Simple method for checking focus shift on Nikon lenses

Описание: Nikon just announced firmware 3.0 for the Z8 camera, which introduces a new feature called "Maximum Aperture Live View". Normally Z bodies perform autofocus operations with the lens stopped down to match the shooting aperture, up to f/5.6. This allows the camera to avoid the image blurring affects of Focus Shift, which is when the focus plane of the lens shifts when you change the aperture. However there's negative side effect of this stopped-down focusing on Z cameras - worse AF performance in low light, since the smaller aperture means less light enters the camera for AF operations. The new Z8 3.0 firmware introduces an option where you can have the camera focus at the lens's wide-open aperture, which improves low-light AF but also creates the potential for focus shift.

In this video I outline a simple procedure you can use to check if your Nikon lens exhibits focus shift and to what extent. You can use this knowledge to decide if and when you should use the new "Maximum Aperture Live View" feature for each of your lenses.