p.2 #1 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
Ripolini wrote:
Hi Lance, nice subject, good composition and pleasant background (despite of the PF lens ).
However, did you, or the camera, focus the eye ? If so, please note that the parrot picture is slightly backfocused.
True.. A little bit. I know even when BEAF works we cannot expect sharp pictures 100% time. Curious to hear about Lance's opinion...
p.2 #2 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
Ripolini wrote:
Hi Lance, nice subject, good composition and pleasant background (despite of the PF lens ).
However, did you, or the camera, focus the eye ? If so, please note that the parrot picture is slightly backfocused.
Imo, your comment is petty, and misses the spirit of this thread.
The Lorikeet is perfect!
And this notion that there's something wrong with 500PF backgrounds is overdone.
A very close background would be cluttered, if taken with any telephoto.
Super image Lance, and thank you for posting the very first one
p.2 #6 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
Here's my AF track test with my 3 yr old holding his cheese stick and orca toy toward me. What's most impressive to me is that the eyes were in focus as he raised up his orca between the eyes. I burst at 5fps.
In short, I'm very happy with this camera and don't feel the frustration of the AF and viewfinder of the Z7. I have a loaner 500pF with 1.4xTC coming next week. Will try to get out then.
When I say you can't take blurry pictures with this camera, there's some truth to that. So far, I feel like the shutter speed and the hitting the lens MFD is the cause for soft pictures I got.
Merry Christmas.
p.2 #11 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
George DeCamp wrote:
Beautiful shot Lance!!
Thank you very much, George!
Ripolini wrote:
Hi Lance, nice subject, good composition and pleasant background (despite of the PF lens ).
However, did you, or the camera, focus the eye ? If so, please note that the parrot picture is slightly backfocused.
Thank you very much, Riccardo!
In this case, it was not animal detect focus. I had swapped it out of that setting as the bird was in amongst the leaves of our flowering gum between light, shade and mostly obscured by the leaves and some orange flowers and the camera was having a problem detecting the bird let alone its eye - just too many leaves and obstructions. It was just way too difficult and the bird was moving way too fast for the camera to have any hope. There was no chance of a decent photo anyway due to the light and shade so I gave up. The bird then moved to the Bottlebrush tree where I took this photo which was closer and for a very small amount of time it was in this relatively clear setting. I had been previously using 3D tracking with animal detect but had opted out of animal detect and in my rush to get the shot, I had left it in 3D tracking. Not the optimal selection but you can still move the area of focus to the head/eye area. The bird moved when I took the shot but I was not quick enough to gat another and it flew off.
robert_in_ca wrote:
Wow the colors on that bird!
Thank you very much, Robert!
brian_sp wrote:
beauty Lance, congrats on the z9
Thank you Robert!
naturesmoments wrote:
Really stunning shot Lance!!! Thanks for posting!!! Now I am even more excited, I hope I don't have to wait too long for my Z9!!! Merry Christmas!!!!
Thank you very much, Nick!
urbanwild wrote:
What gorgeous colours! That's a nice entry to the Z9! I hope you tested the fps and rattled off 30 of these hehe. Must say, I'm a little jelly
p.2 #12 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
Let's diversify this forum a bit. How about some aquatic life pics.
If you guys think this subject matter is easy, take your camera and go to the aquarium and try it out.
Taken with 105 f2.8S MC. I tried the auto area animal AF. For something that is bright and with good eye contrast like the yellow tang, it works fine. But it did struggle quite a bit if the fish is dark and eyes are hidden(expected). So I switch to 3D with animal eye. Works great!
p.2 #14 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
this is me wrote:
Let's diversify this forum a bit. How about some aquatic life pics.
If you guys think this subject matter is easy, take your camera and go to the aquarium and try it out.
Taken with 105 f2.8S MC. I tried the auto area animal AF. For something that is bright and with good eye contrast like the yellow tang, it works fine. But it did struggle quite a bit if the fish is dark and eyes are hidden(expected). So I switch to 3D with animal eye. Works great!
Shooting through the thick plexi at aquariums with fast fish and sub-optimal light is definitely challenging. These look good.
p.2 #15 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
this is me wrote:
Let's diversify this forum a bit. How about some aquatic life pics.
If you guys think this subject matter is easy, take your camera and go to the aquarium and try it out.
Taken with 105 f2.8S MC. I tried the auto area animal AF. For something that is bright and with good eye contrast like the yellow tang, it works fine. But it did struggle quite a bit if the fish is dark and eyes are hidden(expected). So I switch to 3D with animal eye. Works great!
At ground level using flippy screen with 100-400 @f5.6 in auto area with animal eye activated.
Raw file converted to jpg and resize only, no other adjustment except for selecting camera standard profile.
The cat was not very cooperative and walked away as soon as I got down on my knee. At least he walked past me rather than turned back and ran away. I was in A mode with auto iso so as I zoomed out and shutterspeed dropped, some pictures showed quite a bit of movement artifact. Probably should have been in M mode with fixed faster shutterspeed as the cat moved away. Opps. I think the last shot at 100mm, eye detection did not pick up on the cat if I remembered correctly.
p.2 #19 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
Nice work Lance.
On a side note have you noticed the same acquisition slowness with wider apertures using the Z9 and new FTZ like you did here with your Z7 & old FTZ: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1664520
“By golly, you're right! I had never noticed this previously, but on my Z7 my 400 f2.8E FL VR is slower to focus at f2.8 than it is at f5.6! I then tried my 70-200 f2.8E FL VR and it also is slightly slower to focus at f2.8 than it is at f5.6, the difference is not as marked as the 400 f2.8, though. …..
And Merry Christmas.
p.2 #20 · Z9 and Z8 ! : A thread for Z9/Z8 images and *discussion*
billslatteryjr wrote:
Nice work Lance.
On a side note have you noticed the same acquisition slowness with wider apertures using the Z9 and new FTZ like you did here with your Z7 & old FTZ: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1664520
“By golly, you're right! I had never noticed this previously, but on my Z7 my 400 f2.8E FL VR is slower to focus at f2.8 than it is at f5.6! I then tried my 70-200 f2.8E FL VR and it also is slightly slower to focus at f2.8 than it is at f5.6, the difference is not as marked as the 400 f2.8, though. …..
And Merry Christmas.
Thank you very much, Bill!
I am glad you asked that question. I did a quick test on some flowers in a tree about 8mts away in good light outside my window and on the roof racks of a car parked on the street. Using the 400 f2.8E FL VR on a tripod and swapping between f2.8 and f5.6 and defousing the lens a long way between aperture change.
The Z7II seems to only be a very tiny bit slower to focus at f2.8 compared to f5.6 but there doesn't seem to be much of a difference now compared to when I checked this on the Z7 as in your post above. This makes me think Nikon has improved the focus algorithms from the original Z7 to the Z7II, but that my have been addressed in the latest Z7 FW upgrade, I do not know.
In this situation on both subjects, the Z9 is faster to focus than the Z7II in all situations. If there is a difference between f2.8 and f5.6 on the Z9 it is small, small enough for me to not really detect a time difference.
So, I think the Z7II is fast to focus using the 400 f2.8E FL VR and using f2.8 is a tiny, tiny bit slower at f2.8 than f5.6. The Z9 is VERY fast to focus using the 400 f2.8E FL VR and I cannot detect any speed difference between f2.8 and f5.6. Using the 400 f2.8, the Z9 is as fast to focus as I remember my D500 and D850 with the Z7II very close behind. Of course, this is just one lens in one scenario and I haven't checked any S mount lenses at this stage.
It would be good if others could check to get their findings. I would be interested to know.
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