Quite a shrunken empire, Nikon really needs a Z9 success:
Overall the Z9 will fuel a tough competition, which is good for all users, since competition = progress.
Absolutely, and they need cheaper entry level bodies that are as attractive, otherwise people entering from scratch will not go Nikon in large enough numbers. They should have let go the F system much quicker, as much as this hurts. Canon really managed this better.
It's a pity that it takes a competitor like Nikon to remind Canon that it's still a competitive market and that Canon can't expect to keep over inflating it's prices. The R3 and R5 are great products but they are woefully over priced.
The price gouging started way before broken supply chains. I started a thread about this in April https://www.canonrumors.com/forum/threads/canon-price-gouging-in-uk.40351/#post-889762
I'd be interested in your experience with the 500 PF + FTZ on the Z9 when it arrives. What's it like on the Z6?
Genuine question, do pros often switch systems? Surely the change in ergonomics, retraining muscle memory, and differences in support between brands count more than a few hundred dollars cost difference on a body?
As someone who has a preorder in for the Z9, I absolutely see your points and may regret canceling my R3 preorder. To me, the only place where the Z9 clearly wins is in MP count. On the R3 side, the AF seems to be more refined, has a weaker or more refined olpf, and, perhaps, better dynamic range (are we allowed to mention that here?). I have been extremely impressed by the tonal quality of R3 images. So far, most Z9 images have been unimpressive. I just struggle with the R3's 24MP. I dumped my Nikon D5, which shares a lot of the R3's positive qualities (as well as "low" MP count), solely because I was frustrated with the limited detail in cropped images of birds. Perhaps I'll be better off sitting out this round and waiting for the R1.
Our expectations of speed must differ. I have a pretty high spec'ed 2019 iMac, and I perceive little difference between processing cRAW and uncompressed RAW files in Lightroom. Of course it's been a while since I did the comparison--I've used cRAW for over a year--so perhaps a new comparison is in order.
The question I have is: Will Canon wait that long or are they going to move faster? I do not see the R1 as a replacement for the R3 more of a supplement. Historically, speaking the EOS 3 was released in Nov. 1998 and the EOS 1v was released in March 2000. If that were the case here, we might expect a R1 as early as March 2023. However, with supply chain issues that could easily be pushed back a year.
