Nikon Z6/7 mirrorless system

[mxbianco]

There is a FW update from early April for the 24/70 4 S

True, but it addresses only the parking of the aperture in an intermediate position (f:8 ?) when camera is turned off. Unless -as Birna pointed out- they slipped in more FW corrections...

I have applied the fw upgrade, it works as described. Before the update, the iris blades were parked in the fully closed status (f:22 or narrower), with a possible stress on the iris blades.

Here the photostory of the upgrade: https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=9374.0

Ciao from Massimo

[Mike G]

Must be your eyes, Mike? I experienced no problems even with glasses on.

So, what about the Z system -- any viewing issues there?

Thankfully no issues with the Z6 EVF! I am of the opinion that eyepoint relief  was too short in my earlier D cameras for my eyes, hence my complaining and me then leaving Nikon for pastures new. Weight was another issue for me!

Although I really appreciate the Nikon Z optics they are physically large!

[Birna Rørslett]

-- Although I really appreciate the Nikon Z optics they are physically large!

And quite light weight.

[Mike G]

And quite light weight.

Absolutely Birna!

[mxbianco]

While snooping in the EXIF fields of a Nikon 1V1, I came across this nice field:

-Nikon:MechanicalShutterCount

This is the counter of the mechanical shutter actuations

I then looked up in the Z6 EXIF data, and it's present there too!
I'll assume it's present also in Z7 and Z50. BTW, it's present in 1V1, 1V2 and 1V3.

To summarise, you will have for the Z series and the 1Vx series:

1) the regular shutter counter, that is  -Nikon:ShutterCount    (Every camera from D70 onwards has this one, D1, D1H, D1X and D100 didn't have it)
2) The mechanical shutter count, that is  -Nikon:MechanicalShutterCount

Difference between the two is the number of electronic shutter actuations.
Field (1) is what's being used by sites such as http://www.myshuttercount.com/ or https://www.camerashuttercount.com/ to determine the number of camera shutter actuations.

Another nice field [that's present in cameras that have a sensor smaller than FF, or have a crop mode] is this one:
-ExifIFD:FocalLengthIn35mmFormat

It shows the focal length equivalent in FF format of the lens you have on, plus an eventual teleconverter, plus accounting for the crop mode.

A Z6 + 200-500mm + 1.4 teleconverter in DX mode @350mm setting?
You can do the math, 350x1.4x1.5 or read the -ExifIFD:FocalLengthIn35mmFormat field, to find out that the answer is 735mm

Ciao from Massimo

[Birna Rørslett]

The rather superfluous and misleading EXIF field  'FocalLengthIn35mmFormat' is sometimes plain wrong, in particular for some combinations of telephoto lenses and TC. As the format doesn't change focal length at all, the information is not required anyway. It just confuses people.

[MEPER]

Some more "toy" for the Z50 so vintage lenses (mostly 50mm lenses) for the Voigtländer Prominent can be used.
A very nice adapter (Prominent to M39). I could also have selected a Prominent to Leica M in another brand but liked the idea of a screw mount for stability. The adapter has Helicoid and a bit on the expensive side even that it is from China. But very well made. With adapter lenses can focus much closer than 1m when mounted to Prominent body.

[Birna Rørslett]

I do have a Voigtländer 50mm f/1.5 Nokton in Nikon S(RF) mount , which works quite nice on the Z50 being small and unobtrusive. The front of the lens says 'Aspherical', so perhaps the design is newer than the Prominent?

[MEPER]

Yes, this is the old "original" Nokton from 195x (I think it was quite unusual with 1.5 aperture at that time (with some quality at that aperture)):
http://www.klassik-cameras.de/Bessa_RF_histo_dt.html#Nokton

Cosina-Voigtländer used the old names for new lens design. They probably also used Ultron name.
Is your Nokton the Cosina?    …..or something in between that period?

[Birna Rørslett]

Early 2000's so likely Cosina. It's very well made, by the way.

[MEPER]

Then it is probably this one:
https://www.voigtlaender.de/lenses/vm/50-mm-11-5-nokton-asphaerisch/?lang=en

It looks nice.

[MEPER]

I can see that the CV Nokton was also made in a F1.2 and F1.1 version.
The price level of the CV 50/1.5 seems to be around 800 Euro?
The V 50/1.5 was 595,- DM in 1953  …..so CV version more expensive by direct compare but probably not if converted to "2020 money".

[Birna Rørslett]

Same lens  but in different livery. Black and chrome in the RF mount, near focus to 0.9m as other rangefinder Nikkors.

The Nikkor 50/1.8 S-Line really dwarfs the little Nokton. However, the S-Line lens also has a better image quality for most applications.

[MEPER]

I have also the 50/1.8s for the Z50 but have only shot some test shots until now. Very sharp even at f1.8. I was surprised by the size of the 50/1.8s. On paper it looked smaller (shorter) than 35/1.8s. 
I guess Nokton is better at 1.5 :-)    The original Nokton has a special bokeh at 1.5 which I will try out when I get time for real shooting. 

[mxbianco]

The rather superfluous and misleading EXIF field  'FocalLengthIn35mmFormat' is sometimes plain wrong, in particular for some combinations of telephoto lenses and TC. As the format doesn't change focal length at all, the information is not required anyway. It just confuses people.

So far, I yet have to find a counterexample.

It does the correct math with the D500 in DX or 1.3x crop format, with or without  the TC14eII or TC20eIII. [in 1.3x crop factor, value 1.33 is used in the math]
It does the correct math with the Nikon 1 series, multiplying by 2.7 and by the eventual TC factor
It does the correct math with my Z6, accounting correctly for the presence of a TC and/or DX crop

Maybe some chipped lenses might confuse the firmware?

BTW, field -exif:FocalLength is already updated when a TC is attached (of course only Nikon TC, and the latest versions with 10 contacts!)

A combo 300mm+TC14e will show 420mm in field -exif:FocalLength

Anyway, the meaning of FocalLengthIn35mmFormat is "Focal length you would have to use in FF format to get the same FOV as this Lens+TC+crop factor combination", but of course you know that! It's faster to use FocalLengthIn35mmFormat

Ciao from Massimo