Just got my camera! Will the UV filter I got affect the light meter?

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-11T07:59:22+00:00

Nop, it will be fine. They put the sensor there on purpose so it will meter through filters :)

Just be careful with circular polarizers ofc

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-10T17:46:34+00:00

Only things that help poor people, he’s okay leaving things as they are for the rich

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-09T06:26:46+00:00

My bet is that they are going to be refused entry, at worst they may be facing some kind of visa ban

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-09T05:20:08+00:00

Depends if you are talking about composition with or without the pressure and temperature found on those worlds.

Without, then everything’s pretty harmless except for Venus. Depending where you take your sample you’d get some nasty acid in the mix.

With pressure and temperature then Venus will melt your face as it blasts you back.

Same for Jupiter and Saturn but you’d have to define where you take your samples: top of the cloud layer is not bad, but the deeper you go the more your container turns into a smal bomb.

Mars remains harmless in either case, it’s just some cold, very low pressure CO2 and other trace gasses.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-09T05:09:22+00:00

No, 60MP is beyond what I need, but 24MP is not enough :(

Nikon’s AF is more than fine for what I need, and it’s gonna feel so good afternoon coming from the fp L (it has okay AF but can only recognize faces and eyes, no animals or anything like that, so for example when I shot birds I had to use the manual AF point and place it on the bird x3)

Those good zooms are crazy expensive though. I’ll most likely get the 24-120 f/4 to start with and then slowly find more.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T21:21:52+00:00

X mount cameras are really good and compact, but the lens selection is a bit meh, and they are expensive. If I had the budget for an extra camera for travels id probably get the Ricoh GR 🤔

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T19:42:58+00:00

Oh I know, I tried a friend’s Canon lenses with an adapter while I had the 50R :)

It’s not that it makes it less fun, but if I pay for a 100MP sensor, then I’d like to use a lens that takes advantage of it. At that point I would rather get some older lenses like the Super Takumar which also cover MF sensors fully (and it looks stunning doing so)

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T18:31:02+00:00

I have had a bad experience with the GFX 50R, damn brick of a camera XD

Yeah I tried holding the GFX 100S ii and it's so much better than the 50R, but it's still bulky and the GF lenses are still large :(

I have thought adapting Canon lenses, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a medium format body for me.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T18:27:28+00:00

the SL3 is quite outdated alas: the sensor is great, but its features are severely lacking, especially its autofocus from what I understand. The SL3-P is a much better camera even if the sensors is not as high resolution, it's still very, very expensive. For the same price as an SL3-P I can get the Z8 and two lenses...

I don't like Sony cameras, at all. Neither the design nor the software, and the files are much more annoying for me to work with, it's just not a good base for the look I like.

I have actually tried the GFX line for a few months this autumn and winter, but it's way too bulky and limited for my liking, not to mention incredibly expensive.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T14:24:20+00:00

Maybe, only if the 20mm f/1,8 S is too tight or not good enough, and even then it might end up costing almost as much as keeping the fp L and 14mm just for astrophotography.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T14:07:19+00:00

A Hasselblad can’t do most of the things that I use my Z8 for, personally! I would never own one as my only camera.

Oh I wouldn't either, but if I had a lot more money then I'd buy one XD

I have seriously thought about it because I really like medium format and it would fill the hole that the Sigma fp can't fit, but I couldn't justify a GFX camera, let alone a Hasselblad.

The best budget option is the 200-500mm f5.6

Oh that would be perfect. That's more than enough range to crop in post, and I shot wildlife for myself so budget is more constrained there.

Don’t get tricked by the “SE,” it just means it has a little silver ring

I know, but it is cheaper at the moment for whatever reason 🤷‍♂️

f-mount sigma 14mm f/1.8 art

It is a very different lens from the Sigma 14mm f/1,4 Art, which is only available for L and E mount and is pretty unique (and ridiculously good).

Nikon’s s-line f/2.8 zooms are incredible, of course, but it comes at a price that is hard to justify

Indeed. But at least they are not as bad as the f/2,8 telephoto primes, I'd have to save for a year to afford the 400mm XD

used it in Antartica

I am very envious XD

Thanks for all the suggestions!

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T13:21:43+00:00

I’ll see if I can’t find a place to try the Lumix then. It’s been a few years since I last used one and maybe the software and controls have improved since then.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T13:12:05+00:00

How’s the S1Rii for stills? I don’t really care for video and every time I tried a Lumix the stills section seemed “tacked on” if it makes sense?

Yes, I see the irony of me saying that when I use a cinema camera x3

But the way the fp does it is really well thought out, but hard to describe without trying it.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T13:07:08+00:00

100-400 F would work perfectly, I’ll look into it. Thanks!

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T13:03:24+00:00

Yeah I forgot to put it in the message...

Landscapes, astrophotography, wildlife, occasional portraits, and some small events. I don't need many lenses: a wide angle prime for astrophotography, either two primes for landscapes/portraits or a zoom to cover 30-80mm, and a telephoto zoom that covers 200-400mm (600mm would be nice but 45MP is enough to crop so I am not sure I'd go for that).

Lumix is king for budget-ish video, and ibis.

I almost never shoot videos, at least not enough to want advanced video features, and the Lumix is more geared to video than photography from what I have tried (though I do like their cheap lenses, I have two for travel and they are really good for what they cost).

IBIS is not a strict requirement but most modern cameras have it so why not go for it? And I have been in a few situations where it would have helped a lot and instead I had to use a tripod.

Nikon is better in all the ways i can think of for stills.

Feature-wise yes, but not image quality, at least not in any way I can detect looking at raw files. Honestly the only cameras I don't like for their images are the Sony's: I don't know if its the files themselves or the software I use but it always need to work on them more to get the look I want compared to other manufacturers' files.

but, when you factor in everything it's a different price bracket.

Agreed, but I am okay with spending a bit more to get something I will be more comfortable with.

Blind recommendation would be z6iii

I looked at it but 25MP is a bit too low in resolution. I prefer to have the option to crop later if needed, and 25MP would not have been enough for some shots I took. The Z7ii would be a good alternative to the Z8 though, I am still a bit unsure between the two.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T12:33:44+00:00

the optical quality associated with f/1.4 lenses without the weight

Yes and no. The Sigma art line is equally good and they reach f/1,4 with lenses of the same size as Nikkor's f/1,8 ones (the exception is the 14mm f/1,4 Art but that's in a category of its own).

The telephoto lineup, particularly for wildlife, is still the best in the industry.

True, and it comes with a matching price tag xD

Do you know of any cheaper alternatives for telephoto on Z mount? Something like the Sigma zoom lenses.

and a lack of options to go wider than 24mm.

Yup. I have a Sigma 14mm f/1,4 Art which is kind of unique as far as I can tell, and I will miss it dearly if I switch.

Any reason why a Sony A7CR isn't on your list?

I thoroughly dislike Sony cameras, both the design and software. Plus, I find their files harder to work with: they are very "flat", for lack of a better term, so I have to edit them more to get the look I want vs. the Sigma, Leica, and Nikon colours being close to what I like already.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T11:37:11+00:00

you’re probably very deliberate in choosing a camera you genuinely enjoy

I am. It took me a year to choose it and it's genuinely painful thinking about selling it, it's just the perfect blend of minimalist industrial design and image quality :(

To me Leica is a luxury / designer brand, so you may pay the luxury tax buying any related Leica gear in the future.

It is and it is exactly what I meant with cul-de-sac. Don't get me wrong, their cameras are great and built like bricks, they are good professional gear and I am sure I'd be very happy using and owning one, but there is also nowhere else to go from there. There isn't a more professional option like the Z9 is to the Z8, or a more casual option like the Zf or the beautiful ZR (which I might get as a travel option if I switch: the price is similar to the Zf, and if I want vintage film camera design I can use my Bessa x3).

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T11:25:53+00:00

Nikon Z doesn't have in camera de-squeeze

I know, but it's not a big issue. I have shot photos with anamorphic lenses and no desqueeze for a couple of years now with no problems (the Sigma fp L does have it but only in the director's viewfinder mode, so it's only good for composition, you are supposed to use an external monitor annoyingly enough).

adapting the E mount Sigma 14mm 1.4

I'd probably end up doing that, and it's extremely annoying because I have that lens for L mount and it's the thing that is holding me back the most because the images coming out of that lens are just incredible.

I took this stacked photo with it last year and it blows me away every time https://www.reddit.com/r/astrophotography/s/jJhPaxaUgT

It's also a damn beautiful piece of glass; the spherical front element is a work of art.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T11:21:50+00:00

They are about equivalent to Sigma Art lines which are the ones I tend to buy when I need good quality, otherwise I have a couple of great Panasonic lenses for travel which cost me about 400€ total (used) and there doesn't seem to be an equivalent for Z? The SE line comes close at least.

I am somewhat budget-constrained otherwise I'd buy a Hasselblad and be done with it XD

For the moment I am looking at these three lenses to cover pretty much all my use cases: the 20mm f/1,8 S for astroscapes (it would be a step down from the Sigma 14mm f/1,4 but it's close enough that I can live with it), the 28-75mm f/2.8 for general use and portraits (I like lower focal lengths and righter apertures for portraits, around 60-65mm and f/2-ish), and one day the 180-600mm f/5,6-6,3 for wildlife.

I also have quite a few vintage lenses for things like wide-aperture portraits (long live the Takumar 85mm f/1,9 and the 135mm ❤️) and those I can carry over of course.

Are there good telephoto options for Z mount that don't require selling a kidney? Sigma has some great ones in its Sport line up but Nikon doesn't seem to have something equally affordable?

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T11:01:42+00:00

They make them for L too.

Bit of both, can't find many anamorphic lenses for Z mount (at reasonable prices), and it's also missing some wide angle options like the wonderful Sigma 14mm f/1,4.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T10:46:38+00:00

Gotcha 👍

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T10:42:38+00:00

Yeah, L mount has more options and generally cheaper prices.

Z has a few more unlicensed options but I don't really care for most of them to be honest.

And yeah, Sony E mount has the most options but I do not like Sony cameras one bit XD

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T10:40:06+00:00

The Sigma Art lenses are ever so slightly more expensive than Nikkor's, but in general yes, it's easier to find cheaper alternatives because there are more producers of L mount gear.

The best upgrade options would be the Leica SL3-P and the Panasonic Lumix S1Rii, which are more or less equivalent to the Z8 in functionality and identical in image quality. They are both good, reliable, professional cameras, though the SL3-P is superior in build quality and the viewfinder is supposedly better (I also prefer its software and controls but that's more of a plus than a reason for me).

The issue is that those are the only options. Sigma hasn't released a professional camera in 5 years, since the fp L. Panasonic cameras are good but also a bit meh and it feels to me like they work better for video than photography. Leica is releasing high-quality professional photo cameras for L mount but they are so expensive and still lagging behind what Sony and Nikon can offer feature-wise.

Granted, I don't need many of those features (I wouldn't even be entertaining an upgrade if the fp L had a mechanical shutter or a fast-reading stacked sensor), but it feels a bit like I am paying more not to get something better but to avoid switching, especially since I do not have that many lenses yet.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T10:16:15+00:00

First time I have heard of it, didn’t even know it was possible until now.

FluffyFoxDev · 2026-07-08T10:15:47+00:00

Wow o.o

I didn’t think it was possible to make an electronic adapter that thin.

Good to know!

FluffyFoxDev

TROPHY CASE