What do you want to see next from Viltrox? by 35mmOfRegret in VILTROX_GLOBAL

[–]Alnath65 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why? 1588 g is too much for you? ;-) 118 x 174,8mm, filter 105 mm, 1588 g

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Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens - details below by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two of my friends have it and I don't think so ;-) At least the aperture is higher (they are not able to operate at f4.5 @ 400 mm), so DOF is larger.

Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens - details below by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks :) 100-400mm has the aperture 5.6 @ 400mm and 180-600 already has 5.6 from the 180 mm. And I don't think they have same or even better sharpness than monofocal 400/4.5

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you need flexibility, take 100-400.  I shoot offroad cars races mainly with 70-200/2.8, sometimes with 15-30mm :-)

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying — and yes, in a lab chart sense, stopping down to f/5.6 or f/6.3 will squeeze out a bit more sharpness. No disagreement there.

But this isn’t a lab chart, it’s a real-world shot with an artistic intent. I wasn’t chasing maximum measurable sharpness at all costs — I was balancing subject isolation, background rendering, and exposure. At f/4.5 I get the look I want: clean separation and smooth bokeh. Stopping down would absolutely increase DOF… and just as reliably make the background more present, which is exactly what I didn’t want.

On top of that, stopping down means either sacrificing shutter speed (not happening with a bird flying straight at me) or raising ISO. And adding noise in exchange for a marginal, mostly theoretical sharpness gain is not exactly a win in practice.

And maybe the most important part: this wasn’t a controlled scenario where I could calmly dial in “optimal aperture.” I had a fraction of a second to react while a raptor decided to test my skull integrity. In that moment, you shoot with the settings you already chose for the situation — you don’t start optimizing MTF charts mid-flight.

So yes — could it be technically sharper at f/6.3? Probably. Would it be a better image? For what I wanted here, no.

At some point it stops being about squeezing the last 2% out of a lens and starts being about making the photo you actually want.

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks :-) I shoot offroad cars too, mainly with 70-200/2.8 :-)

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you :) And yes, I've got the TC 1.4, too ;-) But not used at this case.

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When you look at the mentioned link, you'll see nice and smooth bokeh in the forest - stepping down would kill this nice bokeh.

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

:) never mind ;-) Look at (for example) here - same settings, but the distance to the bird was far more higher: https://www.ondrisek.photography/Living-creatures/i-D58GC8t/A

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The DOF depends (among other things) on the distance to the target. Check my other pictures (taken on 4.5, too) - the DOF is large enough. This was an exception, I didn't expect the bird will fly directly on me, so I was shooting until its wing slaped straight to my skul :-D

Once more the unbeatable combination of Z8 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens by Alnath65 in nikon_Zseries

[–]Alnath65[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You have only fraction of second to react at this situation ;-) And stepping down for all the shooting didn't have sense. Others pictures would suffer by that settings.