So, the ZF ...

[Frank Fremerey]

Thanks to you both!  This seems like a very welcoming community 

I did pick up a 105 f/2.5, the 85 f/2, and a 28mm f/2.8. I'm currently trying out the 50mm 1.8 pancake, but think I like the 1.4 a bit more.

Now, I need to stop!  I had gone down a similar Nikon rabbit hole when building a kit of cheap lens for my kids to do stop-animation last Christmas.  I hadn't known much about Nikon lenses, but enjoyed that process so much that the ZF began calling....

250329_NicoSkeptical by Tom Quinn, on Flickr

I would suggest to look into one of these beautiful Voigtländer Optics, whgich brought back great joy to my photography using the Zf:

https://www.voigtlaender.de/z-mount/?lang=en
Stunning quality and 100% compatible like native Z-Lenses.
Love
Frank

[golunvolo]

Thanks to you both!  This seems like a very welcoming community 

I did pick up a 105 f/2.5, the 85 f/2, and a 28mm f/2.8. I'm currently trying out the 50mm 1.8 pancake, but think I like the 1.4 a bit more.

Now, I need to stop!  I had gone down a similar Nikon rabbit hole when building a kit of cheap lens for my kids to do stop-animation last Christmas.  I hadn't known much about Nikon lenses, but enjoyed that process so much that the ZF began calling....

  Beautiful use of the lighting in both images. Thanks for sharing it

[tq_photofilm]

Thanks!

And Frank, I'd love the Voigtländer, but am afraid the budget is limited at the moment.   I hope to in the future!

I tried out the TT Artisan 6-bit adapter to get focus confirmation on the non-CPU lenses.  It works fairly well, but seems to confirm early.   It also is limited in that you can only add a stop up to 5.6, so the aperture priority shooting does not work reliably (and actually works better with no CPU data).   I'm going with the Shoten instead.

[Fons Baerken]

Maybe superfluous at this point.. the firmware update, fw2.00 for the Zf camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1jsDQNuwR8

[Birna Rørslett]

Very interesting improvement to the use of non-CPU lenses

Do note, however, that the new ability of recording the intended aperture used with the non-CPU lens *does not* imply the aperture will be set accordingly... you do have to put the lens manually to that aperture setting first by using the aperture ring. This is of course due to the lack of an aperture follower inside the FTZ-class adapters.

Still, a very worthwhile, and welcomed, improvement to the Zf.

Perhaps we can get a GPS option in the future? Or FTZ.3 with an aperture follower inside?

[Birna Rørslett]

Just updated firmware on my Z9 to the latest version 5.10. Interestingly, the Zf with firmware 2.00 has currently better support for manual lenses and their operation than does the flagship Z9.

[Ian Watson]

I like the new custom setting d18. It enables the viewfinder zoom to be cancelled with a half-press of the shutter release.

[Birna Rørslett]

I use the front function button for toggling zoomed views. Since I have a soft-release thingy affixed to the shutter release, I can't use the d18 option. The latter would require more finger movement as well, at least for the manner in which I operate the Zf.

Good that every user can optimise the features as they see fit

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

I use the front function button for toggling zoomed views. Since I have a soft-release thingy affixed to the shutter release, I can't use the d18 option. The latter would require more finger movement as well, at least for the manner in which I operate the Zf.

Good that every user can optimise the features as they see fit

Birna, give D18 a chance. On the Zf I also put the zoom function on the function button and the shutter release also has an AR-11 button on it. With D18 on, I have the impression that the zoom out and then release sequence is faster, especially with (slow) moving subjects as shown here.
I also find the new option of entering lens names very practical; the photo shown now has the correct name in the EXIF: “Focomat 6cm F4.5”.

[Birna Rørslett]

... the FocoCat ...

[Airy]

Firmware 2 is nice. Now the Zf works like the Df when the latter is mounted with a pre-AI lens. For slow (and not too forgetful) photographers, that is pretty good.

Indeed, the d18 setting (un-zoom by half pressing) is also a bonus.

Recording the non-CPU lens names could have been better : why are there only 20 available slots? I have a dozen "fifties" !!!

[David H. Hartman]

Any thoughts on the image quality of the Zf v. the D850?

What about the use of legacy manual focus lenses on the Zf, specifically focus issues? My vision has dropped from years of 20/15 with glasses to 20/20. I can no long get much use of these lenses on the D850.

Thanks for any insights you can provide.

Best,

Dave

[Birna Rørslett]

Using manual lenses on the Zf is easy and better than on most of the DSLRs (except for the Df?)

The main issues is handing due to the added FTZ/FTZ.2 and the concurrent movement of controls further away from the camera. Balance becomes off. For lenses up to 105(-135), not a deal breaker, but can get worse or annoying for many longer lenses, at least for hand-held shooting.

If you are convinced that 45+ MPix is required for your photography, perhaps Z7, Z8, or Z9, would be preferred to the Zf.

[David H. Hartman]

Thank you Birna.

[Ian Watson]

I would add that the foot on the original FTZ is annoying when using manual lenses. If you have no need for electronic contacts in your adapter then a decent dumb adapter will be usefully cheaper and more svelte.