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Nikon offers optional Dot Sight accessory to aid telephoto photography

27 Aug

Alongside the official unveiling of the Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED, Nikon has announced an optional Dot Sight accessory to help telephoto photographers better track moving subjects. The DF-M1 makes it easier to aim a super-telephoto lens like the 500mm at a fast-moving, distant subject by presenting a wider field-of-view and an illuminated dot target that moves relative to the lens. The Dot Sight accessory will cost $ 175.

Press release:

NIKON RELEASES THE AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, A FIXED FOCAL LENTH SUPER-TELEPHOTO LENS COMPATIBLE WITH THE NIKON FX FORMAT

Delivers Exceptional Agility that Makes Hand-Held Super-Telephoto Photography Enjoyable, as Well as Offering Superior Optical Performance and Functionality

MELVILLE, NY (AUGUST 23, 2018 AT 1:01 A.M. EDT) –Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, a fixed focal length super-telephoto lens compatible with Nikon FX-format digital SLR cameras.

The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR is a high-performance, FX-format, super-telephoto lens that supports 500 mm focal length. The adoption of a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element has significantly reduced the size and weight of the lens, making hand-held super-telephoto photography easier and more enjoyable.

With a maximum diameter of 106 mm and length of 237 mm, the AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, which weighs 1,460g (roughly the same weight as the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR) is significantly lighter than previous500mm lenses which can typically weigh up to more than 3,000g. The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR is designed with consideration to dust- and drip- resistance, which in addition to the fluorine coat applied to the front lens surface, allows greater agility when shooting.

The use of one PF lens element and three ED glass elements enables extremely sharp and detailed rendering that is compatible with high pixel-count digital cameras. In addition, the materials used in the new PF lens element have been developed effectively to reduce PF (diffraction) flare, allowing light sources to be reproduced in near-original colors. In combination with Nikon’s coating technologies, such as the Nano Crystal Coat, effective in controlling ghost and flare, extremely clear images are achieved.

AF speed has been increased by making lens elements in the focusing group lighter. The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR is equipped with a VR mechanism that offers camera shake compensation equivalent to a 4.01-stop increase in shutter speed. The SPORT VR mode that has been adopted is especially effective when photographing fast-moving and unpredictable subjects such as wild birds, or in scenes such as sporting events. The stabilization of the image displayed in the viewfinder is also an effective feature for recording movies.

Additionally, the use of the Mount Adapter FTZ will allow the lens to be used with mirrorless cameras Nikon Z 7 and Nikon Z 6, also announced today. Users will be able to enjoy super-telephoto shooting at the 500 mm focal length with a system that is even more compact than ever before.

We are also planning to release the Dot Sight DF-M1, an accessory that is highly effective with super-telephoto photography. With super-telephoto shooting, a narrow field of view in the viewfinder tends to be made visible – making it easy to lose track of the subject. The Dot Sight DF-M1 makes it easy to keep track of the intended subject within the frame, even if the subject exhibits sudden movement.

PF (Phase Fresnel) Lens Elements
The PF (Phase Fresnel) lens, developed by Nikon, effectively compensates chromatic aberration, utilizing the photo diffraction phenomenon2. It provides superior chromatic aberration compensation performance when combined with a normal glass lens. Compared to many general camera lenses that employ an optical system using the photorefractive phenomenon, a remarkably compact and lightweight body can be attained with fewer lens elements.

Primary Features

Significantly smaller and lighter with the adoption of a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element, making 500 mm hand-held super-telephoto photography easier and more enjoyable
Designed with consideration to dust- and drip-resistance; fluorine coat applied to front lens surface, effectively repelling water droplets, grease, and dirt
Adoption of one PF lens element and three ED glass elements for extremely sharp and detailed rendering, compatible with high pixel-count digital cameras
Optical performance that is not compromised with the use of the TC-14E III AF-S teleconverter
Materials used in the new PF lens element effectively control PF (diffraction) flare
Ghost and flare effectively suppressed with the adoption of the Nano Crystal Coat, enabling clear images
AF speed increased by making lens elements in the focusing group lighter
Equipped with a VR mechanism that offers camera shake compensation equivalent to a 4.01-stop increase in shutter speed, in two modes: NORMAL and SPORT
Electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism adopted for extremely precise aperture control

Optional Accessories
We will release the Dot Sight DF-M1 (available separately), an accessory that is highly effective with super-telephoto photography. This accessory makes it easy to keep track of the intended subject, even if the subject exhibits sudden movement.

Price and Availability
The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR will be available September 13 for the suggested retail prices (SRP) of $ 3599.95*. The Dot Sight DF-M1 will be available for $ 174.95 SRP*. For more information on these and other Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Pricing and availability announced for ‘compact’ Nikon 500mm F5.6E

27 Aug

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Nikon has gone public with pricing and availability for its previously-announced AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR lens. The use of a Phase Fresnel element allows for a smaller and lighter lens design, in theory allowing the 500mm F5.6 to be used handheld somewhat comfortably. The lens will be available September 13th for $ 3600.

Press release:

NIKON RELEASES THE AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, A FIXED FOCAL LENTH SUPER-TELEPHOTO LENS COMPATIBLE WITH THE NIKON FX FORMAT

Delivers Exceptional Agility that Makes Hand-Held Super-Telephoto Photography Enjoyable, as Well as Offering Superior Optical Performance and Functionality

Primary Features

Significantly smaller and lighter with the adoption of a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element, making 500 mm hand-held super-telephoto photography easier and more enjoyable
Designed with consideration to dust- and drip-resistance; fluorine coat applied to front lens surface, effectively repelling water droplets, grease, and dirt
Adoption of one PF lens element and three ED glass elements for extremely sharp and detailed rendering, compatible with high pixel-count digital cameras
Optical performance that is not compromised with the use of the TC-14E III AF-S teleconverter
Materials used in the new PF lens element effectively control PF (diffraction) flare
Ghost and flare effectively suppressed with the adoption of the Nano Crystal Coat, enabling clear images
AF speed increased by making lens elements in the focusing group lighter
Equipped with a VR mechanism that offers camera shake compensation equivalent to a 4.01-stop increase in shutter speed, in two modes: NORMAL and SPORT
Electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism adopted for extremely precise aperture control

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images

27 Aug

Semi black and white or selective color photos are quite effective. It’s an old trick by some photographers considered a cheap trick, nevertheless, it is a quite effective one. And just because it’s an old idea it should not hold you back from experimenting with it.

Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color - old ship in Denmark

A selective color photograph of the Viking ship “The Sea Stallion” in Roskilde, Denmark.

In this article, you will learn a couple of different ways to make selective color photos and you how to spot or photograph the candidates. It’s not a technique that is applicable to all photographs, but for some, it can make a big difference.

You most likely already know some famous selective color photos. A classic image is of a 7-year old boy kissing a 7-year old girl while holding a red rose, where the flower is the only thing in color. Or a photo of a red bicycle, and everything else but the bicycle is black and white.

These examples are probably part of the reason the technique is considered a cheap trick.

street in europe at night with orange lights - Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

Background information

Before diving into the technique, you might want to know the theory. The pioneer landscape photographer Ansel Adams used a technique in his darkroom to change the exposure locally on various parts of a photo. This way he could make some areas brighter and others darker.

The human eye naturally seeks the brighter parts of a photo and by using this knowledge, Ansel Adams could emphasize what he wanted and guide the viewer around in his photos. This technique is called dodging and burning.

selective color landscape scene - Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

You can use a similar technique with colors. Just as the human eye is attracted to bright areas in an image, it is also attracted to more saturated areas. In this way, it is very similar to dodging and burning. You can use this as a tool to guide the viewer’s eye around a photo.

Just to be clear: It is the difference in saturation that the eye can spot not just high saturation. If you have even saturation all over your photo, you can’t control the eye through color. Increasing or decreasing the overall saturation will not change that situation and if everything gets too saturated it often becomes painful to look at.

If you only turn up the saturation on certain objects of interest in your photo, the eye will seek those out. This way you will be able to guide the viewer to the important objects in your photo.

Chicago the Bean - Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

You can achieve the same effect by decreasing the saturation from everything else but the subject. If you go to the extreme end and completely remove all color, except a few elements, you will have a semi-black and white or selective color photo.

By using this technique you will create stronger photos.

The classic technique to create selective color photos

You can create the classic “boy kisses girl” or “red bike” photographs, but you can also go searching for something else. This example is from the famous Nyhavn in Copenhagen. These old houses are very colorful, which can look great, but also can be quite an eyeful of colors.

row of houses in Copenhagen - Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

By removing colors from all houses except the two yellow ones, the attention is strong on those two houses. Any house or two houses picked to be saturated, would attract attention, but the two picked are good candidates, because:

They are both the same color, which creates balance.
They are approximately the same size, which also adds to creating balance.
Most importantly, they have symmetrical placement in the photo.

Composition

Notice that the houses are placed the same distance from the edge of the frame. That emphasizes the composition and makes it a stronger photo than most other available choices.

Notice also that the windows between the two yellow houses have some color. That is a spice that allows the viewer to discover more subtle details, making the image more interesting to look at.

Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

You can use the selective color approach to create a different kind of composition within your photo. You can plan this when you are photographing. Or, as I did in this case, you can discover it when you post-process the photos. It is the final result that counts, not the path you chose to get there.

The next photo is a similar example from a metro station. Again you can see the clearly separated colored stairs. Just like before, you can also find a little spice in the blue color added to the stairs. You can do that kind of trick to make the image more intriguing.

red and blue stairs - Learn How to Use the Strength of Selective Color

If you want to create photographs like these, search for something that you can make stand out. Then frame it, like it was more or less the only object within the frame. You have to think of it as a very simple composition, even if it is a busy scene.

When you desaturate the rest of the image, the balance will change. The colored elements will be the primary focus points, regardless of everything else in the photo.

How to make a classic selective color photo

There are several ways to do this, in this example, you will learn an easy-to-learn approach in Adobe Lightroom. First, you have to find the photo that you want to work on and then follow these steps.

Step 1 – Go to the Development Module

Lightroom Develop - How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images

Step 2 – Pick the Adjustment Brush tool

Step 3 – Set brush settings

At first, make sure you have edge detection (Auto Mask) disabled and the brush is at 100% flow and 100% density. Then reset all settings (double-click on the word Effect) except Saturation, which you will then set to -100.

Step 4 – Paint everything black and white

How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images

Step 5 – Switch to the Erase brush

Step 6 – Paint in the objects you want to have color

Set the size of the brush to something that is fitting for your subject and paint roughly over it. The Erase Brush will remove the black and white, and you will get a colored object.

Step 7 – Zoom in and make sure you have the edges right

Next Zoom in (press Z) and switch between the Brush and the Erase Brush to make a perfect edge.

Depending on your photo, you may have to use either Feather at 0 or you may be able to use Auto Mask, which is the automatic edge detection. In this case, the Auto Mask cannot figure out the edge and I had to use a brush at 0 Feather (hard edge brush).

How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images

Remove some colors

You can also use a different approach. Instead of limiting the colors to a specific object, you can remove certain colors. This approach works well on photos that have unwanted colors or a color cast.

In the example below of the Vikingship, the photograph was shot during the blue hour. Because the blue light reflects in the snow it becomes too much and it is not flattering. By removing the Blues and the Cyan/Aquas the photo changes and becomes a piece of fine art. Use the HSL panel to do this.

How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images - before and after images

Just by removing blue and cyan/aqua a photo can become a piece of fine art.

This technique gives photos that have a much more complex separation between the black and white and the colored elements and the viewer can go searching for details. In the photo above, you can find a second Viking ship with Christmas lights on in the background.

Here’s another example from The Scoop in London. There was a light drizzle, which was enough for the blue light to shine and appear to glow into the air. By removing all other colors than blue and purple the photo is changed dramatically.

This third photograph below is from a train station in Geneva.

If you study the photos you can see the colored selections are much more complex and not something you can do by hand.

The photograph from London is about the shape of The Scoop. The original photograph had an orange sky, which did not work well with the blue light of The Scoop. By using the selective color black and white technique, the focus is on The Scoop.

How to remove individual colors

You can very easily remove specific colors in Adobe Lightroom. Find the photo you want to work with.

Step 1 – Go to the Develop Module

How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images

Step 2 – Go to the HSL module

HSL panel
Play with pulling some of the sliders to zero and leaving some at 100. You may have to dial several of the sliders to zero to achieve the desired effect.

The post How to Use Selective Color for More Dynamic Images appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Nikon FTZ adapter lets you use over 360 F-mount lenses on Z-series bodies

26 Aug

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One question many people have when a new camera system is announced is ‘but will my old lenses work?’ In the case of the Nikon Z system, the answer is ‘yes’ in the vast majority of cases, with no reduction of image quality or performance, according to the company.

With the optional FTZ adapter over 90 AF-S lenses will be fully compatible with the Z 7 and Z 6. They can take advantage of the camera’s in-body image stabilization and, if you’re using a VR-equipped lens, it will have 5-axis stabilization. (Non-VR lenses will now have 3-axis VR.)

Take an in-depth look at the FTZ’s functionality and our initial performance impressions

The adapter supports the silent shooting and focus peaking functions of the Z-series cameras and, like the Z 7 and Z 6, it’s also weather-sealed.

The FTZ adapter will ship at the end of September for $ 249. When purchased with a Nikon Z 6 or Z 7 through December 31 2018, Nikon will offer a $ 100 discount.

Press Release

NIKON RELEASES THE NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S, NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S, AND THE MOUNT ADAPTER FTZ, AND DEVELOPS THE NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S NOCT

Designed Exclusively for the Nikon Z Mount System, Featuring a New, Larger-Diameter Mount

MELVILLE, NY (AUGUST 23, 2018 AT 1:01 A.M. EDT) – Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the release of three new lenses designed for the next-generation Nikon Z mount system’s full-frame (Nikon FX format) mirrorless cameras, for which a new larger-diameter mount has been adopted. The three new lenses are the standard zoom NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, the wide-angle prime NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S, and the standard prime NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S. Nikon has also announced the Mount Adapter FTZ for Z System compatibility with existing NIKKOR F mount lenses and development of the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens¹.

NIKKOR Z lenses pursue a new dimension in optical performance, by taking advantage of the superior design flexibility made possible by the combination of the larger Z mount with its inner diameter of 55mm, and a short flange focal distance of 16mm. The lenses offer sharp resolution with both still-image and video recording, and are equipped with functions that include: compensation for focus breathing (the shifting of the angle of view when focus is adjusted), quiet operation, smooth exposure control, a control ring and performance that is well suited for video capture.

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S, and NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S are S-Line interchangeable lenses. The S-Line is a newly designated grade of NIKKOR Z lenses that adhere to a new benchmark in optical performance, realizing rendering performance that surpasses that of conventional f/4 standard zoom lenses and f/1.8 wide-angle or standard prime lenses. From maximum aperture, clear and sharp resolution can be achieved as well as beautiful bokeh characteristics.

Additionally, the Mount Adapter FTZ has been designed to allow users of Nikon SLR cameras to utilize their existing NIKKOR F mount lenses with the Z mount system and enjoy taking advantage of an even wider variety of lens characteristics with their photography.

Development of the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct

Nikon is currently developing the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, a standard prime manual focus lens and the fastest lens in Nikon’s history. The design of the Noct lens exemplifies Nikon’s mission to pursue the ultimate optical performance in the mirrorless category. As the result, the Noct is positioned at the top of the S-Line. In addition, Nikon is planning on releasing a variety of new lenses that will continue to expand its line of attractive, high-performance NIKKOR Z lenses that further extend photographers’ creative expressions.

NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S Primary Features

Standard focal-length range from wide-angle 24mm to medium-telephoto 70mm can effectively cover a wide variety of scenes and subjects with rendering performance that will change the perception of what is possible with zoom lenses with a maximum aperture of f/4
Optical design that suppresses variations in aberrations from shooting distances of close-up to infinity, demonstrating sharp resolution even in the peripheral areas of the frame from the maximum aperture, as well as fine point-image reproduction
Achieved a minimum focus distance of just 0.3 m across the zoom range
Adoption of an ED glass element, an aspherical ED lens element, and three aspherical lens elements
Nano Crystal Coat adopted to suppress ghosting and flare
Has the size needed to deliver an extremely high standard of optical performance, yet provides outstanding portability; employs a retracting mechanism that can be set on/off without pressing a button and reduces total length for a compact lens that can easily be taken anywhere
In consideration to a dust- and drip-resistance, the entire lens, including moving parts, has been sealed
Fluorine coat applied to front lens surface

NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Primary Features

Rendering performance that redefines perceptions of what a 35 mm f/1.8 lens can do
Sharp resolution even in the peripheral areas of the frame from the maximum aperture, effective suppression of sagittal coma flare that enables superb point-image reproduction when capturing point light sources in night landscapes, and the soft and natural bokeh characteristics expected of a fast (bright) lens
Adoption of a new multi-focusing system featuring two AF drive units providing driving power at high speed and with high accuracy that achieves quiet, fast, and accurate AF control, as well as high image-forming performance at any focus distance
Adoption of two ED glass elements, and three aspherical lens elements
Nano Crystal Coat adopted to suppress ghosting and flare
In consideration to a dust- and drip-resistance, the entire lens, including moving parts, has been sealed

NIKKOR Z 50 mm f/1.8 S Primary Features

Superior rendering ignites creativity, and redefines perceptions of what a 50mm f/1.8 lens can do
Thorough suppression of axial chromatic aberration ensures superior resolution with faithful reproduction of the fine textures in subjects, even from maximum aperture
Sharp and clear rendering of details from the center of the frame to the peripheral edges, regardless of the shooting distance
The soft and beautiful bokeh characteristics at any shooting distance possible only with a fast (bright) lens
Adoption of two ED glass, and two aspherical lens elements
Nano Crystal Coat adopted to suppress ghosting and flare
Adoption of a new, powerful stepping motor (STM) enables quiet and accurate AF control during both still-image capture and video recording
In consideration to a dust- and drip-resistance, the entire lens, including moving parts, has been sealed

Mount Adapter FTZ Primary Features

Full compatibility with more than 90 lenses and functionality with approximately 360 existing NIKKOR F lenses from AI type onwards²
The unique characteristics of NIKKOR F mount lenses can be applied to Z mount system image quality
In-camera VR (Vibration Reduction) with three-axis VR is available when attaching a NIKKOR F lens without built-in VR; in-camera VR also performs well with stills and video recording
When attaching a NIKKOR F lens with built-in VR, lens VR and in-camera VR effectively work together to compensate for camera shake by enabling three-axis VR.
Various sections of the adapter are effectively sealed to ensure dust- and drip-resistant performance equivalent to that of NIKKOR F lenses
Designed to be lightweight yet tough with consideration for superior operability as a part of a complete system

Development of the New NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct Lens that Pursues Ultimate Optical Performance

The NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct that Nikon is currently developing will be a large aperture, standard 58mm prime focal-length, the fastest lens in Nikon’s history³, manual-focus lens positioned at the very top of the S-Line. It will stand to symbolize the Nikon Z mount system’s new dimension in optical performance.

It has inherited the design concept behind the original AI Noct-NIKKOR 58mm f/1.2, a standard prime lens released in 1977, named for “Nocturne” (a musical composition inspired by or evocative of the night), and was popular for its ability to finely reproduce point light sources as point images. This new Noct lens that is currently in development will take advantage of the advanced design flexibility afforded by the Z mount, pursuing ultimate optical performance. Development continues with the goals of achieving an extremely fast maximum aperture of f/0.95, offering the ultimate in NIKKOR rendering performance with superior detail and sharpness. Additionally, the goal is to achieve beautiful blur characteristics, or bokeh, with good continuity, and ensure outstanding point-image reproduction capabilities for more compelling, three-dimensional imaging.

The NIKKOR Z Lens Roadmap

Information in the roadmap, including release dates, are subject to change. Product names after the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct are not yet finalized.

Price and Availability

The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S and NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S will be available September 27 for the suggested retail prices (SRP) of $ 999.95* and $ 849.95*, respectively. The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S lens will be available in late October for the SRP of $ 599.95*. The Mount Adapter FTZ will be available September 27 for $ 249.95* SRP (Additional $ 100 savings when purchased together with a Z 7 or Z 6, through 12/31/2018). For more information on these and other Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The Nikon Z is a big step for Nikon but they need to keep being brave

26 Aug

The Nikon Z is a brave and important step for Nikon and, while it might not have got everything right first time, it shows enough promise to encourage existing users to commit themselves to the system. However, to deliver the system’s full potential, Nikon needs to continue being brave.

A brave new lens mount…

It may sound odd but I think the most significant thing about the Nikon Z cameras isn’t that they’re mirrorless: it’s that they use a new lens mount. This may sound like the same thing, but I think it’s informative to separate the two ideas.

A mirrorless design lets the body be a bit smaller and allows a more consistent experience between stills and video shooting, but that’s not that radical. Casting off the existing limitations of your mount and looking to the future: that’s a big step.

Nikon is a company with a long history and a proud 100 year tradition of making excellent products. Whether it’s the Nikon F, F3, FM, D3, D500 or D850, it’s produced some genuinely superb cameras. And then, of course, there are the lenses: it’s 59 years since the company introduced the F-mount and the majority of those lenses can still be used, to various extents, on its latest models.

Moving to a new lens mount, even if you do everything you can to respect history by maintaining backwards compatibility, is a huge step. Canon’s reputation took a knock when it took the decision to abandon its existing FD lenses and move to the EF mount. It was a big move but one that’s been vindicated by how future-proof a large, all electronic mount has proven to be. Sony, conversely, made the decision to squeeze a full frame sensor into its E-mount, rather than try to add a third mount to its lineup.

Nikon showed a series of mockup lenses when it launched the 1 System, but the decision to spell-out its plans for the Z mount represents an unusual degree of candor for the company.

The move to mirrorless was, then, the perfect chance to design a new lens mount and Nikon has clearly gone out of its way to make something flexible. If you asked a team of engineers who’d spent their entire careers working with the restrictions of a narrow-throated, film-era mount to design something new, the vast, adaptable Z-mount is probably what they’d come up with.

And this is promising for the future: it provides plenty of scope for making a wide range of lenses without having to worry about sending light to the corners of the sensor at hard-to-capture oblique angles.

The Z mount compared to the F mount.

…a little shortsightedness?

But, while I commend Nikon for making a break with its past, I worry a little that it’s decided not to share the details of this mount with third party makers.

It’s understandable that, having sold 100 million lenses for your existing mount, you might feel you don’t need anyone else’s help. However, for photographers without any F-mount lenses, the initial lack of third-party support (in terms both of adaptors and native lenses) will look like a weak point.

The dimensions of Sony’s E mount may look somewhat restrictive when compared with the Nikon Z’s but even if you think solely in terms of full frame, it has a four and a half year headstart and native support from both Sigma and Tamron. This gives it a huge advantage in terms of native lens availability and one that it’s likely to maintain if Nikon won’t let anyone else play in its sandpit.

Wouldn’t it be better to open up the mount and make the whole system look more attractive to would-be buyers? After all, you shouldn’t have to artificially protect your own lens sales if you’re confident that yours are better quality or better value than those of third parties.

…and some opportunities missed

Beyond the lens mount, Nikon has struck a similar balance of respecting history and seizing new opportunities: copying much of its widely-admired ergonomics and UI directly across while also making much greater use of the touchscreen than would have made sense on a DSLR.

But the job’s not done. In designing the Z 7, Nikon seems to have used a continuation of its live view AF system (the one no one uses), rather than see the move to mirrorless as an opportunity to re-think how AF would be controlled, given a blank piece of paper.

Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking

Initially this will present a hurdle for Nikon DSLR users moving across but that in itself shouldn’t be the deal-breaking argument: these cameras need to attract new users, too. The more compelling argument for more closely mimicking its DSLRs’ through-the-viewfinder AF behavior is that it’s the best in the industry. And it should be: Nikon’s literally spent decades refining it, to the point it’s used by news, action and sports journalists the world over.

Nikon’s 3D Tracking system, where you position an AF point and it tracks whatever was under that point when you initiate AF is brilliant. No matter which system we’ve each come from, there’s consensus in the DPReview office that 3D Tracking represents best practice. There’s a reason why Sony’s mirrorless cameras seem to more closely copy its behavior with every generation (though if they could also take note of Nikon’s system working without the need for an infinite number of AF area modes, that’d be good, too).

Unfortunately, Nikon has instead opted for a clumsier system adapted from its live view AF tracking system. This requires you to press ‘OK’ or tap on a subject before it’ll start tracking, rather than simply tracking based on your pre-selected AF point. Worse still, it requires that you disengage tracking (either by pressing ‘OK’ again or by tapping onto a different subject), rather than simply reverting to your chosen point when you release the shutter button.

This might not sound like much of an inconvenience, but it’s the difference between being able to switch subjects in-the-moment, rather than having to stop shooting, make a change and start all over again. It’s a loss of precisely the immediacy and simplicity that makes 3D Tracking so good in the first place.

To be clear, I’m not criticizing the AF algorithms themselves: we’ve not fully tested it yet but the Z 7’s tracking seems incredibly sticky: my concern is solely about the user interface

Act now, before things become set in stone

As I say, Nikon’s through-the-viewfinder behavior is so good that it would be worth Nikon trying to mimic it in the Z system’s interface. And yes, there’ll be the added bonus that it’ll be behavior that existing users expect. But they need to do it now, before the new, less refined behavior becomes ossified as ‘the behavior our existing users expect.’

So, having made a break with the past to adopt a radical, future-proof lens mount, I call on Nikon to be brave again and redesign its AF behavior. And maybe have a think about whether third-party lenses are a threat or a benefit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography – A Match Made in Heaven?

26 Aug

Can you use mirrorless cameras for wedding photography? My answer is yes you can, absolutely. Why not?

That doesn’t mean mirrorless is for every photographer. I will preface this discussion by saying that your camera is a tool, and it’s all personal taste. No camera is perfect, neither is any photographer. It’s about using what fits.

mirrorless cameras and weddings - two kids at a wedding

I can promise you that many professional wedding photographers will shun the idea of trusting a mirrorless camera for the job of photographing weddings. Some of the best in the world will say that. In turn, some of the best wedding photographers in the world use mirrorless cameras. Some of the naysayers’ concerns are valid, some are ignorant.

Switching over to mirrorless

I will share my experiences and you can use that to help you make an informed decision. I’ve used Fuji mirrorless cameras as my exclusive platform since July of 2014. It started with me needing to upgrade my 7 and 9-year-old Canon 1D series SLRs and being rather unexcited with my upgrade options.

mirrorless cameras - black and white wedding candid photo

My friend at my local camera shop had recently switched from Nikon to Fuji mirrorless and let me play with his camera. It was a rangefinder design and had a lot of resemblance to retro film cameras. It was fun to use and due to its smaller size, it wasn’t a daunting task to take it everywhere. So I picked up a Fuji XT-1 of my own.

This was 2014 when mirrorless technology was still in its infancy and didn’t have the capabilities it does today. It was a rocky 3-4 month learning curve, and some of it was frustrating, especially as I tried to incorporate the Fuji into my professional work.

mirrorless cameras wedding candid photo

Something was different about my work so I stuck with it. When getting used to a different platform, logic should prevail that you have to learn that system, not expect it to work as you think it should. That principle is a hard one to swallow for many. It requires you to think differently, it requires you to change. Sometimes that can do wonders for your inspiration and overall work.

What is different?

When I was getting used to the Fuji system, it seemed that few photographers really understood the system, and we would just learn it together. The image goes straight from the lens to the sensor, there is no mirror inside the camera body. It also uses a contrast phase detection autofocus.

Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography - bride in black and white

In the early days before improved sensors, firmware updates, and faster lenses, the camera hunting for focus was a huge issue. Particularly in low light and in points of lower contrast.

Today, the technology is greatly improved, but there are still advantages an SLR has over mirrorless, particularly for sports and rapid-fire shooters. But anyone who loves the mirrorless system can use it for any kind of professional work. If you learn the system.

What really changed?

Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography - couple getting married

For me, getting used to the mirrorless system changed how I worked and shifted many things about my whole approach. The biggest was using all prime lenses, where before I was using all zoom lenses.

The primes are faster to focus and have better depth of field control from the available Fuji lens lineup. That made me move my feet and become more strategic with my composition. It’s been easier to rely on fewer focal lengths and pick my most versatile lenses.

Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography - couple toasting

I’ve worked closely with the subjects and have become more deliberate with my work. More negative space in my composition and more watching and waiting for the shot, less rapid fire. The tack sharp glass and amazing Fuji color, the electronic viewfinder, and compact size made the system a joy to use.

The things that at first seem to be shortcomings can actually help us become stronger artists through patience and adaptability. My whole point of discussing these past issues is it emphasizes the transition that was required then, and many didn’t make it through. Which is neither right or wrong. The point is that anyone who wants to learn the system has better tools to do so in the present day.

Why or why not to use mirrorless cameras for wedding photography

Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography - first dance b/w

No one can address the future of photography as far as SLR, mirrorless, etc. Nor should that matter. Here are some key facts that may help offer an inside perspective.

Battery life isn’t as long as SLR cameras so spares are needed. You can disable the live electronic viewfinder and switch to optical which helps.

Most mirrorless wedding photographers use two active bodies. You can use a harness or wear one around your neck with your most used lens, and have another camera at your hip with a side holster – just as an example. There’s something more deliberate about primes, and less of a clinical look.

Mirrorless Cameras and Wedding Photography - dance and kiss

There are limitations with TTL flash and mirrorless cameras. The options are to work with that and use manual, which I always have anyway, or not use flash. Which is not always an option.

Pixel peeping and stressing over crop sensor (APS-C)

NOTE: Sony does make full-frame mirrorless bodies if it bothers you that much, or you can stick with your DSLR.

Those people stressing over the smaller sensor make no sense to me. Only other photographers notice noise or will pick an image apart for technical imperfections.