Back in 2017 I wrote that I would love to see Nikon compete with the Canon Cinema line of equipment but Nikon didn’t have the heritage of Canon in the professional video world. It could also be argued that Sony also have a heritage in the professional video world that Nikon lacked.

With Nikon’s announcement that they intend to purchase RED, it actually makes sense to me why they would do that. Nikon will be able to produce high end video equipment without starting from a zero baseline.

ProAV did a nice opinion piece on Youtube about this. And I agree with most of what they say.

We might not see anything in the short term but the long term prospects of Nikon and RED working together makes it very exciting for the industry.

One of the benefits of moving over to the Nikon Z system from the F is that it has opened up lens that previously wouldn’t have been an option. The Sirui Saturn 35mm T2.9 Anamorphic lens is a case in point. Even at launch the Nikon Z option wasn’t available, so the chances of Sirui making an F version was zero. Especially with the technical issues with the F mount.

I had been thinking of getting an anamorphic lens for some time now. What was putting me off before was the price and the size of the lenses. At over a £1000 for the Sirui Venus 35mm T2.9, I was worried that I would be spending too much money on a lens that I might use one or twice after opening the box. The Venus lens is fairly large too. So when I saw that Sirui was, together with a discount code, selling the Saturn 35mm for below £1000, I snapped at the chance.

So why did I choose the 35mm lens over one of the longer options. The short answer is that I wanted a wide view. My Nikon F mount 24mm f1.4 is a bit too wide and comes with a free dose of distortion if not handled correctly. I have access in the day job to a Canon 35mm lens and I really do like the pictures it creates.

So the Sirui Saturn 35mm T2.9 anamorphic lens combines the wideness of a 24mm while still retaining the characteristics of a regular 35mm lens.

The few hours I’ve spent with this lens does make me feel like there is plenty of potential with it. So I hope to find the time to see what this lens can do.

I got the Clic Fresnel for my Profoto A2 over a week ago now. I purchased it together with the Clic barn doors and wanted to see what they could do before saying anything about them.

What I like about the Clic Fresnel is that it produces a much tighter beam of light.

Profoto A2 bare bulb

Profoto A2 with Clic Fresnel

As you can see there is less spill on to the background. Which is subtle, but a good, way to not highlight a distracting background if you are shooting in a tight space.

Having previously owned the Nikkor 135mm f2 DC AF-D lens the launch of the Nikkor Z 135mm f1.8 S Plena lens does interest me.

Looking at these test images, it would be silly to compare DC lens with the Plena lens. It would be like comparing a fax machine with email.

For me, the pricing of this lens makes it better first Z lens choice over the 85mm f1.2. £2699 instead of £2999. Still a lot of money but the option for a secondhand version for the 85mm is still not there.

One of the reasons why it was an easy choice to sell the 135mm I used to own was that it was too long. The distance between me and the subject was a problem in creating a connection with them. Being too close in their face or too far to be aloof is why I like using the Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED or the 85mm I have.

It does make sense to get this lens first as it complements my lens collection rather than competes with it.

I wasn’t really surprised when Nikon launched the Z f camera. It makes sense to have a full frame Z fc.

If you want to know all about the Z f, Ricci did a good first look at the camera.

Question is, was I right to have got the Z8 or should I have waited for this camera? Well, I would have saved myself some money. At £2299 would save me about £1700. But the Z8 replaces my D850 like for like. The Z f, in my opinion, is a bit of a downgrade. It makes the perfect second camera but not a main camera.

There are currently (August 2023) two service recalls for the Nikon Z8. One for a lens mount issue and the other for a camera strap issue. Both of which effect the Z8 I own.

I’m sure there will be loads of social media commentary trashing both the company and the camera. And I do feel for the people who have broken kit due to the strap coming away from their camera.

This photographer did an in depth look into the lens mount issue if you want more information on that.

I don’t use a camera strap on my Z8 and I haven’t noticed any issue mounting lenses.

Companies acknowledging that there are issues with their products and are doing something about the problem is a good thing. Creating an atmosphere where it makes it harder to do this isn’t helpful. Especially as they appear to be minor components.

I’m in no hurry to send my Z8 in for repair. These two product advisories don’t really alarm me.

I was surprised to get an email from LCE yesterday saying that my Nikon Z8 was ready for collection today (25 May).

My surprise is finding myself at the front of the queue and that LCE had an allocation of the first cameras. I always thought that London Camera Exchange was one of those shops over looked by the manufacturers.

I’m not going to say much about the camera as I’m sure there are plenty of other sources to find out about it out there on the Interweb.

And if you are lucky enough to also have one of these cameras today, then check out this YouTube video on the settings that you should consider changing.

I was just checking my Nikon D3 camera now that I no longer have the D850 and I do wonder how much longer I can use it for. The batteries I own are coming to the end of their life and the official sources for the EN-EL4a battery are all currently out of stock. I wonder how long it will be before it joins my D1 as a doorstop.

In preparation for my transition from DSLR to Mirrorless I have got an FTZ II adapter. And according to the technical notes the following lenses in my collection should work with it:

• 24mm f1.4 AF-S G
• 28-70mm f2.8 AF-S D
• 58mm f1.4 AF-S G
• 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S VR G
• 105mm f1.4 AF-S ED E

These autofocus lenses will not:

• 14mm f2.8 AF D
• 20-35mm f2.8 AF D
• 85mm f1.4 AF D
• 300mm f4 AF D

I also have a couple of manual lenses and they are the 85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro and 500mm f4 P.

My main reason for getting the Nikon Z8 is for the improved autofocus and the in body stabilisation. So I’m not really planning to be using the camera much with manual focusing. So what are my options?

The first option is to replace all my F glass for Z glass like for like. Which wouldn’t be very sensible as it would be really expensive plus I have lenses that I very rarely use. There is no point in changing the 500mm f4 P which doesn’t often leave its case or the tilt shift speciality of the 85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro.

In an ideal world the first Z lenses I would get is the 85mm f1.2 followed by the 35mm f1.2 which is still to be announced. I would also get the 14-24mm f2.8 to replace the 14mm f2.8 AF D and the 20-35mm f2.8 AF D which don’t have autofocus function with the FTZ II.

Right now there aren’t many Z lenses on the used market. I have seen the 50mm f1.2 for sale and a part of me is considering getting one of these so that I have a native lens to use on the Z8.

Another option is to upgrade my AF D type lenses to more modern AF-S type lenses which are coming down in price so will then work with the FTZ II. I’ve been looking at swapping the 300mm f4 AF D for the 300mm f4 AF-S E PF ED VR but I think the price still isn’t right for the move.

There is plenty to consider for my strategy as I move from one system to the other.

I came across this YouTube video of a film maker who wanted an Aputure Spotlight Mini Zoom but instead purchased a cheaper alternative.

The cheaper alternative they purchased, to me, had so many disadvantages that I wonder if it is worth it at all.

I get that not everyone can afford to get expensive gear. And a good sign of a professional is their ability to produce work no matter what the budget.

This is a great video on how to get away with making a decent product just by using items that can be purchased from the high street rather than a specialist store.

Currently Wex is selling the Profoto fitting for the Westcott Optical Spot by Lindsay Adler kit at £588. This price does include the lens and I paid £299 for the Pixapro EF-Mount Optical snoot kit which didn’t come with a lens. Knowing what I know now I am glad I did not go for the more expensive option.

I still have this modifier and I was considering getting an Aputure LS 60d to work with it. But would I keep thinking that I would rather be using it with their Spotlight Mini Zoom instead of the cheap optical snoot that I own.

If you want to see how good the Spotlight Mini Zoom is then Gaffer & Gear did a review on it. And CVP are currently selling it for £477. Obviously the light itself is extra.