Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Nikon Z50 First Impressions.
- Thread starter OldMacs4Me
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
So did the spring changeover of lenses. Managed to get it dust free on the second try. Hopefully good for the summer.
Now if we can just shake the winter blahs I might even find a subject that grabs my attention.
Now if we can just shake the winter blahs I might even find a subject that grabs my attention.
Was out and about yesterday going from A to B, over to C, then back to A. Took along the z50 to shoot something other than copies of negs. These two were not intended to become a panorama. However I missed being able to do a butt tie by just a smidge. Lighting also changed a bit between frames. Any way here is my attempt to put lipstick on a bit of a pig.
![DSC_0018&19.jpg]( "DSC_0018&19.jpg")
Going to add one hopefully final complaint to the list. If the camera has been turned on, but has been idle for more than a few seconds it takes way too long for the EVF to come alive after I put my eye up to it. In fact on a couple of occasions I had to turn the camera off then back before the EVF would wake up.
Going to add one hopefully final complaint to the list. If the camera has been turned on, but has been idle for more than a few seconds it takes way too long for the EVF to come alive after I put my eye up to it. In fact on a couple of occasions I had to turn the camera off then back before the EVF would wake up.
Last edited:
I do love the camera but there are things I am sure Nikon could and should improve. Most are minor irritants, but nonetheless they do exist. By all means check out the offerings from Canon and Fuji, if they are in your price range. For whatever reason the Canon I looked at just did not feel as comfortable to me, and I can't even say why. Can't recall price on the Canon, but I believe the Fuji would have been somewhat more expensive.
I think APS-c hits a sweet spot when it comes to format size. Lenses are short enough to offer great depth of field even into the normal and mild telephoto range but can still deliver nice bokeh as you get into the true telephoto end of things. Because I bought this mainly to copy 35mm negs and slides, the 50mm Macro is absolutely perfect. Lets me crop in a smidge past filling the frame while still leaving enough headroom for the autofocus to do its thing.
Anyways I hope these ramblings have given you some useful information.
The strap that came with my Z-50 is nothing for Nikon to brag about. I am sure most users will look for & find something more comfortable on the after market. If you decide to use it temporarily or otherwise a few tips.
First: Use it inside out, the topside is more comfortable against the skin than the bottom.
Second: Check the manual to figure out how to make it secure after you adjust it. Otherwise it could just pull out of the plastic stays.
Third: I picked up a couple of small cheap carabiners at the dollar store, makes it easy to remove the strap when I am doing copy work.
Been giving this camera a light workout the past couple of weeks. Some photos taken around Lundbreck Falls here:
forums.macrumors.com
Here's another image that I took there yesterday. Lighting was better which made for wicked contrast. Did a -.667 EBV to be sure I captured the highlights. Then used the Tone Mapping feature in Affinity Photo to recover the shadows. After that pasted the original over top and deleted all but the extreme high lights from that layer. Blended it all together. Finally over to PhotoShop Elements where I used a High Pass filter on a Softlight layer to bring out the lace effect in the water. Needs to be viewed at full resolution.
![DSC_0065smBlend.jpg]( "DSC_0065smBlend.jpg")
First: Use it inside out, the topside is more comfortable against the skin than the bottom.
Second: Check the manual to figure out how to make it secure after you adjust it. Otherwise it could just pull out of the plastic stays.
Third: I picked up a couple of small cheap carabiners at the dollar store, makes it easy to remove the strap when I am doing copy work.
Been giving this camera a light workout the past couple of weeks. Some photos taken around Lundbreck Falls here:
The Relaxed Photo Thread
Couple of days ago I was describing taking a few photos at Lundbreck Falls to get used to using the new Z-50. Not the best time of the year and the lighting was nowhere near optimal. The bridge shot took a fair bit of 'tinkering' to show any life whatsoever. For better or worse here they are...
forums.macrumors.com
Here's another image that I took there yesterday. Lighting was better which made for wicked contrast. Did a -.667 EBV to be sure I captured the highlights. Then used the Tone Mapping feature in Affinity Photo to recover the shadows. After that pasted the original over top and deleted all but the extreme high lights from that layer. Blended it all together. Finally over to PhotoShop Elements where I used a High Pass filter on a Softlight layer to bring out the lace effect in the water. Needs to be viewed at full resolution.
Anti shake can cover a lot of territory. In some cases it's little more than the camera grabbing high ISOs to obtain high shutter speeds.
A quick thought on Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction) built in to most of it's mirrorless lenses. It really works. At the long end of the 18-140, when looking through the viewfinder everything looks rock solid. The minor quivering I would normally expect is completely smoothed out. You know when you squeeze the shutter there won't be any camera motion. I have been leaving this feature on and so far no signs of it having a negative effect on the image, even at absurdly slow shutter speeds.
A quick thought on Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction) built in to most of it's mirrorless lenses. It really works. At the long end of the 18-140, when looking through the viewfinder everything looks rock solid. The minor quivering I would normally expect is completely smoothed out. You know when you squeeze the shutter there won't be any camera motion. I have been leaving this feature on and so far no signs of it having a negative effect on the image, even at absurdly slow shutter speeds.
VR/IS is only getting better and better. It's really kind of nuts.
Even my first gen 300mm f/2.8VR I'm constantly amazed that I've gotten sharp shots handheld at 1/125 with a 2x TC, and that lens tends to make my hands shake more than even something more moderately sized like a 70-200 2.8 would.
In lens+in body on my X-T5 is unreal, and I don't think it's exactly unique in how well it integrates the two types of stabilization(letting each handle what ti's best at). Using the 16-80mm f/4 lens I bought it kitted with, I have managed 1/2" reasonably sharp across the entire FL range. I don't make a habit of doing that, but it's good to know it's an option.
Of course with anything it's worth testing. Thom Hogan found at least in earlier incarnations of Nikon's VR, it could often hurt sharpness at high shutter speeds. I forget exactly what his range was. In practice, I do often turn it off when my shutter speeds are in the 1/1000 range or faster. I have two lenses with Nikon's first generation VR system-generally identifiable by a brass plate on the lens that IDs what it is, often the letters VR highlighte d in red, and in use they have a comparatively loud "hum"(and also tend to clunk around a lot more than newer lenses). I'm really cautious/selective with whether it's on or off on those lenses. I tend to forget about it on my 24-70 f/2.8E, primarily because I can't hear it(I suspect that newer systems operate at a much higher frequency well outside the range of hearing). I have a few other VR lenses, but those are my most used ones(along with the X-T5+16-80).
Even my first gen 300mm f/2.8VR I'm constantly amazed that I've gotten sharp shots handheld at 1/125 with a 2x TC, and that lens tends to make my hands shake more than even something more moderately sized like a 70-200 2.8 would.
In lens+in body on my X-T5 is unreal, and I don't think it's exactly unique in how well it integrates the two types of stabilization(letting each handle what ti's best at). Using the 16-80mm f/4 lens I bought it kitted with, I have managed 1/2" reasonably sharp across the entire FL range. I don't make a habit of doing that, but it's good to know it's an option.
Of course with anything it's worth testing. Thom Hogan found at least in earlier incarnations of Nikon's VR, it could often hurt sharpness at high shutter speeds. I forget exactly what his range was. In practice, I do often turn it off when my shutter speeds are in the 1/1000 range or faster. I have two lenses with Nikon's first generation VR system-generally identifiable by a brass plate on the lens that IDs what it is, often the letters VR highlighte d in red, and in use they have a comparatively loud "hum"(and also tend to clunk around a lot more than newer lenses). I'm really cautious/selective with whether it's on or off on those lenses. I tend to forget about it on my 24-70 f/2.8E, primarily because I can't hear it(I suspect that newer systems operate at a much higher frequency well outside the range of hearing). I have a few other VR lenses, but those are my most used ones(along with the X-T5+16-80).
After I stopped using auto ISO, my shutter speeds have usually been less than that. I can recall two shots where the SS was 1/3000th. No sharpness issues but both were culled for artistic reasons.
This lens is either noiseless or outside my hearing range. Hopefully that will continue to be so as it ages.
Earlier I complained perhaps a bit bitterly about the 2-step procedure to get in or out of bracketing.
Good news on this. Set it up the way you like in one of the 4 usable modes P, A, S or M. Then save the settings to the U1 or U2 mode. Then return your regular set-up to no auto-bracket and single frame. After that any time you select that U mode you will be set up for auto bracketing.
I ended up doing some extensive menu diving before I conned this one out. Have U1 set up this way and will probably set U2 to my standard copy settings, including auto bracketing.
So one of the three big issues resolved.
Good news on this. Set it up the way you like in one of the 4 usable modes P, A, S or M. Then save the settings to the U1 or U2 mode. Then return your regular set-up to no auto-bracket and single frame. After that any time you select that U mode you will be set up for auto bracketing.
I ended up doing some extensive menu diving before I conned this one out. Have U1 set up this way and will probably set U2 to my standard copy settings, including auto bracketing.
So one of the three big issues resolved.
Got to be honest I never bother with that sort of stuff. I have U1 set up for WB and that's it. Not sure what U2 does 😀
Captured this the other day with the Z50 and the 140mm lens though - very happy
![1714247882747.jpeg]( "1714247882747.jpeg")
Captured this the other day with the Z50 and the 140mm lens though - very happy
Are you by any chance referring to the Fn1 & Fn2 buttons on the front of the camera?
U1 and U2 are user programmable modes on the same dial where you select P, A, S or M modes.
Last edited:
Yeah that's the ones. See I have no idea how to use it 🤣
(I mostly shoot in A/M and only S when it's animals and small children)
(I mostly shoot in A/M and only S when it's animals and small children)