Switching from Nikon Z7 to Z8 is a lot of fun. There is only one major disadvantage: 675g compared to 910g is a big difference. Everything else is a game change 😉
One of the new features for Nikon is Pixel Shift first introduced in Nikon Zf and then in firmware update to Nikon Z8. It brings 180 Megapixel instead of 45 Megapixel by shooting 32 images. As this requires the object not to move at all this is feasible for large prints of wide angle landscape pictures without moving clouds. This is my test set-up:
Nikon Z8
Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8
Nikon Z 14-30mm f4
Tripod Dörr A4 Alu
SIRUI KX-Series Aluminium Tripod Head
ARCA-SWISS Classic Leica R / SL / Hasselblad: fits perfect on Nikon Z8
But the results were really disappointing. Yes, the final pixel shift image as .NEFX file has amazing 16,512 x 11,008 size but the higher resolution on my test scene did not show any improvement in detail resolution nor sharpness. I did test shots with 32 pixel shift images:
Since corona-lock-down I embraced macro photography more systematically. Many excellent videos are out to learn. Micael Widell inspired me to look closer at diffusors. Here is one of his amazing videos. Her are my settings I derived with multiple tests for different set-ups. My equipment:
Scanning high quality handwriting or scanning of important certificates always leaves me with the trouble of removing scratches or blot. I think the best way is to mask „away“ the dirty background pixels. That used to be so easy with PaintShopPro but with some whistles it can be done in Photoshop, too. Here comes the recipe:
Last but not least, I enjoyed taking my photo equipment and skills to its limits. During my sabbatical I took 6,107 pictures with my Nikon. Trees and animals from the very small to very big, under Uganda heat or Indonesian humidity.
I learned (again) that my photography obsession is capturing magic moments with all the empathy for the people around me. This is my humble “thank you” for your accompanying my sabbatical.
During my last trips I have imported my Nikon Z7 pictures to Lightroom on my MacBook Pro. This allows me editing and sharing of pictures while traveling quite useful in the plane or while waiting. But once back home, I want to have the new collected pictures in my main Lightroom catalog on my iMac. There are multiple ways how you can do it all with its pros & cons. Phil Steele shares them in a great tutorial.
For my old Nikkor AF 105mm micro I had tested the best photo stacking settings based on my DoF measurement and calculation by FocusFinder app below.
The old: Nikkor 105 mm 1:2.8G AF-S VR Micro IF-ED
f
measured DoF at 1:1 [µm]
calculated DoF at 1:1 [µm]
4.0
035
206
5.6
69
289
8
140
413
11
270
567
16
560
825
„My picture feeling“ picked f=5.6 with the best compromise of DoF and sharpness, which resulted in the following save overlapping settings for my two working methods
But what about the new Nikkor Z 105mm? Though the old and new 105mm look very similar there are some differences. Aperture is f4.0 vs f4.5 at minimum distance of 314mm vs 290mm.
The new: NIKKOR Z MC 105 mm 1:2.8 VR S
The new 105mm is much much sharper. The old 105mm has quite some color fringing, not visible in the new one. Therefore, the DoF is not really comparable. Now we only need to know the DoF for each f-stop and than we know how to set things up. Hence, as Nikon does not publish DoF data for the lens – which is a shame by the way – I did my own test.
Getting a grip on Depth-of-Field (DoF): f8
f
measured DoF at 1:1 [mm]
calculated DoF at 1:1 [mm]
4.5
<<0.171
0.190
5.6
<0.171
0.236
8
0.171
0.337
11
0.354
0.464
16
0.530
0.675
The calculated DoF expects shallower DoF with the new 105mm but in practice the difference is not that big. Defraction starts slightly with f11 and is quite big with f16. Therefore, I will pick f8 at my future foto stacking option.
Next comes the focus steps value for focus stacking via autofocus.
The 100 steps test
Using the „focus shift shooting“ functions of the Nikon Z7 starting from minimum distance of 0.29cm with 100 pictures & steps (1/200 F8 ISO100) I measure the distance on the display after the 100 shots:
focus step width
distance on display
distance [mm]
average distance per step [µm]
1
≈0.3
1
2
≈0.3
1
3
0.31
2
4
0.31
2
5
≈0.32
3
6
≈0.33
4
7
≈0.35
6
8
0.4
11
9
≈0.47
18
10
0.62
33
As the stacking distance is not even distributed over the covered range, we cannot conclude too much regarding minimum distance coverage.
Testing 10 stacked pictures with mm-ruler
Here I simply stacked 10 pictures with Helicon Focus (B, 8, 4) and checked the final picture for sharpness. Best results are:
… the final conclusion in my last macro article „finally, I will wait for the arrival of the Nikkor Z 105mm Micro S in 2021“. Hence, Nikon did not release any new Z lens the last 7 months! Even though the lens line-up is way behind Sony and Canon mirrorless – what a „§#*+“
Since the (very last) photokina 2019 show in Köln I was aware of Laowa’s exotic lens collection. At their booth I had a look but did not test any lens as I did not have the FTZ for my Nikon Z7 with me. But as there a great videos and articles about macro out there
Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 85mm on PB-6, PS foto stacked
Already last year I digged up into macro photography with magnification of 1.0 and higher dedusting the solid build mechanical beauty macro bellows Nikon PB-6. After some test shots with my new mirrorless Nikon Z7 I was not really sure that this old technology is still useful with mega-pixel chips and cropping in lightroom. Therefore, I decided to check this a bit more systematically. It is an odd couple, the Nikon PB-6 was introduced 1983 and discontinued whereas the Nikon Z7 hit the market 25 years later in 2018. Hence, the Nikon FTZ adapter makes it fit.
If you have one of the old but still excellent Nikon Coolscan like the 5000 ED you cannot run the original scanner software build for PowerPC G3 or G4 on your new Intel Mac. One solution is to buy up-to-date software like
But there is a simple way to make the Windows-Version of the Nikon scanner run on your new Mac: Use a windows virtual machine and up-to-date drivers for the scanner.
Get and install a Windows 7, 8, 10 license, CD or Image in the Virtual Box
Configure a folder on your MacOS for usage in the virtual box for windows. Here you will later store your scanned images. I run MacOS 10.11.6 (15G1217) on a MacMini with 1 TB SSD and 4 TB HDD. [I will add some screenshots later.]
Configure the Device and USB 2.0 connection of your Nikon scanner for exclusiveusage in Virtual Box. [I will add some screenshots later.]
Install the Windows version of VueScan (Demo is enough) on your virtual Windows. This will install the most current driver for the Nikon scanner. Test with VueScan if your scanner is available and do a test scan. I used VueScan 9.5.70.
Install the Windows version of original Nikon Scan software on your virtual Windows. I used Nikon Scan 4.0.3.
and getting great usability
as the virtual box behaves like a screen you can switch between Windows and MacOS very naturally. The Nikon Scan software runs just fine: quick and now problems with clock-rate or driver settings.
even if the drop is not as „planned“ in 2016 in this chart. If you look at the updated data from 2016 in the original cipa source it is still or just 24.2m shipments.
The problem for Nikon is that it is weak in the „mirrorless“ and „GoPro“ camera „left over market“ where Fuji, Olympus, and Sony take market share while Canon is still the standard DSLR competitor. The Nikon D5 and D500 are well received in the market which makes the management motivated to stay on due course. BUT Nikon’s turnover and profit relays heavily on its „Imaging Products“ as you can see in the latest business report. Like a frog or lobster in hot water getting cooked here, we have shrinking turnover with still OK profits. BUT the official business plan for „Imaging Products“ has higher turnover for 2017 and 2018 on page #12. How can Nikon grow in two years with 10% in a market that is shrinking between -10% maybe up to -30% per year? Where is the secret product that can do that?
The MID-TERM business change program from 2006 which targeted at more diversity with three existing and three new business areas failed after 10 years and is now replaced with a restructure plan.
All the new real hot topics like cameras for robots, drones, cars, smart phones; Internet (of Things); biotech; machine Learning, … are not even on the agenda. Just have a look at page #7 listing excellent technology competencies of the 19th and 20th century. But none of the 21st. With Nikon’s 8% R&D budget there is a lot of room to make Nikon’s future iff Nikon puts it on the right topics. There is no acquisition in the „mirror less“ camera game, nor photo sharing on internet, video processing or machine learning! What about integrating the camera smoothly in the business process of professionals in the news, sports, or portrait business? Or target the semi-pro wedding photographers with an experience for the whole attending family members?
2017 will be a critical year for Nikon with its 100th anniversary. This will give Nikon a lot of air time. Hence, we are waiting for very cool camera models that take a bigger market share in the shrinking marked window between smart phones, mirrorless on one side and Leica et. al. at the other side. The painful retirement plan for more than 1,000 employees is not the news you which for a big party.
Here are some ideas
[After I wrote this blog post on Sunday some more news came out].
