billnikon wrote:
I really hope you do. The last thing I would do here is to try to persuade someone to switch brands. It was not my intent.
I was a hard decision for me to finally switch to Sony after 50 years with Nikon. And 2 of those years I was a Nikon Rep.
When I retired I wanted to start photographing what I really loved instead of Weddings, family portraits and senior pictures that paid the bills, I was always an outdoor wildlife photographer at heart.
But after retirement and shooting wildlife with my D500, D850, the world seemed to be switching to mirrorless, Nikon kept promising Z lenses that never came out, their first offerings of the Z6 and Z7 were a disaster for wildlife shooting. Wanting to shoot wildlife I watched a few videos from Mark Smith and I bought a used Sony a9 with their new 200-600 zoom. I was sold, 20 fps RAW (Nikon did not offer this at the time) and deadly focusing. Nikon for the next two years promised the 200-600 (later to be the 180-600). And with my new Sony a1 I was shooting 30 fps RAW (the Nikon Z9 still cannot match it) I got tired of waiting, I sold off all of my Nikon gear and went full time Sony, then got the Sony 70-200 2.8 CMMII (the very best and sharpest 70-200 I had ever shot. Next came the 600 f4, a beautifully center balanced lens that is actually very easy to hand hold. Then a 100-400, macro, 24-105 f4 that I now use as my go to lens for travel, and lastly the new 16-35 f4.
Again, I hope Nikon eventually catches up to Sony and Canon on focusing and tracking accuracy. For general images Nikon can't be beat, if I were still a professional shooting Weddings and the rest I would still shoot the Nikon Z series camera's, there lenses are great, especially their new 600 f6.3 prime, I really wish Sony produced one, I would snatch it up in a second. Their flash system I believe is far better than Sony's.
But I shoot wildlife, birds in flight, fights, and nest building, I cannot afford to miss shots in a series. I need 30 fps RAW with my type of shooting.
Again, I appreciate you sticking with Nikon, I am sure you will be very pleased with the results you are getting.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
I really hope you do. The last thing I would do he... (
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Thanks, Bill. I am not a pro. I have been shooting Nikon for over 40 years, and will be pleased to stick with that brand. My Z8 does just fine with birds.