ACJC.S
Kingfisher nostalgia
Kingfisher given the “dark” treatment. An old JPEG shot given a fresh edit.
Back when I tried hard to get crisp images out of my Nikon D800E and avoid burnt highlights on a bird with lots of white. Shot in Live-view to avoid mirrorshock, on tripod and cable release to mitigate lack of IBIS because what’s the point of all that resolution when mirror and shutter vibrations blur out the details!?
So this shot mitigated mirrorshock and lack of IBIS but the D800E had no EFC and the damaging effects of shuttershock still exists.
Most gear reviews employ “change management” methodologies. 1st off is to convince you that your existing gear has flaws/not good enough, next is emphasis on new gear capabilities/functionalities (regardless of whether they make any difference in field use). Finally when you have been convinced that your existing gear is not good/adequate and the new gear is better, they will reinforce these changes in your mind to drive you towards a purchase.
When the Nikon D800/800E got released, nobody mentioned mirror and shutter shock that negate the high resolution which was the cornerstone of these cameras. They then release the D810 a mere 2 years later telling you that the mirror and shutter mechanisms have been redesigned to reduce resolution robbing vibrations. Then came D850, it is now revealed that the D810 still suffers from mirror and shutter vibrations that are only now effectively eliminated in the latest and greatest D850!
You can cry wolf a few times before losing credibility but you can only cry no wolf once!
I have the D800E but skipped the D810 as it was not a worthwhile upgrade. The D850 is a worthwhile upgrade (because of BSI sensor) but I already bought into the Sony a7r2 as I had realized by then that IBIS, sans mirror and EFC in total are the effective solution against resolution robbing internal vibrations affecting high resolution sensors. The D850 finally has an effective EFC for handheld shooting but still lacks IBIS and its traditional DSLR PDAF mirror box and PDAF sensor can still cause lens misalignment issues as AF is not from light that hits the sensor directly (as in mirrorless) but via a split beam from the mirror box to the PDAF sensor.
I have been waiting for the Nikon Z mirrorless but it’s patently obvious to me that I’ll have to wait a little longer for Gen2. Adapting Nikon DSLR lenses via the FTZ adapter will be suboptimal, the fact that you only get 3 axis of stabilization via the FTZ when the Z7 is capable of 5 axis stabilization would tell you something.
Nikon DSLR users will have to buy Nikon gear all over again if they want the mirrorless Z system which is Nikon’s claimed future. Nikon will up their game with the new Z lenses to convince you to switch, I have already seen what new generation optics can do with the Sony FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM for instance, the difference is noticeable and will of course come at a higher price-point.
The new Nikon DSLR lens AF-S 500mm f5.6E PF VR is nice but why bother buying and adapting this on Z7 when it performs worse and you save only 195gms in the process which is negligible the heavier the lens!?
For my purpose, my handheld shooting is still perfectly served by my Sony a7r2, Nikon mirrorless Z mount will be interesting if and when they release a Z 600mm f5.6 PF VR.
I have seen people upgrade from Sony a72 to a7r2 then a9 and a7r3 but their photos all looked the same regardless of camera used! Conversely I have also seen people continue to create amazing images from old cameras. Camera tech currently has slowed, we get much better outputs from honing our shot-making and editing skills instead of buying a new camera!
This is what camera review sites don't want us to know!
Kingfisher nostalgia
Kingfisher given the “dark” treatment. An old JPEG shot given a fresh edit.
Back when I tried hard to get crisp images out of my Nikon D800E and avoid burnt highlights on a bird with lots of white. Shot in Live-view to avoid mirrorshock, on tripod and cable release to mitigate lack of IBIS because what’s the point of all that resolution when mirror and shutter vibrations blur out the details!?
So this shot mitigated mirrorshock and lack of IBIS but the D800E had no EFC and the damaging effects of shuttershock still exists.
Most gear reviews employ “change management” methodologies. 1st off is to convince you that your existing gear has flaws/not good enough, next is emphasis on new gear capabilities/functionalities (regardless of whether they make any difference in field use). Finally when you have been convinced that your existing gear is not good/adequate and the new gear is better, they will reinforce these changes in your mind to drive you towards a purchase.
When the Nikon D800/800E got released, nobody mentioned mirror and shutter shock that negate the high resolution which was the cornerstone of these cameras. They then release the D810 a mere 2 years later telling you that the mirror and shutter mechanisms have been redesigned to reduce resolution robbing vibrations. Then came D850, it is now revealed that the D810 still suffers from mirror and shutter vibrations that are only now effectively eliminated in the latest and greatest D850!
You can cry wolf a few times before losing credibility but you can only cry no wolf once!
I have the D800E but skipped the D810 as it was not a worthwhile upgrade. The D850 is a worthwhile upgrade (because of BSI sensor) but I already bought into the Sony a7r2 as I had realized by then that IBIS, sans mirror and EFC in total are the effective solution against resolution robbing internal vibrations affecting high resolution sensors. The D850 finally has an effective EFC for handheld shooting but still lacks IBIS and its traditional DSLR PDAF mirror box and PDAF sensor can still cause lens misalignment issues as AF is not from light that hits the sensor directly (as in mirrorless) but via a split beam from the mirror box to the PDAF sensor.
I have been waiting for the Nikon Z mirrorless but it’s patently obvious to me that I’ll have to wait a little longer for Gen2. Adapting Nikon DSLR lenses via the FTZ adapter will be suboptimal, the fact that you only get 3 axis of stabilization via the FTZ when the Z7 is capable of 5 axis stabilization would tell you something.
Nikon DSLR users will have to buy Nikon gear all over again if they want the mirrorless Z system which is Nikon’s claimed future. Nikon will up their game with the new Z lenses to convince you to switch, I have already seen what new generation optics can do with the Sony FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM for instance, the difference is noticeable and will of course come at a higher price-point.
The new Nikon DSLR lens AF-S 500mm f5.6E PF VR is nice but why bother buying and adapting this on Z7 when it performs worse and you save only 195gms in the process which is negligible the heavier the lens!?
For my purpose, my handheld shooting is still perfectly served by my Sony a7r2, Nikon mirrorless Z mount will be interesting if and when they release a Z 600mm f5.6 PF VR.
I have seen people upgrade from Sony a72 to a7r2 then a9 and a7r3 but their photos all looked the same regardless of camera used! Conversely I have also seen people continue to create amazing images from old cameras. Camera tech currently has slowed, we get much better outputs from honing our shot-making and editing skills instead of buying a new camera!
This is what camera review sites don't want us to know!