Stabilization system may not work properly. The producer announces a free recall
D5, D500 and D750 were flawless and for a minute we thought that Nikon has solved its problems and knows how to avoid manufacturing defects, so common in the past. Unfortunately, the nightmare is back, and it’s attached to company’s key products, the mirrorless full frame Z6 and Z7. What’s more, the news comes just one day after the newest update has been released.
The stabilization is not able to use its possibilites, Nikon says
“We have noticed that the reduction of vibrations doesn’t work properly in some of our Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. We will repair them for free” – says the producer.
As Nikon doesn’t explain exactly what does this defect mean for the user, we guess the problem lies in the VR mechanism. Otherwise, this could be solved with the firmware update. Nikon wouldn’t say which part of the camera may be out-of-order. Instead, the producer has prepared a special search engine for Z6 and Z7 owners.
How can I check if my Nikon is broken and what should I do next?
First of all, you should use the search engine on the official Nikon’s website. If your camera shows up as the one with this problem, you should contact the closest Nikon service point. Employees will check your camera and repair it, even if your warranty is expired or not valid in your region.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience that this matter may cause. The Nikon company will pursue the effort to avoid similar problems in the future – ensures the producer.
A screenshot of the Z7 serial number checker website.
NIKON goes ahead expectations with its FTZ mount adapter
This is great news for all of us, dental photographers. From now on, Nikon’s FTZ mount adapter will be included for free with the purchase of all Z6 and Z7 cameras in the United States.
Previously, it costed around $250 when bought on its own and $150 when bundled with the Z6 or Z7 camera. Now you can forget about this expenditure and spend the money otherwise.
We hope that Nikon will expand its offer to countries in Europe and other markets. After all, there are fans of the Z6 and Z7 all over the world.
Finally, the long-awaited Nikon Z7 is available and we could do some first tests.
The Nikon Z 7 is the company’s high-end full-frame mirrorless camera. It features a 45.7MP BSI-CMOS sensor, a hybrid AF system with 493 points and 90% coverage and 5-axis in-body image stabilization. The rugged body is similar in design to the D850 DSLR and is fully sealed against dust and moisture. It features a 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder and tilting 3.2″, 2.1M-dot touchscreen LCD. An OLED panel on the top plate displays current shooting settings. Photos are stored on an XQD card.
Side by side the Nikon D850 and the Nikon Z7 look like “brother and sister”. The two cameras are very similar but still different. The Z7 has a smaller, lighter form factor and an electronic viewfinder (covering only 90%), while the D850 has a better battery life and an optical viewfinder (covering 100%). Another key difference between the two cameras is storage media – Nikon decided to go with a single XQD memory card slot on the Z7 instead of two memory card slots that we see on the Nikon D850. For video shooters, the Nikon Z7 is also a better option, thanks to 4:2:2 10-bit recording with N-Log, which is absent on the D850. Another feature difference is the number of autofocus points, which favors the Z7, although that doesn’t mean the Z7’s autofocus system is actually faster or more reliable (yet to be tested
Since the D850 currently sells for $3,300, and the Z7 sells for $3,400, the question is, which camera is the better choice for your photography? Well, it depends upon your needs.
Let’s get back to dental photography. The D850 and the Z7 offer many features and options you don’t really need in dental photography. Personally, I shoot always in DX mode. This gives you a better control of proportions, frame, and light. It also reduces the file size, keeping quality high.
Our first test shots show no really big difference between the two cameras. Images have been taken using manual mode – Nikon SB200 flashes mounted on an OWL bracket using the 105mm on the D850 and the 85mm DX on the Z7 – WB set to 5300 K – Image control set to Neutral.
After working with the Nikon Z7 for almost 2 months now, I find that the electronic viewfinder is a real relief at work, especially with the focus peaking displayed. Especially for eyeglass wearers, this is an improvement. In the digital workflow, the individually configurable Wifi data transfer has proven to be extremely useful. It is possible to define a specific folder on the computer for storing the images.
Key features:
Body type, rangefinder-style mirrorless
Max resolution, 8256 x 5504
Effective pixels 46 megapixels
Sensor size, full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)
Sensor type, CMOS
ISO: Auto, 64-25600 (expands to 32-102400)
Lens mount, Nikon Z
Articulated LCD, tilting
Screen size, 3.2″
Screen dots, 2,100,000
Manual exposure mode, Yes
Max shutter speed, 1/8000 sec
Storage types, Single XQD card slot
Connectivity, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
Weight (inc. batteries), 675 g (1.49 lb / 23.81 oz)
Dimensions, 134 x 101 x 68 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.68″)
Stay tuned for more updates to come … if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.
What type of equipment do you use, is one of the most common questions, between the photographers. You can now watch my short discussion with Dr. Panos Bazos about the cameras, lenses, and flashes, which we are using in our daily work.
Interesting is, that at the end the most important is knowledge about your equipment and also about the photography in general. If you know how to use it then it doesn’t matter if you have very expensive or regular equipment.
You can watch the new videos, about reflected cross-polarised and fluorescence photography.
Dual flash is one of the flash types designed for macro photography. The main difference between a ring flash and a twin flash is the flexibility in flash heads positioning. The ring flash has flash tubes permanently built-in into a ring, which is attached to the lens. Dual flashes are constructed differently: they have two flash heads, which are mounted on a separate ring, or on a bracket.
(Fot.Ring and Dual Flash.)
There are several advantages of dual flashes. I’ll try to list them in accidental order:
– Light direction control
– You can fix them on a dedicated bracket
– A flexibility of positioning of the flash heads. You can set them close to the lens axis to obtain light direction similar to a ring flash or position them in a distance to gain more information about texture (when in use with a bracket).
– Optimal positioning of the flash heads for color transfer in digital dental photography (setting correct position – 45°)
[Fot Bracket 45degrees]
– More options for light modifiers (bouncers, diffusers) used in dental photography
(Fot.Dual Flash with Lumiquest]
Dual flash is available with wireless communication or with classic wires.
Available options for Canon users:
Canon MT-24EX Twin Lite + bracket (optional)
Wireless options:
2 x Canon 270EX II + wireless transmitter Canon ST-E2 + bracket
Nissin i40 + wireless transmitter Canon ST-E2 + bracket
Available options for Nikon users (wireless):
Nikon R1C1 (Nikon SB-R200 + commander SU-800) + bracket (optional)
2 x Nissin i40 + commander SU-800 + bracket
Available options for Sony users:
Sony HVL-MT24AM Macro Twin Flash Kit
Options for Olympus users:
Olympus STF-22 Twin Flash Set with FC-1 TTL Controller
If you have wireless flashes you can control them in two ways. Some of the cameras’ models have a built-in commander. Others will need a separate commander attached to the hot-shoe of your camera body.
I prefer to use an external commander instead of a built-in one (even if my camera has it).
The advantages of the external commanders/transmitters are:
– rigid and stable mount with the hot-shoe on the camera (no clips or risk of accidental damage of the pop-up flash, no wobbling of the clip)
– fast and easy access to manual settings of the flash power in the Manual Mode
On the market,we can find macro lenses with magnification ratio (1:1) with focal lengths in the range from 40 to 200mm.
[Fot. Nikon Macro lenses].
The question is, which ones are better for dental photo-documentation? Of course, the price is one of the factors influencing our choice, but it should not be the primary criteria. The best focal lengths for dental photography are the ones around 100mm (some models will be 90, 100 or 105mm, depending on the brand).
There are 2 main reasons why you should select a 100mm lens: minimal focusing distance and portrait photography.
With a limited budget, a 60mm lens looks attractive and it is tempting to make an extra saving to spend for a dinner with beloved ones… But please think about a lens, which will be universal.
A universal macro lens allows me to take both: intraoral and portrait photographs. Especially in portraits, you will realize the superiority of 100mm. Lenses in the range of focal length from 85 to 135mm are the best ones for portrait photography and will create less distortion, which is crucial for face analysis. Look at the illustration beneath, showing face distortion depending on the focal length.
(Fot. Face distortion.]
Lenses with shorter focal lengths will create bigger (wide angle lenses 14-35mm) or smaller distortion (50-60mm). Portrait photography is an important part of the dental documentation. A process of case analysis, esthetic treatment planning or communication with the patient is very limited without portrait photographs.
Another advantage is the minimum focus distance, which is the closest distance from the focal (sensor) plane to the object, which will stay in focus, creating a sharp image as the result. Every lens has this parameter, described in millimeters or centimeters. The shorter focal length of the macro lens, the shorter minimum focus distance… It means that you can get very close to the object.
Let’s look at the example of two lenses from Nikon: 60mm and 105mm.
For Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens – minimum focus distance is 30.48cm
[Fot.Nikon 105 MFD]
For Nikon AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED lens – minimum focus distance is 18.49cm
[Fot.Nikon 60 MFD]
In reality, the distance from the front of the lens to the object is half of the minimum focus distance… The practical implication is, that in 1:1 reproduction ratio (maximum magnification) with a 60mm lens you are very close to the teeth. It can influence the light distribution and lead to fogging of the front of the lens, caused by the patient’s breathing.
Summary: these facts should convince you to use a 100mm lens. If your main concern is the price, consider a cheaper 100mm lens from Tokina or Tamron. Please check our Dental Photo Master Equipment section to see available models and brands of such lenses.
Quite often I get the question: “which camera should I buy for dental photography?”
My answer is simple: select a camera with features helpful in digital dental photography documentation. One of those is Custom/User settings option.
Custom / User settings – allows you to assign frequently used settings to Program Dial Mode in the camera.
Benefit: with one dial you can recall the specific settings, like optimum settings to take intraoral photography shots. You and your staff members will like it. You don’t need to struggle with a selection of the correct aperture, shutter speed, ISO or white balance anymore. You only select the program mode – marked with a letter “U” in Nikon [Fot.1_Custom Modes Nikon D7200]
or “C” in Canon
[Fot.2_Custom Modes Canon 80D]
and your camera is ready to shoot with favorite settings for digital dental photography. Depending on the brand and model of your camera you will either have no such option, or one, two or even three possible settings.
List of Nikon cameras, with User Settings:
Nikon D7100, Nikon D7200, Nikon D750 and Nikon D610.
List of Canon cameras, with Custom Settings:
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EOS Mark IV, Canon EOS 70D, Canon EOS 80D, Canon EOS 6D
Follow these steps to set your camera for intraoral photography: Step 1: set your camera with correct date & time, white balance, ISO, color profile, Step 2: set Mode – Manual (M) or Aperture priority mode (A or Av), Aperture – f22 or higher, shutter speed 1/125 Step 3: In the MENU of your camera select “Save User 1” (Nikon) or “Register Custom Shooting Modes” (C1) (Canon)
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