Nature photography is an activity with strong therapeutic potential. With few exceptions, it requires walking, which might be the healthiest sport ever. Most of the time you are breathing fresh air. And the sounds of nature, especially birdsong, have been proven to have therapeutic effects. What about the negative effects of going to bed late or getting up early? This can be easily solved by hanging your hammock next to your tripod, as I did in the case of this photo from northern Bohemia. How about you, do you like sleeping under the stars? If you’re reading this in the morning, I may not be able to offer you coffee, but I can at least offer you fresh news from the world of photography.
Recent Announcements
- Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD: Originally for Sony E, now also for Nikon Z mount. For Nikon users, it offers a lighter (1,180 g vs. 1,435 g), slimmer (88.5 x 185.8 mm vs. 98 x 222 mm), cheaper ($1,299 vs. $2,697) and slightly slower (f/6.3 vs. f/5.6) alternative to the original Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. On the practical side, besides its wider range, its most interesting feature is its minimum focusing distance of 24.9 cm, which gives a maximum magnification of 0.5x (1:2) – albeit only at 50mm and it goes down to 0.2x at 400mm. An Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount ($129) is available as an optional accessory for the lens. Available September 19. Read more in our announcement article.
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II: Second-generation of wide-aperture portrait lens. Compared to its predecessor, it has lost 13% of its volume, 20% of its weight, and – according to Sony – has tripled the AF speed for still images and improved its subject tracking performance substantially. Three new elements have been added to the optical design (now 14 elements in 11 groups), which now have improved Nano AR Coating II. A programmable function button and an iris lock switch have been added. The price remains at the original $1,798. Available in fall 2024. Read more in our announcement post.
- Manfrotto EN-EL15c MKII: Third party alternative to the original Nikon EN-EL15c batteries from the traditional Italian manufacturer of photographic accessories. It differs from the Nikon original by 5% higher capacity (2400 mAh), a red color that will be easier to find in your backpack, and especially the shock-absorbing construction with with injected silicone for extremely tough environments (drop proof up to 9ft). The battery is capable of over 500 charge/discharge cycles. The price is the same as the Nikon original, $60.
The Rumor Mill
Will we finally see a decent successor to the Nikon D500?
I asked myself this question before opening an article discussing rumored specifications of the Nikon Z50 II. Here is my brief summary and analysis. If you’re fainthearted, I’ll preface this by reminding you that these are just rumors and that the final specifications of the camera may be different.
First the good stuff. The camera is supposed to get a new design, so I expect a smaller version of the Z6 III, including button layout, flippy screen and overall great ergonomics. The processor should be the proven Expeed 7 (what it’s capable of in the Z9 is pointless to describe today), allowing for faster and more capable autofocus. Now for the less pleasant predictions. The Nikon D500 used to have the same batteries as the D850, which was very convenient. Unfortunately, the Nikon Z50 II is said to use the same EN-EL25 batteries as the Z50 or Zfc. Also, the expected 20.9MP resolution would be rather disappointing. The competition today can do 40MP, which makes much more sense to me. Well, what are your expectations for the Z50 successor? And is the APS-C format still a viable complement to full-frame for you? I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments.
Via Nikon Rumors
Leica Q3 with 43mm lens
The Leica Q is a compact, full-frame camera with a classic design and a fixed prime lens with a focal length of 28 mm and an aperture of f/1.7. The high-resolution 60-megapixel sensor allows for significant compositional changes through cropping. But since the Leica Q doesn’t allow lens changing, there’s no choice but to make a variant with a longer lens, right? Rumors suggest this should be a 43mm f/2 APO lens or another “very close to 40mm” lens. What about those hoping for a Leica Q3 Monochrom? In that regard, the source doesn’t seem to have good news.
Via Leica Rumors
Good Deals and New Sales
This week brought an interesting discount on the photo editing software Capture One Pro. You can now download a license for the current version of this program (not a subscription) for $179 (was $299).
Two terabytes of capacity on a memory card is a guarantee that you won’t run out of space in even the most megadiverse wildlife hotspot on the planet. At the same time, 2TB cards tend to be quite expensive. Even the ProGrade Digital 2TB CFexpress 2.0 Type B Gold cards aren’t cheap (1 normally for $800, and a 2-pack for $1440). But the discounted prices of $400 if you buy one, and $750 if you buy two, are really interesting. This is one of B&H’s “deal zone” sales and only lasts for another twelve hours, so get it soon if you like the deal.
SSDs are great for making backups on the go. But for backing up photos and videos at home, a good, time-tested external hard drive is still a good option. It may not be as fast as an SSD, but the price/capacity ratio is very nice. Plus, if you don’t drop it on the floor or subject it to any other form of physical torture, it can serve you well for many years. B&H Photo Video is now running a short-term special on the Glyph Technologies 16TB Blackbox PRO (was $450, now $290).
Other Pages of Interest
The most prestigious wildlife photography competition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, has been running for 60 years. Although we’ll have to wait a while for the winners to be announced, you can already see a selection of fifteen photos from the latest edition.
An unprecedented dose of creative inspiration can be found on the Wild Art Photographer of the Year contest website. Sure, there are all the amazing photos that won one of the eight categories, but that’s not all. In fact, each category also offers a selection of the top 100 photos. This is really interesting because it gives you a peek under the hood of the judges’ work, and it’s quite possible that you might have picked a different winner. Finally, each category includes a link to a YouTube channel where the judges and the authors of the winning photos discuss their images.
For some time now, I have been toying with the idea of using a DSLR camera trap for my photo hunts. In fact, we have already discussed this topic on Photography Life with an expert in this photographic genre, Vladimir Cech Jr. Do you like wildlife photography where the environment in which the animal lives plays an important role in addition to the animal itself? Then take a look at the Camtraptions website for some inspiration.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #65
Last week’s theme was mountains, and you can see the submissions in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is mist, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, September 7, 2024!
Week #64 Results
Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “mountains” theme, starting with florin’s photo:
A classic mountain, which almost invites a climb with those beautiful warm rays of sun.
Next, let’s see vidmarko’s photo:
Now, we have something a bit darker and colder. It’s a different sort of beauty that looks a bit more challenging to climb!
Finally, let’s see dave’s shot:
I really like this more abstract mountain, showing a tiny and more intimate slice of the rocky environment.
Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the mist theme.
Surely a D500 successor and a Z50 II are two different cameras for different market niches. A true Z series version of the D500 would be a big seller, I would think, and yes, it would need to be at least 40mp. And a lot of other things, such as tough weather sealing. Would love to see it. A Z50 refresh? Sure. But that’s a different customer base.
Nikon must update this due to EU USB-C regs, but probably will just add some design changes and power (Expeed 7, as mentioned) to make it suitable for 2025 and forwards. Not sure whether the market needs/wants IBIS (price..)
I don’t think it will be a D500, that bird has flown and it’s not coming back..
I also don’t think 40mp (fuji style) is likely, just look at the loss of dynamic range on Photons to photos for the X-T5 compared to X-T4, not particularly wonderful.
Regarding the Z50 II, you asked if the APS-C is still a viable complement to FF?
Definitely yes!
1) Matched with a less than 6 in telephoto it gets in to sporting/entertainment events whereas bigger “professional” cameras and lenses may not make it past the gate.
2) It’s the best choice for a backup camera, lighter and smaller, when traveling.
3) It’s fun and simpler to use than Z8/9… For example when catching some backyard birds from the patio.(I am looking forward to using it on the Tamron 50-400 I just ordered.)
4) Light weight is, of course, important on long hikes; and on short hikes for old guys like me.
Otherwise, I enjoy my Z7, 6II, 8, and eight FF Z lenses. Cheers
Absolutely right! I mean, if a potential Z50 II can be 80% as good as a Z8 but cost 2K less, that is a great thing for people who could spend 2K on a trip. Let’s face it, photography is expensive and having FF as the only option for most means a lot of people being excluded from wildlife photography.
I don’t think it’s a terrible decision to position DX solely as a low cost alternative. A Z6iii with a DX sensor, to me, makes little sense. APS-C sensors came about originally because full frame sensors were unavailable, and when they were introduced they were fantastically expensive. That is no longer the case. I’d like to have a Zfc with the standard 16-50, which I’ve read good things about, nice for travel. But for premium money I’d stick with full frame. Ultimately they can build it if there’s a market for it. It would need a unique position in their lineup and not just a redundant offering with a smaller sensor. Explain to me why I want a D500 version of a Z camera and what problem it solves.
Aps-c sensors did indeed cost a fraction (1/10 I believe) of a 35mm sensor. You could therefore get a high spec aps-c camera for the price of a low spec 35mm. And if you wanted AF for wildlife, aps-c was the way to go – unless you were £££-loaded. It also gave very good ‘reach’ with a lens like the excellent 300/f4D and a 1.4 TC.
An aps-c camera gives me 750mm (efl) out of my 500 PF. I’d need a 800mm to do that in Z-mount and I’m not paying £5,000 for that.
I have both PFs – 300mm and 500mm. They cost £3,000. I can’t get a 400/f4.5 for that.
If a Z50ii has better AF than a D500 – big ‘if’ perhaps – it might be worth the while. I don’t have the £££ for a Z8 or Z9, but I do want quality AF. As things stand, I don’t rate any Z-mount below the Z8 as better than my D500. Which is why I complement it with a Z5 – that is a value for-money camera and is all I need for non-action photography.
My Z5 and D500 cost the same as a Z6ii (and therefore much less than an Z6iii) and they offer much more flexibility in use (I do confess that the Zs are very pleasant to use – the Z5 is more likeable than the D500).
Aps-c still offers value than 35mm can’t match while retaining sufficient IQ.
John, see my comment September 4, as to why I think DX is relevant. Even though I mostly shoot for big wall art with a Z8 I still find myself using my Z50 often. And with better autofocus I think a Z5II could grab the huge fan base (market) the D500 has, particularly for wildlife.
A Z50 ll without IBIS and only 20 mpx would be of completely no interest. Give us a true successor of the D500 with the bigger battery, IBIS and a noticeable jump in resolution and I would order one on the first day of release.
Yes, I think no IBIS would be harsh.
Hi !
Viltrox AF 16/1.8
When are you planning the review?
Hi Vitalij, we already have enough sample images and field experience, even the lens has been tested in our lab, so all that’s left is to write the review. No worries, it won’t take long.
FWIW, I would be happy to give my review of that lens. Hopefully, I simply received a bad copy but mine proved to be a bargain bin lens with bargain bin performance and bargain bin quality control. It is currently on its way back to Amazon. The metal build was nice. That same was true of the tight tolerances of the lens mount. Beyond those it was a disappointment on every level. I tested both for day use and Milky Way shots and performance ranged from mediocre to embarrassing.
For night images I could not get consistent results even when repeating multiple shots with identical manual focus settings on a stable tripod mount (IBIS off). Literally, fire the shutter three to five times without even touching the camera and one or two images would be reasonably sharp, one or two would be soft or out of focus, and one would be mostly sharp with some pretty bizarre smearing or coma. Interestingly, 25 second exposures were often sharper than 8 or ten seconds. I also took a series of shots adjusting between 20m and Infinity (again three to five each) and EACH supposed focus distance yielded at least one accurate shot of the same night sky. BTW, while one would expect distances to progress from 20, 30, 40, 80, 100 to a larger value or Infinity that was only occasionally the case. Sometimes it was 20, 30, 40, 80, 200, 100, Infinity and others 20, 30, 40, 80, 200, 100, 200 Infinity. To say focus by wire and focus locking were sloppy would be an understatement.
Given how inconsistent (and downright bad) many of the results had been, I mounted my Nikkor Z 17-28 f2.8 and replicated the shots to make sure it was not an issue with my Z8. Without exception, the Nikkor produced sharper images even when pushing pretty long exposures. The Viltrox was terrible wide open and still underperforming at f2.8. Its best shots were a step down. Under the circumstances that meant there was no reason to even consider keeping. One lens consistently rendered the night sky correctly and the other couldn’t do the same from shot to shot and was still too soft at matching apertures in its best shots.
As for day images, the lens was softer at all apertures. Reasonably sharp in the center but surprisingly weak at the edges (again) regardless of aperture. Edges in this case also meant more than just the periphery. If it was outside the DX circle it left much to be desired. Autofocus performance was acceptable but taking the same shot more than once produced some examples where the focus was sharp (for the lens) for two images and out of focus for the third. Color rendition was oddly cool as well but that could be a lousy profile in Lightroom. That is probably the nicest thing I can say about it.
Amazon offered to exchange the lens, but the return window would have run out before I could test it, so it is simply being returned. I do hope others have better results but, for me, the lens cried out style over substance. It looks and feels nice, but performance was lacking on all fronts. Simply put, if I have to buy a lens more than once to get a working copy then it will not be on my list. This one failed miserably in a way I would expect of a discount lens. Perhaps that is what it still is in the end.
I would also be a little disappointed in a reuse of 20MP. But the most important is better in camera video codecs, and better autofocus. If it clearly delivers on those notes I think a conservative price point is more important than 4-6MP. For me, and for many Z users I believe, the Z50ii would be a secondary camera, and a travel camera. The three words I wish would encapsulate this camera: small, fun, capable.
The rumours about a Leica Q sporting a forty made me very happy. I recently acquired the Q2M, and I think a combination of a Q2M and a Q3-43 colour might be all the compact I could ever *need (*read want).
20 megapixels will be enough.
I’ll explain.
Diffraction. 40 megapixels is too much and a matrix with such a resolution will not actually be moire. Measurements show that the transition from 26 megapixels to 40 gives about only 10% of the useful resolution.
Reduced reading speed. The higher the resolution, the slower the matrix. The Z6iii in video mode provides a higher reading speed than the Z8.
The file size. The higher the resolution, the larger the RAW sizes, the greater the buffer size requirements. That is, to maintain high speed, a larger buffer will be needed, which negatively affects the price.
Requirements for optics. The higher the resolution, the larger and heavier the optics need to be mounted on the camera to resolve it. This reduces the value of the DX camera as a low-weight and low-cost tool.
Price. The more pixels there are, the more expensive the matrix is. Accordingly, the camera will begin to compete with the Zf in price.
Now thoughts.
If it is the Z50ii, then at best they will supply a matrix from the A6700.
But if it’s a Z70. Then you can expect a stack sensor of 26 megapixels, which Sony makes for Fujifilm, but with a normal color filter.
1.076 / 5.000
I can only agree with Dmitry. I own a lot of cameras from Fuji and Nikon. I also have the Fuji X-T5. After the initial euphoria, I have to say clearly that Fuji has done itself absolutely no favors with this 40mm sensor. It ruthlessly exposes the lens qualities. Fuji, for example, does not have a single zoom lens in its range that is suitable for the 40mm sensor and delivers top quality. Not even the 16-55 2.8. The image quality of this is worse on the 40mm sensor than on the 26mm sensor. That means it is blurrier, especially at the edges. The only Fuji lenses that really make the most of the 40mm sensor are expensive premium fixed focal lengths, such as the 18/1.4; 23/1.4 and 33/1.4. This is where the advantage of the high-resolution sensors comes into play. Therefore, in my opinion, the absolute stupidest thing Nikon could do would be to install a 40mm sensor. Nikon also lacks premium lenses in DX format. And I don’t think anyone will want to mount a 28-70 2.8 on a DX camera. It just doesn’t fit. Instead, you use a Z7ii or Z8.
I agree that for shorter focal lengths I could live with a resolution of around 20MP. I don’t usually crop when shooting landscapes or people, so a resolution of around 20-25MP is more than sufficient. For my wildlife needs, a second (APS-C) body would serve two functions. First, it would be a backup to my primary full-frame camera. Primarily, however, I would use the APS-C camera when I need to cover the subject with more pixels, so as an alternative to a teleconverter. In the case of 20MP resolution, this is basically pointless, as I can get practically the same result by simply cropping the image from the Z8/9 (with the advantage of more freedom in cropping in post-production). As for Fuji, I was personally quite happy with their 40MP sensor. But it is true that such a resolution is extremely unforgiving. Any lens imperfection or photographer error will show up immediately. It’s a bit of a repeat of when Nikon came out with the D800. Until then, “good enough” lenses suddenly showed their limitations.
As far as I tested sensors in real life application, at this right point, there is no better APS-C sensor from any other brand than the one from the Nikon D500/D7500/Z50 etc… so more than 20Mp may probably be useless until a manufacturer find something to make the sensor (and the system with lenses) really overall better.
And to my sense, none have found at this right time. More Mpx just looks like one more commercial gimmick with strictly no benefits overall (just more space used on disks for nothing).
Even more : going from the D7200 to the D500 showed me that less can be more (while D7200 had the best APS-C sensor of the market to date when launched).
I really wonder what would be the reason Nikon should change the sensor if it isn’t to make it faster (or maybe, stabilised). So, for the sake of IQ, I hope they’ll keep it the way it is.
www.dpreview.com/revie…0073361072
www.dpreview.com/revie…8312361213
www.photonstophotos.net/Chart…0ILCE-6700
I will say one thing. I think in wildlife, 20MP on APS-C is enough. But I don’t discount the advantages of a higher pixel count, but only in decent light of course. The downside is that the 100% zoom level looks a little worse and it simplifies the workflow psychologically not to have to deal with that, especially if not much extra detail is resolved.
However, it can’t be denied that probably you could get more detail from some of the higher end lenses on a more dense sensor. I recently was surprised when I tested my wife’s superzoom, the Panasonic FZ300 — it uses a 105mm lens to achieve a FF equivalent FOV of 600mm. Yes, the IQ of it is not perfect in lower light, but it performs about the same as my Nikon AF-P 70-300mm DX lens on the D500, at least in terms of resolved detail (but with narrower depth of field of course).
Hard to say, but I do think a bit more detail could be obtained at higher pixel densities with APS-C. However, like I said, in many wildlife situations, the advantage is not that great due to lower light. I mean, one can go in the opposite direction too: 24MP FF has a relatively low pixel density but it crops surprisingly well and the files look very clean.
I think my conclusion, which does not necessarily follow from what I said, but it’s what my gut tells me, is that I’d be absolutely happy with 20MP APS-C. I might like a 32MP version, for some applications, but 20MP is pretty decent and probably close to a sweet spot. As long as the camera has got decent AF. But I am very close to upgrading my camera and think from here on in I’ll just stick to full-frame, unless the Z50 II or some future camera is super amazing.