Jan 14, 2019 | Field Reports
OmniCharge 20 w/DC – MagSafe Cbl
Ever since I received the OmniCharge 20, I have been in love with all it can do. I’ve bee acquiring its special cables and busy testing all it can do. My latest is powering my MacBook 15″ (2015). I’ve run three of the five tests and so far, it’s powering my Mac for an average of 5hrs 43min. I got their Omincharge to Mac cable for my Mac (they also have one for DC Barrel to USB Type-C Adapter) which is 39″ long which is a nice length. In testing power time, I’m using my Mac like I normally would, uploading cards, finishing images, writing blog posts and email. I’m totally impressed by this really very small yet powerful tool. Next test is powering Mac and charging Z7 / Z6 at the same time. Yeah, you can do this with this bad boy. This solves some big power issues for us!
Jan 9, 2019 | Field Reports
FTZ Adapter on Z6
There is one thing above all else that so amazes me about the Nikon new Z Family, and that’s how some really small details were so well thought out and executed. Case in point, the mysterious FTZ Adapter. In a nutshell, it permits over 90 F Mount Nikkor lenses to attach and work fully with the Z Mount. We have three FTZ Adapters in the locker for our 2 Z7s and 2 Z6s so we can do just that and so bloody well (and the brilliance of the Z Family to compliment all my lenses I already own in the locker!).
Nikon Z6 on 180-400VR
How does the FTZ Adapter work? Really feakin well! But to the point, it adds the air gap back to the F Mount lens optical formula, provides the contacts so the camera and lens can talk, and “reduces” the Z Mount diameter down to the F Mount diameter. Many ask how it works, well there are no moving parts, it’s just a fancy “tube” with no glass do what I just described (it does have a 1/4 20 tripod attachment).
Z7 on 500PF
You see the FTZ Adapter here connecting the Z7 to the 500PF (killer combo!) and the Z6 on the 180-400VR. Many see this and ask, “Is there any play” and the answer is a resounding NO! I’ve pounded my first FTZ Adapter which I’ve had since Sept, been actually brutual to see if that really firm connection would “wear down.” It has not, just as rock solid as when I first attached it. Why do we have 3 FTZ Adapter when we have four bodies? That’s because one Z body will have attached either the Z24-70 or Z35f1.8 which I know we’ll add the new Z14-30 to that list shortly. While I’m still not use to the looks of the very small Z body attached to my 800mm lens, I know it works and have all the confidence in the system to take it out over and over again!
Dec 24, 2018 | Field Reports
My dear friends at Bedford Camera introduced me to the Omni Charge. Then they were kind enough to get one in my hands ASAP (Thanks Jason!). This thing simply freakin rocks! You can see how small it is above next to the Z7. What it can do is power and charge your MacBook Pro (2010-2015), phones, iPads, drones, and many more things, even charge the Z7/Z6 battery (very safely). From a full dead state, the Omni Charge charges in less than three hours. On one charge, it charged at the same time my MacBook Pro, Sharon’s MacBook Air (using block & Omni Charge cable), an iPad and iPhone before quitting! I even ran my Epson 2255 projector with it for an hour! I even charged it with my solar panel. It’s a new portable power source coming into our locker and a perfect time. Check it out!
Dec 20, 2018 | Field Reports
All you have to do is look at Joe’s Mirrorless in Manhattan and you can see the Z Family does flash (whata spectacular piece!)! I would love to say it’s as easy as plugging the WR-R10 into the socket but it’s not, cause it’s even easier than that! It all comes from making a few changes in the settings and then just shooting.
Make sure that you’re not shooting in Continuous High Extended (my normal mode) as this disengages the flash. Program you Fn1 button for Playback / Preview. Program your i Button (CSf1) so Flash Mode and Flash Compensation are in the menu (see below) and set Flash Control to Radio. With all of this in place, you can take your photo and WITHOUT taking your eye away from the viewfinder, you can depress the Fn1 button and see the flash photo you just took in the viewfinder. Then still with your eye to the viewfinder, if you need to make any adjustments to the flash or ambient light exposure, you can do that right from the viewfinder depressing the i Button. You can do this with NO other Nikon body and it makes shooting flash not only fast and easy but actually fun. All together such little things that bring tremendously big results to our photography. And Joe, tip of the hat to ya, GREAT visual storytelling!!!
Dec 19, 2018 | Field Reports
Greater Roadrunner
captured by Z6 / 500PF
“Yeah, but is the Z6 sharp?” I think the question is more, “can the files that the Z6 produce create a quality image? The resounding answer from me and what I’m finding from our Z6 is a resounding YES! The 24×30 prints from the Z6 are stunning and strictly from a business point of view, I don’t hesitate for a heartbeat pulling the Z6 to shoot a job.
Here’s a Greater Roadrunner from a week ago shot with the Z6 / 500PF. I zoomed in on just the Roadrunner and while it’s just a cropped Jpeg of the original file, you can still see all that fine detail as it was anting. I don’t hesitate for a moment recommending the Z6 to you!
Dec 18, 2018 | Field Reports
What a gorgeous lens, wowzers! The new Nikkor 500PF has been shipping for awhile. I just received a sample to shoot for a couple of weeks from NPS. I took it down to Bosque del Apache and almost shot with it exclusively. It’s simply a gorgeous lens, light and easy to throw up at a seconds notice. I shot with it nearly exclusively on the Z6 but on the D5 as well. This incoming Snow Goose is a prime of its performance. The Z6 instantly grabbed the Goose (Auto-area AF) and the 500PF locked on an delivered gorgeous image click and click.
My primary rig was the D5 and the 800mm with the Z6 / 500PF on a strap on my shoulder. With where we were finding the birds on really close ponds, it turned out the 500PF received the lion share of the shooting. Coupled with the Z6, it was sheere pleasure! I loved all the results, shooting was a pleasure and I sure didn’t have arm fatigue at the end of they day. The 500PF is simply a gorgeous lens!
