GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Acquisitions Big and Small

My latest photo magazine from Blurb. If you want to have a look you can download it from the link and view it on Adobe Reader double page layout.

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Curiosity and the FF itch have bitten me. The sub $1000 used Nikon Z6 market combined with the latest FW 3.4 (significant Eye AF update) figured to be the ticket. I can only keep one setup, so m43 vs nikon Z challenge is on! If the Z wins, a faster telephoto to do low light indoor gymnastics or dance is the next thing.

A new to me Z6, Z 24-70 f/4 S, Z 40 f/2, AF-P 70-300 & FTZ adapter are all under evaluation.

Early impressions:
Z6 - likes : Solid feel, viewfinder is amazing, love the function buttons by the lens like my EM1.3, like the on/off around the shutter button, touch screen implementation is great, Eye AF is at least as good or better than my EM1.3 (will test further), Tracking box is more accurate and stickier than EM1.3, operational speed is good, files are really nice.
dislikes: WHY IS THE LENS MOUNT BACKWARDS / LEFT HAND THREADED !?!?! , can become stuck on background in focus, no in camera focus limiter, no custom AF box sizing, EYE AF doesn't have dedicated near eye priority (but easy to switch eye), initial delay in focus acquisition when changing near to far compared to Oly, huge mount makes the overall diameter of compact lenses bigger than necessary

Z 24-70 f/4 S - Likes : Sharpness is incredible from wide open (better than my 12-40 2.8 PRO) , fairly compact and light weight , insane that this optic is ~$400 used
Dislikes: The collapse design is annoying when you're used to zooming the Oly & Canon direction.... it doesn't pop out that way lol

Z 40 f/2 - Likes: Super lightweight, bokeh is nice, quick focus, stopped down f/2.8 and onward sharpness is pretty good, some weather resistance
Dislikes : Wide open and close focus are not friends of this lens fairly soft, this is disappointing since it's like a spiritual cousin to the panny 25 1.7 I have which is really sharp wide open. No mount gasket, so not fully useful in the rain.

AF-P 70-300 f/ 4.5-5.6
Likes: Lightweight, pretty sharp without stopping down, has weather sealing, focus speed is basically like the native Z, This is a price to performance bargain right here
Dislikes: It's not the 40-150 2.8 Pro which I didn't expect it to be, but that is the lens that I love the most for m43.
 
emorgan451 said:
Curiosity and the FF itch have bitten me. The sub $1000 used Nikon Z6 market combined with the latest FW 3.4 (significant Eye AF update) figured to be the ticket. I can only keep one setup, so m43 vs nikon Z challenge is on! If the Z wins, a faster telephoto to do low light indoor gymnastics or dance is the next thing.

A new to me Z6, Z 24-70 f/4 S, Z 40 f/2, AF-P 70-300 & FTZ adapter are all under evaluation.

Early impressions:
Z6 - likes : Solid feel, viewfinder is amazing, love the function buttons by the lens like my EM1.3, like the on/off around the shutter button, touch screen implementation is great, Eye AF is at least as good or better than my EM1.3 (will test further), Tracking box is more accurate and stickier than EM1.3, operational speed is good, files are really nice.
dislikes: WHY IS THE LENS MOUNT BACKWARDS / LEFT HAND THREADED !?!?! , can become stuck on background in focus, no in camera focus limiter, no custom AF box sizing, EYE AF doesn't have dedicated near eye priority (but easy to switch eye), initial delay in focus acquisition when changing near to far compared to Oly, huge mount makes the overall diameter of compact lenses bigger than necessary

Z 24-70 f/4 S - Likes : Sharpness is incredible from wide open (better than my 12-40 2.8 PRO) , fairly compact and light weight , insane that this optic is ~$400 used
Dislikes: The collapse design is annoying when you're used to zooming the Oly & Canon direction.... it doesn't pop out that way lol

Z 40 f/2 - Likes: Super lightweight, bokeh is nice, quick focus, stopped down f/2.8 and onward sharpness is pretty good, some weather resistance
Dislikes : Wide open and close focus are not friends of this lens fairly soft, this is disappointing since it's like a spiritual cousin to the panny 25 1.7 I have which is really sharp wide open. No mount gasket, so not fully useful in the rain.

AF-P 70-300 f/ 4.5-5.6
Likes: Lightweight, pretty sharp without stopping down, has weather sealing, focus speed is basically like the native Z, This is a price to performance bargain right here
Dislikes: It's not the 40-150 2.8 Pro which I didn't expect it to be, but that is the lens that I love the most for m43.
Click to expand...
I got a used Z6 to use purely with adapted glass, but have been amazed by the native S Line lenses. The optical quality and in camera/ lens corrections means they pretty much can't be bettered for pure image quality. Give one of them a try if you can. I initially thought the size of the native lenses to be unusually long as well, but when you feel how well they balance with the camera it all makes sense.
 
emorgan451 said:
Curiosity and the FF itch have bitten me. The sub $1000 used Nikon Z6 market combined with the latest FW 3.4 (significant Eye AF update) figured to be the ticket. I can only keep one setup, so m43 vs nikon Z challenge is on! If the Z wins, a faster telephoto to do low light indoor gymnastics or dance is the next thing.

A new to me Z6, Z 24-70 f/4 S, Z 40 f/2, AF-P 70-300 & FTZ adapter are all under evaluation.

Early impressions:
Z6 - likes : Solid feel, viewfinder is amazing, love the function buttons by the lens like my EM1.3, like the on/off around the shutter button, touch screen implementation is great, Eye AF is at least as good or better than my EM1.3 (will test further), Tracking box is more accurate and stickier than EM1.3, operational speed is good, files are really nice.
dislikes: WHY IS THE LENS MOUNT BACKWARDS / LEFT HAND THREADED !?!?! , can become stuck on background in focus, no in camera focus limiter, no custom AF box sizing, EYE AF doesn't have dedicated near eye priority (but easy to switch eye), initial delay in focus acquisition when changing near to far compared to Oly, huge mount makes the overall diameter of compact lenses bigger than necessary

Z 24-70 f/4 S - Likes : Sharpness is incredible from wide open (better than my 12-40 2.8 PRO) , fairly compact and light weight , insane that this optic is ~$400 used
Dislikes: The collapse design is annoying when you're used to zooming the Oly & Canon direction.... it doesn't pop out that way lol

Z 40 f/2 - Likes: Super lightweight, bokeh is nice, quick focus, stopped down f/2.8 and onward sharpness is pretty good, some weather resistance
Dislikes : Wide open and close focus are not friends of this lens fairly soft, this is disappointing since it's like a spiritual cousin to the panny 25 1.7 I have which is really sharp wide open. No mount gasket, so not fully useful in the rain.

AF-P 70-300 f/ 4.5-5.6
Likes: Lightweight, pretty sharp without stopping down, has weather sealing, focus speed is basically like the native Z, This is a price to performance bargain right here
Dislikes: It's not the 40-150 2.8 Pro which I didn't expect it to be, but that is the lens that I love the most for m43.
Click to expand...
According to Nikon people, everyone else zooms the wrong way.
 
rayvonn said:
I got a used Z6 to use purely with adapted glass, but have been amazed by the native S Line lenses. The optical quality and in camera/ lens corrections means they pretty much can't be bettered for pure image quality. Give one of them a try if you can. I initially thought the size of the native lenses to be unusually long as well, but when you feel how well they balance with the camera it all makes sense.
Click to expand...
I have the 24-70 f/4 S and it's fantastic. If Nikon is the keeper, then I will look to get an S prime. The 24-120 f/4 S is intriguing.
 
emorgan451 said:
I have the 24-70 f/4 S and it's fantastic. If Nikon is the keeper, then I will look to get an S prime. The 24-120 f/4 S is intriguing.
Click to expand...
I have never seriously considered the Z system because I really don't like zooms even though modern ones are incredibly better than the bad old days of kit zooms. But the Z f/1.8 prime set of 20, 24, 35, 50 & 85? Now _that_ makes it something to seriously ponder. I could probably tolerate a zoom for longer lengths since I almost never shoot beyond 135.
 
agentlossing said:
These are the absolute first impressions, since I won't have any real shooting time for a few days yet.
  • Size: I knew this thing was large, and I wasn't wrong. However, the grip is so good (pretty much perfect, in fact) that the size doesn't impress itself on the user in the hand. To be honest, the ability to comfortably rest my pinky finger without it scrambling to find purchase is, in fact, pretty great. Where the size of the camera will make itself more apparent is in packing it around. I've yet to put a strap on it (waiting for screen protector to arrive) but I think it should wear well enough across the shoulder on a longer strap, but we will see. Packing it around in the car or a bag will be a slightly different story. I know myself well enough that I am not going to jump into getting a camera bag or backpack, because I don't adapt to them well and I end up getting rid of them, typically. So I'll want to make a decision around that later into the period of ownership.
  • Weight: another thing people like to mention about this camera, but, again, the grip really comes to the rescue in that area. The other thing is lenses. Even the FA 28-105mm (came with the camera kit, but if I'm keeping this rig, It'll go up for sale, because it's not my kind of lens) is large enough and heavy enough that, once mounted to the camera, it becomes an overall heavy package for me. Heavier, large aperture zooms? Hah, not likely. I want to use small film-era primes, for the most part, and the awesome FA Limited line is always there if I want to get fancier. So, I would say it's on the threshold of being heavy for me, but as long as I keep the lens small and light, it works fine. Plus I like the looks of the big camera with a little lens. It reminds me of a scaled-down version of the Big old Pentax 67 SLRs.
  • Body design and features: In a word, nearly perfect. It takes the things I liked about the KP's design and improves on them (okay, I know, the K-1 came out first so the KP was the derivation rather than vice versa, but this is just the way I am reacting to the camera, in a purely stream-of-consciousness, hallucinatory manner - it's just GAS, no absinthe or any similar chemicals, honest). The third dial, for example, has much more useful features available at a twist, such as exposure comp and ISO, without having to set custom functions. The very small top LCD has useful information. I like having TAv on the mode dial, and of course Pentax's green button is excellent when utilizing old lenses which don't electronically communicate with the body. The "moon lander" LCD is a conversation piece, for sure, but it gets out of the way when not needed. I do really wish it had an eye sensor for the LCD, but the K3 III is the first Pentax camera to get one from my understanding.
  • Image quality: I haven't really explored this yet, though I did download and play around with a couple RAWs before ordering, and found the amount of detail quite impressive. Also, the DNGs didn't seem to bog down Lightroom or DXO, which was a pleasant surprise. I do think this FF 36mp sensor pushes the limits of what a camera's JPEG engine can do. Files don't seem as clean or crisp as they should when you really zoom in, even given the fact that there's a roomy pixel density compared to smaller sensor cameras. I think far better results will come from desktop software in a way that's more noticeable than it is with my other cameras, and their smaller sensors and also fewer mp.
Click to expand...
Andrew (@agentlossing), the built-in GPS can give you sharp astro images without any trackers. You can do astro with longer-than-usual lenses.... or you can be a............. Nightaxian!
 
MoonMind said:
...
  • I know it may seem narrow-minded, but I had to switch of a lot of the gizmos initially switched on, most prominently permanent access to touch screen modes (a little soft button on the display that had me constantly switch modes and induced irritations no end) and digital zoom which inexplicably seems to be the default for the lens control ring which equally inexplicably can't be set to manual focus override ... Once I had the camera tamed to my liking, it felt very natural, and by now, nothing disturbs the experience.
........
The most surprising thing so far: Even it may feel counter-intuitive (I wanted a small camera, right?!), it's not out of the question that I'll actually end up using the screw-on grip most of the time and actually *instead* of the ThumbsUp - it really feels nice in the hand, and it allows me to use my favourite way of carrying any camera: Hang it on my fingertips, tighten grip while pulling it up to my eye for shooting ...

Now I'm set - I'll test things out over the next couple of days. Anyhow, none of my niggles takes anything away from the fantastic package the X100V definitely is.

M.
Click to expand...
I seem to recall things like that "why is xxx the default?"

The grip on many of these cameras is why I almost always get the half case and why I use the simple paracord strap. It's 425 cord, thinner and lighter than the typical 550 many use. The combo lets me carry by my fingertips without worrying or add any bulk. And since I make them myself I make sure the strap is just long enough to reach into a pocket or bag without having to take the strap off.
 
Iron said:
Andrew (@agentlossing), the built-in GPS can give you sharp astro images without any trackers. You can do astro with longer-than-usual lenses.... or you can be a............. Nightaxian!
Click to expand...
I actually really do want to try some astrophotography... and I like the sound of "Nightaxian" as well!

Edit: I just watched their episode 7, why they shoot with the K1, and I'm liking the show. It's kind of firing me up to try it out.
 
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agentlossing said:
I actually really do want to try some astrophotography... and I like the sound of "Nightaxian" as well!

Edit: I just watched their episode 7, why they shoot with the K1, and I'm liking the show. It's kind of firing me up to try it out.
Click to expand...
Yup. With night photography including astro, the K-1 is a relatively light kit. Imagine not having to attach a star tracker+telescope+tripod and having up to 5 mins exposures. If you don't want to carry a tripod and you are in the woods, you can put the K-1 or any Pentax body that accepts the O-GPS1 unit on the ground and use the forest canopy as a foregound.
1653638979705.png
 
davidzvi said:
I seem to recall things like that "why is xxx the default?"

The grip on many of these cameras is why I almost always get the half case and why I use the simple paracord strap. It's 425 cord, thinner and lighter than the typical 550 many use. The combo lets me carry by my fingertips without worrying or add any bulk. And since I make them myself I make sure the strap is just long enough to reach into a pocket or bag without having to take the strap off.
Click to expand...
Thanks for tips. I'm not a halfcase type of person, unfortunately - it adds considerable bulk and I try to avoid that at almost all cost. As for wrist straps or straps, I find them less than conducive on cameras I want to slip into jacket pockets, like the GR or, very possibly, the X100V. I don't even use any straps on my Leica M bodies because they impede handling as I want it.

However, yesterday's outing with the ThumbsUp was somewhat instructive - I found out that I *can* carry the camera in a way I like with or *without* the ThumbsUp, at least as long as my hands aren't too sweaty. The ThumbsUp does add some security to the hold, but it's a bit *less* comfortable (the hook digs into the base of my thumb - as it should be, just ... not nice). So, in many ways, it's all good. Dangling from the fingertips won't work this way, though, that's why I'm testing the additional grip - it adds bulk too, but it *feels* good and still lets me use the new minimalist belt bag.

I think I'll put together a little series of images to show the four carrying positions I (and, I'm sure, many others) use - it'll make for a better basis for discussion.

The results from yesterday's walk: I've already talked about the JJC ThumbsUp - it works and it helps, but it's a bit underwhelming and also not quite as positive in terms build quality that I *like* using it. I'm glad I found I can basically carry the X100V the same way I carry the GR III, albeit with a less satisfying and secure feel, but still perfectly serviceable. The other thing: The NiSi filter is surprisingly good; its only - well documented, btw. - fault is a tendency to flare horribly in strong multi-directional light (think water reflections with the sun in the corner of the frame), and a times, there was also a hint veiling flare. Not quite on par with Hoya's best, but still good enough to leave it on the camera at all times. It allows for the use of the original lens cap, too. Very well thought out, very usable - at a very fair price.

M.
 
davidzvi said:
I seem to recall things like that "why is xxx the default?"

The grip on many of these cameras is why I almost always get the half case and why I use the simple paracord strap. It's 425 cord, thinner and lighter than the typical 550 many use. The combo lets me carry by my fingertips without worrying or add any bulk. And since I make them myself I make sure the strap is just long enough to reach into a pocket or bag without having to take the strap off.
Click to expand...
Please can we see your straps? I also make my own wrist straps from paracord

Web FUJZ8388 C1 7Artisans test Paracord wrist strap.jpg
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Irene McC said:
ha - yes !! I've made several; they serve me well
Click to expand...
What paracord are you using?
I've tried 275, 325, and 425. I find 425 has the size, texture, and available colors I like.
For those that are interested:
www.paracordplanet.com

What Paracord is Right for Me?

What Paracord is Right for Me - 95, 275, 325, 425, 550, 650, or 750 paracord?
www.paracordplanet.com www.paracordplanet.com

Edit:

This video is how I learned to make then, I adjust the tail to the length I want.

 
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The new (ish) 16mm showed up today. Verdict is still out, and may be for awhile. It appears an optical mess, as one may expect from a FF 16mm 2.8 that’s so tiny. Camera correction makes the jpegs pretty decent however, and it feels great on my R. RAW is another story, and I may need to use the Canon software over DxO to process and get a respectable result. I’d say the most enticing aspect is actually the ridiculously close focusing abilities.
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0CA149A7-516D-4CB6-A09E-7CED02CCAC14.jpeg
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