Captured moments around our friend's lake/lakehouse this weekend for our annual trip out there with them. All are Zf, most are with the Viltrox EVO 55, and some are with an upcoming lens.
The Zf stays undefeated for low profile walkabout documentary camera for me.
Just of a bit of Americana from my neck of the woods on this 250th...
https://www.scotttuckerphoto.com/blog/battle-of-the-40mm-lenses-for-nikon-z
Have wrapped up my last month's worth of work comparing the following lenses:
Voigtlander 40/2 Septon for Z
Voigtlander 40/1.2 Nokton for Z
Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron for F
TTArtisan 40/2 for Z
Nikon 40/2 for Z
I've been a long time owner of the Ultron, TTA, and Nikon, and got the chance to borrow the Septon and Nokton for the last month. I conducted A/B style testing and have hopefully put together a very thorough examination of what makes each of these lenses unique and why you'd consider each of them for use on Nikon Z. Full resolution samples are available for your close inspection.
Note: the Ultron is the older F mount pancake style, not what you'd find for sale currently. That newer lens is nearly twice the size and weight. You'd have to scrounge Ebay for the pancake.
Here's a teaser of how I rank these lenses, but there's so much more to say and show about the nuances. Hope you enjoy the comparison!
https://www.scotttuckerphoto.com/blog/battle-of-the-40mm-lenses-for-nikon-z
Have wrapped up my last month's worth of work comparing the following lenses:
Voigtlander 40/2 Septon for Z
Voigtlander 40/1.2 Nokton for Z
Voigtlander 40/2 Ultron for F
TTArtisan 40/2 for Z
Nikon 40/2 for Z
I've been a long time owner of the Ultron, TTA, and Nikon, and got the chance to borrow the Septon and Nokton for the last month. I conducted A/B style testing and have hopefully put together a very thorough examination of what makes each of these lenses unique and why you'd consider each of them for use on Nikon Z.
Note: the Ultron is the older F mount pancake style, not what you'd find for sale currently. That newer lens is nearly twice the size and weight. You'd have to scrounge Ebay for the pancake.
Here's a teaser of how I rank these lenses, but there's so much more to say and show about the nuances. Hope you enjoy the video!
Curious if anyone else would be interested in using Viltrox lenses on their Hasselblad bodies as alternatives to XCD lenses. I have no idea if it would even be possible to engineer a lens that is able to have its leaf shutter fired via the Hasselblad contacts, but I do know I'd love an EVO type set of lenses for my X2Dii.
Have a 10% diffusion and CPL filter stack on the 55 here, it's been such a fun walkabout lens. All shots on the Nikon Zf.
As far as I understand, any RAW file from the X2Dii can be turned into an identical looking HDR JPEG/HEIF after the fact in Lightroom/desktop Phocus/Phocus Mobile 2 because the RAW file has the same metadata that the camera would use to generate this JPEG/HEIF in camera. I have tested this myself.
So what, then, is the advantage to shooting HDR in body when it limits your shooting modes? Is it simply to not have to take the file to Phocus or LR to "turn on" HDR?
I'm curious to hear your use cases as to why you do or don't use in-body HDR on the X2Dii.
Remember when I told you to trust in Ripple Effect, that they've been handed map duties and have been, and will continue to be, crushing it moving forward? Remember when you downvoted me to oblivion because my source was "trust me bro"?
Suck it, this map rocks. Can't wake for Wake and Tsuru. Bookmark it.
Realizing that I could use 52mm filters on the 58mm-threaded EVO lenses, I started stacking and haven't looked back.
KiwiFoto 58 to 52 stepdown ring > 52mm Cinebloom 10% screwed into stepdown > Maven magnetic adapter screwed into Cinebloom > Maven CPL mag'd to adapter. Causes no vignette.
For added fun, I've been shooting at ISO 1000 even in daylight just for a little less clinicality, life's too short not to experiment and have fun!
Realizing that I could use 52mm filters on the 58mm-threaded EVO lenses, I started stacking and haven't looked back.
KiwiFoto 58 to 52 stepdown ring > 52mm Cinebloom 10% screwed into stepdown > Maven magnetic adapter screwed into Cinebloom > Maven CPL mag'd to adapter. Causes no vignette.
For added fun, I've been shooting at ISO 1000 even in daylight just for a little less clinicality, life's too short not to experiment and have fun!
Long story short, have a british friend who has a very distinctive voice. One day, as the intercom background chatter was going, I heard said friend's voice so clearly and distinctly that I thought he had joined my party and was talking. Turns out it's one of the "ethnic" voices that plays in the background, and there are several lines with this voice.
I clipped the chatter and sent it to him, and he thought I was playing a prank on him.
Turns out he used ElevenLabs (AI voice cloning tool) extensively, and now I'm wondering if Embark simply picked "his" voice from a list of voices on ElevenLabs and is making him babble in Speranza.
Do we know if Embark utilized ElevenLabs at all for the known AI voice lines?
Edit: answered my own question, Embark Studios are now PART OWNERS of ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io/blog/elevenlabs-launches-new-generative-voice-ai-products-and-announces-19m-series-a-round-led-by-nat-friedman-daniel-gross-and-andreessen-horowitz
Stopped by a local church/cemetery to snap a few pics this Memorial Day. Front and center is William "Bill" Dean's headstone...Bill was an elite paratrooper in World War II and a member of the 551st Battalion, known in history books as “The Lost Battalion", seeing action in France, Sicily, Italy, and Belgium. Outliving the entirety of his light gunners in the 551st, he was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division for the remainder of the war. Bill was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, and received the Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts for his exceptional valor in combat. After returning home, Bill was called to a life of faith and spent his later years traveling through Texas serving pastor duties at various United Pentecostal Churches. He lived a full life, passing away at 92 years old and leaving an enormous faith-filled family and legacy of service behind.
I didn't know Bill, nor do I know anyone in his life...I just happened upon his grave in a small Texas town of 12,000 on a beautifully sunny day of gratitude for the sacrifices of strangers. This is the power of a headstone and remembrance in both written and photographic forms.
Stopped by a local church/cemetery to snap a few pics this Memorial Day. Front and center is William "Bill" Dean's headstone...Bill was an elite paratrooper in World War II and a member of the 551st Battalion, known in history books as “The Lost Battalion", seeing action in France, Sicily, Italy, and Belgium. Outliving the entirety of his light gunners in the 551st, he was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division for the remainder of the war. Bill was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, and received the Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts for his exceptional valor in combat. After returning home, Bill was called to a life of faith and spent his later years traveling through Texas serving pastor duties at various United Pentecostal Churches. He lived a full life, passing away at 92 years old and leaving an enormous faith-filled family and legacy of service behind.
I didn't know Bill, nor do I know anyone in his life...I just happened upon his grave in a small Texas town of 12,000 on a beautifully sunny day of gratitude for the sacrifices of strangers. This is the power of a headstone and remembrance in both written and photographic forms.
Stopped by a local church/cemetery to snap a few pics this Memorial Day. Front and center is William "Bill" Dean's headstone...Bill was an elite paratrooper in World War II and a member of the 551st Battalion, known in history books as “The Lost Battalion", seeing action in France, Sicily, Italy, and Belgium. Outliving the entirety of his light gunners in the 551st, he was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division for the remainder of the war. Bill was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, and received the Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts for his exceptional valor in combat. After returning home, Bill was called to a life of faith and spent his later years traveling through Texas serving pastor duties at various United Pentecostal Churches. He lived a full life, passing away at 92 years old and leaving an enormous faith-filled family and legacy of service behind.
I didn't know Bill, nor do I know anyone in his life...I just happened upon his grave in a small Texas town of 12,000 on a beautifully sunny day of gratitude for the sacrifices of strangers. This is the power of a headstone and remembrance in both written and photographic forms.
No particular order, all sorts of glass used, this is simply my STFU and get out of the house camera. Glad I got one and did =)
Just FYI, due to the small front element diameter, you can very easily use a 58mm > 52mm step down ring and use 52mm filters on all 3 EVO lenses with 100% compatibility. I had standardized on 52mm for some older vintage lenses and was very pleased to find this out! Much happier to use an $8 adapter vs rebuying slightly larger filters.
Hey all, my last few recipes have trended towards that "filmic" look we are all addicted with lately, but I wanted to make a more "everyday" recipe that doesn't lean on faded shadows or overly warm tones in the highlights. Scott's Natura is a recipe that will accentuate the natural tones in your life without overpowering them.
Curious to hear how you like it!
File download and instructions here: https://www.scotttuckerphoto.com/blog/scotts-natura-recipe-for-nikon-z
