p.1 #1 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
So, I'm new to the ZF ecosystem.
I shoot all manual lenses (I use cine lenses and M mount mostly).
The ZF has some great manual focus aids, the subject detection is great and also the highlighting in green with the arrows. However in order for that to work the camera needs communication from the lens, right?
Is that still the case with firmware 2?
If you set the camera manually with a focal length for the VR feature, shouldn't that work for the manual focus confirmation too (It doesn't seem too but I'm still wrapping my head around this)
How are people dealing with manual focusing and adaptors?
p.1 #2 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
Yes, you still need a chip for manual focus confirmation with firmware v 2. I've never really understood why that's necessary.
I was using the TTArtisan 6-bit adapter for M lenses but it's tolerances aren't that great and lenses focus past infinity which is annoying. I've since switched to using the Voigtlander M to Z helicoid adapter and fully retracted lenses focus to infinity perfectly.
You still need to set the correct focal length in camera to get IBIS to work correctly. Why that doesn't give you the subject detection and focus confirmation is beyond me and I've never seen an explanation for this limitation.
p.1 #3 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
mivadep wrote:
Yes, you still need a chip for manual focus confirmation with firmware v 2. I've never really understood why that's necessary.
I was using the TTArtisan 6-bit adapter for M lenses but it's tolerances aren't that great and lenses focus past infinity which is annoying. I've since switched to using the Voigtlander M to Z helicoid adapter and fully retracted lenses focus to infinity perfectly.
You still need to set the correct focal length in camera to get IBIS to work correctly. Why that doesn't give you the subject detection and focus confirmation is beyond me and I've never seen an explanation for this limitation....Show more →
Thanks for confirming this. Makes no sense to me and also why the IBIS won't work off the adaptor set length either.
Is there any adaptor that will read Leica marks. I know I can manually mark/code my lenses, it would be so easy to have this read automatically. Great call on the voightlander adaptor, will look at that next
p.1 #4 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
mivadep wrote:
Yes, you still need a chip for manual focus confirmation with firmware v 2. I've never really understood why that's necessary.
I was using the TTArtisan 6-bit adapter for M lenses but it's tolerances aren't that great and lenses focus past infinity which is annoying. I've since switched to using the Voigtlander M to Z helicoid adapter and fully retracted lenses focus to infinity perfectly.
You still need to set the correct focal length in camera to get IBIS to work correctly. Why that doesn't give you the subject detection and focus confirmation is beyond me and I've never seen an explanation for this limitation....Show more →
My chipped 21/2.8 and 135/2 Zeiss ZF.2 lenses (+ FTZ) do NOT provide focus confirmation (green focus point) on my Z6 although they trasmit EXIF data (focal length, aperture).
p.1 #5 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
paulinventome wrote:
Is there any adaptor that will read Leica marks. I know I can manually mark/code my lenses, it would be so easy to have this read automatically. Great call on the voightlander adaptor, will look at that next
Yes, the TTArtisan 6-bit adapter can also read coded lenses. If it thinks it sees encoding it will override what is on the dial (from experience I once had a 35mm Voigtlander lens that the adapter was reading as something else and that threw off IBIS quite a bit but focus confirmation still worked). I had to wipe down both the sensors and the lens to stop having it reading incorrectly.
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Ripolini wrote:
My chipped 21/2.8 and 135/2 Zeiss ZF.2 lenses (+ FTZ) do NOT provide focus confirmation (green focus point) on my Z6 although they trasmit EXIF data (focal length, aperture).
I'm fairly certain that the Z6 does not support focus confirmation. I think that's only in newer models, unfortunately.
p.1 #6 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
mivadep wrote:
Yes, the TTArtisan 6-bit adapter can also read coded lenses. If it thinks it sees encoding it will override what is on the dial (from experience I once had a 35mm Voigtlander lens that the adapter was reading as something else and that threw off IBIS quite a bit but focus confirmation still worked). I had to wipe down both the sensors and the lens to stop having it reading incorrectly.
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I'm fairly certain that the Z6 does not support focus confirmation. I think that's only in newer models, unfortunately.
That's great to know about the TT adaptor. I have one on the way, not sure when it will turn up but I know that I can manually code my lenses so that sounds like it could work
p.1 #7 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
mivadep wrote:
I'm fairly certain that the Z6 does not support focus confirmation. I think that's only in newer models, unfortunately.
My Z6 does support focus confirmation with both my Z-mount Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar MF lenses (35/2 & 50/2).
Do you know if newer cameras does support it with Zeiss ZF.2 lenses? ZF.2 lenses were developed for DSLR cameras, so I guess newer MILCs too don't support focus confirmation, and the reason could be the FW in the chip.
p.1 #8 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
Ripolini wrote:
My Z6 does support focus confirmation with both my Z-mount Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar MF lenses (35/2 & 50/2).
Do you know if newer cameras does support it with Zeiss ZF.2 lenses? ZF.2 lenses were developed for DSLR cameras, so I guess newer MILCs too don't support focus confirmation, and the reason could be the FW in the chip.
Sorry, I was mistaken about focus confirmation. I think I'm confusing that with subject detection while in MF.
Not sure offhand about the ZF.2 lenses, but I would guess that being chipped means you should be able to get the green box.
p.1 #10 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
Ripolini wrote:
My Z6 does support focus confirmation with both my Z-mount Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar MF lenses (35/2 & 50/2).
Do you know if newer cameras does support it with Zeiss ZF.2 lenses? ZF.2 lenses were developed for DSLR cameras, so I guess newer MILCs too don't support focus confirmation, and the reason could be the FW in the chip.
The answer is no or not yet. All chipped native Z mount lenses will have green focus box confirmation. All chipped F-mount lenses, ZF.2, SL2, the green box will work on Zf body, but not on Z6/Z7 series bodies, at least not yet.
p.1 #11 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
I had previously posted this question on a different thread but received no replies. Maybe this is a better place to put it:
I use several M42 lenses on dumb adapters and really like the FW 2.0-given ability to name them and tell EXIF the aperture used. I also use a Fringer EF-Z adapter for some Canon lenses.
If I use the M42 lenses on adapters to the EF-Z adapter, I get focus conformation - VERY nice feature. But when I do this I lose the ability to record aperture used, just like it was before the firmware update.
Can anyone tell me if there's something I should be doing to make it possible to have the best of both worlds and have focus confirmation with the ability to record aperture? Did Nikon miss an opportunity to make using dumb MF lenses even better or is there a reason for this I am not seeing?
p.1 #12 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
My experience with the ZF is:
Z mount chipped manual lenses (aren't many available) work with focus confirmation. Also provide face/eye detection and focus confirmation as well.
Z mount non-chipped lenses don't provide focus confirmation but the face/eye detect still works but no confirmation. The focus box will follow and when you hit zoom it jumps to the face/eye.
I tried the 6 bit M adapter and E Mount adapter. Focus confirmation and face/eye confirmation worked on any of these the chipped and non chipped lenses I've tried. There are so many unchipped lenses in those mounts and you get to use all the great MF features of the ZF with them.
p.1 #13 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
I enjoy the ZF a lot with my M and Sony lenses.
The manual focusing aids are incredible, but you need to have a chipped lens in order to have acess to all the features. I find the manual focusing aid on the bottom left more useful than the green confirmation box because it tells you whether you need to focus forwards or backwards. The biggest issue I find is that there is no perfect solution out of the box
With Voigtlander lenses...Yes they are chipped, but you don't get the focusing aid on the bottom left. This has something to do with the software in the lens itself. Ironically, I found that my Sony Voigtlander lenses with a Megadap adapter does not have this problem.
With the TTartisan 6 bit adapter for M lenses, you have all focus confirmation tools available. The problem is that the poor tolerances of the mount make the distance markers inaccurate. Recently, I found a solution to this problem by inserting a plastic spacer of approximately 2mm on the backside of the adapter. This requires you to unscrew the back to insert the spacer as well as some trial and error with the tightness of the screws. Now my distance markers work perfectly.
p.1 #14 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
mivadep wrote:
Yes, you still need a chip for manual focus confirmation with firmware v 2. I've never really understood why that's necessary.
The green-box focus confirmation uses the same phase evaluation logic as the AF system. The sensor-based PDAF pixels have much shallower geometries than the discrete PDAF sensors in DSLRs, and evaluating the phase differentials of those pixels requires knowledge of the exit pupil distanced of the lens, which is why the focus confirmation requires chipped lenses.
p.1 #15 · Zf, Manual Focus and Chipped Adaptors/Lenses
But the odd part is that if the adapter is chipped you don't need chipped lenses.
snapsy wrote:
The green-box focus confirmation uses the same phase evaluation logic as the AF system. The sensor-based PDAF pixels have much shallower geometries than the discrete PDAF sensors in DSLRs, and evaluating the phase differentials of those pixels requires knowledge of the exit pupil distanced of the lens, which is why the focus confirmation requires chipped lenses.
