p.2 #1 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
Just to be sure are you comparing the Z8 and A1II using native glass on both ?
I’ve been using the Sony for a month now and it is no doubt a step up over the Nikon in every situation I’ve used it in …
Before I tried the Sony I wasn’t unhappy with the Z8/9, I hit most of my subjects, but had some misses here and there which I thought was my not using the system to its fullest (which I am sure is partly true).
nhmorgan wrote:
Probably just a difference of preference, but I just find the A1ii files harder to get to where I want them and they don't seem to hold up as well when I push them on creative edits. Using Cobalt profiles helped me, but I still feel like I have to do more work with them. I see many many good results from Sony cameras, so I'm not universally knocking them; I just struggle with them creatively.
As far as AF goes that can be situation dependent. At the end of the day they are both top tier and light years better than the previous generation. The A1ii definitely picks up subjects earlier and does a better job with turned faces. I find it has brain farts from time to time. Z8 does that too, just less frequently. In low light I've found that the Z8 is noticeably better. My reference for that is the 85mm 1.2s vs the 50mm 1.2 GM. Another big caveat for the Sony AF is that it is exceptional with Sony glass, but very hit or miss for fast action with third party lenses, whereas the Nikon system seems to tolerate non-native glass better. This of course is ironic to say in a post where I just said the etz can struggle on fast subjects. But the FTZ works better than on F mount for me with Nikon and Sigma glass. My experience with the ETZ adapters is that they work wonderfully for slow subjects. They hiccup from time to time, though, and for fast subjects the hit rate definitely isn't ideal. I think that's more on the firmware/software of the adapter than it is on Nikon's AF system. ...Show more →
p.2 #2 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
Alex Phan wrote:
It is confirm that it has weather seal.
A couple of things I notice have changed from the previous version:
1. It has a weather seal.
2. The diameter is a tad bigger, probably to house the rubber seal.
3. At the back, less circuitry is exposed.
4. Pro + is a bit heavier (46gram vs 44gram)
5. Overall, when holding the new + version, it fell much more solid.
Now we need someone to test the Voigtlander 21mm f1/.4 with the new Pro+ to see if there is a difference
p.2 #4 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
nhmorgan wrote:
Probably just a difference of preference, but I just find the A1ii files harder to get to where I want them and they don't seem to hold up as well when I push them on creative edits. Using Cobalt profiles helped me, but I still feel like I have to do more work with them. I see many many good results from Sony cameras, so I'm not universally knocking them; I just struggle with them creatively.
As far as AF goes that can be situation dependent. At the end of the day they are both top tier and light years better than the previous generation. The A1ii definitely picks up subjects earlier and does a better job with turned faces. I find it has brain farts from time to time. Z8 does that too, just less frequently. In low light I've found that the Z8 is noticeably better. My reference for that is the 85mm 1.2s vs the 50mm 1.2 GM. Another big caveat for the Sony AF is that it is exceptional with Sony glass, but very hit or miss for fast action with third party lenses, whereas the Nikon system seems to tolerate non-native glass better. This of course is ironic to say in a post where I just said the etz can struggle on fast subjects. But the FTZ works better than on F mount for me with Nikon and Sigma glass. My experience with the ETZ adapters is that they work wonderfully for slow subjects. They hiccup from time to time, though, and for fast subjects the hit rate definitely isn't ideal. I think that's more on the firmware/software of the adapter than it is on Nikon's AF system. ...Show more →
What you write reminds me of my experience with the a9III when shooting dancers.
If I only counted the cases where the camera attempted to focus the Sony was better, in particular with lenses stopped down, but there was a signifiant number of times when the a9III would just go on strike and simply not attempt to focus for a second of so, resulting in many mis-focused images.
Overall shooting at f1.2 I ended up with slightly more keepers with the Z8 in the real world.
p.2 #5 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
Odd to hear this as my experience is the exact opposite 🙃
bernardl wrote:
What you write reminds me of my experience with the a9III when shooting dancers.
If I only counted the cases where the camera attempted to focus the Sony was better, in particular with lenses stopped down, but there was a signifiant number of times when the a9III would just go on strike and simply not attempt to focus for a second of so, resulting in many mis-focused images.
Overall shooting at f1.2 I ended up with slightly more keepers with the Z8 in the real world.
p.2 #6 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I am looking to pick up a Z8 with the idea to use some of the Sony lenses via an adapter. For those that use adapted Sony lenses how have you found autofocus speed on a Z8 body? I don't know how the various adapters differ in their features. I would use it primarily for sports with the Sony 70-200 2.8 GM II, 35 1.4 and 85 1.4.
I currently have a Sony A9 which has worked well, but before this I used to be a Nikon shooter and do miss the Nikon ergonomics.
p.2 #7 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
Z8 autofocus is great but if doing sports may want to test the new adapter first as the current one doesn’t have a very good hit rate
Regarding ergonomics starting with the A9III and A1MkIi I’d say Sony has finally matured to deliver something that feels comfortable in hand. Takes a bit getting used to as I also have been shooting Nikon for over 30 years but I’m pleased with what have been using and some of the Sony lenses are really unique like the 50-150/2 or 300/2.8
rj70 wrote:
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I am looking to pick up a Z8 with the idea to use some of the Sony lenses via an adapter. For those that use adapted Sony lenses how have you found autofocus speed on a Z8 body? I don't know how the various adapters differ in their features. I would use it primarily for sports with the Sony 70-200 2.8 GM II, 35 1.4 and 85 1.4.
I currently have a Sony A9 which has worked well, but before this I used to be a Nikon shooter and do miss the Nikon ergonomics....Show more →
p.2 #8 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
If you are using the Megadap ETZ21 Pro, make sure you're on firmware V1.38 or newer. Whatever changed under the covers with 1.38 definitely improved AF, especially when using a TC.
p.2 #9 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
rj70 wrote:
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I am looking to pick up a Z8 with the idea to use some of the Sony lenses via an adapter. For those that use adapted Sony lenses how have you found autofocus speed on a Z8 body? I don't know how the various adapters differ in their features. I would use it primarily for sports with the Sony 70-200 2.8 GM II, 35 1.4 and 85 1.4.
I currently have a Sony A9 which has worked well, but before this I used to be a Nikon shooter and do miss the Nikon ergonomics....Show more →
p.2 #13 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
I picked up the new ETZ21 Pro+. I can confirm it works with Sigma MC11, and I can control the aperture of my Canon 17mm TS on my Z8. The build quality definitely took a step up, and the adapter mounts snugly on the camera and lens. The Voigtlander 21mm f1.4 seems to be playing with it nicely too so far.
I still need to get a clear night to try it out for astro, but so far it's looking like the best ETZ adapter yet.
p.2 #14 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
I got a clear enough sky last night to do some astro testing with the Sigma 14mm f1.4. The results seemed very promising. Definitely my best experience using the Sigma 14mm on Nikon Z yet. I probably won't be messing with any other adapters at this point.
One tip I started noticing with the ETZ21 Pro and noticed again with the ETZ21 Pro+ is that you want to focus with the Sigma 14mm f1.4 on a subject at infinity, not on the stars themselves. I have DSLR lenses that I used to be able to focus directly on stars, but if I do that with the Sigma, I get much more smearing in the sky and a soft foreground at infinity. Yet if I focus the foreground at infinity, I get a sharp foreground and many fewer artifacts on the stars.
p.2 #16 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
loudtiger wrote:
How thick was the previous one?
I have been tempted to buy a pair of calipers to measure, but I haven't done so. We know at least some of the older ones were not thick enough as the Voigtlander 21mm f1.4 did not fully reach infinity focus. Adding a layer of clear packaging tape between the adapter and lens was enough to mostly solve the issue.
p.2 #18 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
DWOfPaul wrote:
I have been tempted to buy a pair of calipers to measure, but I haven't done so. We know at least some of the older ones were not thick enough as the Voigtlander 21mm f1.4 did not fully reach infinity focus. Adding a layer of clear packaging tape between the adapter and lens was enough to mostly solve the issue.
It wasn’t that it wouldn’t reach infinity focus…that would be the problem if it was too long. It’s that it induced massive field curvature, to the point where the edges were atrocious.
p.2 #19 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
Jman13 wrote:
It wasn’t that it wouldn’t reach infinity focus…that would be the problem if it was too long. It’s that it induced massive field curvature, to the point where the edges were atrocious.
Interesting, I never thought about it that way, but it makes sense.
My "simple" understanding was yes having too long of an adapter would prevent a lens from hitting infinity focus, so many lens adapter manufacturers made their adapters a bit too thin. Which played okay with lenses that can focus past infinity, but messed up lenses like Voigtlander and Zeiss that have a hard infinity stop, since they can't focus past infinity to make up for the thinner adapter.
Sounds like technically being able to focus past infinity allowed you to compensate for some of the corner field curvature by sacrificing some corner sharpness.
p.2 #20 · Megadap is releasing a new ETZ21 Pro+ lens adapter
DWOfPaul wrote:
Interesting, I never thought about it that way, but it makes sense.
My "simple" understanding was yes having too long of an adapter would prevent a lens from hitting infinity focus, so many lens adapter manufacturers made their adapters a bit too thin. Which played okay with lenses that can focus past infinity, but messed up lenses like Voigtlander and Zeiss that have a hard infinity stop, since they can't focus past infinity to make up for the thinner adapter.
Sounds like technically being able to focus past infinity allowed you to compensate for some of the corner field curvature by sacrificing some corner sharpness....Show more →
You kind of have this a bit backwards.
Having a hard infinity stop is the case for which people try to make adapters "too thin". You can always focus to infinity with any lens if you make the adapter too thin. All you need to do is focus closer than infinity to make up for the too thin adapter, so having a hard infinity stop is no issue. With a too thin adapter you lose a bit of close focus instead, but usually this loss is very small and not noticeable without careful testing.
If you make an adapter too thick, now you need a lens that can focus "past infinity" (i.e. pull the lens closer to the mount) if you want to actually focus to infinity. For lenses that have a hard infinity stop this becomes an obvious problem to every user!
If a lens is a block focus design, meaning you move all the elements as a single block to focus with a single big helical, then there is nothing really wrong with a "too thin" adapter.
The issue is lenses that have a "floating element" or a separate "focusing group", in which during focus the relative positions of the elements change, can end up with worse aberrations if the adapter thickness is significantly different from nominal. In this case the adapter thickness error has essentially "block focused" the whole lens and the user turns the focusing ring to compensate, but that doesn't offset the block focus, instead it just moves the focusing group. So now the lens elements are arranged differently relative to the sensor plane the way the lens designer intended. You still get good focus, but now the aberrations aren't corrected optimally any more. It is as if the lens had gotten assembled slightly incorrectly with one of the elements too close to another one!
I'm actually pretty surprised that such small differences being mentioned here manage to induce noticeable field curvature, but given how incredibly well corrected modern lenses are I probably shouldn't be that surprised that it doesn't take too much to upset the balance in some designs!
