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In July, the city of Boise host the Boise Twilight Criterium bike race yearly and I usually attend to see what I can capture with Nikon’s current best in class hardware, currently being the Z9 with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S and the Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lenses. All photos processed with the latest version of Capture One.

There is no better way to test autofocus on a camera then getting up close to bicyclist going 30 plus miles per hour around a one mile square course.

Guessing what focus mode to use, I tried several arrangements, from 3D to Auto area, all with continues AF. I finally settled on Auto Area, Continues AF with Auto Subject Detection and stayed with this choice for the remainder of the day with the following results:

The NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S lens allows me to get right up to the riders as if I’m standing in their way but trust me, you would not want to get in the way of these racers, I’m sure it would lead to severe injures.

One thing with the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S lens is that the bokeh can be inconsistent. This is caused by the fact that the lens is a Phase Fresnel type lens. This type of lens helps keep the size and weight down and is why the lens is small and light. The shot above shows what I think is good bokeh from the 600.

The shot above shows what I think is not great bokeh. It’s not terrible but could be better. It was also over 100 degrees when I took this photo so we also have heatwaves in the background which doesn’t help any.

My other relevant camera settings on the Z9 were shooting lossless RAW files, my low frames per second was set at 5 and the high rate was set at 10 FPS. I rarely shoot at the Z9’s maximum 20 FPS RAW format.

I took about 1,400 photos and my selects totaled 135. The difference between the total and selects were not the result of photos that were not in focus (although there were a few that were not in focus) but because I was looking for expressions on the racers faces that represented the true grit that you need to successfully complete the race.

Overall, I was pleased with the results with the Z9 and the 400 and 600mm lenses.

Let’s look at a few more shots from the race:

Let me know in the comments below (no sign-in required) if you have any questions for me or comments about the photos.

Nikon gives the Z50II a firmware update with the following changes:

■ Still Photography/Video Recording

• • Changed the following item names in Picture Controls:

  • - [Cloud Picture Control] changed to [Imaging Recipe].

  • - [Add Cloud Picture Control files] under [Set Picture Control] in the photo shooting and video recording menus changed to [Download Imaging Recipes].

■ Controls

• • Added [On saving user settings] to [Save focus position] in the [SETUP MENU].

■ Displays

• • Added [Automatic monitor display switch] to the [SETUP MENU].

■ Network

• • Added [Wi-Fi Always ON] to [Connect to smart device] > [Wi-Fi connection (AP mode)] in the [NETWORK MENU].

• • Added [Inactive connection timeout] to [Connect to FTP server] > [Options] in the [NETWORK MENU].

■ Other Changes

• • Aperture is no longer restricted when recording videos in mode S (Shutter-priority auto).

• • Changed the specifications for uninterrupted video output to HDMI devices such as external monitors when recording ended.

Nikon recently released their 2026 financial statements for their fiscal year (April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026) and this year’s results do not look good. And when comparing this year to last year, it’s even more menacing. Let’s examine my concerns in more detail.

Let’s start with the overall gross sales for all 5 divisions of Nikon. Overall sales were down 5.3% for the whole company compared to FYE 2025. And, in 2025, Nikon as a whole, was profitable (ever so slightly) but in FYE 2026, a large loss has been incurred overall.

Now, let’s look at only the camera and lens part of Nikon, what Nikon calls the Imaging Products Business. This is their largest division out of their 5 total divisions. Again, we see an overall decrease in sales of 1.8%, not too concerning. However the operating profit of the camera and lens division decreased by 59.5%, leaving a very slim amount going to the bottom line.

Nikon tries to explain the poor Imaging results by saying the following:

“Revenue was mostly in line with plan - Operating profit missed plan due to ¥3.2B in one-time costs related to the contract to sell MRMC shares, an increase in R&D expenditures, and other factors.

- The DCIL market has grown steadily. In the near-term, however, we have observed a downward shift in product mix, effects from price increases due to tariffs, and slowing growth in certain emerging markets

- Sales volumes grew, mainly in the volume-zone “Z5II” and “Z50II” and our first digital cinema camera “ZR”, which incorporates technology from RED. However, revenue and profit declined on one-time costs described above, tariff impacts, lower ASPs driven by product mix changes, and increased promotional spending in the face of intensifying competition.”

First of all, if you read their explanation above of the poor results, they are not saying much, much at all! I would guess that the competition between Canon, Sony and Nikon is so intense that none of them want to say much when it comes to explaining any anomaly in their financial statements for fear that it may give away some insight into their internal operations to their competitors.

However, this is what I can surmise from their evasive commentary.

First, we have no idea what change in product mix means. I can’t even guess. What is more clear to me is that they are forecasting greater research and development expenditures for the following year (the current year we are in now). This may mean that these additional R&D expenses could be related to the development of the Z9 (we can only hope!) or the Z7III. Second, they clearly indicate that their top camera sellers are the Z5II, Z50II and the ZR Cinema camera.

Only time will tell as to how Nikon will fare financially going forward. I will try to keep my site updated as the year progresses. They should be releasing their 2027 1st quarter financial results soon.

Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on Nikon’s financial position (no sign-in required).

Nikon says of the P1100 camera: “Travel to the moon. Soar with the birds. Or keep your feet on the ground and explore the tiny details of nature—all with one extraordinary portable camera.”

I have owned the Nikon COOLPIX P1100 for a couple of years now and have to agree with Nikon’s description above. Overall, I have been impressed with the content that this camera puts out. Under the right lighting conditions, it can produce quality photos that equals that of Nikon’s full frame cameras. Of course, (and this is no minor detail) with an equivalent focal range of 24 - 3000mm, it’s unrivaled in the camera world in its ability to get close to your subjects. Generally speaking, if you can see it, you can photograph it with this camera, and in most cases, even fill the frame!

To achieve this incredible zoom range, some tradeoffs exist. Photos normally have higher noise levels than Z cameras, are not as sharp as ones taken with Nikon full frame bodies and are not ideal for capturing fast action shots. However, just when I say that about actions shots, the first photo that appears in the gallery below is an action shot at our local dirt track field. Just like anything else, there are always exceptions to everything I guess!

The P1100 is also compatible with Nikon’s mobile device program SnapBridge.

Once you have viewed the images, let me know in the comments below (no sign-in required) if you have any questions about the Nikon P1100 or the photos in the gallery. Thanks for stopping by!

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Nikon releases firmware updates for both the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 and the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 lenses, bringing the firmware version from 1.00 to 1.001 with the following changes for both lenses:

• Changed the position of focusing lenses when the camera is turned off to improve startup reliability.

Let me know in the comments below if you own these lenses and if so, how they have been performing for you (no sign-in required).

Today, Robert G Allen Photography reached a major website traffic milestone: we surpassed 100,000 website sessions as measured by www.statcounter.com

First, let’s explain exactly what a website session is according to statcounter: a single, continuous period of activity by a visitor on your website. It encompasses all the actions a user takes, such as page views, clicks, and downloads, from the moment they arrive until they leave or go inactive. So, basically, when a visitor comes to the website and then leaves the website in one continuous visit, that counts as one website session.

A website session is not the same as a website visitor. A single unique visitor can have multiple sessions in a single day, week, or month. One session represents one individual "visit" to a website.

With all the details out of the way, let’s reflect on this accomplishment. I’m aware that some sites get to 100,000 sessions in less than a minute. This website was started in September of 2020. As you can imagine, that was a perfect time to start and build a website since it was during the COVID pandemic when I had very few event assignments. I have always wanted another website, separate from my event photography site ( www.ProImage-Photo.com ), to showcase my non-event photography content. That’s when www.RobertAllen-Photography.com was conceived.

To all my visitors, I hope you have enjoyed reading the articles and viewing the photos on my site over the past 6 years and hope you continue to return as new articles are posted weekly.

In the comments below (no sign-in required) let me know how the sight can be improved and what you like or dislike about my content.

A sincere thank you to all of our new and returning readers!

In case you didn’t notice, I thought it was time to do a refresh of the blog header photo collage. At first, I was only going to replace a few of the photos. But upon further thought, I decided to replace them all. So, I went into my Capture One 250,000 photo archive and looked for 7 replacements that would adapt to a vertical slanted format.

Here is a little context for each of the photos in the new collage (moving from left to right):

1) Early morning sunrise on Redfish Lake in Stanley Idaho. This photo was shot horizontally but cropped showcase just the red clouds reflecting in the water.

2) Sparrow as seen in a marsh along the Hidden Springs nature trail near Boise Idaho.

3) Flowers as seen along the nature trail near Hidden Springs.

4) Outdoor model shoot near Stanley Idaho.

5) Rainbow near Hidden Springs Idaho.

6) 747 flying overhead in Alaska. This represents the best overhead high altitude airplane photo I have in all of my portfolio.

7) A shot from one of my early wedding assignments.

As always, I try to showcase the wide interest I have with many genres of photography. Let me know in the comments below (no sign-in required) your thoughts with my selections.

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I just learned that a person who I have followed for many years in the photography world and who had a brief stint in my home town of Rochester New York (he attended Rochester Institute of Technology), has passed away.

I first heard of Jeff Schewe when I started to follow a new website in 1999 (yes, I have been shooting digital cameras for that long) called the Luminous Landscape. Although it was only the founder, Michael Reichmann, that appeared first on the new photo website, Jeff along with Kevin Raber soon followed as consistent sidekicks.

I always enjoyed the banter between all 3 of them when they got together in one of their videos.

I will miss Jeff and the rest of the Luminous Landscape gang.

Here’s to Jeff Schewe and all of his colorful commentary over the years. RIP Jeff.

Let me know in the comments below (no sign-in required) if you knew of Jeff and if so, what memories you may have of him.

Lear more about Jeff at his website while the site is still online: https://www.schewephoto.com/

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The Nikon Zfc DX mirrorless retro camera has received a small firmware update with the following changes:

• Fixed an issue where certain operations would cause the monitor to remain blank when [Prioritize viewfinder] is selected for monitor mode.

To access the download page, go to https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/574/Z_fc.html

Let me know in the comments below if you have the Nikon Zfc and if so, what you experience has been with the camera (no sign-in required to leave a comment)

I’m fortunate that I live close to a nature trail that runs along a small creek, just a few minutes’ drive away from my home. During the spring and early summer, the creek runs with a fair amount of flow that originates in the foothills nearby, draining the accumulated snowpack from the prior winter from their peaks. It’s during this period that you are more likely to find interesting things to photograph along the trail. Busy mothers attending to and protecting their young while males defend their territory around their home base and wildflowers blooming along the clear water creek

Based on many prior excursions to the same location, I knew I would most likely be seeing a verity of subjects: birds, wildflowers, and possibly other wildlife in the area. To have the best chance of filling the frame, this would call for the most powerful telephoto glass I had; the Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens. To add just a little more power, I attached the Z TELECONVERTER TC-1.4x, bringing my telephoto lens to 1120mm. If I have the most powerful Nikkor lens, I may as well use the most powerful Nikon camera to balance it out, the Z9. All photos below were shot with this configuration and lightly processed in Capture One Pro.

The following photos are the result of this early morning field trip:

Overall, I was pleased with what I captured with the Nikon Z9 and the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens and teleconverter. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on this short photographic essay (no sign-in required).

One of my favorite lenses, (my Capture One catalog can attest to how much I like this lens with over 15,000 photos shot with this optic so far). I have shot a little of everything with this glass from headshots, studio work, event assignments and just about everything else. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S line lens firmware update takes the current firmware of 1.10 to 1.20 with the following changes:

• Improved aperture operation reliability.

• Reduced aperture operation noise.

Let me know in the comments below (no sign in required) if you have this lens and your thoughts on how it performs.

One of my all time favorite lens for portraits was the Nikon Nikkor AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II F- mount lens. If this new Z lens is even close to the performance of the older lens (which I’m sure it will be or better), this is sure to be a popular addition to the Z line of optics.

“SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 7 May 2026 - Nikon Australia is pleased to announce the development of the NIKKOR Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S, a telephoto zoom lens compatible with full-frame FX-format Nikon mirrorless cameras.

As part of the S-Line series of NIKKOR Z lenses, the NIKKOR Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S is a telephoto zoom lens offering a focal length range of 120mm to 420mm, enabled by a built-in teleconverter that extends its focal length by 1.4×. The superior optical performance and mobility of this lens will support professional photographers' imaging expression in genres such as sports photography and beyond.

Nikon will continue to pursue a new dimension in optical performance while meeting users' needs, contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression.”

Let me know in the comments below (no sign-in required) what your thoughts are on this new lens. I know I’m excited about it.

Effective today, Spirit Airlines is no longer in business. Why would I put this notice on my Nikon photography blog? I have always enjoyed the color of their planes, a bright green (almost florescent green) which makes for interesting photos I think.

On there website today, they posted the following message:

It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately. To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available. We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 33 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come.

When I first purchase the Nikon Z8 in 2023, I took it out for some test shots. As always, off to the Boise airport I went. On that partly cloudy day, a Spirit Airlines was on final approach. I happen to be standing in the perfect location to capture a few shots of the remaining last seconds of it’s flight before touching down onto runway 28 left.

On another occasion in 2024, I caught another Spirit Airlines on final into BOI on a clear evening. This time with a native mirrorless lens as indicated below.

I have never flown Spirit but now I wish I did since there will be no opportunities in the future to do so. Let me know in the comments below (no sign in required) if you have ever flown Spirit and if so, what your experience was like.

The Flower Moon was in full bloom last evening. The first of the full moons in May, it’s called the Flower Moon because it appears when the spring flowers are starting to blossom.

It’s also called a micro moon because it is also the furthest distance from earth at this time of year.

This was captured with Nikon’s superzoom P1100 COOLPIX camera, handheld, at 2800mm equivalent zoom, ISO 360 and at a shutter speed of 1/500sec.

Let me know in the comments below your thoughts of the photo and if you have the Nikon COOLPIX P1100 camera.

On a clear blue sky day, I was working in my backyard and noticed a few contrails overhead. I decided to take a look at the web site Flight radar 24 to see if anything interesting was approaching the Idaho area. Wow, what luck! Not one but 2 Airbus A380s were heading straight for Idaho.

When the largest passenger airliner in the world fly’s overhead, my aviation enthusiast mode kicks in! I immediately grabbed my Nikon Z9, got the TC-1.4x times Z TELE-CONVERTER and attached it to the Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 lens and returned to my backyard (Opens in new tab: To see all of my current gear, visit https://www.robertallen-photography.com/my-nikon-gear-list). One of the A380s had already passed over and was too far away to capture anything with sufficient resolution. Luckily, the other one was still approaching. I sat on the grass to maximize my stability while hand holding the Z9 and 800mm lens and pointed it all towards the approaching A380. The Z9 locked on using 3D auto focus with no problem and captured the above photo. Yes, the photo is cropped but not beyond the resolution that I exported it at which was 1750 pixels on the long end. This is where the 45 megapixels comes in handy with the Z8 and Z9 (and the Z7II).

One thing I have learned over the years photographing high altitude aircraft is that if the fuselage is white (as most are), it’s easy to blow it out. As you can see, this had a lot of white. Well, unfortunately, in my haste to get the shot, I over exposed this one a little. I had to work extra hard in Capture One to bring down the highlights while also preserving the sky and darker areas of the airplane, without making it look like its flying in outer space (Be careful, the background can turn completely black as you bring down the exposure to recover the white fuselage area). That’s the nice thing about photography, there’s always next time.

Let’s talk about this particular A380 and the flight it was on. It’s first flight was in 2018. Its registration number is A6-EVG. More specifically, the model is the A380-842. The 842 designation signifies the types of engines used; high performance Rolls-Royce Trent 970/972 turbofans. These engines provide the highest maximum thrust among the A380 variants. It was flying from San Francisco (SFO) to Dubai (DXB). It left SFO 4:58PM local time and was scheduled to arrive at it’s destination at 7:47PM local. At the time that this photo was taken, it was flying at 540 mph at 35,000 feet and had a little over 14 hours left in the flight.

Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on the photo and if you have tried to take high altitude photos of aircraft.

Check back here as I will update this as I find out more. Nothing mentioned on Canon’s website as of yet.

UPDATE: Her profile has now been published on canon’s website: https://www.usa.canon.com/learning/inspiration/explorers-of-light/dixie-dixon

It must be awkward for Dixie considering all of her images on her webpage were taken with Nikon cameras and lenses. Also, what happened to the idea that Nikon cameras and lenses are the greatest and no other brand compares.

Dixie was one of the original 16 Nikon ambassadors, becoming a member in 2013. Here is the complete list of the original ambassadors:

As you can see, Dixie is not the first to move on from Nikon. Keith Ladzinski was also poached by canon.

The current list of Nikon ambassadors can be found here: https://www.nikonusa.com/nikon-ambassadors

Today, Robert G Allen Photography implements new logo and favicon. If you aren’t familiar with what a favicon is, it’s a small icon associated with a particular website or page that is displayed in an Internet browser (as in the browser's address bar or in a list of favorites) Mine is the gold G you see in your browser tab.

The logo was designed by LogoWorks (www.logoworks.com). I have used LogoWorks for other logo projects in the past and they have always come through with simple yet effective artwork.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new look (no login required).

At some point, I will be done with my event photography business. And when that happens, I plan on exploring other photography topics more fully (that I have been putting on hold due to time constraints) such as food, landscapes and sports. Along with my plan on taking more sports photos, I thought I would expand my Nikon mirrorless camera body portfolio with a body that aligns more closely with that goal. And what better Nikon body than the Z9 to accomplish this (maybe the D6 might also be a good choice, but I wouldn’t want to re-purchase all those F mount lenses again! And besides, the shutter sound of the D6 was way too loud for me).

Even though the Nikon Z9II is on the horizon, until that day comes, the original old fashion Z9 should hold me over until that day comes. Also, I will be selling off some of my series 2 bodies at some point to help finance the Z9 and Z9II purchases. To see all of my current Nikon gear, visit https://www.robertallen-photography.com/my-nikon-gear-list

Here she is:

According to Nikon, I’m now unstoppable and can now do everything shown in this video:

Nikon Z9 teaser video # 3.

Behind the scenes with the Nikon Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens.

OK, back to realty. After updating the firmware to 5.32, I set out to take a few test photos as shown below:

To see all of my current Nikon gear, visit https://www.robertallen-photography.com/my-nikon-gear-list

Let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are on the Nikon Z9 (no login required).