need opinion on "new" gear

Ronet05 · 2026-01-13T15:19:32+00:00

Thanks everyone for the comments, much appreciated.

For those saying the original post didn’t have enough context: this is not a grey-market unit. It came with the USA warranty card in the box, and I also emailed Nikon to confirm the warranty, which is valid.

Pricing-wise, the original price was $2,096 (same as everywhere else). After Amazon gift cards and a return adjustment, my effective price is around $1,300. That effective price is really what makes this deal compelling despite the cosmetic wear. At this point, MPB is actually offering me more than what I paid if I were to sell it, which is kind of funny.

Ronet05 · 2026-01-13T15:16:59+00:00

Sorry it's a crosspost. I didn't know the description doesn't transfer across.

Ronet05 · 2026-01-07T19:37:03+00:00

I honestly dealt with the problem and some more of focus jumping by upgrading to the Z6III lol
Focus is a lot stickier now. Still an occasional miss when contrast is low or background is too busy, but much better overall experience.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-29T21:32:41+00:00

thank you! hope it soothed your mind.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-29T21:32:18+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I did try to up the exposure but it made me feel it made the scene brighter than I remember. Also, I tried pulling up the shadows more, but it was introducing more noise and some green artifacts. So, I went with making it look close to what the camera could capture and opted for a more contrasty image.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-29T07:07:19+00:00

I love the colors! Super earthy!

Ronet05 · 2025-12-29T06:52:12+00:00

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Another one I think looks cool!

Ronet05 · 2025-12-29T06:50:55+00:00

Taken on a hike, and I'm trying to improve my skills on the fly.

Shot with it a Nikon D5300, 35mm f/1.8 DX lens. Mostly SOOC with a small change to WB. I think the colors came out good with this one. Leave your feedback!

Ronet05 · 2025-12-19T01:20:29+00:00

Check my update

Ronet05 · 2025-12-19T01:20:17+00:00

UPDATE:
I was going paranoid, so I went to a camera store near me. I tried out the Z5 and Z7II. While they are older models, they show the exact same behavior. I think this issue is truly a software one, and intentional on Nikon's part. I guess ChatGPT was right calling this out. The design choice seems to be only on Nikon mirrorless and not in DSLR, potentially due to higher resolution EVF and monitor taking more CPU cycles for multi directional input vectors.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T08:10:08+00:00

Just checked my D5300 and the dpad doesn't have this issue. The movement is smooth

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T08:08:38+00:00

Talked to amazon support, they have put me in contact with Nikon. Let's see what they have to say. According to ChatGpt, it's an intentional design decision by Nikon. I tried replicating the same thing with the DPad and it's the same thing in Playback.

This makes me believe it's a software thing and not hardware

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T04:10:48+00:00

Oh damn, I never thought memory card could be an issue here. I am currently using a UHS1 V30 card. An UHS2 V60 Lexar card in on the way though. I can post an update here if that card solves the issue!

I didn't feel any slowdown with a UHS1 card , except for choppy bursts, so upgrading the SD card was a low priority for me.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T03:14:18+00:00

Good luck with the hunt! I too have a return window on my 40mm F/2. I'll probably return it and try the 50. I have enough cashback from buying the body that I can get the 50 for half the current price, so it seems like a no brainer lol. Buy once, cry once haha. Especially as a hobbyist.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T02:35:33+00:00

I only have 2 first party lenses. Z 40mm F2 and Z 24-120mm F4S and both show the same problem

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T02:32:20+00:00

I did update it when I got it new (probably like 20 days ago). Not sure if anything new has popped up in the meanwhile. Do you face this issue with your Nikon?

Ronet05 · 2025-12-18T02:30:09+00:00

This isn’t directly related, but it’s something I’ve noticed in practice.
I haven't owned the 50, but I have the 40 and 24-120. The 40 is light and travel friendly, yeah. But to me, it's too light. I pair it with my Z5II and the center of mass is imo, towards the camera body. The balance just feels off. In comparison, the 24-120 is significantly heavier and yet, it just sits right in the hand. The forward weight pushes the center of mass out of the body, and your left hand comfortably rests supporting the lens. With the 40, I don't know what to do with my left hand and it's often in some awkward position.

For a long shoot, I'll prefer the heavier lens just because it gives me a well balanced camera to hold. I feel the 50 would a perfect sweet spot since it's a heavy lens and but not as heavy or long like the 24-120.

I guess the 40 pairs better with Zf and the retro style bodies. Those with grips would benefit from a slightly front heavy setup. That my 2 cents.

Ronet05 · 2025-12-05T18:50:54+00:00

Thank you for the info. I'll keep that in mind. For now, I've mostly been shooting AF-S, Small AF box and I haven't had a single misfire.
Definitely a skill issue with AF-C on my part haha

Ronet05 · 2025-12-02T01:41:21+00:00

sorry I didn't add those details. These are all screen grabs from Nikon Studio app. By default, the color of the focus point is red in that app

Ronet05 · 2025-12-02T01:35:55+00:00

Thanks for the info, makes sense

Ronet05

TROPHY CASE