p.66 #1 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
kuujinbo wrote:
Funny, that's exactly the same reason I picked up the Zf. As a hobbyist, bought the camera with the sole intent to "slow down and have fun", and won't be buying any AF lenses.
LTM/M39 rangerfinders don't need adapters that provide a focus ring, but they do need a separate LTM-M adapter to mount to some of the Z-M adapters referenced in this thread. A good starting point for Nikkor rangefinder lenses is here:
I own[ed] the bottom three on that list. Currently have the 8.5cm f2, which I love, but on the Zf it's borderline too heavy. My copy weighs close to 550g. The 10.5cm f2.5 was nice too, but even heavier and much larger.
Generally speaking the Nikkor 5cm and wider fit your criteria very well, even taking into account the small added weight and height of the L-M and M39-M adapters. They're tiny, light, and have unique rendering. For reference here's an old photo I found of a Nikkor H.C 5cm f2 LTM: ...Show more →
This is the info I'm looking for, for sure Thanks for responding. You mention using 2 adapters but I saw a few direct S to Z adapters, do you think those would work as well or is there some advantage to using a S-M then M->Z? I could swear I read about the Nikon rangefinder S mount lenses needing a focusing helicoid and then I think specifically the 50mm having a different type of "claw" or mount type that needed something special?
I'll read up on the links and info you provided. I agree that 50mm and wider is what I'll want most the time but I don't mind having a 85 or 105 in the bag to use occasionally. I did add the tiny Kamerakraft thumb grip to my Zf and that has helped quite a bit with holding the camera so hopefully that makes larger lenses a bit more do-able.
p.66 #2 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Bruce Marriner wrote:
I agree about M lenses, while I have a bit of a secret love affair for trying a real rangefinder I doubt I'll actually buy one anytime soon. The only thing I did like about the S or M mount lenses is the smaller adapters vs the kind of large F adapter. I do definitely want to use the lens aperture ring, that is probably a hard requirement and seems like a pretty big disadvantage to the FTZ in that case.
On your lens list, are those character/flawed lenses? I think from what I've read you generally prefer optically correct/perfect lenses, but I could absolutely be wrong I'll read up on all those lenses. Thanks for the info....Show more →
The 28 and 105 are more clinical than the others, the Helios and TTA 75 are VERY character, and the 40 Ultron is the best of both worlds. The Super Takumar is another character lens that is very popular to adapt to Z.
I find the rendering of the Thypoch lenses sublime with loads of interesting character that doesn't rely on rendering flaws. Unfortunately they aren't chipped, and their aperture rings and focus rings go in the "wrong" direction on Nikon.
p.66 #3 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Bruce Marriner wrote:
You mention using 2 adapters but I saw a few direct S to Z adapters, do you think those would work as well or is there some advantage to using a S-M then M->Z? I could swear I read about the Nikon rangefinder S mount lenses needing a focusing helicoid and then I think specifically the 50mm having a different type of "claw" or mount type that needed something special?
Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that Nikkor rangefinder S mount and LTM are completely different. I don't have any experience with S mount, only Nikkor LTM (screw mount) to Leica M mount lenses.
p.66 #4 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
kuujinbo wrote:
Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that Nikkor rangefinder S mount and LTM are completely different. I don't have any experience with S mount, only Nikkor LTM (screw mount) to Leica M mount lenses.
Oh, I didn't know the difference - but thanks for the extra detail. There's so much information on this topic to try an understand so I don't go off and buy a bunch of stuff that doesn't work
p.66 #5 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
bigtractor wrote:
Based on Shotens recent offerings I would not be surprised if the same adapter with an added macro function is introduced sometime.
As I expected, some time in the last couple weeks a new adapter with electronic contacts and a 6mm helicoid extension was announced. They're available in black or silver. The price is considerably higher than the standard chipped adapter (200 USD / ￥31950) but I wanted to share it as a similarly priced option for anyone who hasn't yet bought a ~$100 M-E helicoid and ~$100 E-Z adapter to stack. I can't speak as to how well it works as I haven't personally used it, but I've been satisfied with other shoten adapters.
p.66 #6 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
bigtractor wrote:
As I expected, some time in the last couple weeks a new adapter with electronic contacts and a 6mm helicoid extension was announced. They're available in black or silver. The price is considerably higher than the standard chipped adapter (200 USD / ￥31950) but I wanted to share it as a similarly priced option for anyone who hasn't yet bought a ~$100 M-E helicoid and ~$100 E-Z adapter to stack. I can't speak as to how well it works as I haven't personally used it, but I've been satisfied with other shoten adapters.
They're also available through the shotenkobo ebay store but at a higher price....Show more →
I'm not sure if someone in the US can buy directly from the link you posted. Have you tried? It's about $200 USD, while on eBay it's closer to $250.
The weight is 113g, so it is a bit on the heavy side, but it also seems very well constructed, probably because of the 6mm extension. For comparison, my Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ stacked with the Voigtlander M-E close-up adapter weighs 118g combined.
What I like about the Megadap setup is that you can select the lens focal length directly in-camera, without needing to take an extra photo just to register the FL, which is how the Shoten works.
p.66 #7 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Some of the Voigtländer character lenses are re-creations of actual classics, and while they are generally very good, and you will never have to worry about scratches lenses, fungus, seized lubricants, and so on, they also never really reach 100% of the look of the classics, so you need to do a little introspection and decide if you are really a classics guy, or if you are happy with a nearly as good but much newer recreation.
p.66 #8 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Fred Miranda wrote:
I'm not sure if someone in the US can buy directly from the link you posted.
Buying anything online direct from Japan from the US has gotten a lot harder in the past 10 years or so. A domestic address and credit card are often required. E.g., I had to ask my in-laws to purchase and mail (from their residence) a Nikon Zf grip from Map Camera.
Did a quick check, Shoten's online checkout at minimum requires a domestic address:
p.66 #9 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
kuujinbo wrote:
Buying anything online direct from Japan from the US has gotten a lot harder in the past 10 years or so. A domestic address and credit card are often required. E.g., I had to ask my in-laws to purchase and mail (from their residence) a Nikon Zf grip from Map Camera.
Did a quick check, Shoten's online checkout at minimum requires a domestic address:
Firmware updates will be listed there. (non-helicoid adapter has two updates) Guessing its less likely eBay listings provide links to firmware updates.
On PC, all modern web browsers have a language translation switch. It's a one of the small icons in the address bar located to the far right of the URL.
p.66 #11 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
I think (hope) this is the correct thread for this question. I currently have the following setup:
Nikon Zf
Various M mount lenses (some Leica and some Voigt)
Adapters: 1) Techart Pro TZM-02 M to Z adapter (this has electronic contacts and also allows you to use M manual lenses with autofocus) and 2) a dumb Urth M to Z adapter.
When I shoot with the Techart Pro adapter and keep the Zf in manual focus, I am unable to change the size of the AF area. If I set the MF subject detection area to “All” I essentially get the whole screen as the focus area but when it recognizes a face and/or eyes, a small focus box starts to track the person’s face/eyes. This is good in concept but I’d prefer for the subject detection not to work over the entire screen (frame) and instead, would like to narrow down the size of the potential area where subject detection would work. Again, this is all in manual focus, where I have to do the focusing but the camera is at least targeting an area for me to focus.
Is it possible to change the focus area to something like “Wide-L” or “Wide-S”?
p.66 #13 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Steve Miller wrote:
I think (hope) this is the correct thread for this question. I currently have the following setup:
Nikon Zf
Various M mount lenses (some Leica and some Voigt)
Adapters: 1) Techart Pro TZM-02 M to Z adapter (this has electronic contacts and also allows you to use M manual lenses with autofocus) and 2) a dumb Urth M to Z adapter.
When I shoot with the Techart Pro adapter and keep the Zf in manual focus, I am unable to change the size of the AF area. If I set the MF subject detection area to “All” I essentially get the whole screen as the focus area but when it recognizes a face and/or eyes, a small focus box starts to track the person’s face/eyes. This is good in concept but I’d prefer for the subject detection not to work over the entire screen (frame) and instead, would like to narrow down the size of the potential area where subject detection would work. Again, this is all in manual focus, where I have to do the focusing but the camera is at least targeting an area for me to focus.
Is it possible to change the focus area to something like “Wide-L” or “Wide-S”?
This is interesting because on my Zf when using subject detection it seems to be locked into the Wide-S option.
Changing it to Wide-L or All does not do anything. I just tested on my kid to make sure but with people detection on, it does not pickup or track eyes/face that are a bit outside of the box. It seems to pickup something right near the outside of the box but anything beyond that is ignored.
I'm glad mine is working that way since that's what I prefer but I am curious how we both seem to be locked into different modes.
I'll play around with the menus more tonight and see if I can figure anything out that explains it.
p.66 #14 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Steve Miller wrote:
Is it possible to change the focus area to something like “Wide-L” or “Wide-S”?
Thanks,
Steve
Ahh, ok after double checking on my Zf - changing the AF zone via the quick menu doesn't do anything but going back into the main menu to the "MF subject detection area" does allow me to set it to either All, Wide-S, or Wide-L and all of those settings correctly work to broaden or limit the area that the camera does subject detection within.
p.66 #15 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Weird but good to know.
Bruce Marriner wrote:
Ahh, ok after double checking on my Zf - changing the AF zone via the quick menu doesn't do anything but going back into the main menu to the "MF subject detection area" does allow me to set it to either All, Wide-S, or Wide-L and all of those settings correctly work to broaden or limit the area that the camera does subject detection within.
p.66 #16 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
Bruce Marriner wrote:
Ahh, ok after double checking on my Zf - changing the AF zone via the quick menu doesn't do anything but going back into the main menu to the "MF subject detection area" does allow me to set it to either All, Wide-S, or Wide-L and all of those settings correctly work to broaden or limit the area that the camera does subject detection within.
Thanks, Bruce. After posting, I checked with Claude and found the same workaround you described above. Would be nice to change with the quick menu but adding it to My Menu makes it fairly easy to change when needed.
p.66 #18 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
RoamingScott wrote:
There's no need for the workaround, subject detection is the full area in MF no matter if you have the smallest box selected.
That is absolutely not my experience. As I stated previously, setting the `MF subject detection area` setting does work. Which, shouldn't be surprising since it's named exactly that. If you set it to Wide-S, or Wide-L it does limit the subject detection to within those zones. It also changes the size of the AF subject detection box on the screen.
I wouldn't call it a workaround either. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to do with that menu option.
p.66 #19 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
I see what you’re saying now, though detection still happens considerably outside of the box just like in AF.
Bruce Marriner wrote:
That is absolutely not my experience. As I stated previously, setting the `MF subject detection area` setting does work. Which, shouldn't be surprising since it's named exactly that. If you set it to Wide-S, or Wide-L it does limit the subject detection to within those zones. It also changes the size of the AF subject detection box on the screen.
I wouldn't call it a workaround either. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to do with that menu option.
p.66 #20 · Nikon Zf as a platform for adapted/native manual focus lenses
RoamingScott wrote:
I see what you’re saying now, though detection still happens considerably outside of the box just like in AF.
I do think that's a bit silly though, why give you a box that limits it and not actually limit it to exactly within the box? That buffer behaviour is similar to my other cameras too, so I guess it seemed normal to me.
Thanks for responding. You mention using 2 adapters but I saw a few direct S to Z adapters, do you think those would work as well or is there some advantage to using a S-M then M->Z? I could swear I read about the Nikon rangefinder S mount lenses needing a focusing helicoid and then I think specifically the 50mm having a different type of "claw" or mount type that needed something special?