Z7-Z6 Lenses

mhedges

My metal print arrived yesterday. It looks pretty good! Certainly no sign of running low on resolution even at 166 DPI.

I read somewhere that the inkjet method used for most low volume prints is more tolerant of lower resolution than the older methods. Something to do with the ink drop size and how the ink spreads out or wets.

kanuck

rmp said:

Yes, I will buy the 14-30, I am just not sure when. Also, I do not like to change lenses in the field. So, for wide shots, I will often turn a camera to "portrait angle" take a number of shots and then, in Photoshop stitch them together to make a panorama. It gives me more detail and I do not need to carry a wide angle lens.


Thom Hogan recommended this set up.

I can understand why. Hauling around a big FX body with heavy 2.8 glass for climbing and travel around the world takes it's toll for me. I am pretty excited about having a mirrorless body. I have been slow, but I will pick up the Z7 + 24-70 + F Mount Adapter combo at the end of this month for sure. Then in the summer add the 14-30 lens as well. Might sell it if the 2.8 version blows it away though even if it weighs more. I have owned a F90x, F100, D40x, D80, D300, D3200, D3500, D600, D700, D800E, D810, D850 so it figures the Z series will make its way into my hands Always wanted to own a pro D3, D4 or D5 but haven't.

donaldejose

"Always wanted to own a pro D3, D4 or D5 but haven't." Me too. Just can never justify that $6,000 entry fee for the "latest and greatest" Dx body when for half that amount you can get so many more megapixels and for a tenth of that amount you can get a lightweight DX sensor body for "basic" duties.

Last night I had to wear a tuxedo to the black tie reception a the Philly Auto show. I surely was not going to walk around with a D5 hanging from my neck or with a camera bag. Just doesn't go with a tuxedo. So what to do? My old Coolpix A came to the rescue because it fit into the pocket of my tux. No DSLR or mirrorless body/lens combination would do that. Unfortunately, the only two cars they advertised as coming which I wanted to photograph were no shows: the 2019 Ford GT and the new 2020 Toyota Supra. Sooooo glad I didn't look like a fool lugging a big camera around.

I am trying a "test" to see about the practical usefulness of the older generation Dx bodies: I just bought two. I purchased a D3s with 78,000 shutter actuations for $750 and a D4 with 11,000 shutter actuations for $1,600 on eBay. That is a LOT less than when they were the "latest and greatest" and they still are just as good as they ever were. I have a D850 for when I want high megapixels. For less than the cost of a second D850 body you can now get the "latest and greatest" D4 body of one generations ago if you don't always need so many megapixels. For less than the cost of a new mid level DX body you can now get a two generation old FX D3s body. I don't know yet but my guess is that the D3s body at a price point of around $750 will be the best value and able to do everything I want to do in FX sensor size when I would only throw away most of the D850 megapixels anyway. Of course, it all depends upon what you are shooting and what your real needs are.

For mirrorless, my guess is that the best travel set will be a Z6 body and a Z8 body along with about 3 S lenses.

WestEndFoto

donaldejose said:

"Always wanted to own a pro D3, D4 or D5 but haven't." Me too. Just can never justify that $6,000 entry fee for the "latest and greatest" Dx body when for half that amount you can get so many more megapixels and for a tenth of that amount you can get a lightweight DX sensor body for "basic" duties.

Last night I had to wear a tuxedo to the black tie reception a the Philly Auto show. I surely was not going to walk around with a D5 hanging from my neck or with a camera bag. Just doesn't go with a tuxedo. So what to do? My old Coolpix A came to the rescue because it fit into the pocket of my tux. No DSLR or mirrorless body/lens combination would do that. Unfortunately, the only two cars they advertised as coming which I wanted to photograph were no shows: the 2019 Ford GT and the new 2020 Toyota Supra. Sooooo glad I didn't look like a fool lugging a big camera around.

I am trying a "test" to see about the practical usefulness of the older generation Dx bodies: I just bought two. I purchased a D3s with 78,000 shutter actuations for $750 and a D4 with 11,000 shutter actuations for $1,600 on eBay. That is a LOT less than when they were the "latest and greatest" and they still are just as good as they ever were. I have a D850 for when I want high megapixels. For less than the cost of a second D850 body you can now get the "latest and greatest" D4 body of one generations ago if you don't always need so many megapixels. For less than the cost of a new mid level DX body you can now get a two generation old FX D3s body. I don't know yet but my guess is that the D3s body at a price point of around $750 will be the best value and able to do everything I want to do in FX sensor size when I would only throw away most of the D850 megapixels anyway. Of course, it all depends upon what you are shooting and what your real needs are.

For mirrorless, my guess is that the best travel set will be a Z6 body and a Z8 body along with about 3 S lenses.

I am thinking of adding a Supra to my collection. That will be the only qualifying (Toyota) sports car on the market.

donaldejose

Yes, the Supra should be a classic.

Symphotic

kanuck said:

...I am pretty excited about having a mirrorless body. I have been slow, but I will pick up the Z7 + 24-70 + F Mount Adapter combo at the end of this month for sure. Then in the summer add the 14-30 lens as well. ...

I'm surprised at how little I use the FTZ adapter and how much I use the 24-70 f/4. The optics of the 35 and the 50 f/1.8 are great, but I need my 24 mm. If the 14-30 is as good as the 24-70 I will be a very happy photographer.

My F lenses stay on my F cameras.

WestEndFoto

donaldejose said:

Yes, the Supra should be a classic.

Given that he was picked by Nikon, I thought it was a well balanced review. It rings true. Nikon seems to be making a big effort to eliminate coma. He mentioned something about "dot light reproduction". I am curious what that might be - some sort of software? I could not find anything on it.

Symphotic

donaldejose said:

Yes, the Supra should be a classic.

...

Nice review. I was happy to hear he used manual focus throughout. I can say that the autofocus works fine on my Z7, but the manual focus with focus peaking is delightful and really helps with composition.

rmp

The Z 27-70 f2.8 will need to be incredibly sharp to replace my 24-70 f4. And I do mean incredibly sharp. The f4 version is really good.

mhedges

I'd say there's pretty much no chance my F4 will be replaced by the 2.8. Considering the 2.8 will probably be about $2400 or so.

The only 2.8 lens I could see myself getting is the 70-200. I'd love to have it, but it will probably be way out of my price range. Especially when I can borrow my friends F mount 70-200.

BVS

Don't forget that the 2.8 gives you an additional dedicated control ring and an extra function button as well, which could be very useful.

Symphotic

A video on the 24-70 for the Z:

donaldejose

Interesting comment by fashion photographer stating that bokeh is out of fashion in that industry. He thinks it is due to young people being used to Instagram and cell phone photos which all have wide angle lenses. If he is correct we don't need to be spending all that extra money on 50mm and longer f0.95, f1.2, and f1.4 lenses. He is saying the fashion magazines now want images shot in the range of 24 to 35mm lenses at f5.6 simply because that is what the target audience is used to seeing. Nikon's S lens line of 1.8 primes and 2.8 zooms may be fully adequate. https://thebkmag.com/2019/02/06/the-bane-of-bokeh-or-how-not-to-stand-out-from-the-herd/ By the way, he hates the fact that Nikon did not put two card slots into the Z bodies. https://thebkmag.com/2018/08/29/my-nikon-z-mirrorless-rant-to-nikon-rd-and-corporate-marketing/ Hopefully, Nikon will soon remedy the card slot issue by producing a new "pro" control layout body with two card slots and vertical shutter release.

WestEndFoto

donaldejose said:

Interesting comment by fashion photographer stating that bokeh is out of fashion in that industry. He thinks it is due to young people being used to Instagram and cell phone photos which all have wide angle lenses. If he is correct we don't need to be spending all that extra money on 50mm and longer f0.95, f1.2, and f1.4 lenses. He is saying the fashion magazines now want images shot in the range of 24 to 35mm lenses at f5.6 simply because that is what the target audience is used to seeing. Nikon's S lens line of 1.8 primes and 2.8 zooms may be fully adequate. https://thebkmag.com/2019/02/06/the-bane-of-bokeh-or-how-not-to-stand-out-from-the-herd/ By the way, he hates the fact that Nikon did not put two card slots into the Z bodies. https://thebkmag.com/2018/08/29/my-nikon-z-mirrorless-rant-to-nikon-rd-and-corporate-marketing/ Hopefully, Nikon will soon remedy the card slot issue by producing a new "pro" control layout body with two card slots and vertical shutter release.

A couple of thoughts.

First, I don't shoot what the latest fashion is. I shoot what I want to suit my own artistic desires. And since I would prefer it not look like what the sheep are following, I am happy that the sheep are going somewhere else.

Second, the fact that the Z6 and Z7 have user modes should cause people to clue in that there would not be two cards. I suspect Nikon will launch a true pro-z camera and it WILL have two card slots and will NOT have user modes. And the true pros were not shooting mirrorless anyways, they were and still are shooting DSLRs.

Now, I have very significantly overstated this second point and expressed it in a very non-compromising manner. For example, if I was a true pro, I WOULD have the Z7 with the 14-30, simply because that is the sharpest system available today for wider angles unless you invest in medium format. However, if you think in those non=compromising terms, you can better appreciate why Nikon has made the choices it has made and even better appreciate the dynamics of the shift towards mirrorless.

rmp

Westendphoto said "... Z7 with the 14-30, simply because that is the sharpest system available today..." I agree. That combination is the best travel camera ever.

Capt_Spaulding

WestEndFoto said:

A couple of thoughts.


Second, the fact that the Z6 and Z7 have user modes should cause people to clue in that there would not be two cards. I suspect Nikon will launch a true pro-z camera and it WILL have two card slots and will NOT have user modes. And the true pros were not shooting mirrorless anyways, they were and still are shooting DSLRs.

Now, I have very significantly overstated this second point and expressed it in a very non-compromising manner. For example, if I was a true pro, I WOULD have the Z7 with the 14-30, simply because that is the sharpest system available today for wider angles unless you invest in medium format. However, if you think in those non=compromising terms, you can better appreciate why Nikon has made the choices it has made and even better appreciate the dynamics of the shift towards mirrorless.

While a second card slot would be welcomed by most, the reappearance of the "bank" system would be most unwelcome, here at least. I'm hoping the appearance of a third user mode on the Zs represents a decision by Nikon to give "pro" controls the heave ho.

WestEndFoto

donaldejose said:

Interesting comment by fashion photographer stating that bokeh is out of fashion in that industry. He thinks it is due to young people being used to Instagram and cell phone photos which all have wide angle lenses. If he is correct we don't need to be spending all that extra money on 50mm and longer f0.95, f1.2, and f1.4 lenses. He is saying the fashion magazines now want images shot in the range of 24 to 35mm lenses at f5.6 simply because that is what the target audience is used to seeing. Nikon's S lens line of 1.8 primes and 2.8 zooms may be fully adequate. https://thebkmag.com/2019/02/06/the-bane-of-bokeh-or-how-not-to-stand-out-from-the-herd/ By the way, he hates the fact that Nikon did not put two card slots into the Z bodies. https://thebkmag.com/2018/08/29/my-nikon-z-mirrorless-rant-to-nikon-rd-and-corporate-marketing/ Hopefully, Nikon will soon remedy the card slot issue by producing a new "pro" control layout body with two card slots and vertical shutter release.

A couple of more thoughts...….

In "The Bane of Bokeh", Benjamin Kanarek makes a valid point. I would articulate it as "bokeh" is a tool, not an end in itself.

Now regarding his second article, I think his concern about one card slot is valid and I happen to agree with him. The lack of a second card slot is a deal breaker for me. I accept that ZQD cards are unlikely to fail and that the risk is much lower than CF. The memory of the Canon wannabe pro shooting my wedding with a single card slot Canon 5D MkII is not anything that I will forget soon, but I also accept that the issue would have likely never happened had he been using ZQD.

But I still lose cards. That is what I am really protecting against. As soon as the XQD and SC card on my D850 fills up, one card goes in one spot and the other goes in an entirely different spot.

But this "Benjamin Kanarek", what an entitled spoilt brat...………

Yes.....really.

And dumb to boot...……

Yes, really.

Dumb because he thinks that Nikon is attempting to flog the Z6 or Z7 as an "pro" camera. There is a reason that they are a Z6 and Z7, not a Z8 and Z9, so that they can leave space at the top for real pro cameras.

And an entitled spoilt brat for having a temper tantrum because Nikon had the gall to prioritize the launch of a prosumer camera ahead of what he wanted, a pro camera.

Benny Brat, boy aren't you special. You think that Nikon's sole objective is to serve your specific wants ahead of everybody else's.

Some people make me wonder. In the meantime I will bide my time for a pro z-series camera and shoot my D850 with a fantastic set of lenses.

donaldejose

"And an entitled spoilt brat for having a temper tantrum because Nikon had the gall to prioritize the launch of a prosumer camera ahead of what he wanted, a pro camera." Even so, doesn't the prosumer D750 have two card slots? I would argue one card slot is ok for all Dxxxx bodies but two card slots should be in Dxxx and Dx bodies. To that extent Kanarek is correct. It is also interesting to look at his images (https://benjaminkanarek.com/) and take his comments as an insight into the current high fashion photography business in Europe. I don't like the direction it is going. Many poses are ugly and many expressions are corpse like. I don't see beauty. Even the curvy feminine form is lost and the models have become too skinny and poses are not feminine. One further interesting thing is that he still shoots with D800 and D800e bodies. He feels 36 mp is fine for his use and has not moved to the D850. However, he recently has started using a crop sensor Fuji for some of his shoots and finds it adequate.

WestEndFoto

Well, I did take this way to far. There are lots of pros that will use all sorts of cameras not labelled "pro". However, I wanted to illustrate how I think some of the views on the internet are absurd.

Yes, the D750 has two card slots. I suspect that its replacement will have a single XQD and that you will need to invest in a D860 or D6 to obtain two slots. If you think of it from a risk perspective, it makes sense. XQD is the safest format to date. If you are shooting with a D5 or D850, you need safety at all costs. For a D750, you get safety only because the risk of a CF or SD card failing is a lot higher. With the lower risk, Nikon may not think it is cost effective to put two cards in.

mhedges

Single XQD slot in D760 is my guess too. That lets them save money on the buffer size and still give decent high frame rate performance.

donaldejose

Oh no, single card slot in the D760? If so, Nikon is making a big mistake. I would rather have two SD card slots than one XQD card slot in a D760. It must be cheap to put an SD card slot into a camera these days. Nikon should have done that with the Z6 and 7: one XQD and one SD. People who don't want to use the SD card don't have to use it. They can just run the camera with one XQD memory card. I hear the coming CFastExpress cards will be so fast the camera won't need a buffer. Still, give me redundancy of memory cards, please.

Symphotic

Would you buy the 24-70 f/2.8 if you already have the 24-70 f/4?

The world wonders...

WestEndFoto

Symphotic said:

Would you buy the 24-70 f/2.8 if you already have the 24-70 f/4?

The world wonders...

While I may avoid the zooms in the S line and stick to primes, if I was so inclined perhaps yes.

I do see myself buying the 1.8 primes for a landscape set and the 1.2 primes at 28mm and above for portraiture. However, I have those at 1.4 in F, so I may not.

I have done this to an extent in F. For example, I have a 1.4 and a 2.8 in 28mm.

Symphotic

The Japanese website says it will be available for preorder on Saturday at 10:00 am, Japan time, with delivery in April.

The duty free price in Japan is about USD2,760, so buying it here isn't such a bad deal.

It looks like it will take the same filter size as the 14-30 f/4.

I've got a couple of days to think about it. I have taken some great photos with my 24-70 f/2.8G, but the optical performance of the f/4 S is outstanding. I can't justify it as a business expense, so I have save my pennies until April if I do buy it.

NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S New
2019年4月発売予定
予約販売受付は、2月16日10時より開始します。
希望小売価格:329,940円（税抜 305,500円）

Symphotic

WestEndFoto said:

...While I may avoid the zooms in the S line and stick to primes, if I was so inclined perhaps yes....

I avoided zoom lenses for years. I didn't own one until I bought my D800. And even now I use them at the locks more than composing with the zoom.

Anyway, I may be up in your area again soon to take delivery for a special project I'm working on. If I have a new lens by then, maybe we can go out and about again.