Z bodies with FTZ and AI-S lenses

[whatdoido]

Hi
I would like to ask of your experience with the Z bodies using AI-S lenses.  I have a number of AI-S that I have no intention of replacing when I finally have to move to Nikon mirrorless.
 
metering:
For my non-chipped AI-S lens, my D800 (in manual mode, spot metering) will meter only using the centre focus point.  Is this the same for Z bodies or can any focus point spot-meter for AI-S and AF-D lenses?

is there any metering gotchas for AI-S lenses
The DLSRs kept the AI-S at max aperture and only stopped down the lens when shutter triggered - assuming apeture fully controlled with the aperture ring; anything additional I need to consider when spot metering when not at max apeture?

focus peeking and eye detect
The DSLRs have a green dot focus confirm.  One of the magical things for me is the eye-auto detect/AF.  Does eye-detect still work for AI-S (and AF-D) lenses or do I rely on focus peaking - and without 100% magnification (through the eye/viewfinder) is it easy to confirm eye focus with focus peaking for say 85mm/105mm/180mm headshots?

exif apeture
I believe, even with the lenses "programmed" into the body, since there is no meter-coupling, the shooting aperture is not recorded in the exif correct?  Ie 50m f/1.8 AI-S mounted, shot at f/4 the resulting NEF would not indicate f/4.  But this would not be the case for the AF-D lenses?

Thanks in advance!

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

Hi,

I will try to answer Your questions. Tested with following equipment:

Nikon Zf
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 AIS
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 AIS with Dandelion chip
AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 (sold my last AF-D few days ago, so this AF-I lens must step in)


metering:
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 AIS: any focus point meters
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 AIS with Dandelion chip: any focus point meters
AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5: any focus point meters


is there any metering gotchas for AI-S lenses
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 AIS: aperture changes from maximal to minimal
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 AIS with Dandelion chip: aperture changes from maximal to f 5.6, closes to smaller aperture only when triggered

focus peeking and eye detect
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 AIS: eye-detect works with focus peaking, no green confirmation
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 AIS with Dandelion chip: eye-detect works, focus confirmation turns green in AF and MF mode. Additional focus peaking in MF mode.
AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5: eye-detect works. since this is an AF-I lens there is no AF with FTZ

„is it easy to confirm eye focus with focus peaking for say 85mm/105mm/180mm headshots?“

to get correct eye focus with focus peaking is definitely easier than with a Nikon D800, even when not in 100% magnification. But after using maybe a Nikon Z 85mm, I doubt that You will return to MF Nikkors when shooting portraits….


exif aperture
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 AIS: only max aperture (one that is programmed into boy) in exif
Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 AIS with Dandelion chip: shooting aperture in exif
AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5: shooting aperture in exif

Hope this helps

Juergen

[Ian Watson]

I cannot speak to spot metering because I have not used it. As for the rest, it depends on whether the lens has a chip.

The FTZ adapter has no aperture follower like DSLRs.

The AI-S lenses will use whatever aperture you set on the ring for both metering and focus. It sometimes helps, especially with wider lenses, to focus at a wider aperture and then stop down manually. AF-D lenses have chips and so you will be able to control the aperture from the camera body. That said, Z bodies close the aperture to the working aperture (but not further than f/5.6) for metering and focus. The electronic viewfinder does not go dim like a DSLR's.

The focus confirmation only works for lenses with a chip. (My guess is that the system needs to know the aperture and has no way to know what has been set without the chip.) Focus peaking should still work but I found it a bit imprecise. Have a button set to 100% magnification. It works well but takes a bit of practice.

Eye-detect only works for manual focus if you are using a Zf. You would still need to use magnification if the lens lacks a chip.

The shooting aperture is indeed not recorded for lenses without a chip. The Z6 would not even record the programmed maximum aperture. At least the Zf does that. I do not know about chipped lenses but see no reason for not recording the aperture.

All the best!

[Hugh_3170]

It is very clumsy I know, but the Z6 does allow one to record a voice clip for each stills image where for instance you might for an un-chipped lens record the aperture used if you so desire.

It is crazy, but the Z7 lacks this voice recording feature.

[whatdoido]

Wonderful, thanks all.

I am still on the fence about moving over from my D800.  The image quality still stands up and given the same, say Z8 (with FTZ), the resulting total weight is more until I would also move over to Z lenses.  The focus peaking, esp for eyes would be the primary reason I'd consider the move.. second  being the higher ISO ranges but that comes with the territory of newer incremental tech.

Also, I'd loathe to give up on lenses such as 85mm 1.4D, 20mm 3.5 AI ... 

[aerobat]

I'm also still using a D850 for certain AF-S lenses like the AF-S 58mm (Neo Noct). Even tough the 58mm is focusing better on the Z bodies I don't like the haptics with the FTZ adapter. AIS lenses I prefer by far using on my Zf.

[Ian Watson]

For higher ISO work, take the free trial of DxO Pure Raw 4. You might be surprised at what it can do and it is much cheaper than a new camera.

[Roland Vink]

AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 (sold my last AF-D few days ago, so this AF-I lens must step in)
Juergen

Just a small correction - both versions of the 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 (AF and AF-D) have "screw-drive" AF. Neither have an internal focus motor (AF-I). AF-I technology was used only in the early AF super-telephotos, later replaced by AF-S lenses.

Since your lens is not AF-D then it must be the earlier AF version

[Birna Rørslett]

The "problem" with many older Nikkors on the Z system is that they often handle poorer in terms of haptics. Optically speaking they do well enough, but if the balance is thrown off due to the FTZ/FTZ.2 adapter, shooting itself becomes less pleasant. I  find that medium to longer Nikkors do best on the heavy Z9, whilst the short ones can better be enjoyed on the Zf. Manual focusing with most lenses is easier on the Z cameras, the exception being slow wide-angle lenses which in the F era were helped by special focusing screens. Such lenses can be tricky to focus properly with the EVF.

Fortunately 99.9% of my older lenses are CPU-enabled thus I do get the EXIF data recorded correctly.

Several third-party brands offer good lens alternatives for Z cameras and often such optics are smaller as well than the big Z Nikkors.  Viltrox and Voigtländer have Z lenses with genuine aperture rings that work and communicate the set aperture to the camera.

[Øivind Tøien]

My early experience with my chipped AIS lenses on the Z8 is that the handling works better than I expected. After all the DSLR has a mirror box where the FTZ adapter go on the Z8. The IBIS more than makes up for any handling problems and is really a treat with these lenses. I have been quite surprised as to how well they perform, as long as one takes the time to get focus right. And when we struggled with exchanging focusing screens with less transparent Katzeye screens etc. than the standard screens on the DSLRs, the Z-bodes provide a realistic image, although mostly missing out on wide open focusing, but with a much brighter viewfinder with not-so fast lenses.

The problem I encounter is when switching between my current single Z-lens (14-30mm) and the F-lenses where the FTZ adapter tend to not be on the right lens so there is some extra work to get it shifted over to the lens to be used. Perhaps in an ideal world one would have two z-bodies - one world one would be dedicated to the Z-adapter and F-mount lenses, while another Z-body to the Z-lenses? Or perhaps more Z-adapters are needed?

[Hugh_3170]

Yes - definitely have more than one FTZ, with often used lenses having their own dedicated adapter.

Here in Australia, the FTZ adapter was first introduced at around $A200 each;  sadly they are now more like $A450 each.

Keep an eye out for good second hand ones.

.........................................
.........................................

Or perhaps more Z-adapters are needed?

[Birna Rørslett]

Currently I have 5 of the FTZ/FTZ.2 adapter, plus a Viltrox one. The latter  works only with original Nikkors, i.e. it cannot handler chipped lenses of any kind, even Sigmas or Tamrons. Anything else than factory stock Nikkor reads out as 5mm f/1 and no metering or AF. Strange behaviour?? on the flip side this was only 1/3 of the price of the FTZ, so I "glued" it to my AFS 200mm f/2 Nikkor for now. Ideally each F-mount lens (with CPU)  used on a regular basis should have its own FTZ.

Besides the adapters which allow, or ought to allow, full functionality, I have of course a number of 'dumb' setups often including a Z mount on one side, a focusing helicoid, and some F/OM/M42 or what have you on the other side.

[MILLIREHM]

Just a small correction - both versions of the 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 (AF and AF-D) have "screw-drive" AF. Neither have an internal focus motor (AF-I). AF-I technology was used only in the early AF super-telephotos, later replaced by AF-S lenses.

Since your lens is not AF-D then it must be the earlier AF version

Thanks Roland for clarifying that (you were faster than me).  AF-D is frequently used synonymous for Screwdriver-AF, although there are both early non-D screwdriver AF-Lenses and AF-S lenses (without screwdriver but with internal silent wave motor) with D nomenclature (the D(istance) characteristic itself remained also in the G and E type lenses lacking an aperture ring). the First 80-400 mm is even combining screwdriver AF-D with VR function (showing that VR and aperture ring is a feasible combination).

[Øivind Tøien]

Currently I have 5 of the FTZ/FTZ.2 adapter, plus a Viltrox one. The latter  works only with original Nikkors, i.e. it cannot handler chipped lenses of any kind, even Sigmas or Tamrons. Anything else than factory stock Nikkor reads out as 5mm f/1 and no metering or AF. Strange behaviour?? on the flip side this was only 1/3 of the price of the FTZ, so I "glued" it to my AFS 200mm f/2 Nikkor for now. Ideally each F-mount lens (with CPU)  used on a regular basis should have its own FTZ.

Besides the adapters which allow, or ought to allow, full functionality, I have of course a number of 'dumb' setups often including a Z mount on one side, a focusing helicoid, and some F/OM/M42 or what have you on the other side.

Oops, before I knew it I had ordered another FTZ2.   

[Hugh_3170]

Only one?  LOL 

Oops, before I knew it I had ordered another FTZ2.