Nikon Z* mirrorless

A question for Z owners who use AI/AIS glass with the FTZ adapter:

Does the aperture behave exactly like the F mount, I.e all focusing/metering is done wide open even if you select a smaller aperture, only stopping down to the desired aperture when the shutter is released or is it a ‘dumb’ adapter in the sense that turning the aperture ring immediately causes the aperture to close?
if you have a real MF AI/AIS lens then you'll be stopping down the aperture with a twist of the ring and the DoF will be shown for that aperture. Other MF lenses like the Nikon D or third party with electronic communication control the aperture via the camera. The Z's only stop down as far as f5.6 for focussing or metering so I assume that's the same for AI/AIS. At any rate it looks like it
 
if you have a real MF AI/AIS lens then you'll be stopping down the aperture with a twist of the ring and the DoF will be shown for that aperture. Other MF lenses like the Nikon D or third party with electronic communication control the aperture via the camera. The Z's only stop down as far as f5.6 for focussing or metering so I assume that's the same for AI/AIS. At any rate it looks like it

Thanks, I have two Nikon AIS lenses (28mm and 105mm) and two Voigtlanders which have chips so (20mm and 40mm) so what you say is good since I use the Voigtlanders more anyway.
 

That's hard these days! Seems there's news by the hour! :D Most of it I'm not bothered with, like the A7RIV, for one I can't afford it, but also I'm not seeing the fascination. 61mp ... big whoop-de-doo ... I'd need a much better PC for starters!
 
Would you need an adapter to user the sigma 105mm Macro on the Z6?
 
Would you need an adapter to user the sigma 105mm Macro on the Z6?
Yes, but I’m not sure how compatible 3rd party lenses are with the adapter.
 
So it would have to be Nikon’s Nikkor 105mm micro?
 
Yes, but I’m not sure how compatible 3rd party lenses are with the adapter.

The FTZ adapter? shouldn't Nikon versions work pretty much like native regardless of third party or not? Just as they would on a Nikon dslr
 
The FTZ adapter? shouldn't Nikon versions work pretty much like native regardless of third party or not? Just as they would on a Nikon dslr
Yes, with the proviso that some 3rd party lenses need a firmware upgrade to work, such as the Tamron 17-35, and some haven't even had a fw update even produced for them.
 
I haven’t seen any reports of Sigmas not working but best to check before you buy. You will need the FTZ adapter for whatever macro lens you use. All of these macro lenses perform well so the brand doesn’t seem to matter optically. I’ve used the Nikon 105mm with the FTZ and it works.
 
I haven’t seen any reports of Sigmas not working but best to check before you buy. You will need the FTZ adapter for whatever macro lens you use. All of these macro lenses perform well so the brand doesn’t seem to matter optically. I’ve used the Nikon 105mm with the FTZ and it works.
Would you need an adapter to user the sigma 105mm Macro on the Z6?
If MF is OK with the Z, the D version of the Nikon micro 105mm is inexpensive (2nd hand) and very decent. But the Sigma should be fine if you want to keep it. See here https://www.diyphotography.net/sigm...ility-lists-for-the-nikon-z7-and-canon-eos-r/ I have also come across hardly any reports of FTZ Sigma incompatibilities
 
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I posted a while back that I'd contacted Nikon about whether the Z7 uses Hybrid AF at all times or use CDAF/PDAF only at certain times, and here is their response

"After escalating your questions it has been advised we can only confirm the following.

1. The Z 7 uses a hybrid AF, combining phase-detection AF and contrast-detect AF. The detailed algorithm is confidential. It uses contrast-detect AF only when pinpoint AF is used.
2. AF fine-tune is available for users to adjust front- or rear-focus according to their preferences.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide more detail directly."



As they said that some form of CDAF is used for all shooting I asked them why they then have AF fine tune on the Z's if lenses shouldn't need correcting and their response was this.

"The AF-Fine Tune feature is not used to correct a problem, it never has. The idea is that AF-Fine Tune will allow a user to adjust the focus based on their own ideals which may be slightly different than what the camera is producing. If your lens has a focus problem you should return it to Nikon Service as AF Fine-Tune is not intended to solve optical problems which will generally be outside of scope for this tool"

So if this is indeed the case it seems that we (and by we I mean the rest of the photography world) have all been using fine tune wrongly. Or maybe whilst AF fine tune wasn't intended for the purposes of correcting front/back focus, it is a 'by product' of the feature?
 
"The AF-Fine Tune feature is not used to correct a problem, it never has. The idea is that AF-Fine Tune will allow a user to adjust the focus based on their own ideals which may be slightly different than what the camera is producing.

So having 'on-target' focus is just a particular "ideal" ... sounds like absolute tosh to me!
 
So having 'on-target' focus is just a particular "ideal" ... sounds like absolute tosh to me!
The way I read the full quote was that the AF fine tune is not intended to correct focus issues and that focus issues should be dealt with by sending the camera/lens back to Nikon :oops: :$
 
The way I read the full quote was that the AF fine tune is not intended to correct focus issues and that focus issues should be dealt with by sending the camera/lens back to Nikon :oops: :$

That kinda goes inline with what was said to me...one of the Nikon techs said that AF Fine Tune in Z cameras is there because some lenses might experience "slipping" focus gears which would result in front/back focus...slipping gears being a mechanical failure in lenses throughout years of use.
 
The way I read the full quote was that the AF fine tune is not intended to correct focus issues and that focus issues should be dealt with by sending the camera/lens back to Nikon :oops: :$

Equals a long time away and a response that the equipment is within standard.
I'll stick with "tosh" (maybe it's because I'm still awaiting a promised 'phone call from Nikon UK about my D850 ... no spare rear TFT screen held in stock in the UK ... really!!!).
 
That kinda goes inline with what was said to me...one of the Nikon techs said that AF Fine Tune in Z cameras is there because some lenses might experience "slipping" focus gears which would result in front/back focus...slipping gears being a mechanical failure in lenses throughout years of use.

There is a bit about using Fine Tune with Z cameras on the Reikan blog. You need to wade down through it a bit to get there.

https://blog.reikanfocal.com/2018/10/the-new-nikon-z7-investigating-with-reikan-focal/
 
Equals a long time away and a response that the equipment is within standard.
I'll stick with "tosh" (maybe it's because I'm still awaiting a promised 'phone call from Nikon UK about my D850 ... no spare rear TFT screen held in stock in the UK ... really!!!).
Having thought about this more, I'm definitely with you in that what they said is tosh. If the AF fine tune isn't to correct focus issues and was purely for the user to "adjust the focus based on their own needs" then why do the latter DSLRs have an auto AF fine tune feature, it makes no sense.
 
"The AF-Fine Tune feature is not used to correct a problem, it never has. The idea is that AF-Fine Tune will allow a user to adjust the focus based on their own ideals which may be slightly different than what the camera is producing. If your lens has a focus problem you should return it to Nikon Service as AF Fine-Tune is not intended to solve optical problems which will generally be outside of scope for this tool"

Well that's BS isn't it. :rolleyes: What is the AF Fine Tune for if not to get the camera/lens focusing as good as possible (if it isn't already). Whose 'ideal' is not to have that! :thinking: :rolleyes:
 
Anyone done the firmware update yet?
Which update, the one from several weeks ago that added eye AF? If so then yes, I’ve had no issues and eye AF seems to work OK.
 
Am I correct in my assumption that you cannot assign a drive mode (motor drive in my terminology) to a U mode? Just been playing with U settings for the first time in order to assign exposure bracketing with single-press 5 exposure, for example, to U1 and it seems that I still have to manually set the drive.
 
Am I correct in my assumption that you cannot assign a drive mode (motor drive in my terminology) to a U mode? Just been playing with U settings for the first time in order to assign exposure bracketing with single-press 5 exposure, for example, to U1 and it seems that I still have to manually set the drive.
I don't think it does annoyingly. It's probably a carry over from the DSLRs where you had the drive dial on top of the cameras and so wasn't part of the user settings. No reason they couldn't add it to the user settings now though, maybe it's worth contacting Nikon as a feature enhancement?

On other news it looks at though the 85mm f1.8 Z is finally announced, pre-orders £799 :oops: :$
 
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