Not all photo editors are created equal. Also, no single photo editor seems to be the best at every type of editing operation. One crucial editor feature is the ability to correct (or minimize) lateral chromatic aberration, or color fringing. Some lenses really  need help with this fix, while others may not need it at all.   If you’re interested in finding out which of your editors works best to fix color fringing (at least for any particular lens), I’m going to show you a way to physically measure the results. I'll also show you how to know if you even need to bother fixing it.   I use the free MTFMapper  program to measure lateral chromatic aberration, or color fringing. This free program also offers files that can be used to print test charts. To measure color fringing, you first need to print, mount, and then photograph the test chart. In the MTFMapper  program, you need to go into its Settings | Preferences  dialog to make sure that “Chromatic Aberration” is selected.  I prefer to get measurements in units of “microns”, since that’s an absolute unit. You need to specify your camera sensor “ Pixel Size ” to get readings in microns, which is also set in the same Preferences dialog. My Nikon Z9 camera, for instance, has square pixels that are 4.35 microns.   To get meaningful measurements, you need to take your photographs in RAW format. You might need to convert your raw photos into DNG format (still a raw format) if the MTFMapper  program doesn’t accept your camera’s native raw format. The free Adobe DNG Converter  program can be used for this purpose.   Bear in mind that any color fringing measurements that are less than a camera pixel in size are basically invisible. For my Nikon Z9, this means that measurements less than around 4 or 5 microns indicate you won’t see any color fringing in the photo. Chromatic Aberration measurement of lens     The plot shown above shows the results of shooting a test chart at 28mm, f/4 using my 28-400mm zoom. Two different plots are created, showing red-versus-green pixel color shifts and blue-versus-green pixel color shifts. This plot was made from a raw-format photograph, which doesn’t contain any sort of modifications from an editor.   Since the color shifts are beyond 5 microns, which are bigger than a single sensor pixel, then repairing the color shifts with an editor will be worthwhile. Test chart used get measurements   The chart shown above was used to conduct the testing. This chart was printed big (40” X 56”) or (102cm X 142cm) to get more realistic results, but smaller charts can still work. I shot the chart in outdoor lighting conditions. Different lighting conditions can affect the measurement results. Capture One 2023  editor   I have shown above a pair of editor adjustments I made, while editing the raw-format photograph of the test chart in Capture One . Before I can measure how effective these edits are, I need to save the adjustments into a TIFF-format file. This format will have the changes embedded into the file. Export the Capture One  edits into a TIFF file Capture One  TIFF test chart plot   Shown above is the analysis of the exported TIFF file. The MTFMapper program understands TIFF format, too. This file has the color fringing edits embedded in it, so it can used to see how effective this editor is. Compared to the un-edited raw file, the color fringing has been reduced by about 50%.   Next, I’m going to try editing the raw-format file in another editor, to compare how well it can rid the color fringing. ON1 Photo RAW 2023  editor   I used the “Color Fringe” adjustment in the ON1 Photo RAW 2023 editor. I’m starting with the very same raw-format photo that I used in the previous Capture One  editor. Export the edits into a TIFF file from ON1 ON1 Photo Raw 2023  TIFF test chart plot   Compared to the un-edited raw file, the color fringing has only marginally been reduced. It will still be visible in some photographs. Lightroom  editor   I used the “ Remove Chromatic Aberration ” adjustment in the Lightroom editor. I’m starting with the very same raw-format photo that I used in the Capture One  editor. I also selected the Built-in  lens profile. Export the edited file as TIFF from Lightroom Lightroom TIFF test chart plot   Compared to the un-edited raw file, the color fringing was nearly eliminated. Any remaining fringing probably wouldn’t be visible in the photgraph. Zoner Photo Studio  editor   I used the “ Chromatic Aberration ”, Blue-yellow slider adjustment in the Zoner Photo Studio RAW editor. I’m starting with the very same raw-format photo that I used in the Capture One  editor. Save the edited file as TIFF from Zoner Photo Studio Zoner Photo Studio TIFF test chart plot   Compared to the un-edited raw file, the color fringing was nearly eliminated. Any remaining fringing wouldn’t be noticed in the photograph.     Summary   Note that different editors might work better with other lenses or even other focal lengths. You won’t know unless you try. The goal is to reduce lateral chromatic aberration below the pixel dimensions of your camera’s sensor, where it will no longer be noticed.

A ‘parfocal’ lens is a lens that doesn’t change focus as you zoom it. I have performed a very detailed analysis of this lens at focal lengths ranging from 400mm down to 50mm. I did a much less formal analysis all the way down to 28mm.   I will show you crops of photographs ranging from a distance of 6 feet out to 24 feet at various focal lengths to evaluate how focus is maintained. In each test, I would focus the lens at 400mm, and then take photos at 400mm, 200mm, 105mm, and 50mm without re-focusing at the other focal lengths. Minimum focus distance of this lens is a bit under 4 feet at 400mm.   I used a “Siemens Star” as the focus target. This subject is really excellent for showing the quality of focus. I used the Nikon Z8 camera for all testing, which was mounted on a tripod. I take the photos using a wired remote release to eliminate any vibrations.   As an aside, I have done an overall analysis of this lens here . This article is meant to provide some proof about the claims that I made in that overall analysis article. 400mm, 6 feet, Siemens Star. Set focus here. 200mm, 6 feet, Siemens Star: NO re-focus 105mm, 6 feet, Siemens Star: NO re-focus 50mm, 6 feet, Siemens Star: NO re-focus 400mm, 24 feet, Siemens Star. Set focus here. 200mm, 24 feet, Siemens Star NO re-focus 105mm, 24 feet, Siemens Star NO re-focus 50mm, 24 feet, Siemens Star NO re-focus   The Siemens target is really, really small in the frame at this distance for the 50mm focal length. Any sharpness loss here is due to the small target becoming insignificant in the overall frame. Full frame of 50mm at 24 feet. Target is tiny .     Summary   Focus remained unchanged as I zoomed this lens, making it essentially parfocal. I stopped tests at focal lengths below 50mm, because the target Siemens Star was too small in the field of view. This Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens has an enormous zoom range of 14.3X.   In case you were wondering, yes, it stays in focus all the way down to 28mm. I did separate testing outdoors of a tree at 400 feet, and the branches were sharp at 28mm after focusing at 400mm. The 28mm aperture was f/4, while the 400mm aperture was f/8.

As of this writing, Nikon’s longest super-zoom for their FX format is this bad boy. The 14.3X zoom range of the 28-400 lens is just extraordinary. You would expect this lens’ resolution would range from weak to weaker, but you’d be wrong. I have been shooting with this lens for months now. The more I use it, the better I like it. 28-400 f/4-8 VR Lens at 400mm with bayonet hood   This is my new do-everything lens. Nikon’s Z-mount lenses, with the exception of a couple of their mega-expensive F-mount super-telephotos, consistently out-perform their F-mount counterparts. This lens’ nearest F-mount counterpart would be the 28-300mm lens. This 28-400mm lens smokes it in all regards except the aperture brightness. 28-400 f/4-8 VR Lens at 28mm 28-400 f/4-8 VR Lens at 400mm     The 28-400 is remarkably small and light, when you consider that it can zoom to 400mm. I can hike all day with this lens without having to suffer; it fits neatly into a small daypack. The exterior is made of the same high-performance plastics that most of Nikon’s Z lenses have. It’s weather and dust resistant, too.   I measured the field of view at 28mm, and got 65.5 degrees versus ideal 65.35 degrees. Very good. I measure the field of view across the horizontal frame.   I measured the field of view at 400mm at 5.27 degrees versus ideal of 5.2 degrees. You’re getting a true 400mm.   Specifications ·      Weight: 1.6 lbs., 725g. Incredibly light for 400mm ·      Single stepping motor (STM)  for internal autofocus (nearly silent, but not particularly fast) ·      77mm filter threads ·      NO fluorine coating on the lens front. Doesn’t  repel dust and dirt. Excellent flare resistance ·      9 rounded blades, electronic aperture (circular out-of-focus lights, except frame edges) ·      4 ED glass, 3 aspherics ·      Total lens elements: 21, 15 groups ·      Variable-aperture f/4-8 ·      NO lens function buttons or function rings ·      VR: yes, but no external switch. Rated to 5.5 stops (verified 1/10s shutter at 400mm!) ·      Manual focus ring nearest camera ·      Zoom ring rotation range 90 degrees, short but smooth ·      Metal lens mount, high-quality plastic exterior ·      Moisture/Dust sealed ·      Minimum focus: 18.7cm/7.4" at 28mm: (0.37X), 1.2m/3.9 ft. at 400mm  (0.32X) near-macro! ·      Length: 14cm (5.6") at 28mm, 24cm (9.4") at 400mm, diameter 85mm ·      HB-114 plastic rectangular bayonet lens hood ·      Cheap lens pouch without any drawstring: insulting ·      Zoom lock switch at 28mm     Nikon’s Lens Design   This is the official lens element design, taken from the Nikon website. Lots of glass. Macro 400mm f/8 1/1600s ISO 640   You can pretty much use this lens for macro! Huge working distance at 400mm focus down to 1.2m/3.9 feet, providing 0.32X magnification, or 112mm horizontal field of view. Depth of focus is narrow at 400mm, however.   Although you get up to 0.37X magnification at 28mm, the working distance between the lens hood and subject is only about ¼ inch (6mm)! I measured 97mm horizontal field of view at 28mm. Nearly useless for close-ups at this focal length. Focus Speed I measured 0.72 seconds in bright light to focus from 4.2 feet to infinity. The Nikon Z8 was used for speed testing. This is good enough for most moving subjects. It’s much slower in dim lighting, of course.   In dim light, I encountered slight inconsistent critical focus. The net result was that the resolution would often drop slightly in deep shade or indoors. Aperture Ranges 28mm f/4 to f/22 35mm f/4.5 50mm f/5.6 70mm f/6.0 105mm f/6.3 200mm – 400mm f/8 to f/45 Parfocal   Parfocal means that the focus doesn’t change while zooming. This lens was verified to be essentially parfocal all the way from 28mm through 400mm! I’m working on a separate article on this subject, where I will go into much more detail.   Field Curvature   Based upon observing focus peaking of subjects like flat lawns  with fresh-cut grass, I’m not seeing any appreciable curvature of field at any focal length.     Chromatic Aberration   Refer to this article  for a detailed analysis of both lateral chromatic aberration (CA) and longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA). Most photo editors can readily remove the CA, even though this lens definitely has lateral chromatic aberration. Vibration Reduction I was able to actually get a sharp photo at 1/10 second at 400mm hand-held, which is 5.5 stops.  I used the Nikon Z8 with ‘Normal’ VR setting. Set VR via the “Photo Shooting”, “Vibration Reduction” menu, since there’s no lens switch. Your results will vary, depending upon how steady you are. I photographed a Siemen’s star, which readily shows any subject motion or focus problems. 400mm 1/10s f/8 ISO 400 VR: ‘Normal’ Nikon Z8     Distortion Normally, your photo editor will automatically use the embedded lens-correction information and eliminate both distortion and vignetting.   Distortion is only noticeable at short focal lengths, and it is worst at 28mm, assuming you don’t allow your editor to fix it. Un-corrected distortion and vignetting at 28mm. MTF50 chart.   If you check out the MTF50 lp/mm measurements in the test chart shot above, you will see that the resolution is quite impressive. The barrel distortion (worst at 28mm) disappears with most editors using the embedded file distortion correction data. This 28mm f/4 shot demonstrates the worst-case uncorrected vignetting, too. Flare and Ghosting    There are minimal problems with in-frame lights or the sun messing up the shots. The very small amount of flare it shows is nearly ignorable.   Coma   Shooting stars at 28mm, I couldn’t see any coma at all. Stars in the frame corners underscored the need to use an editor to rid lateral chromatic aberration, however. 28mm f/4 15s: right side shows frame corner at pixel-level Infrared 850nm Infrared 28mm f/4   I was amazed to see that I could shoot infrared without a blazing hot spot in the center of the image. I thought that 21 elements in the lens would be a disaster for infrared. I tested at very long-wavelength infrared, which always shows more issues than shorter wavelengths. 14.3X Zoom 28mm left, 400mm right. 14.3X zoom is outrageous!    Despite the huge zoom and double-telescoping design, this lens has sucked in zero dust. They must have really good internal air filters. The red rectangle in the 28mm shot, showing what the 400mm view contains, doesn't look like there's anything there besides some vegetation. Resolution   Refer to this article  for detailed resolution information. It’s not quite as good as their ‘S’ line of lenses, but I think that the results are quite impressive for a super-zoom.   Here’s a quick summary of the peak MTF50 measured sharpness for the center ( C ) and edge ( E ) at the widest aperture:   28mm C : 73.3 lp/mm, 3504 l/ph. E : 65.4 lp/mm, 3126 l/ph 35mm   C : 69.3 lp/mm, 3313 l/ph.   E : 43.1 lp/mm, 2060 l/ph 50mm   C : 61.5 lp/mm, 2940 l/ph.   E : 35.5 lp/mm, 1697 l/ph 70mm   C : 63.5 lp/mm, 3035 l/ph.   E : 34.8 lp/mm, 1663 l/ph 105mm C : 58.8 lp/mm, 3504 l/ph. E : 39.1 lp/mm, 1869 l/ph 200mm C : 52.9 lp/mm, 3504 l/ph. E : 46.9 lp/mm, 2242 l/ph 300mm C : 52.0 lp/mm, 3504 l/ph. E : 46.1 lp/mm, 2204 l/ph 400mm C : 53.7 lp/mm, 3504 l/ph. E : 47.2 lp/mm, 2256 l/ph   The edges, at focal lengths beyond 28mm, are a bit weak. They’re still acceptable, though. My own benchmark of “unacceptable” is an MTF50 below 30 lp/mm.     Bokeh and Focus Depth 28mm f/4, 180mm f/7.6, 400mm f/8     You do need to get closer to your subject to get those out-of-focus backgrounds, due to the narrow aperture. The quality of the bokeh is “medium”, in my opinion. The bokeh is not objectionable, but most pro glass will do better.   Samples 400mm f/8 ISO 1000 1/3200s 62mm f/6.0, focus stack with Helicon Focus 400mm f/8 1/1600s ISO 4500 400mm f/8 1/1600s ISO 1800     Summary This is as close to a “do everything” lens as you can find. I’ve lost count of how many times I had the wrong lens on my camera when I spotted an unexpected subject, but this lens cures that issue.   When I’m on a long hike, weight and size are a big issue. This lens solves those problems. I really hate changing lenses out in the dusty wilderness or when it’s windy anywhere; this lens enables me to leave it on the camera full-time.   The loss in resolution, compared to my ‘pro’ lenses, is so slight that I rarely give it a thought. In controlled conditions, I will still go for my professional glass, but for long trips where luggage space is at a premium or going on challenging hikes this lens is what I will pack. It’s better than I had anticipated how it would perform. I’d recommend that you use a product like my favorite ‘ Topaz DeNoise ’ to handle the slight sharpness loss and extra image noise from needing higher ISO’s. Brighter apertures would be nice, but that directly correlates with weight and size.   Due to the dual-telescoping design, I’d recommend that you be careful about too much rough handling of this lens. I haven’t had any problems with the minor abuse this lens has seen, but I think it is probably more vulnerable than most lenses.   Before Nikon made its current generation of mirrorless cameras, this lens would have been a no-go. Using f/8 at longer focal lengths used to be too frustrating for autofocus, but that’s no longer a problem in most conditions. Less subject isolation isn’t ideal, but it isn’t a problem for most of my shots.   My Nikkor Z 24-120 f/4S is better than this 28-400 lens in every category EXCEPT the ability to zoom out to 400mm and VR. For me, 400mm versus 120mm happens to be a huge exception and is the reason I got the 28-400. Everybody has their own photographic priorities, and I just hate it when I don’t have the option of having a long focal length available.   I sure wish this lens had a fluorine-coated front element, but Nikon decided to save the money. They sure saved money on the lens case. But I suppose I’m just nit-picking. Life is all about compromises.

This is a very detailed chromatic aberration analysis of Nikon’s 28-400 Z-mount zoom lens. I will show how this lens responds to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. I will also show you a comparison of a few different photo editors for fixing it.   I use the MTFMapper program to analyze lenses. It can provide resolution, focus, and chromatic aberration information. There are different test charts that must be used for analysis, according to the measurements being taken.   Lateral chromatic aberration ( CA ) is the phenomenon of how different colors of light get spread out parallel to the camera sensor. This aberration is often referred to as “purple fringing”. The effects of this problem are most easily seen at the edges of photographs. Most photo editors are quite good at minimizing this lens defect, but be aware that some editors are better than others.   Longitudinal chromatic aberration ( LoCA ) is the phenomenon of how different colors of light get focused at different distances from the plane of the camera sensor. This defect is perpendicular to lateral chromatic aberration. LoCA effects are seen equally all across the photograph. Photo editors have a much harder time correcting this defect. Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens on Nikon Z8 camera Lateral chromatic aberration Longitudinal chromatic aberration   Lateral Chromatic Aberration   Lateral chromatic aberration values that are less than a single camera sensor pixel in width are essentially invisible. The Nikon Z8 and Z9 cameras used in this article have pixels that are 4.35 microns.   I use ‘microns’ in the following measurements, in order to make a generic result. The micron measurements need to be divided by the camera sensor pixel width (or height) to convert the measurement into ‘pixels’.   The aberration values don’t change much at different apertures, but tend to be a bit worse at the maximum aperture (minimum numeric aperture). My testing was done at the maximum aperture. 28mm, 35mm, 50mm lateral chromatic aberration   The 28mm worst result (Blue/Green) is 10 microns, or about 2.3 pixels. This was measured at f/4.0 (wide open), which yields the most severe shift.   The 35mm f/4.5 (wide open) (Blue/Green) maximum is 16 microns, or 3.7 pixels.   The 50mm f/5.6 (wide open) (Blue/Green) result is 15 microns, or 3.4 pixels. 70mm, 105mm, 200mm lateral chromatic aberration   The 70mm worst result (Blue/Green) is 11 microns, or about 2.5 pixels. This was measured at f/6.0 (wide open), which yields the most severe shift.   The 105mm f/6.3 (wide open) (Blue/Green) maximum is 6.5 microns, or 1.5 pixels.   The 200mm f/8.0 (wide open) (Red/Green) result is 5.5 microns, or 1.3 pixels. 300mm, 400mm lateral chromatic aberration   The 300mm worst result (Red/Green) is 6.5 microns, or about 1.5 pixels. This was measured at f/8.0 (wide open), which yields the most severe shift.   The 400mm f/8 (wide open) (Red/Green) maximum is 10 microns, or 2.3 pixels.        Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration   A special focus chart that is rotated 45 degrees about the vertical is used to get LoCA information.  The right-hand side of the chart is nearest the camera. The chart itself is distorted, with the left side being taller than the right side. When photographed, the lens distortion tends to make the rotated chart details appear more equal in height across its width. 33mm f/4.2 Red, Green, Blue (left, center, right) focus shift   The chart center is 66cm from the camera sensor. The red and green channels are almost perfectly aligned, while the blue channel focused farther away.   Red-to-Green shift = 1.2mm Green-to-Blue shift = 10.8mm 89mm f/6.3 Red, Green, Blue (left, center, right) focus shift   The chart center is 122cm from the camera sensor. The red and green channels are almost perfectly aligned, while the blue channel focused farther away.   Red-to-Green shift = 0.5mm Green-to-Blue shift = 6.6mm 105mm f/6.7 Red, Green, Blue (left, center, right) focus shift   The chart center is 147cm from the camera sensor. The red and green channels are almost perfectly aligned, while the blue channel focused just slightly farther away.   Red-to-Green shift = 0.3mm Green-to-Blue shift = 4.0mm 200mm f/8 Red, Green, Blue (left, center, right) focus shift   The chart center is 274cm from the camera sensor. The red channel focused closest, then green in the middle, while the blue channel focused farthest away. All channels are pretty close together, showing minimal LoCA.   Red-to-Green shift = 3.9mm Green-to-Blue shift = 3.7mm 400mm f/8 Red, Green, Blue (left, center, right) focus shift   The chart center is 437cm from the camera sensor. The LoCA characteristics have flipped ! The red channel focused farthest, then green in the middle, while the blue channel focused nearest. All channels are pretty close together, showing minimal LoCA.   Red-to-Green shift = 2.2mm Green-to-Blue shift = 6.6mm   The absolute magnitude of the focus shift values isn’t important; it depends upon the size of the test chart being used. The relative change in focus shift versus color is what counts. The focus shifts between the colors demonstrate how to evaluate the severity of the LoCA. 400mm f/8 High-contrast shot to show worst-case CA       Results   So are these measurement results good or bad? It depends on your photo editor. If you’re using the Capture One  editor, then this lens shows minor issues with lateral chromatic aberration (CA). My Lightroom  and ON1 Photo Raw editors make the CA virtually disappear.   Yes, you’ll lose a slight bit of resolution when your editor fixes significant CA, but that loss is pretty trivial for this lens.   The following photos show how the three different editors handle a shot that has a bad case of CA. In two of the editors, you wouldn’t know CA is even there. In the third editor, it’s barely noticeable. Capture One : ‘Manufacturer Profile’ provides reasonable CA correction   Trying the “ Analyze ” CA feature in Capture One , compared to the ‘ Default ’ Manufacturer Profile feature  didn’t seem to be any better. Still slight purple fringing around the feather tufts and the front of the thighs. The ‘ Chromatic Aberration ’ tool is under the “ SHAPE ” area in Capture One , for some reason.   I also used the “ Purple Fringing ” tool at 100%. This tool is located under the “ REFINE ” tool, but you can R ight- M ouse- B utton under the “ SHAPE ” area and then add it right below the “ Lens Correction ” tool, which has the Chromatic Aberration option. Similarly, you can RMB  under the REFINE tool to add the “ Lens Correction ” tool there, which makes a lot more sense to me.   The Purple Fringing option didn’t seem to make much of a difference. ON1 Photo Raw  corrected CA better than Capture One   There’s the barest hint of purple in some of the feather tufts, but most people would never notice it. ON1 Photo Raw  does an excellent job of CA removal. Lightroom  built-in lens profile eliminated  the CA!   I’m pronouncing that Lightroom , using the lens manufacturer’s embedded information, is the winner here.   With the right photo editor processing, chromatic aberration is a non-issue with this lens.

What follows is a comprehensive resolution analysis of Nikon’s 28-400 Z-mount zoom lens. Lens resolution is quite a nuanced subject. There is no such thing as “center resolution” or “edge resolution” reduced to a single number. You can’t even define ‘the’ resolution at a single point.   Resolution of optics is a three-dimensional topic, but even three dimensions aren’t sufficient to fully define resolution. To really understand how sharp a lens is, resolution measurements are divided into both sagittal and meridional directions. The sagittal direction can be described like wheel spokes, while the meridional direction is similar to the rim of a wheel. Lens resolution can also affected by the focus distance.   I use the free MTFMapper program for resolution analysis, which enables a level of thoroughness that really lets you understand the resolution characteristics of a lens. I photograph a special chart that has the fairly large dimensions of 40” X 56” (102cm X 142cm). A large chart like this enables photographing at much more realistic distances, while still providing information across the entire field of view.   My resolution photographs are made using ‘raw’ format, with no sharpening applied to them. Don’t trust any web sites that use jpeg, tiff, etc. for their resolution tests, since these formats all have some level of sharpening applied. Sharpening a photo ruins any resolution analysis of it; the measurement results become meaningless.   If you want to use the Nikon ‘high efficiency’ compressed raw formats, called ‘HE Raw’ and ‘HE* Raw’, then they will need to be converted into the DNG raw format before using MTFMapper . The Adobe DNG Converter  program used to convert raw formats into the DNG format is free and can be downloaded from the Adobe web site. DNG is an abbreviation for “digital negative”.   Beyond the lens resolution characteristics, you also have to know which camera the lens is attached to. This is because you have to know about the dimensions and pixel size of the camera sensor. For the test results that follow, I used both the Nikon Z9 and Z8 cameras which have identical sensors. The Z8/Z9 sensor is 35.9mm X 23.9mm. The number of useful pixels is 8280 X 5520 or 45.7 MP. Each pixel is 4.35 microns. This information is provided to the MTFMapper software for the resolution calculations, which I will provide in units of MTF50 lp/mm.   I like to report resolution units of MTF50 lp/mm (line pairs per millimeter), in order for people with different camera sensors to compare the results. Web sites that give resolution numbers in units such as “lines per picture height” are meaningless if you don’t know the size of the camera sensor and its pixel dimensions used to take the photographs.   I skip any measurements beyond f/16, because diffraction ruins the resolution. Use f/22 and beyond only when you don’t care about sharpness. Even f/16 is pretty bad for resolution.   Finally, I use the best results from typically10 photographs of my resolution chart at a given focal length and distance. I re-focus the lens before each chart photograph. I use a wired remote release to minimize any vibrations. No two chart photographs give exactly the same results. Additionally, I will provide the ‘peak’ resolution measurement around the frame center and edges, which could be in either the sagittal or meridional direction. For this lens, the sagittal direction is much stronger than the meridional direction.   Please bear all of these facts in mind when you review my lens resolution results. Other web sites use a different chart size, lighting, distance, camera, etc. in their resolution analysis. No two copies of a lens will yield the same results, either. Life is complicated… Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR on a Nikon Z8 camera   Note that this lens is a “double-telescoping” zoom design. It doesn’t have any ‘wiggle’ to it unless you torque on it with a fair amount of force. This design keeps the lens amazingly compact at the 28mm zoom setting. Minimum zoom setting with the bayonet lens hood attached Target chart: edges are sagittal or meridional orientation   The MTFMapper  program that I use performs resolution measurements at every single edge of every trapezoid in the chart shown above. This provides ample data for the entire field of view. The resolution mathematics doesn’t like 0, 45, or 90 degree edge orientation, which is why the chart trapezoids are oriented as they are.     Resolution Measurement Plots 28mm f/4.0 and f/5.6 MTF50   The peak 28mm f/4 center MTF50 reading is 73.3 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 65.4 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 3504 l/ph and edge 3126 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z9.   The peak 28mm f/5.6 center reading is 71.0 lp/mm (3394 l/ph), and the peak edge is 65.2 lp/mm (3117 l/ph). 28mm f/8.0 and f/11 MTF50   The peak 28mm f/8 center MTF50 reading is 62.7 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 63.2 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2997 l/ph and edge 3021 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z9.   The peak 28mm f/11.0 center reading is 53.5 lp/mm (2557 l/ph), and the peak edge is 52.2 lp/mm (2495 l/ph). 28mm f/16 MTF50   The peak 28mm f/16 center MTF50 reading is 41.5 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 40.8 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 1983 l/ph and edge 1950 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z9. 35mm f/4.5 and f/5.6 MTF50   The peak 35mm f/4.5 center MTF50 reading is 69.3 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 43.1 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 3313 l/ph and edge 2060 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z9.   The peak 35mm f/5.6 center reading is 68.9 lp/mm (3293 l/ph), and the peak edge is 52.8 lp/mm (2524 l/ph). 35mm f/8 and f/11 MTF50   The peak 35mm f/8 center MTF50 reading is 60.7 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 57.3 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2902 l/ph and edge 2739 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z9.   The peak 35mm f/11 center reading is 51.9 lp/mm (2481 l/ph), and the peak edge is 50.6 lp/mm (2419 l/ph). 35mm f/16 MTF50   The peak 35mm f/16 center MTF50 reading is 39.6 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 38.8 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 1893 l/ph and edge 1855 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z9. 50mm f/5.6 and f/8  MTF50     The peak 50mm f/5.6 center MTF50 reading is 64.8 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 38.6 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 3097 l/ph and edge 1845 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z9.   The peak 50mm f/8 center reading is 62.9 lp/mm (3007 l/ph), and the peak edge is 51.0 lp/mm (2438 l/ph). 50mm f/11 and f/16 MTF50     The peak 50mm f/11 center MTF50 reading is 53.0 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 51.0 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2533 l/ph and edge 2438 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z9.   The peak 50mm f/16 center reading is 40.8 lp/mm (1950 l/ph), and the peak edge is 40.6 lp/mm (1941 l/ph). 70mm f/6.0 and f/8 MTF50     The peak 70mm f/6.0 center MTF50 reading is 63.5 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 34.8 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 3035 l/ph and edge 1663 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z8.   The peak 70mm f/8 center reading is 62.3 lp/mm (2978 l/ph), and the peak edge is 46.9 lp/mm (2242 l/ph). 70mm f/11 and f/16 MTF50     The peak 70mm f/11 center MTF50 reading is 51.7 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 49.9 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2471 l/ph and edge 2385 l/ph resolution on the Nikon  Z8.   The peak 70mm f/16 center reading is 40.8 lp/mm (1950 l/ph), and the peak edge is 41.2 lp/mm (1969 l/ph). 105mm f/6.3 and f/8  MTF50     The peak 105mm f/6.0 center MTF50 reading is 58.8 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 39.1 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2811 l/ph and edge 1869 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z8.   The peak 105mm f/8 center reading is 59.8 lp/mm (2858 l/ph), and the peak edge is 52.5 lp/mm (2510 l/ph). 105mm f/11 and f/16  MTF50     The peak 105mm f/11 center MTF50 reading is 52.9 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 51.4 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2514 l/ph and edge 2457 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z8.   The peak 105mm f/16 center reading is 40.8 lp/mm (1950 l/ph), and the peak edge is 40.7 lp/mm (1946 l/ph). 200mm f/8 and f/11  MTF50     The peak 200mm f/8 center MTF50 reading is 52.9 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 46.9 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2529 l/ph and edge 2242 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z8.   The peak 200mm f/11 center reading is 50.5 lp/mm (2414 l/ph), and the peak edge is 51.2 lp/mm (2447 l/ph). 200mm f/16 MTF50     The peak 200mm f/16 center reading is 40.7 lp/mm (1946 l/ph), and the peak edge is 41.5 lp/mm (1984 l/ph). 300mm f/8 and f/11 MTF50     The peak 300mm f/8 center MTF50 reading is 52.0 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 46.1 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2486 l/ph and edge 2204 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z8.   The peak 300mm f/11 center reading is 47.6 lp/mm (2275 l/ph), and the peak edge is 47.2 lp/mm (2256 l/ph). 300mm f/16 MTF50     The peak 300mm f/16 center reading is 38.8 lp/mm (1855 l/ph), and the peak edge is 38.0 lp/mm (1816 l/ph). 400mm f/8 and f/11 MTF50     The peak 400mm f/8 center MTF50 reading is 53.7 lp/mm, while its peak edge reading is 47.2 lp/mm. This is equivalent to a center 2567 l/ph and edge 2256 l/ph resolution on the Nikon Z8.   The peak 400mm f/11 center reading is 48.9 lp/mm (2337 l/ph), and the peak edge is 44.2 lp/mm (2113 l/ph). 400mm f/16 MTF50     The peak 400mm f/16 center reading is 39.3 lp/mm (1879 l/ph), and the peak edge is 37.8 lp/mm (1807 l/ph). Resolution chart with overlaid resolution measurements       MTF Contrast Plots   The plots below are probably the most familiar kind of resolution-related data, although these are made from real data instead of ‘design data’. Each of these plots were made at maximum aperture. 28mm f/4.0 contrast 35mm f/4.5 contrast 50mm f/5.6 contrast 70mm f/6.0 contrast 105mm f/6.3 contrast 200mm f/8.0 contrast 300mm f/8.0 contrast 400mm f/8.0 contrast     Summary   For a ’14.3x super zoom’, these central resolutions are very, very good. The edge resolution is a bit weak. The main reason you might want to stop down the aperture is to enhance the edge resolution. Nikkor Z 28-400mm at 400mm f/8 (cropped) Sharp indeed.

The following is a compendium of all articles published at this website since its inception. This list should make it easier to locate articles of interest. The “search” widget provided by my website provider is pretty lame, in my opinion. I think that a simple list of all article titles and their links will make it much easier to locate website content of interest. Most browsers should let you use “Control-F” within this article to find specific text. The article list below is sorted by oldest first. The bottom of this website’s home page has a horizontal list of numbers to let you step through the article links sorted from newest to oldest. Options are good. 9-3-2015 Sigma 150-600 f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015-9-3-sigma-150600-f563-dg-os-hsm-c-review 9-4-2015 Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AF-S Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015-9-4-nikkor-85mm-f14-afs 9-4-2015 MTF Mapper  Cliffs Notes https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015-9-5-mtf-mapper-cliffs-notes  9-5-2015 Sigma Optimization Pro  Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/09/05/sigma-optimization-pro-review 9-5-2015 Using the Exif Tool  Program https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/09/05/using-the-exiftool-program 9-5-2015 Use “FP” Mode with your Nikon Flash https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/09/05/use-fp-mode-with-your-nikon-flash 12-11-2015 Camera Upgrade Resolution Expectations https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/12/12/camera-upgrade-resolution-expectations 12-13-2015 Micro Nikkor 60mm AF-D Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/12/13/micro-nikkor-60mm-afd-review 12-18-2015 Turn off VR with high shutter speeds? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/12/19/turn-off-vr-with-high-shutter-speeds 12-27-2015 Use your phone for a camera remote https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/12/28/use-your-phone-for-a-camera-remote 12-31-2015 Manual Exposure with External Flash https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2015/12/31/manual-exposure-with-external-flash 1-9-2016 Nikkor 18-140 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016-1-9-nikkor-18140-f3556g-ed-vr-review 1-13-2016 Nikkor AF-S Micro 105mm f/2.8G Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016-1-13-nikkor-afs-micro-105-mm-f28g-review 1-23-2016 Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S G DX Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016-1-23-nikkor-35mm-f18-afs-g-dx-review 1-28-2016  Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016-1-28-tokina-1116mm-f28-atx116-pro-dx 2-6-2016 Rokinon Aspherical IF MC 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/02/06/rokinon-aspherical-if-mc-8mm-f35-fisheye 2-29-2016 Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D FX Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/02/29/nikkor-50mm-f18-afd-fx-review 3-9-2016 Does Focus Calibration Make a Difference? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/03/09/does-focus-calibration-make-a-difference 3-26-2016 Nikkor 55-200 f/4.0-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/03/26/nikkor-55200-f4056g-ed-if-afs-dx-vr-review 3-29-2016 Nikkor 18-55 f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/03/29/nikkor-1855-f3556g-afs-vr-dx-review 4-5-2015 Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/04/05/micronikkor-55mm-f35-review 4-6-2016 Nikkor-PC 105mm f/2.5 Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/04/06/nikkorp-c-105mm-f25-review 4-22-2016 Why is My Full-Frame Worse Than My APS-C MTF50 Measurement? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/04/22/why-is-my-fullframe-worse-than-my-apsc-mtf50-measurement 4-24-2016 Lens Centering Tests https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/04/24/lens-centering-tests 5-21-2016 Use the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX Lens on FX? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/05/21/use-nikkor-35mm-f18-afs-dx-lens-on-fx 5-24-2016 Using the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 DX Lens on an FX Camera https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/05/24/using-the-tokina-1116mm-f28-dx-lens-on-an-fx-camera 6-12-2016 When is Manual Mode Not Manual? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/06/12/when-is-manual-mode-not-manual 6-26-2016 D610 VS D7100 VS D7000 Infrared Comparisons https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/06/26/d610-vs-d7100-vs-d7000-infrared-comparisons 7-12-2016 Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 AF-S E ED VR Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/07/12/nikkor-2470mm-f28-afs-e-ed-vr-review 7-22-2016 Nikkor 20mm f/4.0 AI Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/07/22/nikkor-20mm-f40-ai-review 8-9-2016  Measure Axial Chromatic Aberration: MTF Mapper  Part Deux https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/08/09/measure-axial-chromatic-aberration-mtf-mapper-part-deux 8-21-2016 Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Lens Firmware Updates https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/08/21/sigma-150-600mm-contemporary-lens-firmware-updates 9-3-2016  Sigma 150-600 Contemporary OS Anti-Vibration Algorithm Comparison https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/09/03/sigma-150-600-contemporary-os-anti-vibration-algorithm-comparison 9-25-2016 The Fallacy of Spray and Pray https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/09/25/the-fallacy-of-spray-and-pray 10-12-2016 MTF Mapper  Version 0.5.8 Updates Discussion https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/10/12/mtf-mapper-version-058 11-19-2016  MTF Curves: Theoretical Versus Actual https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/11/19/mtf-curves-theoretical-versus-actual 11-21-2016 Focus Stacking With Combine ZM https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/11/21/focus-stacking-with-combine-zm 12-19-2016 Clean Your Camera Image Sensor Video https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2016/12/19/clean-your-camera-image-sensor 1-21-2017 The Orton Effect https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/01/21/the-orton-effect 2-12-2017  White Balance Calibration When Colors Go Haywire https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/02/12/white-balance-calibration-when-colors-go-haywire 2-17-2017 Lens Focus Repeatability and Calibration https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/02/17/lens-focus-repeatablity-and-calibration 3-6-2017 “Safe” Storage of Camera Gear https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/03/06/-safe-storage-of-camera-gear 3-16-2017 Test Your Secure Digital Card: Lame and Lamer https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/03/16/test-your-secure-digital-card-lame-and-lamer 3-26-2017 Photo Noise Reduction: Nik Define 2.0 https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/03/26/photo-noise-reduction-nik-dfine-20 4-8-2017  SnapBridge and D500 Remote Control https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/04/08/snapbridge-and-d500-remote-control 4-13-2017 How Bright Is Your Camera Viewfinder? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/04/13/how-bright-is-your-camera-viewfinder 4-21-2017  Infrared Photography and the Nikon D500 https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/04/21/infrared-photography-and-the-nikon-d500 4-29-2017  Does the D500 Automatic Focus Fine-Tune Calibration Work? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/04/29/does-the-d500-automatic-focus-fine-tune-calibration-work 5-11-2017 Do Long Lenses Not Like Filters? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/05/11/do-long-lenses-not-like-filters 5-24-2017 Focus-Stacking: Camera Hardware Suggestions https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/05/24/focus-stacking-camera-hardware-suggestions 6-10-2017 Convert Your Fisheye Lens into a Regular Superwide https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/06/10/convert-your-fisheye-lens-into-a-regular-superwide 6-20-2017 Keep Using Capture NX2  with Raw Format https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/06/20/keep-using-capture-nx2-with-raw-format 7-5-2017 Make Manual Exposure Automatic https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/07/05/make-manual-exposure-automatic 7-15-2017  Using MTF Mapper  0.6.3 New Features https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/07/15/using-mtf-mapper-063-new-features 7-27-2017  A Better Way to Test Fisheye Lens Resolution https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/07/27/a-better-way-to-test-fisheye-lens-resolution 8-7-2017 Yet Another MTF Explanation Article https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/08/07/yet-another-mtf-explanation-article 8-18-2017  Nikon D500 Focus Bug https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/08/18/nikon-d500-focus-bug 8-25-2017  UniWB and ETTR: the Whole Recipe https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/08/25/uniwb-and-ettr-the-whole-recipe 8-31-2017  How to Make a Crowd Disappear in Broad Daylight https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/08/31/how-to-make-a-crowd-disappear-in-broad-daylight 9-9-2017 How to Correct an LED “White” Light Source https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/09/09/how-to-correct-an-led-white-light-source 9-21-2017  White Balance for Infrared Photography https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/09/21/white-balance-for-infrared-photography 10-2-2017  Nikon D500 Focus Point Map Decoded https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/10/02/nikon-d500-focus-point-map-decoded 10-16-2017 MTF Contrast Plots: How Useful are They? https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/10/16/mtf-contrast-plots-how-useful-are-they 10-22-2017  D500 Electronic Front-Curtain Shutter Analysis https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/10/22/d500-electronic-front-curtain-shutter-analysis 11-5-2017 Sharper Moon Shots with AutoStakkert https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/11/05/sharper-moon-shots-with-autostakkert 11-16-2017  Stack Star Shots with CombineZP https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/11/16/stack-star-shots-with-combinezp 11-24-2017  Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 pre-AI Review: A Blast From the Past https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/11/24/nikkor-300mm-f45-pre-ai-review-a-blast-from-the-past 12-16-2017 Reverse that Lens for Extreme Close-ups https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/12/16/reverse-that-lens-for-extreme-close-ups 12-26-2017  Panoramas Using Raw Format with Lightroom  and HDR Efex Pro 2 https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2017/12/26/panoramas-using-raw-format-with-lightroom-and-hdr-efex-pro-2 1-15-2018 The Brenzier Method: Thin Depth of Focus https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/01/15/the-brenzier-method-thin-depth-of-focus 2-3-2018  Create Your Own Planet https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/02/03/create-your-own-planet 2-17-2018 Nikon D500: Multiple Buttons, Multiple Focus Modes https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/02/17/nikon-d500-multiple-buttons-multiple-focus-modes 3-2-2018  High-speed Lens Focus Shift Explained https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/03/02/high-speed-lens-focus-shift-explained 3-16-2018 Coolpix B500 40X Super-Zoom Camera and Lens Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/03/16/coolpix-b500-40x-super-zoom-camera-and-lens-review 3-29-2018 Remote Camera Control Using digiCamControl https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/03/29/remote-camera-control-using-digicamcontrol 4-13-2018  How to Measure Lens Vignetting https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/04/13/how-to-measure-lens-vignetting 4-28-2018  Keeping up with  MTFMapper: any MTF you Want https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/04/28/keeping-up-with-mtfmapper-any-mtf-you-want 5-11-2018  Portrait Retouching Using Maks https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/05/11/portrait-retouching-using-masks 5-29-2018 The History of MTF50 Resolution Measurment https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/05/29/the-history-of-mtf50-resolution-measurement 6-15-2018 Fake Focus Peak on Select Nikon Cameras https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/06/15/fake-focus-peak-on-select-nikon-cameras 6-29-2018 Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f/8 Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/06/29/reflex-nikkor-c-500mm-f8-review 7-14-2018  Longer Wavelength Infrared Photography Using 850mn Filters https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/07/14/longer-wavelength-infrared-photography-using-850nm-filters 7-27-2018  Simulate an Expensive Big Telephoto https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/07/27/simulate-an-expensive-big-telephoto 8-10-2018  Camera Infrared Filter Resolution and Focus Shift Testing https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/08/10/camera-infrared-filter-resolution-and-focus-shift-testing 8-18-2017 Infrared Filter Comparisons: Hoya, BCI, Neewer, Zomei https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/08/18/infrared-filter-comparisons-hoya-bci-neewer-zomei 9-3-2018 Tamron AF 24-70 f/3.3-5.6 Aspherical Review https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/09/03/tamron-af-24-70mm-f33-56-aspherical-review 9-15-2018 The Darktable  Photo Editor, Part 1: Overview https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/09/15/the-darktable-photo-editor-part-1-overview 9-28-2018  The Darktable  Photo Editor, Part 2: Image Masking https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/09/28/the-darktable-photo-editor-part-2-image-masking 10-11-2018  The Darktable  Photo Editor, Part 3: Tethered Shooting in Windows 10 https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/10/11/the-darktable-photo-editor-part-3-tethered-shooting-in-windows-10 10-26-2018 Lightroom  Masking https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/10/26/lightroom-masking 11-8-2018  Test Lens Coma Yourself https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/11/08/test-lens-coma-yourself 11-14-2018  Nikon Z Camera Lens DesignBrilliance https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/11/14/nikon-z-camera-lens-design-brilliance 11-18-2018 Sigma 150-600 Firmware Update 1.02 for Nikon D500 https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/11/18/sigma-150-600-firmware-update-102-for-nikon-d500 11-28-2018 Fixing the D500 “Live View” AF-ON Button Failure https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/11/28/fixing-the-d500-live-view-dead-af-on-button 12-9-2018 Find the Maximum Shutter Speed for Vibration Reduction https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/12/09/find-the-maximum-shutter-speed-for-vibration-reduction 12-21-2018 Using an LCD Viewfinder on your DSLR https://www.photoartfromscience.com/single-post/2018/12/21/using-an-lcd-viewfinder-on-your-dslr 1-2-2019 Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Review 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Nikon claims that there is virtually zero lag between live action and what is seen through the viewfinder or the rear monitor of the Z9 and Z8 cameras. Since I’ve seen too many disconnects between claims and reality, I decided to verify the assertion that the monitor is actually real-time.   I used a variety of stopwatches, including an app on my cell phone to act as the time reference. Each timer has a resolution of 0.01 seconds, which is good enough for what I wanted. The wristwatch stopwatches are more difficult to use, because their displays are a bit harder to read and the digits are smaller. I ended up resorting to use of my "tilt" lens to get a focus plane that could manage focus on the stopwatch and camera monitor at the same time.   I thought I’d also measure an older camera, the Nikon D7100, and my best DSLR, the Nikon D850. These cameras are known to have a time lag with their monitors.   In each test, I activated the stopwatch and then took several photos with both the stopwatch and the camera rear LCD monitor in the shot. The time lag of the camera viewfinder is rumored to be better than the monitor, but I couldn’t devise a good way to capture the viewfinder image. Since it’s a lot easier to photograph the camera monitor than its viewfinder, I stuck with the monitor. I have my viewfinder configured with “ High fps viewfinder display ” ON to get 120Hz viewfinder refresh, but there isn’t any such setting for the LCD rear monitor. The default viewfinder refresh rate on the Z9 and Z8 is 60Hz, which uses slightly less battery power.   Lots of test shots were thrown out, because the phone screen refresh would place a black rectangle where the stopwatch digits were located. My phone has a screen refresh rate of 120Hz. The wristwatch stopwatches were often unreadable, because the display was in-between activating all of the segments making up each digit. Nikon Z8 viewing a stopwatch: no lag about half of the time Nikon Z9 looking at a phone stopwatch: no lag Z9 monitor lagging behind the stopwatch by 0.07 seconds       After taking many photos of the stopwatch and the Nikon Z9 monitor, I took the data and plotted it in Excel. Nikon Z9 LCD monitor time lag measurements   About half of the time, the camera monitor shows zero time lag. It’s interesting to note that the non-zero time lag data was consistently either 0.06 or 0.07 seconds. Even the 0.07 second time lag would be imperceptible to the photographer. Nikon Z8 using a different wristwatch with stopwatch   I used a few different timing mechanisms with the Nikon Z8 for comparison. Just like the Z9, about half of the Z8 tests showed no measureable lag on the monitor, within 1/100 second. The wristwatches have an accuracy of 1/100 second.   When I tried the same experiment with both the D7100 and D850 cameras, their monitor time lags were always either 0.06, 0.07, or 0.13 seconds. Neither DSLR seemed better or worse in their monitor response times. These cameras can’t keep up with the Nikon Z9 (or Z8); they never displayed a zero-lag result.   Summary   Although I have shown that there is often a time lag between live action and the Nikon Z9/Z8 monitor image, it’s truly minimal. The viewfinder update specifications are at least as good as the rear LCD monitor for both the Nikon Z8 and Z9.   Nikon’s claims are accurate: you won’t notice any lag between real-life and the electronic display. All bets are off when you get into slow shutter speeds, however.

Finding out how fast your mirrorless Nikon Z lens can auto-focus isn’t as simple as you might think. I use super slo-motion video, typically 120 frames per second, to observe the details of lens focusing. Most lenses that Nikon made in the past had exterior focus scales on them, which could be monitored (and filmed) to evaluate auto-focus behavior. That’s no longer the case.   Nikon has a feature in their Z cameras to display a ‘focus distance indicator’ while using the manual-focus ring on their Z lenses. You won’t see this feature when using adapted F-mount lenses, unfortunately. This distance indicator is the key to accurately measuring focus speed. The focus distance scale will appear through the viewfinder and also on the rear LCD screen, assuming you have configured your camera to have both the viewfinder and the monitor active. My cameras are configured to switch between the viewfinder display and the monitor display by detecting my eye at the viewfinder.   I like to (manually) set my lens under test to its minimum focus distance, and then let the camera auto-focus on a subject that’s far enough away to force the lens to focus on infinity. When I test a zoom lens, I will zoom in to use the maximum focal length, too. This will force a worst-case focus scenario for the given lighting conditions.   Since I use a DLSR or another mirrorless camera to take the slow-motion video, I use two tripods while testing: one will support the camera under test and the other tripod supports the camera taking the video. I pre-focus the video camera on the rear LCD of the camera/lens being tested (a macro lens is helpful here).   You can use any video device that you prefer to take the video, but it needs to support a way to review the video footage by stepping one frame at a time. The focus measurement timing will be within about a single-frame time duration, which at 120fps becomes 1/120 second, or 0.0083 seconds.   To perform the timing test, you need to first set up the mirrorless Nikon to point it at a distant object. Next, manually focus the lens up close with the rear LCD monitor activated. The rear LCD should display a focus distance scale, showing the focused distance. The ‘Setup’ (wrench) menu of my Z8 lets me select distance units of meters or feet. Reviewing the video of a Nikon Z8 LCD monitor   In the shot above, I’m looking at a video that was shot looking at the rear LCD of a Nikon Z8.  There are two things of note in the shot shown above. The first thing to notice is the distance scale showing “4.27 ft”, which is the currently-focused distance for the lens under test. The second thing to notice is the square focus indicator, which is colored red . The LCD screen (and the viewfinder) displays the focus indicator in red until the subject gets into focus. After proper focus is achieved, the focus indicator will turn green . Different focus-modes will have different versions of the final focus indicator, but the color will be green.   You might see the in-focus indicator turn from dim to brighter green for a few frames. Use the first frame that you see the green in-focus indicator as the ‘done’ frame.   Perform the focus video-capture a few times to get an idea of the ‘typical’ focus time, and take note of the lighting level, too.   To capture the video of the focus action, you need to begin by pressing the ‘Record’ button of the video (I use my right hand for this). Next, you need to press the focus button on the camera/lens under test (I use my left hand for this operation). After the subject is in focus, you can let go of the camera focus button. Finally, hit the ‘Record’ button again to stop capturing video.   Now, it’s time to review the captured slow-mo video of the focus operation. After starting to play the video, I can use the ‘down’ arrow to pause, and the ‘right’/’left’ arrows to advance or reverse the video frames.   In order to know which video frame indicates the beginning of the focus action, pay attention to the white ‘focus distance’ scale. As soon as the auto-focus action starts, this scale will start to disappear from the monitor. This is the ‘zero’ marker in the video, where you can start counting frames. It takes a few frames for this scale to fully disappear from view, but the first frame where it starts to fade is the actual start of the auto-focus action.   Next, single-step through the video frames and begin counting. When the subject is in focus, notice that the focus indicator will turn green. This the end frame that indicates focusing has completed. The ‘in focus’ indicator has turned green. Focus is done.   You now have the information to calculate how long the lens takes to complete the auto-focus operation. Just count the number of video frames and multiply it by the frame duration number (0.0083 seconds for 120fps).   In the video for this example, I counted 90 frames for my Nikkor 28-400mm zoom at 400mm to focus from the minimum distance to infinity. (90 X .0083) = 0.75 seconds.   Summary   I wish Nikon included external focus distance markers on every Nikkor lens barrel for tests like these, because you could also evaluate focus-hunting and focus-chatter behavior. At least it’s still possible to get accurate start-to-finish timing measurements using the procedures shown above for the Z-mount lenses.

Just zoom that lens to the max whenever you want, right? Not so fast. If you want the best resolution with the biggest subject size, there might be better way.   Probably the majority of zoom lenses are at their worst resolution when zoomed to their maximum focal length. Many lenses perform much better at modestly less zoom. If you’re willing to do a bit of cropping with your editor, you might like the result much more. Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR DX   Let’s take a look at the Nikkor 55-300 DX zoom lens as an example. The 55-300mm zoomed to 200 mm MTF50 resolution plots at f/5.6 for 300mm   The resolution plots shown above for the lens zoomed to 300mm yield a peak center resolution of 33.9 lp/mm at f/5.6, which is the brightest aperture at this focal length. The best it could do (upper right with this lens copy) was 38.6 lp/mm, in the sagittal direction. Pretty unimpressive numbers.   This lens copy appears to have a slight problem with ‘tilt’, which is usually the culprit in lenses having different resolutions when comparing opposite sides of the frame. MTF50 resolution plots at f/5.0 for 200mm     The resolution plots shown above for the lens zoomed to 200mm yield a peak center resolution of 55.8 lp/mm at f/5.0, which is the brightest aperture at this focal length. The best it could do (upper right again) was 61.2 lp/mm, in the sagittal direction. This is a really good result, especially considering the modest cost of this lens. Zoom resolution comparison at all apertures   If you change the zoom from 300mm to 200mm, it’s a decrease of 33% in focal length. The resolution change in the center goes from 33.9 lp/mm to 55.8 lp/mm, or a 64.6% increase! For a focal decrease of one third, the resolution jumps by two thirds! If you then crop  the 200mm shot to match the 300mm shot, you get a net resolution gain of one third in the final photo! Even stopping down this lens while at 300mm, the resolution is never competitive with the 200mm setting. It's better to cut your losses and just zoom in less.   If you can’t gain more resolution zooming out than you subsequently lose by cropping to regain the field of view, then this lens isn’t a good candidate for this technique.   Switching over to the peak resolution measurements, the 300mm-to-200mm zoom change gets a resolution change from 38.6 lp/mm to 61.2 lp/mm, or a change of 58.5%. This resolution increase is a bit less than two thirds, but still a huge improvement that is well-worth the crop to yield a field of view that matches the 300mm shot.   Let’s take a look at some other gains that accompany decreasing the focal length to try to get more resolution. Both the center and edges get higher resolution. You gain a slightly brighter maximum aperture. The lens focuses a bit quicker, since it moves the glass a lesser distance with a brighter aperture.   What’s the downside to decreasing the focal length? The background won’t be quite as out-of-focus, assuming that you leave the aperture setting alone.     Summary   This technique won’t apply to all zooms, of course. The most costly pro zooms are usually so good that you don’t need to bother zooming out to gain resolution. Many amateur zooms, however, benefit greatly by a modest focal length reduction.   It’s worth taking a closer look at your zoom lenses to see if you might get a big step-up in resolution by avoiding your zoom’s longest focal length and then cropping modestly. This technique isn’t a cure-all, but on lenses that are weak at the longest focal lengths it might get you much better pictures.   To evaluate your own lenses, you might consider using the free MTFMapper program. This program is what I used to measure the lens mentioned in this article. MTFMapper  was written by Frans van den Bergh. His software was used by NASA to evaluate the lenses on the Mars Rover.

The Capture One  editor has a really nice way to automatically apply your edits from one photo to a group of other photos that need the same treatment. This is a huge time saver when you have lots of shots needing the same editing treatment. In this article, I’m using Capture One 2023 .   If you have other shots that need slightly different edits compared to your original editing steps, you can always go back to those shots and touch-up the applied edits. Click ‘Copy’ to save your editing steps Your edits will be temporarily saved Select similar shots needing the same edits Click the other photographs that need the same editing as your original edited photo. Use the left mouse button and the Control or Shift  keys to select the desired shots in the filmstrip (‘ Command ’ in Macs is the same as ‘ Control ’ in Windows). Click ‘Apply’ to perform the edits in the selected photos Batch Cropping   Notice that the cropping  in the master photograph shown above didn’t  get applied to the other photographs. You didn't think that you'd get away that easily, did you? There is a different procedure to accomplish batch-cropping of photos. Batch cropping steps To apply a crop to a series of photos, start by selecting the set of pictures in the filmstrip. Next, select the ‘ Shape ’ tab, which includes cropping features, and click on the ‘ crop ’ icon.   Use the mouse to select the desired cropping outline on the master photograph. Next, click the indicated icon as shown in step 4 above to get the ‘ Adjustments Clipboard ’ dialog.   In the ‘ Adjustments Clipboard ’, click the ‘ Apply ’ button. The crops will applied to all of the selected photos. The crop is applied to all selected shots If the ‘batch crop’ needs fine-tuning in one of the photos, you can always select that shot and then go back and adjust the crop outline just like you do with any photograph.   Batch Processing Noise Removal with Topaz DeNoise Here’s a link to an article I have already written about using Topaz DeNoise in batch mode from Capture One .

You’re probably familiar with diffraction spikes around bright lights in photos, and they can be quite attractive. There are times when you shoot with your lens aperture wide-open, only to discover that those spikes disappear. How can you shoot wide-open and still get those spikes?   I have a couple of clear filters from Hoya called “Cross Screen” and “Star Six” that create spikes around lights, even when shooting wide-open. The “Cross Screen” filter makes 4-point spokes and the “Star Six”, like its namesake, creates 6-point spokes. I have also seen filters that create 8-point and even 12-point spikes. Several companies make filters like these. 6-point light spikes Hoya Cross Screen and Star Six filters   An example of a pretty pricy camera that always makes diffraction spikes is the James Webb telescope, although it’s definitely not a mirrorless camera. This telescope produces 6-point diffraction spikes around the bright stars, along with 2 much dimmer spikes (from its secondary mirror support beams). These spikes are due to its 6-sided mirrors. In camera lenses, the spikes are always twice the number of aperture blades in the lens. When the lens is wide-open, the blades aren’t blocking any light and the spikes go away.   The Hoya filters have small straight-line etches in them to create the spikes. These spikes are always present, and get thinner with aperture changes. The exposure doesn’t change when using these filters, because the glass is completely clear and neutral. Hoya ‘Cross Screen’ filter, 50mm lens f/1.8 and f/16   Note how the light spikes have a rainbow-like effect. Also note how you also get additional miniature diffraction spikes around the lights when the lens is stopped down. Hoya ‘Star Six’ filter, 50mm lens f/1.8 and f/16 50mm lens f/1.8 and f/22, no filter. Gets 14 spikes from 7-blade aperture.     If your subject has lots of bright lights in it, the picture can get quite busy when using these filters. Unfortunately, you can’t rotate these filters, so you can’t easily control the direction of the light spikes. When I want directional control, I stack the cross-screen filter on top of a polarizing filter to allow rotating to any spike direction I want. It’s not an ideal solution, but it works. Cross Screen stacked onto polarizer to rotate spike direction ‘Star Six’ stacked onto polarizer     Hoya does make a ‘Variocross’ filter with two indepently-rotating elements to adjust the spike direction pairs to obtain non-90-degree crosses. Hoya ‘Star Six’ filter, 50mm lens f/1.8   The effect with a just a few distant bright objects can be quite nice. (The brightest object is Saturn). ‘Star Six’ filter   The effect can be a bit heavy up close. Summary   These ‘star’ filters are like candy. The effect can be quite nice, but you shouldn’t make a steady diet out of them. If your nightscapes feel like they need just a bit more pizazz, you might give filters like these a try.

I had to pay extra to get my infrared-modified camera supplied with an anti-reflection coating on its IR-sensitive sensor cover. The company that converted my camera to 590nm infrared (it also passes some orange and red light) is called Kolari Vision . Did I waste my money getting this anti-reflecton coating option?   I wanted to show some examples of what the IR anti-reflection coating can do. I chose to shoot with a couple of lenses that are known to be poor choices for infrared use. I took photos with the same lenses at the same focal length and f-stop on two different cameras. My IR-converted camera is the Nikon D7000.   To be able to compare the IR anti-reflection coating effect against a camera sensor that doesn’t have a specific coating for IR, I chose to shoot with my Nikon Z9 camera. To shoot in infrared on both cameras, I used the same 850nm infrared filter mounted over the lenses being tested.   Lenses perform worse in infrared when you stop them down, so I chose to do all of my tests using f/16.  Zoom lenses perform worse at their widest settings with IR, so I tested the lenses at their widest settings, too. Lenses perform worse with longer infrared wavelengths. This may not be the worst-case scenario, but it’s close.   The first lens under test was the Nikkor 18-140 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR DX . This lens has a reputation as being a poor performer with infrared, especially when stopped down.   The second lens under test was the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 AF-S E ED VR . This lens has a terrible reputation when shooting IR, even though it’s quite expensive. Nikkor 18-140mm at 18mm f/16 850nm Z9 camera   The 18-140 lens, which is a DX-format lens, yields a nasty white spot in the center of the picture when shooting at 850nm infrared on the un-modified Nikon Z9 camera. The white spot is due to IR light bouncing off of the camera sensor and going back into the rear of the lens. If I were to open up the lens aperture, the central white spot wouldn’t look quite as bad. Nikkor 18-140mm at 18mm f/16 850nm D7000  IR camera   The same lens mounted on the IR-modified D7000 camera produces the barest hint of lightening in the central portion of the picture. I doubt that most people would even notice issues shooting IR with this lens. By opening up the lens aperture, the slight center light area would disappear.   The IR-modified camera with its IR anti-reflection coating over the sensor allows the infrared light to pass through, instead of bouncing around between the lens rear and camera. Nikkor 24-70mm at 24mm f/16 850nm Z9 camera   This 24-70 f/2.8 lens produces horrible results with this unmodified Nikon Z9 camera. Totally unacceptable. Now you know why the 24-70 is legendary for being terrible with infrared. Even when you open up the aperture, this lens just can’t perform when shooting infrared on un-modified cameras. Nikkor 24-70mm at 24mm f/16 850nm D7000  IR camera     Now take a look how this same lens with the same 24mm setting at the same f/16 performs. There’s a world of difference. There’s still a hint of central lightening, but this effect goes away when shooting about f/8 or wider. Since the D7000 is a DX format, the 24mm zoom setting looks like 36mm. D7000 before IR conversion, 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX at f/8 720nm   Here’s an example of the same D7000 camera before  getting it converted to 590nm infrared. This shot used a 720nm Hoya R72 IR filter. This same lens, when stopped down to f/16, made shooting IR totally unacceptable. Even at f/8, I would typically have to use a radial filter in my photo editor to darken the central portion of my shots when using this lens.  More often than not, I used to switch to my old Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI-converted lens, which is excellent shooting infrared at any aperture.   Summary The extra expense of the IR anti-reflection coating option  on my camera when getting it converted into infrared was totally worth it. Most lenses that look awful when shooting infrared on my un-modified cameras perform just fine on my Kolari Vision 590nm converted camera, with its IR anti-reflection coating. Beware that not every lens can work acceptably when shooting infrared, even with anti-reflection IR sensor coatings. My Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 zoom is a poor performer under nearly every infrared scenario. If you think about it, would you ever buy a camera lens that didn’t have anti-reflection coatings on it? Of course not. Then why would you want an infrared camera without IR anti-reflection coatings on its sensor cover?   Be careful if you get your camera converted into infrared. Not all companies offer an IR anti-reflection sensor coating option. In case you wondered, I’m not getting paid by anybody to sell anything.