Personal gear review

Unfortunately GAS comes in many forms. Cameras are just one of the wallet drainers that have afflicted me. As a woodworker, I am constantly plied with catalogs from woodworker supply houses with whom I have done business. Photography has Leica; woodworking has its equivalent in Festool. On a ukulele forum where I participate, UAS is frequently discussed. And during the pandemic, I had lots of parcels coming to our house as I built four different bicycles to stay busy. Ended up selling them for cheap and even donating a couple to just get them out of the house.

Back to photography, weather is supposed to be very spring-like tomorrow, so I'm planning a long bike ride with my new E-P7.
 
In my experience, GAS does have a top end. In the beginning, I wanted to try all the things. And did, in fact, do so over a period of some five years. I tried small cameras, big cameras, super zooms, primes, compact lenses, professional lenses. With each purchase, I crossed off that category from my GAS chart. Not for me. (Bought and sold used, with no significant losses)

This whittled down my wants quite considerably. I now know what I like, and am much quicker in dismissing things. My last big infatuation was window finders. A year with the X-Pro2 and an analog rangefinder cured me of that. Not worth the added size and weight, and not a large benefit to me. Thankfully, something about the Leica design is terribly ugly to me. I even considered a Pixii for a while, until I learned of the slow startup and realized that a flexible screen is part of my requirements. I have since sold the X-Pro.

IBIS and AI tracking still held an allure, which is now satisfied with the X-T5. We'll see how it goes, but my GAS has waned considerably over the years, to the point where I'm getting bored with new releases. Here's to hoping...
 
tonyturley said:
My newish E-P7 + 14-42 EZ are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to putting them to use. I want to keep my MFT kit as light and unobtrusive as possible this go-around. I've never had a digital Pen series camera other than the Pen F, so this will be a learning experience. I've had both the O 25/1.8 and 45/1.8 in the past, but I'm thinking hard about the Lumix 35-100 f4-5.6. Not much mention of it on this forum, but samples on flickr look good, and I've watched several YT videos where the presenter sang the praises of the little 35-100.
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I have the little Lumix 35-100 and it is a really nice lens that pairs very nicely with the E-P7. Have fun with your new to you kit, the E-P7 has become one of my favorite cameras.
 
tonyturley said:
I have a 35-100 on the way now, as well. My impression is that the E-P7 would not be a camera suited to large lenses.
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I use the 14-42EZ, 35-100, the Panasonic 14/2.5 and the Laowa 10/2 mainly on mine, with the 14 getting the most use followed by the 14-42. It is a powerhouse of a little camera, I really don't understand why they don't sell it new in the US.
 
BruceRH said:
I use the 14-42EZ, 35-100, the Panasonic 14/2.5 and the Laowa 10/2 mainly on mine, with the 14 getting the most use followed by the 14-42. It is a powerhouse of a little camera, I really don't understand why they don't sell it new in the US.
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Same with the E-PM2. Fantastic little beastie.
Not that it couldn't have done with some improvements - EFCS and respectable IBIS, for example - but a real little powerhouse, nonetheless.
 
Using the Pentax K-3 mark III Monochrome has made me scrutinize the K-1 mark II some more, given my almost two years of experience with it. Whenever I have tried to use the K-1 as a run-and-gun, I come away mildly disappointed. This shouldn't come as a surprise. It's a hefty camera with not the fastest autofocus, and it benefits from a more deliberate shooting style. But it actually excels at that deliberate style more than any other camera I have used. Careful choice of exposure leads to exceptionally clean and "deep" files, but even high-ISO files clean up in DXO PhotoLab very nicely and that depth is still present. This tempts me to try to capture street shots with a fast shutter, and really it is good at that; it's just a little loud, a little big, and doesn't AF super fast. There is still room for me to hone my zone focus skills, but the size and shutter volume suggests using a longer lens instead of a wider lens, leading to less effective zone focus. Where the K-1 excels is landscapes and cityscapes (I want to start doing the latter more often), contemplative and everyday life, playing with light and shadow, etc.

The K-3 III Monochrome, by contrast, has that extra edge in speed and nimbleness. It's still a DSLR, so it's not the most unobtrusive, but with a small lens it's still pretty unassuming, and I think the grayed-out lettering on the front of the camera helps a bit. It has very fast AF (when I used the Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5, the way the lens jerks into focus it almost sounds like it is in pain - but it focuses nice and quick!), the added DoF of APS-C makes it a little more useful for zone focus (except the crop means you have to search out wider lenses than the FF to get an equivalent field of view), and the high-ISO is crazy, as I and plenty of others have already mentioned. The shutter is a little quieter, though it's not really quiet. Live view works a lot better and faster than the K-1, which makes it a bit of a pity that the screen doesn't tilt at all, but I still much prefer the viewfinder.

My GRIIIx may still be the best unobtrusive street camera that I own. But I certainly find it easier to frame well, quickly, with the larger cameras. The handling of the GR does suit the 28mm version better than the 40mm. This is a bit unusual because 28mm lenses certainly benefit from careful framing, due to potential distortion or distracting peripheral elements. But the GR aesthetic takes those things into account.
 
I'll cut right to the chase: The arrival of the Z f led me down a rabbit hole in the search of compact lenses to use with it. I have, in short order, put together quite a collection of candidates for best match.

I'll try to make this brief: Here's the lot in front of Nikon's own offerings (though I've left out the Z 28mm f/2.8 - it's the exact same size and make as the Z 40mm f/2 in the image):

DSC_3596.jpg
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Nikon's lenses from left to right: Z 26mm f/2.8, Z 40mm f/2, Z 35mm f/1.8 S, Z 50mm f/1.8 S
The alternatives: TTArtisan 50mm f/2, 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 II, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2, Yongnuo 35mm f/2, TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4
  • The Z 26mm f/2.8 is indeed - and by some margin - the smallest of the bunch, but it's almost as well made as the S Line lenses, minus the full-metal body. It's optically solid, but not exceptional. Its size is its greatest asset, but its optics hold up to scrutiny, too.
  • The Z 40mm f/2 is an all-plastic lens (safe for the optics); it's small, light, fast to focus and optically much, much better than you'd expect. It's a lens the grows on you - much better than a mere sum of its parts.
  • The Z 35mm f/1.8 S, while better and even slightly more versatile than the little Z 40mm, is rather big and, while a very good lens, compared to its S Line siblings, it's actually not equally impressive. That said, I think it can compete with all other comparable offerings in the market.
  • The best value in Nikon's S Line is represented by the Z 50mm f/1.8 S - a fantastic performer, though big for a lens of its type, but worth every gram and centimeter.
However, I think you can see that the S Line lenses are bulky, and while the Z 26mm is super-small, it's also quite expensive and has an old-fashioned, noisy AF mechanism (it's a typical pancake lens in that regard). It's fine for travel and street (except in quieter areas), but it doesn't feel like a modern lens. That said, it's my go-to AF lens on the Z f - simply because of its size and reliable optical performance. The Z 40mm f/2 looks like an ideal partner for the Z f, but its build quality clashes with the sturdiness of that body - it works fine, it's easy to carry, but it feels a little off to me, not trustworthy enough. Due to its much better weather resistance, the Z 26mm remains the more convincing option.

The alternatives are much more varied and different from each other:
  • The TTArtisan 50mm f/2 is the cheapest and smallest of the bunch; it's well enough built (certainly good enough for its very low price), but its optics can only be called adequate: Not bad, usable in most situations, but you'll end up with less keepers than with other lenses because of the many small flaws and idiosyncrasies it displays. It's actually the only lens I'd only recommend conditionally: If you want a small and super-small lens, it's fine - but if you want a lens that'll allow for more than experimentation and the odd success, it probably shouldn't be your first choice.
  • The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 II is one of two lenses I got only very recently (yesterday), but I'm already quite taken with it: It's optically better than the TTArtisan 50mm f/2 - far from flawless (spherical and chromatic aberrations are visible, and so's coma), but results are appealing and distinctive (some would call it "full of character"), and its OOF rendering, while far from completely smooth, is appealing to my eyes. Definitely a keeper - and best of all, I got it in a fire sale for half its usual price!
  • The Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 is by far the most expensive of the bunch; it's a really nice performer, too, much better corrected than any of the other manual options in this group; however, it's less highly corrected than Nikon's Z lenses, so you'll end up with the occasional "tainted" frame. But for what it is, a highly portable, super-fast prime with full electronic coupling (except obviously for AF), it is a really fantastic lens I have to highly recommend - if, that is, you don't mind its quite high price.
  • The Yongnuo 35mm f/2 (the CSC version, not the previous one that was made for DSLRs) is the most surprising lens in the whole group: It's optically really good, almost on par with the S Line primes (and even sharper than the Z 35mm f/1.8 S - though not as well corrected overall, with more residual optical flaws), it's well made (though not fully sealed) and has good AF performance. It's basically a no-brainer for people who're looking for a good, inexpensive prime for Z mount - and even for me, in spite of the Z 35mm f/1.8 S still remaining one of the key lenses for the system, it's clearly a keeper.
  • Finally, the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 had gathered quite a bit of fame over the years, so I had been intrigued by it for a long time. When it dropped to half-price in a recent fire sale, I couldn't resist any longer. And lo and behold, it's actually mostly living up to its good reputation: It's pretty sharp in the center wide open and very good across the frame when stopped down, and it's not much worse in terms of optical corrections than the (much more expensive!) Voigtländer Nokton. It is, however, slightly bigger and heavier than that lens, but for its (original) price, it's already recommendable, and when reduced, it's a no-brainer. Its rendering is actually pretty smooth - this might be a very good beginner's choice for portrait photography - to my knowledge, there isn't anything better on the market for this kind of price - though the Mr. Ding 50mm f/1.1 might be even more desirable, but that's not available for Z mount and costs almost twice as much, and the Z mount version of the same optics offered by Artralab has slightly worse coatings and is not a lot cheaper; obviously, neither lens offers any other advantages over the TTArtisan, like the Voigtländer with its electronic contacts.
To sum it all up: It was quite interesting to try out all these lenses, and there's not a single one among them I regret buying (but I wouldn't buy the TTArtisan 50mm f/2 again - not because it's horrible, but because it's not good enough to pick it over any of the Nikon lenses in any specific situation). And while the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 remains the overall most valuable choice out of all the alternatives, it's by no means the only worthy lens among them.

The recent acquistions (Yongnuo 35mm f/2, TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4, 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 II) have all exceeded expectations in their own different way, so much so that I'll pick one of them for next month's "Single in" challenge.

N.B. I left out the TTArtisan 20mm f/2.8 - because it's not an everyday/walkaround lens. It's quite a nice option, though - it's mostly up there with the three lenses I mentioned in the previous paragaph.

M.
 
I had more than the average amount of photography time today, I brought my K-1 with the A-series fifty in my small Domke bag on my commute, so I could bring it on a lunchtime walk. After work, my wife had dinner with her coworkers so I wandered back down to the market and shot some more and bought myself a chicken gyro for dinner (this place at Pike Market makes some of the best that I've had in the US) which I ate while I walked around. I followed it up with a double affogato (decaf) from a gelato shop.

It's really nice to just walk around with a 50mm lens. The Pentax-A isn't quite as good as my Pentax-M 50mm f1.7, at least the contrast and sharpness isn't quite on par with that (almost legendary) lens, but the colors are truer than the kind of cold M lens. It's still a sharp and capable lens, and easy to focus manually with a nice long throw between around 1.5-10 meters. Plus it's very small and light, lighter than the M.

The effortless way the K-1 handles high ISO also works really well with a manual 50mm because I can keep a safer depth of field to cover any focus inaccuracies. It got a bit rainy as the evening progressed, but that was fine, it just gave things some added atmosphere. A good way to unwind most of the way through this busy week, and I got a couple of decent images.
 
My pancake Olympus 14-42 EZ that I acquired a few months ago suddenly died 😕.

Today I took a picture without issues, then about 3 hours later I took the camera again to take another picture and oh surprise! I heard some noises inside the lens, but the screen remained black.
The lens does not extend anymore, it only makes some noises when powering the camera ON.

I tried swapping batteries and cleaning the lens contacts without luck. I also tested the camera with another lens just to discard any issues with it, but it operated normally.

My guess is that the famous ribbon cable is the responsible one. It is really a shame it died so early on our journey together, (I got in in January 14th), the lens gave me some really nice pictures when I took it to my layovers here and there.

Since I also own Panasonic cameras, I will probably look at some of the Panasonic offerings.
The obvious pancake candidate is the 12-32, but the 14-42 II and the old 14-45 are also on the table as I used the 42mm ending on my Olympus lens often.

The Olympus 14-42 IIR could be a possibility as well, I read that optically is the same lens than the EZ.

Any experience with the old Panasonic 14-45? I'm intrigued by it.
 
Aviator said:
My pancake Olympus 14-42 EZ that I acquired a few months ago suddenly died 😕.

Today I took a picture without issues, then about 3 hours later I took the camera again to take another picture and oh surprise! I heard some noises inside the lens, but the screen remained black.
The lens does not extend anymore, it only makes some noises when powering the camera ON.

I tried swapping batteries and cleaning the lens contacts without luck. I also tested the camera with another lens just to discard any issues with it, but it operated normally.

My guess is that the famous ribbon cable is the responsible one. It is really a shame it died so early on our journey together, (I got in in January 14th), the lens gave me some really nice pictures when I took it to my layovers here and there.

Since I also own Panasonic cameras, I will probably look at some of the Panasonic offerings.
The obvious pancake candidate is the 12-32, but the 14-42 II and the old 14-45 are also on the table as I used the 42mm ending on my Olympus lens often.

The Olympus 14-42 IIR could be a possibility as well, I read that optically is the same lens than the EZ.

Any experience with the old Panasonic 14-45? I'm intrigued by it.
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Shame about your EZ; from reports here it seems a fairly common occurrence..... I'm keeping my fingers crossed about mine.
I had the Panasonic 14-45 when I bought my G7 some years ago.
It's a really fine lens and I've been tempted by a few I've seen recently.
I think there were three versions and I believe the first version with the metal mount is the one to look out for.
Good luck.
 
This weekend has been the second weekend of spending a lot of time generally trying to organize and reduce some unnecessary possessions, and find more efficient forms for daily habits and life. Living in a small apartment necessitates this sometimes. So of course I've subjected my photo gear to the same thing.

I did succeed in getting rid of a bunch of accessories that I'm sure I will never use, but which I kept just in case. I mean, I still have a box at least halfway filled with these sorts of things, but at least they are much more focused. I also decided to get some things listed for sale, and successfully sold (pretty quickly) some filters, a Polaroid Now+ instant camera, and my Lomo LC-A. I need to proceed with listing a few more things large and small, but it feels like progress.

The LC-A wasn't the film compact for me in the long run. It's just too hard to get enough depth of field for scale focus when the maximum film speed is roughly equivalent to ISO 400. But film compacts in general are very fun, and I'd like another one. I'm getting cautiously eager for the Rollei 35AF from Mint. We'll see if it proves to be good.

Considering my Micro Four Thirds gear, I would like to upgrade it somehow. I'm not tied down to MFT, but I'd like a small mirrorless camera, and I'm not eager to get into a different manufacturer with a totally different look and feel. In general I believe that MFT makes the best compromises for a smaller mirrorless format, but there's a big problem: Panasonic and OM Digital barely produce anything which is small in size anymore, and what they have isn't compelling to me. They're shooting MFT in the foot, especially since all of the other mirrorless producers have released newish and high-spec small camera bodies. The Sony A7c ought to be a wake-up call to MFT, but so far, no dice.

I have briefly considered the Nikon Zfc, not so much for the camera (I've voiced my thoughts; it feels plasticky and unbalanced to me - though this isn't a deal-breaker), but for some of the interesting small primes being offered by different manufacturers. I actually also handled a Df yesterday and found it pleasing and a lot lighter than I'd thought it might be, but that's neither here nor there. It's not the camera for this need. There was also the Fuji XE4, which was one of the few recent Fujis that captured my brief interest. But it's been discontinued (supply constraints maybe with that generation of Fuji cameras?). I'd definitely consider a Panasonic GX9 again if they were plentiful and cheap, but they're not. The Canon, Nikon and Sony small mirrorless APS-C models all look way too generic and boring for me. So I kind of feel like there isn't the right camera being manufactured right now. If the Leica CL digital were more easily found cheaper, maybe it would tempt me. I don't want a "premium" mirrorless body, though, just a small one that's easy to use and carry. It comes back to the EM5 II as a perfectly passable answer to the question, so I haven't committed to selling it.

My interesting (and large) Pentax AF camera, the Z1p (Not P1Z, but they might be the same camera, this model appears to be a Japan-only version of the camera), needs a new 2CR5 battery, which isn't cheap (though $10 isn't really that bad, I just can't find one local or I'd shoot it today), but I'd like to shoot it some. I think I've only shot and developed one roll from it. I want to see what the 31mm Limited, and the F50/1.7, renders like with film, without needing to manually focus the fiddly AF lenses on the MX.

I think in spite of a recent bout of GAS, I should bide my time for a little while.
 
I have been shooting the Z-1p a bit more, and I find I really get along with it. I've figured out how to turn off the focus confirmation beep, and developed another roll of B&W which turned out really good. The metering does an impressive job. ISO reads the DX coding when you load film, but readily allows you to change the ISO to whatever you want via the control dial setting. I didn't realize it, but this model was really the "Pro" AF camera which replaced the LX as manual-focus pro model, up until the top-of the-line MZ-S came out. The MZ-S is priced well these days for all of the actual features and build quality, but the Z-1p is quite inexpensive for being such a good camera. I'm surprised that it only cost me $99 at Blue Moon Camera, which doesn't usually price their gear on the lower end.

The add-on grip makes the Z-1p super comfortable to use and it's still lighter than the K-1 II. I'm finding that 50mm lenses are speaking to me in a way that they hadn't for some years up until quite recently. That accounts for why I still have 4 different Pentax 50mm primes: the M, A and F series f1.7 models, and the FA 50mm f1.4. I'm really enjoying the F 50mm lens. It's got the sharpness I've been wanting in an autofocus Pentax 50mm, while still having some great character, and its focus speed is really impressive for its age.

I decided to take my cardboard box of film and go through a lot of it, starting with the expired stuff. So I've shot a couple rolls of slightly expired Acros II, now working on some Gold 200 and Fomapan 100. I do have 4 rolls of Fuji Pro 400H, which is discontinued now. It's all expired by a few years, and I figure I should shoot it or get rid of it so it doesn't age more. I couldn't help but notice completed listings on eBay, some in the $30-40 range for single rolls of 400H 35mm, so I'm tempted to throw these rolls up there to help fund future film purchases.

The goal is to buy some bulk 100' and load my own again (this time with the daylight loader I found, instead of by hand in darkness!), but I don't want to do that until I've seriously thinned down what I have on hand. I won't use up all the color film, but most of the B&W which is around the same ISO as what I end up buying in bulk (probably Fomapan 100, maybe Kentmere 400).
 
agentlossing said:
I have been shooting the Z-1p a bit more, and I find I really get along with it. I've figured out how to turn off the focus confirmation beep, and developed another roll of B&W which turned out really good. The metering does an impressive job. ISO reads the DX coding when you load film, but readily allows you to change the ISO to whatever you want via the control dial setting. I didn't realize it, but this model was really the "Pro" AF camera which replaced the LX as manual-focus pro model, up until the top-of the-line MZ-S came out. The MZ-S is priced well these days for all of the actual features and build quality, but the Z-1p is quite inexpensive for being such a good camera. I'm surprised that it only cost me $99 at Blue Moon Camera, which doesn't usually price their gear on the lower end.

The add-on grip makes the Z-1p super comfortable to use and it's still lighter than the K-1 II. I'm finding that 50mm lenses are speaking to me in a way that they hadn't for some years up until quite recently. That accounts for why I still have 4 different Pentax 50mm primes: the M, A and F series f1.7 models, and the FA 50mm f1.4. I'm really enjoying the F 50mm lens. It's got the sharpness I've been wanting in an autofocus Pentax 50mm, while still having some great character, and its focus speed is really impressive for its age.

I decided to take my cardboard box of film and go through a lot of it, starting with the expired stuff. So I've shot a couple rolls of slightly expired Acros II, now working on some Gold 200 and Fomapan 100. I do have 4 rolls of Fuji Pro 400H, which is discontinued now. It's all expired by a few years, and I figure I should shoot it or get rid of it so it doesn't age more. I couldn't help but notice completed listings on eBay, some in the $30-40 range for single rolls of 400H 35mm, so I'm tempted to throw these rolls up there to help fund future film purchases.

The goal is to buy some bulk 100' and load my own again (this time with the daylight loader I found, instead of by hand in darkness!), but I don't want to do that until I've seriously thinned down what I have on hand. I won't use up all the color film, but most of the B&W which is around the same ISO as what I end up buying in bulk (probably Fomapan 100, maybe Kentmere 400).
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Reading your comments really makes me want to see more of your pictures with your Z-1p. It's one of the few Pentax AF film cameras that has always fascinated me; I remember reading a number of glowing reviews of it on PentaxForums, though interestingly enough it has also been a camera whose users have described it as eccentric, esoteric, or quirky - though, btw, those are not necessarily negative adjectives by the way - and the users who used them basically were among those who gave the camera its most glowing reviews.

I'm going to keep my eye open for your ongoing Z-1p adventures, Andrew - thanks for posting these thoughtful comments on yours.
 
I've had an interesting week pondering how to move forward with the Nikon Z system. And with my Nikon setup in general, too.

The reason for this re-assessment was the announcement of the Z 6 III. Apart from the fact that it is considerably chunkier than earlier Z FX bodies, Nikon has done everything right, and even the size increase might help with some of my (admittedly minor) niggles that I had with my original Z 6 and that continue to be around with my current Z 7 II.

However, the Z 6 III feels both like overkill and a downgrade. I don't exactly need a speed demon of a body - I'd appreciate the new EVF, the flip screen, the fantastic I.B.I.S. and most of the technical assets, but the focus on speed just isn't of any real significance for me (besides, I own the Z f - and the speed it offers is plenty for me). So, while I'd like to get the technical improvements, what I'd like to replace is the Z 7 II: Its sensor is a revelation and completely meets my needs as (mainly) a stroll, landscape and travel photographer. If this sensor (or a close relative) arrived in the Z 6 III's body with all its new advantages, I'd be all over it - but I own a couple of great performing 24MP bodies (inclduing my trusty old D750 that still delivers some of the most pleasing results I'm able to produce).

I'm also not sure I'm happy about the size increase. On one hand, the body I've so far enjoyed most remains the Z 6 because it kept a useful feature set portable and the file size manageable even on modest (i.e. travel-friendly) hardware. However, I have since acquired a pretty powerful Windows 11 tablet that's small and light and works well with the Z 7 II's files, so the latter limitation is basically a non-issue by now. What does matter is that the Z 7 II just about fits into my EDC bag with some of the small Z primes (not as well as the Z f, but it fits). I like having a small bag.

On the other hand, the Z 7 II has a couple of weird quirks in my personal experience; for instance, the body doesn't feel too well balanced with small lenses, and that means I'm not likely to pick the Z 7 II as an EDC (that was the case for the Z 6, too) - and now that I own the Z f, that body fits this role a lot better at any rate. So, by getting a Z 6 III or a hypothetical Z 7 III with the same body, this aspect will only be exacerbated. And regarding the grip: The Z 7 II's grip is made for gripping (duh ...), not for dangling it from fingertips. With small lenses, I tend to try the latter, in which case the grip feels kind of shallow, not particularily secure or even comfortable. It's kind of vexing, really. In order to check, I broke out the D750 once more - it has the best grip Nikon provided so far and works for both ways of carrying (fingertips and full grip). The D750 is still my perferred body for working with bigger lenses. Other than that, I really appreciate the Z 7 II - used with any of the high-standard zooms or primes Nikon provides for the Z system, the camera delivers, and it feels just right. Even with heavier glass, it holds its own (just not with the lightest lenses).

To sum up: Between the Z 7 II, the Z f and, considering that most of my longer lenses are still F mount, yes, the D750, I'm really well served. But the improvements in the Z 6 III are still pretty obvious and desirable. The question is: How good is the overall package? Is it good enough to replace either the D750 or the Z 7 II or maybe even both?

Now, the Z 6 III is said to come with a noticeably deeper grip. I'll have to confirm that. If that's the case, the camera I might be able to let go is the D750 - since acquiring the Df, I've considered doing that anyway. I own both the FTZ and the FTZ II (the former came with the Z 6 kit I bought, but I prefer the latter for most uses), so if the Z 6 III turns out to be as comfortable to handle with longer glass as the D750, I could just switch (the smaller and older lenses live on the Df now anyway). And maybe I could even sell my most loved AF-S prime, the 60mm f/2.8G - after all, the Z 105mm f/2.8 S MC and Z 50mm f/2.8 MC are both at least as good, and it'd lose its role of everyday lens for the D750.

Letting go of the Z 7 II is much more difficult, though. As I've said before, I love the results it provides, and in my experience, it delivers the goods even as an event camera (with added cropping potential, which literally can save the day or at least the odd shot in a hurry or when there's not enough time for a lens change). The "issues" I was talking about are only minor niggles, to be honest. However, I could sell it, maybe alongside the Z 50mm f/2.8 MC (it's a nice lens, but I much prefer its bigger brother for macro work, and I have better everyday lenses), to make room for the Z 6 III. However, there's no telling when or even if Nikon will provide a successor for the Z 7 II - and getting a Z 8 is not going to work for me because that body definitely is way bigger than I feel comfortable with. Besides, for my kind of photography, I prefer the Z 7 II's sensor. So, it's most probably going to stay.

That leaves only the D750 as a possible "target" for a swap. After a whole week of handling and shooting my current arsenal (mostly test shots not suitable for display here), I'm still not sure what to do. I still love holding the D750, period. That means it's all down to handling the Z 6 III first. There's a "meet and greet" with the new camera at my favourite dealer's next Saturday. I'll go "fully equipped" with the Z 7 II and D750 in the backpack, as well as the FTZ II, the 70-200mm f/4G, the Z 26mm f/2.8, the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and, if there's still enough room, even the Z 50mm f/1.2 S. For good measure, I'll also take along the 60mm f/2.8G and Z 50mm f/2.8 MC and a number of accessories for the D750 (including its battery grip), should I decide to go "all in" on the spot, which would mean trading in the D750 setup and the lenses mentioned. We'll see how it goes. At the moment, I'm not really willing to swap out any of my gear just to get the new body as long as there's no tangible advantage in handling that directly leads to a more convincing setup.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far 🙂

M.
 
MoonMind said:
I've had an interesting week pondering how to move forward with the Nikon Z system. And with my Nikon setup in general, too.

The reason for this re-assessment was the announcement of the Z 6 III. Apart from the fact that it is considerably chunkier than earlier Z FX bodies, Nikon has done everything right, and even the size increase might help with some of my (admittedly minor) niggles that I had with my original Z 6 and that continue to be around with my current Z 7 II.

However, the Z 6 III feels both like overkill and a downgrade. I don't exactly need a speed demon of a body - I'd appreciate the new EVF, the flip screen, the fantastic I.B.I.S. and most of the technical assets, but the focus on speed just isn't of any real significance for me (besides, I own the Z f - and the speed it offers is plenty for me). So, while I'd like to get the technical improvements, what I'd like to replace is the Z 7 II: Its sensor is a revelation and completely meets my needs as (mainly) a stroll, landscape and travel photographer. If this sensor (or a close relative) arrived in the Z 6 III's body with all its new advantages, I'd be all over it - but I own a couple of great performing 24MP bodies (inclduing my trusty old D750 that still delivers some of the most pleasing results I'm able to produce).

I'm also not sure I'm happy about the size increase. On one hand, the body I've so far enjoyed most remains the Z 6 because it kept a useful feature set portable and the file size manageable even on modest (i.e. travel-friendly) hardware. However, I have since acquired a pretty powerful Windows 11 tablet that's small and light and works well with the Z 7 II's files, so the latter limitation is basically a non-issue by now. What does matter is that the Z 7 II just about fits into my EDC bag with some of the small Z primes (not as well as the Z f, but it fits). I like having a small bag.

On the other hand, the Z 7 II has a couple of weird quirks in my personal experience; for instance, the body doesn't feel too well balanced with small lenses, and that means I'm not likely to pick the Z 7 II as an EDC (that was the case for the Z 6, too) - and now that I own the Z f, that body fits this role a lot better at any rate. So, by getting a Z 6 III or a hypothetical Z 7 III with the same body, this aspect will only be exacerbated. And regarding the grip: The Z 7 II's grip is made for gripping (duh ...), not for dangling it from fingertips. With small lenses, I tend to try the latter, in which case the grip feels kind of shallow, not particularily secure or even comfortable. It's kind of vexing, really. In order to check, I broke out the D750 once more - it has the best grip Nikon provided so far and works for both ways of carrying (fingertips and full grip). The D750 is still my perferred body for working with bigger lenses. Other than that, I really appreciate the Z 7 II - used with any of the high-standard zooms or primes Nikon provides for the Z system, the camera delivers, and it feels just right. Even with heavier glass, it holds its own (just not with the lightest lenses).

To sum up: Between the Z 7 II, the Z f and, considering that most of my longer lenses are still F mount, yes, the D750, I'm really well served. But the improvements in the Z 6 III are still pretty obvious and desirable. The question is: How good is the overall package? Is it good enough to replace either the D750 or the Z 7 II or maybe even both?

Now, the Z 6 III is said to come with a noticeably deeper grip. I'll have to confirm that. If that's the case, the camera I might be able to let go is the D750 - since acquiring the Df, I've considered doing that anyway. I own both the FTZ and the FTZ II (the former came with the Z 6 kit I bought, but I prefer the latter for most uses), so if the Z 6 III turns out to be as comfortable to handle with longer glass as the D750, I could just switch (the smaller and older lenses live on the Df now anyway). And maybe I could even sell my most loved AF-S prime, the 60mm f/2.8G - after all, the Z 105mm f/2.8 S MC and Z 50mm f/2.8 MC are both at least as good, and it'd lose its role of everyday lens for the D750.

Letting go of the Z 7 II is much more difficult, though. As I've said before, I love the results it provides, and in my experience, it delivers the goods even as an event camera (with added cropping potential, which literally can save the day or at least the odd shot in a hurry or when there's not enough time for a lens change). The "issues" I was talking about are only minor niggles, to be honest. However, I could sell it, maybe alongside the Z 50mm f/2.8 MC (it's a nice lens, but I much prefer its bigger brother for macro work, and I have better everyday lenses), to make room for the Z 6 III. However, there's no telling when or even if Nikon will provide a successor for the Z 7 II - and getting a Z 8 is not going to work for me because that body definitely is way bigger than I feel comfortable with. Besides, for my kind of photography, I prefer the Z 7 II's sensor. So, it's most probably going to stay.

That leaves only the D750 as a possible "target" for a swap. After a whole week of handling and shooting my current arsenal (mostly test shots not suitable for display here), I'm still not sure what to do. I still love holding the D750, period. That means it's all down to handling the Z 6 III first. There's a "meet and greet" with the new camera at my favourite dealer's next Saturday. I'll go "fully equipped" with the Z 7 II and D750 in the backpack, as well as the FTZ II, the 70-200mm f/4G, the Z 26mm f/2.8, the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and, if there's still enough room, even the Z 50mm f/1.2 S. For good measure, I'll also take along the 60mm f/2.8G and Z 50mm f/2.8 MC and a number of accessories for the D750 (including its battery grip), should I decide to go "all in" on the spot, which would mean trading in the D750 setup and the lenses mentioned. We'll see how it goes. At the moment, I'm not really willing to swap out any of my gear just to get the new body as long as there's no tangible advantage in handling that directly leads to a more convincing setup.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far 🙂

M.
Click to expand...
The strangest thing has happened 🙂

Once I had everything laid out to take it with me to my dealer's, all my desire to sell any of the items I considered selling went away.

Put even shorter, I must have been out of my mind.

There's a line in a famous Swiss German song (by folk singer and songwriter Mani Matter): "... de Glünggi het zum Löl gseit, er sig e blöde Siech ..." ("... the moron told the idiot that he was a stupid guy ..." - btw. the song mocks the Swiss tendency to constantly use an abundance of swear words when speaking their dialect; this can sometimes lead to altercations, as one might imagine). Well, in this case, I'm all three guys at the same time: deluded, impertinent, trigger-happy. I basically talked myself into a fix in order to justify my desire to get (at least my hands on) a Z 6 III soon. The fact is, considering everything, there's simply no other reason for me to want this camera than pure, unadulterated G.A.S.! And since it's that, I can either cough up or even wait once I've determined that the new camera is what I suspect it might be, i.e. kind of a perfect fit for me. I'm not missing anything decisive from my current kit, though. I don't need to sell any cameras, nor should I, because it's all working swimmingly.

I'll keep you posted about my hands-on impressions on the Z 6 III (in a different thread) - but the D750 stays, oh, yes, indeed - and once that was decided, the rest seemed almost frivolous.

If the Z 6 III actually joins the herd remains to be seen (it's pretty likely, I admit), but for the "glorious" rest of it all, it's "resolved" (i.e. everything's already back in its rightful place).

Phew!

M.
 
I find myself doing more of this kind of self-reflecting on gear when I'm in a period of GAS. I've been that way for a little while now without much good reason; just noting the compromises of the gear that I have, and wishing there were ways around those compromises. But each time I come back to the conclusion that the gear I have does what I want it to do better than anything of similar value, and it would take several times the price of it all to do it significantly better.

My Pentax gear, for instance. The K-1 II offers a kind of legacy system with the mechanical excellence that I enjoy, in this case a big, bright optical viewfinder, along with a high-res sensor which captures all the character of the lenses I put on it (both good and bad characteristics). The modern full-frame lens stable offered by Pentax is curiously lacking in some ways. No 28mm prime, 35mm and 50mm primes which are very much film-era optics and focus speeds, a high-end 50mm which is just way too big for walking around with. In essence, almost everything they offer is still film-era, and we're in 2024. However, they have the FA Limited lenses, which are just such boldly unique and high-quality lenses that I consider them to be vaguely analogous to what Leica makes (for the other mechanically excellent, legacy-supporting system out there, which is still just way too expensive for me to justify). So, when I apply my (admittedly GAS-laden) analysis to Pentax FF, the answer almost always comes back "just get the other FA Limited lenses." I think all that I'm waiting on is a firm sense of commitment to this plan: I found a Japan-import brand new HD FA 43mm Limited on Amazon for $352, a smashing bargain.

I'm also not quite satisfied with my post-processing setup, but I can't identify a ready path forwards, really. I want to keep using DXO's excellent DeepPRIME noise reduction for the times when I push the K-1 ISO up a lot. And it's great for that; but DXO software falls down in other ways, such as the sharpening options when there isn't an official lens correction profile. The default global sharpness tool for non-profiled lenses is abysmal. And I would actually prefer using Lightroom 6 to do most of my editing, but I haven't figured out how to edit and save a file to transfer to DXO PureRAW without all of the edits being lost when it runs through the noise reduction. It feels like there should be a way. I need to fight with the software a little more and see if I can coerce it to my will.
 

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