Best use cases for pixel shift

[Chappy]

I currently have a Z8 and Z9. With the discussions on a firmware update for the Z9, it has me wondering what is its best use case. Ive done a little research online about it but still don't really have a good grasp of it nor do i have any ideas where the best use cases might be. I have done bracketing and focus stacking and in many cases i really like the outcomes. I have done bracketing and then merging the photos on lightroom both on a tripod and handheld in static situations. I have merged photos mostly in Lightroom.

If i understand it correctly you would have to merge the photos in Nikon NX studio and then you can do further edits in LR. I have watched 3 or 4 videos on pixel shift shooting and frankly I wasn't impresse. However one video suggested you sometimes you might not see a difference through a video because of Youtube compression and other things.

So where is the best use of pixel shooting? How can it impact my photos? Will it be easiest in landscape shots?

 

[TurtleCat]

My personal opinion is that it is best used when your subject will not move at all between shots. So still life, art reproduction, and the like. I’ve seen people use it on landscapes with very little wind or where movement isn’t expected on a tripod and it can work well.

There is a difference in color fidelity and perceived sharpness but like many things it’s not always going to be obvious. And it also depends on your output. If you print large it can be great. If your output is a social media I’d skip it.

 

[Nimi]

In my opinion, no use for it in high mp camera. It worked fine, as advertised, on my Zf but when peeping, there was some softness, probably due to my lighter tripod. I think that unless you use a proper stand in a studio environment you'll see blur and the 200mp will be useless.

BTW, I use it on my medium format. In a studio on a 200lb Cambo stand. No idea why the client wants this kind of resolution.

If you must have extreme resolution for architecture or landscape, invest in a medium format camera. On high mp full-frame it's a gimmic.

 

[TurtleCat]

There is also the old Foveon (Merrill or Quattro) sensors that can get you similar results with only one shot. They are definitely best at low iso and tripod use.

 

[Lee R]

I works well for macro on a tripod for still life. Otherwise I have not found much use for it. A 2X macro though with pixel shift off the Z8 is fun just beware it's almost a GB per image for the RAW files.

Some .7 mechanical pencil lead and the eagle on the dollar bill. You can easily see the different colored security fiber.