Nikon Z AF

The design improvement was needless to say a improvement however...

No one shills for Nikon more than this guy. Around the clock, 365 days a year, year after year.... we have all witnessed it.

Coincidence????

Yes, let's be candid, Leonard. What are your motives for spending so much time, literally years, defending Nikon's products across multiple web forums?

Does this site have threaded view yet? Getting through threads like this and following what’s what is an absolute nightmare in flat view!

Glad to see that all the aging testosterone (or what’s left of it, the memory and desire of it only perhaps?) is playing out here again as it did on DPR. Actually, not glad at all. In fact a bit sad and depressing/frustrating, but somehow strangely addictive, but not in a good way. The Nikon Z forum at DPR has become strangely calm and uncontroversial site of late - I wonder why? 😊

What I can say is I and a few others I work alongside, have no AF or exposure issues in the studio with the Z7 - with appropriate camera settings.

Why - according to you - some others photographers do not select appropriate settings (with any brand of camera) for a specific photographic scenario - is not for me to explain.

All camera brands are able to do what they are are designed to do - in the hands of capable photographers.

Unfortunately a few empty kettles (including you) make a lot of noise - and examining the noise in detail shows that if they filled the kettle with water before turning on the heat or proceeded with reasonable integrity when comparing cameras/lenses there would be little noise to talk about.

If as you report you cannot get the results other easily achieve - perhaps the issue lies behind your camera viewfinder.

Perhaps more realistically you give an strong impression - due to a lack of hands on fact and repeating fiction - of shooting yourself in both feet at the same time almost every time you post.

If I am reading this table right, it shows that z 7 wide S on par with D850. After reading Thom Hogan's and Steve Perry's books I realized that focusing with Z cameras is different then with DSLRs and it takes some learning curve.

@Sagittarius An update: After running that test, which was at F/5.6, I thought maybe AF-S/Wide Small was the "answer" but sadly in real world conditions at F/9 in the studio, while it did a bit better than AF-S single sensor, it still didn't work out that well. Unfortunately. I do need to (a lot) more testing to put some qualitative measures to what I've been seeing in the studio environment for a couple years now, but to do it right takes time, which is a bit in short supply at the moment.

Thank you for your reply. Why is F/9 in studio? Are you still using Z 7 or Z 7 II?

Because apertures like f/9 are standard in studio shooting. I think this is part of the problem. People are commenting on subject matters they do not have proper grasp on.

Nikon DSLRs are using the fastest aperture on the lens to focus. Z cameras are using set apertures up to f/5.6. And this is in addition to the other differences between focusing systems of the DSLRs and MLs. Also would you be so kind to explain why f/9 is a standard for studio shooting?

Google search finds from f2.8 to f8 and everything in between. Also studio shoots can be different: portraits, products, dancers you name it.

The point in most studio shots is to light and get fabulous dof. Most shooters do not want ears drifting out of focus. At these often close distances and large format sensors, they do unless one is well stopped down. Yes it will be different between formats (and subject distances obviously)...but generally they are not shooting much at wide open apertures or even the first few. The old school portraits are all at f/8...there will be shots where 2.8 is used...mike is clearly wanting detail over blur.

I know you know all this; saying it for the other posters' benefit who is consulting Google.

If we just go by specs, the Z9 low light capability has been improved.

• Z7 normal up to -1 EV, and -4 EV in low-light AF mode
• Z7 II normal up to -3 EV, and -4 EV in low-light AF mode
• Z9 normal up to -7 EV and -9 EV in star-light view

Does anyone know what the differences are in these modes?

Starlight mode uses a slow refresh rate I believe like sonys bright monitoring. Slower to focus but very sensitive.

I am aware. It seems focusing so stopped down might help defend against focus shift; but isn't helping the system acquire accurate focus on the z7. Perhaps.

See my other post as to why a lot of studio guys will say shoot at f8-f16

I decided to rejoin here to chime on this topic. Firstly, anyone that disagrees with @AnotherMike is likely to be on sticky ground technically. Secondly, I'm going to stick my head above the parapet with regards to Nikon Z6/7/II in the studio. That might get me shot down because unfortunately I'm only a photographer, not a techie. So, apologies if I get anything technically wrong.

Anyhow:

I'm a fan of the Z system and was invested in it heavily until earlier this year. For professional work my needs changed last year and reluctantly I switched to Sony. I needed a matching pair of stacked sensor cameras and a pair of "like new" A9II bodies with warranty was less than a single Z9. Bulk and weight was a massive part of my decision too. Wearing a pair of A9II's all day is akin to a single Z9. But I digress.

This choice was simply down to my changed needs for minimising rolling shutter and flicker banding whilst having to shoot silent shutter on film sets. AF and the like didn't factor into my decision (although I was aware of the reputation of Sony for being ahead on the AF front).

I mention all this because I don't want to come across as a troll or be accused of being one. I like Nikon!

1. Anyhow, in the studio I could make the Z6II and Z7II work, but would have to overshoot as my keeper rate was perhaps 70% on average.
2. If the light was good in the studio with high key lighting I could make eye detect work in wide area large, subject to using the joystick to put the focus box on the face.
3. If doing low key (think moody lighting of grizzly old faces) then even single point would struggle.
4. Why should anyone be surprised at this?
5. With a dSLR you'd be focussing wide open, regardless of aperture.
6. With a Z6/7II you are focussing at the chosen aperture down to f5.6. Wasting all the light from your faster lens.
7. The classic studio apertures are f8 through to f11 for sufficient dof.
8. Some have asked on this thread why stop down so much?
9. With respect those folk don't shoot studio, or if they do they accept eyes in focus with tip of nose and ears OOF.
10. So, In summary, say you are shooting with an 85mm f1.4 lens at f11 for dof.
11. With a D850 you will focus at f1.4 and shoot at f11. With a Nikon Z6/7 you will FOCUS AT f5.6
12. How many stops of light is the sensor being denied for AF purposes here? Let that sink in......

Anyway, back to Sony. On my A9II's there is an AF mode called "Aperture Drive AF". It's frankly game changing for studio and low light photographers.

When this mode is changed from "Standard" to "Focus Priority" your lens now focusses wide open, including third party lenses.

To put that in perspective. If I was shooting in the studio with my A9II and Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN and my mate was standing next to me with his Nikon Z6II and 85mm f1.2. If we both needed f11 for dof for the same shot he would be focusing at f5.6 and I'd be focusing at f1.4.

Can you guess which system would gather more light to assist the AF??

It really is as simple as that.

Maybe it could be fixed in firmware. Maybe Nikon is becoming the de facto BIF brand instead? I dunno.....