Greetings from the Windy City
Here is another of my better shots.
Green Heron by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
The snake and that green heron got picked in a photo contest for the forest preserve calendar
2019 FPDCC Calendar by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
This was challenging. Â I could not pull it off with the 70-300mm zoom. Â Tried for two years. Â Got it seemingly right away with the 300mm prime.
Gear does not matter till you start pushing it to it's limitations.
Green Darner by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
That 300 f4 is really good for larger bugs. Look at the detail. Â i didn't go ape sharpening them either.
Sulphur by Mark Kasick, on Flick
Giant Swallowtail by Mark Kasick, on Flick
Eastern Common Pondhawk by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
Summer Azure by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
Pearl Crescent on Milkweed by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
These are with the old 70-300 zoom. Â That worked too. But I think I sharpened them in post more. Â The zoom is way smaller and lighter.
Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
i think this is one of my best shots, the IQ is not so hot, it was overexposed and shot at too high an iso. I used to drive around country roads where I knew there were a lot of red-tailed hawks. Â This happened so fast. It was shot from the drivers seat thru the passenger window. Â I squeezed off a burst (6fps) got this. By the third frame the hawk gone. Â I did print it at 16x20 and the person who got it was crazy about it.
The shot has some character and that's hard to come by.
.
Redtail Hawk Edit 2 by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
Quote from Snappy on July 2, 2021, 2:22 amQuote from Justin Tung on July 1, 2021, 8:09 pmQuote from Snappy on July 1, 2021, 2:13 amI've been learning more about the Nikon FM2 recently with the recent release of the Nikon ZFC mirrorless camera. What do you think of that camera?
Sure, but they could do that with any camera, and it's not like the Zfc is particularly pocketable or has like a 0.03 second startup time or anything.
Yeah, I think that sums it up pretty well. It looks like a great camera, it's just doesn't stand out in any significant way as standing out in its class. It looks like a great all-rounder, but there are plenty of all-rounders. It'll take great photos like other cameras that take great photos. I'm not sure how well it will do commercially, but I think for Nikon fans who have been waiting for a modern mirrorless with a retro take they are happy, and should be. I think it's a good package at the price, maybe minus the native mirrorless lens lineup. Anyone who buys it for whatever reason I'm sure will be happy.
I know what you mean about getting that same FF equivalent, especially on those wider ends. I think a FF would have made a lot of sense here, as a retro body is asking to be used with vintage lenses, and people will want the same FoV as on their film bodies. That's one reason I hang onto the K-1. It's so fun to swap between film and digital with the same lens and get the same FoV. Lenses are still awesome on APSC, just harder on the wide end unless it's APSC specific glass.
I do wonder how it would feel. Being lighter should make the grip (or lack thereof) less of an issue, and it has a teeny bit more than film bodies. But the lightness might also give away how different it is from a film body. Silly thing, but it's nice feeling the heft of a metal film body in your hands. Even if you do need to add a grip, haha.
It's the kind of thing I'd be willing to pick up in five or so years for less than half the price. Not because it isn't good, because I'm cheap. I think it's priced perfectly in the market right now. Just like others have mentioned it doesn't offer anything new to the table. But I think for what they did they executed it perfectly. Well. Maybe except for the way the screen flips out, but appealing to a wider market was a smarter move there probably.
Sometimes I wish Pentax did something similar just for kicks... a digital MX or LX. But this time, make it FF for the vintage glass 😉
Another thing worth mentioning is that this is a Z-mount camera, not an F-mount camera. It uses Nikon's new, fancy mirrorless mount instead of the legacy one. Even if this camera body was intended to service legacy glass, you'd still have to adapt it, and at that point, you might as well adapt your old lenses from any manufacturers. Or if you like Nikon lenses you could adapt it to any mirrorless body. Unless Nikon can sell some kind of "special magic" of using Nikon lenses on a Nikon body I don't think this is really providing a unique offering that you can't get elsewhere.
Quote from KankRat on July 2, 2021, 10:59 amHere is another of my better shots.
The snake and that green heron got picked in a photo contest for the forest preserve calendar
The bird and the fish is so cool! Looks good in calendar form too 😉
Quote from KankRat on July 2, 2021, 11:43 ami think this is one of my best shots, the IQ is not so hot, it was overexposed and shot at too high an iso. I used to drive around country roads where I knew there were a lot of red-tailed hawks. Â This happened so fast. It was shot from the drivers seat thru the passenger window. Â I squeezed off a burst (6fps) got this. By the third frame the hawk gone. Â I did print it at 16x20 and the person who got it was crazy about it.
The shot has some character and that's hard to come by.
.
It still would’ve been good if it was just a post, but the sign helps make the picture I think. And the stare from the bird. Really nice quick moment.
Those dragonfly and butterfly pictures are really something else too! I need to go on the hunt for more butterflies myself with my 300mm prime. I’ve done it once and was really pleasantly surprised. The working distance is a lot better than a 100mm for example, but you can still focus really close.
How close does the Pentax 300 focus? I heard they were optically about the same as the Nikkor. Â Is the AF on the K3 fast with that lens? Do you have any TCs?
I took the Nikkor 80-200mm f4.5 AI-S out today. Â Did not get any keeper shots, but man that thing is sharp and contrasty.
Here are some better quality hawks (with the 300f4)
RTH DCA by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
RTH IN by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
Quote from KankRat on July 2, 2021, 4:27 pmHow close does the Pentax 300 focus? I heard they were optically about the same as the Nikkor. Â Is the AF on the K3 fast with that lens? Do you have any TCs?
I took the Nikkor 80-200mm f4.5 AI-S out today. Â Did not get any keeper shots, but man that thing is sharp and contrasty.
Here are some better quality hawks (with the 300f4)
It is 140cm closest focusing distance. I’m not sure how that compared with the Nikon. Optically I have no complaints. Zero regrets purchasing it. No TC yet, but I am eying the one modern TC Pentax has. Many Pentax users pair it specifically with this lens for excellent results. Are you often using a teleconverter?
@Snappy, somebody posted this mockup on Pentax Rumors for an LX type mirrorless camera.  https://pentaxrumors.com/2021/06/27/pentax-mirrorless-camera-mockup/
I'd throw my money right at it.
@Kanrat What 70-300 are you currently using? The AF-P FX one? I had the AF-P Dx and was surprised how well it worked.
