Z - Mirrorless Is the Future!

My first Z mount lenses were the Nikkor Z 35 f/1.8 S and Nikkor Z 50 f/1.8S.  

A friend of mine, Andy Bonnor (born and raised in Brixton, London) contacted me last May and asked if I had time to shoot some promo pics for her new single release Drop That! I know this is a Scout Motto but I answered immediately: Semper Paratus! Andy told it's been a while since she officially released the last album. "I'm coming in swinging with a banger! This new single marks the 2nd major phase of my career. It has a controversial theme. Explicit lyrics, and of course killer sounds. Rap vocals. That's right. Not mine.. 'Lil Smiley of Voodoo Orchestra. USA. So it's a US/EU collab".

AndyA is a singing hybrid solo act. With a drum kit, a vocal mic and laptop, In Your Dreams invites you to take the next step forward into brave and creative new territory. IYD is a combination of self-written conventional songs with vocals and a more experimental improvised live set. In her Artist Statement Andy says: "I want to progressively push the boundary of what is possible to do with a drum kit and current technology, to challenge and change peoples opinions. Not just with music, but my whole image and concept".  Check her site: www.inyourdreams.fi !!!

I used the Nikkor Z 50 f/1.8S  (f1.8, 1/30, -1 exposure compensation, ISO 100, handheld) for the shot above. The lens renders images beautifully and is mighty sharp from edge to edge. Hail the Z Mount!

Before Nikon Z6 I was almost completely a B&W guy. I love the look of  B&W images and loved taking them even in film times. The Fujis I had were good for B&W. The Fuji "grain" in their digital cameras looked very film like. What I just couldn't get right was the Fuji colors.

I took the image above with my Z6 and Nikkor Z 35 f/1.8 S (f2.8,1/100,ISO 100) in my home town Mikkeli, Finland. This lens is not as stellar as the Nikkor Z 50 f/1.8S but it is very very good all the same. Even the "B&W grain" of the Z6 is beautiful. The Z mount shines!

When the big day came we got Nikkor Z 24-70 f/2.8 S in Finland I rushed to get my copy. Of course I had read the DXOMARK review before I made the investment. Their conclusion is: Nikkor Z 24-70 f/2.8 S is The New Benchmark for 24-70 Lenses! Just look at this:

Shot this image at 70 mm and at f8 (1/400,-1 exposure compensation, ISO 100) on our family summer holiday tour in Southern Finland.  Don't be upset if you see black dots in the  sky in the distance. My lens and sensor were clean. The spots are Kaunissaari Island seagulls. They were so many I just didn't bother cleaning the image. I leave that for later when I print it. The seagulls are also a kind of proof of the lens sharpness even at the longest focal lenght. 70 mm is usually the weakest point of any 24-70. All Hail Z Mount!

There are several places with the same name, Kaunissaari (Beautiful Island) in Finland, but the genuine one is in Pyhtää, in the waters of the Eastern Gulf of Finland, a 17 km free of charge ferry trip  from Sapokka in Kotka.

If you need accommodation in Kaunissaari, you cannot choose wrong staying at the recently renovated Kaunissaari school. The school was built in 1902. No home in Finland is perfect without a sauna. What was ok for the teacher in 1902 was more than ok for us in 2020 after a hot summer day. I used the wide end of the Nikkor Z 24-70 f/2.8 S for this shot of the old Kaunissaari school sauna in warm evening light. 24mm at F8, shutter speed 1/40, exposure compensation -1, handheld. Not bad at all! And check the colors!