leighton w wrote:
4500 bucks, that's highway robbery! I just replaced one myself for under 300, the cost of the tank. Maybe I'll move to CA and become a plumber.
...rant on...
I am having to replace mine and it is getting crazy in NC. Mine is original (21 years) and natural gas. They have changed code and now I will have to have carpentry work done to change the vent/exhaust system out the exterior wall. Mine in mounted in the garage on a platform off the concrete floor. Because of another code change, I now have to have a metal pole barrier put in front of it so I do not drive into it parking my car! Crazy stuff. I did the numbers and it will be just about the same cost to convert to a tankless system, so going that route.
leighton w wrote:
Thanks for this post George, helps a lot. It does look a little odd on the camera via the adapter. But I think you'd get used to it.
How long is the adapter anyway?
I LOVE the idea of having 20 spots available in the Non-CPU registry. That's the one thing I'm not happy with on the Fuji.
I will have to look the specs, but honestly it feels better in the hand than using the adapters on the Fuji. And I have used a number of them. I have to head to Raleigh for a late afternoon meeting but will be back on line later....
leighton w wrote:
4500 bucks, that's highway robbery! I just replaced one myself for under 300, the cost of the tank. Maybe I'll move to CA and become a plumber.
This is a different breed of cat Leighton since Sue's water heater not only "heats water" for bathing and washing, but also flows through a heat exchanger in Sue's attic and provides warm heat when needed.
All of the units in the condominium complex where Sue lives... 100 in total, have this system. The invoice exceeded the estimate by quite a bit and the contractor says he's bewildered by the difference. A sane person would say that he did a horrible job of putting together the estimate in the first place. Sue is working through her distress over the matter but even if he charged the estimate it would have been more than the cost of the Z7...
So maybe when you hang up your farmer's overalls and wide brimmed hat, you can grab a shovel and install sewer lines...
Or you could get the recipe from Reagan for a few fruity drinks with umbrellas... Shirley Temple drinks, of course... I have to say I've been enjoying Clausthaler non-alcoholic beer. It creates the impression I'm having a real beer but without the buzz and with fewer calories... 89 calories isn't too bad.
I am having to replace mine and it is getting crazy in NC. Mine is original (21 years) and natural gas. They have changed code and now I will have to have carpentry work done to change the vent/exhaust system out the exterior wall. Mine in mounted in the garage on a platform off the concrete floor. Because of another code change, I now have to have a metal pole barrier put in front of it so I do not drive into it parking my car! Crazy stuff. I did the numbers and it will be just about the same cost to convert to a tankless system, so going that route.
gbohannon wrote:
I will have to look the specs, but honestly it feels better in the hand than using the adapters on the Fuji. And I have used a number of them. I have to head to Raleigh for a late afternoon meeting but will be back on line later....
G
I'm reminded of how the PN-11 and the TC-201 feel when shooting. They are substantial enough that it gives your hand a nice place to grab hold. I'm fantasizing, of course, since I'd not held the Nikon camera with the FTZ adapter.
I think as I read specs that the Z6 really is the right camera for me... it gives me a bit more breathing time to make a decision.
CGrindahl wrote:
This is a different breed of cat Leighton since Sue's water heater not only "heats water" for bathing and washing, but also flows through a heat exchanger in Sue's attic and provides warm heat when needed.
All of the units in the condominium complex where Sue lives... 100 in total, have this system. The invoice exceeded the estimate by quite a bit and the contractor says he's bewildered by the difference. A sane person would say that he did a horrible job of putting together the estimate in the first place. Sue is working through her distress over the matter but even if he charged the estimate it would have been more than the cost of the Z7...
So maybe when you hang up your farmer's overalls and wide brimmed hat, you can grab a shovel and install sewer lines...
Or you could get the recipe from Reagan for a few fruity drinks with umbrellas... Shirley Temple drinks, of course... I have to say I've been enjoying Clausthaler non-alcoholic beer. It creates the impression I'm having a real beer but without the buzz and with fewer calories... 89 calories isn't too bad.
Tankless would definitely work in my tiny cottage simply because it IS tiny. The 15 gallon water heater is electric and is tucked in a corner of the kitchen beneath the counter. There isn't enough water for much more than a shower, so long as it isn't a long one. I started doing "spit" showers during a drought some years ago, and now feel comfortable only when I'm able to turn off the water after wetting my body... something that any submariner would understand... right George?
But also, such decisions aren't mine to make and for the moment I have no problem with the hot water heater.
leighton w wrote:
That IS a different breed of cat. Hope it last a LONG time.
I'll have to see if I can find that beer around here, sounds good.
And for my overalls, we've been kicking around the idea of retiring. Only problem is we don't know what to do with ourselves once we do.
That definitely is the 64 dollar question, if that old saying has ANY meaning in this day and age. My neighbor will end his employment the end of this month and his wife tells me he's experiencing a crisis over the meaning of life. Of course, he doesn't have grandchildren to dote upon as you and Barbara do... but I understand this whole "meaning" thing is complex and everyone making a significant life change will ultimately have to face it.
I imagine you would continue to manage the market, which would keep you involved during summer months. Perhaps there is some volunteer work that would be meaningful to the two of you. I've volunteered with the Living/Dying Project for twenty years and it continues to give me great satisfaction. And one of the things that has come with that service has been the opportunity to share photos and to learn new graphic design skills. I now do the newsletter for the Project and that experience allowed me to do book and cover design for a friend. No doubt you have skills that you could parlay into meaningful activities. Of course, we'd expect to see a great deal MORE of you on the thread...
Good luck sorting it out Leighton. If you ever feel like chatting about any of this you know my Skype number...
kwoodard wrote:
There is a shop up by me that I know will be getting some. Nikon was out at this shop (Action Camera) demoing the Z7 and Z6. I wish I could have gone, but I had two trainings that day that I couldn’t miss.
Yeah, I know there are stores still offering goods and services, which is quite amazing given how great the advantage has been for online merchants who help us avoid sales taxes. I'm guessing that will eventually change now that Congress has authorized states to pass laws requiring out of state vendors to collect taxes. At the moment, B&H continues to forego sales tax collection except for New York residents. That has definitely benefited me over the years. Beyond that, of course, is the fact they've always given exceptional service, which is not something I can say about my local camera shop. Service, service, service is the name of the game. I'm guessing that those brick and mortar shops that have succeeded are giving something of value to their customers that makes it easier for them to pay the extra dollars to the State of California.
Leighton, if you are able to find Clausthaler, look for their "Dry Hopped" beer. Both of the ones I've tried have been excellent, but the Dry Hopped is my favorite. Next time you're in Charlottesville stop by the Trader Joe's store. That is where I buy mine... $6.99 for a six pack. You might want to stock up...
gbohannon wrote:
Ok. Back from a great visit to my local camera shop. I met with the Nikon rep and got some hands on time with the Z7 and FTZ adapter. I was not able to keep any images because it was still pre-production software/firmware and I understand that.
Here is the short summary - "Shut up and take my money!"
My main interest was the camera and adapter although the Z lenses were very nice and there are some great camera features for using those that I won't go into here.
It was not my intent to look at every aspect of the camera, but base it on what my "gut feeling was" handling it for the first time.
This is my view alone and others will vary.
The ergonomics are terrific. Especially the depth of the grip. Not too big, not to small for my hands.
The menu system is typical Nikon, so there is nothing new to learn there.
The button layout on the back feels natural to shooting the D8XX or 7xx bodies. Will not be hard to adapt to the layout.
The LCD screen is very crisp, bright and the tilt function feels sturdy.
The top LCD screen is very easy to see even in bright light.
The user mode dial will take me a while to get used to, not because it is bad, it is just because of being used to using dials on the Df and Fuji bodies.
The EVF is outstanding, no perceptible lag and better than Fuji (based on my limited in store time with it) I really like the way the eyepiece is position and the offset is a nice feature. Keeps my nose prints off the LCD
I took a number of my classics with me to see how they handled on the FTZ adapter. I posted some pictures below to show you real examples of them mounted. (These are iPhone shots and I apologize but figured you would not mind since they are of MF glass)
At first look you may think the adapter looks a little big with the adapted glass, but let me tell you for me it felt perfect in hand. The FTZ fits like a glove, no slop or play in it what so ever.
I took my 200mm/2 Ai. The focus peaking was spot on, and the in body stabilization worked very well. I was shooting handheld f/2 and 1/50 sec and quickly moving from object to object in the store and every image was sharp, no motion blur at all.
One note... The Non-CPU Lens memory bank in the camera has been increased to allow 20 entries vs 9 in other Nikon bodies. At least it was on this pre-production version.
One drawback if you want an add on grip with controls... I am not sure how they will be able to do that since there are no contacts on the body or contacts in the battery compartment that would provide electronic connections. Will have to see on that one.
This is just a quick view of my impressions. But I am looking forward to the Z6 version hopefully in the first batch the end of November. The Z lenses are crazy sharp, and may add one to my kit in the future, but right now will be perfectly happy with the body and adapter.
Funny thing.... I took my Leica kit with the Nikkor LTM lenses with me... The Nikon rep ended up taking pictures of those Had never seen them before. Especially the Nippon Kogaku Tokyo versions.
Looks like a beauty and I need it. But then I´ll have to sell all my lenses first ..I think I wait a couple years to perhaps get a bargain. I´m really excited about you having one though. Gonna be cool to see your work with it.
gbohannon wrote:
Ok. Back from a great visit to my local camera shop. I met with the Nikon rep and got some hands on time with the Z7 and FTZ adapter. I was not able to keep any images because it was still pre-production software/firmware and I understand that.
Here is the short summary - "Shut up and take my money!"
My main interest was the camera and adapter although the Z lenses were very nice and there are some great camera features for using those that I won't go into here.
It was not my intent to look at every aspect of the camera, but base it on what my "gut feeling was" handling it for the first time.
This is my view alone and others will vary.
The ergonomics are terrific. Especially the depth of the grip. Not too big, not to small for my hands.
The menu system is typical Nikon, so there is nothing new to learn there.
The button layout on the back feels natural to shooting the D8XX or 7xx bodies. Will not be hard to adapt to the layout.
The LCD screen is very crisp, bright and the tilt function feels sturdy.
The top LCD screen is very easy to see even in bright light.
The user mode dial will take me a while to get used to, not because it is bad, it is just because of being used to using dials on the Df and Fuji bodies.
The EVF is outstanding, no perceptible lag and better than Fuji (based on my limited in store time with it) I really like the way the eyepiece is position and the offset is a nice feature. Keeps my nose prints off the LCD
I took a number of my classics with me to see how they handled on the FTZ adapter. I posted some pictures below to show you real examples of them mounted. (These are iPhone shots and I apologize but figured you would not mind since they are of MF glass)
At first look you may think the adapter looks a little big with the adapted glass, but let me tell you for me it felt perfect in hand. The FTZ fits like a glove, no slop or play in it what so ever.
I took my 200mm/2 Ai. The focus peaking was spot on, and the in body stabilization worked very well. I was shooting handheld f/2 and 1/50 sec and quickly moving from object to object in the store and every image was sharp, no motion blur at all.
One note... The Non-CPU Lens memory bank in the camera has been increased to allow 20 entries vs 9 in other Nikon bodies. At least it was on this pre-production version.
One drawback if you want an add on grip with controls... I am not sure how they will be able to do that since there are no contacts on the body or contacts in the battery compartment that would provide electronic connections. Will have to see on that one.
This is just a quick view of my impressions. But I am looking forward to the Z6 version hopefully in the first batch the end of November. The Z lenses are crazy sharp, and may add one to my kit in the future, but right now will be perfectly happy with the body and adapter.
Funny thing.... I took my Leica kit with the Nikkor LTM lenses with me... The Nikon rep ended up taking pictures of those Had never seen them before. Especially the Nippon Kogaku Tokyo versions.
leighton w wrote:
Thanks for this post George, helps a lot. It does look a little odd on the camera via the adapter. But I think you'd get used to it.
How long is the adapter anyway?
I LOVE the idea of having 20 spots available in the Non-CPU registry. That's the one thing I'm not happy with on the Fuji.
Leighton - based on flange distances the FTZ would be 30.5mm thick.
F mount flange distance is 46.5mm
Z mount is 16mm
So to allow F mount lenses to focus the adapter would have to extend the Z mount by the difference. 46.5mm - 16mm = 30.5mm adapter distance.
Your Fuji has a flange distance of 17.7mm so your Metabones adapter is 28.8mm to get the total to the F mount requirement of 46.5mm
The FTZ adapter is only 1.7mm longer than the adapter you are using on your X-T2.
gbohannon wrote:
Ok. Back from a great visit to my local camera shop. I met with the Nikon rep and got some hands on time with the Z7 and FTZ adapter. I was not able to keep any images because it was still pre-production software/firmware and I understand that.
Here is the short summary - "Shut up and take my money!"
My main interest was the camera and adapter although the Z lenses were very nice and there are some great camera features for using those that I won't go into here.
It was not my intent to look at every aspect of the camera, but base it on what my "gut feeling was" handling it for the first time.
This is my view alone and others will vary.
The ergonomics are terrific. Especially the depth of the grip. Not too big, not to small for my hands.
The menu system is typical Nikon, so there is nothing new to learn there.
The button layout on the back feels natural to shooting the D8XX or 7xx bodies. Will not be hard to adapt to the layout.
The LCD screen is very crisp, bright and the tilt function feels sturdy.
The top LCD screen is very easy to see even in bright light.
The user mode dial will take me a while to get used to, not because it is bad, it is just because of being used to using dials on the Df and Fuji bodies.
The EVF is outstanding, no perceptible lag and better than Fuji (based on my limited in store time with it) I really like the way the eyepiece is position and the offset is a nice feature. Keeps my nose prints off the LCD
I took a number of my classics with me to see how they handled on the FTZ adapter. I posted some pictures below to show you real examples of them mounted. (These are iPhone shots and I apologize but figured you would not mind since they are of MF glass)
At first look you may think the adapter looks a little big with the adapted glass, but let me tell you for me it felt perfect in hand. The FTZ fits like a glove, no slop or play in it what so ever.
I took my 200mm/2 Ai. The focus peaking was spot on, and the in body stabilization worked very well. I was shooting handheld f/2 and 1/50 sec and quickly moving from object to object in the store and every image was sharp, no motion blur at all.
One note... The Non-CPU Lens memory bank in the camera has been increased to allow 20 entries vs 9 in other Nikon bodies. At least it was on this pre-production version.
One drawback if you want an add on grip with controls... I am not sure how they will be able to do that since there are no contacts on the body or contacts in the battery compartment that would provide electronic connections. Will have to see on that one.
This is just a quick view of my impressions. But I am looking forward to the Z6 version hopefully in the first batch the end of November. The Z lenses are crazy sharp, and may add one to my kit in the future, but right now will be perfectly happy with the body and adapter.
Funny thing.... I took my Leica kit with the Nikkor LTM lenses with me... The Nikon rep ended up taking pictures of those Had never seen them before. Especially the Nippon Kogaku Tokyo versions.
CGrindahl wrote:
Tankless would definitely work in my tiny cottage simply because it IS tiny. The 15 gallon water heater is electric and is tucked in a corner of the kitchen beneath the counter. There isn't enough water for much more than a shower, so long as it isn't a long one. I started doing "spit" showers during a drought some years ago, and now feel comfortable only when I'm able to turn off the water after wetting my body... something that any submariner would understand... right George?
But also, such decisions aren't mine to make and for the moment I have no problem with the hot water heater.
CGrindahl wrote:
Yeah, I know there are stores still offering goods and services, which is quite amazing given how great the advantage has been for online merchants who help us avoid sales taxes. I'm guessing that will eventually change now that Congress has authorized states to pass laws requiring out of state vendors to collect taxes. At the moment, B&H continues to forego sales tax collection except for New York residents. That has definitely benefited me over the years. Beyond that, of course, is the fact they've always given exceptional service, which is not something I can say about my local camera shop. Service, service, service is the name of the game. I'm guessing that those brick and mortar shops that have succeeded are giving something of value to their customers that makes it easier for them to pay the extra dollars to the State of California.
Talking to my friend this morning, their store has joined a partnership with about 100 other independent shops to give them the buying power to be able to compete with the likes of B&H, Amazon, etc.
I have noticed a difference in their ability to compete on price and selection. I do not buy all things through them, but I do buy local when I can. Plus you can't replace that walk in and talk with people you have known for years. That camaraderie has real value
Last post with the inflatable artwork, gives a nice scale to the artwork. 75-150 worked great, nicely sharp, and the amount of color recovery in the darker shadows of the D800 still amazes me (as I chant "I don't need a Z, I don't need a Z").
Had never seen them before. Especially the Nippon Kogaku Tokyo versions.
