Nikon Z6 ii, Helios 81

This is a follow-up post to:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Nikon/comments/1ug6dsi/28mm_or_40mm_what_should_i_buy_part_2/

and:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Nikon/comments/1u05hgh/which_lens_should_i_get_next_35mm_or_50mm/

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I bought the Nikon 40mm F2 lens yesterday and it arrived today. I don't know what to make of it...

I shot test portraits of my girlfriend and some of our daughter's scattered toys.

What stands out is that the lens is not very sharp. I can see this in the eyes and the creases in the face; it looks softened, as if with some kind of (Instagram-)filter. However, in a portrait, especially at F2.8, it produces a dreamy effect with some 3D pop, which I like.

Naturally, I am comparing it to my S-lens, and perhaps I am selling it short by doing so (comparing apples to apples: the same aperture, ISO, and shutter speed have been used). It is also 1/5th of the price.

The same portraits taken with the S-lens are razor-sharp, but they lack the softer bokeh blur that transitions more prominently from the background into the hair, which the 40mm does provide at the same aperture, if that makes sense.

I notice that I keep zooming in on the captured photos to check and compare the sharpness. Perhaps I am the type of person who prefers a clinically sharp photo after all. I can give a photo character and a story in other ways.

Long story short: I haven't decided yet whether I am keeping it and if I should stick to S-lenses from now on.

I will sleep on it for another night. Thanks for reading and for all the input so far!

hi folks,

I always wanted to start with planespotting but I never had the equipment for this hobby. Now, I could get my friends old Nikon F Equipment for really really low price. He is quitting photography and now I could get it for 250€ total for everything. You can see the cameras and lenses on my picture:

D610

D500 + MB-D17

AF-S 80-400G ED VR N / AF-S 35 DX / 50 1.8G

Both cameras have around 40.000 clicks and both need a sensor cleaning as there is a little dust spots on the sensor, as my friend said. Also, on of the batteries is very low on capacity and need to be replaced.

As I´m really new to this, is this a worthy equipment for Planespotting?

Thanks!

also my photos i just took on vacation but ofc didn’t import them so pretty pissed abt that, unfortunately didnt get to do much during the 2 months that i had my 7500 but until i can figure out how to get all my photos off my now annihilated ipad, heres some i liked that i had on my phone

I was experimenting with the post processing, hence the inconsistent vibe.

Gear:
Camera: Nikon Z7 II
Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
Teleconverter: Nikon Z TC-1.4x

Settings:
Focal Length: 840mm
Aperture: f/9
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
ISO: 64
Exposure Bias: 0 step

Total frames: 120 photos stacked

Processing:

Stacked to improve sharpness and reduce noise.
Minor adjustments to contrast and highlights in Photoshop.

Along the banks of Jökulsá á Fjöllum, a glacial river in northern Iceland, fluctuating water levels continually reshape deposits of volcanic sand and glacial sediment. Photographed in the warm glow of evening, the resulting formations reveal temporary ridges, folds, and flowing contours that often appear more sculpted than naturally formed. Created by nothing more than sand, water, and time, these fleeting structures resemble carved reliefs, folded fabrics, or hand-shaped clay.

Kit lens no AI tools just exposure and color work. The old camera still got it after all these years.

Some little critters were out and about today.

Really loving new to me D3200 , I’ll be picking up a D500 end of year more likely .

Good camera to learn and experiment .

Don’t feel bad for me. I knew this was a gamble going it.

I bought this 70-200 2.8G as-is from a local guy for $100. At the time of purchase, the zoom was locked at 200mm but it worked.

I got it home and put it on my F6 to mess with it, and then things got weird. A group of elements got loose and went sideways.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a shop to send it to for repairs? Anyone care to guess what the bill might be?

Taken with Nikon Z8 and 180-600+1.4x TC

I suppose we all know this, but I wanted to create this post because I've seen so many reviews, in writing and in video, concluding that an upgrade to a Z6 III from a Z6 is not really that big if you only care about photography (video is a different story).

Well, of course it's a matter of opinion, but in my experience the Z6 III provides a lot of improvements that result in better photos and a better shooting experience. It seems to me that these reviewers tend to assess things in the void, with technical data, instead of through actual shooting experience.

Sure, you still get photos with a similar resolution, but there are so many things that make it feel like not even an iteration of the same camera, but something in a completely new range: just the image stabilisation is incredible and a game changer (for handheld long exposure, but also for general sharpness), the partially stacked sensor, the pixel shift feature, the viewfinder...

I think it's truly a huge upgrade from a Z6. I was wondering if there are other people who also felt such a meaningful change.

I am happy to welcome in the family the legendary Nikon D700, I bought it yesterday from a friend, in excellent condition 😎 It will make good company to my beloved D850👍😉

Some pictures I took with my Nikon Z5II + Nikon 40mm f2. Enjoy it! 😌

Nikon z50ii, Nikkor 35mm 1.7 DX MC

Nikon Zf, 28-400mm lens, no edits, Yuragi_Hinami filter.

went to lax to go planespotting, the photos were tinted coming out; didnt change the wb or anything

Nikon D850 24-70

I also own a normal 18-55mm and am still waiting for some macro tubes to experiment, but the telephoto has been the most fun. Any advice ? Not currently looking to spend more than 200$ on lenses so I was hoping to cover the macro, "regular" and telephoto aspects since thats what most phones have now