I have found that the new NOCT95 is not only a special lens, but also kind of a specialty lens. For example, it does not lend itself happily to focus stacking other than what I call a “Short Stack,” meaning cherry-picking the main focus points of an image, resulting in 3-5 images in the stack.
This is due to the stiffness of the focus barrel, IMO. Large stacks are affected by the minute shift in perspective (even on a very stable tripod) and that mars the fineness of this lens for stacking. I don’t know of any way to loosen the helicoid and even if Nikon would/could, they are not accepting any adjustments due to the pandemic just now.
That being said, single shot images work fine and the results can be lovely.
However, as long as I don’t insist on stacking more than a few layers, no real problem. And, if I stay close to a wide-open aperture, that is where the NOCT95 shines, IMO. However, it is not exactly like rolling off a log. I have had to learn to use this lens more than most, although that work is a pleasure.
Here are three photos, all tweaked. There is one that is a single shot with the NOCT95 (f/5.6), then a Short Stack of four layers with the NOCT95 (f/3.2), and then a stack of 31 layers using the very-fine Voigtlander 65mm Macro at f/2.
This is probably a wasted effort (my posting here) that only shows me (which we all know) that the new NOCT95 is best wide open with a single frame shot…. A Short Stack also works pretty well.
