Nikon Z6/7 mirrorless system

[Dr Glyco]

One of the latest designed adapter for the Nikon Z mount include an additional Macro Helicoid Tube. The so called "Adjustable Macro to Infinity Lens Adapter Suit For M42 Mount to Nikon Z6 Nikon Z7 Camera". 

Ordered one for a few M42 lenses like the Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar 135/4

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pixco-Camera-Macro-Focusing-Tube-Helicoid-Adapter-For-M42-Lens-to-Nikon-Z6-Z7/372626154903?hash=item56c23fe597:g:W0YAAOSwBA1ciK6l

I wonder if this adapter will be good to use for my Nikkor-HC 5cm f/2 rangefinder lens on Z6? The lens fits nicely inside the m42 opening and it could be fixed by wrapping the lens with some duct tape or similar and push together. I think that the contax/nikon s rangefinder adapters including a helicoid are much too expensive right now.

Quite similarly, I recently got a m52 to m42 helicoid adapter on eBay together with a thin m42 to Z ring. With this I can use a Wollensak 75mm oscilloscope raptar f/1.9 and get infinity focus on the Z6. I read about it in another thread here on nikongear.

[Fons Baerken]

Z6 -- 400mm f/5.6 ed

[Birna Rørslett]

Just a reminder how petite -- and cute -- setup the Z50 provides if coupled with say an old W-Nikkor. Here it is with the excellent W-Nikkor 3,5cm f/1.8 from 1959 (!). The combination still, after all these years, can render tack sharp images.

[Akira]

Just a reminder how petite -- and cute -- setup the Z50 provides if coupled with say an old W-Nikkor. Here it is with the excellent W-Nikkor 3,5cm f/1.8 from 1959 (!). The combination still, after all these years, can render tack sharp images.

The venerable W-Nikkor looks mint while the note PC doesn't...

[Birna Rørslett]

Both are well used, but the old Nikkor show less wear The X220 is my main correspondence box. It runs silky smooth on Linux Mint 19.3.

[MEPER]

How is size of Z50 compared to a Nikon 1 body?
I like the size of J4/J5 but miss the viewfinder. Maybe a Z50 is the way to go or the next version of it which hopefully has IBIS.....

[Birna Rørslett]

It is bigger, but not by much. I can only compare to the V1 and apart from the grip and the viewfinder hump, they are in the same league so to speak. However the Z50 is more like a V1 on steroids and of course has full access to all Nikkors whether F- or Z-mount. I purchased my Z50 to get another FTZ as the kit of the two was pretty economic. Now I use the camer ever so often on its own coupled to my old rangefinder lenses or other exotica.

[MEPER]

It seems I will be a Z50 owner soon.
I found a demo kit on ebay from an Austrian foto shop. A kit with 16-50 and FTZ adapter for 900 Euros.
The condition was "open box" with full warranty so expect as good as new but we will see.
After reading reviews and looking at image examples I found that this was the right price/performance for me looking into a mirrorless with viewfinder.
It seems it is a really good sensor with ok dynamic range for its size and also ISO performance should be useable up to at least 1600.
Then I can use my new AF-P 70-300 VR and old 35/1.8 DX. I also have a Nikkor 12-24 DX which can be used.
On the shelf also a 70-200/2.8 VR of the first version. On a DX sensor this lens is very nice as I have used it on both D2X and D5200.
Then I must live without IBIS which could have been fun…..to give old MF lenses a new life. 

[CS]

Then I can use my new AF-P 70-300 VR and old 35/1.8 DX. I also have a Nikkor 12-24 DX which can be used.

I too have those 3 lenses, but no Z50. A no IBIS mirrorless body is a deal killer for me at this juncture. YMMV

[Birna Rørslett]

Surprisingly, one can get quite sharp images with the Z50 without  built-in stabilisation

My main gripe with the Z50 is its lack of GPS connectivity. True, the camera is set up to receive NMEA data, but only if this arrives with a Snapbridge link from a "smart"phone. Meaning one has another battery-eating contraption to wrestle with. I'd rather prefer plugging in an inconspicuous Foolography device on the designated remote control port. Far higher GPS accuracy and much less battery drain. This approach is used for my Z6 and Z7 cameras.

[MEPER]

It was also the reason I was most for a Z6 (with IBIS) but I liked the size and price of Z50 and also that I already had some DX lenses I could use so there was no need for expensive new Z-lenses to start with.
I know that I can shoot at quite low shutter speeds and especially if it is a rangefinder. Think I have developed a good trigger technique from competition shooting :-)
At dpreview I compared high ISO with Z7 (I already knew that Z6 is a class "higher") and to my eye the Z50 is at least as good and sharpness also quite good and much better if I compared with a D5600 (looks like a bad lens was used on the D5X00 SLRs compared to Z50). Even that the 16-50 is a cheap lens it seems to have good optics and VR and very compact. Then I looked at ebay prices on kits and found what could see was a good price for the area I live in and I "pushed the trigger". I don't think I need "full frame". At that relative low price level I can get a never DX body in a few years....maybe with IBIS.
I wonder which sensor is used in Z50.....I read that it was different from D500 and D7500.....and I hope "different" means "better" :-) 

[MEPER]

Just for fun…..try this:

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-z50-review/5

...and then compare Z50 with Z7 at high ISO setting….e.g. ISO 3200 for both.
It looks to me that Z50 is at least as good as Z7 regarding noise?

Then compare with the Z50 with a D5600 at ISO 100 and look for sharpness…..Z50 looks much sharper and free from CA?
It is only because of the lens used…..or what is going on?     

Compared with D500 they are more equal but still more CA with D500. According to dpreview the Z50 sensor is a variant of D500/D7500.

I like this "tool" to compare different cameras/sensors......but it demands high quality of the testers at dpreview.

[Øivind Tøien]

CA: use of different 50mm lenses so it is expected to be better with the Z bodies and not sensor related.

Noise: The images are shown at the pixel level in that comparison, so it is not surprising that noise looks somewhat similar between Z50 and Z7. The Z50 sensor is supposed to be similar to the D500 sensor, but with  on-sensor phase detection added. Z7 also uses the same sensor technology, basically two Z50/D500 type sensors joined and again with the  on-sensor phase detection added.

The chart below however indicates some slight differences (Z7 in DX mode to compared at the pixel level, not the whole frame): The Z7 has slightly lower gain to improve dynamic range at low ISO. Thus the curve is below that of Z50 and D500. Z50 has introduced another gain step at ISO 12800 and beyond so that dynamic range is slightly better that that of D500 at these extreme ISOs (when the whole frame is considered).
https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Nikon%20D500,Nikon%20Z%2050,Nikon%20Z%207(DX)

[MEPER]

Thank you for the information.
So 50mm lenses were used for all cameras when performing these tests.
If I went with Z6 it was my intention to get a Z 50/1.8 also. Would have been a very good combination. But strange a Nikon 50mm lens can look that poor on the D5600.
With Z50 it would be more like the Z 35/1.8 which it a bit more expensive. Will se first how good the DX 35/1.8 works on Z50. Focus should be spot-on using viewfinder which was not the case with D5200.
I would never go with a Z7. The Z6 has so much better pixel quality that it would have been my choice. There is always something better......

[MEPER]

Just a reminder how petite -- and cute -- setup the Z50 provides if coupled with say an old W-Nikkor. Here it is with the excellent W-Nikkor 3,5cm f/1.8 from 1959 (!). The combination still, after all these years, can render tack sharp images.

I found out why you have camera set to A-position when an lens with no contacts is attached. I just got my Z50 and has started playing with it. It works like an FE2 in A-mode. Exposure is set according to Aperture. This a step up compared to when I was using same setup on D5200. Also nice to get histogram in viewfinder. During playback I have only found histogram function if the OK bottom is programmed to this but I like quick zoom in also. Seems I can't have both. On D5200 I could scroll through different views for the playback function with different kinds of information. Maybe it is just me that has not found out yet.

I was looking for a electronic rangefinder when a manuel lens is used but it seems it does not exist?
But at least I can zoom in and the viewfinder acts more like an old focus screen so it much easier to see when image is in focus.

With Z-lens I found out how to activate focus tracking after some search on internet. It was not very obvious just browsing through the menu.

The 16-50 kit lens seems good value for money. Very sharp but a bit slow at the long end. But VR works very well. It was possible to make an ok sharp image down to 1 sec. handhold.
It can focus down to about 20 cm depending on zoom setting.
Have ordered a Z 50/1.8 which will be a kind of a portrait lens on Z50 and probably an OK portraits lens. Think this was the better choice between 35/1.8 and 50/1.8 now I have the 16-50.
Interesting that the 50/1.8 is a 12 lens design and the 35/1.8 is "only" 11.