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
Q
I bought a Z 85mm f/1.8 S lens to use with my Z 7II at gigs but the results are quite blurry. Can you suggest the best settings?
Eleanor Cooke
A
That’s a good choice of lens for shooting gigs if you can get reasonably close to the stage.
I’d suggest using the Auto-area AF (people) autofocus option in AF-C continuous mode. This will lock onto the faces of the band members and track their movement. I’ve found it works really well, and you can use the joystick-like sub-selector controller to switch between performers, or between eyes if a face fills more of the frame.
The other factor that affects sharpness is shutter speed. It can be tricky getting sufficiently fast shutter speeds to freeze movement and avoid camera-shake under stage lighting. I tend to shoot in Shutterpriority mode, setting a speed of 1/250 sec, and using the Auto ISO option to boost sensitivity, as necessary, to avoid underexposing the image.
Q
I’m trying to recreate the ‘Painting’ effect shown in issue 134’s Nikon Skills section, but can’t find the option in my D7100 and D7200 cameras. Am I missing something?
Mel James
A
As we mentioned in the article, different cameras have a different set of Retouch options.
The ‘Painting’ effect is a new addition. It’s featured in the D3500, D5600 and D7500, but not in older models including your D7100 and D7200. It’s also lacking in models including the D850, Z 6II and Z 7II. Photographers at the skill level appropriate for this type of camera generally want greater control over painterly effects and would therefore create the conversion in an image-editing app like Photoshop.
The closest you’d get to the in-camera effect with your D7100 and D7200 would be to use the Color Sketch option in the Retouch menu, or the Color Outline conversion to create a copy of the photographic image, as a basis for ‘painting’ with a software app.
Q
I’m using a MIOPS Splash kit and a remote controller to shoot water droplets but the images don’t display on my D7200 after shooting. Do I need to change a setting? Isik Tansal
A
If images are not being displayed automatically on your camera’s rear screen after shooting, you’ll
need to go to the Playback menu and scroll down to the ‘Image Review’ entry. By default, this is switched off, so you’ll need to select the ‘On’ option. Each photo should now be displayed automatically as you shoot.
The ‘Rotate Tall’ option is disabled in instant playback, as the camera will already be in the appropriate orientation. If you take a sequence of shots in Continuous release mode, playback of the whole series will be initiated when each burst is done, starting with the first image in the batch. Image review works the same regardless of whether you’re using the camera’s shutter button or a remote controller.
Q I’ve been using an old Sigma 8mm fisheye lens with my Z 6 camera, via an FTZ mount adapter, but would rather get a native Z-mount lens. Can you suggest anything? Kim Johnson
A I reviewed the Nikon Z-mount edition of the 7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens in issue 130 and liked it so much that I bought one! Like the Sigma 8mm F-mount lens, it’s a ‘diagonal fisheye, so the projected image covers an entire full-frame sensor and you get full-sized, rectangular images.
Like other 7Artisans lenses, it’s a fully manual optic, so you need to set the focus as well as the aperture via on-board control rings. It’s not much of a hardship, however, and the depth of field is so gigantic that pinpoint focusing isn’t an issue. Image quality is amazingly sharp for a fisheye lens and build quality is solid, with a metal barrel and mounting plate. It’s also great value at around £225/$256.