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 p.11 #19 · Let's talk about the Nikon Zf | |
ilkka_nissila wrote:
The combined EVF lag (i.e how far in the past is the image shown in the EVF) + shutter lag (ie. how long it takes for the shutter to open after the shutter button is pressed) in the Z6 II is about twice the lag of typical higher-end DSLRs. It's enough to be noticeable and has a significant impact on the outcome of shots timed based on events in the viewfinder. The newer cameras such as the Z8 is OK in this respect.
Here is some data on the shutter lag
https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/nikon-z6/nikon-z6A6.HTM
Z6
Full AF: Mechanical / EFCS / Electronic shutter: 0.219/0.205/0.137 s
Pre-focused: 0.065/0.056/0.116 s
https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/nikon-d5/nikon-d5A6.HTM
D5
Full AF: 0.132 s
Pre-focused: 0.039 s
I didn't find data on the newer Z6 II and D6 models.
You see the Z6 has a slower AF, slower triggering of the shutter in manual focus mode, and on top of that there is the EVF lag which is not measured on that site. Jim Kasson measured the LCD lag on the Sony A9, he said "So the LCD lag is 35 msec at the top of the display, and less than 30 msec at the bottom."
https://blog.kasson.com/a9/sony-a9-lcd-lag/
The LCD on the Z7 LCD latency from 10 ms to 40 ms in Kasson's measurements when not magnified and about 200 ms when magnified.
So if we sum together these figures for LCD screen lag and shutter delay we get from 0.06+0.01 = 0.07 s to 0.06+0.04 = 0.1 s for pre-focused for the Z6 and 0.039 s for the D5. When combined with AF the figures are from 0.205+0.01 = 0.215 to 0.245 s for Z6 and 0.132s for the D5, however, this depends on the lens and how far out of focus the shot is to begin with etc.
This analysis does not take into account what difference there is between the EVF and the back LCD as this is a technically more difficult measurement. However, this should be similar between the two displays because most of the EVF lag is from data reading and processing getting it from the sensor to the display and the display itself is fast in comparison.
Also what is not taken into account here is that the EVF/LCD delay is increased in low light as the camera magnifies and averages the data to produce a cleaner image, but with a cost in increased delay. Because of the variability in delay, learning how to time shots with the camera is difficult. Normally I separate the AF from the timing and would have AF on continuous (rather than imaging resource's single shot focusing) but the single-shot AF is relevant when reacting to something that is at the time in focus (the AF variability of course can be a considerable factor in itself).
There is also exposure variability as when the camera is pointed at the subject it starts to analyse the scene, determine the subject and adjust the exposure to favour the subject that it has identified. When taking a picture against the light e.g. a person with daylit window behind them, the Z6 II took what seemed like seconds to go through this process of identifying the subject and adjusting the exposure accordingly, while a DSLR's metering is immediate, so any subject behavior that I might have reacted to when rising the camera to my eye is long gone when the camera has finished adjusting the display. This may still be faster than a human adjusting exposure in backlight but for me when the camera changes the displayed image a lot during viewing it is a big distraction from watching the subject behavior. There is also occasional flickering of the EVF when exposed to artificial lights (it happens in my home, for example, and is worse under some lights than others).
As for human reaction time, it too varies but that's what all the experience and training is for, over many years and images shot and analysed, one leans to do one's personal thing, time for the shot that best works for the intent of the photographer. What I know from practical experience using Z6 II and DSLRs in practical situations was that I could not get my timing right with the Z6 II - the shots I remember seeing in the EVF and aiming for were substantially different from the images the camera actually recorded (for example, in portraits taken in low light or with acrobatics in daylight), while with a DSLR I am used to the timing it gives and the shots typically come out as expected. To compensate for this I had to resort to a great deal of overshooting with the Z6 II to get an adequate number of OK timed shots and led to was a great deal of frustration. However, with the Z8 I don't notice such a difference between shots compared to DSLRs and so it's a camera I can work with. I still prefer the more stable optical viewfinder (when viewing; obviously between shots it goes dark, but that's after already committing to the image so it has no impact on my process) which has no artifacts as a more pleasing experience but the Z8 has other virtues such as its silence and the Z 24-70/2.8 S has better quality than the DSLR version wide open so that's a big draw. However, usually I end up with way too many images because there is no sound to deter me from shooting more and the end result is still a disaster in terms of editing time. But the shots do come out well. I would like to see a camera with similar technology (as in the Z8/Z9) but with a 24 MP sensor from Nikon. I think the applications for high resolution are so far removed from how most images are used that I would prefer to have the option to bypass all that data without other compromises (such as lag) and benefit from a better high ISO image quality such as seen in the D6 or Z6 II....Show more →
Thankyou for that. It's been surprising to me how often I missed the critical point in action when using EVF cameras, even after a few years I haven't got the timing right all the time, and I find I take quite a few extras as I have to 'anticipate' what's going to happen more, and it sometimes doesn't. I use BBF a lot to speed things up where possible.
I'm talking generally as I have had Sony and now Fuji, I don't have a Z.
In fact the experience with the Sonys of such things is what made me get the Xpro2, and hang on to the D7000, sometimes tempted to get a D500 or 7500 for action stuff, don't do enough to justify things as pricey as Z8 or 9, or even Xh2S
Gerry
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