Testing Z6 - the kit lens is growing on me... I did some captures with 105/2.5 and Nocton as well... nothing special.
105 wide open
same
I did a video to a visiting choir from Lyon... capturing some jpegs in the same time. This is one, same lens.
Nocton
105 wide open
same
Nocton
Almost no pp... just basic operations.
Some further considerations.
(1) In halogen lighting situations, Z6 is prone bad to banding. It is possible a user error. I did some video and was a perfect image, including the jpeg captures. At home I observed that on Video menu anti-flicker was on auto for video and off for pictures. Maybe switching on will resolve the situation. On Led lighting was no problem at all.
(2) My D750 is way better in white balance for difficult lighting situations than my former D800. Z6 is even better than D750. Auto WB works as a charm.
(3) I tested a lens I love very much: Sigma 150/2.8 macro non OS. With AF on is almost unusable... camera has a crazy behavior. The lens does not have a switch AF/MF so I switched in camera for MF. Used as a MF lens it works but still not equal like a genuine Nikkor. This is a sad issue for me. I do hope that my chipped CVs and Zeiss glass works without problem.
Next days I hope to test some more MF Nikkors. Unfortunately winter is coming here so not much outdoor chances for now.
Testing Z6 - the kit lens is growing on me... I did some captures with 105/2.5 and Nocton as well... nothing special.
105 wide open
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0078_00001.jpg
same
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0084_00001.jpg
I did a video to a visiting choir from Lyon... capturing some jpegs in the same time. This is one, same lens.
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0185_00001.jpg
Nocton
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0225_00001.jpg
105 wide open
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0231_00001.jpg
same
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0246_00001.jpg
Nocton
https://prologos.ro/FM/ZE6_0295_00001.jpg
Almost no pp... just basic operations.
Some further considerations.
(1) In halogen lighting situations, Z6 is prone bad to banding. It is possible a user error. I did some video and was a perfect image, including the jpeg captures. At home I observed that on Video menu anti-flicker was on auto for video and off for pictures. Maybe switching on will resolve the situation. On Led lighting was no problem at all.
(2) My D750 is way better in white balance for difficult lighting situations than my former D800. Z6 is even better than D750. Auto WB works as a charm.
(3) I tested a lens I love very much: Sigma 150/2.8 macro non OS. With AF on is almost unusable... camera has a crazy behavior. The lens does not have a switch AF/MF so I switched in camera for MF. Used as a MF lens it works but still not equal like a genuine Nikkor. This is a sad issue for me. I do hope that my chipped CVs and Zeiss glass works without problem.
Next days I hope to test some more MF Nikkors. Unfortunately winter is coming here so not much outdoor chances for now....Show more →
This is really interesting Mihai. Keep it coming. The in camera stabilisation effectiveness with a MF telephoto interests me.
I shot exclusively with the 180/2.8 yesterday and lost a lot of shots due to low light and longer than ideal shutter speeds that I couldn't mitigate against. Looked OK on the LCD but viewed on a monitor the camera wobble was obvious.
Quite slow activity these days. I'll dare to update you regarding my Z6 venture. No pics because I did only basic tests and I do not want to flood the thread with them.
Today I tested several MF genuine AI-P'd from factory. Nikon 45/2.8 AI-P; CV 58/1.4 SLII and Zeiss 50/2 Makro Plannar. Each one works as a charm - I did not observed any problem. The small form factory lenses looks very sexy on Z6 + FTZ - like Nikon 45/2.8 or CV 58/1.4. Seems like this camera was built for such as glass! I also tested them with and without VR. There is a huge difference, at least for those lenses in a normal focal range. I did pictures at one second exposure... a big mess with no VR, considerably more crisper with VR. The difference is also seen in EVF when composing the image. This tool is very powerful for our MF glass!
I tested also my Sigma 35 Art. I understand from others that this lens is working perfect on Z cameras. Well, not mine. I was an early adopter of this lens. I do not have Sigma dock and no way to update the firmware. It takes pictures in MF, but no AF at all. I really do not think I'll buy a dock. Probably I will sell it together with 150/2.8. Probably I'll get a 35/1.8 S instead. And I have a good copy of 35/2 AI-S.
When I ordered Z6 I considered it to be the perfect companion of my D750. Now I get addicted to the touch screen, VR in body, the great IQ in low light, the powerful image processor, the total silent mode, the non-obtrusive operation... and more... I do not take now a decision but I'm really asking myself if I need anymore a DSLR. I think that I may free some funds selling D750 and some glass...
I am not as considerate as Mihai so I fully intend to inundate the thread with thoughts and pictures regarding the Z6 on manual lenses. I never sell anything so I have a D60, D200, D3, D800, D810. Thought about buying a D850 and selling the D800, but I am perfectly happy with those two 36mp cameras for my manual focus lenses and that is all I do, no AF, no video.
Knowing that I have the two 36mp cameras and nodesire for 45mp, I went for the Z6 over the Z7, looking for a very different way to take photos.
Different it is, with MF so far I can only focus using focus peaking, but it works great. The MF focus aperture is kept closed by the camera (so far) and there is no aperture ring, but focus peaking does a great job at showing you what is in focus, so no need to focus at full aperture for precision.
Using my large aperture lenses at full aperture is a pleasure, focusing on the taking sensor really works.
My focus success rate with the 800mm 5.6 just went from 30% to 75% and the price of my lens went up $2000.
Don't know the menu yet so I ended up with jpgs only, no raw yet.
Adorama never sent the FTZ adapter, glad I ordered another from amazon.
To give a sense of what 800mm does, it is 23x the magnification of a 35mm focal length, show below from the same vantage point, find the pink tree and see the size, This one is RAW taken later in the day, the highlight and dark recovery is incredible, great dynamic range.
rafaelcasd wrote:
My focus success rate with the 800mm 5.6 just went from 30% to 75% and the price of my lens went up $2000.
Stunning images with that 800... it seems that this little Z6 is The Camera. I'll bet that our friend Jose is testing it right now, traveling through the heaven of photographers.
A few tips to those who are getting the Z's and have not used a mirrorless before with the old MF Nikkors.
Now, as you know I'm using the Fuji X-T2 so these might not apply to your camera. Also, I have found these work for me, YMMV.
1) When using focus peaking, set your peaking lines to red-high, makes it easier in high contrast scenes.
2) If you're shooting RAW, you can set your jpeg setting to B&W so what you see in the viewfinder will be in B&W. This sometimes makes it easier to see the focus peaking lines and will also help in seeing light and shadows better. When you load your images in the raw processor, you'll get the RAW file in color.
3) I have a function button set that zooms the image in the viewfinder to 100 percent. This really makes it easy to focus, especially with longer glass.
Hope this helps. Have fun with your new cameras and welcome to a whole new way of shooting. I'll never go back to a DSLR!
leighton w wrote:
A few tips to those who are getting the Z's and have not used a mirrorless before with the old MF Nikkors.
Now, as you know I'm using the Fuji X-T2 so these might not apply to your camera. Also, I have found these work for me, YMMV.
1) When using focus peaking, set your peaking lines to red-high, makes it easier in high contrast scenes.
2) If you're shooting RAW, you can set your jpeg setting to B&W so what you see in the viewfinder will be in B&W. This sometimes makes it easier to see the focus peaking lines and will also help in seeing light and shadows better. When you load your images in the raw processor, you'll get the RAW file in color.
3) I have a function button set that zooms the image in the viewfinder to 100 percent. This really makes it easy to focus, especially with longer glass.
Hope this helps. Have fun with your new cameras and welcome to a whole new way of shooting. I'll never go back to a DSLR!...Show more →
Let me interrupt this Z love fest with a shot from... Yep another LTM 5cm f/3.5 picture
My walk to the pond this evening.
Didn't originally want it to be this dark, but had the M set for exposure of some clouds I was trying to shoot. Came around to the pond and the heron was there. He almost always flies as soon as he sees you. So this was one of those "f/8 and be there" moments. Just framed and shot with the settings I had.
Same location as my recent colour images. It was a cloudless day so the black sky effect was easy to achieve in PP. Not much vegetation on the top of this ridge so the views are quite abstract and won't be to everybody's taste. There are two people and a dog on the horizon in the first frame. The second is just freshly sown winter grass and lots of stones and flint.
Same location as my recent colour images. It was a cloudless day so the black sky effect was easy to achieve in PP. Not much vegetation on the top of this ridge so the views are quite abstract and won't be to everybody's taste.
Welcome Noah, loving the Porsche shots, is that the car in Doc Hollywood with Michael J Fox?
Mihai and Rafael, loving the Z6 reports, keep em coming and keep the shots coming too, the high ISO shots from Mihai are what I envy the most. My D800 ISO6400 files are horrible compared to what new sensors can do at 25600.
Great advice Leighton, I'll take it on board when my XT-1 arrives on thursday.
Colin - nice for rabbits but not much else going on there by the looks of it !
cadman342001 wrote:
Welcome Noah, loving the Porsche shots, is that the car in Doc Hollywood with Michael J Fox?
Mihai and Rafael, loving the Z6 reports, keep em coming and keep the shots coming too, the high ISO shots from Mihai are what I envy the most. My D800 ISO6400 files are horrible compared to what new sensors can do at 25600.
Great advice Leighton, I'll take it on board when my XT-1 arrives on thursday.
Colin - nice for rabbits but not much else going on there by the looks of it !
Andy
Andy - you are correct! Do you remember the dark animated film?
I did some captures with 105/2.5 and Nocton as well... nothing special.
