Nikon D6 formally announced by Nikon

[MILLIREHM]

I have the AF-S 80-200 mm F72,8 which is good but has some weaknesses and was not too impressed by the first 70-200 F72,8 versions. Finally I waited for the FL version to buy in -it is very sharp and shows stellar performance - for many of mypurposes it is just too short and I prefer something like the 80-400

Havent analyzed the comparison between the 200/2 and the 300/2,8 in details. The evident difference is thath the 200 has got Super-ED glass and the 300 has not (I have got the AF-S I version of the 300 which I like- but i consider the rendering of these two lenses very different

[MFloyd]

As far as I know, the 300mm has 3 lenses made of ED glass. Or do we have also “super” ED ? I checked: YES

[MILLIREHM]

As far as I know, the 300mm has 3 lenses made of ED glass. Or do we have also “super” ED ? I checked: YES

The 300 mm f/2,8 VR II has 3 ED lense elements  and no Super-ED, the 200 f/2 VRII 3 ED lens elements and 1 Super-ED being the first and (for years) only lens including this (probably very heavy) glass - later the AF-S 80-400 mm was the second (and so far last) with Super-ED. All form very good couples for our D6 bodies.

[Erik Lund]

To try and have your own inventory of spare parts for lenses is quite an undertaking.So many things can degrade over time that will be very difficult to predict, and buying one more lens, well,,, that lens could have/develop the same part failing.Obvious fails;
The motor, the sliding pick-ups with tracks and the tracks for zoom and focus, the wiring and components on the prints also flex prints, the F-mount wear, guide-pins and guide tubes for IF, rubber, lock- screw for lens foot the list goes on,,,

Such is life; Impermanence! Accept it and relax

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Such is life; Impermanence! Accept it and relax

Life is indeed impermanent, but industrial products, if they are not self-decomposing, after they can no longer be used, become potentially harmful waste so a long usable life is important to reduce the accumulation of waste on the planet. I guess I grew up thinking that unless misused, products should work for many decades if not a lifetime. That should be the goal. But for many companies in industry (not saying this about Nikon), the goal seems to make them last such a short life that new money can be periodically extracted from the customer. I think some legislative regulation may be needed to bring sensible priorities. A subscription model might actually be a good idea now that I think of it, as it would motivate the service provider to develop the service and yet reuse what can be reused until it truly cannot be used.

At work, data-acquisition cards that we have been using are starting to become outside of their service lives and newer generations of cards may not in all cases work with the drivers that are required for the older generation, so if a suitable driver that will allow mixed use cannot be found, replacing everything may become necessary at some point. I'm still hoping this can be resolved with the manufacturer. No, I don't want to write my own driver for the cards. ;-)

[Erik Lund]

I agree that it is a nice goal to have
Planned obsolescence - I would not claim Nikon has this as a business goal, so we are good.
 Many products wear out, that is quite obvious also the case for modern lenses! They are much more vulnerable than old school MF lenses in most regards.

We seek cameras and lenses that can do this and that via electronics, VR, E aperture buttons, faster better,,, Constantly seeking better performance seemingly ignoring the consequences.
Cost goes way up as soon as you require uninterrupted long service life for products so it will always be with a balance with regards to how important is it the product fails, is it really life threatening, business critical, environmental concerns.

Life-cycle management is indeed important I agree!



 

[mxbianco]

The Nikon D6 FW update v.1.11 has been published this morning.

See this link: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/379.html

Fixed the following issues:

    - In the case of zoom lenses for which no previous saved values existed, performing auto AF fine-tuning at one focal length (minimum or maximum) would result in the value for the remaining focal length failing to save correctly. This fix was accompanied by changes in the workflow.
    - When radio-controlled AWL was used with two or more remote flash units, flash output for i-TTL flash control would not be adjusted to reflect the values chosen for:
        ▹ flash compensation,
        ▹ exposure compensation (Entire frame selected for Custom Setting e3 Exposure comp. for flash in the CUSTOM SETTING MENU),
        ▹ the flash bracketing increment, or
        ▹ the exposure/flash bracketing increment

Ciao from Massimo

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The D6 shows a white square on the face if it found a face within the custom group area. This is displayed only when in playback and pressing the zooming in button (for a couple of seconds). I have been testing it on singles figure skating today. Basically the group area (with face priority turned on) focuses on the closest face if it can identify faces and if not, it focuses then on the closest part of the subject within the group area. When the skater's arms are extended and she is spinning, previous implementations of group area would often focus on the arms or nose instead of face or eyes. It is bizarre how Nikon can implement this great functionality and doesn't properly document it for the user.

I would say that this makes a world of a difference in sports photography. Or it would, if the cameras were out there. :/ I tried for reference shooting in 25-point dynamic area which was my previous go-to mode for figure skating and I got lots of shots focused on the background because it's so unforgiving. I can work with it but it really needs to be used like single point, the grace provided by the surrounding points is so short-lived. Shooting with dynamic area requires constantly moving the selected point around whereas custom group-area allows me to select a range of points within which I will compose the face and it does the rest with a much lower error rate than I could with 25-point dynamic. And when the skater is close and fills the frame it allows me to use the frame fully so that I don't crop a limb trying to keep the primary point on the face. It doesn't always recognize the face (the skaters can have obstructions in the line of sight and expressions can be quite different from those in typical portraits). Still a lot of the time even when the face is not designated by the white square, it's nonetheless in focus. Maybe the camera has criteria for displaying the box that the focus has to be within tolerance but since the phase-detect sensor doesn't see anything when the actual picture is captured, it is not the ultimate judge, predictive algorithms can sometimes nail the focus even when the camera thought it is not in focus.

In auto-area AF, the faces are detected (and displayed with white boxes when zooming in playback) also outside of the autofocus sensor array. I suppose the camera then uses the RGB matrix meter image to determine where the rest of the subject is within the AF sensor array and then focuses on that. In some cases the camera shows a face but focused elsewhere. I think there is some kind of balance between straight closest-subject priority and face-priority and the camera makes a decision on which is more important. It would be nice to know the algorithms in more detail and how they justify the decisions made by the camera. It does work well, but in order to apply the correct focusing mode in different situations, more explanation of the implementation would be helpful.

I'm happy with the general performance, I gather that if I allow the camera to make more decisions, the results on average are now better than they were in past models, but there are still some situations where tighter control over the focusing is needed, if the photographer has time to exercise that control. I will try to post some screen shots and examples later though I will need to take photos of the back screen of the camera to do that. It seems ViewNX-i is currently not able to display the information that the camera shows in playback and zoom; it just shows all the focus points within the group area rather than giving additional information of which focus points were actually used to focus and where the faces, if any, were detected. I am sure this information is in the raw file, as the camera is able to display it, but it would require some additional work investigating the EXIF to find out how they are encoded.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

This is what the back screen zoom-in view looks like when the camera has found some faces. If no faces are detected, when zooming-in, the camera will still show where it was focusing but no white boxes are displayed.

I think the face detection can still work at a bit further distances but when the subjects are so distant that to bring them in full-frame tightly composed view would require a 2x crop or more, then the faces are too small for it to detect them. But there is also a lot of depth of field at such distances so in practice the focusing using group-area AF works fine without the assistance of face-detection in those cases.

If one touches the face icon on the lower left corner, it cycles through the different detected faces and shows enlarged views of them, so one can check the focus.

[chambeshi]

Thanks for detailed feedback on Nikon's new AF system in the D6. The AFC performance sounds most impressive for challenging action - especially of athletes/performers!

One tradition among Nikon's many strong traditions is their habit of cloning the core attributes of their AF system(s) into a family of cameras. So hopefully the rumoured D880 will indeed come to life in the new year... D6 AF, Z7 sensor, i-Menu etc. It will probably integrate many useful mirrorless features ie a hybrid DSLR, and will have much "higher" specifications compared to the D780. I recently rewatched Steve Perry's review of the D6, which provides more than sufficient evidence to justify owning  a D6 for wildlife, but besides high cost, I will wait and see what unfolds with a D850 upgrade.

It is surprising to learn the custom options in the D6 does not allow assigning different metering modes to Fn button(s). Let's hope this reverse is not yet another example of Nikon's frustrating practice of removing what works from its Custom menus. It is equally strange how Nikon also persists with weird foreclosures; some controls of its top level cameras (especially Fn3) allow very few functions! (the Z cameras are also hamstrung for key Custom features.) I couldn't agree more with Thom Hogan the "ideal ILC" should package Nikon's menus with the full scope of Sony's Customization https://www.sansmirror.com/newsviews/2020-mirrorless-camera/how-to-design-a-perfect.html

Anyway, hopefully, this time Nikon will be generous in the menu options of the D880, and it will be enabled by powerful features including Recall Shooting Functions. The latter feature has long been MIA in the D500 and D850 - despite Nikon rating both models as pro cameras.
 

[MFloyd]

...

It is surprising to learn the custom options in the D6 does not allow assigning different metering modes to Fn button(s).

---

You have already one specialised button in the command turret. May be, for some users, this is not sufficient.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The metering pattern selector can be assigned under custom function buttons (push button + rotate dial) and a specific metering pattern can be stored under recall shooting functions. However, assignment of different metering modes to multiple different function buttons (without dial rotation) does not appear to be available in the D6. Interestingly, the D780 does allow such assignments. I don't generally change the metering pattern as I find it easier to get familiar with one mode and work with that, but when I was shooting film, I did switch between spot and matrix metering a lot.

Fn3 can be used to open MY MENU or the top item in MY MENU in the D6. This makes it very useful.

Because of the varying range of customization options in the different Nikon cameras, using mixed cameras can become quite confusing after each has been customized. I think Nikon should clean up this by offering a set of firmware updates which unify the feature sets available from each button in each camera model. This would make it easier to work with multiple different camera models.

[MILLIREHM]

Some of the Functions of the D6 are indeed a step backwards. I cant assign Spot metering to a button (as i am used to) i can do this with recall shooting functions but ther is just one set of shooting functions per individual menu. (On the other hand there are two custom Group AF menus althought the Group setup easily can be changed with AF- Function button and multi-selector - thanks MFloyd for pointing that out).
I am still hoping that this willbe subject to a Firmware upgrade

Wasting a slot on the shooting mode wheel for pointing to a (here) useless button copying the (imho failed)Z button dedicated to the same function is a misconceptiona s I already have written. Leaving the Qc here and doing the detailed setup via menu would have been the better option

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Having two stored custom group settings is very useful so that when switching between horizontal and vertical orientations the camera can switch automatically between the two patterns and one does not have to reshape the group array every time. I use one or three horizontal rows for horizontal shooting and one or three columns for vertical shooting and they're positioned in the upper part of the frame to facilitate focusing on faces while giving sufficient compositional freedom to place the subject's face on the left, right, or middle of the frame laterally.

[chambeshi]

There seems to be increasing discussion around the fickle arena of camera controls/customization/ergonomics/haptics. This will always be complex and controversial and must present daunting challenges for engineers who design modern cameras (!) One factor is the diversity of genres and photographers. The other is modern AF systems in advanced cameras ie D6 have become more complicated with each upgrade. Where there is sufficient time between shots and for evaluation, some design layouts and glitches can be tolerated. But time is the critical variable when using a camera for action. So the more Custom options that are provided the better.

Nikon get a great deal correct IMHO. To try and avoid going off topic, I'm trying to focus on action shooting and Custom controls to this end - ie the D6, D5 and related high end Pro DSLRs. I have distilled my experiences into 2 complementary Rules:
#1 - Maximize Options - "The more high performance hardware built into the camera; the more comprehensively Custom settings should maximize said Camera's options to leverage selected hardware/software functions for particular imaging demands."

#2 Enable Right-handed Access - Maximize the options to customize key settings to switch selected settings solely with the Right Hand when shooting. Facilitating #2 applies especially for active subjects.

The ability to assign AFOn+AF mode to a Control (eg Single-point to Pv) in the D5/D500/D850 cameras confers excellent flexibility to rely solely on muscle memory to switch between AF modes eg a25 to S-point, with auto-AF assigned to the AF Subselector. This ability is adjust settings to rapid changes in subjects can be extended by assigning a Metering setting (eg Spot or AE Lock) to Fn1 etc. Nikon have killed off the latter option in the D6. Paradoxically, it is possible in the D780 but this camera's Custom menus do not include options to assign AFOn+AF mode (same problems hamstring Nikon's Zed MILCs) . Nikon's marketing of the D780 for shooting action compounds this paradox.

A powerful Custom setting with Pro DSLRs using the Custom and Photo Shooting banks is to assign scrolling with the Red-Record button to switch Photo banks with only the right thumb+forefinger. It is just Bizarre (best of my knowledge) that none of the existing menus permits scrolling Custom banks on the front wheel?!? A bonus of the D6 is it now permits changing AF modes using a similar Custom setup with right hand only (ie obviating pressing the AF selector button (camera-left). Depressing-button+scrolling is never as near instant as a single control option, but it is still a major help (ie Rule #2). The established controls might work fine for action with the rig on a tri/monopod but almost impossible if the left hand is supporting the lens shooting action.

This is why I cited Hogan's recent exploration of the "Ideal Mirrorless Camera" (see above) where the ideal of combining Nikon's menus and physical controls with the generous scope Sony's customizations. As Ikka has suggested, it will benefit all stakeholders if Nikon extended the Custom options to all relevant controls, and standardized th menus across current cameras.