Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR

[Birna Rørslett]

At the wider end, there is considerable barrel distortion. Probably an optical trick to reduce corner fall-off as the Nikon software automatically corrects for the distortion, likewise when jpgs are generated in-camera. You do lose a tad of the wide coverage, but unless you study uncorrected NEFs against corrected files (NEF/jpg) the reduced angle of view is hardly noticeable. Plus, not all subjects have straight lines to demonstrate the existence of the barrel distortion anyway.



In this case, the floor curves towards me and the ceiling isn't perfectly flat. Thus  I ran the NEF without any geometric correction through Photo Ninja. Seeing the image again now, I'm reminded to buy a new 'Kånken' backpack as my old one of 30+ years has become "a little worn" (hint: the leftmost girl carries this backpack)

[MEPER]

How does a corrected version look like?

[Bent Hjarbo]

Birna where did you take the picture? Somewhere near Oslo?

[golunvolo]

At the wider end, there is considerable barrel distortion. Probably an optical trick to reduce corner fall-off as the Nikon software automatically corrects for the distortion, likewise when jpgs are generated in-camera. You do lose a tad of the wide coverage, but unless you study uncorrected NEFs against corrected files (NEF/jpg) the reduced angle of view is hardly noticeable. Plus, not all subjects have straight lines to demonstrate the existence of the barrel distortion anyway.



In this case, the floor curves towards me and the ceiling isn't perfectly flat. Thus  I ran the NEF without any geometric correction through Photo Ninja. Seeing the image again now, I'm reminded to buy a new 'Kånken' backpack as my old one of 30+ years has become "a little worn" (hint: the leftmost girl carries this backpack)

Surreal reality in the image demonstrates your explanation well indeed. Elements seem to float around

[Birna Rørslett]

Birna where did you take the picture? Somewhere near Oslo?

Oslo Central Station, entrance to the Metro lines.

[Birna Rørslett]

How does a corrected version look like?

This is what the camera jpg looks like. I've adjusted the colours slightly as the auto w/b fails under fluorescent light apparently. Nothing else is changed.

[MEPER]

The software does a good job correcting the geometrical distorsion.
The original jpg has a yellow/green cast. There are some blue color that almost had disappeared (e.g. a blue poster in the far end right side of image). 

[Birna Rørslett]

My first posted picture was of course from a processed NEF As I said already, the in-camera jpg has weird w/b. The Z fc can't handle such scenes in auto mode.

[Birna Rørslett]

Another example, now at 18mm, with the outcome not corrected for barrel distortion. Daylight scenes are handled well by Z f and w/b seems spot on to my eye.

By the way, a wide angle zoom like the 12-28 and a  small camera like Z fc in silent mode allows for relaxed "street shooting" -- no need to look through the finder  or rear display at all.

It's a bit sad the 12-28 is not capable of doing IR, though. It makes a pronounced hot spot in IR.

[Gil Aegerter]

All very nice examples from this lens. Maybe some day I'll switch to mirrorless ... some day.