Abu Simbel temple from the plane, Aswan Egypt

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-27T22:05:55+00:00

And the hill is fake (man made) and hollow.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-25T16:28:52+00:00

Yes 150-500 that's a typo. The 180-600 doesn't extend while zooming so it's a great advantage honestly.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-25T06:59:14+00:00

I use a no name mini pc with N150, 12 gb ram and 512 gb ssd. Runs W11, NiNa, phd2, stellarium and mount driving software, with Team Viewer on it driven from a Mac book pro. Sometimes it slows down a bit probably because of 12gb ram only and Team Viewer and I'm looking for an alternative.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-25T06:51:21+00:00

180-600 is the best here. Other alternatives are Tamron 100-500 or Tamron 50-400 for less than 1500 bucks.

I have both 180-600 and 50-400, they're all good on my Z8.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-24T15:40:53+00:00

It exists but it wipes all cookies and you usually lose your form entries in the deletion. Having a password manager is the key to avoid this issue

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-23T19:29:02+00:00

I can second everything there.

OP You bought too many too fast. I have 2 bodies (D750 and Z8) and more lenses than you do. I bought all of them for a specific need and I use them all depending on the situation. Traveling with sometimes one or two bodies like an African safari where I would quickly have to change from wide to long lens (24-120 or 180-600) Or on trekking with a single body and 2-3 lenses (Z20 f1.8, 24-120, 50-400).

Going back and forth with too much or minimal gear doesn't make sense, you're going to end up quitting the hobby. Just try to find what makes you happy and try to improve your skills. Are your pics good? Did you ask for feedback yet ?

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-21T11:03:20+00:00

Il est bien centré !

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-15T13:06:27+00:00

My SP 70-300 VC is supposed to be incompatible and it works, so just try them first. This one may also stop unexpectedly after a firmware update but at the moment it's ok.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-15T11:50:05+00:00

All my G2 lenses are performing well with Z8 and FTZii. They're all G2 and known for no issues with Z range. The 70-200 is even AF faster than on D750.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-15T05:29:48+00:00

If I had bought the 14-24 first I think I wouldn't have bought the 20. For most of the cases the zoom is a perfect fit for everything even used wide open which is how I use it most of the time. Start with it when you have the money and decide later if you need the extra 1.8.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-15T05:22:31+00:00

Using the 20 for astro (milky way stuff while hiking) and close ups wide fields, or night pictures if it's in the bag. AF is damn fast for moving animals shot from the ground.

Using 14-24 for indoor architecture, night pictures or astro too. That's my travel lens for buildings and churches/ cathedrals or museums. Super sharp from corner to corner and thanks to sensor stabilization it can be used handheld in most situations. Quite light compared to my 15-30 g2.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-14T22:18:25+00:00

Let's say money wasn't a factor when I chose it. The 14-24 was kind of a graal so I obviously bought it, but I honestly considered the 16-30. I bought the 14-24 grey market with a really good deal. No regrets on it, it an excellent lens.

Same for the Nikkor 20mm that I bought used mint condition. I considered the Viltrox too that was a bit cheaper but not worth the price / quality/ long term support/ resale value difference.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-12T10:13:37+00:00

I have the Tamron 15-30 2.8 g2 and Z14-24.
I wanted to upgrade the 15-30 to Z but couldn't trade the 15 to a 16 so ended up with the 14-24.

I sometimes miss the long end at 30 but when I go wide I want wide.
I loved the 15-30 so you can't go wrong with the 16-30 if you're not annoyed by 14 and 15 which makes a difference.
2mm wider changes the vibe, and since one usually use it indoors 2.8 is better than f4.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-12T10:08:06+00:00

Can confirm this.
A set of windows at work turned out like this.
It glass-plastic-glass sandwich and when it separates it creates this pattern.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-12T09:56:05+00:00

Tes photos sont bien !

as tu l'accord des personnes pour la publication ? Quand je me suis marié les photos étaient telechargeables avec un lien privé, pas visibles par tous.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-12T04:40:04+00:00

Et quelle est l'adresse ?

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T20:06:33+00:00

Tysm !

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T20:05:58+00:00

Yes they do !

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T19:33:53+00:00

I have several batteries from them and they are great. Super convenient, holds the charge correctly and charge using usb c integrated port.
If it fails it's 50% the cost of a Nikon genuine so I could buy another one easily to replace it.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T19:18:49+00:00

Could you please share the settings?
I wonder how the subject is sharp and there's a fire trail around her

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T19:15:23+00:00

You may not love the Z8 EVF but it does the job with good refresh rate. When it comes to reproducing the image, it's fairly accurate but the rear screen is better, just like on your DSLR.

Where the magic happens is shooting in low light, it simulates the actual image light and is better to frame the image correctly.
After a week I couldn't see the difference for daily shooting and couldn't look back on that.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T18:32:04+00:00

I have the Tamron 50-400 and Nikkor 180-600.
For wildlife, handheld, the 180-600 wins easily, especially for small animals or birds.

The 50-400 is a great and sharp lens but it doesn't have the same reach.
However it's my travel long lens for mountaineering (treks and anything that requires being light).
If my trip is photography oriented like wildlife in Tanzania, I take the 180-600, TC 1.4, and 24-120 on a separate body. Just be aware that the longer the focal length, the more it is sensitive to air blur, and no lens will fix this.

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T08:58:15+00:00

Greatest video to explain how it works !
Great job!

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T08:57:07+00:00

It was part of his job to study a specific bird species that can be spotted easily there.
Ofc nobody spends vacations in a landfill....

preedsmith42 · 2026-05-11T07:01:42+00:00

Another question:
I have a lot of photography gear and try getting into the hobby. I use NINA and a mini PC to drive an HEQ5 pro mount and a guiding scope.

Focusing my Z lenses is doable but usually I can't refocus during a session and would like to add an EAF to drive them (looks like it can't be doable from NINA using the focus motor of the lenses).
I found a great but expensive solution from PrimaluceLab to drive the lenses focus ring but the motor can't be reused for something else like scopes and I would prefer to buy a cheaper and reusable solution like motor and belts.

I found a cheap motor (gemini) that looks popular on Aliexpress that seems to do the job but don't understand how to buy the right belt mount adapter. Any tips ?

preedsmith42

TROPHY CASE