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:

• Press Release Page (English or Japanese)

• Official Product Page (English or Japanese)

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, although in lower light levels the Z6 is 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, but 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:

• Special Contents Page (English or Japanese)

• Technical Specifications Page (English or Japanese)

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:

• Press Release Page (English or Japanese)

• Official Product Page (English or Japanese)

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:

• Press Release Page (English or Japanese)

• Official Product Page (English or Japanese)

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:

1. 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.

2. 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:

• Press Release Page (English or Japanese)

• Official Product Page (English or Japanese)

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.

Nikon Z6III Initial Impressions and Thoughts

Yesterday I had a chance to drop by Nikon Plaza Tokyo to handle and fiddle around with the Z6III in the touch-and-try experience corner.

There were quite a number of people, like me, who are interested in trying the camera out, so while it was not crowded to the point of having long snaking queues, entry to the Z6III experience corner was limited to several people at a time in 10-minute blocs. Re-entry is possible, so if there are extra features that you want to try out you could just get back in line for another session. Personally I did two rounds in the experience corner as there were several features that I wanted to check and test out, and spent quite a bit of time around the showroom’s general area talking to the staff about the camera as well.

As a quick side note, with the exception of devices labelled as “sample” or “pre-production” units, you could bring the photography data back home if you have your own memory card with you. I did not expect them to allow this so I actually did not have any cards with me at that time…

Before I go on to talk about the camera itself, just want to give my thanks and appreciation to the ground staff at the Z6III experience corner - they were all keen to share more about the camera and design decisions, and were more than willing to answer any queries that we had. For more complicated questions that they were not able to answer on the spot, they wasted no time to contact the relevant department or staff to get clarification for us. Overall it was an absolutely pleasant experience to learn more about the camera.

So, on to the camera itself, here are my initial impressions of the camera based on my time with it as a stills photographer:

• The new EVF is stunning and amazing when viewing it in person - it is bright, like really bright, and also crisp with details due to the higher pixel count. The wider color gamut covered by this new EVF also helps make things look closer to real-life colors when viewing through the EVF.

• The partially-stacked sensor, coupled with Expeed 7, does show its prowess in the AF department. It tracks moving subjects fast and accurately (although in the experience corner it was limited to a toy train running around a circular track), and for backlit situations or low-light situations the Z6III definitely hunted less and locked on more confidently.

• IBIS definitely feels very much improved and refined. As I was fiddling around with the 105/2.8 VR S macro lens and the 24-120/4S, the image in the finder looks very stable without much wobbling, and while not a scientific test, I would say it gives at least a 1-stop advantage over its predecessor.

• The mechanical shutter sounds and feels different. It seems like perhaps they improved the vibration dampening of the shutter as it sounds softer and gentler (similar to how the D810 shutter felt like to the D800 shutter) - certainly nice to have to counter shutter shocks.

• While the overall dimensions of the camera is kept pretty much similar, the grip itself has been redesigned to be taller by having a bit of protrusion at the top, and with a bit of extra depth too. This makes handling it much more ergonomic, and while it would not solve the dangling pinky problem for everyone, at least for me it feels more comfortable when holding it with heavier lenses.

• The new material used for the camera makes it feel more Z8-ish than Z6-ish, which I think is a good thing as it feels more robust in hand.

• The top control panel also looks more Z8-ish than Z6-ish, with some basic information displayed on it even when the camera is turned off.

• There is a button beside the top control panel to illuminate it, but there are no back-lit buttons so that button only serves to illuminate the top control panel.

• High ISO images look impressive with the default in-camera NR enabled.

• The new flexible color picture control, which builds on the classic picture controls by adding more complex color grading and color blending tools, seems like a really powerful and useful tool for not just JPG shooters, but also RAW shooters to grasp an idea on how an image would turn out based on a set of preferred color and tone curve settings. I actually like this feature and its unique implementation. (Will write a separate article for this Detailed writeup about the function here)

So to briefly summarize the Z6III based on my short time with it, the Z6III is definitely a huge step-up from the Z6II with slew of improvements across the board, such as a much better AF system, higher build quality and more comfortable ergonomics, together with innovative introductions like a wide gamut EVF and flexible color picture controls.

Next is a list of some other observations regarding the Z6III that were more intangible, as well as suggestions and opinions on them:

• The Z-GR1 extension grip does have its screw and anti-twist spigot in proper distances and can be attached to the bottom of the Z6III, but it is not a perfect fit at all as the grooves on the front of the Z-GR1 to hug the bottom of the Z6/Z6II does interfere with the slightly broadened base of the Z6III. You could file off the grooves if you really want to use it on the Z6III I guess.

• The list of customizable buttons and functions that can be customized is more in-line with that of the Z6II than Z8 - noticeable omissions are “Recall Shooting Functions”, “Cycle AF-area mode”, “Delete” (playback function). And the illumination button beside the top control panel is not programmable too. It seems like a firmware update away to add such features to the camera, and I do hope the custom function from the flagships do trickle down since the Z6III itself already have lesser physical buttons.

• I did not have any cards with me so I was not able to do any buffer test. But according to Ricci Talks, using a CFe card there is practically unlimited buffer even when shooting in lossless raw at 20fps. Seems like the memory stream and/or Expeed 7 pipeline is more in line with the Z8/Z9 architecture and the smaller file sizes of the 24MP sensor would not cause the buffer to break any sweat at all.

• The flexible color picture control would actually be really at home with the retro-styled Zf, and so I foresee a firmware update than would bring that to all the Expeed 7 cameras.

It is no doubt that the Z6III brings a lot to the table as compared to its predecessor, but with the Z6III having a much higher launch price here in Japan as compared to its predecessor, and an expected price drop of the older Z6II once the Z6III is officially launched, it makes the situation slightly more complicated here, especially when you start factoring in used Z8s that are on the market now.

Personally I am still on the fence whether to get the Z6III or not. No doubt the better low light AF and smaller files are certainly helpful in my work, and especially the flexible color picture profile would be handy to have for assignments where I have to deliver in JPG immediately, but at this price I do expect at least more customization options in line with the higher end bodies.

Nikon Z6III Announcement and Opinions

Finally, the Z6III is now officially announced.

The official press release and specifications of the camera can be viewed here:

• Special Contents Page (English or Japanese)

• Technical Specifications Page (English or Japanese)

With the embargo finally lifted, the first impression or review articles and videos are all released now, and it seems like most of them are positive about the camera - with regards to both the camera’s new hardware capabilities and image quality. This release also shows the general direction the Z6 line is moving in - that is a more video-oriented hybrid line with a wide range of video recording features.

As I am a primarily stills shooter, I guess most of the newer video specs would not affect me directly, though most of the improvements made in the video space would have some form of improvement impact indirectly on the stills side.

Take for example the partially stacked sensor - to get the sensor fast enough for 6k/60p, it also helps with offloading data to the CPU faster for AF calculations.

Personally, what I find interesting and useful to me with the new Z6III are these features:

• Bright EVF that can be used in harsh sunlight

• Increased sensitivity in low-light situations

• Improved subject detection in backlit situations

• Focus point IBIS (similar to that of the Zf)

• Improved AF over the Z6II (and seems close enough to Z8’s AF performance)

The biggest drawback of the Z6II in my use case is the AF system - in controlled studio environments I tend to have a bit more misfocused shots than I would like; slightly remedied by using AF-S Pinpoint, but still not 100% foolproof.

The AF improvements alone could justify replacing my Z6II as the main workhorse camera. Truth be told I did ponder quite a bit on whether to get a Zf as my main workhorse, but I just could not get used to its ergonomics with longer and heavier lenses.

Interestingly, there were a few other details that I had noticed, which I think might be good to keep a lookout for.

• The Z6III does not come with a battery charger, but only a USB cable. (Similar to the Z30/Zf)

• The new battery pack (MB-N14) would work on Z6II/Z7II too, which suggests that perhaps the Z-GR1 could fit as well? But the presence of the articulating screen should affect the Z-VP1 plate though.

• The top plate has a new illumination button - I wonder if that button is programmable to other functions?

The situation with the weak Japanese yen has not been entirely friendly to us living here, and an effect of that is a huge jump in the launch price of the Z6III (street price estimated around JPY 390,000) as compared to the launch price of the Z6II (street price roughly JPY 245,000).

While I do want the AF improvements, which can certainly be helpful in my workflow, the steep price increase does not seem very justifiable even as a business cost - especially when a used Z8 may cost just a little bit more than this. Furthermore as I had mentioned in my previous post, Japan usually does not provide much pre-order incentives or benefits, so I guess I would sit out the pre-order phase this time round and ponder about my upgrade paths to replace my aging Z6II workhorse.

**Update: Initial impressions upon trying the camera out and more about flexible color picture control.

Does Photography Gear Matter? (2024 Version)

We all know that the Nikon Z6III is going to be officially announced later today, and I thought while waiting for the official announcement I would like to share a bit on my opinions on this particular topic.

The topic on how important is the role of photography gear has always been a hotly debated one amongst photographers - much akin to “Protective Filter vs No Filter” or “Tilt Screen vs Fully Articulating Screen”.

I know I might be opening a can of worms here, so just as a foreword these are solely my personal opinions and I would just like to share them out over here, hoping that this insight could be of use to someone or perhaps be a point of a healthy discussion. You are definitely more than welcome to disagree with them if my ideas and principles differ from yours.

So to answer the question, if I were to give a clear-cut “Yes” or “No” answer, I would say “Yes, photography gear does matter.”

But we all know life is not always black and white, and never simple as a “Yes” or “No”, and thus if given the chance to further elaborate on the answer, my answer would be “Yes, photography gear does matter, but only if you know what you are after or lacking specifically, and understand what kind of compromises were made or had been made. More expensive gear does not always mean more useful gear.”

Many people who mention that photography gear does not matter normally do mean it as goodwill, that chasing the latest and greatest gear would not improve your photography (the infamous Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or G.A.S), but rather spending the time or effort to improve your creative vision would be more beneficial. They usually also cite the example that a seasoned and experienced photographer would be able to create images with a basic camera and kit lens as well.

These are points that I do agree with - especially that GAS is a terrifying rabbit hole to fall into and thinking that getting the next shiny piece of equipment would magically improve your photography is a dangerous thought.

So now, if I agree with this, why do I still say that I believe that photography gear matters?

As I said earlier on, I believe that the gear matters if you have a creative vision that you want to achieve, or need to improve on a certain aspect of your workflow - neither of which is possible without spending time learning and getting used to your current gear first.

Going back to the example whereby an experienced photographer would be able to take photos with a basic camera - I have no doubt that this is definitely true. However the next, and more important question would be, “Is it the wisest choice to use said gear when on an assignment?”

I am pretty sure I would choose a piece of equipment that has more direct physical buttons and robust build on my assignments as it would just be more efficient for me.

Giving some more specific examples:

• Shooting subjects from far would require telephoto lenses.

• Shooting subjects real close would require macro lenses or lenses that have very short minimal focus distances.

• Shooting subjects with smooth background blur would require big-aperture lenses.

• Shooting subjects that move around haphazardly requires a body that can lock on and track effectively.

This list can go on and on, and it drives the point that I am trying to bring here - the gear does matter in getting the shot - either being a real physical requirement, or making getting the shot easier.

What it does not do, however, is magically make you a better photographer. Sure if you use a 600mm f/4 you could easily shoot birds and wildlife with all that smooth bokeh - but things like framing, learning about heat distortion, knowing how to place the background for least distraction, anticipating the birds’ movements etc. - these are other factors you have to learn and experience in order to master the art.

And we also have to understand that every camera body and lens is a gear with a set of compromises - be it compromises in image quality, build quality, aperture ratings, autofocus motors and speed, zoom ratings, weight, size, price, etc.

Want a wide-aperture good quality lens? Be prepared for a heavy and expensive piece of equipment.

Want an all-in-one zoom lens? Be prepared for slower apertures and image quality sacrifices.

Want an all-in-one zoom lens with crazy wide aperture? You better be owning a palace and a jeep to lug that gear around.

Another important thing to know is that gear or set-up that works for someone else might not work for you. Many event photographers I personally know of use a 24-70/2.8 + 70-200/2.8 set-up, which pretty much covers most scenarios with ease. I, however, never got used to the 24-70 lenses properly, so I would prefer a 24-120/4 + 70-200/2.8 combination over that.

One factor that many people seem to forget is that the so-called “pro-grade” lenses are also usually more massive and heavier, and whether you actually enjoy carrying all this extra bulk and weight would lead to how often your camera leaves your house with you.

Quoting from my personal experiences, while I do use the 70-200/2.8 for work often, in my private time I reach out for my 85/1.8 or 40/2 way more frequently just because they are easier to carry around.

To summarize everything (#tl;dr),

• I believe gear does matter - whether to make taking a shot possible, or to make taking a shot easier

• Getting the most expensive gear might not mean getting the best gear for yourself - what requirements you need is specific to your use case and creative vision

• Learning what gear to get requires you to first learn what limitations you face in your current set-up

• Always know that what works for someone else may not always work for you

As an ending note, try not to be lured by GAS too much and just enjoy what you have - you do already have gear, and that is all that matters!

Z6III Official Teaser and Release Date Announcement

In line with most predictions and speculations (my brief writeup of it here), a couple of nights ago Nikon dropped a teaser video about the upcoming Z6III, which now has been given an official release announcement date: 17th June 2024 9PM JST.

There are many discussions around and dissecting of the information based on that short teaser video (Nikon Rumors’ post on the teaser can be accessed here), which frankly is amazing to me regarding what can be inferred from a short video teaser!

Anyway, from the official quotes in the teaser video, I think the Z6III will definitely include the pre-capture function. The Z8/Z9, as well as the more recent Zf do have this feature too, although it is limited to JPG captures only right now. While it is not a feature that I would be using frequently, I do hope RAW pre-capture is possible (and the other bodies getting it via a FW update) as it would bring better value and use case for the feature.

There’s mention of beautiful colors of the files, which led to speculations of higher dynamic range in raw files or more LUT controls for videos, and the mention of better visibility in bright situations should be a sign the viewfinder and/or back display is seeing an upgrade for better usability in daytime shoots.

There is some debate as to whether the screen is a tilt-screen (either the Z6/Z7-style or the Z8/Z9-style), or a flippy screen (the Zf-style), and to be honest from the teaser video either is still probable at this stage since the angle the shot was taken did not show anything too conclusive. Given its video-oriented specs, I do supposed a flippy-screen of some sort should make its way into the final design of the Z6III, but as a mainly stills shooter I really hope that if an articulating screen was implemented they could do it similar to the A7RV style so that at least for horizontal stills the screen and the viewfinder are still centered with the lens.

But two physical specifications were quite clear from the teaser video - there is a PASM dial in a similar location to that of the current Z6II, and it comes with a rectangular slide-in eye-cup rather than the circular ones. Personally I have no issues with this since I am already used to the same handling and form-factor of the Z6II, though I do really hope that the official Z-GR1 grip which I am using now still works with the new body.

While we would still have to wait until the official release for detailed specifications and changes to be confirmed, I do hope to see at least a couple more teasers before the announcement next week to have a small taste of what else is in stores for us!

Challenges in Designing Kit Lenses

Earlier this year Petapixel had an interview with someone from Nikon’s engineering department, and one of the topics they had talked about was the challenges faced when designing kit lenses.

Personally I found this part of the interview very insightful as this is a topic no one had talked about openly before, and while subconsciously I had a vague idea of why certain decisions were made, reading the comments made from the engineering division itself definitely put things in perspective.

To briefly summarize what this particular section of the interview was about, Ohshita-san (from Nikon’s Third Designing Department in Nikon’s Optical Engineering Division) mentioned that the design and manufacture of each lens has to be considered individually, and depending on what their identified target audience was they would tune the performance and specifications towards their needs.

He continued by saying that among these, kit lenses were the most challenging to make, as they had to be made affordable, lightweight and compact, and yet be able to showcase what the system is capable of and have an impactful first impression for new users to the system.

Truth be told, the term “kit lens” does not usually bring about a good impression of a lens, analogous to how the first zoom lenses made were vastly inferior to their prime counterparts, and most users (including myself at the beginning of my photography journey) view kit lenses as a cheap lens that comes with the body that works just OK.

Reading through this particular point mentioned in the interview, it did make me stop and appreciate the effort that went into designing a kit lens that is bound by so many different constraints, especially these days whereby many high performing kit lenses are available that do not compromise on image quality.

Looking back at when the Z6 and Z7 were first launched, it became quite clear why the 24-70/4S was the first lens to be launched together with the new mount and bodies - they had to provide a lens that could perform very well throughout its zoom range so as to portray what the new mount was capable of, yet they also had to make sure the lens had a small enough footprint to maintain the image of mirrorless cameras being more compact and convenient, and all of this with a severe price constraint slapped on it as it was meant to be a lens paired with the initial bodies to bring new users to the system.

As the lens lineup grew over the years, many people (including me) did move on to other primary lenses by outright replacing the 24-70/4S or upgrading whilst still keeping it as a backup; mainly with the 24-70/2.8S or the 24-120/4S.

This was only possible, in my opinion, because when the 24-70/4S was launched it showed the promising potential of the new mount and new technology used in the optical design, so it was easier to convince users of the Z-mount to upgrade to a different primary lens based on one’s needs, knowing that the whichever path chosen there would not be heavy compromises on the image quality.

If we look at the current FX standard zoom lens lineup for the Z mount, we can argue that there are many other lenses that could be paired as a kit with a Z body these days - and that is definitely the case whereby in different bodies have different “kit lenses”, which also differ by country and region as well.

If we take a look at the offerings in Japan, for the FX Z-bodies, we have/had these kits available:

• Z5 with 24-50/4-6.3 or 24-70/4S or 24-200/4-6.3

• Z6 (discontinued) with 24-70/4S

• Z7 (discontinued) with 24-70/4S

• Z6II with 24-70/4S (not available at launch - available much later after the Z6II’s initial launch)

• Z7II no kit option

• Z8 no kit option

• Z9 no kit option

• Zf with 40/2 SE

Some other countries and regions do have different kits available, and unfortunately I do not have any information as to why such a marketing decision was made. I do sometimes envy the other regions where you could obtain the 24-120/4S as a kit - it is totally not an option here at all!

Anyway minor rant aside, now with the Z6III launch upcoming, I do foresee that it could be available as a kit, which brings the question which lens would it be coupled with?

While I think that without a doubt the 24-70/4S and the 24-120/4S are definitely prime candidates as kit lens for the Z6III, either both kits are available or only one of them is available is up for debate - one being a more budget friendly version, whilst the other being a more versatile all-in-one lens.

However, I do think that if Nikon plans to market the video specs of the Z6III, as according to the rumored predictions are supposed to be class-leading for this price bracket, it would not be surprising to also see a launch of a PZ-styled zoom lens that is more catered towards the video market (similar to the DX 12-28/3.5-5.6 PZ), and having that offered as a kit with the Z6III as well.

Which might also perhaps explain why the Z6III seemed to have its launch delayed?

Nevertheless, moving back to the main topic on kit lenses in general, I think that I can understand why a kit lens is so important in a brand’s lineup, as it acts as a showcase example of what is possible to users which would lead to potential upgrade sales down the road. And for this I think my respect for kit lenses - and the amount of thought given into designing and manufacturing them by the engineers, have gone up significantly.

Nikon Z6III Release Finally Imminent?

Seems like there is quite a bit of buzz ongoing recently regarding the Z6III’s release, which is predicted to happen very soon according to Nikon Rumors.

Earlier this year I did mention that I expected the Z6III to arrive before spring, similar to reports and speculations from all over the net. But when Nikon Japan suddenly launched a new spring cashback campaign (which was surprising considering one campaign had just been concluded in January) that would end at the start of May, it became pretty obvious that the Z6III would not be launched in the period that all of us were expecting, and the earliest we could expect it would be in early summer after the cashback promotion has been concluded.

So winter and spring both came and went without much buzz about the Z6III, and now finally there seems to be movements going on behind the scenes to prepare for the launch.

While these are just my own observations, there are some circumstantial evidences that seem too coincidental to just completely regard them as mere coincidences.

Namely speaking:

• The spring cashback campaign ended after the Golden Week holidays here (7 May) - and past product announcements had happened around a month after a cashback campaign has ended.

• Nikon’s official online store used to sell new Z6/Z7 as “outlet items” (i.e. discounted discontinued products), and they are now no longer available.

• Similarly the online store used to sell Z6II/Z7II refurbished sets, and they are also no longer available now.

• The showroom will be temporary closed on 10 June and 17 June, with all its services and facilities not available on these two days. While no exact reason was given, it may be a training session for the new products or a closed door touch and try event?

• The web store is down for server maintenance from 3 June 10:00hrs to 4 June 13:00hrs. Looks suspicious to have down time during work hours?

Perhaps I might be reading too much into things, but these circumstantial evidences just seem to suggest something is happening.

I personally am looking forward to the new body - I am sure the Expeed 7 processor would bring about a lot of quality of life improvements from the Z6II, which can be seen in the Zf too. Truth be told, I would be totally satisfied even if the Z6III turns out just to be a Zf skinned in a modern ergonomics, since I have found the Zf performing very well on all fronts as I tried out the demo sets in the showroom, but I just could not see myself putting up with its ergonomics for long days of work with heavy lenses (as well as having a slow-ish microSD slot for backup).

That said, while I am definitely am considering adding a Z6III as my main body, I do not think I would be pre-ordering this time round, as it seems that in Japan there are more incentives to purchase it after the initial wave (like having the Z8 coupled with B1PRO 165GB CFe, or the Z9 coupled with Nikon 660GB CFe, which were not available for early adopters)

Nikon Rumors has done a great job consolidating information from reliable sources regarding the Z6III’s specs, so if anyone is interested I do recommend visiting the post here to have an idea of what to expect for the camera!

Personal Impressions on Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S Lens

So right now it is pretty much Sports Day season in most schools in Japan, and my daughter had hers last weekend. I decided to rent a copy of the Nikon Z 100-400/4.5-5.6S lens last weekend to cover the event since I doubt my 70-200/2.8S would provide enough reach for me (and am indeed thankful I went ahead with the rental!).

It was my first time handling the lens outside of the shop demo context, and there were many new interesting observations that I made when using the lens this time round that I did not notice when I played with it in the camera shops/showrooms in the past:

• The weight and physical length of the lens at 100mm is pretty similar to that of the 70-200/2.8S, so I got accustomed to the lens’ weight distribution pretty much the moment I picked it up.

• The wider girth of the lens, together with the more forward placement of the control ring, did make me accidentally hit either the manual focus ring or the control ring more often than I would like - I had to turn off both the MF in AF mode option and the custom control ring function to prevent any accidental setting changes.

• AF locks on very fast, even on the Z6II I was using it with.

• AF accuracy, however, did have some interesting quirks - when shooting a burst of slightly static (i.e slow moving) subjects while testing, usually in a burst of 5 shots in AF-C single point mode there would be 1 or 2 shots in the middle of the burst that lost focus. I thought this would be caused on the VR recentering itself in VR normal mode, so I changed to VR sport mode and accuracy got better, although still not at 100%.

• For portraits at 400mm Eye-AF worked better than single point AF, as I guess any minute vibrations that caused framing changes would be compensated by the subject detection shifting the AF points via subject detection.

• At portrait distances the lens renders very nicely with crisp details, regardless of focal length chosen, both wide open or using it as a “constant 5.6” lens.

• At longer “sports distances”, and using it nearly exclusively as a 400/5.6 lens, the lens does exhibit some sharpness drop, and some slight AF accuracy drop. Though in all honesty it could also be due to user error on my side too as I could not pan the camera fast enough for the AF to lock properly.

• And finally I also learned that 400mm is indeed hard to control!

It was definitely a fun experience shooting with that lens, especially more so when watching the little one playing around too.

The lens is also every bit as phenomenal as I expected it to be, albeit with some handling quirks, and I am glad that I went on ahead to rent it for the event as my 70-200/2.8S would never be able to provide enough range.

That said, my experience this time also reinforced the idea that I am not suited to be a sports photographer lol.

** Side Note:

For anyone looking for short-term camera equipment rentals in Japan, I definitely recommend checking Map Rental out! Their pricing is reasonable and have a very wide selection of equipment to choose from.

A handful of kits also qualify for monthly rental special rates, which could prove to be cheaper than going by daily rates when renting for a more than 2 weeks or so. However, for equipment that do not qualify for the special rates, the daily rates do stack up quite a bit for longer rentals, so other services that offer “monthly rental” or “monthly subscription rental” might prove to be more wallet friendly though!

(I am not affiliated with them in any way, just wanted to share this information from my good experience with them)