Started by davey1892, 14 Mar 2026. 7 replies, 271 views
Gear in this topic: Nikon Z6 II, FTZ II, AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
Finally made the jump. Sold the D750 (still gutted) and picked up a used Z6 II with the FTZ II for £1,050 the pair from a shop in town.
70-200 2.8E works a treat on it, no complaints at all, focuses as quick as it did on the D750 near enough. But I've also got a 50 1.8D and an old 28-105 AF-D knocking about in the drawer and they wont autofocus at all. Is that right or have I got a setting wrong somewhere? Not paying for another adapter if the answers the same
That's right Dave, nothing wrong with your settings. The screw-drive lenses (plain AF and AF-D) don't autofocus on the FTZ or the FTZ II because there's no motor in the adapter to turn the screw. On the D750 the motor was in the body, that little slotted screw on the mount, and the Z bodies don't have one. Anything AF-S, AF-P or with an E in the name has its own motor and will focus fine, which is why your 70-200 is happy.
The D lenses still meter, they still give you aperture control from the body, and the EXIF comes through, you just focus by hand. The 50 1.8D with focus peaking switched on is honestly not bad for portraits, and magnified view in the EVF makes it easier than it ever was on the D750's screen. The 28-105 I'd probably let go, it's a nice old zoom but it'll be a chore without AF.
FWIW a buddy of mine runs his old 105 f/2.8D macro on the FTZ and swears by it. Macro you focus manually anyway, so he never misses the AF.
There are third party adapters with motor for screw drive, but my experience is they are slow and noisy, and AF-C was useless. I sold mine after two months. For 50mm I would buy Z 50 1.8 S used, it is much better lens anyway, sharp from f/1.8 to the corners and focus is silent. The 1.8D was nice lens in 1995.
TomekKRK said:For 50mm I would buy Z 50 1.8 S used
Thats what I was afraid you'd say. What are they going for used
Around £300 used. Or just use the D with peaking. It's a 50, it isn't going anywhere.
TomekKRK said:it is much better lens anyway
Sharper, yes. Better is another matter... a modern 50 is sharp corner to corner wide open and has about as much personality as a fridge. The old D has a bit of glow wide open and it's lovely on faces in window light. I put my AI-S 50 1.4 on the Sony for nearly everything for exactly that reason.
Bit of a faff with the aperture ring the first week, mind, then you stop noticing. Dave, try it for a month before you spend £300. Just saying
If you put anything without a chip on it, set up the non-CPU lens data in the setup menu. Gets the focal length into the EXIF and the IBIS knows what it's stabilising for. Doesn't matter for the D lenses as they talk to the body, but worth knowing if you start buying old manual glass. Which you will. Cheers
Cheers all. Keeping the D for now, peaking it is. Darkslide your probably right about the old glass, theres a car boot on Sunday