, extremely powerful portable hybrid RAW camera setup, yet still lightweight enough to carry on a Backpack already filled with 1st Aid, Tools, change Clothing, Water, Food, Protectors and a GoPro Max plus extra batteries – where every Gram counts.
No need to take an Atomos V+ and all the additional Gimbal Gear on a Mountain anymore, to record (Prores) RAW. This provides for incredible creative freedom for Nature Documentaries or in my case high alpine MTB videos.
Cheers
Christoph Malin
Timestormfilms.net
Christophmalin.com
PS: still not sure yet if I have all the Project Settings for Z 9 N-LOG NRAW and SDR right in Resolve. Hopefully by this year the community will gather more and more information on this exciting new RAW format and best practice for PostPro with DaVinci Resolve.
