Nikon Z fc - Image & Discussion Thread

[DMLarson]

Richard, I love coming here and other photography forums that you post your pictures in and see these fantastic images of orchids, fungi, and birds. I keep telling my wife that when our kids are raised I'd love to go live in Australia for a year. I don't know how hard it would be to get a visa for that, but it would be a dream of mine.

You take such great photos and I love seeing them.

Dan

 

[Richard_M]

You have so many fascinating types of orchids "down under!" Beautiful, intriguing flowers with such intricate shapes!

Yes, we do and one of the bonuses with native orchids is you can go looking for them virtually all year round.

 

[Richard_M]

Richard, I love coming here and other photography forums that you post your pictures in and see these fantastic images of orchids, fungi, and birds. I keep telling my wife that when our kids are raised I'd love to go live in Australia for a year. I don't know how hard it would be to get a visa for that, but it would be a dream of mine.

You take such great photos and I love seeing them.

Dan

Thank you Dan, that is so kind and very much appreciated.

I have barely scratched the surface with regards the variety of fungi, native orchids, and birds in Australia.

I was due to retire early 2020, but decided to hold off for a month or two and see how the pandemic panned out. In a way I'm glad I did. Luckily our work has stayed operational, although we need to carry valid work permits at all times so we can go out of our lockdown, stay at home restrictions during work hours. My plan when I retire, and COVID restrictions are no longer an issue, is to venture out further afield to see and try to photograph many many more of each genre.

If you do get downunder, I've no doubts you'll get plenty of photo opportunities. Its a big place!

 

[Terri French]

It was a lovely Spring morning and I walked nearly 10km around a local reserve checking the progress of native orchids. Today I took 670 images with the Z fc, and the battery indicator in the camera was still showing it full. I’m guessing it’s not very accurate, and one of the reasons I don't rely on them.

The first two orchids were the ones I was checking on, I only saw one of each in flower. I'm sure there will be more by next weekend. The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were a bonus. Goes to show how big they are, and also how close I was. These were taken with the 105mm macro. Although both images are cropped.

There were plenty of orchids in flower, these are only a sample. I also checked out the progress of the Duck Orchids and saw a few in bud. Another few weeks and they will also start flowering.

#1 White Fingers (Caladenia catenata) These are beautiful orchids and I look forward to them flowering each season.
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#2 Scented Caps (Caladenia moschata) Another lovely orchid
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#3 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
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#4 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
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#5 Dusky Fingers (Caladenia fuscata) These are nearly finished for the season.
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#6 Mantis Orchid (Caladenia tentaculata) These are just starting to flower, looking forward to seeing more over the coming weeks
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#7 Red-beaks (Pyrorchis nigricans) This was the first time I'd seen these in flower at this particular reserve. They are near to being finished for this season.
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#8 Waxlip Orchid (Caladenia major) There were hundreds of these in various sizes and shades of purple in flower today. I was hunting for white ones, but had no luck. This is a pair of very light coloured ones.
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#9 Fungi on rotting trunk
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Incredibly beautiful!! I love that you share these with us!

 

[Richard_M]

Incredibly beautiful!! I love that you share these with us!

Thank you Terri

 

[Richard_M]

I have now taken just on five thousand images with the Z fc and I’m still enjoying using it. There are a few quirks, although a number are related to Nikon, i.e., they are the same regardless of which Nikon mirrorless body you use. I’m still to understand the focusing issue when using the 500mm pf in bright sun. There will be plenty of opportunities to play with it over the coming weeks and try to work it out.

Using the 105mm Z macro has been interesting. For the most part the AF has worked well, although there have been a few times where the focus froze, but not as regular when using the 500mm pf. It’s a pity the very tiny orchids have finished flowering, although we do get another variety at Christmas, I would like check AF on them.

Battery life appears to be good; I haven’t had a battery go flat while out using it. Yesterdays outing where I took 670 shots, if I was doing my normal focus stacks for native orchids, I would’ve taken between 2,500 and 3,000 images. That is a lot of work when I get home. The past couple of days firing off a few hundred handheld snaps, although it doesn’t give me the results I like, it has been a lot of fun with minimal time processing the files when I get home.

One advantage using a 3rd party grip, there is no need to worry about the covering on the body with regards sweat, insect repellent, or sunscreen. If the grip gets damaged or discoloured, not that I’ve had that happen, it is easily replaced. I did find one issue with the SmallRig grip, the thread for attaching a tripod is shallow. I used a BlackRapid screw adapter, and it touched the base of the camera before the rubber had time to grip. This meant I needed to check the adapter constantly as it kept coming loose. This is not something I’ve experienced using other grips, although not SmallRig, on any of my Fuji cameras.

The EVF has been good for birding particularly when the bird is in dappled light. I haven’t tried it for birds in flight. With restrictions being eased a bit more later this week I’ll be able to visit more places which are more open and give the opportunity of getting birds in the air. Metering and WB appear to be good, thus far I’ve not had any issues with either.

 

[Richard_M]

Thom Hogan on Fuji’s potential new bodies

https://sansmirror.com/newsviews-2/fujifilm-shows-their-backsi.html

Reading between the lines, it appears that Fujifilm is now going more strongly after the old Nikon D300/D500 crowd: a top-end crop-sensor camera that is fully pro in performance.

Both Canon (7D Mark II) and Nikon (D500) have made the mistake—so far—of not defending a strong product position that they once held uniquely. Both company's urge to push serious users to full frame, and now to full frame mirrorless, left them neglecting those unique cameras, and neglect has resulted in not only Canon and Nikon selling fewer of those models as they age, but has opened opportunities for competitors.

I'm stunned that Sony didn't jump into this market already. A US$2000-2500 A7000 would have nailed Nikon's DX coffin shut. Of course, at that price, it might have blunted Sony's full frame sales a bit, but I am certain that there's a pro-performance crop-sensor market, and at the moment it's not being served well. Nikon's DSLR D500 is, at five year's old, still the reigning champion and best choice in this space, but it won't be for much longer.

To keep the crop-sensor performance cameras up with the full frame ones, high bandwidth and more megapixels are going to be needed in the eventual competitors. Fujifilm has now hinted that this is exactly what they're going to do, and have even added a necessary lens to the future fray (road map says 150-600mm).

He also mentions Nikon’s Z70/Z90 prototype cameras.

Besides the lack of weather sealing, I’m finding the Z fc is doing an okay job as a D500 replacement until I find a better solution, if and when there is one.

 

[gryphon1911]

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[Pa]

He also mentions Nikon’s Z70/Z90 prototype cameras.

"...Nikon has prototyped a Z70/Z90 type camera, one wonders if those are really coming ..."

 

[Leif]

"...Nikon has prototyped a Z70/Z90 type camera, one wonders if those are really coming ..."

It’s all very well producing those, but without high quality 24-70mm and 14-30mm F2.8 or F4 equivalents, they become specialist cameras for long lens users, rather than high quality general purpose cameras. It’s the reason I bought a Z6 rather than a Z50 or Z fc.

 

[jbailey930]

It was a lovely Spring morning and I walked nearly 10km around a local reserve checking the progress of native orchids. Today I took 670 images with the Z fc, and the battery indicator in the camera was still showing it full. I’m guessing it’s not very accurate, and one of the reasons I don't rely on them.

The first two orchids were the ones I was checking on, I only saw one of each in flower. I'm sure there will be more by next weekend. The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were a bonus. Goes to show how big they are, and also how close I was. These were taken with the 105mm macro. Although both images are cropped.

There were plenty of orchids in flower, these are only a sample. I also checked out the progress of the Duck Orchids and saw a few in bud. Another few weeks and they will also start flowering.

#1 White Fingers (Caladenia catenata) These are beautiful orchids and I look forward to them flowering each season.
View attachment 1689780

#2 Scented Caps (Caladenia moschata) Another lovely orchid
View attachment 1689781

#3 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
View attachment 1689782

#4 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
View attachment 1689783

#5 Dusky Fingers (Caladenia fuscata) These are nearly finished for the season.
View attachment 1689784

#6 Mantis Orchid (Caladenia tentaculata) These are just starting to flower, looking forward to seeing more over the coming weeks
View attachment 1689785

#7 Red-beaks (Pyrorchis nigricans) This was the first time I'd seen these in flower at this particular reserve. They are near to being finished for this season.
View attachment 1689786

#8 Waxlip Orchid (Caladenia major) There were hundreds of these in various sizes and shades of purple in flower today. I was hunting for white ones, but had no luck. This is a pair of very light coloured ones.
View attachment 1689787

#9 Fungi on rotting trunk
View attachment 1689788

So vibrant and rich! Got to handle a Zfc over the weekend at the local camera shop, Ace Photo. I liked its feel. The button positions and exp wheels seemed fine to me. If I didn’t already have two Z bodies, I would consider the fc and its compact set of lenses.

 

[Richard_M]

I put the 105mm macro on the Z fc this morning and went for a wander around one of the local reserves. The weather is on the improve, however it is still not warm enough for the sun orchids to open. Its a matter of keeping an eye on the weather and checking the sun orchids regularly, otherwise I will miss them this season.

Here are a few of the orchids, and a flower, I photographed today.

#1 Plain-lipped Spider Orchid (Caladenia clavigera)

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#2 Dense Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum spicatum)

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#3 Dense Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum spicatum) closeup of the flowers

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#4 Brown-beaks (Lyperanthus suaveolens)

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#5 Brown-beaks (Lyperanthus suaveolens) closeup of the flowers

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#6 African Daisy

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[Richard_M]

Some photos from yesterdays outing using the Z fc with 500mm pf lens

#1 Rainbow Lorikeet

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#2 Golden Whistler

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#3 Grey Teal

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#4 Little Wattlebird

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#5 Red Wattlebird

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#6 Brown Thornbill

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#7 White-naped Honeyeater

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#8 Southern Brown Bandicoot

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[Richard_M]

With the current 20% off sales I have purchased a second Z fc body. I will leave one with the 105mm attached for those wanders around the reserves when I'm not going to do focus stacks of native orchids or fungi. When I am going to do focus stacks, I will continue to use my Olympus setup. Nikon's process is too convoluted, IMO, for field use, particularly for the volume of stacks I usually do on a photowalk. The second body I will use for birding. I will now endeavour to sell my D500 body.

 

[Russ_]

Damn you have some scary flowers!

 

[Pa]

From our perspective, you really have a plethora of exotic flora and fauna to photograph. Those brown beaks really have personality.

 

[Butlerkid]

Just want to chime in....Post #173 is simply a marvelous example of bird and plant varieties....all superbly photographed. Strong composition, excellent exposures and fine feather and plant details that are so sharp I hesitate to touch the screen! Well done!

 

[Clix Pix]

You are so fortunate to have such interesting and exotic flora and fauna! So different from what we see on this side of the world..... Just absolutely beautifully photographed!

 

[Leif]

You are so fortunate to have such interesting and exotic flora and fauna! So different from what we see on this side of the world..... Just absolutely beautifully photographed!

I agree. Lovely piccies.

I do like the herd of sparrows that infest my hedges, but they are the Keir Starmer (1) of the bird world.

(1) A UK politician known for his dull manner, who makes Joe Biden appear hyperactive.

 

[Pa]

I put in an order for one of these, but B&H says "Out of Stock". Expected in 7-14 days.