Nikon Wednesday 2023: #33

[mike_halliwell]

Nikon Z9 + Z100-400mm + ZTC1.4. 1/400 f13 ISO 2200. Hungry Bee.

 

[Dieter Schaefer]

4 hours ago, mike_halliwell said:

Nikon 200-500mm, which was really soft after 420mm on my D850 and D500

I must have a much better copy then as there appears to be only a very small difference to the 500PF. Haven't mounted the 200-500 on the Z9 yet either.

[mike_halliwell]

I tried AF Fine-Tune with my D500 @ 500mm on my 200-500mm and it was better but it made everything shorter worse!

[ilkka_nissila]

1 minute ago, mike_halliwell said:

I tried AF Fine-Tune with my D500 @ 500mm on my 200-500mm and it was better but it made everything shorter worse!

In such cases an intermediate fine tune setting may work best, provided that the camera doesn't support separate values for different focal lengths (the D780 and D6 do).

 

[mike_halliwell]

23 minutes ago, ilkka_nissila said:

In such cases an intermediate fine tune setting may work best, provided that the camera doesn't support separate values for different focal lengths (the D780 and D6 do).

Going 'Z' has made all these problems go away.....😀 

[ShunCheung]

I sold my 200-500 a couple of months ago, but once I tested it on a tripod with a TC-14e iii on a D5. I thought optically it was still quite good, but its AF is on the slow side even without the TC. It is great for static subjects, but it is a bit of a challenge for birds in flight. Now with the 500mm PF and Z 400mm/f4.5 S and 100-400, at least to me, the 200-500 was a lens I wouldn't use any more.

[Dieter Schaefer]

21 hours ago, mike_halliwell said:

I tried AF Fine-Tune with my D500 @ 500mm on my 200-500mm and it was better but it made everything shorter worse!

I AF fine tuned mine only at 500mm and never bothered to look at the other focal lengths as I did not use them much (if at all) anyways. Especially since getting to them was a bit of a hassle given the large amount of rotation of the zoom ring needed.

14 hours ago, ShunCheung said:

the 200-500 was a lens I wouldn't use any more

Probably the same for me - I hope my wife will use it eventually. Hardly worth selling for the pittance one will get for it (around $550 for trade-in and probably $700 (after fees) on ebay).

 

[joseph_smith3]

Mike, I love your shots taken with the Z9 and 100-400mm plus tc. I would like to know what AF setting you used especially for the bee on the flower. Or if you just used manual focus? 

I have the same rig and am struggling to determine the best way to focus my Z9 for similar macro shots. 

 

 

[mike_halliwell]

33 minutes ago, joseph_smith3 said:

Or if you just used manual focus? 

Tried that, and I'm crap at it. The movements needed are just so small.

However, I do rack it to min. focus manually, on AFC centred single point, and lean away a tad so the point goes/stays green whilst using Back-button Focus and then fire single shots. I'll keep AF-ON pressed during the shooting.  For the Grasshopper, I took 20 frames, unusually, all 20 are pretty good AF.

As it happened it didn't move, so I could have tried focus stacking. It is possible, but slight subject movement can make stacking messy.

These are fully hand-held, but braced. In this case sitting on my arse (knees up) with left elbow on left knee taking most of the weight in left hand, and right hand gripping, the, errr, grip!

I've never used pin-point, not sure I would use AF-S, I move too much.

[joseph_smith3]

Thanks, Mike. I use most of the same settings you use. I use AFC, Back button focusing, Aperture Priority, Dynamic Area AF with either S or small. I have tried Wide area both large and small with eye detection, but with mixed results. I am usually shooting with a monopod or hand held. 

[ilkka_nissila]

1 hour ago, mike_halliwell said:

Tried that, and I'm crap at it. The movements needed are just so small.

Have you tried adjusting the speed of the manual focus ring? It should be possible with most S-line lenses.

 

[mike_halliwell]

12 minutes ago, ilkka_nissila said:

Have you tried adjusting the speed of the manual focus ring?

Yes I have, but even the slightest 'delay' dives me nuts...☹️

But you're right, I need to persevere with it..😀

[mike_halliwell]

13 hours ago, joseph_smith3 said:

Aperture Priority, Dynamic Area AF with either S or small. I have tried Wide area both large and small with eye detection, but with mixed results.

Exposure wise, I'm usually on Manual with Auto ISO. Centre weighted. Single point AF.

For a while I tried putting ISO adjustment onto the Control Ring, so in Manual, you adjust 'brightness' with the ring, combined with Histo display, although judgement by-eye was usually fine. Turned out to be too easy to accidentally move. 

For the Bee, it's eye and second leg were roughly co-planar, so I put the single AF point on it's leg and hoped DoF would account for the difference. The AF didn't seem to like the eye, odd compound-eye lens effect or just low contrast?

Looking at the Bee shot, I think it's a little front focussed as more of the flower stamens were sharp than I intended, and maybe I'd have got more Bee Bum!