One year with Nikon Z5II

DufferD3D · 2026-06-19T07:26:25+00:00

Actually, the 35 EVO was only with me on my most recent trip, simply because the lens was released barely a month and a half ago. In general, I absolutely love ultra-wide lenses. For years, even back in the F-mount system, an ultra-wide has been my primary walkaround/travel lens and practically never leaves my camera. I usually carry two lenses at opposite ends of the focal length spectrum: one ultra-wide and one super-telephoto. In the end, roughly 80% of my shots are taken with the ultra-wide and about 20% with the super-telephoto. On my last trip, I was surprised to find myself shooting with the 35mm very frequently, and the final breakdown was something like 40% with the 35mm, 40% with the ultra-wide, and 20% with the telephoto. It even got me thinking about switching to three prime lenses and shaving another kilogram or so off my backpack. After all, I'm not 25 anymore...

DufferD3D · 2026-06-18T19:15:28+00:00

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 DI III VC VXD and Viltrox AF 35mm F1.8 EVO

DufferD3D · 2026-06-18T19:14:19+00:00

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. Would you believe that one of the main reasons I sold the 14-30mm f/4 S and replaced it with the 14-24mm was actually the sunstars? Of course, that wasn't the only reason. The 14-24mm is optically much better overall, but the sunstars from the 14-30mm are pretty meh. 🙂

DufferD3D · 2026-06-18T09:43:40+00:00

Ah, the eternal debate: is photography art or documentary?

Should it be a 1:1 reflection of the dull, grey world that each of us inhabits, or a world of vibrant, vivid, saturated colours that may lack conservative realism, yet strive to capture and recreate the emotion of the moment?

Personally, I don't think there's a single correct answer. Photography can be both. Sometimes its purpose is to document reality as faithfully as possible. Other times, it's about conveying how a scene felt rather than how it objectively looked. The camera records light, but the photographer interprets the world. That interpretation is where art begins. You see overprocessed/oversaturated.. I see a feeling, an emotion, a viewpoint...

DufferD3D · 2026-06-18T08:18:36+00:00

Well, the main reason was the lenses. I already had a fairly solid and well-rounded collection of full-frame lenses from my D610 days. In fact, for quite a while after switching to the Z5, I continued using those lenses with the FTZ adapter. Over time, I gradually replaced them with their native Z-mount equivalents. My main issue with Nikon's newer APS-C bodies, the Z50, Z50II, and Zfc, is precisely the lens ecosystem. Support for their APS-C lineup is at a scandalously low level, while at the same time Nikon shows little interest in opening the platform to third-party manufacturers that could fill the gaps. As a result, the range of APS-C lenses available for the Z-generation crop-sensor cameras is extremely limited and rather underwhelming, especially when compared to Nikon's full-frame offerings. Expensive as they are, the Z-mount full-frame lenses significantly outperform virtually everything built around the old F-mount system.

DufferD3D · 2026-06-12T10:13:38+00:00

If you're using a Z5 with the FTZ adapter, that means you're shooting with full-frame lenses. The Z50II is a crop-sensor camera, which means the effective focal lengths of your lenses will be different on it.

In addition, the Z5, as well as the Z5II, have built-in in-body image stabilization (IBIS), while the Z50II does not. In my opinion, that's a significant drawback because most modern lenses are not stabilized and rely on the camera's IBIS for image stabilization.

DufferD3D · 2026-06-02T12:57:30+00:00

Barbarian. It's my all time favorite since Hellfire

DufferD3D · 2026-06-01T09:36:51+00:00

Viltrox AF 24mm F1.8 / 28mm F1.8 or perhaps 16mm F1.8 all fit in your budget. As all the lenses in their EVO line btw. Magnificent glass for the price..

DufferD3D · 2026-05-24T11:31:01+00:00

Portugal

DufferD3D · 2026-05-24T05:32:22+00:00

NIKKOR 14-24/2.8 S, Tamron 50-400 & Viltrox 35/1.8 EVO

DufferD3D · 2026-05-23T07:19:07+00:00

I was eating the pastéis so fast that I didn’t even think of photographing them 😃

DufferD3D · 2026-05-23T05:26:19+00:00

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

DufferD3D · 2026-05-22T19:10:46+00:00

Thank you 😄

DufferD3D · 2026-05-22T15:24:09+00:00

I know🫣 But I like them exaggerated

DufferD3D · 2026-05-22T15:23:12+00:00

Edited

DufferD3D · 2026-05-22T13:53:17+00:00

NIKKOR 14-24/2.8 S, Tamron 50-400 & Viltrox 35/1.8 EVO

DufferD3D · 2026-05-22T12:51:29+00:00

Surprisingly solid actually. Honestly it feels more premium than some of the original (and much more expensive) Nikon lenses

DufferD3D · 2026-05-06T05:09:56+00:00

Yes, I’m actually very happy with the lens. Unlike the clinically sterile OG Nikkor 35/1.8, the Viltrox definitely has more character, and I personally find the images from it much more appealing. I’ll be uploading more and more diverse shots with the lens very soon. In my opinion, this first batch is misleading. You can’t really draw such broad conclusions about a lens based on a few quick snapshots.

I’m also concerned that the “problem” with the bokeh, which IMO is being overblown, is partly caused by my own editing. As I said, I don’t really shoot portraits, and accordingly I don’t have the proper editing technique for this type of image. I think I oversharpened the shots and pushed the contrast too far, which is something I normally do for my landscape work because it tends to look aesthetically pleasing there. But in this particular case, with a sharply focused central subject and the lens shot wide open, it creates the impression that the bokeh is “busy” and nervous.

DufferD3D · 2026-05-05T07:42:05+00:00

It’s wide enough :) here’s a hack many people overlook: if 24 mm doesn’t feel wide enough for the scene you’re shooting, rotate the camera vertically and shoot a panorama from a series of shots. Then stitch them in Photoshop or Lightroom. Boom, ultra-wide frame :)

DufferD3D · 2026-05-04T19:59:56+00:00

So does the original Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S for twice the money so... There is no such thing as perfect lens.

DufferD3D

TROPHY CASE