BF Hammer
Senior Member
I have to admit I struggle still with some things with this camera. Two weeks ago I tried taking Milky Way photos, but rediscovered that you cannot use the intervalometer in manual mode. It rudely reminded me I needed to be in A or P mode to use the feature. I started a sequence in A mode as I walked to my bag and retrieved my external intervalometer. Stopped that series after 23 shots and continued the old-fashioned way. I had my old D750 shooting right next to it not complaining at all about shooting 99 long-exposure 20 second photos in manual mode. I think I read that limitation last winter, but then forgot about it entirely. I also had trouble trying to zoom in the view for using a star to manual focus. D750 was a breeze to do this with the Liveview.
I have not done it yet, but I think I will be setting the liveview to blank the viewfinder/screen as it takes photos to replicate what you see in an optical viewfinder. Tracking motion with the action freezing in view as you snap a burst of exposures really messes up my brain and makes me want to stop moving the camera.
Once I bought a 2nd L-bracket that is a clone of the Smallrig bracket, the camera has become easier to handle. The bracket forms to the shape of the entire bottom except widens a bit where your pinky lands at the grip side. Nice touch on that.
The lack of a built-in flash still concerns me, but truly I have not used flash much for the past 8 years. And I already have 2 Nikon speedlights if needed. I bring the old SB-400 for potential fill-flash use.
I still have not addressed the issue of my Tamron 90mm macro lens not working with the camera. This can be fixed by Tamron but not with downloadable firmware. A circuit board has to be changed. I just use it on my D750 for macro work now. Eventually I will have the Z-105mm macro lens.
There has been no issues with my remaining F-mount lenses adapting to the Z5. Even the Sigma 150-600mm C lens is happy on the Z5. I have been using the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G lens adapted a lot on this body.
Color profile. That has been disappointing. I tend to apply the D750 standard color profile in post a lot. The Z5 color is too desaturated to the point that what I see as blue sky looks mostly gray when I first import the Raw images. JPEGs are not that much better. I have experimented with loading custom color profiles on camera too. It is a work in progress, slightly low on the priorities since I can just apply the D750 profile in post.
I am getting the hang of the autofocus tracking more. But I forget about activating it sometimes.
I keep forgetting that the screen is a touch interface. When I do remember, I move through the interface faster. But the buttons work to move through the stuff.
I sometimes try to look for battery power left on the missing LCD panel on top. That is a step down from all my older DSLRs. I think my next Z body should have it back.
So a lot of that is small stuff. Kind similar to what I would deal with if I had jumped brands. I think I will update again after a year's use.
I have not done it yet, but I think I will be setting the liveview to blank the viewfinder/screen as it takes photos to replicate what you see in an optical viewfinder. Tracking motion with the action freezing in view as you snap a burst of exposures really messes up my brain and makes me want to stop moving the camera.
Once I bought a 2nd L-bracket that is a clone of the Smallrig bracket, the camera has become easier to handle. The bracket forms to the shape of the entire bottom except widens a bit where your pinky lands at the grip side. Nice touch on that.
The lack of a built-in flash still concerns me, but truly I have not used flash much for the past 8 years. And I already have 2 Nikon speedlights if needed. I bring the old SB-400 for potential fill-flash use.
I still have not addressed the issue of my Tamron 90mm macro lens not working with the camera. This can be fixed by Tamron but not with downloadable firmware. A circuit board has to be changed. I just use it on my D750 for macro work now. Eventually I will have the Z-105mm macro lens.
There has been no issues with my remaining F-mount lenses adapting to the Z5. Even the Sigma 150-600mm C lens is happy on the Z5. I have been using the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G lens adapted a lot on this body.
Color profile. That has been disappointing. I tend to apply the D750 standard color profile in post a lot. The Z5 color is too desaturated to the point that what I see as blue sky looks mostly gray when I first import the Raw images. JPEGs are not that much better. I have experimented with loading custom color profiles on camera too. It is a work in progress, slightly low on the priorities since I can just apply the D750 profile in post.
I am getting the hang of the autofocus tracking more. But I forget about activating it sometimes.
I keep forgetting that the screen is a touch interface. When I do remember, I move through the interface faster. But the buttons work to move through the stuff.
I sometimes try to look for battery power left on the missing LCD panel on top. That is a step down from all my older DSLRs. I think my next Z body should have it back.
So a lot of that is small stuff. Kind similar to what I would deal with if I had jumped brands. I think I will update again after a year's use.
