Nikon Z8 3.0 vs Zf: Make or Break Manual Focus?
Jack Wang Jack Wang

Nikon Z8 3.0 vs Zf: Make or Break Manual Focus?

The Zf’s manual focus assist tools have come to the Z8, but to get the most out of these first party features you need third party accessories.  I use three manual lens setups - dummy adapters, chipped adapters, or native Z-mount Voigtlanders and while the latest Z8 firmware improved TWO of these setups, it broke the workflow for one. Today I’ll test the Zf’s latest firmware - will manual focus break?

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Is Chasing the Dream Photo Desk Worth it? | Sirui 20mm T1.8 1.33X, Desky Desk
Jack Wang Jack Wang

Is Chasing the Dream Photo Desk Worth it? | Sirui 20mm T1.8 1.33X, Desky Desk

My new dream photo desk can go from top down flat lays to virtual backdrop product shots at the click of a button, all without light stands or huge softboxes in this tiny studio.  From photo and video editing, work Zoom calls, to gaming after hours, this setup can do it all, but the biggest cost isn’t the desk, mics, or cameras. Instead - the opportunity cost, spending all my time in here when I should be creating out there. What’s out of frame decides what’s inside it.

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XE5 or OM3: Best Father’s Day Gift for Photographers?
Jack Wang Jack Wang

XE5 or OM3: Best Father’s Day Gift for Photographers?

The best Father’s Day Gift for photographers is a camera for someone else, to get us in the frame for our own family photos.  A small camera to share with my wife is the goal, but unlike my other cameras this is a one and done. A tool the whole family can use for years to come - the moments with my daughter are fleeting - and for this the OM3’s perfect.  At least it is on paper - my copy’s still in the box, and tonight the latest Fuji goes live. By the end of this X-Summit I’ll need to decide - OM3 or XE5?

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Nikon Zf + APO: The Ultimate Monochrome Kit? | Voigtlander 90mm f2 APO
Jack Wang Jack Wang

Nikon Zf + APO: The Ultimate Monochrome Kit? | Voigtlander 90mm f2 APO

After a month of testing on the Zf, Z8, and the 61 megapixel Leica, Voigtlander’s 90mm f2 APO might just be the sharpest lens I’ve used, but is it too sharp for me? That’s what I thought when shooting in colour, then I tried monochrome.  The reality rendered by a lens this sharp can be confronting, our imaginations need more room to breathe.  But reality’s stranger than fiction.

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Street Photography Basics Camera Reviewers Miss? | Nikon Zf vs Z8 vs Leica M11
Jack Wang Jack Wang

Street Photography Basics Camera Reviewers Miss? | Nikon Zf vs Z8 vs Leica M11

For camera reviewers - and the industry at large - street photographers are no longer the priority,  so what are you actually paying for in a brand new camera?  We don’t need 8K open-gate video, or insect-detect autofocus, instead 5 features reviewers overlook that make a difference on the street.  Today let’s go through 3 cameras at 3 different price points to see how much street photographers have to pay to get the features we want and need.

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