Nikon removes Auto Capture references from Nikon Z8 marketing materials

It looks like Nikon might be going back on its word when it comes to future feature enhancements. Promised deep down in the Nikon Z8 (buy here) announcement press release is Auto Capture. This is the same Auto Capture that was recently released for the Nikon Z9 (buy here). The new feature lets your camera shoot completely unattended on a pre-fixed spot, waiting for a subject to appear.

It looks like this feature is being rolled back now, though. Nikon had initially mentioned that the feature was also coming in the Z8 during the Z9 v4.0 firmware launch video. Now, all reference to the Nikon Z8 has been removed from the video. The paragraph that mentions Auto Capture has also been removed from the press release.

The original video had a section at around 1:42 stating that the Auto Capture feature introduced in the new Nikon Z9 firmware was also coming to the Nikon Z8. That few-second reference now appears to have been cut out of the video (yes, YouTube will let you do that). The paragraph in the initial Z8 press release that said the Auto Capture feature was coming has also been removed.

The paragraph reads as follows:

Upcoming features will be added in planned firmware updates, including an Auto Capture function, which will allow a photographer to automatically trigger a remote camera on user-set parameters. An update will also allow for the base ISO to be extended down to 200 when shooting video footage with N-Log enabled.

The latest iteration of the press release is available to read on the Nikon website. It’s been modified since the original press release sent out in May when the Z8 was announced. There used to be an extra item in here. Here’s how the section with the missing paragraph looks now.

You can see the original press release in its entirety on DPReview to see and compare for yourself.

As to what the removal of Auto Capture references from Nikon Z8 marketing materials means in reality, I’m not sure. Nikon Rumors believes that Nikon is worried about the Z8 threatening Z9 sales and have decided to intentionally hold that feature back. Admittedly, they hopes they’re wrong in that assumption. I hope so, too.

Many users spend their money and buy products based not only on what they can do today but on the promises the manufacturers make for tomorrow. If a device is being marketed with the promise of future features, then people will buy based on that marketing. They’ll expect to get what’s been promised. If companies start pulling their promises, they’re just going to start losing customers.

DIYP has reached out to Nikon for a response and will update this post when they get back to us.

[via Nikon Rumors]