It’s been five long years since Nikon debuted the Z system, and now the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is finally here. Over the years, Nikon has steadily added to their supertelephoto lineup, with excellent lenses like the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 and f/2.8, 600mm f/4, 800mm f/6.3, and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. But a less expensive option was missing. That’s a big reason why the Nikon Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3 VR, with a launch price of $1700, was so highly anticipated. Today, I’m eager to share my first impressions of this lens with you.

This week, I did one of my favorite hikes in Colorado – one which goes to a beautiful high-alpine lake with stunning mountain views. Unfortunately, it was so foggy at the top that I couldn’t see a thing! Instead of going home empty-handed, I thought about some alternative compositions that might make use of the fog. I wasn’t planning to take a picture like this, but it turned out better than I hoped. Isn’t it fun when you come back with a photo that you hadn’t expected? On that note, let’s take a look at this week’s news in the photography world, including both the expected and the unexpected.

When Adobe announced how they’re implementing Firefly, their potent AI engine, across their various software applications, they also declared the adoption of a consumption model for access, i.e., a Generative Credit plan that regulates usage. Here are the details including the number of tokens each app receives monthly.

You can read our reporting of the Firefly implementation announcement here.

It’s important to remember that A) your Generative Credit balance resets every month but unused credits do not rollover to the next month, B) Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Stock subscribers may still use the Firefly-driven features even after their balance has been depleted (although with limitations), C) you can optionally purchase additional Generative Credit subscription packs at $4.99 per 100, and finally D) nothing happens until November 1st, so don’t expect to see any tokens transacted until then.

You can use Generative Credits accrued with one app in a different app. If an individual has multiple paid apps, the total amount of generative credits available is the cumulative sum of the quantity included in each plan. Adobe Enterprise and Creative Cloud for teams users cannot pool their tokens among multiple members, however.

Monthly Generative Credits
• Creative Cloud All Apps = 1,000
• Creative Cloud Single App (includes Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, AfterEffects, Audition, Animate, Dreamweaver, Stock, Photography 1TB) = 500
• Adobe Stock paid subscriptions = 500
• Adobe Express Premium = 250
• Adobe Firefly Premium = 100
• Creative Cloud for Enterprise All Apps = 1,000
• Creative Cloud Pro Plus All Apps = 3,000
• Free users with an Adobe ID; Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly (web app), Creative Cloud = 25

Generative Credit Consumption Rate Table
Here’s the link to Adobe’s consumption rate table for standard images of up to 2000 x 2000 pixels. To receive the published consumption rates, you must use the latest version of the software. Usage rates may vary. Plans are subject to change.

After the plan-specific number of Generative Credits is reached, Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Stock subscribers can continue to create generative AI images and text effects, however, the experience will be slower.

Similarly, after depleting their allocations, Adobe Firefly and Adobe Express Premium subscribers can generate up to two (2) generations per day until their balance resets the next month.

Finally, Adobe plans for users to be able to purchase additional priority processing Generative Credits through a new subscription plan, starting at $4.99/month for 100 credits.

 

—Jon Sienkiewicz