Nikon Z9 Firmware 5.30 Is a Big Leap

Since its launch in 2021, the Nikon Z9 has received a steady stream of firmware updates that added a number of genuinely excellent features. Lately, however, it felt as if the update wind had died down—or perhaps more accurately, as if Nikon’s flagship had been sailing with partially reefed sails. Indeed, some really useful features such as the in-body focus limiter, pixel shift, or maximum aperture live view were available only on lower-tier models like the Z8 or even the Z6 III. However, firmware update 5.30—released in December of 2025—not only closes some of these gaps, but also introduces several entirely new features. In my opinion, it puts the Z9 back at the very front of the fleet.