Just be aware, tho, that the Fine Contrast slider “adds or subtracts” to each of its subordinate Advanced Settings sliders - - such that, in the example below, the net result is no change.
Yes - I, too, find that the image quality produced by PhotoLab with optics modules tends to be outstanding. There are a few exceptions, some of which are lens-dependent (e.g., the correction of strong chromatic aberrations or blooming leads to halos).
Lately, I find that I have to be very careful with local adjustments if I want to avoid halos. DxO needs to improve this IMO. I went looking for an example I posted not long ago during testing, but it seems the EA part of the forum is gone (or has become inaccessible even to recent beta testers). Someone else please confirm that.
I do not understand what you mean by “optimized for Z series”. The main difference from F to Z is the mount, including the “throat diameter”, so that optical designs that were not feasible with the F mount were feasible with Z. This is similar to what happened between Canon FD to EF, and now R mount. I did take some images with the Sigma 60-600 Sport and Sigma 100-400 C, FTZII, Nikon Z9, and a demo Nikon 180-600 Z (that is not a S lens, but a “consumer” lens). I did this at 100, 200, 400, 600 in so far as possible, on the same subject, natural lighting, perhaps 30 m to one subject, and 10 m to a second, manual exposure, VR on, auto ISO, hand held. My subjective judgement was first with Fast Raw Viewer (FRV) and then PL. In FRV, I would rate image “quality” (“sharpness”, “contrasty”, etc) as Sigma 60-600 and then the Nikon and Sigma 100-400 were very close. After PL with optics modules, the results were nearly indistinguishable, although I had a slight preference for the Sigma 60-600. Note that as a Sport lens, the 60-600 has better sealing, etc, than the Nikon non-S or the Sigma C.
I assume it has his own internal focussing engine. Unless the Z-camera uses another currency this seems impossible to me. Or the FTZ has a to big resitance.
George
correct, sigma use Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM)
Sigma is not producing many Z mount lenses because Nikon has a very restrictive contract to Sigma as to what lenses Sigma may produce for Z mount. Tamron is in fact producing some Z mount lenses with Nikon badging – but again, Tamron and Sigma which have each licensed the Z mount (and electronic and communications protocols) from Nikon JP are not allowed directly to compete with the Nikon lens offerings. In flashes, Profoto has (and charges $1000 USD for the shoe mount flash) but Godox has not but has reverse engineered the iTTL protocols (the V1n flash on Deal of the Day from BH was $179 USD – my tests and current use show that the V1n is as useful as the Profoto and works iTTL on both my Z9 and Z8 – and it is cheaper to get a Godox replacement than a repair of a Profoto). It is unclear how much the FTZII “slows down” AF for AFS VR F mount lenses – some of my AFS VR F mount lenses actually AF “faster” on my Z9 than on my D850. Unfortuately, Sigma is not allowed to put the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | S SKU: #732 for Sony mirrorless as a Z mount model. The MEGADAP Sony E to Nikon Z Autofocus Adapter (ETZ21 Pro) has problems as well.
Yes - that’s true for me too, Greg … Presumably, in preparation for DxO’s planned “new beta testing approach”.
Absolutely: the OMs are a key part of PL’s worthwhile features - - You only need to use the Compare button - with reference image set to “No corrections (without geometry)” - to see this for one’s self.
And thus, Sigma lenses with a Sigma TC on a Z8 or Z9 cannot get such results from PL.
i checked some nikon z180-600mm images again today and they do have some improvement.
The mirrorless 35 mm (FX, full frame, etc) 60-600 Sport is available from Sigma, and is NOT an “old” lens, but Nikon will not allow Sigma to produce this in Z mount. “Old” typically means not offered for sale new from the manufacturer. The Sigma 60-600 Sport still is current in F mount.
I stated “mirrorless” and I meant the 60-600 Sport DN full frame 35 mm format. Nikon will not allow Sigma as a condition of the Z mount license from Nikon to produce the 60-600 Sport DN in Z mount. The Z mount lenses that Tamron and Sigma produce are under Z mount license from Nikon. The Tamron Z mount lenses rebadged as Nikon are serviced and guaranteed by Nikon USA in the USA, but none are S line lenses. Some call these Tamronikon lenses – the badge is Nikon.
NO – I am not using an E mount adapter. I commented that if I wanted the DN (mirrorless) version of the Sigma 60-600 Sport, I would need to get that lens in the Sony E mount version and then use the Megadap adapter from E mount lens to Z mount body. I suspect that DxO would not support this. The comment was based upon the reality that Nikon will not allow Sigma to produce the 60-600 Sport DN in Z mount under the license Sigma has from Nikon that allows Sigma to produce Z mount lenses with the Sigma badge.