I figured out (almost) everything. Nothing is really "secret" but there are many options.
There are some "cheat sheets" with recommended settings, and these helped me.
https://photographylife.com/recommended-nikon-z5-settings
https://photographyfuse.com/recommended-nikon-z5-settings/
https://www.wimarys.com/nikon-z5-manual/
And for an "I did the right thing" review, the incomparable Ken Rockwell.
https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/mirrorless/z5.htm
Ken makes a living with referral sales, so "rarely is heard, a discouraging word" but his reviews are thorough. Ken must set color saturation to +100.
FWIW, I stick with Aperture Priority.
The key settings are obvious: ISO, VR,
The *only* customization I have done is the "i" menu.
Because just about everything can be set from there, which is damn handy.
Big deal: you slip into manual focus by rotating the extra ring on your lens. No switching needed. In manual focus mode the magnifying glass buttons zoom you in for more precise focus, but until your fingers automatically find them, this upsets framing. (tripod helps)
Focus Peaking is in the "wrench" menu.
Reason it's priced right, it's slow on video. I don't do video.
OK ONE MAGIC TRICK.
When you are shooting, pressing the OK button lets you move the focus spot with the joystick button. I couldn't figure out what that did. Until I did.
And one strange but nice thing.
There is no "macro" button (usually a flower in the focus mode menu).
Apparently, Z lenses know what you are up to (from the focus distance?) and go into macro mode. Especially that 105 macro.
ONLY gripe! I have fat fingers and yanking the SD card is a chore. Can you imagine that? I don't use wi-fi transfer, but might just do so. The manuals are downloadable from nikonusa site, as is their software. Since I only recently got a fast internet connection, my operating systems are older and don't support their software.
I have been using Preview on the mac and GIMP (open source image editor, https://gimp.org ) for more advanced edits. I am trying darktable (https://www.darktable.org ) for RAW editing lately. As Ken Rockwell says, the default jpeg creation in the camera is excellent, "customer ready". And the camera does various corrections internally when you choose jpeg.
If your computer is halfway up to date, the Nikon software will load and run. Not having done so, no comment.
Advanced: The FTZ adapter works flawlessly with 50 year old lenses. The DSLR's would not accommodate non-AI lenses. Serious trouble with DSLR's. Gone. Old lenses work in manual focus, "Stop down" mode. Focus wide open and stop the lens down. The meter accommodates.
P.S. the DISPLAY button has NOTHING to do with the control that's "behind" it. I shot a few single-frame videos before figuring out that said control got into the wrong position. Set it and
AND the options available in the MENU change with what shooting mode you are in. Some are grayed out or not.
The "pencil" menu is complex. I think they hide complexity there. I just remember that d9 is focus peaking. THAT menu will take time with the manual and cruising, but get the basics first. Just want to say that there's a lot under that rock.
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