Experience with manual focus lens for the Z system?

I have several Voigtlander manual focus lens, nikon f mount. I would like to hear your experiences and thoughts on using these lens with a Nikon Z6 camera body, IBIS, adaptability, color rendition, etc. and just general thoughts. I would really like to use these lens on the Z system.

Your thoughts?

I've not used a Voigtlander on the Z system yet (though I have my eye on one of the Z mount versions), but the Z system has a number of focus aids available: zoom to 50%/100%/200% (as you prefer), focus peaking (coloured outlines on "in focus" edges), plus the focus box changing from red to green when the target you've placed it over is in focus. I imagine the little arrows + dot at the bottom of the viewfinder work too, but they seem redundant with the other options available.

I've played with manually focussing my old 50 1.8 G on my Z7 II and that works just like a native Z lens does with these focus aids. So I would think that as long as your lenses communicate electronically with the DSLR then all of the above should work with a Z as well.

pattymeboy said:

I have several Voigtlander manual focus lens, nikon f mount. I would like to hear your experiences and thoughts on using these lens with a Nikon Z6 camera body, IBIS, adaptability, color rendition, etc. and just general thoughts. I would really like to use these lens on the Z system.

Your thoughts?

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I haven’t used Voightlander lenses but from my experience with NikKOR AI-S lenses with an FTZ and 1950’s vintage Leica Thread Mount (LTM) lenses in n LTM TO Z adapter on a Z6 and Z 7II

IBIS works fine

very adaptable

color rendition? That’s going to up to the lens, the way you set up your camera, and your file processing decisions

likewise with optical aberrations and falloff

focusing: depending on the lens you might find you get the best result with centering the subject, but that is a quality of the lens and has nothing to do with the camera.



handling: again it depends on the lens.



But in general adapted lenses work fine on Nikon Z cameras. just differently according to the lens.

Manual Focus works great with a Z6, perfect body for adapting MF-optics.

You can set a lens number and enter the focal length + the maximum aperture for each lens, with the Non-CPU lens data option of your Z6.

As long as one remembers to preselect the appropriate non-CPU setting, you get 3-axis IBIS with the Z6 with each of your Non-CPU lenses.

Furthermore, you have the option of focus peaking + the magnification option, which gives you precise focusing feedback.

I use a lot of old MF-glass, see my gear-list, Canon nFD, Mamiya 645 Sekor, M42 and it works very well with all my MF-optics, some of which, like my Canon nFD 85mm f/1.2 L, have really gained adapted.

Amazing how well some of my 40-50 year old optics perform with a body like the Z6.

With the native Voigtländer 35mm f/2 Apo-Lanthar Z it's even better, with electronic contacts and full communications between the lens and the body, Exif information, + focusing by color changing of the focus point frame, but it's fine the way it is with the Non-CPU lenses.

pattymeboy said:

I have several Voigtlander manual focus lens, nikon f mount. I would like to hear your experiences and thoughts on using these lens with a Nikon Z6 camera body, IBIS, adaptability, color rendition, etc. and just general thoughts. I would really like to use these lens on the Z system.

Your thoughts?

Click to expand...

I've been manually focusing a Tamron SP 90mm macro lens on Z7, Z7 ii and Z9 very successfully.

This is an early version of the lens which will not autofocus on Z cameras. It is not a stabilised lens but the Nikon IBIS works quite well.

This all great news. I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences with the Nikon Z mount cameras with manual focusing. Thank you.

pattymeboy said:

I have several Voigtlander manual focus lens, nikon f mount. I would like to hear your experiences and thoughts on using these lens with a Nikon Z6 camera body, IBIS, adaptability, color rendition, etc. and just general thoughts. I would really like to use these lens on the Z system.

Your thoughts?

Click to expand...

Nothing but GREAT!!! I have 6 Voigtlander E mount and 3 Zeiss Loxia E-mount as well as 5 Zeiss ZE/ZF2 manual lenses and all work great on my Z9. they are working so great so now unless I absolutely need the fastest AF like when shooting Airshow, Motor sports..... i don't even use my AF Nikon lenses.

Manual focussing on the Z6II which I have is ok, I won't call it excellent I mean you can zoom in to fine tune focus but it's not great because when you zoom in the lack of resolution in the viewfinder makes it hard. It's like having a huge 75" CRT tv but keeping resolution at 640 x 480. If the viewfinder had a resolution twice what it does it'd be better because it'd mean when you zoomed in to fine tune manual focus the image quality would be better. Plus when you zoom in focus peaking becomes nearly invisible which makes it useless especially at night. Focus peaking works best when you don't zoom in i've found but if you're using a large aperture like f2.8 seeing the focus peaking is not easy at all, at night it ncan be nearly impossible.

My only manual focus lens is a Samyang 14mm f2.8 it has truly excellent image quality for it's cheap price although I HATE the wavy distortion but I correct that to sdome degree with PTLens.

Nebido said:

Manual Focus works great with a Z6, perfect body for adapting MF-optics.

You can set a lens number and enter the focal length + the maximum aperture for each lens, with the Non-CPU lens data option of your Z6.

As long as one remembers to preselect the appropriate non-CPU setting, you get 3-axis IBIS with the Z6 with each of your Non-CPU lenses.

Furthermore, you have the option of focus peaking + the magnification option, which gives you precise focusing feedback.

I use a lot of old MF-glass, see my gear-list, Canon nFD, Mamiya 645 Sekor, M42 and it works very well with all my MF-optics, some of which, like my Canon nFD 85mm f/1.2 L, have really gained adapted.

Amazing how well some of my 40-50 year old optics perform with a body like the Z6.

With the native Voigtländer 35mm f/2 Apo-Lanthar Z it's even better, with electronic contacts and full communications between the lens and the body, Exif information, + focusing by color changing of the focus point frame, but it's fine the way it is with the Non-CPU lenses.

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I use MF a lot on my Z 6II. For my eyes, the EVF resolution needs to be a lot higher for me to be precise with it on animals and birds. Zooming in drops the resolution down significantly. Are those pixels or eyelashes I am seeing? Haha. My next body will have an EVF with a significantly higher resolution. I like Nikon’s ease of switching between AF and MF. I just need a higher resolution EVF.

Interesting, I will be using manual primes with a focal length of no more than 85 mm. Do you think that I could avoid the pixelation of the longer focal length with the z6 EVF resolution at zoomed in distances?

Thank you for your input.

pattymeboy said:

Interesting, I will be using manual primes with a focal length of no more than 85 mm. Do you think that I could avoid the pixelation of the longer focal length with the z6 EVF resolution at zoomed in distances?

Thank you for your input.

Click to expand...

The issue is really the reduced data available for a near real time readout. IF you take a photo, you have an embedded JPEG and can look at a very zoomed in version because all the data exists. In the case of the EVF, it's just a readout of a limited number of pixels so it can get pixelated - especially in lower light conditions.

That said, I find manual focus with adequate light is excellent. You have the benefit of focus peaking along with the ability to zoom in through the EVF before taking the shot. I have an Fn button programmed to zoom to 100%, and at that level in normal lighting it's perfectly fine. I frequently use old manual focus lenses or will manually adjust focus when I have obstructions or some focus hunting. Also since the EVF is brighter than an unlit scene, you may be able to manually focus more easily.

I find manual focus is much easier with the Z cameras than trying to use an older film or digital camera. It's different, and it takes a little practice - but it's much more accurate.

One tip - keep your ISO high enough for a good exposure for any focus activity. It makes it easier to see through the EVF and you are more likely to get focus confirmation.