Pondering APS-C Yet Again

Nikon Z5II, 24-85VR

This image didn't need FX. I could have gotten the same results with my 17-50 on my Zfc. 

One issue I continue to have with gear choice is that crop sensors really do deliver enough image quality for my needs. But I always want Full Frame, largely driven by wanting my collection of manual focus lenses to work as intended, which I then mostly don't use as they don't handle particularly well on mirrorless, losing the compact size I loved about them on classic manual film bodies. 

Working with the Zfc of late has reminded me that it does largely cover my needs and where I want the Z5ii in particular over the Zfc is never about that bigger sensor, but for the bigger EVF, IBIS, better ergonomics or the faster AF. These are all things that a notional Z70 or Z90 would cover, if such a thing existed. And when paired with modern manual APS-C lenses, it retains the compact size and handling I so loved about classic manual film cameras like the FM2n (the Zf is too large & heavy, more a F2 or F3HP equivalent than FM2n). 

With the recent(ish) Z 16-50/2.8 release, there's really only one real APS-C lens gap remaining for me, the higher-end UWA zoom, and I totally could get away with a prime or two in the 10-14mm range instead. But the Z50ii just isn't quite enough body for me to be willing to swap my Z5ii for it, even if it's probably enough body for me for most uses. The biggest loss overall for that swap would be IBIS on my 300/4D, which is a big part of why that lens works so well for me. 

This does leave me in a quandary, largely because I like to optimize my body selection to a ridiculous amount. For the most part the Z7 + Zfc combo covers my low/high needs. So do I really need the Z5ii in the first place? But the Z5ii is hands down the best of my bodies to use and the only one with the new Flexible Color Picture Controls and multi-shot. But selling the Z5ii would get me budget to go all-in on some good APS-C glass (say a 13mm f1.4 and a 16-50/2.8) which I could use on both remaining bodies, and keep the 45MP FX option when I really need the extra IQ (which is in part why I keep the Z7 in the first place). Or the Z5ii could go to fund a higher-end APS-C body, but I struggle to put the Z50ii in that category even though I know it has most of the extras I like about the Z5ii (lacking the EVF, larger body & battery & IBIS). I still reach for the Z5ii as my sole body for more serious work. 

The good news is I'm really not wavering on system choice. I just don't see any options that fit my use cases there other than Fuji, and Fuji just doesn't split quite the way I'd want it to for my needs and is right now late in the lifecycle of all their high-end bodies so I would not want to pay current pricing for a body whose cost & value will drop very soon as the next gen comes out. If I'd got the X-T30 route instead of the Zfc, I might have picked differently though, selling my Z5ii for a X-H2 or X-T5 would work in that situation, but not in the one I'm actually in. And quite frankly I prefer Nikon files to Fuji files, even if I love that Fuji lens lineup. 

So that leaves me at 'keep Z5ii, get a telezoom and maybe a wider FX UWA later this year', 'sell Z5ii and buy even more glass', or 'sell Z5ii, buy EXPEED7 Z DX body' in some form (Z50ii now or notional higher-end Z DX body later). Option 3 really also includes 'buy more AF glass' long-term as well. 

Right now in terms of native Z lenses, I have 4 total. The 28/2.8 SE and 40/2 SE (both FX AF primes) and the TTartisan 25/2 and 7Artisans 55/1.4 (both DX manual primes). For other AF lenses I really only have the F mount Tamron 17-50/2.8 DX, Nikkor 24-85VR and Nikkor 300/4D. I don't see getting rid of any of these even if I do change up bodies, since the only thing on the list which becomes less useful on DX would be the 24-85VR and I'd keep that for the Z7 which I have no intent to get rid of, since it works well as both a DX and FX body and has minimal resale value (due to age and being well over 300k shutter actuations). 

I do plan to increase my fleet of Z DX manual lenses, regardless of what direction I go. They're cheap, fun and surprisingly good and the Zfc was pretty much intended to be dedicated to these and I want to keep that. I'll also be investing in a new telezoom regardless, a 70-200/2.8 or similar. I need it regardless and it fits all paths relatively well. 

 

I've Broken Up with Adobe

Misty Morning

Z5ii, 24-85VR

Like many I've become increasingly annoyed with Adobe's cash grabs via their Lightroom subscriptions. Unlike many I don't actually have an issue with the subscription model, but rather with the incredibly low value per dollar that I found it delivered, especially regarding online storage. 

I've been using a cloud-based workflow shared across my iPad & MacBook Pro's using Lightroom, which was working well enough aside from the issues I had with the iPad version of LR not supporting key editing features. That had me looking for a similar solution in capability and with Apple's recent release of their Creative subscription, I signed up for that pretty much as soon as it released. 

I've since been slowly getting used to using Photos as my DAM solution and Pixelmator Pro as my editor. I do like the ability to use standard LUT's in my workflow now (LR only supports their own preset models) but miss the catalog of highly personalized presets I'd built up over more than a decade of use of LR. I'll have to do a lot of work in Pixelmator to rebuild them. 

I have migrated my entire catalog of photos to Photos as of a couple weeks ago. Not entirely loving Photos, but as a DAM tool, it's no worse than LR. More workflow will need to be worked out, but I can import on all my devices which is a win. 

 

2025 Goal Review and 2026 Goals

The Wilds of North York

Z5ii, 24-85VR

Last year's version is here: 2024 Review and 2025 Goals

This one is late, but here we go

I had 3 goals for 2025:

 1. Reach 10,000 images shot on one camera system without a system change

2. Take 7 major photographic outings
3. Get my post/like percentage up to 66% on Fred Miranda

1 - Fail. I didn't hit 10,000 images and had a system change, arguably two, although my six month Sony sojourn occurred after acquiring the Z7 I still own and use.
2 - Bare pass. I did this, but only if counting mixed photography/fishing outings.
3 - Significant success, I not only hit 66%, I broke 70%.

For 2026 we're going to continue down the same path

1. Reach 10,000 images shot on one camera system without a system change

2. Take 7 major photographic outings

3. Get my post/like percentage up to 75% on Fred Miranda

The first goal is 10,000 images total count on one system since the first body was acquired (I'm around 4,000 right now on the Z system since acquiring the Z7 in January 2025) with a stretch goal of 10,000 images in Calendar Year 2026 on the same system. 

Second goal is the same as last year, this is just a 'get out and shoot seriously' goal.

Third is a bit of a stretch. I can do it, but I need to be regularly posting images on Fred Miranda, not inconsistently doing so. 

A Very Dead Winter and a Spring Return

Nikon Zfc, TTArtisan 25mm f2

Well I've been gone since October and the simple reason is that I shot pretty much nothing all winter, because I stayed cooped up at home for multiple reasons. Since I wasn't going far, I never carried the Z5ii or the Z7 due to size/weight/inconvenience and therefore took pretty much no pictures.

This did make clear to me that I needed a real light carry solution. I wasn't carrying around town largely because both of my bodies were too big, even with only the 40/2 or my M 35/5.6 mounted (my two smallest lens setups for them).

Light carry on Z is in a bit of an awkward position at best. The only smaller FX body is the ZR, and that costs more than a Zf, let alone a Z5ii. This makes it a poor choice for anyone other than a Z8/9 user unless light carry or cinema are their primary uses. Z DX is on life support and we're still waiting to see EXPEED7 updates of the Zfc and Z30, despite the first EXPEED8 body being expected this year (Z9II most likely), and Nikon's lens lineup for Z DX is only slightly less terrible than it has been historically (thanks to them finally dropping a 16-50 f2.8 normal zoom, the first in DX, F or Z, since the old 17-55 from 2003). 3rd party primes and a couple zooms from Tamron & Sigma carry all the load in Z DX, so you need to be willing to run 3rd party glass if you want to do anything serious as a DX shooter today.

I greatly prefer my light carry option to match both mount and format with my primary bodies. Cards I don't care about (since I don't really swap cards much anymore, a 64GB+ card is sufficient for my needs on most anything and cheap enough even at today's inflated prices that I can have enough for my bodies + a spare or two) and batteries are more a 'nice to have match' than anything else. I generally only need 1 larger or 2 smaller batteries for a day of shooting and they don't take up much space. 

That said, since there were no viable options in Z FX, I had to compromise on either format + battery, mount + battery, or all three (since Nikon Z DX exclusively uses EN-EL25 series batteries instead of the larger EN-EL15's or EN-EL18's of the FX bodies). 

Mount + battery would mean the Panasonic S9 for me. The A7c's have a dire viewfinder and an A7Cr or A7CII are too expensive for this use for me, the R8 doesn't adapt manual lenses well enough but would do in a pinch if I was willing to focus on native glass. 

Format + battery is Z DX. Z30 lacks a viewfinder and is less pocketable than the Zfc due to the grip. It's EXPEED6. Zfc is a tad pricey for what it is (being EXPEED6), Z50ii has all the toys, but is the least pocketable and the best performer for the dollar.

The other alternatives (compromising on all 3) would be m43 or Fuji. m43 still suffers from the lack of really up to date lower-end bodies, and they're overpriced too (OM-5 series I'm looking at you). Fuji's a bit pricey and the AF-C is dire by modern standards, but the main complaint here is that every body is a different UI experience. 

Eventually it came down to Fuji something vs the Zfc. Narrowing further would be the X-T30III vs the Zfc, similar price point, similar specs and both are very viable in this use case. The 3 big differences other than mount items (Fuji has way more lenses, Zfc can use all my current lenses and can get a Fuji X AF Adapter) are the EVF (same panel specs, Fuji's magnification is 0.62x vs 0.68x for the Zfc), the left control dial (film sim for Fuji, ISO for Nikon) and the screen (single axis tilt for Fuji, Flip/twist for Nikon). In all 3 cases the Zfc actually wins for my preferences.

Realistically, if I'd found a used X-T3 in this price range I would have snagged it, barring that the Zfc wins out (used X-T4 is too big/too expensive for light carry). Plus I really need a second FTZ so I can run two F mount AF lenses when running a 2 body setup (needed since the vast majority of my lenses are F mount) and Nikon was running the usual FTZ deal when paired with a new Z body with the Zfc qualifying.

So I grabbed the Zfc/28SE kit, and FTZ and ordered another TTArtisan 25/2 APS-C pancake and a Smallrig EN-EL25a compatible (with integrated USB-C charge) off Amazon. That gets me a compact wide for my FX bodies and completes my SE lens set (I have the 40/2 SE already), and even more compact MF prime for the Zfc and the spare battery it's definitely going to need. Why the 28SE kit? Well I can always grab a 16-50 used for super cheap, I had a real use for the 28SE on my FX bodies and the bare body was not in stock. I personally think Nikon should do a 24DX SE for the Zfc update, it makes more sense than the 28SE in a kit with a DX body (but the 24DX didn't exist when the Zfc was released). Would also give people a reason to actually buy the 24DX over the cheaper (and often better) 3rd party alternatives.

Short Zfc review - It's better than I'd expected. The build is light, but it's not the FM10-level build I'd initially thought. Viewfinder is adequate, ergonomics feel like an FM10 just with better materials. It's no secret I loved the FM10 as a light carry film body and the Zfc is a direct drop-in for that use, with improvements. I think I'll do just fine with it. My main complaint is the lack of support for Flexible Picture Controls, which would make it much more viable as a JPEG body, and it's the only body I own where I am really likely to shoot JPEG in the first place. 

Regarding usage, this gives me a body well suited to pairing with cheap manual focus APS-C lenses, which is something I really loved during my last go around with Fuji (especially that 18/6.3 pancake on the X-T1 and the 12/2.8 on the X-T2). So I'll be building up a small collection of those and probably will end up doing a 'Nikon DX on the cheap' series like the one I did for Fuji on the Cheap some years ago.