I was using the second generation of the FTZ adapter – the FTZ II.
There was no impact on focusing speed as far as I could tell. As the adapter does not have any glass elements in it I would have been surprised if using it had any adverse effects.
These images are all of fast moving subjects and I had no problem locking on to them and maintaining focus.
I was really impressed with the 500mm PF/Z9 combination. The 500mm PF is easy to shoot hand held and this was very important for this particular outing as we were in a small boat.
No possibility of setting up gimbals and fancy panning systems.
I had some challenges with focus tracking but that is a Z9 issue (now nearly rectified by firmware update 3.0) and nothing to do with the lens.
You can see from the images above how good the rendering of the out of focus background is – even at f7.1.
Is sharpness impacted by putting an F mount lens on a Z mount body?
Definitely not. The image quality and sharpness are all excellent.
I have not had much use of this combination in low light situations but I have no reason to believe that the smaller f5.6 aperture of the 500mm PF lens is a major disadvantage.
Whatever small sacrifice there may be when compared to the 500mm f4 is not enough to warrant spending so much additional cash.
I had already decided NOT to buy the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens due to the extortionate price tag of USD 15 500. You can read my thoughts on this by reading my article on it – link below.
The f mount 500mm f5.6 PF lens is now selling heavily discounted new, and some second hand deals are starting to appear.
I was going to wait for the 200- 600 mm and sell a body part when that eventually gets released – perhaps I should stick with the 500mm PF?