CGrindahl wrote:
I just checked B&H and they list availability for the Z7 as being Thursday, September 27... which just so happens to be MY BIRTHDAY... Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something I need to pay attention to>
The Zs sure created some buzz around here George, thanks for your hands on report! And looks like Curtis might be deviling himself into getting a birthday gift. I should check out my local camera store but the last time I was there I had to take a number and wait until they called out the #. It was that crowded there. I can't imagine how it would be (may already have happened) when Nikon demo's Z cameras there.
20 non-CPU slots are better than 9, but doesn't Nikon read this thread How can 20 be enough!!!
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.
You could always introduce him to Nikon MF glass but his wife may not appreciate the way his retirement money will be spent!
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.
Very well summarised, a move to stay in business by Nikon
IMO there is so much spoken about the weight saving advantages of mirrorless that is absolute nonsense when married to some of the bigger lenses plus adapter as can be seen from your (top class) images. They must be a joy when used with the Z lenses though.
Mishu01 wrote:
Thanks, but no thanks, Colin... I hoped some of those nice looking girls from the fashion week... Is this a joke?
No joke. I didn't fully understand your request.
For sure a middle aged man (like me) might want to gravitate towards shooting candids of pretty women all the time but the richness of human form should not be overlooked - therefore I try to capture a broad spectrum of characters.
These might be more to your liking. (Last ones - I promise - for those of your getting saturated with London lifeforms)
gbohannon wrote:
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.
pbraymond wrote:
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").
leighton w wrote:
Be aware Ray...Once you go mirrorless, you'll never go back to a DSLR.
That would very likely be true, especially if I went to native lenses and the weight and bulk savings are sufficient. I have actually flown without checked bags of any sort since 2010 or so, and size and weight are crucial for not only the flight but actual getting around. I've flown carry-on only with Nikon FX, but of late, since air travel seems to involve less dedicated photography time and more people time (a good thing, most of the time :-) ) I've actually only flown with Nikon FX gear twice since 2013, using a micro 4/3 setup instead, so you can say I'm already a mirrorless convert, just not full time.
Your results speak loudly for the Fuji mirrorless, and Fuji is tempting as some of the native Fuji glass is smallish and light. The Z is very intriguing given the added usability of MF lenses on it, but I'll likely wait out the native lenses to see if I can get any meaningful weight and size reductions from my Nikon FX setup before diving in.
CGrindahl wrote:
(...)
I just checked B&H and they list availability for the Z7 as being Thursday, September 27... which just so happens to be MY BIRTHDAY... Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something I need to pay attention to> gbohannon wrote:
A fellow Libra. Mine is the 26th
(...)
Mine is the 25th: Two more and we have a straight flush...
ljuset wrote:
Outstandling composition and lighting Philippe: looks like a still from an Ingmar Bergman film.
best regards
Eike
that's a great compliment, Eike, thank you so much. Not sure my pic deserves that comparaison though. You know, as Ben would say, I just press the button and hope for the best ...
pbraymond wrote:
That would very likely be true, especially if I went to native lenses and the weight and bulk savings are sufficient. I have actually flown without checked bags of any sort since 2010 or so, and size and weight are crucial for not only the flight but actual getting around. I've flown carry-on only with Nikon FX, but of late, since air travel seems to involve less dedicated photography time and more people time (a good thing, most of the time :-) ) I've actually only flown with Nikon FX gear twice since 2013, using a micro 4/3 setup instead, so you can say I'm already a mirrorless convert, just not full time.
Your results speak loudly for the Fuji mirrorless, and Fuji is tempting as some of the native Fuji glass is smallish and light. The Z is very intriguing given the added usability of MF lenses on it, but I'll likely wait out the native lenses to see if I can get any meaningful weight and size reductions from my Nikon FX setup before diving in....Show more →
The lens size, not to mention the XT-2 reminding me of my old F3, is the main reason I chose Fuji over Sony. FF mirrorless is great, but those lenses (except our MF Nikkors) are STILL big. Just physics.
Lieutenant Z wrote:
that's a great compliment, Eike, thank you so much. Not sure my pic deserves that comparaison though. You know, as Ben would say, I just press the button and hope for the best ...
Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something I need to pay attention to> 
George, thanks for your hands on report! And looks like Curtis might be deviling himself into getting a birthday gift. I should check out my local camera store but the last time I was there I had to take a number and wait until they called out the #. It was that crowded there. I can't imagine how it would be (may already have happened) when Nikon demo's Z cameras there.
How can 20 be enough!!! 
