photo courtesy of Nikon
It will be here before you know it, are you ready to take charge? The #1 thing I do in preparation for shooting with any new piece of gear is put aside time to do just that, shoot with the new piece of gear! Part of that is thinking through what real-world shooting / testing I want to do. For example, the Z9 is a speed demon and I want to learn this new tool so I can employ it when it matters. I’ve been working with Maggie to run right at me (shes’ a Beagle, easily distracted) so when the Z9 arrives, I can photograph her. It’s a great, in the backyard shooting, putting that Z9 through its paces, exercise to begin learning this great tool. The Z9 autofocus is a leap forward, I want to learn as fast as I can what mode works best for my photography. This is how I go about that. I have my new ProGrade & Delkin cards ready to load. Other accessories like Small Rig cage and Really Right Stuff plate ordered and ready. And I’ve planned my time around getting the initial charge on the battery. Important to start that battery off right. With that, I come back to thinking through other shoots I want to do to learn the strengths of the Z9 and how I can use them to solve problems. Then, I have made sure that the Epson P7000 & P900 have paper and ink to make the prints that come from the Z9 images. I’ve gone through this same process numerous times over the decades. I’ve found it makes “easing in” and “memorizing” the new a whole piece of gear a whole lot simpler and faster. You know that old saying, “teach an old dog … ” Making the most in the evolution in new gear requires an evolution in the photographer and their photography. I’m getting ready … I can’t wait. The Z9 is comin and I’m ready!