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Next body move? With Nikkor F-Mount Lenses (Or without them?)

Started Feb 17, 2021 | Discussions thread
Don Davis
Don Davis Contributing Member • Posts: 902
Re: Next body move? With Nikkor F-Mount Lenses (Or without them?)

Your experience is very similar to mine. Shot Nikon's for 30+ years (FM, FE2, F100, etc) and bought the D700 as soon as it was released. in 2013 or so I bought the X100S on a whim, and that started me down a different path. (They don't call it the gateway drug for nothing.) Now I shoot mainly an X-T2 for interchangeable lens stuff.

I love my Nikon glass, and I have quite a bit of it. The simple adapters to use the Nikon lenses are cheap and easy to use if you don't mind manual focus, and I have a number of lenses that are AI/AIS, so that fits. Problem is,   really want my 105/f2.5 to have the FOV I am used to on full frame, and I especially want my 24mm not to have the FOV of a 36mm, so the crop factor is a problem for me mentally.

One option is to get a focal length reducer such as the Metabones Speedbooster Ultra, which I have. Reviews vary greatly on this, from "it makes the image even better" to "unacceptably soft across the frame." I don't have the inclination to make a full test suite myself, but I suspect the answer is somewhere in between. In any case, it's hard to argue it's the same Nikon lens I'm used to when there are several new elements in the path with the FL reducer.

I really want the smaller size and weight benefit of mirrorless, but with the ability to use my legacy Nikon lenses at their intended FOV. If the Z6/Z7 had an F mount, it would be a fairly simple decision to go for that. If I am going to have to use an adapter anyway, it's far less clear.

So, for now my plan is to stick with my Fuji gear, keep my Nikon lenses around for decoration, and watch for a screaming good deal on a used Z6 and FTZ. I'll play with that alongside the Fuji for a while and then make a decision, or not - maybe keep both. The important thing is that this isn't a decision based on image quality, since Fuji offers me an equivalent of almost everything I already have in Nikon, with full AF capability. It's really more about being able to use lenses I came to know and love, on a camera that doesn't weigh in like a VW. Did I mention I wish Nikon made a mirrorless camera with the F mount? 

I'll be watching this thread to see how you come out. Good luck.

 Don Davis's gear list:Don Davis's gear list
Fujifilm X100F Sony RX100 VII Fujifilm X100V Nikon D700 Fujifilm X-T2 +1 more
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