What if your camera could remotely catch the perfect moment?
Nikon Firmware 2.01 for the Z6 III adds Pre-Release Capture through compatible Bluetooth remotes, plus focus limiter support for eight more Nikkor Z lenses, a few menu tweaks and a handful of bug fixes. It’s free, and it’s out now.
Quick Refresher: Pre-Release Capture
Pre-Release Capture keeps recording frames while you half-press the shutter. When you press all the way, the camera saves the frames from before your press too.
On the Z6 III, that means:
- Up to 1 second of frames saved from before the full press
- C60: 60fps at the full 24MP
- C120: 120fps at 10MP in DX crop
- C30: 30fps for a lighter load
- Files save as JPEGs in these modes
This is a great function. Your reaction time is slower than a bird’s. Pre-Release Capture helps you capture the decisive moment.
For Remote PreCapture…Need a remote.
Until now, you had to be at the camera to use it. Now you can trigger it from a Bluetooth remote, like Nikon’s ML-L7, which runs about $48.
That opens up some fun setups. Picture your camera on a low tripod at a feeder, nest or watering hole while you sit back in a blind with a coffee. Or clamp it near a favorite perch, where birds land and launch all morning. You stay out of sight, the camera waits and you press the button when the moment comes.
Animals spook when they see you. A small camera they ignore plus a remote and a full second of buffer gives you a much better shot at the takeoff, the splash or the strike.
A little prep goes a long way before you head out. Since you won’t be behind the viewfinder, set focus manually or lock it on the spot where the action happens. Pick a shutter speed fast enough for the moment you want to freeze, and try 1/2000s if you’re after wings. Pack big, fast cards, because 60fps fills them up quickly. And check your remote’s range and battery before you get there to understand the range.
More Focus Limiter Support
A focus limiter tells the lens to search only part of its focus range. That speeds up autofocus and keeps it from hunting into the background. Firmware 2.01 adds custom limiter settings for:
- Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
- Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
- Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR
- Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
- Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3
- Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
- Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S
- Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S
Worth the Download
This is a small update with a big idea. Put your camera where you can’t be, wait for the moment and let the buffer catch the moment. Nikon also tidied up the menus, and the biggest change is a name. Cloud Picture Control is now called Imaging Recipe, so look for that if you use Nikon’s downloadable looks.
The update squashes a bunch of rare bugs too, mostly around burst shooting, older F-mount lenses and manual glass.
If you shoot a Z6 III, grab the update from Nikon’s download center.
Join the discussion in the forum.
Sources
- PetaPixel: New Z6 III Firmware Adds Pre-Release Capture Via Bluetooth
- Nikon Rumors: Z6III Firmware 2.01 Released
- Daily Camera News: Z6 III Firmware 2.01 Changelog
- Photography Blog: Nikon Z6 III Review
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