Scribblings About Things
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:
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)
Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 VXD for Nikon Z-mount
This was one of the lenses that I had been envious of Sony users for a long time, and when the Z-mount version was announced in September 2023 I was definitely excited and grateful that Tamron had decided on this lens as one of the earlier ports to the Z-mount.
Having this lens would be a great help in solving my problem of having to switch between the 24-120/4S and the 70-200/2.8S during shoots - not that these 2 lens are slouches, and in fact I love using both of the lenses very much, but if I could have one lens that could do the work of both it would make me more efficient and also allow more options for me to include things like prime lenses in my double set-up.
That being said, having had a slightly negative experience being an early adopter (looking at you Z8 strap lugs), I decided to wait a bit for normal user reviews to roll in to see how the lens performs with the Z-mount bodies.
Based on the E-mount version’s reviews and user feedback, the general consensus on the lens has been positive with regards to the sharpness and overall image rendering, and I do not expect much difference between the E-mount and the Z-mount variants regarding the image quality.
Personally the few areas that I had interest or concerns in are:
How fast and accurate is the autofocus in normal modes and subject detection modes for Z bodies?
How fast and accurate is the autofocus in pin-point mode?
How prone is the lens to zoom creeping?
How weather resistant is the lens? (The exposed USB port seem like a weak spot to me)
After renting the lens for a bit to determine if it could properly act as a replacement for my 24-120/4S and 70-200/2.8S pair for assignments, there are some interesting observations that I encountered:
The lens boots up slow - even slower than the 24-120/4S. However, it is even way slower when waking up from sleep, so much so that many times I thought I had forgotten to turn on the Z6II I was using it with.
AF-S, AF-C and subject detection modes on the Z6II were pretty consistent and accurate, so I do not have much issues there with it.
AF-S pinpoint on the other hand is a slightly different story - perhaps the motor is not properly suited for racking contrast autofocus, but it feels sluggish and does miss focus a little more than I would like (I’d say in the range of 5% or so during my time with it)
Field curvature seems pretty strong on this lens, so using focus-and-recompose methods (even if it is a slight recompose) tend to make the initial focal plane soft - best to frame first and move the focus point (or use subject detection AF modes) to the intended subject and focus.
With proper focusing techniques, images are sharp in the focus zone and background blur is generally pleasing. While it lacks the minute detail acuity of the Nikon S-line lenses, the lens resolves detail very well and I think deserves praise for being able to do so given such a wide zoom range.
While I mentioned that background blur is generally pleasing, specular highlights sometimes show strong signs of onion rings within them.
The lens hood does feel and look like it can be scratched really easily.
I still do not like the idea of an exposed USB port.
While I think I might need some time getting used to its quirks (especially the field curvature), I am definitely pleased with the performance of the lens, and can see it being my primary workhorse lens with the 24-120/4S and 70-200/2.8S helping to fill in certain niche use cases.
After returning my rental unit I went on to purchase one copy for myself, and am definitely looking forward to working with the lens and trying out new combinations of set-ups to improve my workflow and quality of work!
Nikon Z8 Firmware 2.01 Released
Earlier today Nikon released a minor firmware update (2.01) for the Z8.
The firmware can be downloaded at the official Nikon page here.
This minor firmware update changed the default encryption keys of the camera, which is similar to the recent wave of firmware updates that have been released for the other Z bodies.
And the main attention of this minor update is to fix the issue regarding the d-pad panning the image in wrong directions when used in vertical mode. (I have written about this in more detail in this post over here).
One interesting note of this patch is the fixing of green color cast with some pictures taken. While I personally have not encountered it myself (and thus not sure what combinations of settings would trigger it), I am wondering if they changed the imaging algorithm a bit in FW2.00 since there has been some buzz in forums and discussion boards about FW2.00 RAW files looking cleaner and less noisy at higher ISOs. There is no concrete evidence so far to substantiate the high ISO improvements as far as I know, so take this statement with a pinch of salt.
That said, I am really curious what are the conditions that would trigger the green color cast. Hmm..
Spring Is Finally Here
Seems like after a long delay, spring is finally here.
March had been riddled with strange weather patterns this year, starting with warm temperatures at the start of the month, and then suddenly having steep temperature drops starting from mid-March.
The bizarre weather pattern has caused the famed sakura trees to bloom very late this year, with Tokyo announcing the official start of blooming only just a few days ago.
As the temperature stabilizes and the flowers start going into their full blooms within the next few days, without a doubt it will be a spectacular sight to see.
While I have no exact authority to say this, I would just like to put this out here - please be nice and considerate when enjoying the view, and as much as you want to get a picture perfect shot, please do not pull the branches or flowers, or worse shake the tree just for your 5 seconds of fame.
I have had seen enough bad behavior regarding people trying to get their perfect shot through means of trespassing private areas or doing inconsiderate things like climbing trees or what not, so I really do hope that such behavior can be eradicated so that everyone can enjoy the views and be respectful of nature itself.
So yup, be considerate, be mindful of others, respect privacy and rules, and go ahead and enjoy the splendid views of Japan’s beautiful spring scenery!
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 for Nikon Z-mount Announced
Tamron has just announced their latest Z-mount lens, the wide-aperture standard 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 lens.
Official press release here in English and Japanese.
According to reports and reviews of the E-mount version, this G2 lens has significant performance and handling improvements over the G1 lens that precedes it. And given that the G1 lens acted as the basis of the current Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 lens, I would expect similar improvements of the new lens over the Nikon version.
With increasing lens prices throughout the board, I thought that it was a very refreshing breather to see this new lens being released in Japan at reasonable prices, similar to the current Nikon Z 28-75/2.8, and not that different from the E-mount version of the G2 lens at launch.
To be honest I was quite surprised about this announcement, since this lens was manufactured by Tamron under licensing agreement with Nikon, even though it would be competing directly with the Nikon Z 28-75/2.8, which is still an active model in the lens lineup.
I think there is no doubt that the Nikon Z 28-75/2.8 is based on the G1 version of the Tamron lens, but when it came in Nikon colors, there were many theories floating around the internet about who was the one actually building the lenses, and similarly predictions about the collaboration and agreement between the two companies started to find their way around too.
I do not think any one except for the parties directly involved in the negotiation and manufacturing processes would know exactly how the Nikon Z 28-75/2.8 was built.
So now that we have the 2 lenses in very similar price brackets, and assuming this G2 lens provides improvements over the Nikon Z lens similar to that in the E-mount camp, image quality and AF performance would definitely favor this new G2 lens, making the current Z 28-75/2.8 a tough sell unless serious sales or cashback campaigns are put in place to move them.
If not for pricing difference, I guess the only reasons one could still consider the Z 28-75/2.8 would be:
Preference over the Nikon-styled rings and barrel material, over the Tamron-styled rings and barrel material
Nikon’s SIC lens coating vs Tamron’s BBAR lens coating
Nikon’s weather sealing vs Tamron’s weather sealing
Being able to update the lens directly via camera body (Nikon) vs being able to update the lens directly via USB-C (Tamron)
Nevertheless, the launch of this lens also set an important precedence - it shows like Nikon does allow third party lens manufacturers to license lenses even if they are direct competition to Nikon’s own offerings.
This would mean that until now it has been the lens manufacturers who are unwilling to build things in the Z-mount, rather than being restricted by Nikon.
Anyway, time to go back to my previous post to add a little edit in the available standard zoom lenses for the Z-mount.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Officially Announced
Nikon has just announced their new superzoom lens for the Z mount, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR.
Official press release statements can be accessed here (in English and in Japanese), as well as the product page here (in English and in Japanese).
Based on the technical specifications released, the new lens weighs in at 725g, is 141.5mm long with 77mm filter threads.
Comparing this with the other Z superzoom already on the market, the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, which comes in at 570g, 114mm length and takes 67mm filters, the new lens is no doubt larger and heavier, but provides twice as much reach in the telephoto range.
MTF curves seem reasonable for a superzoom of modest aperture values - the new lens looks to have good contrast in the center of the frame with significant sharpness falloff outside the DX circle, and the telephoto side is a weaker performer than the wide side of the lens. The curves predict that fine detail resolution would deteriorate really fast once out of the center of the image circle, which is typical for most superzooms I think, and we will only know the extent of it after production samples get into the hands on reviewers and consumers I guess.
With this release, Nikon users now have an expansive selection of standard lenses to choose from, depending on one’s needs and budget:
24-50mm f/4-6.3 = smallest sized standard zoom
24-70mm f/4 S = compact standard zoom balancing size and quality very well (collapsible design)
24-70mm f/2.8 S = no-compromise standard zoom focused on image quality and focus speed
24-120mm f/4 S = moderately-sized 5x standard zoom that provides flexibility with very good performance throughout
24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR = 8.3x superzoom in a modestly compact size with good performance throughout
28-75mm f/2.8 = lightweight f/2.8 standard zoom
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 = improved version of the Nikon 28-75mm f/2.8 with better image quality and AF motors
28-400mm f/4-8 = 14.2x superzoom in a modest size
Having such a wide focal length coverage, I can foresee this lens being a popular lens for travel, or even as a all-in-one backup lens of sorts for working professionals.
One interesting note is its close focusing capabilities - it can focus down to 0.2m at the widest focal length (28mm), at which a magnification ratio of 0.35x is achieved. This would certainly come in handy for anyone using it for travel, since close-up shots of food and what not are possible in tight spaces without the need for a closer focusing lens, cementing its position as a do-it-all lens.
Anyway just for reference, here are the minimum focus distances at the various focal lengths:
28mm = 0.2m
35mm = 0.36m
50mm = 0.5m
70mm = 0.57m
105mm = 0.6m
200mm = 0.8m
300mm = 1.2m
400mm = 1.2m
Images of the lens show that the lens does extend very significantly when zoomed in, which is to be expected as it covers such a wide range of focal lengths. I guess it might be problematic for video users to balance it on a gimbal, so definitely a point to take note when considering this lens.
While the aperture values will not win any prizes for fastest superzoom lens produced (according to reports it slows down to f/8 at the 200mm mark), it seems like a pretty economical and convenient way to get access to the 400mm focal length, if the performance of the lens at that focal length meets one’s needs or demands.
That said, I think it is asking for the impossible to expect this lens to produce images like the S-line primes or S-line zooms, so one has to consider if the convenience of having a large focal length is more important that ultimate image quality at the expense of lugging extra weight and/or changing lenses in the field.
Oh, and did I also mention that the lens comes with a square hood? I actually like the design of the hood a lot lol.
**Edited on 2024/3/28 to include the newly announced Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 in the list.
Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art Officially Announced
Just a couple of hours ago Sigma has officially unveiled and announced their latest lens for mirrorless cameras, the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art, which would be available for L-mount and E-mount at launch.
Here are the links to the official press release (in English and Japanese), and the product information page (in English and Japanese).
Based on the released technical specifications of the lens, it looks like they have managed to keep the entire package pretty compact for a f/1.2 lens, and the MTF charts show a very high performance of the lens’ resolving power. Sample galleries seem to agree with that too, and it looks like Sigma has created a winner in their hands.
I have enjoyed using Sigma products during my DSLR days, and one of my favorite lenses from them is the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens. And my experience with their customer service was pleasant and positive in the few times whereby I had to reach out to them for maintenance or calibration, so this is one company that I would always have a soft spot for.
It is really nice to see Sigma innovate in their quest to create quality modern optics for mirrorless cameras, by utilizing the advantages of the short flange distance as well as focus-by-wire AF systems to create more complex optics that were not possible in the DSLR era.
While previously, Sigma Art lenses were well-known to be behemoths (I’m looking at you 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art), their recent lens releases for mirrorless cameras seem to reflect their growth as an optics manufacturer as they embark on using more sophisticated optical designs and techniques to bring size and weight down.
While it is unfortunate that this lens is not coming to the Z-mount at launch, and to be honest I doubt that a native Z-mount version of this lens would ever happen, I am certainly looking forward to see what other lenses Sigma would create and bring over to the Z-mount.
Are We Getting Too Hooked on Camera Firmware Updates?
I have been wanting to write a piece on this issue for a while now, and it just happened that earlier today a new firmware update came out for the Z6II (FW1.62 here) and Z7II (FW1.62 here), and observing the reaction online spurred me to write this piece today.
So the firmware updates this time round addressed a couple of bugs regarding the camera’s operation, and also implemented some minor changes in its wireless connectivity settings.
Definitely nothing major, but personally I appreciate the effort made by Nikon to address these glitches and improving operation stability for everyday use.
However, there is so much noise about how this firmware update is too minor, and a FW2.00 with proper AF updates should be the one being released.
Gosh, seeing how people keep repeating the same thing every time a minor update is out is really unbearable.
I, for one, definitely appreciate that issues are fixed as soon as possible in the forms of minor updates, instead of waiting for a release with a larger update.
And in this particular case, not once has Nikon promised a FW2.00 update for the Z6II/Z7II, but just speculation from users and online keyboard pros.
Would I be happy if a FW2.00 came out for my Z6II and brought about improved AF algorithms and new features? Definitely!
But I bought my Z6II knowing well its limitations and capabilities, and any other feature that is added via FW would just be a touch of nice gesture from the manufacturer.
Similarly for the Z8, I also purchased it knowing that it promised similar levels of performance of its bigger sibling, the Z9. Z8’s FW2.00 came as a surprise as it added a ton of new features and customization to the camera, and while I am in no doubt very satisfied with the new features implemented in Z8’s FW2.00, none of them were promised from the beginning.
Would a theoretical Z8 FW3.00 bring new features that we have not thought of? Very highly probable. Would Z8 end at FW2.00 and only bug fixes be released in the future? Equally probable too, I would say.
I still remember those days whereby a firmware update for DSLR was so rare that, normally only critical bugs are fixed.
Some may argue that cameras these days are more “computer” than “camera”, and to that point I agree whole-heartedly also. However feeling entitled to constant major firmware updates that would implement new major features every time is just asking for the impossible.
And at least over here in Nikon we do see some major firmware updates every now and then, and we have also seen that Nikon tries to put the best and newest software features into the flagship Z9 first before it trickles down to the other models.
Be glad for that, as over in the orange camp, their flagships are not getting that much love, and the noise due to this is even worse there.
tl;dr - Purchase a camera based on what it is capable of at the time of purchase, and be glad that the manufacturer is even making an effort to fix minor bugs. Any major firmware update that implements new features should be seen as a nice privilege, rather than feeling absurdly entitled for them.
/end rant
Hardware Monitor Calibration and ICC Profiles
Just chanced upon this video while looking for some other information regarding ICC profiles earlier on, and thought that it might be an interesting share to post here.
Q&A on Switching ICC Profiles on Hardware Calibrated Displays (opens external YouTube link)
This video talks specifically about why ICC profiles are still required even though a display is hardware calibrated and have LUTs stored within the monitor, and under what circumstances should users change the ICC profile.
While the video uses a hardware calibration capable BenQ display, the concepts and insights shared here are applicable to most, if not all, hardware calibration capable displays (like the EIZOs with Color Navigator).
Please take note that the principles and concepts shared are not applicable to software based ICC profiling with LUTs by using a hardware display calibration device, but rather for a display that is capable of saving LUTs within the display itself.
To briefly summarize the main points in the video,
A hardware calibrated monitor should have an accompanying ICC profile, which usually contains only the gamut information of the calibrated display.
Changing just the brightness of the display while all other gamut/color settings are kept identical do not require a change in ICC profile.
Changing to a calibration slot with a different gamut (like from sRGB to AdobeRGB), the corresponding ICC profile has to be selected and loaded into the OS.
For EIZO users, if Color Navigator is active when you change the calibration slots, the proper ICC profile would be loaded into the OS automatically.
So to extrapolate the information from this video a little,
When using a hardware calibrated monitor (not same model, but the exact same monitor) on multiple PCs, it is advised to load the ICC profile on all the PCs so that the OS and software know how to map the colors to the display’s gamut.
It is simpler to just calibrate to the widest gamut the display can show (native in most cases), and let the ICC-aware software you are using handle the conversion of colors when the proper corresponding ICC profile for the native gamut is loaded.
I think Art, the author behind this video, did a wonderful job explaining and demonstrating, and this video is definitely worth your time taking a look at if you are running a color managed workflow.
Live View Exposure Preview Settings for Nikon Mirrorless Cameras
Just remembered that I did not write an update to my previous blog post requesting for a quality of life update in the live view exposure preview settings for the cameras.
To briefly recap, the initial batch Nikon Z mirrorless bodies that were based on the Expeed 6 CPU (Z5, Z6, Z7, Z6II, Z7II, Z30, Z50, Zfc) have the option to turn on or off live view exposure preview (under custom settings), which simulates and shows changes in the captured images’ exposure when shutter speed/aperture/ISO is changed.
However even when set to “On”, whenever a strobe or TTL-compatible commander is detected in the hotshoe, this setting would be nullified and switched off as the cameras assume that it would be used in a studio setting; i.e. it is a low light environment with strobes as the main light source so live view exposure preview is not needed.
This however creates a slight inconvenience for people using strobes or on-camera flashes as fill light, as we still want to know and expose for the ambient light, and the strobes are just there to fill in the shadows. I mentioned previously that I got around by setting one Fn button to toggle the a “Forced Flash Off” function, and use it to quickly check for ambient exposure.
With the Expeed 7 bodies (Z8, Z9 and Zf as of writing), this particular feature has been improved, with the user being able to now decide between having it automatically turned off when a strobe is attached, or keep live view exposure preview on even with strobes attached - exactly what I had been clamoring for!
But with Firmware 1.60 for the Z6II and Z7II, this particular setting is now available and does really improve the handling and efficiency, and I personally am really glad that user feedback had gotten through to them.
As this setting is slightly obscured with slightly different names depending on the CPU version, I have briefly compiled the instructions on how to check and activate them here:
Z6II/Z7II (FW1.60 and above) - go to Custom Settings d9 “Apply settings to live view”, choose “On”, press the right d-pad key, and choose either “Always” for persistent preview, or “Only when flash is not used” for automatic toggling. Detailed instructions can be read on this official page.
Z8/Z9/Zf - this option is available to all these 3 bodies from their initial production firmware, under the name “View Mode (Photo Lv)” within the Custom Settings menu, but their exact location in the menu is dependent on current firmware version - as of writing, Z8 FW2.00 is under d9, Z9 FW5.00 is under d10, Zf FW1.10 is under d9. Select “Show effects of settings”, and press the right d-pad button to choose between “Always” for persistent exposure preview or “Only when flash is not used” for automatic toggling.
As of now the 3 DX bodies (Z30, Z50, Zfc), as well as the first generation FX bodies (Z5, Z6, Z7) did not get an update to their live view exposure preview setting, so unfortunately they still have an automatic toggle to Off whenever a flash is detected in the hotshoe. I would certainly be elated if an update comes out for the first generation FX bodies, though definitely not keeping my hopes too high for that.
Impressions of Last Epoch
One of the games that have had a huge success so far in 2024 is the hack-and-slash action RPG Last Epoch.
I myself am a huge fan of hack-and-slash action RPGs, but recently there seem to be no good ARPGs around.
(In case you are wondering, I did thoroughly enjoy the first two installments of the big D, but the 3rd installment did not click well with me so I decided to skip the 4th).
I had heard interesting things about this game prior to its official 1.0 release, so I purchased a copy of it while it was still in its early access form (though just a couple of weeks before its 1.0 release) to try it out, as well as look for classes or builds that I could play when the official release comes about.
While no, it does not have mind-blowing AAA graphics, nor neither are there voice acting for all the dialogs, it does not hinder the fact that this is an entertaining and captivating game, one that I honestly enjoyed as it stays true to the spirit of hack-and-slash games, allowing experimentation with different builds and customizations without absurdly heavy penalties on the player.
And in fact I am very glad that my not-so-high-end machine could run the game smoothly without major framerate drops.
Now that I have completed the main story (Chapter 9 as of writing), I would like to share about what I find enjoyable in this game for anyone considering it.
Please note that there might be minor spoilers from this point on so if you want to experience the story and gameplay in its purest form you might want to just close this window, head over to Steam right now and purchase a copy to try out yourself.
Prologue
The story begins as one of the four Gods of the world started to wage war with the others, and each character class has a backstory that led them to be entangled in this war. One particular interesting note is that in the early access version the introductory cutscene was different for each character class, explaining the background of the character and the reason for being part of the war, but with the 1.0 release the cutscene became a common generic one for all characters. In all honesty I did like knowing about my character’s motivation to take part in the war, so I do hope they would bring back the character specific cutscenes in a later version again.
Classes and Skills
There are 5 main characters (classes) to choose from, and each class has 3 masteries (or subclass) that you could choose as you proceed with the story, unlocking specific passive skills and bonuses to build the character with. The implementation of the passive skills system is definitely worth mentioning as it deserves high praise - choosing a specific subclass would provide your character subclass-specific bonuses, as well as unlock the entire passive skill tree of that subclass for you to spend points on, but you are still able to add points to the first row of the other two subclasses if you desire so. This brings a lot of customization options to build your player as you could mash certain passive skills from the other trees with your inherent subclass bonus to synergize. Respeccing the passive skill points are as simple as vising a NPC and paying some in-game gold to reset the points, so it allows for experimentations without worries.
Though one feature of the game, as mentioned by the developers themselves, is that while passive skill points can be refunded to be reallocated, the mastery chosen cannot be reset as that is part of the game experience they want to deliver. So if you want to try out a different subclass’s full passive tree and/or innate passive bonus, you would have to create a new character.
On top of the passive skills, there are also active skills like spells and what not, and the way the active skills are implemented definitely adds an entire separate dimension of customization to your character, and in my opinion deserves a huge round of applause.
Firstly, up to a maximum of 5 different skills can be equipped on your character at any one time, defaulting to the keyboard presses of Q, W, E, R and the right mouse click. You can swap the active skills around and find synergistic builds or skills that would complement your playstyle.
Each active skill has its own skill tree, and the skills would level up with you as long as they are placed in the Skill Specialization Slot. You start of with only one Skill Specialization Slot early in the game, but as your character levels up you would unlock more specialization slots, with the last slot being unlocked at character level 50. Skills that are not placed in the specialization slots can still be used if they are bound to the active skill hotkeys, just that they will not be able to level up or be customized.
The points for the skills can be respecced anytime, and a different skill can also be chosen to replace a current one in a specialization slot at anytime too. However there is a slight “skill experience” penalty for this, and you would be required to level up the skills again to regain the points for customization. That said, it is not as big a penalty as compared to other games where super rare drops or cash items are required to even reset one single skill point, so there is no worries with trying out specific skill trees.
What I thought was ingenious about the active skill tree implementation was how I could have freedom in modifying a particular base spell. I am playing a minion summoning Necromancer, and there are many ways you could spec the simple Summon Skeleton spell - while it defaults to a 50/50 mix of sword wielding skeleton warriors and ranged skeleton archers, do you like it to be 100% skeleton warriors? Or 100% skeleton archers? Or have some skeleton rogues too? Or perhaps have less skeletons but stronger skeletons? All these are possible depending on how you build the active skill trees.
And speaking of that, this is one of the few games that did not ruin the essence of the Necromancer - I enjoy having an entire army of undeads or golems walking with me, and this game allows you to do that if you wish to, instead of forcing necromancers to go with a meta bone spear build just so that you could even scratch the boss’s hide.
Storyline and Quests
Although relatively linear without much open-ended options, the story is entertaining with its twists and subtle hints of time travel continuity. I have to admit I did have to refer to online synopsis more often than once as I sometimes got lost on NPCs’ relationships with each other. That is 100% on me though.
While most of the quests are the typical “go here and defeat the dungeon boss” or “go and fetch this for me” ARPG quests, one of my favorite side quests involves having to do a time leap into the future to retrieve a quest item from a corpse so that you could open a door in the present (put this as vaguely as possible to not spoil the quest), and it captures the essence of the game’s time-traveling theme very well.
While the main story now ends at Chapter 9, this game is supposedly to have 3 more chapters in its storyline (until Chapter 12) which I guess could come in a future patch. After completing Chapter 9, the end-game content involves you exploring alternate timelines and seeing what could have happened if certain events went in a different direction. I have only completed one of the alternate timelines so far, and it definitely brings a further depth to the lore.
Final Thoughts
So tl;dr, this is definitely a game worth your time if you like playing hack-and-slash ARPGs, and offers good end-game content and replayability as well. And you get to play as a proper necromancer if you want to too.
On a final note, I think the developers do deserve praises for handling initial server issues and updating the rowdy public with transparent updates. Most recent games which require online authentication usually have rocky connection issues at launch due to influx of new players, and Last Epoch unfortunately was not spared from this misfortune. However seeing how the developers kept the player base updated with their findings and doing their best backend to solve the issues definitely instilled a lot of respect for them in me.
Difficulty Following Action RPG Stories
I have been playing Last Epoch lately, and in all honesty I am enjoying it very much - it just feels great to have an army of skellies roaming with you causing mayhem to everything that has a red life bar. I plan to write about it in more detail once I complete the main storyline, which is taking a bit longer than expected as I have to juggle with taking care of the little ones too.
Now, I am not sure if I am alone in this, but I do find myself getting lost regularly in the storylines in most hack-and-slash action RPGs (ARPGs). Not just Last Epoch, but even other titles like Diablo (and its subsequent versions), Grim Dawn, Titan Quest etc.
It is like most of the time at the beginning I learn a bit about what is happening, get to know a few characters, and as the story progresses I know I need to whack the big bad guy, but suddenly I cannot seem to recall why is a certain NPC helping me or why a certain quest is required to reach the said big bad guy - I end up having to search online for a synopsis every now and then to read up again on who’s who, who’s whose friend, and why I am doing certain things.
It is really strange that this only happens to me for hack-and-slash ARPGs, whereas in other RPGs like Disgaea series or Shining Force series (back on the Sega MD when I was a kid), or even Yakuza Like a Dragon, I tend to remember what is going on pretty well and have a deeper impression of the characters.
I wonder is it because the nature of hack-and-slash ARPGs they make you more focused on skills and items that you tend to click through the conversations?
Or perhaps the design of the dialog boxes with just a static portrait just does not leave a deep impression in the brain?
Or perhaps I just have a really short attention span and am clicking through dialog boxes really fast?
Just really intriguing.
That said, Last Epoch does have a pretty interesting and entertaining story so far, and although I had to refer to summaries online a couple of times now, I am certainly impressed with the attention to small details the developers gave in the storyline.
My Opinions on Nikon’s RED Acquisition
Just a couple of days ago a surprising announcement appeared in the late afternoon here - Nikon has acquired 100% of the cinema camera maker RED, making RED a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon.
Most of us definitely did not see this coming, so the news caught a lot of us off-guard, but in a very good way - it brings confidence to users as it shows Nikon’s commitment to improve and diversify their product lineup by expanding into the high-end movie making market and bring new video technology into their products.
I personally have not used RED products as I am not into video shooting, let alone high-end movie making, so I do not have any first hand experience or insights on RED products.
But the impression I had of RED was that they were a brand primarily associated with high-end videos and movies, with technologies such as global shutters and compressed RAW to improve quality and workflow of such productions.
Granted that the patent lawsuit (which was ultimately dismissed) a while back between RED and Nikon regarding the RAW video recording of the Z9 did somewhat paint a slightly negative image of RED, they do own rights to other technologies and have an established team of experts and technical specialists which would definitely help with development of Nikon’s video capabilities.
As I mentioned earlier I am no video shooter, and this acquisition in all honesty does not impact me directly as of now, but I do am quite intrigued with how things will turn out from this point on:
I am sure adding a Z-mount to RED cameras is already in the roadmap, so it comes down to whether there will be a new line of Nikon Cinema lenses developed to accommodate them?
RED currently holds a license to create cameras with RF-mount. Though highly improbable, going forward would we be able to see official RF-Z mount adapters?
I am pretty sure RED’s video technology would trickle down to the Z-system cameras. Seems interesting to see how RED RAW and N-RAW could be further developed or integrated together.
The access to RED’s global shutter sensor design could bring global shutter to the photography-oriented cameras sooner than anticipated.
Focus-by-wire has improved a lot compared to the past, and has opened up new options and possibilities such as employing multiple focus groups working in tandem without complicated mechanical couplings or large increases in physical size, eliminating focus breathing in the process too. Moving forward I am eager to see how else it can be innovated which will be beneficial to both stills and videos.
Any form of healthy competition between manufacturers would definitely bring about new innovations, and as end-users of cameras I am certainly looking forward to seeing new technology or workflow improvements brought forward by Nikon or other manufacturers due to this acquisition.
Thoughts on the Synology BeeStation
Earlier this year Synology announced the BeeStation, a simple Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution to create personal cloud servers.
(For more detailed information, the official press release of the product can be accessed here, with its corresponding product page here.)
While using NAS to create a personal cloud and backup solution is definitely not a new idea, BeeStation seems to simplify the process as much as it could to appeal to a wider audience.
With your typical NAS systems, it does require one to have certain technical knowledge (like port forwarding etc), and most NAS devices come without drives so hardware installation skills are required too. In this particular aspect, I personally do think that the BeeStation is going in the right direction by simplifying the whole device set-up process so that users can just get it up and running with minimal fuss.
As of writing there seems to be only a single model available - a single bay BeeStation with a 4TB HDD pre-installed.
From what I have read online, the set-up process is pretty straightforward - after plugging it into a router, create a Synology account and activate the device via the BeeStation portal site (I wonder if it is called BeePortal?), install and sign-in to the apps on the devices (mobile/desktop) you want to have access to the BeeStation, and that’s it.
No fighting with port-forwarding rules, no fighting with expired SSL certs.
More advanced users who require specific features or higher levels of customization may find this a bit too simplistic and lack many options that the usual DSM offers, but for the target audience of this product I think that its simplicity is definitely very appealing.
I personally own a couple of Synology NAS devices and while I have no issues about them with respect to my use case, I do find it hard to recommend to friends and family who are not very comfortable with tech as initial set-up and the occasional troubleshooting do require some knowledge of how things work.
The BeeStation does look like something that I could recommend to them for a simple personal cloud solution, though I do have certain reservations about it right now:
Which exact 4TB HDD is pre-installed?
Can the HDD be changed to a higher capacity or a different brand by the end-user?
Will there be RAID-1 (or SHR-1) 2-bay models down the road?
That said, I am definitely interested to see how this product line will develop over time and am keeping my eyes on it. I can see myself adding it to run alongside my current NAS’es as a family shared storage of sorts, though I would like to see how the product line evolves first.