Anytime I buy new camera gear—or even pull something off the shelf that I haven’t used in a while—I remind myself of one simple truth: never take it to a client job until you’ve tested it thoroughly.

Today was one of those reminders.

I’m preparing for a project in a few days, so I spent the morning working with my Nikon Z9 and the DJI Mic 2 system. I’ve been using both for a while now, but like anything in our world, settings change, firmware updates happen, and sometimes the details fade if you haven’t touched something in a few months.

Before I point a camera at a client, I want to know exactly what each setting does—and why. I don’t want to be the person who finds a “recommended setting” and rolls with it. I want to understand the concept behind each control so I know when to adjust it and how it affects the recording. That knowledge gives me confidence, and confidence lets me focus on the story instead of the gear.

Refreshing on the DJI Mic 2

I pulled up a couple of YouTube videos to refresh my memory on the DJI Mic 2—mainly because there are a few settings I dial in once, forget about, and then have to relearn the next time I use it. One of those was the “Camera” setting inside the DJI receiver menu.

What I confirmed (again!) is that this setting controls the output gain from the DJI receiver going into the camera’s mic input. That’s it. It’s easy to overthink.

Here’s how I approach it:

How I Set Gain Between the DJI Mic 2 and the Nikon Z9

Think of it like a two-stage system:

1. DJI Mic 2 Output Gain (Camera Setting on the Receiver)
   This is the signal strength from the DJI receiver to the Z9.
   I prefer to keep this relatively low because a strong signal going into the camera can easily clip. The DJI mics are quiet and clean, so lowering the output gives the camera room to breathe. The gain is set at +9 on the DJI Mic 2.
2. Nikon Z9 Input Gain
   This is where I fine-tune the actual recording level.
   On the Z9, I usually start around 3–4 and adjust based on the speaker’s volume. This keeps the preamps clean and reduces the risk of distortion.

In short:
Lower gain on the DJI receiver, controlled gain on the Z9. Keep camera input low, and use the receiver’s gain to boost the signal, while disabling transmitter noise reduction and using windscreens for the best quality in post-production.

That combination gives me headroom and cleaner audio.

The Two-Track Safety Net: Why I Love 32-Bit Float

When I run the DJI Mic 2 with the Z9, I think of it as two simultaneous recordings:

1. The main audio:
   The signal goes from the mic transmitter → receiver → into the Z9. This is what gets synced to the video automatically.
2. The backup:
   Each transmitter records internally in 32-bit Float.
   That’s a huge safety net.
   If someone laughs loudly or suddenly projects, the camera track might clip—but the 32-bit float file won’t. Later, I can pull the file off the transmitter via USB-C, sync it, and choose whichever track sounds better.

This is especially helpful when I’m filming conversations or podcasts where levels can jump without warning.

Watching, Listening, and Staying Ahead of Trouble

The most significant part of testing is simply getting comfortable enough that monitoring becomes second nature. When the job comes, I want to be able to glance at my setup and instantly know everything is healthy.

During the podcast shoot I’m prepping for, I’ll be:

• Watching the Z9:
  The red box around the frame indicates it’s recording, and I’ll keep an eye on the camera’s meters.
• Watching the DJI Mic 2 receiver:
  It gives me the same visual reassurance: a red box and levels for each mic.
• Listening on headphones:
  No guessing. No hoping. Just explicit confirmation that the audio hitting the camera is clean.

Why All This Matters

Gear is expensive. Clients are trusting. And once the moment is gone, it’s gone.

Testing isn’t about paranoia—it’s about stewardship. It’s about respecting the people you’re serving enough to make sure your tools are ready long before you walk into the room.

Every time I sit down with new equipment—or equipment I haven’t used in a while—I’m reminded that the best storytellers aren’t just creative. They’re prepared.

And that preparation starts long before the record button is pressed.

I spent the weekend at the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar with two Sigma ART lenses you’ve probably been seeing around the internet lately — the Sigma 28–45mm f/1.8 DG DN | Art and the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 (ART) — and I mounted them on my Nikon Z9 using the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ Sony E → Nikon Z autofocus adapter. Short version: the lenses are gorgeous, the 28–45mm is a deceptively versatile little beast, the 135mm is glorious (and heavy), and the Megadap adapter made it painless to shoot them on the Z9 with no obvious performance sacrifice.

Below are my impressions from shooting during the seminar, along with some background on each lens and why the Megadap matters if you like mixing mounts.

Sigma 28–45mm f/1.8 DG DN | Art — zoom that behaves like a prime

This is one of those lenses that changes your mental kit list. It’s the world’s first full-frame zoom that holds f/1.8 across the range, and it really does behave like a set of very nice primes — sharp straight through the frame, with pleasing rendering and bokeh. For event and photojournalism work, the focal spread is beneficial: 28 gives you room, 35–40 is classic documentary/portrait territory, and 45 brings you in when you need it. The autofocus system (Sigma’s HLA / high-response linear actuator implementation for the DN line) is quick and smooth for stills and video. On the Z9 via the Megadap, it focused responsively and provided the shallow depth of field I wanted without the hunt or lag you sometimes expect when adapting lenses.

Practical notes: it’s larger than a typical 35mm prime, but not uncomfortably so. I liked how the zoom feels balanced on the Z9 and how usable f/1.8 was at 28mm for low-light seminar shooting.

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 ART — a portrait lens that eats background and serves it back soft

If you shoot portraits, editorial headshots, or want a super-tele short-portrait lens, the 135/1.4 is the kind of lens you’ll want to spend time with. It’s big and solid — you can feel the engineering — and the optical performance is what you expect from Sigma’s ART line: subject separation, gorgeous bokeh, and excellent resolution. It’s not a pocket lens, but it gives you that “subject pops out of the frame” look that single-lens portraits benefit from. On the Z9 with the adapter, it tracked and locked on without drama in my sampling of seated-portrait shots and candid captures.

Practical notes: Weight and size are crucial considerations if you plan to hold your device all day. If you have the room in your bag and the shooting scenario calls for long, shallow-DOF portraits, it’s worth it.

The Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ adapter — the unsung hero

What made shooting those two Sigma lenses on a Nikon Z9 straightforward was the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ (Sony E-mount lens → Nikon Z-mount body) adapter. There’s a lot of adapter options out there; the Megadap Pro+ sits near the top of the list because it supports electronic communication, AF, aperture control, and it’s built with practicalities in mind: weather sealing, improved electrical contact plating, customizable buttons, and mechanical upgrades that make lens mounting/release more robust. In short, it’s designed to keep modern electronic lenses functional when moved between ecosystems.

Two detail points worth calling out:

• Thickness / mechanical fit — some cheaper adapters add significant spacing or play that can affect infinity focus or mount robustness. The Megadap family advertises a thin adapter ring (listings specify a 2 mm dimension for related models), which helps preserve flange distance and optical behavior when adapting FE lenses to Z bodies. That thin-but-solid construction matters — it’s part of why my adapted lenses focused accurately on the Z9.
• Real-world AF & performance — reviews and hands-on tests (including long-form reviewers who’ve used the ETZ21 Pro/Pro+ on high-res Nikon bodies) report that AF performance for many modern Sony/third-party FE lenses is very usable — single-shot AF and subject lock are reliable for stills. Continuous tracking performs well with lenses that have fast AF motors. That matches my experience at the seminar: no noticeable drop-off in AF responsiveness or tracking for the Sigma lenses I tried. As always, results vary lens-by-lens, and firmware updates for both lens and adapter can improve behavior.

A few takeaways for people who shoot events and stories

• Suppose you’re considering the Sigma 28–45mm. In that case, it’s a great one-lens solution for low-light, documentary, and interview situations where you want the look of primes but the flexibility of a zoom. It’s become one of those lenses I’d reach for when I need speed and range in a compact kit.
• The 135/1.4 is a specialty tool — offering huge payoffs for portraiture and subject isolation. However, be prepared for a heavier carry and to budget time for composition, as the shallow depth of field requires deliberate framing.
• If you need to mix-mount lenses on a Z-body, a high-quality adapter like the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ is a practical option that preserves AF and electronic functionality for many lenses, which can save you from buying duplicate glass across ecosystems. Do check compatibility lists and keep adapter firmware up to date.

Last week, I wrote about how I was proud of failing again when I corrupted my Photo Mechanic Plus catalog and had to rebuild it. That was frustrating, but the path to fixing it was clear.

This week brought a much bigger challenge.

I had installed OpenCore Legacy on my older 2016 MacBook Pro to keep running the latest macOS. It had been working fine—until Apple released macOS Tahoe. Without thinking it through, I let my machine automatically upgrade.

That was my mistake.

OpenCore Legacy didn’t yet support Tahoe, and the upgrade instantly turned my computer into a brick.

Recovering from this took me more than two days of trial and error. At first, I tried restoring from Time Machine, but I didn’t realize it only works if the system runs the same macOS version you backed up from. My machine wasn’t, so I ran into a mess of error codes.

I tried rolling back to Catalina. I tried multiple Sequoia jump-drive installs using OpenCore. At one point, I even questioned whether my installer drive was the problem—so I rebuilt that too.

The real turning point came when I discovered that my Sequoia install had never been correctly set up in the first place. Once I finally got the system running on Sequoia again, I could restore from Time Machine.

What did I learn from all this? Two simple things:

1. Turn off automatic upgrades. Primarily, if you’re running patched or non-standard software.
2. Check compatibility first. Just because Apple releases a new OS doesn’t mean everything in your workflow—or your hardware—will play nicely with it.

It was a hard lesson that took a lot of time, but I’ll never forget it. Sometimes, our biggest failures become the most memorable teachers.

This week, I managed to break something big. I was working on my Photo Mechanic Plus database from two different computers, and in the process, I corrupted the catalog. With more than 670,000 images in that system, the only solution was to rebuild it — a process that takes several days.

At first, I was frustrated. Nobody enjoys setting themselves back. But once I stepped back, I realized two important things:

1. I hadn’t been backing up my catalog. Since it lived on an external drive, it wasn’t included in my Time Machine backups. That was a blind spot in my system. Now, I’m fixing that issue and ensuring the catalog is protected.
2. Failure is one of the best teachers. If I hadn’t made this mistake, I might have gone years without realizing the risk I was taking with my archive.

It reminded me that failure isn’t the opposite of success — it’s part of the path to it. Every time we stumble, we gain clarity on what needs to change.

So here’s the bigger question for all of us in business (and life): Have you failed lately? If not, are you stretching yourself enough to grow?

I’d rather have the occasional setback that teaches me something vital than stay safe and stagnant. Because at the end of the day, failure means I’m still learning, building, and moving forward.

In case you have a problem with Photo Mechanic Plus, here are the steps to fix it

In Photo Mechanic Plus, a red “Maintenance” button in the Catalog Management window indicates a catalog database problem requiring user action. The issue is most often due to a corrupted catalog or a catalog that has been moved or updated. 

Common causes for the red “Maintenance” warning

• Corrupted database: This can occur for various reasons, including crashes or improperly closing the application.
• Catalog moved: If you have moved the catalog folder or the image folders it references without using Photo Mechanic Plus, the database will lose track of the files and show a maintenance warning.
• Software update: Some updates to Photo Mechanic Plus require the catalogs to be re-indexed to incorporate changes to the database structure. 

How to resolve the red “Maintenance” issue

Option 1: Reintegrate the catalog (Recommended)

This is the most common fix and is often required if you have moved a catalog to a new location.

1. Navigate to Catalog > Catalog Management….
2. In the Catalog Management dialog, find the catalog with the red “Maintenance” button and click the small disclosure triangle next to it.
3. Click the triangle next to “Maintenance” to show the options.
4. Click the “Reintegrate Forgotten Catalog” button. Photo Mechanic will then rescan the catalog to repair the database. 

Option 2: Optimize SQL Query Planning

Optimizing the database’s query plans can resolve the issue if you have added or removed many images.

1. Navigate to Catalog > Catalog Management….
2. Expand the affected catalog and the “Maintenance” options.
3. Choose “Optimize SQL Query Planning“. 

Option 3: Re-index the catalog

This more intensive process should only be done if prompted by the application or if other methods fail.

1. Navigate to Catalog > Catalog Management….
2. Expand the affected catalog and the “Maintenance” options.
3. Click “Re-Index Catalog“. 

Option 4: Restore from a backup

If the database is severely corrupted, a restoration from a backup may be necessary.

1. Quit Photo Mechanic Plus.
2. Restore your catalog from a known good backup.
3. Restart Photo Mechanic Plus. 

What to do if the maintenance options are greyed out

If the maintenance options are greyed out, the catalog may be so corrupted that it can’t be repaired through the standard interface. In this case: 

1. Stop any catalog tasks listed in the Catalog Status window.
2. Quit Photo Mechanic Plus.
3. Delete the cat_state.db file (instructions for macOS):
   • In the Finder, go to the “Go” menu and choose “Go to Folder…”.
   • Enter the path: ~/Library/Application Support/Camera Bits, Inc/Photo Mechanic/catalog/state.
   • Delete the cat_state.db file and any files starting with cat_state.
4. Restart Photo Mechanic Plus and use the “Reintegrate Forgotten Catalog” button as described above. 

The Steep Learning Curve of Autofocus in Mirrorless Cameras

Switching from DSLR to mirrorless has been one of the steepest learning curves of my career. Not because the mirrorless system is inferior—it’s the opposite. The Nikon Z 9 outpaces any DSLR in sheer autofocus speed, accuracy, and subject detection. But the sheer number of autofocus settings available is both a gift and a challenge.

You might have had a handful of AF modes to learn with a DSLR. With the Z 9, multiple focus modes, AF-area modes, and subject detection options can be combined in countless ways. Picking the proper setup for the right situation can be perplexing, but it’s also where the magic happens. That “extra bump” of sharpness and accuracy comes from knowing which AF setup works best.

Autofocus Options in the Nikon Z 9

Focus Modes (4):

• AF-S (Single)
• AF-C (Continuous)
• AF-F (Full-time, video only)
• MF (Manual focus)

AF-Area Modes (8+):

• Pinpoint AF
• Single-Point AF
• Dynamic-Area AF (S, M, L)
• Wide-Area AF (S, L, C1, C2 custom shapes)
• 3D-Tracking
• Auto-Area AF

Subject Detection (6):

Example: Birds in Different Environments

• Bird in an open sky: AF-C + Dynamic-Area AF (L) + Bird detection
• Bird in dense foliage: AF-C + Single-Point or Pinpoint AF + Bird detection (or Off, relying on contrast-based focus)

The settings change drastically depending on context. That’s the power—and challenge—of the Z 9.

Cautions: Subject Detection Using “Birds”

• Subject detection may not perform as expected if:
  • The subject’s face is too large or small relative to the frame,
  • The subject’s face is too brightly or dimly lit,
  • The subject’s face or eyes are obscured by a feather or the like,
  • The subject’s face and eyes are of similar colors, or
  • The subject moves excessively during shooting.
• The camera may display a border around subjects that are not birds but that resemble them. If the camera often mistakenly detects subjects other than birds, changing to an AF-area mode with smaller focus points may improve focus performance.
• Flickering is more likely to occur if photos are taken under fluorescent, mercury-vapor, or similar lighting than in other environments.
  • Selecting [ON] for [Photo flicker reduction] in the photo shooting menu reduces flickering effects.
  • If there is no flickering, we recommend selecting [OFF] for [Photo flicker reduction] in the photo shooting menu.
• The light from the AF-assist illuminator may adversely affect some birds’ eyes; select [OFF] for Custom Setting a12 [Built-in AF-assist illuminator] when using autofocus.
• “Birds” cannot be selected as a subject detection option for [Auto capture] in the photo shooting and video recording menus. When taking pictures of birds, choose auto or animals as the subject type.

Quick Wildlife Cheat Sheet

Mastering Sports Autofocus with the Nikon Z 9

If wildlife autofocus is challenging, sports photography takes it up another notch. For good reason, Nikon even provides a dedicated technical guide for Z 9 sports autofocus. In sports, where action is fast, unpredictable, and often blocked by other players, you must optimize every AF setting to keep up.

Baseline Sports Settings

• Focus Mode: AF-C (Continuous AF)
• AF-Area Mode:
  • 3D-Tracking (best for individual athletes)
  • Dynamic-Area AF (S) (best for team play with crowded fields)
• Subject Detection: Auto (lets the camera choose humans/vehicles)
• Custom Tweaks:
  • a1 (AF-C priority): Release
  • a3 (Lock-on): Blocked-Shot Response = 2, Subject Motion = Steady
  • a9 (Focus mode restriction): Limit to Continuous AF

Dialing in by Sport

Bringing It All Back to Storytelling

Whether you’re photographing wildlife or athletes, the Nikon Z 9 is not just a better tool—it’s a smarter, more adaptable one. But mastery requires intentionality. The settings that give you tack-sharp eyes on a bird in flight will not serve you as well courtside at a basketball game. Learning which autofocus combinations work best for your story takes your images from “good” to “magical.”

As I teach in storytelling workshops, the right tools, used with purpose, elevate every story. The Z 9 gives us the freedom to adapt—our job is to choose wisely.