Scribblings About Things
Nikon Z50 and Zfc Minor Firmware Updates and Nikon Software Updates
Over the past couple of days Nikon released some minor firmware updates for the Z50 and the Zfc, together with minor software updates to NX Studio and Wireless Transmitter Utility (WTU).
The firmware can be downloaded from their respective official links here:
Z50 download page
Zfc download page
Similarly, the software updates can be downloaded here:
NX Studio
Wireless Transmitter Utility
The minor updates for the cameras and software are small bug fixes as well as adding support to the Z5II.
However, one particular thing to take note about the new NX Studio is that it now requires logging into a Nikon account in order to use it. I am not sure how the repercussions would be with air-gapped PCs, so it might be a good time to make sure that you keep a copy of NX Studio 1.8.0 (the previous version) which does not require signing in. The official direct download page is here - this link will be archived once the next version comes out so do act fast if you need it.
As for the WTU, even with this update I still cannot get it to work properly (will write a separate post on this), so unless they do a major overhaul on the underlying code and protocols, I cannot recommend it as a reliable way to beam photos to your PC.
Nikon Z50II and Z9 Minor Firmware Updates Released
Earlier this week Nikon has released minor firmware updates for both the Z50II and the Z9.
The new firmware for the Z50II (Version 1.01) can be downloaded here from their official site.
Similarly, the new firmware for the Z9 (Version 5.20) can be downloaded here from their official site.
As mentioned these are minor updates, so I decided to just write about both in one article.
Firstly for the Z50II, FW 1.01 fixes some bugs with remote shooting and Snapbridge, renamed an item in Custom Settings, and added support for pre-release capture with Smallrig’s remote as well as a new language.
As for the Z9, FW 5.20 also tackled with bugs affecting remote shooting and burst shooting operations, as well as renaming the same item in Custom Settings menu.
An interesting note for FW 5.20 is that NX Field, which used to be a paid upgrade, is now available to the Z9 with this firmware upgrade. While I am not the targeted audience for NX Field, this is definitely a generous move for those who use Z9’s in such situations.
On a more interesting note, the particular bug fix regarding pressing playback after shooting multiple bursts could in some instances corrupt images, I actually fell victim to this bug once on the Z7. While I had no issues recovering the files using a file recovery software, I was unable to replicate that error and just ignored it as a one-off event and just attributed it to user error. Quite interesting to see now that a fix is out for it for the Z9, so perhaps the other models might be affected as well?
Just wondering what the exact conditions are to trigger that bug..hmm..
Nikon Long Lens Options for Hobbyists
Recently I have been talking to a few of my friends who have just recently picked up photography as a hobby, and they are dabbling with the thoughts of getting some longer lenses to capture their kids’ events like sports day or drama performances.
As we brain-stormed through the various options available to the Z mount currently, it dawned upon me that the telephoto realm is really a dangerous spot for GAS, as for every option available, there is another option that would compensate the former’s weaknesses or compromises.
I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to do a very brief summary of long lens options that would not require incur the wrath of bankruptcy. So long-term GAS affected patients, please do not start bombarding me about the missing Z 400/2.8 TC or the Z 600/4 TC lenses in my list below.
Since technology would evolve over time, if any one happens to find this post in the future, please do take note of when this article was posted before you start to flame me with an option that was not available at time of writing.
Let’s start with bodies first. (Yeah I know the title said lens but, there are DX lenses too.)
With the introduction of the two EXPEED7 siblings, the Z50II and the Z5II, I think pretty much anyone looking at getting a new camera for kids’ sports should definitely consider either body. They share the same autofocus system, which itself is inherited from the bigger EXPEED7 siblings, so in terms of subject detection, autofocus tracking and focus accuracy they are just limited by their own sensor readout speeds.
Tight budget: Z50II. It is the most affordable EXPEED7 camera body now. And also being an APS-C camera, it would give extra reach with attached lenses, which is useful for our said scenario. Pairing it with the DX 50-250/4.5-6.3 VR could make a really compact telephoto set.
Some wiggle room for budget: Z5II. While it sits at the bottom of the full-frame camera line, it sports a very capable 24.5MP BSI sensor, which when coupled with the EXPEED7, delivers beautiful files and great autofocus performance.
Even more room for budget: Z8. It comes with a fully stacked 45.7MP sensor, which is a speed demon itself. The camera delivers blackout free shooting, which is very helpful for framing fast action shots. The 45.7MP also gives a lot of room to crop, which is beneficial if getting extra long telephotos is not feasible.
(I know the Z6III is omitted here. As of writing, I just cannot recommend the Z6III for such use case now due to its lack of customizations (due to be fixed in a firmware update), and the Z5II just provides a way better cost performance when compared to the Z6III)
Next let’s look at the lenses.
Tight budget: Nikon Z DX 50-250/4.5-6.3 VR. This lens when fully zoomed in would result in an equivalent 375mm lens, and when paired with the fast Z50II it should be able to tackle most outdoor sports events with no issues. However this option should only be considered if the Z50II is used.
Tight budget (FX version): Tamron 70-300/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD. It is the most affordable native Z-mount telephoto lens right now, although it only ends at 300mm. While might not be long enough for some outdoors sports events, its f/6.3 aperture will help tame the ISO a bit in indoor venues. It does not come with any optical stabilization system, so I highly suggest that you do not pair this lens with any of the current DX cameras.
Some wiggle room for budget: Tamron 150-500/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD, or Nikon AF-S 200-500/5.6 VR via FTZ. Both of these lenses go up to 500mm, with the Tamron being a native Z lens and slightly lighter at the expense of a slower aperture, and the Nikon requiring a FTZ adapter making the set front heavy. The Nikon should have no issues indoors as well with its faster aperture in the tele range.
More wiggle room for budget: Tamron 50-400/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD or Nikon Z 28-400/4-8 VR. While both of these are 400mm class lenses, their starting focal length and aperture ranges are very different. The Tamron has a slightly tamer maximum aperture range, and goes down to a normal 50mm view. The Nikon on the other hand goes all the way down to 28mm, but at the expense of a small aperture at telephoto ranges. The Nikon could be a one lens solution since it covers the wide angle range too, but its slow aperture means that it would struggle really hard in indoor situations.
Even more room for budget: Nikon 180-600/5.6-6.3 VR. I’d say just treat this as a constant f/6.3 lens. It’s an upgrade everywhere as compared to its predecessor, the AF-S 200-500/5.6 VR, and the only lens on this list that goes to 600mm, but ultimately as compared to all the other options here it is the heaviest and longest so that itself might be a concern too.
Image quality priority at non-bankruptcy budget: Nikon Z 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S or Nikon Z 400/4.5 VR S. I think this should most probably be the reasonable budget limit for most users, and while they are both 400mm class lenses, their fast aperture (especially with the prime) would give the best image quality as compared to the other options here. It boils down to if you treasure flexibility (100-400/4.5-5.6) or pure speed and clarity (400/4.5).
One thing that was intriguing to me was how Tamron seems to be helping cover Nikon’s consumer telephoto range quite a bit, and I for one am glad that such options are available for the system, since most of Nikon’s own solutions cater to the slightly higher end of the spectrum.
I think that it would be nice to see more APS-C specific telephoto options, since now with the Z50II we now have a highly capable DX body. Perhaps it would launch with the unicorn Z80?
Nikon Z5II Hands-On Experience at Nikon Plaza
Earlier today I managed to try out the new Nikon Z5, which was announced last week (my writeup on the announcement here), at Nikon Plaza in Tokyo.
I made some very interesting observations, and also managed to get some confirmation regarding the specifications from the ground staff at the showroom.
Usually before the actual release date, the demo sets placed in the Nikon showroom usually have a strict policy of prohibiting bringing back the shooting data (be it RAW or JPG) as sometimes the sets are still based on pre-production firmware and they do not want such data to be floating around.
However the Z5II’s demo sets were all unrestricted so to speak - you could bring your own SD card and test it out with the camera, after which you could bring the shooting data back home. Hence I am quite certain the demo sets in the showroom now, even though it is before the official release date, are all on final firmware version (Ver 1.00 when I checked the camera settings).
So to start my little report, I think the Z5II is as what most people expect it to be: very simply put it is a Zf in a modern body.
It comes with the BSI 24.5MP sensor used in the Z6, Z6II, and Zf, and couples it with the EXPEED 7 so it gets all the new autofocus goodies as well as speed enhancements across the board. Compared to the Zf, the performance (autofocus and image quality) of the two bodies are very similar, if not identical, and most of the differences lie with the exterior hardware - the retro design Zf with all the dials, or the modern Z5II with more buttons and a good comfortable grip.
With that in mind, here are some of my observations:
The Z5II’s viewfinder can go really bright - manual settings can be set from -5 to +8, and extended to Hi 1 and Hi 2
Its firmware is practically identical to that of the Z50II, and also that of Zf’s firmware 2.00 - and yes that particular confusing menu item is also now properly labeled as “Record Camera Orientation”
The picture control button at the top is customizable (same as the Z50II)
The camera has put on a little weight since its EXPEED 6 days, but the grip is a bit beefier and more comfortable to hold.
The IBIS locks down in place (similar to the Z5/6/7/6II/7II) when powered off, unlike the Zf which floats around when powered off.
I mentioned in my Z5II’s announcement post here that I noticed how the length of the base was identical to that of the EXPEED 6 siblings, and was curious about whether the older accessories made for the EXPEED 6 bodies could work with it.
The Z-GR1 grip fits perfectly, and does not have any odd angles of protrusions of any sorts. I guess the reason its compatibility has not been officially announced is because of the VP1 extension - the Z-VP1 attaches without issue but will interfere with the full range of motion of the vari-angle screen. I guess there might be a Z-VP2 in the works? Nevertheless, I am really ecstatic that the Z-GR1 fits as I really like this grip.
The fit of the Z-GR1 means that most of the other baseplate accessories for the Z5/Z6/Z7/Z6II/Z7II should have no issues fitting since the base is the same size. However for L brackets, similar to the Z-VP1, do take note that the vari-angle screen may not get full movements when the vertical portion of the L brackets are attached. Just remember that anything not officially announced or supported do run a risk of slight incompatibility, so do test them out at your own risks.
The MB-N10 is a slightly different story - physically it fits, but since it is not officially supported I was not allowed to try to fit the MB-N10 into the demo sets in the showroom. I guess maybe one of the camera stores may be a bit more adventurous once they get their demo sets in….
Also regarding the other issues that I wanted to confirm,
The SD card slots are both UHS-II compliant. However I was not given actual write speeds capable of the camera - perhaps after the camera is released some of the memory card testers would be able to provide data on write speeds of the camera in single card mode and dual-card backup mode.
The sets in Japan are Japanese only, similar to that of the Z50II. However according to the staff there would be an optional paid service upgrade to add additional languages to the camera. While there is still no official word on this, I am definitely glad that this is an option since well, I definitely prefer to run through my settings in English than having to subconsciously translate everything.
I think this is a really highly competitive camera, especially in its price bracket, and in my short time spent with it I am quite confident that it could make a good replacement for my current Z6II workhorse.
Let me ponder over it a while more and decide during the upcoming lull period.
Nikon Zf Firmware 2.00 Released
Just earlier today, Nikon has officially released firmware 2.00, a major firmware update, for the Nikon Zf.
The new firmware can be downloaded directly from their official page here.
Similarly, the long list of changes and updates implemented in this new major firmware update is listed on the official download page link above, as well as documented in a supplementary firmware update manual (PDF download). I highly recommend going through both the changelog and the supplementary manual to learn more about the changes.
This update came at a really good time - I was just discussing about this firmware and the Z6III’s missing firmware update a few days ago in this post here, and I believed that the updates would come before the Z5II’s official shipping date. (And still believe that the one meant for the Z6III would come adhere to this rule too)
Now as mentioned this is a major firmware update with a long list of changes, so I am just going to list here some of the changes that I am really excited about.
The monitor/AF point bug is fixed! Like finally! (I have documented the bug in my Zf equipment discussion page here)
Cycle-AF area mode can be set to a custom button - this is the one function I use a lot on my Z8, and hence have been waiting for it to come to the Zf ever since the Z50II gave a sneak peek of what to expect. The video record button, being slightly out of the way, is now way more useful since there is no fiddling with dials but just a button press away from an AF area mode change.
Auto ISO capability can be split between “C” mode and when using the dedicated ISO dial to set ISO. Simply put, there is now a very quick, easy (and may I also say, elegant) way to turn on Auto ISO without going into the menus. (I previously discussed this small inconvenience back in this post here and in my Zf discussion page, and although I suggested having a custom function for it, the solution implemented is actually way more elegant and I definitely am thankful I am not the UX designer lol)
By setting Auto ISO to ON when in C mode, and setting Auto ISO to OFF in the dial region, just by a quick turn to the C mode you could easily activate Auto ISO, and switching back to any of the ISO values on the dial would lock it back to fixed ISO at that value.
The “Auto ISO with dial setting the max ISO” trick still works if you set Auto ISO on for both instances.
Ability to change the command dials to represent ISO or exposure compensation when shooting in M-mode - I am not the target audience for this since I prefer to keep my shutter speed dial to 1/3-step and use the command dial for it, but for those who exclusively use the physical shutter speed dial with Auto-ISO I can totally see how this would change the way the camera would work for themm
Nikon Imaging Cloud access is finally here, and I am quite excited to test out all the recipes, especially since some of my work does require me to shoot and deliver in JPG directly this would really be helpful.
Double tap Touch Fn is available, and can be used to set absolute position or reset the AF point. Nice.
Remember this pair of very confusing menu items? Turns out that Nikon did listen to feedback, and it is now properly labeled as “Record Camera Orientation”!
There are also quite a few video-related updates, but truth be told I am not a video person (at least at point of writing) so I am not going to discuss much about them here.
In summary, the Zf is already a very highly performant camera, and all these quality of life changes (and the much needed bug fix) would make this camera a bigger joy to use!
Nikon’s Camera Lineup After Z5II
Now that the Z5II has been announced (post regarding its announcement here), I cannot help but think how the Nikon lineup would shape up to be in the coming years. While it sounds like I am just looking forward to the next new thing (OK I do admit there is a tiny bit of truth in there, but hey I am pretty sure every photographer does have some form of GAS), I do honestly think it is important to look at the lineup from a larger perspective if one is to invest in the ecosystem.
Before I delve any further, I would just like to say these are purely based on my observations and are my own speculations, and hence are by no means a rumor or confirmation of new products.
Let’s start by looking at Nikon’s current lineup of camera bodies. (I will be excluding the RED video-oriented bodies since that is not my specialty and I am unable to speculate anything for those.)
As of writing, for the EXPEED 7 bodies, we have:
Nikon Z9: Flagship model and the only model with integrated vertical grip body; 45.7MP stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, special AF functions available only to the stacked sensors, dual-axis tilt screen, top LCD, pro controls, dual CFe slots
Nikon Z8: Mini-Z9 (a.k.a Z9 without the grip); 45.7MP stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, special AF functions available to the stacked sensors, dual-axis tilt screen, top LCD, pro controls, CFe slot + SD slot
Nikon Z6III: All-rounder body that gives a priority to speed and professional video specs; 24.5MP partially stacked sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, top LCD, “slightly unfinished firmware” (more on this written here in this post), CFe slot + SD slot
Nikon Zf: All-rounder retro-design body with decent video specs; BSI 24.5MP sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, SD slot + microSD slot
Nikon Z5II: All-rounder body with modern video specs; BSI 24.5MP sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, dual SD slots
Nikon Z50II: All-rounder APS-C body with decent video specs; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, single SD slot
And for the EXPEED 6 bodies which have yet to see any replacements, we have:
Nikon Z7II: High resolution body without stacked sensor, and the only FX line not updated to EXPEED 7; BSI 45.7MP sensor, single-axis tilt screen, top LCD, CFe slot + SD slot
Nikon Zfc: Retro-design APS-C body; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, vari-angle screen, single SD slot
Nikon Z30: Compact body without EVF; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, vari-angle screen, single SD slot
So first, let’s deal with the elephant in the room - will there (and should there) be a Z7III?
In my personal opinion, yes. Similar to the Z6II to Z6III upgrade, I highly suspect that the Z7III would come with a new sensor with higher resolution, though not partially-stacked, and definitely not fully-stacked, to keep the Z7-line as the high-resolution line of the Z bodies. Simply put, I think that a theoretical Z7III would be:
Identical body with Z6III; high resolution BSI sensor (61MP? 80MP?), EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, top LCD, CFe slot + SD slot, slowish (by modern standards) max burst rates, moderate video specs
This would put the Z7III as the high resolution body to go for if high continuous burst speeds and video specs are not the main priority, which is similar to how the 61MP A7RV is marketed for Sony users. By sharing the same body as Z6III, like how Z6II and Z7II were, manufacturing costs can be reduced and many of the accessories can be shared by the two bodies too.
Next let’s take a look at the APS-C bodies.
ZfcII: This is quite a tough one to speculate, because on one hand with the Imaging Cloud and Process Recipes, they do make a retro-styled ZfcII appealing for many of the younger target audience, but on the other hand, a ZfcII, which would theoretically cost a bit more than a Z50II, would be close in price to the full-frame Z5II, and with the cashbacks happening, the Zf as well. In the EXPEED 6 era the Zfc being close to the Z5 in pricing (especially during the latter’s promotions and cashbacks) was still justifiable, since the Z5 had a non-BSI sensor and thus lower maximum burst rates and AF calculations/seconds, resulting in the Zfc being the faster and more responsive camera in addition to its retro looks. However in the EXPEED 7 era, the Z5II has gotten all the speed improvements it needed, and the only selling point of a ZfcII would be its retro design.
If I were to pick a side, I would say the ZfcII is unlikely to happen any time soon, and pretty certain not this year at least. It may come should the market react positively to wanting a retro design EXPEED7 APS-C body, but in my opinion the chances are really slim.
Should a ZfcII arrive within this generation, I would suspect it would just be a Zfc body with Z50II internals (that is to say, same 20.9MP sensor with EXPEED 7, single UHS-II card slot)Z30II: This is an interesting one. I personally like the Z30 for its size and handling, and its autofocus capabilities were actually on the better side as far as EXPEED 6 bodies go, especially for subject detection (Eye-AF). Although being marketed as a camera for vloggers, I had no issues using it for stills and actually really enjoyed having it around me most of the time. (You can read more about my little review on the Z30 here.)
I do not have exact sales numbers of the Z30, but I have definitely heard mixed opinions on this - seems like the larger general electronics retailers do sell quite a bit of them, but the specialized camera stores do not sell as much. Only Nikon would know whether the Z30 was profitable or not - if it was not profitable, I doubt we would see a successor to the Z30.
I personally do believe that a Z30II would happen, and if so, it would be the next APS-C body to be announced. One particular reason I believe so is that there is an increased demand for compact high performance cameras recently, and I think they would be likely to join the bandwagon, especially since the target audience for this would likely to be casual users without any brand preference or brand loyalty, it would make sense to compete for some market share here.
They just have to give the body some minor updates (say a UHS-II slot?), make some button placement changes, and jam all the Z50II internals in it, and call it a day.
Hence I suspect it would have the same vari-angle screen, the same 20.9MP sensor, EXPEED 7, single UHS-II card slot.
Now that I am done discussing my opinions on the remaining EXPEED 7 updates, please allow me to go on to discuss and speculate how else would the lineup shape up to be.
I need to emphasize again, these are really just my speculations, so please do not go around spreading this like wildfire. (At least at time of writing, there are no concrete evidence or rumors or anything)
I think (that is the keyword, think) there would be 2 more camera lines, and I am just throwing out the names here just because it makes sense.
Z3: Compact EVF-less version of the Z5II; similar to how the Z30 is to the Z50. Would feature dual SD slots and use EN-EL15c batteries.
Z80: Think of it as the mini Z8, like how the Z50II is to the Z5II. High speed high performance APS-C camera, featuring 20.9MP APS-C stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, EXPEED 7, CFe slot + SD slot, uses EN-EL15c batteries. Comes with the pro controls of the Z8.
As for the flagship Z9, I suspect we would see the 45.7MP stacked sensor used for one more generation before it gets a major upgrade, and thus, this is how I think the Z9II (and Z8II for that matter) would look like:
Z9II: Same 45.7MP stacked sensor without mechanical shutter, either dual EXPEED 7 or new EXPEED 8, upgrades include pre-capture RAW, higher stills FPS for RAW (currently maxed out at 20FPS), wide-gamut brighter EVF from the Z6III, dual CFe 4.0 slots. Depending on how the CPUs are built, it may be possible to maintain the dual-stream technology (for blackout-free EVF) and also increase the amount of AF calculations/second. Video wise it should see modern codecs in built, ability to record N-RAW internally, and ability to record to two cards simultaneously.
Z8II: Same as above, minus the integrated vertical grip, and uses EN-EL15c batteries instead. Would have 1x Cfe 4.0 slot + 1x SD UHS-II slot, thus making dual video recording not possible for some modes.
And since we know that the current 20.9MP APS-C sensor is based on the FF 45.7MP FX sensor, when the theoretical Z7III arrives, we should see a new APS-C sensor as well, and that should go into the next crop of APS-C bodies (say Z50III or something)
Final disclaimer: this is not a rumors post, but just my speculations, so yeah, let’s definitely revisit this page some time down the line to see if any of these actually materialize!
Where Are the Zf and Z6III Firmware Updates?
After the Z5II’s announcement last week (details of the announcement on this post here), I took a look at some of the videos and articles done by people who have tried out the pre-production units, and realized that the Z5II would come with a firmware very similar to that the Z50II.
That is to say, it would include a lot of the newer customization options that were added to the Z8/Z9 via firmware updates (such as being able to set “Cycle AF-area mode” to a custom key, or being able to set the “Delete” function to a custom key during playback).
When I tried out the Zf loaded with the pre-release FW2.00 at Nikon’s booth in CP+ 2025 earlier this year, on top of the Nikon Imaging Cloud access options, the “f2: Custom Controls (Shooting)” custom settings also saw many new additions to it, bringing the level of customization to that of the Z8/Z9 (and now, the Z50II and Z5II too), as well as fixing the infamous rear-screen bug of the Zf.
And since Nikon did mention themselves that the Zf would see an update to gain access to the Imaging Cloud, it is only a matter of time before the Zf’s firmware update would land.
Which then raises a very interesting question - why does the Z6III’s firmware feel a bit nerfed as compared to the supposedly lower level Z50II and Z5II?
With the exception of the Z6III (and Zf for now), all the EXPEED 7 based bodies, FX or DX, would come equipped with a dedicated Bird AF in its subject detection options. While I know that for the Z6III the animal detection AF would work for birds too, it just feels strange that the Z6III, supposedly being the top-of-the-line hybrid camera, lacks that option, as well as the other customizations available for setting custom functions to the Fn keys. These customizations can be viewed as quality-of-life improvements, and many of which would benefit working photographers. And if the pre-release Zf FW 2.00 were to be a clue, most of the customizations seen in the Z50II/Z5II are just firmware based and can be added via an update.
There might be issues or difficulties that we do not know about regarding implementing the options in Z6III, or perhaps the presence of some other bugs that they would like to iron out, or perhaps there some are extra additions or goodies they would like to include in the major firmware update of the Z6III - all of which only the Nikon engineers would know and I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt. But nevertheless, I personally think as a sign of good faith Nikon should release the major firmware update for Z6III before the Z5II officially ships, so that current owners of Z6III would not feel left out, or in harsher terms, cheated, that a lower level body would have the improved menu options and customizations.
Final note: these are just my personal observations, opinions and speculations, and are by no means rumors or confirmations of any sorts regarding firmware updates coming any time soon.
** Update 8/4/2025: Zf firmware 2.00 officially released. Details are discussed in my post over here.
Updated Software Recommendation Page
Updated my software recommendation page here with a handful of new entries under the general productivity zone.
Musicbee: my go to music player for playing back offline music and audio files, as well as using the portable version of it to make a simple music player on-the-go.
Obsidian: a highly customizable Markdown language visualizer software, and depending on how you customize it or what plug-ins you add to it, it could assist with and handle with a huge variety of use cases, depending on the user’s needs. I have to admit I do not use the full features of it, but the backlinking ability itself is a huge help is managing my notes and sorting out my thoughts.
Localsend: a decentralized direct peer-to-peer (or device-to-device) file transfer tool, which is useful for sending files without passing through a central server.
Hope the information helps!
Nikon Z5II Announcement and Opinions
The Nikon Z5II has just been officially announced, and camera shops in Japan will begin to accept preorders for the camera from 10 April.
The official press release and specifications of the camera can be viewed here:
As I had expected and anticipated, the Z5II is pretty much a Z5 body updated with Zf internals (plus some nice surprises here and there).
Here is a brief summary of the major changes of the Z5II over the Z5:
24.5MP BSI sensor, ISO 100-64000, similar to that of the Zf
Expeed 7 CPU
Faster and more sensitive AF - claimed to be 3 times faster than the Z5 and being able to focus in -10 EV situations
Subject detection modes similar to that of the other Expeed 7 bodies
7.5 stops of IBIS
Up to 14 FPS RAW with mechanical shutter
3.2-inch 2.1 million dots flip screen, similar to that used in the Zf
3.69 million dots EVF, with improved 3000 cd/m2 brightness (similar to that of the Z8/Z9)
Picture control button (similar to that in the Z50II)
Video improvements include 12-bit N-RAW, FX 4K30p from 6K oversampled video, 4K60p in crop (DX) mode, up to 125minutes of continuous video recording
Some of the features of the Z5 are kept with the Z5II, for better or worse, namely:
Dual SD card slots (but does seem like both are UHS-II capable)
No top LCD panel
No mode dial lock
I think this model is an essential and very important part of Nikon’s Z lineup. On one hand it would be the entry level Expeed 7 FX body, thus attracting new users to the ecosystem with a sleuth of features is a key point in securing these new purchases. On the other hand, for many users (like me) who do not need the high frame rates or video specs, this is essentially the perfect Z6II replacement (although I am a bit sad with the lack of top screen though).
So far on paper it is very much what I expected it to be, and am looking forward to testing it out in the showroom before making a decision to pre-order or not (because you know, the Z8 strap lug fiasco..)
Here are some things that I cannot confirm now, and am planning to check them out when I get to test the camera:
According to the specs sheet, the base length is identical to that of the Z5 (and Z6/Z7/Z6II/Z7II) - and it lists both the MB-N11 and MB-N14 as compatible accessories. Does this mean that the Z-GR1 is a perfect fit for it too? (P.S. it does not fit the Z6III perfectly due to a change in length of the base plate)
Is the set in Japan available in Japanese language only (like the Z50II) or does it have English menus too?
How customizable are the buttons? (Z50II level of customization or the slightly crippled Z6III level?)
Are both SD card slots able to write at full UHS-II speeds?
Weather sealing and weather resistance information [Update: Just checked the press material again and seems like it is properly weather sealed]
I am definitely stoked that for now this sounds like a perfect replacement for my Z6II workhorse (minus the top screen, yeah I know I sound like a broken record), especially so if the Z-GR1 is able to fit it perfectly.
And also I guess I need to reconsider my little APS-C plan too.
Updated Tamron 35-150/2-2.8 Usage Page
It has been about a year since I purchased the Tamron 35-150/2-2.8.
I’ve been using it with the Z6II, mainly for outdoor location-based assignments, and have updated its equipment discussion page with some further observations and thoughts that I have on this lens after using it.
Hope the information may be useful to anyone looking to get the lens (or trying to find out more about the lens).
Evolution of Chinese Lens and Accessories Makers
In recent times there have been plenty of releases of lenses and camera accessories from Chinese manufacturers, and truth be told I am impressed with the rate that they are improving their products and innovating.
I strongly believe that healthy competition would bring about improvements and innovations, so with the rise of Chinese lens manufacturers, I think that us as consumers would benefit as a whole since the entire industry would be competing with each other to bring out more original and interesting products.
There have been several reputable camera accessories brands from China from a while back, such as Godox’s lighting accessories and triggers, Smallrig’s L-brackets and cages, and DJI’s drone systems, just to name a few. However, when we think about lenses, the initial releases of camera lenses from China were, blatantly speaking, clones of older lens designs, and tended to be only manual focus only. Most of the time they were just not up to current standards - usually thought of as cheap lenses to play around with, and could pretty much only take decent images once stopped down to around f/5.6 or so (and even so their performance is still just decent at best).
Fast forward to today, and we can see lenses from several Chinese manufacturers which incorporate modern AF systems tuned for use with mirrorless cameras, and some manufacturers also come up with their original optical designs and innovations (such as incorporating USB ports directly in the lens to facilitate firmware updates) - which is a far cry from the past where they were simply replicating old optical designs. Many of these manufacturers also do tend to cater to a certain niche - some examples include TTArtisan and 7Artisans catering to the general crowd with good price-performance lenses; Laowa (previously Venus Optics) with their probes, high magnification macro lenses and low-distortion ultra wide-angle lenses; Viltrox with product lines catering to compact sizes (Air series) or high performance lenses (Pro and Lab series).
That said, the fast rate of iteration does have certain consequences - namely with so many models flooding the market with similar nomenclatures, it is often quite confusing and difficult to determine if a particular model is the latest design or one from a previous generation, and due to that their resale value do not hold well too since a newer model is always just round the corner. Combined, these make a purchase from a Chinese manufacturer still a sort of a small gamble, even if they are pretty reputable.
However, credit should be given where credit is due, and the fact that they are improving so fast and bringing so much more value to the photography community as a whole is definitely worth commending.
Right now, there are still certain drawbacks from getting lenses from Chinese manufacturers, namely:
The coatings used on their lenses are still pretty simple and do not always eliminate flares and ghosts, even in simple backlit situations.
Quality control is not as stringent, and as such there are quite a bit of sample variance (although this has been improved recently according to most users, but still not up to par as the more established lens manufacturers)
They still do not have a proper track record on their build quality and long-term reliability, especially for the newer offerings with autofocus mechanisms (which is a given since they just entered the autofocus playing field pretty recently).
AF algorithms are reverse-engineered so firmware updates are required for compatibility with newer bodies. However it is hard to predict when support or firmware development would stop for current products.
Customer service is pretty much non-existent according to most users; if you buy from a reputable store they might handle the returns/warranty issues for you, but chances are if you need repairs it might take a long turnaround since they do not have regional repair offices.
Similarly there is no pro-support for their lenses, and thus the risk is too high for working photographers should the lens malfunction.
These drawbacks, especially that on the lack of support, are the main reasons why I have not personally purchased and owned lenses from the Chinese manufacturers, even though some of them are really intriguing to me (like the recently released Viltrox 135/1.8 LAB).
But I think that as these manufacturers grow and improve their reputation, they would start addressing these shortcomings as a way to distinguish themselves from the less reputable brands, and in my opinion that would be the start of a new era of reliable high performance lenses from them.
I have used third party lenses in the past for the F-mount (various lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Samyang), and am still using one now as a workhorse lens on the Z-mount (the Tamron 35-150/2-2.8 Z). It is definitely great to have more options on the table if the lenses from Chinese manufacturers prove to have reliable build quality and start to have proper support for them.
As mentioned earlier in this post, I do believe the rising of the Chinese lens manufacturers would spur healthy competition amongst the other manufacturers too, so I am certainly looking forward to how this industry would shape up in the coming years.
Nikon Z30 Opinions and Short Review
After getting the Zf earlier this year, my Z6 has started to see very little action - it pretty much acts as a backup camera of sorts when I go on assignments (i.e. pretty much hibernating in the bag), and occasionally tagging along with me as a compact good-to-have-around set with the 40/2 attached.
Which has thus got me contemplating about downgrading the Z6 to an APS-C body for more portability for casual use.
I narrowed my options down to either the Z30 or the Z50II, with either the DX 16-50 kit lens or the DX 24/1.7 prime lens for their compact size.
NPS was kind enough to loan me a Z30 with the DX 16-50 kit to try out, and after putting it through its paces for a couple of weeks, here are some of my thoughts of the camera (and lens):
The Z30 paired with the DX 16-50 makes a really small compact set, and personally I am indeed very fond of the small footprint of the set.
Despite the smaller size, it has good ergonomics (especially in the grip), and the camera is easy to hold single-handedly.
The Z30’s 20MP DX sensor is theoretically based on the 45.7MP FX sensor, and thus the colors are actually very similar to that of the Z7 (which I prefer over the Z6/Z6II colors).
Noise performance was better than expected - while noise started to creep in at lower ISO values compared to the FX sensors, image quality still holds up pretty well until around ISO3200.
Eye autofocus works pretty much similarly as the Expeed 6 equipped Z6 in good light, and in fact, the subject detection seemed to be stickier on the Z30, although in lower light levels the Z6 was more reliable and hunted way lesser than the Z30.
The DX 16-50 definitely punches above its weight/size/price - no it cannot produce the bokeh of the faster aperture primes or zooms, but as a landscape lens (especially when stopped down to f/8 or so) it produces sharp and contrasty images, and the autofocus is reliable in good light.
The lack of IBIS in the Z30 is made up for by the VR in the DX 16-50, and for most occasions the VR is reliable and gives extra few stops of shutter speed advantage when turned on, which is definitely necessary considering the slow aperture range of the DX kit lens.
That said, the Z30 (and the DX 16-50) is not without their quirks and drawbacks:
The lack of “Battery Info” menu item means that I have to pretty much guess how much juice is left in the battery when staring at the 3-bar styled battery indicator on screen.
The rear screen does not look as crisp as the higher resolution FX bodies, and it took me some time to get used to.
The lack of IBIS in the Z30 somehow made it less resilient to dust since it does not have the sensor cleaning function - when there is a dust spot, the only way to remove it is by detaching the lens and air-blowing/wet cleaning the sensor.
The arrangement of the top buttons near the shutter button are different from the other bodies - in the other bodies the buttons behind the shutter button are in the order (from left to right) “Record, ISO, Exposure Compensation”, whereas for the Z30 the two buttons directly behind the shutter button are “ISO, Exposure Compensation”, with the “Record” button placed further away from the shutter but positioned in between the ISO and Exposure Compensation buttons. This really messed with muscle memory quite a bit.
The VR of the DX 16-50 seems to take a while to kick-in - it was not unusual to have a first shot of a consecutive burst to be slightly blurred by motion or handshake.
The SD card slot and the battery slot is literally side by side, and at pretty much identical heights - when removing the SD card I would most often be pressing down on the battery (and its spring) too. The Zf’s SD card slot has a slight barrier and height difference from the battery slot, preventing unwanted and unnecessary physical contact with the battery.
I also tried hooking up the Z30 to my own 40/2 to see how it would fare as a compact portrait set:
In the APS-C region of the 40/2, the lens is a wonderful performer, with low levels of vignetting, and very good sharpness even wide open at moderate distances. However similar to FX usage of it, when shooting at close distances spherical aberrations would creep in and rob the image of contrast very fast.
Stopping down to f/2.8 produces clear and crisp images across the frame.
The Z30 hunts less with the 40/2 (when used at wider apertures) than with the DX 16-50. I would put the AF performance pretty much on par with the Z6 in good to moderate light, although the Z30 seem to have a tad bit more reliable subject detection in such situations. However in dimmer or low light conditions the Z6 still triumphs.
With an equivalent FoV of 60mm (and equivalent DoF of f/3 when shot wide open), it translates to a nice little portrait kit, especially for half-body to 3/4-body shots. Full body shots are sharp too, but as a 60mm FoV it lacks the environmental nuances of a wider lens, and the narrower equivalent aperture makes background a bit distracting when used for full body shots.
After using the Z30 for two weeks, it definitely cemented in me that a more compact APS-C set would see more daylight than a higher spec’ed bulkier Z6, but some of its drawbacks are keeping me from jumping on getting one immediately, especially considering how the Expeed 6 AF algorithms are pretty old as of now (and evident in its haphazardous Eye-AF).
I plan to borrow the Z50II with the DX 24/1.7 next to see how that combo would fare, and if it would be worth it to top-up a little to get the Expeed 7 benefits at the expense of a larger footprint.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S Announced
A couple of days ago the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S was announced.
The dedicated special contents page and technical specifications of the lens can be viewed here:
This is a highly anticipated lens by many photographers ever since its silhouette appeared in the Z lens roadmap a few years back, and I would expect that this lens would be in pretty high demand for some time, even though its price tag does lean towards the high side.
When the Z 35mm/1.4 was announced last year, it caused some commotion within the photography community as it lacked the “S” moniker and many were expecting a flagship f/1.2 lens. After the initial commotion had simmered down it became quite obvious the Z 35/1.4 was a new line of large aperture compact(ish) lenses which renders like the more classic F-mount equivalents, and this was further cemented in place by the Z 50/1.4 that was released later that year.
Back to the 35/1.2S itself, it deserves its “S” designation and flagship 35mm status in every sense. Sample images from reviewers around the globe all show that it has very good sharpness within the region in-focus, and the transitions to the out-of-focus regions are smooth and beautiful, with very pleasing rendering of specular highlights in the background.
Nikon gave it all the coatings that were available to them, which helps in delivery high clarity images and highly suppressing ghosting and flaring in backlit situations - again this was nicely documented and shown in many of the images in the sample gallery that were backlit by the sun.
The lens also suppresses focus breathing optically, and seems to work very well for cinematographers or videographers who shoot with the entire width of the sensor and not having to worry about software cropping to compensate for focus breathing issues.
While I personally am not in the market for this lens since I do not shoot with a 35mm focal length much, I am very much impressed with the performance of the lens and am truly excited for anyone who has been anticipating and waiting for this lens ever since it appeared on the roadmap.
It is definitely a no compromise lens (with an equivalent price tag and physical size to go with), and seeing how Nikon devotes itself to correct optical flaws physically rather than via software for a flagship lens is definitely something worthy of praises.
With this release, the 35/1.2S finally completes the Z lens roadmap, and for future products only Nikon themselves know exactly what is cooking in their secret labs. Fingers crossed for a modern version for the Ai-S 105/2.5 with similar physical dimensions!
Nikon Zf Purchase and Opinions
I have been wanting to get an Expeed 7-based 24MP body for a while now, and currently the only choices are the retro-inspired Zf with a tried-and-known 24MP BSI sensor, or the modern Z6III with a 24MP partially-stacked sensor.
Having a Z8 makes the proposition of a Z6III kind of weak, especially when the retail price of the Z6III is taken into consideration - it feels that a lot of the extra benefits of the partially stacked sensor are geared towards videographers, and all the extra speed that are implemented for stills can be covered by my own Z8.
This narrows my choice down to either getting the retro-inspired Zf now, or waiting for a mythical Z5II to appear with Z6II’s internals on an Expeed 7 CPU.
Nikon’s winter cashback campaign this time round included the Zf, which definitely made the whole idea of getting something now a lot more appealing than to wait for the unicorn, whose existence has yet to even been rumored.
However, I had my own reservations about using the retro-styled body, specifically how the gripless body would handle, as well as how the buttons and dials would work together as I am more used to the modern camera interface.
Before plunging in blindly, I rented the Zf for a week to see for myself if I could manage the ergonomics, as well as testing its actual imaging performance to see if it would bring any benefits to me.
Long story short, the Zf is not without its quirks, but it definitely is a highly capable camera, and somehow its retro-styling does kind of make the entire photography flow a little more fun and engaging, and upon returning my rental unit I went ahead with purchasing a set for myself, and have been putting it through its paces over the past few weeks, learning a bit more about the camera every time I use it.
While the details of the ergonomics and imaging capabilities are written here in the equipment page, I'd like to just end of this post with a little wish list of what could be changed and/or added via firmware to make it a more engaging camera.
Ability to customize the trash can (delete) button in shooting mode
Auto ISO on/off toggle custom function, which works regardless of where the ISO dial is set at (instead of having to press the ISO custom function button and turn a dial). Or at least allow the custom ISO function button to work even if the ISO dial is not at “C” position.
Ability to set Auto-ISO limit to 100
Cycle-AF custom function pretty please!
Nikon Z50II Manual Available
The reference guide for the newly announced Z50II can now be downloaded at the official Nikon pages (English or Japanese).
I was snooping around to see if the new Picture Control button can be reprogrammed, and while it can be reprogrammed, the reference manual only included a complete list of custom functions, but did not have an appendix for which functions are available to which buttons, so I am still not sure how flexible that button is if you do not use picture controls much.
That said, I noticed something interesting in the reference manuals too.
Under Custom Controls (Shooting), “Cycle AF-Area Mode” is an option available; and similarly under Custom Controls (Playback), “Delete” is an option available.
I personally use Cycle AF-Area mode very often on my Z8, and was surprised to see Z6III and Zf omitting this option.
Similarly, a good photographer acquaintance of mine uses the “Delete” function mapped to one of the function buttons of the Z8 for quick review and culling through the EVF, and we were both surprised that the Z6III omitted this option too.
It is sure delightful to see it being implemented in the Z50II, and if I were to make a smart guess, I think the Expeed 7 siblings (Z6III and Zf) would have these options enabled in their next firmware update too.
Nikon Z50II Announcement and Opinions
Last week the Nikon Z50II has been officially announced, and camera shops in Japan today are beginning to accept preorders for the camera.
The official press release and specifications of the camera can be viewed here:
As what most people and I have expected, the Z50II is pretty much an updated Z50 with Expeed 7, USB-C and UHS-II slot.
But I do not mean it in any negative way; on the contrary this update is definitely very welcomed, as Expeed 7 comes with an entire set of benefits which makes it a very prominent update to the Z50.
While it sports the same 20.9MP APS-C sensor from the Z50/Zfc/Z30, the new Expeed 7 CPU in it does squeeze quite a bit of performance out of the sensor, mainly in the autofocus department (which inherits the subject detection modes from the full frame Expeed 7 siblings) as well as low light sensitivity - it can now focus down to -9EV!
Physically the camera also sees a revamp in its button layout, and overall it is slightly larger and heavier than that of the Z50, which may be a detriment for some who are looking for a more compact APS-C solution.
The tilting screen is gone, now replaced by an articulating screen. I personally am not a fan of articulating screens, but I guess with all the new video modes in the camera Nikon is trying to target hybrid shooters or single-man videographers, and hence this design decision.
The button layout has also changed, which makes it much more similar to the Z6III than the original Z50 - definitely a welcome change since there are also now more physical buttons around.
There is also an emphasis on Imaging Recipes and Picture Controls, with a dedicated button present to swap picture controls on the fly. I think the casual users of this camera would definitely appreciate this new feature, as together with the imaging recipes from Nikon Imaging Cloud it allows users to play around and experiment with various looks without having to go through the hassle of post processing the images.
Like always with any announcements, there are definitely some negative opinions floating around - and this time the 2 loudest complaints are about Nikon’s decision to only include a single slot and to exclude IBIS. In my opinion for this price bracket these are definitely acceptable compromises, as IBIS and double card slots would greatly increase the cost and size of the camera. Taking this note positively, it means that there remains an option for a higher end APS-C model if Nikon deems it profitable - one with double slots, IBIS and a perhaps a newer APS-C sensor. Only time will tell I guess.
While I am not in the market for an APS-C camera any time soon, I am glad with the direction they are taking with updating the older bodies and am now looking forward to see how they would proceed with the Z5’s replacement.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 Announcement and Opinions
The Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 has been officially announced.
The official press release and specifications of the lens can be viewed here:
It follows the footsteps of the previously announced Z 35mm f/1.4, providing users with more options for prime lenses.
Similar to the Z 35/1.4, it comes with two rings - one dedicated manual focus ring and one customizable control ring. It also maintains the same 62mm filter thread size, similar to both the 35/1.4, 35/1.8S and 50/1.8S.
In Japan it is priced very similarly to the 50/1.8S, which also follows the design and pricing strategy of the 35/1.4 35/1.8S pair.
And like the wide angle pair, in addition to the aperture differences, the 50/1.4 also does have other features that differs from the 50/1.8S:
The 50/1.8S has the more advanced Nano-crystal coatings, whereas the 50/1.4 has the more standing SIC coatings.
The 50/1.8S has ED glass elements in addition to aspherical elements.
The MTF for the 50/1.4 shows a steeper sharpness falloff when moving out from the central region, whereas the 50/1.8S has a more balanced sharpness profile throughout the frame.
There is no A/M switch on the 50/1.4.
The differences make a nice proposition for the 50/1.4, as the slightly less corrected lens, together with tis wider aperture, gives the lens a bit more character and a touch of softness when used wide open.
Marketing material also mentions their stance on both lenses:
The 50/1.4 is targeted towards users who want to make use of the wider f/1.4 aperture for softer bokeh and more background blur, as well as for users looking to have a touch of soft character in the lens for more flattering natural portrait shoots.
The 50/1.8S is targeted towards users who want to have good sharpness and resolution across the frame at all apertures, yet maintaining a natural looking bokeh and background blur.
And even if the S-line designation is missing from the 50/1.4, it is still built to the robust Nikon standards with weather sealings in place, so it can definitely be a workhorse lens if one desires the character of the images it produces.
With this announcement, Z system users now have several options in the “normal” range:
The 50/1.2S for best subject and background rendition at the expense of weight, size and price
The 50/1.8S for best image sharpness and resolution across the frame at all apertures
The 50/1.4 for thin DOF shots with some character in its sharpness rendition and falloff when used wide-open
The MC 50/2.8 if you want to double your normal lens as a macro lens as well
The 40/2 for a small compact package without much compromises to image quality
This also opens up several possible future product predictions, such as:
If the 85mm focal length follows similar design philosophies, perhaps we could see a compact 85mm f/1.4 to complete the 85mm trio.
Still hopeful for a compact 105/2.5 equivalent, or a 135/2.5 which could complement the Plena 135mm.
Definitely excited to see how this line of compact wide-aperture lenses would play out!
Explanations about Image Resolution (DPI or PPI)
Thought of penning this down as a reference for anyone who is confused about image resolution (DPI or PPI), since I think there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding this topic, especially regarding the image resolution setting found in most image processing software when exporting.
To first lay down the basic terms for this discussion
Image resolution refers to how many dots-per-inch (DPI) or pixels-per-inch (PPI) - effectively meaning how many dots or pixels are represented in 1-inch of display media.
Image size refers to the dimensions of an image - for example the number of pixels of the length and height of an image.
The term PPI is a newer term, that became common from screen manufacturers’ usage to showcase how sharp (i.e. how fine the pixels were) a screen is. DPI on the other hand was a term used for a long time to discuss the image resolution of an image (either digital or printed) as well as for printer’s resolving power. However, most people or software do use these 2 terms interchangeably when talking about image resolution, so to simplify things we will just use DPI here.
Now a very common statement is: “The higher the DPI the sharper the image.”
There is no argument - this statement is true, but not for the saved “image resolution” setting within the image file, but rather the resultant DPI from printing the image.
What do I mean by that?
The DPI value itself is a ratio of the one dimension of the image size in pixels to its size in inches, and can be used for converting or calculating one or the other.
To put it mathematically,
Image Size (pixels) / Image Size (inches) = DPI
Any two of these values are needed to calculate the third value, and specifying or locking two values would vary the third.
Here are some examples and comparisons:
I print an image with dimensions 3000 x 3000 pixels at 300 DPI, so the resultant print is 10 x 10 inches.
The same image is printed at 100 DPI, and the resultant print is 30 x 30 inches.
We know that a higher DPI is sharper, and you can imagine how a same origin image always look more pixelated when printed larger.
In this case we have Image Size (pixels) and DPI, which controls the final print output.I want to print 10 x 10 inches, and to maintain sharpness I set my image resolution to 300 DPI.
This means that my images would be saved or exported to 3000 x 3000 pixels.
A side note from this is that my original image size should be at least 3000 x 3000 pixels, so that it can be resized down to 3000 x 3000 pixels to maintain 300 DPI. Any smaller image (say 2000 x 2000 pixels) would be upscaled to 3000 x 3000 pixels, and thus losing some sharpness and clarity.
In these two examples, we have only the dimensions of the image size in one unit, and use DPI to convert the other unit for input or output.
Now what if we set BOTH the input size and output size?
I have an image size at 3000 x 3000 pixels, and I know I am going to print it on a 10 x 10 inch paper.
I have now the following options:I can choose not to set the print resolution, and the resultant print would be in 300 DPI.
I can set print resolution at 300 DPI, and the resultant print would be the same as above.
I can set print resolution at 600 DPI, at which the software would upscale the image to 6000 x 6000 pixels to maintain 600 DPI for a 10 x 10 inch print, and then finally print the upscaled image at 10 x 10 inch. This image would look very similar, if not identical, to the above two options.
I can set the print resolution at 100 DPI, and the software would resize the image to 1000 x 1000 pixels before printing it out at 10 x 10 inches. This would lead to a softer print as compared to the previous examples.
With these explanations in place, now we can continue with the following deductions:
By setting both the print size and the original image size, the resultant print DPI can just be determined by the ratio relationship. This resultant print DPI is what determines how “sharp” a printed image looks - the higher the better.
If we set the print DPI to any number that does not correlate perfectly to the image size or print size, a resize (downscale or upscale) would happen and there might be loss of quality involved. While this may be useful when sending it out to a third party printing service, if printing directly from source image it is always better to leave the print DPI field empty if your resultant print DPI from the original size is above your requirements.
And with this comes the next question: “Does the image resolution field of an image mean anything?”
As mentioned, a digital image will always have its image size in pixels, and the stored DPI value is there to convert it to print size if the print size is not specified. Similarly, if you specify a print size, the stored DPI value is there to determine the image size to save as, so that when you print the image as it is it would be at the print size you previously specified.
However, just changing the “image resolution” field within an image file does not change the image at all - as mentioned it is a ratio used for conversion between image size and print size, so unless you specify a print size as well, regardless of what number you put in there the original image would not be affected at all.
You can test this out by opening an image, and changing just the “image resolution” field and saving it - the image size (and file size for that matter) should remain exactly the same.
Printing to a specific print size from an image, the “image resolution” field does not mean anything at all, and what matters is if you print it at its native resolution or you set a print DPI on the printer output.
So to summarize everything,
The “image resolution” field within an image file is there to help convert from pixel size to print size when print size is not specified.
Just changing the “image resolution” field within an image does not alter the image in any way, unless the print size is also specified (in this case original image would be resized accordingly).
By specifying a print size from an image’s native pixel dimensions, the resultant resolution of the print can be used to determine how sharp a print is - this is in fact what the first statement, “The higher the DPI the sharper the image.”, refers to.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 Announcement and Opinions
Just earlier today, the Z 35mm f/1.4 was officially announced.
The official press release and specifications of the lens can be viewed here:
This release came as an interesting surprise in several ways for most people, including me, though not in a bad sense.
As a f/1.4 lens, it is reasonably light and compact, not that different from the Z 35/1.8S itself. They also managed to keep its filter thread size at 62mm, so if anyone is thinking of switching to this from the 35/1.8S at least the filters can be reused.
It also comes with two rings - one dedicated manual focus ring and one customizable control ring. Most of the earlier f/1.8 S-line primes (everything minus the Plena), and the compact 28mm/40mm only come with one ring, so it seems like an new design and handling direction that they are going in.
In Japan the expected street price for the lens at launch is around JPY 95000, which comes in just a little under the Z 35/1.8S. It is indeed a nice change in times where everything just seems to get more and more expensive, so am grateful that they are coming out with affordable wide-aperture lenses.
Its direct competitor would be Nikon’s own Z 35/1.8S (as I have subconsciously compared to above), especially since they are in similar price brackets and size, and based on the specs shown so far, here are some of the key differences:
The 35/1.8S has the more advanced Nano-crystal coatings, whereas the 35/1.4 has the more standing SIC coatings.
Based on MTF curves the 35/1.4 is less sharp wide open with a steeper sharpness falloff, whereas the 35/1.8S is sharper wide open and maintains the sharpness across the frame better.
The 35/1.4 does not employ multi-focusing system found on the 35/1.8S.
Aesthetics wise, the 35/1.4 uses more plastic than the 35/1.8S, which has a metal focusing ring and metal “rear ring”.
There is no A/M switch on the 35/1.4.
With this as a reference, I think here are what are some of the concerns to look out for when reviews of this lens drop in the coming weeks from both reviewers and users:
When closed down to f/1.8, how does the performance of the two lenses compare?
How does the 35/1.4 perform close-up since it does not have close-range correction of the multi-focusing system?
How fast does the lens focus, and how well does it track moving subjects?
How flare resistant is it in backlit situations since it lacks the more advanced coatings?
And on top of this, I think this release also brings forth several questions regarding their lens strategy:
There was a 35mm S-line lens on the roadmap, and is this supposed to replace that or is a S-line 35mm still in the works? (Personal opinion: I think a S-line 35mm is still in the works, but they decided to launch this first to ride on the highly video-capable Z6III)
Does this release indicate the start of a new line of wide-aperture affordable non-S primes?
While I am not in the market for a 35mm lens, I am glad that they are giving users affordable options and sincerely hope that this indeed is the start of a new line of compact lenses - a modern compact version of the AI-S 105/2.5 would be a beautiful piece of work!
New Flexible Color Picture Control
I mentioned in my previous entry that I was quite intrigued about the new Flexible Color Picture Control when the Z6III was first announced, and during the touch-and-try event I managed to get some hands-on experience using the picture controls and spoke to some of the staff regarding its development and implementation.
As a brief introduction, picture control profiles are selectable profiles within the camera when shooting (both stills and video), which comes with a set of options that the user can fine tune to their liking for a certain look, and these settings are applied to live view previews (when Apply Settings to Live View/Show Effects of Settings are turned on), applied directly to saved JPG/HEIF files, and also used for the saved JPG previews within the RAW file.
In recent years Nikon has introduced more picture control profiles, such as creative picture controls that gives a more distinct look to the images via color casts and more manipulated tone curves, or multiple monochrome picture controls for different black and white looks - very similar to what other manufacturers do for film simulations or the likes.
And now what they are doing with the new Flexible Color Picture Control is to bring the level of color customization a step further to allow users to fine tune color casts, color blending, color grading on top of tone curve (contrast) and sharpness settings.
So before I continue, no, this is not a unique breakthrough or a game-changer of any sorts (yeah we all dislike this term don’t we), since other manufacturers usually have something similar in their cameras too.
But its implementation is something that I think is intriguing and am keenly interested to see how it will unfold.
As of writing, although the Z6III is the only camera that allows you to select Flexible Color in its picture control settings, I foresee it would come to other Expeed 7 bodies via a firmware update in the near future, like how the extra monochrome or rich tone portrait profiles were added via firmware updates to the Z8.
Even if the body does not support Flexible Color picture controls now, by using the official Nikon RAW development software, NX Studio (version 1.7.0 and above), you can now apply the new picture control to any Nikon RAW files (make sure you choose “Latest Picture Control” in the dropdown menu), and use it to color grade your photos within NX Studio.
Now comes the interesting part - your “recipes” can be then saved and exported, and with the upcoming Nikon Imaging Cloud service, users can share their flexible color picture profiles with others, and also download those created by other independent users or those done in collaboration with Nikon.
More information regarding how to use NX Studio to apply, export or import the new Flexible Color picture control can be viewed on Nikon’s official guide here.
Truth be told, I know NX studio is not the first choice of a RAW developer for a majority of photographers due to speed issues and lack of shortcut key customizations, and I am not in any way trying to convince any one here to move to NX Studio for full RAW development. But it can now be used as a powerful tool to create, tweak or import custom color grading profiles for your camera, and when the in-camera support comes for the other Expeed 7-based bodies, it would be useful in many workflows, especially those of dedicated JPG shooters. On top of that, using the flexible color profiles of other users also gives a chance to experiment with trying out different looks, and also learning how such looks are achieved by looking at how the color settings and tone curves are tweaked.