nikkor Z 400 f/2.8

[NorthernFocus]

I use the rifle method mostly, but still have issues.

I think the focus ring is just too sensitive, any minor nudge is enough to get it to switch to manual focus.
Also, when walking, the lens rubs against my jacket and that changes whatever setting you have applied to any of the control ring functions.

Thinking about creating two different banks for this. One for walks in the woods without any active control rings and one for static work like hides with the control functions enabled.

Not sure which camera body you're using but if Z9 then this problem is easily resolved by simply turning the camera off when walking. It starts up fast enough that by the time you can lift it to your eye it's ready to shoot. Also has the side benefit of conserving battery power. Simply takes a little training to automatically hit the switch as soon as you grab the camera grip. I may be under estimating how long it takes to train oneself to do so. I've been doing it for years with DSLRs for battery management purposes.

 

[hrv]

Not sure which camera body you're using but if Z9 then this problem is easily resolved by simply turning the camera off when walking. It starts up fast enough that by the time you can lift it to your eye it's ready to shoot. Also has the side benefit of conserving battery power. Simply takes a little training to automatically hit the switch as soon as you grab the camera grip. I may be under estimating how long it takes to train oneself to do so. I've been doing it for years with DSLRs for battery management purposes.

Good point. I will have to give it a go.

 

[Ken Miracle]

I use the rifle method mostly, but still have issues.

I think the focus ring is just too sensitive, any minor nudge is enough to get it to switch to manual focus.
Also, when walking, the lens rubs against my jacket and that changes whatever setting you have applied to any of the control ring functions.

Thinking about creating two different banks for this. One for walks in the woods without any active control rings and one for static work like hides with the control functions enabled.

Have you adjusted your control ring response f10 I have mine set on low? I am on the move constantly chasing birds and have little issue but I do keep my eye on it. I use it for EV and it is readily apparent when my eye hits the viewfinder if it needs adjusting and very fast to adjust.

 

[Ken Miracle]

Not sure which camera body you're using but if Z9 then this problem is easily resolved by simply turning the camera off when walking. It starts up fast enough that by the time you can lift it to your eye it's ready to shoot. Also has the side benefit of conserving battery power. Simply takes a little training to automatically hit the switch as soon as you grab the camera grip. I may be under estimating how long it takes to train oneself to do so. I've been doing it for years with DSLRs for battery management purposes.

I do that more and more for saving batteries if I am on a long birding outing.

 

[hrv]

Have you adjusted your control ring response f10 I have mine set on low? I am on the move constantly chasing birds and have little issue but I do keep my eye on it. I use it for EV and it is readily apparent when my eye hits the viewfinder if it needs adjusting and very fast to adjust.

Oh, that sounds good, I need to check that. Didn't know it was an option.

 

[gdecamp]

Oh, that sounds good, I need to check that. Didn't know it was an option.

Oh for sure that makes a huge difference!

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

To aid with hand holding and use of a bean bag I taped over the lens control ring and also the switches on the side of the lens. Both the function ring and control ring are disabled in my settings. It is simply "far too easy" to inadvertently change settings by grabbing either of these while shooting action.

I prefer to use the EC button rather than the control ring to change exposure compensation settings AND the dial to change shutter and aperture settings.

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[hrv]

Oh, that sounds good, I need to check that. Didn't know it was an option.

Well, turned out that it was already set correctly to low.

I find it a shame that we do not have this option for the focus ring and only for the control ring.
I have now created a bank for walking and one for static work, when walking, I have everything turned off. I must say that when hand holding I do not find the control ring useful anyway.

I guess the only alternative is turning the camera off as suggested earlier, but my mind is wired differently and I forget to turn it on... or off... so I am not there yet

 

[Ken Miracle]

Well, turned out that it was already set correctly to low.

I find it a shame that we do not have this option for the focus ring and only for the control ring.
I have now created a bank for walking and one for static work, when walking, I have everything turned off. I must say that when hand holding I do not find the control ring useful anyway.

I guess the only alternative is turning the camera off as suggested earlier, but my mind is wired differently and I forget to turn it on... or off... so I am not there yet

There are adjustments you can make to fine tune the "throw" or sensitivity of the MF ring depending on your preferences and @Steve has a great section on that in his Secrets To The Nikon Autofocus System Mirrorless edition.

Irony ... for me being a hand held run and gun bird ID photographer I use the control ring constantly for EV since it helps with AF let alone a correctly exposed image. A bird on a branch against the sky comes immediately to mind. The second is the memory button set to toggle between FX and DX which is the other big helper for AF. I can do both of these functions with out having to take the view finder away from my eye even as I continue to focus with half press on the shutter or using various AF area modes programmed into buttons on the body and even move focus point around for composition with my thumb .... unless using AFArea 3D+AF which I have on my AFON button and that does it's own focus point movement as I track the subject.

 

[hrv]

I do use the lens buttons to switch between FX/DX but I found changing EV not much of an advantage over changing it on the body itself, which I have to do with the PF and smaller Z lenses anyway.

It is tough to learn new tricks once old patterns have sunk in.

 

[Ken Miracle]

I do use the lens buttons to switch between FX/DX but I found changing EV not much of an advantage over changing it on the body itself, which I have to do with the PF and smaller Z lenses anyway.

It is tough to learn new tricks once old patterns have sunk in.

My primary reason is I use half press shutter and using the control ring I can continue focusing while adjusting the ev and since I use the 800pf 90% of the time and then the Z100-400, Z70-200 and Z24-120 and Z50 f/1.8 in that order all have a control ring except the 50mm. Sunday I am doing an indoor shoot for church and the 50 will be in use so I will have to use the on body EV At least the subjects will not be as fast and flighty as the birds I chase

 

[mholdef]

Correct. I missed the 1. Also kind of low. I was expecting at least 1/1600

Larger animals don't usually need really high shutter speeds to freeze action (like BIF). 1/1600 or 1/2000 would be erring on the safe side, however I shoot ice hockey and 1/1250 is my sweet spot mainly a compromise given low lighting of rinks, but generally fast enough to free a fast moving skater. So I think what he did here with 1/1250 is definitely good enough for many situations.

 

[ElenaH]

@jmurthy ,
I had a look at your pictures in your gallery. I don't know where you are living but perhaps in the North of US or UK? The pictures were of winter-mammals, big mammals, birds, landscapes... and your pictures are good. You love nature, animals and you will be better in photography. You are also not old according to the photo so, you can hold the lens.
Buy that lens. As simple as that! You will enjoy them a lot! Your pictures shoot with that lens will make you happy.
The decision is right. If you take photos of the northern animals than you will profit from f2.8 (in Africa I can profit it for an hour or two and then change to the smaller lens with f4-f5.6) and with 400mm you can even take photos of landscapes.
So, if you have money then buy it. If not then borrow the money and buy it. I am convinced that you will not regret. And we will enjoy your photos if your will share them.

 

[jmurthy]

@jmurthy ,
I had a look at your pictures in your gallery. I don't know where you are living but perhaps in the North of US or UK? The pictures were of winter-mammals, big mammals, birds, landscapes... and your pictures are good. You love nature, animals and you will be better in photography. You are also not old according to the photo so, you can hold the lens.
Buy that lens. As simple as that! You will enjoy them a lot! Your pictures shoot with that lens will make you happy.
The decision is right. If you take photos of the northern animals than you will profit from f2.8 (in Africa I can profit it for an hour or two and then change to the smaller lens with f4-f5.6) and with 400mm you can even take photos of landscapes.
So, if you have money then buy it. If not then borrow the money and buy it. I am convinced that you will not regret. And we will enjoy your photos if your will share them.

Elena,
Thank you for those very kind words! as an update, I did get the om1 mkI with150-400 and it pairs very well with my current nikon and Z mount nikkors. i did not go the way of Nikkor 400 because i could not justify the cost at this time in my use case. I am certain i will revisit this issiue in a few years to come )