Nikon Z* mirrorless

Given your lack of need for an expensive option would you consider an adapted lens? If so then have a look at the tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4. I have one for my D750 and have been over the moon with it since i bought it. Doesn't weigh much at all, excellent image quality and can be bought new for 469 from wex now. I bought mine when it was 649 and i thought it was excellent value at that price.

Thanks Col. Had a quick look at a few reviews and that lens does seem good value, especially as I’ve already got an adapter. I’ll do a little more reading up over the weekend.
 
Thanks Col. Had a quick look at a few reviews and that lens does seem good value, especially as I’ve already got an adapter. I’ll do a little more reading up over the weekend.

I have been really pleased with mine, alongside the sigma 70-200 sport I plan to use it adapted when i get the z6 ii for the foreseeable. I may consider the 14-30 as a replacement eventually but it will be after the 24-70 f2.8 by quite a distance in terms of priorities
 
Hi, 5 from this mornings walkabout, this is ils d'ore South-east of France.
Z6 and 24-70 f4

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Given your lack of need for an expensive option would you consider an adapted lens? If so then have a look at the tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4. I have one for my D750 and have been over the moon with it since i bought it. Doesn't weigh much at all, excellent image quality and can be bought new for 469 from wex now. I bought mine when it was 649 and i thought it was excellent value at that price.
I have recently purchased one of these and so far have been very happy with the image quality adapted to my z6 using the ftz. It feels a great quality lens too with the latest Tamron lenses arguably feeling better in the hand compared to the s primes
 
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I've got myself in a bit of a dilemma.
I bought a Z7II and it's now my go to camera and my Z6 and Z50 aren't looking like getting much use. I'm in two minds of which one to sell.
The Z7II gives me the cropping power of the Z50 for wildlife but the Z50 is handy to bring with me in the car. The Z6 shares the same battery, gives the same FOV with the FX lenses and is better in low light.
I'm stuck as to whether to sell both or to hold on to one of them.
 
I'd sell both if neither of the others are going to get much use. Reasons for keeping one would include needing a second body for backup or avoiding lens changes or finding that the different sensor resolutions give sufficiently different results to merit both.
 
I’d also sell both! I could understand the z6 and z50 together for the longer reach of the crop sensor, but throw the z7ii into the mix and it seems to make the other two redundant, unless you desperately need a second body, or some of the video options on the z6 (I think something to do with full-sensor 4K output?).

The difference that cash could make if spent on new glass would more than outweigh the benefits of the additional bodies, for me anyway.
 
Yes I think I'll have to sell them both on. The second body would have been handy as I shoot MMA but that looks like a long way off happening again.
With rumours of the 105mm macro on the way, it could cover that.
 
Had a Viltrox 85mm 1.8 delivered today, £260 rather than £700 for the Nikon equivalent was too good to pass up.

AF is fast and silent, feels very nicely put together and everything works as you'd expect, will get out and have a proper play it with it this weekend. Hope they get a move on and release some more as I'd be more than happy with a 35mm 1.8 from them as well.
 
Ooooooh I’m tempted by one of those, please report back when you’ve given it a proper test!
 
I was in the market for the Nikon 85mm f1.8 before Xmas with the sale on and two copies in Stuttgart's biggest camera shop then they suddenly vanished from stock are still seem to be all but unobtainable. The Viltrox seems like a credible alternative though, having just got myself a superb Nikon 80-200 f2.8 D at a similar price, I'm beginning to wonder if there is really a need for an 85mm prime. It comes down largely to how often AF will really be necessary for a portrait prime. Another alternative is of course the F mount 85mm f1.8 and the real comparison is surely between that secondhand and the Viltrox. I also look forward to Chris's report
 
I was in the market for the Nikon 85mm f1.8 before Xmas with the sale on and two copies in Stuttgart's biggest camera shop then they suddenly vanished from stock are still seem to be all but unobtainable. The Viltrox seems like a credible alternative though, having just got myself a superb Nikon 80-200 f2.8 D at a similar price, I'm beginning to wonder if there is really a need for an 85mm prime. It comes down largely to how often AF will really be necessary for a portrait prime. Another alternative is of course the F mount 85mm f1.8 and the real comparison is surely between that secondhand and the Viltrox. I also look forward to Chris's report

I do love my 85mm f/1.8s. It was expensive, but I've found the new z mount glass to be fantastic.

YSC_0575 2 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
 
it has an almost 3D quality.
 
I've taken delivery of a loan 50/1.2s from NPS and I have to say, lockdown sucks lol But anyway, this lens is absolutely blummin huge!

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Now out of the box I thought WTF why would you want this lens, it's completely impractical. But I've since used it briefly on my walk this morning and I think I'm in love. It's sooooo heavy compared to even the 24-70 but it's simply stunning. I'm actually seriously wondering now if I really need the 35/1.8s as I use it the least of all my lenses and maybe selling it and the 50/1.8s to part fund getting the 1.2s. It's crazy because it's so heavy, but at the same time... It's sooo nice...

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Took the Z5, 35mm 1.8S and Viltrox 85mm 1.8 out for the first time this morning.

35mm, love it, absolute PITA to change lenses though, barely anything to hold onto!

Viltrox 85mm, feels lovely, right up there with the 35mm in build quality. AF maybe not quite so instant but barely noticeable. Most importantly, 1/3rd the price of the Nikon and whilst I haven't used that one, I can't possibly see how that could be 3 times better!

Canal Walk by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

Canal Walk by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

Canal Walk by Chris Harrison, on Flickr
 
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Keeping the thread alive. Just my dogs messing around (Z6 II)



 
the second one is really nicely done -- a more harmonious composition than the first, I think though they're both good examples of a macro photographer's art. I think I'll keep my 105mm f2.8 D Nikon micro lens though I only occasionally dabble in this sort of thing.
 
A first try at photo stacking with my Z5. It seems quite a complicated procedure - I had to go into the menu, select focus stacking, select start then wait. Sometimes I then needed to click ok, sometimes it just seemed to do something itself. Sometimes I got a new folder with a group of photos, sometimes I just got one. This was 17 photos, stacked in lightroom / photoshop. I didn't think it would deal with movement, but the waves have turned out ok. I have got the same seagull 5 times however.

Macduff stacked2 695 by James West, on Flickr
 
A first try at photo stacking with my Z5. It seems quite a complicated procedure - I had to go into the menu, select focus stacking, select start then wait. Sometimes I then needed to click ok, sometimes it just seemed to do something itself. Sometimes I got a new folder with a group of photos, sometimes I just got one. This was 17 photos, stacked in lightroom / photoshop. I didn't think it would deal with movement, but the waves have turned out ok. I have got the same seagull 5 times however.

Macduff stacked2 695 by James West, on Flickr
Nice first try. What lens did you use? Some of the verticals look a little off, although the horizon looks level. Try using lightroom-> transform and +13ish on the vertical slider.
 
Nice first try. What lens did you use? Some of the verticals look a little off, although the horizon looks level. Try using lightroom-> transform and +13ish on the vertical slider.


Thanks, I'll try that. I have the 24-70 f4 lens, which come as a kit with the Z6, but not the Z5 unfortunately.
 
Just joined the z6ii owners club with a new 24-70 f2.8

My d7K had done some serious learning miles to get me to here.
Now I can’t blame my equipment or waste time deciding what to buy when I have some money.

Considering getting the grip as I had one on my d7K - thoughts?
 
Do you do much portrait shooting or require the extra battery life? I prefer the lighter/smaller form factor of the mirrorless cameras and just pop a few batteries in the bag if needed. I bought a cheap Chinese plate/bracket so my pinky has somewhere to grip.
 
I started this thread way back then when the Z6 had just come out. I chickened out and bought a D500 instead which has done the job admirably (main thing is whippet racing) plus bits and pieces of everything else. Just had a spell in hospital so have decided to treat myself to the Z6 mark ii with the 24-200mm lens. Don't think I will buy the FTZ adapter unless anyone says otherwise. Very excited about this - my first FF.
 
I started this thread way back then when the Z6 had just come out. I chickened out and bought a D500 instead which has done the job admirably (main thing is whippet racing) plus bits and pieces of everything else. Just had a spell in hospital so have decided to treat myself to the Z6 mark ii with the 24-200mm lens. Don't think I will buy the FTZ adapter unless anyone says otherwise. Very excited about this - my first FF.

Good you're back then! A couple of us Z5 rabble crashed the thread, too. :LOL:
 
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I started this thread way back then when the Z6 had just come out. I chickened out and bought a D500 instead which has done the job admirably (main thing is whippet racing) plus bits and pieces of everything else. Just had a spell in hospital so have decided to treat myself to the Z6 mark ii with the 24-200mm lens. Don't think I will buy the FTZ adapter unless anyone says otherwise. Very excited about this - my first FF.

How are you finding the 24-200 lens? I have the 24-70 F4 but do wonder whether just to go very simple and get the 24-200 and maybe the 35 F1.8...
 
I love mine for what it’s worth!

Obviously it has limitations, but it’s almost always left on my camera for a single lens setup!
 
Having been away from Nikon for a long time I forgot just how much I missed Highlight Weighted Metering. I know it can all be done manually, but it fits my style perfectly so it's great to just have it there.

One issue I am having with the Z5 though, the mode dial is so easy to accidentally bump without realising it. I've ended up jumping from U1 to Auto a few times. I miss a lock!

Viltrox 85mm 1.8...

Bradford on Avon by Chris Harrison, on Flickr
 
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24-200 lens is awesome - I've got it plugged into my Z7, though bought it for my full spectrum Z5. It's lightweight, sharp (enough), a great do everything, go anywhere lens! Far better than any F mount equivalent lens I've used. (Alas, Just wish it didn't hotspot in infrared on the Z5, but that won't affect most folk)
 
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It's not the best photo in the world, but I was having a play with a new combo today - Z6, Sigma 150-600 C + x1.4 TC. The below was taken wide open at f/9, in DX mode as well, giving an effective focal length of 1200mm (and then cropped a bit). It's a bit grainy and could be sharpened a little more, but with better light I'm excited to giving it a proper test!

DSC_3297e by Chris Willetts, on Flickr
 
Having been away from Nikon for a long time I forgot just how much I missed Highlight Weighted Metering. I know it can all be done manually, but it fits my style perfectly so it's great to just have it there.

One issue I am having with the Z5 though, the mode dial is so easy to accidentally bump without realising it. I've ended up jumping from U1 to Auto a few times. I miss a lock!

Viltrox 85mm 1.8...

Bradford on Avon by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

Really like this moody shot. You can see that wide open there is both some bokeh CA and purple fringing but the rendering seems nice and on one review, I preferred the colours to the Nikon 85mm. I am a bit worried about reliability, though, as among the not yet so numerous user reviews, there have been at least a couple which were defective . Not sure I really need this now after getting my 80-200mm but won't rule it out. I take it that those who have tried both the Nikon G and this find the Viltrox IQ superior?
 
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