You might have missed during these times Nikon’s new Z24-200f4-6.3 release. While I read about it, it didn’t like stick in my mind because I hadn’t thought about the possibilities. Then I saw that my dear friend Vincent Versace got one and he’s a smart guy so I stopped and thought about it. Sharon and I had just gotten home from fly fishing with Sharon doing the photography. Right then and there, I contacted Bedford Camera and the very delightful Z24-200f4-6.3 was soon in my hands. But your question should be, why?
shot with Z6 / Z24-200 @24mm & 105mm
I needed an air-to-air lens for the Z6. I need a 200mm that would close down to f/32 or more (it goes to f/39). I have the 70-200f4 for the D6 but had nothing for the Z6. Next, I wanted a single lens to have on my shoulder when out with the 800mm for landscape work (24-200 is perfect). Next, I wanted a landscape lens for the Z7 to complement the Z14-30 & Z24-70f2.8 (again, 24-200 is perfect). We needed another greater than 70mm lens for shooting video with the Z bodies for the second camera. And finally, needed a longer lens than 105mm for Sharon for photographing fly fishing. While Z24-200f4-6.3 is the perfect answer, it wasn’t until Vinnie got it did it land on my radar as the very obvious answer to our needs. But is it a good lens?
Lee Metcalf NWR captured by Z6 / Z24-200
I’ve had the Z24-200f4-6.3 for just a week now and I am so delighted with it, its performance, and addition to the kit! It’s much more than a “good” lens. It is so small, so light and so sharp, I’m loving having it. I didn’t need a “fast” lens. I needed a really convenient lens that filled all these needs and didn’t break the budget. Being on today’s scale as an “inexpensive” purchase, it was truly a no-brainer. It’s gorgeous results and fun to use and easy to carry has made it the fun lens purchase on 2020 for us.
Is it the right lens for you? That’s truly the important question and one I don’t directly have the answer too for you. As you can see, it fits lots of holes in our photographic needs and with Sharon liking to shoot with it, it’s a slam dunk. I highly recommend that if you’re looking for this kind of range for a lens because of holes in your kit … like the perfect travel lens, check it out. I think it’s a very delightful Z24-200f4-6.3!
Light is everything from stills, video, and even in Zoom chats! In my own desire to improve lighting for video and stills, especially that was small, light, versatile, and inexpensive, I found through my friends at Bedford Camera, the Promaster Bi-LED 504B Light. It’s done such a great job for us and with so many asking how I’m lighting myself in Zoom chats, I wanted to share this find with you. Hope it helps your photography.
“How do you like the D6?” This has been a common question of late and a really valid one. I really love it! But there is more to a camera than just that so I created this little video to share my observations from the first two weeks shooting with the D6. I want to thank Bedford Camera for getting the D6 to me so quickly! Enjoy
ProGrade announced yesterday their new type-B CFExpress 1700MB/s rocket fast cards and readers yesterday. I’m running the Prograde in my D6 and I’m tellin you that when it comes to shooting 14fps and filling up cards, that speed ingesting is a beauuuuutiful thing! As ProGrade puts it:
The future is here
Gold capacities from 128GB to 1TB
Cobalt capacities from 325GB to 650GB the widest range of CFexpress cards on the market.
and their reader
CFexpress Type-B & XQD Thunderbolt 3 Reader
Transfer your data files at speeds up to 40Gb/s (5GB/s) with the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type-B and XQD single-slot workflow reader. Take full advantage of the read speeds of your CFexpress cards to create a fast and efficient workflow.
The D6 shares a lot of accessories with the D5 and older bodies. Pictured above, the Really Right Stuff plates fit perfectly on the D6, so no need to buy a new one. The DK-2 Eyecup from the F3HP (my favorite eyecup) fits the D6 as well. You can use the battery from the D4 / D5 in the D6 and while this is might be tempting, I got a new spare EL-EN18c for the D6 because of the improved internal performance. And of course, all the SB-5000 wireless works perfectly with the D6 with no firmware or new accessories required. I know these are little things but I like little things, just less to think about acquiring to be operational now!
I have had a great time getting to know and shooting with the D6. Can’t thank Bedford Camera enough for getting it in my hands so fast! I have been shooting with it basically nonstop since its arrival getting to know it and its many new features. I’ve also been printing on the Epson P7000 some files like the one above of the Evening Grosbeak. They are simply, gorgeous prints – impressive files!
Many have been fortunate like me to have a D6 in their hands and some have reached out asking for my D6 Settings. There are lots of changes, just going to the Custom Setting a – Autofocus you find four times the options compared to the D5. Following the link above you can download a PDF of my initial D6 settings. And to answer the question what cards I’m using, they are ProGrade 1TB CFExpress. I hope they permit you to have a ton of fun and success with the D6 right out of the box. mtc
