Ask Matthew
Our resident Nikon expert Matthew Richards answers your questions and solves your problems. If you have a Nikon-related question, email it to mail@nphotomag.com
Our Nikon savant Matthew answers all your questions
QI’ve read conflicting things about cleaning the image sensor in Z 6 and Z 7 cameras, due to the in-body stabilization. What’s your advice?
Adam Smyth
AThe official line from
Nikon is that under no circumstances should you touch or wipe the image sensor. Instead, you should send the camera to a Nikon-authorized service representative for manual cleaning. Naturally, however, that can be an expensive and time-wasting option.
Starting simple, there’s an option in the Setup menu for cleaning the image sensor by vibrating it to remove dust. The ‘Automatic cleaning’ option does this whenever the camera is turned off, whereas ‘Clean now’ runs the cleaning cycle immediately.
Nikon also says it’s okay to use a blower to remove dust or lint, but not to use a blower brush to physically touch the sensor, as the bristles could cause damage. You absolutely should not use a compressed air canister, like an ‘air duster’, as the high pressure and freezing propellent could damage the sensor.
Despite Nikon’s warnings, many Z 6 and Z 7 owners have cleaned their sensors without incurring any problems. For dry cleaning, you could try Visibledust’s Arctic Butterfly 724S Super Bright. Its brush is mounted on a spinner, which charges up the nano-coated bristles electrostatically. After the brush stops spinning, and with the camera switched off, you can then gently stroke the brush across the surface of the image sensor to pick up any dust particles. It’s expensive though, at around £110/$125.
For removing greasy marks or specks that won’t come off with a dry clean, you’re better off using a fluid-based swab. The Visible Dust 1.0x Sensor Cleaning Kit (£25/$25) contains four swabs and a small tube of cleaning fluid. This should work decently, so long as you’re gentle with the application, but keep in mind that it goes against Nikon’s recommendations. At the end of the day, only you can decide whether cleaning the camera yourself is a risk worth taking, rather than sending your camera away for sensor cleaning.
QMy travel tripod is frustratingly short and flimsy. I’d like a sturdy carbon fibre kit that’s tall, but folds down small, is sturdy, and reasonably priced. Too much to ask? David Chapman
AWell, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. I’d go for the mid-sized option in Novo’s range of Explora tripod kits, namely the Explora T10. It’s certainly sturdy, with a maximum load rating of 15kg, and has a generous maximum operating height of 172cm, while still folding down to just 49.5cm.
That’s mostly thanks to adopting the popular recent ‘travel tripod’ trend, in which the legs swing upwards and the feet surround the head for compact stowage.
The kit is cleverly designed and nicely engineered, with eight-layer carbon fibre for the leg sections and centre column. One leg can be unscrewed and connected to the centre column for use as a monopod. The ball head is of similarly highquality, with an Arca-swiss quickrelease plate, pan-only release and adjustable friction damping. Considering the quality and durability of the kit, it’s ace value at £249/$339.
QI’ve tried various super-telephoto zooms, but sharpness seems lacking at the long end. Would an 80-400mm with a teleconverter be better? Tony Popple
AIt’s always a struggle retaining sharpness at very long focal lengths, partly because keeping the camera free of vibrations becomes critical. Mirrorbounce and even shutter-shock can cause problems. However, you’re better off with a good super-telephoto zoom, rather than adding a teleconverter to an 80-400mm lens.
Based on our lab tests and realworld experience, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is the pick of the crop, although it’s weighty at nearly 3kg. Next up is the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6e ED VR, although this has a shorter maximum focal length, closely followed by the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2, which is sharper at the long end than the original edition of the lens. The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary has slightly less long-end sharpness.
QIf I apply exposure compensation when I’m using the Manual shooting mode, will it have any effect on shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity?
Himansu Tripathy
AIf you’re using a manually set ISO value, exposure compensation will have absolutely no effect in Manual shooting mode. The aperture and shutter speed values remain exactly as you set them.
However, if you’re also using the Auto ISO setting, the sensitivity will be altered whenever you apply positive or negative exposure compensation, to give brighter or darker photographs respectively. Even so, the aperture and shutter speed will still remain fixed.