Regarding availability
Nikon Z9 (in two versions)
This device works on any camera
There are actually no functional restrictions, the device works with any camera as long as you can somehow install the sensor head above the existing AF assist light of your camera. Of course, if there is a sensor head specifically made for your camera then that is the best alternative because they are made for that specific camera body, and it's shape makes it the best fit over the built in AF assist light source. Never the less, if you have a specific wish for a type, just tell me your camera model and I will try to design a sensor head for that camera if possible. Of course, I will not charge anything extra for this work, but I can also not test it, and it may also take a few extra days. In some cases it is not possible to design it without having access to a camera body, so in those cases I have to decline this work. In such case you can decide to order with the universal sensor head separately delivered to you, in case you want to check it, or install it another way. The actual light sensor can also be attached to the camera using a simple black electric insulation tape, but it is not as nice as the designed sensor head. Never the less, it is the last resort, and it allows you the use of this external AF assist extender on any camera.
Some details about the sensor heads
There are two sensor head versions for the Nikon Z9, one with the cable pointing down, one with the cable pointing up. You can chose your preferred version when you order.
The sensor head for the Z6 and Z7 models is redesigned, now a bit larger, but it also fits better on the camera due to the larger surface and also the curved top part surrounding partially the mode dial, but without touching, or restricting the use of the dial.
The sensor head for the Nikon Z5 looks slightly different from the Z6 / Z7 sensor head. Since the Z5 does not have the mode dial, there is no need for the curved cut out for the dial, but if you think one day you might buy a Z6 or a Z7 then you can also use the sensor head designed for the Z6 / Z7 on the Z5. That way when you buy the camera you don't need to buy a new AF assist light extender.
New product
I now have a dedicated LED box holder (ordered separately) which can be attached to the flash shoe of the camera.
This solution is good if you don’t want to use the supplied adhesive putty and you are not using a flash on top of the camera, and don’t want to attach the LED box to the lens or the camera.
Of course, flash use is not excluded when you use this holder, but you must use a radio trigger with a hot shoe. This is typically the case in a studio, where you would most probably use external flashes or strobes.
The adhesive putty
The supplied adhesive putty is non-toxic, even though it should be kept away from children and pets. Also, only very little of it is needed, which means that you should not use all at the same time of what I include in the sending. Of course, this is up to you, but personally, I found that it sticks too hard if too much is used. Of course, a good question is "what's the definition of too much"? Well, I leave it up to you, but only a thin layer is needed to hold everything firmly in place. What is very important is that the small window of the sensor head is over the AF assist LED of the camera, so that when the LED lights up, all that light is passing to the sensor which will turn on the external AF assist LED.
Price and payment
The
price for each external AF assist light extender unit is 65 EUR or 65 USD, depending on if you live in EU
or outside EU. Shipping and handling costs will be added. At this
moment this is 15 EUR in EU or 15 USD for shipments outside EU. I accept
payments in EUR or USD only, no other currency will be accepted, orders
paid in any other currency will be rejected.
Payments
must be made through PayPal, no direct money transfer, checks or any
other means are accepted. Prices and the terms are non-negotiable; if
you think this is not acceptable for you or you think the price is too
high, please don't buy it.
Note
that due to transport regulations and restrictions, no battery will be
included in the shipment. You have to buy the necessary 23A type battery
locally.
How to order
If
you are interested, please send me a mail using the contact information
below. Please don't pay in advance before I confirmed that I have a
device reserved for you.
After I received payment, I will need one work day to pack it and to ship it to you, using registered, traceable post.
Please
note that I will only sell this unit to buyers from Australia, Canada,
USA, New Zealand, countries of European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland,
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Jersey, Guernsey, Monaco, Aland, South Africa,
Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Japan. Note that normally I make no
exceptions from this list, but occasionally I do send to countries not on the list. Contact me if you are interested.
Contact information
adapting(dot)camera at gmail(dot)com
Please
note: the mail address above must be modified by you. You must replace
the (dot) with real dots, the spaces before and after 'at' must be
removed and the word 'at' must be replaced by @ sign. This is done to
prevent internet robots from sending me spam mail.
After your modification the mail address will look like: axxxxxxx.cyyyyy@gmail.com
A final note about the AF assist light extender
This
is a do-it-yourself product. No warranty or refund is given, other than
that I guaranty I tested the device before shipping it, and I guaranty
that it is working on my Nikon Z7 and V1 cameras when I ship it. I have
no possibilities to test it on any other cameras since these are the
only ones I have.
For more technical information, please visit this page:
Regarding the LED box holder
The price of the LED box holder is 18 USD (outside EU) or 18 EUR (inside EU). Shipping costs are the same, which is 15 EUR in EU or 15 USD for shipments outside EU. Of course, you will only be charged one shipping cost per shipment, even if you order more than one item at the same time, so it is best to order both the AF assist light extender, and the LED box holder as one single order, it will save you a lot on the final price. I accept payments in EUR or USD only, no other currency will be accepted, and orders paid in any other currency will be rejected.
Some additional notes and information
You can also watch the demonstration video I made about this device. Note that the device in this video is the very first version, using a larger LED box and different cable, but the functionality is the same as the one made today.
I am using now an even stronger green LED than before. The main purpose is not to increase the intensity, but to reduce the power use to make the battery last longer. Increasing the intensity would mean that the range increases, which would be good, but it would also be too strong for the eyes if the model were less than two-three meters (7-10 feet) from the camera. Never the less, the range is already good enough for most situations, providing a range of about 8-10 meters, depending on the camera.
The installation of this device is very simple. It comes delivered with everything needed, except the battery, which you have to buy separately. Here is a short video showing some installation alternatives.
I have also received some questions about why I am not making it to project a pattern, instead of just a simple round torch like light. The reason is that to be able to do that, the light must be even stronger, and also needs a specially designed prism. This makes it very complicated, since I can't make the prism. It would also be tar too expensive to make, and probably not sell-able. I tried, but gave up the idea pretty early, already before the first device was made.
Thank you very much for all the feedback, and I am glad that you all like this item and thank you very much for the support.