Pistnbroke Loc: UK

The D850 +grip with the 200-500 is a bit heavy however you sling it on your shoulders . So is there an alternative .
I never had any success with M4/3 though I did only have an M5 Mk1 with 16 mp. But the Panasonic G9 has 20MP so I looked at the pixel density v the D850. The G9 has 70% higher pixel density than the D850. Now if you take a 300mm lens the image size of a small bird it puts on any size sensor is the same so the G9 wins, more POI. However the longest lens for the M4/3 is the 100-400 but you can put a 600mm on the Nikon which boost the image size so I think you are about equal G9v D850.

But I find not all pixels are equal not even Nikon ones .The same lens on a D7200 gives a worse image than the same lens on a D850. So how good are Panasonic pixels or Panasonic "sauce" ?

Then you have the pose factor ...The guy in the hide with a D5300 and a 70-300 always give you a strange look when you have a D850/500mm, and you look at his kit and think "oh no not for me"

So will the G9/100-400 cut it ? or do you have an alternative?

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Do you think it has to do with an FX lens on an FX against putting it on a DX?
The pose factor? If that's your idea of a day out, then I hope you drove to the hide in a hired Rolls Royce and polished the grill before getting the wheel barrow out of the boot to put your leather kit bag in. But I bet you wouldn't take the Roller to the benefits office, Mr Pistnbroke. The G9 will cut it for many professionals, but not for poseurs.

CO

I wouldn't get a micro four-thirds camera. Look at something like the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 lens on a DX format Nikon body. It weighs only 705 grams as opposed to 2,300 grams for the 200-500mm lens.

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

My wife uses the Tam 100-400 on her D7200 but that lens works better on the D850 than on the D7200.
I am going to give it another try on the D850 as I found it was a good as the 200-500 for the limited shots I took.
I don't really want to go to a D500,everything is so fluid at the moment I am looking at possibilities before I jump

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

Nikon P1000

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I don't have the G9. Instead I have the GX8 with a Panasonic Lumix 100-400. I've not shot Nikon since film when I used a Nikkor 500 mm mirror reflex lens.

I think the Panasonic combo does "cut it" very well. Besides that, what questions might I answer?

Regarding "the look", that can be funny. I was shooting a distant wolf in Yellowstone. I was in the roadside crowd next to a woman that had a custom floor in the back of her Suburban to haul her Nikon kit. She felt sorry for me because my camera was so small. She offered me a look through her viewfinder so I could really see the wolf. I was shooting video on a tripod at the time. In return I offered her a look through my viewfinder. Mine was more magnified and equally sharp. The look I got from here was one of total confusion. She did not like seeing a clearer image in the viewfinder.

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

Now that is a useful answer and backs up my thinking. I have just been trying my wifes Tam 100-400 with the d850 and its much lighter ..I think I could carry it for ever . First step is to try it in a bird hide.
Do you find the lower light sensitivity on 4/3 a problem?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Use "quote reply" and people know exactly what you are replying to.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

The answer is easy - use the D850 and the 500 PF. WAY lighter, super versatile, and it will get you far better results than the smaller sensors (assuming you're filling the frame adequately of course).

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

Now there is a thought from a master..had not thought of the 500 PF...nice one . Look at my post on Nikon rumors on simple use of the docks....

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The really nice thing about the D850 and any great lens is the AF and metering systems. The only thing that comes close are the Sony mirrorless cameras - but most of the weight is the lens, and you are only going to save a few ounces with a mirrorless. Too bad Nikon doesn't offer a 400mm F5.6 prime like Canon, which would be an excellent alternative to a 200-500 zoom, especially on a D850. Also worth considering, if you can swing an extra $1100 is a 300mmF4 PF with either a 1.4X or a 1.7X TC.

With the 1.7X on the 300, at least one reviewer measured MTF results that put the combo in a dead heat with the 200-500.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-300mm-f4e-pf-ed-vr/4

The 300 with a TC is 1 lb lighter and $1300 less expensive than the 500F5.6 PF. The downside is that you lose .5 stop over the 200-500 or the 500 PF. and a little AF performance compared to the 500. I believe both PF lenses have decent weather and dust sealing, which is absent on the 200-500.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

I sold my Nikon and Olympus gear and bought into Sony. I will however, make a couple of suggestions: Consider a Nikon D500 + Nikkor 500mm f5.6 PF ED VR + TC14EIII, or a Nikkor 300mm PF ED VR + TC14EIII. I owned a D500 + the affore - mentioned 300mm and TC and it was a lightweight system which produced stunning images. I also owned a Nikkor 200 - 500mm f5.6, which I actually preferred, even though it was so heavy to lug about for 7 hours a day, so I empathise with you. I always carry two cameras and the partner system to my D500 was an Olympus EM1 mark II + Oly 300mm f4 + 1.4TC. In all honesty, brilliant though my Nikon gear was, in my hands the EM1 mark II was a better wildlife camera. It has now had a firmware update and is even better. I also owned the PanaLeica 100 - 400mm, which was a great lens, both lightweight and versatile, but was not as good optically as my Oly 300mm. The G9 cannot compete AF wise with the EM1 mark II, as Panasonic cameras use contrast detection and not phase detection. I believe you would be bitterly disappointed in the AF performance of a G9 after using a D850. The images produced by both the D500 APS-C and the EM1 mark II M43 are stunning. I can hardly tell the difference between them when shooting in decent to good lighting conditions.

Deanie1113

I have the Panny G9 with the Leica 100-400 strictly for birding and sports. This combo is SO light I hike with it all day! And I'm weak! However, once the light gets dim it does drive me crazy with the high ISO's and noise. So, I spent a few bucks and downloaded AI Clear, which is nearly a miracle in my book and even the high ISO images get looking really good. Also, the zoom is a little stiff which can be annoying. The G9 feels remarkably good my small hand and is incredibly easy to learn to use. If light weight/portability is high on your list of wants, you cannot go wrong. But keep in mind that you will pay for this in low light.

tomad Loc: North Carolina

Sony RX10 IV!

Richard HZ Loc: Indiana, US

Is there compatibility problem for D850 with 500PF? See the description of the following from B&H web: Specialized electromagnetic aperture mechanism provides greater exposure control stability that is especially beneficial when working with fast continuous shooting rates.

This mechanism limits the compatibility of this lens to the following cameras: D5, D4, D3 series, Df, D850, D810, D810A, D800/E, D750, D700, D610, D600, D500, D300/S, D7500, D7200, D7100, D7000, D5600, D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3400, D3300, D3200, D3100, Nikon Z7/Z6 with FTZ, Nikon 1 J1, J2, J3, J4 with FT-1, Nikon 1 V1, V2, V3 with FT-1, and Nikon 1 S1, S2 with FT-1.