Optical viewfinder vs Electronic viewfinder experiences

[Ken Miracle]

WOW Ken, PS whats the Tamron 18-400 like.

My 28-300 is also just a work horse also and its just amazing for the focal range versatility.

The Tamron 18-400 became my wife's most used lens on her Z50 and I shot BIF on D850 and D500 regularly when I wanted light and compact. My optic expert friend who works for Tamron had told me that he was not expecting much out of it when it was announced. When it came out my pro friend and camera store owner in Idaho Falls, ID about 5 hours away got the first sample on its way to the Tamron rep and was shooting Burrowing Owls in Flight with the D500 and D850 before the rep got to touch it. 2 days later he was our now closed camera store here in Boise and when I walked in he had a big smile on his face and was holding the 18-400 out for me to try. I was good throughout the range and had amazing near macro capabilities. Our two copies along with my 600 f/4E were the last f/mount glass to be sold whe we decided to go all in on the Zmount before the used DSLR and F mount glass prices started plunging.

I liked the Tamron 18-400 well enough that if someone told me I had to use only one DSLR and one lens the Tamron 18-400 on a D500 would be it.

 

[O]

So the Z9 shows you depth of field full time? Can this be set on or off in the menu? On my R5 you have to push a dof preview button, there is no option for full time dof preview. I don't know that I would want it full time, as I'd rather have the more narrow wide open dof for manual focusing.

Mine works all the time, always has, i haven't looked about adjusting it on or off or even if its possible as i have no need to.
I used Steve's Z9 set up guide i bought gladly, i don't know if that's what turned in on or not.
I use the KISS principal, and shoot like a DSLR only with one button top front face assigned for 3 D tracking.
Back button Focus often but not always.

I am conscious of back grounds, wide open i can see if its going to look OK, if not i move if i can.
The 50mm 1.8 S is an excellent lens i love it for accurate colour overall sharpness, but my DSLR 85mm 1.4 G just kills the 50mm 1.8 S glass for bokah.
The G is butter milk smooth by comparison even at 1.8 to 1.8. or F2.8 to F2.8.
I can see this in EVF partly but more so in the LCD screen.

Only an opinion

 

[Ken Miracle]

Many Bird/wildlife shooters seem to be going back to DSLRs and the D6 is one of the best.
There could be something wrong with me but I still enjoy using my D850 and D5 over my Z9 ...

Not this bird photographer ... I find the Z9 superior overall to my D6, D850 and D500. Not just all around but in almost every area it is equal to or better than my DSLR's were.

 

[Ken Miracle]

Mine works all the time, always has, i haven't looked about adjusting it on or off or even if its possible as i have no need to.
I used Steve's Z9 set up guide i bought gladly, i don't know if that's what turned in on or not.
I use the KISS principal, and shoot like a DSLR only with one button top front face assigned for 3 D tracking.
Back button Focus often but not always.

I am conscious of back grounds, wide open i can see if its going to look OK, if not i move if i can.
The 50mm 1.8 S is an excellent lens i love it for accurate colour overall sharpness, but my DSLR 85mm 1.4 G just kills the 50mm 1.8 S glass for bokah.
The G is butter milk smooth by comparison even at 1.8 to 1.8. or F2.8 to F2.8.
I can see this in EVF partly but more so in the LCD screen.

Only an opinion

Unless you have a depth of field preview button set the Z9 shows depth of field only to f/5.6 or the the maximum for the lens plus TC f/6.3 for Z800, or f/8 with a 1.4 TC the Z100-400 etc.. Smaller apertture requires having depth of field preview set. Discussion on page 360 in @Steve Z9 set up guide.

 

[Len Shepherd]

I know my R5 does display the DOF in the EVF with a push of the DOF preview button. Canon focuses wide open but the preview button cranks down the aperture to whatever f number is set. I don't know for Nikon. I believe Sony can be set to have fulltime dof preview.

Nikon shows the shooting aperture when a lens wider than f5.6 is used at wider than f5.6.

This is possibly because some high performing optical designs with focus shift on stopping down a few stops can be used used stopped down while maintaining focus accuracy.

For wider than f5.6 lenses when stopping down smaller than f5.6 use of a function button acting like a dof preview button is needed to display the dof effect.

 

[O]

Unless you have a depth of field preview button set the Z9 shows depth of field only to f/5.6 or the the maximum for the lens plus TC f/6.3 for Z800, or f/8 with a 1.4 TC the Z100-400 etc.. Smaller apertture requires having depth of field preview set. Discussion on page 360 in @Steve Z9 set up guide.

Thank you, will have a look at setting up the Movie button if i can.

 

[O]

Not this bird photographer ... I find the Z9 superior overall to my D6, D850 and D500. Not just all around but in almost every area it is equal to or better than my DSLR's were.

Thank you great coal face feed back Ken.

 

[bleirer]

On my R5 when the dof preview button is pushed there is no control of the camera settings. All you can do is look at it. If you want to change aperture or whatever you have to release the dof preview. Same with Nikon?

 

[O]

On my R5 when the dof preview button is pushed there is no control of the camera settings. All you can do is look at it. If you want to change aperture or whatever you have to release the dof preview. Same with Nikon?

Don't know as i haven't set it up yet, but a good question, others may be of more help.

I remember in the good old days we never needed to worry about DOF preview, as photographers we knew what it all was going to look like, it was all second nature in the way we did things, LOL

Oh how we have become so digitized LOL.