currently rocking the 26mm 2.8 when i want something small, the 40mm 1.2 for dedicated street shooting days, and 40mm f2 as a backup for situations where I may need autofocus.
Has anyone tried adapting Loxia lenses to the Z‑mount? I love the Loxia rendering and the compact size, and it would make me really happy if they work well on the Zf. I saw someone post some shots with the Loxia 35 in the Zf image thread and already sent him a message.
ramesesthe2nd wrote:
Has anyone tried adapting Loxia lenses to the Z‑mount? I love the Loxia rendering and the compact size, and it would make me really happy if they work well on the Zf. I saw someone post some shots with the Loxia 35 in the Zf image thread and already sent him a message.
Yes, the Loxia 25/2.4. It feels like native.I can spot no difference to using it on Sony but I never made a direct comparison.
I've been wondering the same basic thing but for a Z5II.
I'm torn between a pair of EVO (35/85) lenses and a Voigtlander M 28/2.8 and a Viltrox 85/1.4 Pro.
I got along very well for years with a pair of Nikkors (24/2.8 & 85/1.8). The 26/2.8 Z looks really interesting but I wish it was weather sealed. I was fine with a M4-P kit of 35/3.5 and 90/4 for several years, I've got to learn to trust AF (coming from Fuji).
Anyone have the EVO 35 that can comment on it? I really like IF from my 300/4.5 ED-IF days.
Egg Salad wrote:
Yes, the Loxia 25/2.4. It feels like native.I can spot no difference to using it on Sony but I never made a direct comparison.
That’s great to hear. I did some research, and it seems like the difference caused by the sensor‑stack thickness is most noticeable on wider lenses under 35mm. If your Loxia 25 is performing well, there’s a good chance the other Loxia lenses will behave nicely too.
It also is dependant on the lens' design and maybe with the 25/2.4 the exit pupil is far enough from the sensor?
Even with the Laowa 15/2 I couldn't see a meaningful difference. The CV 21/1.4 performed weaker, though.
Another lens I absolutely love on the Zf is the Kase Z 85mm f/1.4 with autofocus. It is very small in size/weight for an autofocusing 85mm f/1.4. It also has a de-clickable aperture ring, lens function buttons and renders puffy, dreamy bokeh.
I purchased the camera with the Nokton 50mm f/1, so I already had a Voigtlander lens in the mix. I initially did not think much about it because of the size, but I am starting to enjoy the unique look it produces compared to the slower (but still pretty fast) Nokton variants.
I also picked up Thypoch Simera 28 with the Megadap adapter ETZ21 Pro+ adapter, so I can use the green focus box (it should work; I will check once I get the lens and the adapter), and I will be trying all my Loxia lenses on the Zf to decide what to keep and what to sell.
It feels good to be shooting Nikon again, but I am still trying to understand how the new Nikon became the old Sigma (referring to size of Nikon bodies and lenses). The Z 35mm f/1.2 is a beautiful lens, but it is even larger than the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 V1, and I cannot imagine carrying it on any Nikon body, especially the Zf.
Manual focus lenses work extremely well on the Zf. The green focus box is a great aid and it has made manual focus genuinely enjoyable for me. I still need to do more testing during the day, but at night the green box can get a little jittery with the Loxia lenses when the scene has low contrast.
The only Loxia that gave me noticeable trouble was the Loxia 50. The green weather seal on that lens feels thicker and more substantial than the others, and when the lens is mounted it looks like the seal is getting slightly pinched. It also makes the lens harder to mount compared to the rest of the Loxia lineup.
Adjusting to Nikon’s mounting direction is another learning curve. After years of using Sony, the clockwise motion to unmount and the counterclockwise motion to mount still feels reversed to me. I am sure I will get used to it, but for now it takes a moment of conscious effort each time.
Nonetheless, Loxia lenses feel well balanced and visually great on Zf, including the oddly long 85.
Just wanted to share that the Megadap ETZ21 Pro Plus does enable the green focus box on non CPU lenses. I have it working on the Thypoch 28 with no issues. The green box does feel noticeably more jittery on adapted lenses compared to native glass like my 50 Nokton, so I need to do more testing to see how consistent it is. But so far, it definitely works.
The 24-120 is a go to lens on the Z series. Most of the time, when I'm walking around with a Z8 or Z7II, it's on the body 90-95% of the time.
However... the Zf doesn't have the greatest handgrip. If you add a handgrip to it, that fixes the problem, but if you want to maintain the camera's profile, the camera will feel a little front heavy. For that reason alone, I picked up a 24-70 as well. It might be a bit different for you.
I'm also trying to decide on a low profile set to take on an upcoming trip.
I'll probably end up with:
24-70
28 2.8
Voigtlander 50 f/2 APO
85 1.8Z or similar
My set used to be Zeiss ZF 20/2.8 Distagon, 35/2.0 Distagon and 100/2.0 Macro Planar, now on Z7 it is currently Voigtländer 15/4.5, Thypoch Simera 28/1.4, Voigtländer 40/1.2 and Nikon Z 105/2.8 Macro, unfortunately 4 lenses instead of 3, but the Voigtländer 15 I don't always take with me. All manual lenses except the 105 macro. Sometimes I also take an old F 70-300 with me for long shots.
In my quest for a compact kit of lenses I have ended up with 3 Leica m mount lenses with various m to z adapters.
-Voightlander 21mm Color Skopar f/4 ( I’ve read the f/3.5 is better but mine is fine)
-Voightlander Heliar 40mm f/2.8
-Leica Elmar-c 90mm f/4
All of these are small, light weight, and really not expensive. But the build quality and optics are excellent. Also Cameraquest is a good source for excellant used lenses.
