Nikon Z9: Back to a tent peg smasher

 I placed an order for the Nikon Z9 the day the stores began to take them. I wasn't in a rush to get it, and I was hoping to hear more concrete information of a possible Z8 before the body arrived. A little less than five months, and I received an email with tracking information.

So far it's been a good experience.

1. The AF is much better than the Z7, and better than the D3.
2. The Nikon 200-500mm surprisingly focuses much faster than on the Z7. I'm not sure if it's a placebo effect, or whether the AF is stickier, leading to the impression that it's focusing faster as it doesn't hunt.
3. I'm getting more peak moment shots for surfing. I'm also getting more junk shots as I don't let off the shutter soon enough.
4. The shutter does blank out at 1/100s. I'll have to look into why that's happening, as I thought it would only blank out at sub-1/30s exposures.
5. I've only hit the buffer a few times, and this is with Sony XQD cards shooting high efficiency (HE*) files.
6. On two surfing shoots (2500+ shots), the battery did not drop below 50%, and I barely filled one 120GB card. 
7. The Z9 barely fits in my Peak Design 10L Everyday Sling. Hopefully the zipper stands up to the abuse.
8. I'm not used to the weight. My arms hurt after the first outing with the Z9 + 70-200E. In my younger days, I could last several hours with a D2H + 70-200VR + SB-800 + flash bracket.

I'll update this post as I continue to learn the camera.

On a side note, I picked up an Irix 11mm f/4 (not that I need something this wide, but it was a bargain) and a Sigma 50mm Art (not that I need yet ANOTHER normal lens, but it was also a bargain, especially for the Otus Lite). More on these lenses as I use them.

Another fast classic: the Canon 55mm f/1.2 FL

 Last year I discovered the fun of scrolling through Facebook Marketplace for bargains (aka stuff I don't space or a need, but are too much of a bargain to deny). I've managed to only pick up three things so far: a Canon CanoScan 8800 (a replacement for my aging Epson Perfection 2450), Nikon 85mm f/1.8S, and a Canon 55mm f/1.2 FL that came with a Canon FT QL body. The lens is a lovely piece of metal and glass, comparable to my Nikon 55mm f/1.2 (surprisingly, I haven't written about this lens on this blog).

I've had minimal experience with the lens so far, but from what I've seen, it has the same image quality as the Nikon: lots of veiling flare when shot wide open, but gains enough contrast by f/2. Sadly I forgot to bring it along to test it out with the Christmas lights, but I'm pretty sure it's going to have similar coma issues as the Nikon since they're from the same generation.

Not a bad start

I did a little cleanup of my kit. Since I haven't used the Fuji XT-1 in over a year, I took that as a sign to let go of the lenses. The 56mm f/1.2 and 23mm f/1.4 have gone on to new homes, where I hope they will receive much love. The Nikon 35mm f/1.8ED and 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition have also moved on. Of the three lenses, the 50mm saw the least use and the least admiration, but it had the nicest cosmetics. Nikon would sell more lenses (to me at lesat) if they added the classic silver ring to their lineup.

So that leaves me with the 35mm f/2 and the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 to us with the XT-1. I really doubt that either will get much use since the Z7 is the superior camera, and the V2 the more portable one.

I also found a clean Canoscan 9000F for $50. It'll make a good replacement for my ancient Epson Photo Perfection 2450 (purchased for S170 waaaaay back in 2004) for scanning MF negatives.

The jury is still out on the Nikon 50mm f/1.8S. So far I can't find anything to complain about with regards to the IQ, but I just can't connect to the focal length. It's neither wide enough nor tele enough, it's just too.....normal.

Year end musings 2020 edition

A whole year without a post. Life remains a time suck, and working remotely hasn't helped. I've regained two hours a day by not having to commute, but I'm spending more time working, and spending more time being active outdoors. The latter is great, the former not so. 

On to photography. I added just one lens this year, the Tamron 35mm f/1.4. I haven't managed to get the hang of the lens yet as my shooting opportunities have been very limited since I got the lens. So far the IQ has been very good: sharp wide open, with good contrast and smooth bokeh. Vignetting is more than I'm used to though, even with the ACR profile applied. Don't think about using this lens for astrophotography because of that. It's a solidly built lens, and is probably too big and heavy for the Z7. I'm unsure that it's going to be a walkabout lens that I thought it would be. 

I sold the Sigma 12-24 f/4.5~5.6 HSM, for a net of zero lenses. This is a lens that didn't get that much use. It definitely suffered from messy corners, surprisingly even on the D5200. The Nikon 14-30mm is light years ahead of it, even if it doesn't go as wide. One lens that won't bring back fond memories. 

I managed to get Gallery 3 Revival working, but unfortunately I haven't figured out how to import my old galleries. I don't think I want to re-create them from scratch as that is a tedious process. Plus since Gallery 2 won't run under PHP 7, I'm not even sure what photos I had posted.

What's in store for 2021? I'm not sure at this stage. There is a Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 that's caught my eye, but I really, really don't need yet another normal lens. The Z7 should still be good for another two years or so, which means no Z7 II for me. Maybe a Z9, if the AF is as good as a D6 out of the box. Price will most likely put a stop to that upgrade though. And some of the lenses I purchased last year didn't get much use this year, so 2021 will be busy with getting to know them.

 Here's to a quick end to 2020, and the desperate wish that 2021 won't be worse.

Updates:

1. Thanks to the very helpful gurus of the Gallery 3 group, looks like I have to get my host service to downgrade my PHP in order to run the older gallery version and then upgrade. Something to try next year.

2. I've put four lenses on Craigslist, and so far I've only sold one.

3. I bought a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S. Quite a hefty lens, and given that I had a hard time finding sample images from my 50mm f/1.8G, I doubt it'll get much use. But I just had to see what all the fuss is about hehe.

4. I also picked up a Lenovo P32-u10 monitor. Having a 32" and a 24" is getting to be a bit of a pain when I move windows around. I'll need more desk space though.

Saying goodbye to a beloved lens

I've owned my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR since 2003. It was my first modern (AF-S, VR) pro lens that I bought brand new, at the exhorbitant cost (to me) of $1750. I have had zero regrets on spending all that money, as it has been my go-to lens for events and sports. The lens did have to go in for repair (intermittent AF issue, a "feature" of this generation of the 70-200mm), thankfully under warranty.

The 70-200VR replaced a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D one touch lens that was a good intro to the world of fast, pro lenses. No comparison between the two as the newer lens has better IQ, faster AF (even on a D2H with the stronger AF motor), and VR. Coupled with the TC-14EII, I used this lens for parades, street fairs, performances, surfing, and drifting. This lens has taken the majority of the thousands of photos that I've taken. I don't think I can think of any other lens that would come close in terms of usage.

So goodbye, old favorite. You have a lot of life in you yet, and I hope your new owner enjoys you as much as I did.