Family, Photography and other misc news
With the new Nikon Z5 Mark II hitting the shelves of retailers Nikon have now launched there summer sale offers, and I am so tempted to pull the trigger on a Nikon Zf. I would be a spare backup body on professional shoots, and a every day fun camera when out and about.
Check your local retailer.
Nikon Z7
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S
50mm, 1/60 Sec at f/5.6, ISO1250
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V14.2
A major firmware release appeared this week for the ZF. Features like Autofocus bird tracking mode has now appeared.
With the new Z5II, Z6III, all using the same processing engine as the flagships Z9 and Z8, and this the ZF we are seeing common features rolled across the board.
Its great to see Nikon not skipping advanced features on their cheaper models.
Nikon Z7
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S
50mm, 1/200 Sec at f/8, ISO64
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V14.2
Fuji camera are very popular and they have two key selling points. One is the more traditional ergonomics with lens aperture rings and a traditional shutter speed dial; and two is their film simulations.
It’s something that Fuji pushes a lot, but the truth is many cameras have profiles. Now I shoot 99% with a Nikon Neutral profile which I use as a base, but often use Nikon Standard Monochrome with an Orange filter for black and white. If you are using profiles and using Adobe Lightroom, remember to ensure on your import settings is using camera settings and not changing it on the import.
As you can see here, with it set to camera settings you get your camera profile settings, I also have a number of custom ones I have created in Lightroom as well.
I see a lot of people selling presets for Lightroom on the internet but it’s very easy to create your own unique look and then create your own profile.
Less is more; is something that many people like in design.
In camera design this can be good and bad. A Leica M rangefinder is a very simple design with traditional controls.
The latest Hasselblads with there icon based menu system are a breath of fresh air, instead of having to wade though the typical menus of the Sony, Fuji, Canon and Nikons.
I leave Leica off there list as they have done a lot of work to simply the menu system, and with the Leica TL they had the icon style menu interface,
The Sigma BF is going to appeal to a different kind of photographer and is even more cut down then the Leica TL was. For some its going to inspire and I congratulate Sigma for being so brave in producing this.
I wrote the other day about character lens and I see Voiglander are announcing more lens this times for the Leica M mount.
Leica themselves also announced more classic lens themselves.
It seems since my post back in 2021 about the 40mm lens https://brown-family.org.uk/50mm-to-long-35mm-to-wide-meet-the-40mm/
Many manufacturers are now releasing one.
If you check out social media and YouTube everyone is shouting about how great the old Minolta 40mm is; the Sony, the Canon, the Nikon.
I think partially what’s driving this is the fact that many of these are character lens. Modern Sigma Art, Sony G Master lens, Canon L glass, Nikon S glass etc are striving to be as optically correct as possible. Many people feel that these lens lack character, are boring, and sterile.
If your after a character lens then Voiglander are a great place to look. Many of there APO lens are very good but some like the 40mm f/1.2 are very interesting. Wide open these have older characteristics which many find pleasing. Stop down beyond f/2.8 and there sharp more normal lens, open up and they offer character and a more interesting look. This will not be for everyone but many appreciate this.
Nikon themselves have jumped on this bandwagon with there none S f/1.4 lens, and the 40mm f/2 being particular notable and has quite a fan base.
Nikon Z7
Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S
35mm, 1/125 Sec at f/1.8, ISO64
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V14.2
In camera picture profile Monochrome with Orange Filter
I blogged the other week about cameras for work and pleasure, and I thought I would revisit this area.
I find it interesting in the number of photographers who go for retro style cameras for their personal use. There seems to be something that inspires when we use older style cameras.
One of the most popular but I expect due to price its more that people would like then actually own it the Leica M. An iconic camera and I am extremely lucky to own not only film M’s but digital M’s that I regularly use.
So you want a retro styled camera; what’s available. First up we have to start with Fuji, and I’ll mention the X100, but there whole X series are very good cameras if you want a retro feel.
I will also give a shout out to the Olympus Pen series cameras. Like the Fuji X100, I have come close to purchasing a Pen and the Pen F with its viewfinder I thought was a wonderful camera, we now also have the OM3 with again has a very retro feel.
Lastly as a Nikon fan I feel I should mention the ZFc and the ZF, both great cameras but a little larger in the hand.
If you want a fixed lens retro inspired camera, then I feel the options are Leica Q if money is no concern. Or for the majority of us the Fuji X100.
For interchangeable lens; if your after small I think the OM Pen series or the new OM3; I like MicroFourThirds; the small size and good lens line up. Have a look at the Fuji line up as well.
Lastly you have the Nikons, not as small but with the Z mount and the available adapters, possibly the biggest line of modern and classic lens to experiment with.