John Di Leo

On 2/17/2024 at 2:48 AM, ilkka_nissila said:

Snapbridge can also be used to upgrade firmware. However, I would just get the card reader for it has other benefits.

I thought I figured out a workaround with my old card reader, but I believe I was wrong. I thought I could load the firmware update on to an SD card, then insert it into the camera and upgrade. Nope. It needs to be in card slot 1 and that is the CFExpress slot it would appear? And I do not see a way to copy the bin file from the SD card to the CFE card.

On 2/7/2024 at 11:25 AM, ShunCheung said:

I checked various forum and FaceBook groups. It looks like everybody is upgrading their Z8 just fine. I just upgraded myself and it took a bit less than 5 minutes. So far no issues. Very happy to have bird AF on my Z8 now, just like the Z9.

Is a dedicated card reader required for the upgrade? It appears so on my MAC or can it be done in camera?

@dick_chandler2

THANK YOU!

Thanks, I'll look for that. I didn't see "options" before. Appreciate the response.

On 2/14/2024 at 7:08 PM, ShunCheung said:

Again, the problem is what is your definition for number of frames taken? The number of images on that particular card? The number of image captured so far on that day .... If there are two cards in the backup mode, the number of images could be different on the two cards. It is very different from film, where the definition should be number of frame already captured on that roll.

If you don't want to use the battery info, you can remember the first image number for that day, or whenever your starting point is, and do the math based on the last image number.

yeah, but that requires mental discipline. :-)

I would think that if I went out with a newly formatted card the "k" number, mentioned by bgelfand, would start at 0, but it does not. It appears to show number of exposures taken by the camera from the beginning of time.

The next Mardi Gras is a year away, and the issue will not arise again until then, and by then I may be mature enough to use Shun's method.

All good points raised though. Thanks.

I am using Nikon's Transfer 2 app to move images from my Z8 to my computer to process in Adobe software.

When I close the Transfer app, the NX Studio app opens, and that is useless to me. I've looked in the preferences of NXStudio to see if it is controlled there; don't see anything. I do not see prefs for Transfer.app.

Anyone know how to stop this?

Thanks

By that I mean, can the focus box be set to be fixed in one place, like the center of the frame?

Being old school, or maybe just old, I can focus in the center of the box and then reframe.

The problem I am having with the z8 is the "sub-selector." It moves the box, and that is a good feature until it isn't. The multi selector does this also, but it is far less likely to happen to me because it is out of the way and doesn't stick out. The sub selector does stick out right near where my thumb rests and it gets inadvertently moved, then when shooting you have to look around to see where the box is and deal with that one way or another.

Firmware 2.0 helps it by making the box more visible, but I did not want to upgrade before MG day.

Later, I will have more to comment on using the z8 for street, especially the fast moving crowded "street" of a celebration like Mardi Gras.

On my d810 I used a card that could hold "397" raw images, so I could easily do the math to determine how many I shot.

But with larger cards I cannot "do the math" when the display is showing "4.5k."

It is useful to me because of a particular situation, ie Mardi Gras—which was yesterday, and the 10 days or so proceeding.

I have to work the pix in the computer every evening after parades, and that takes time. It would be useful to be able to glance at the control panel display to see how many I've shot—not to limit the shooting, but just to get an idea where I am.  For example, yesterday, as I was shooting I had the feeling that I wasn't shooting as much as I usually do. It wasn't until I got home and uploaded them that I found I shot 278 images. That's about average, but knowing that would have quelled my concern.

It would seem like a simple software fix to change the frames remaining display to show frames taken. Video could possibly screw that number up, but I'll bet Nikon could address that.

Thanks

with the BBKing shots here I will mention that the BBKing museum in Indianola, MS is well worthy of a detour if nearby.

I tried unsuccessfully to find this answer in the manual.

Is there a way to show in the control panel the number of exposures taken instead of the number of potential exposures remaining?

Thanks in advance

That's a good reminder about the stocking trick, maybe after getting focus, using a rubber band stretching a stocking in front of the lens.

But, yes, a very good "problem" to have.

I've read about this lens for years, but this year got the Z version. It exceeded expectations; it is brutally sharp. I played with focus stacking with the z8 and this lens on a Dendrobium orchid I had blooming and was startled by the sharpness. The attached is scaled down by about 75% for the 4mb limit. I also used it to make a passport photo of myself and I didn't know I looked so old! (Damn, Nikon!) This is the most "honest" lens in my kit and I am very glad I picked it up. I wonder about its usefulness for portrait work as it will likely pick up every pore, every errant hair, but that's a very good "problem" to have.

Still learning...Z8 28/2.8. ISOs were pretty high, settled in (so far) on Wide Area Large and sl customized

First, of course that sucks and especially so if you first had to send away for the mount, and then later for the lugs and now this!

Second, agree with Shun in his comments

Third, you fell in 6-8 inches ' 6-8" '? or 6-8 feet?

Fourth, so the insurance is about $32 USD a year?

@kmac

thanks for the tip, but...

I tried highlighting 3 files, right clicked, chose Quick look and no joy, got the same thing as attached above.

HOWEVER!

highlighting the same three files and I chose the eyeball icon (for quick look) in the finder window's tool bar and they appeared!

Go figure.

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of a workaround, appreciated.

I'm shooting in "RAW"

I tried all three compressions: Lossless, High Efficiency*, and High Efficiency. None of them show under quick look. The only thing that changes is file size.

So, Shun, TBC you are saying that RAW Lossless are viewable with quick look (and I suppose Preview also?) under Sonoma 12.1.1.

That would be a reason to upgrade my OS if so, but my mac is not compatible, UGH (Retina 5k 27"2017). Not at all ready for a new computer, so I gues my only option is to await Nikon and Apple to work out their differences.

as stated above

Ventura 13.6.1 iMAC Retina 5k 27" 2017 Nikon z8

After I transfer my pictures from the card to the mac I get the attached rather than the image when I select Quick Look. It is probably a problem with Nikon and Apple talking to each other because pictures taken with an older nikon (d810), same file format—nef, display fine.

Any input appreciated

Thanks in advance

Just some followup. At this point—and I am still learning the z8—I definitely appreciate the FOV of the 28, but the 35 is sharper.

@ilkka_nissila

thanks for that info. Appreciated.

For work I've been using my z8 in mf, but have struggled to understand which of the numerous permutation of focusing modes work better in some situations than others, ie, like street, vs portrait, vs snapshot, vs etc.

Yes, for me having the focus spot in the center will really help in some situations, if nothing else I can readily find the little square. There are tutorials online, but having the camera in the shop across the country twice has taken about a month away from the learning curve.

C'mon, man, nobody took the bait?😀

Albuquerque for the recent annular solar eclipse, I made this composite.

landscape z8 w 28mm/2.8; sequence d810 w 24-70 /2.8 @32mm

The annular solar eclipse last Saturday from Albuquerque. Z8 attached to a Bausch and Lomb 1200mm f12