Birding Kit
Feb 12, 2021 08:31:11 #
on a DX , its like the picture is pre cropped , so if you shoot full frame the same bird will be there , but with more stuff around that you just crop .so in the end you have same bird .i have only DX cameras . but would have same end result with a full frame , just remove more surrounding .
Feb 12, 2021 09:04:15 #
agillot wrote:
on a DX , its like the picture is pre cropped , so if you shoot full frame the same bird will be there , but with more stuff around that you just crop .so in the end you have same bird .i have only DX cameras . but would have same end result with a full frame , just remove more surrounding .
It depends on the FF camera. You might get the same view by using DX mode but you’re loosing pixels, hence potentially resolution. I shoot a D500 for wildlife and it’s great. I actually see no advantage to shooting in DX mode if you’re shooting FF. If I’m using my Z7 I just shoot normally and do the cropping in post. That gives me more frame for tracking.
Feb 12, 2021 09:50:36 #
zenagain
Loc: Pueblo CO
billnikon wrote:
Interesting, Nikon just posted really great results for their mirrorless camera's. They have UPED THERE GAME.
👍👍👍👍👍
Feb 12, 2021 10:23:02 #
ClarkJohnson wrote:
I have both a D500 and Z50 (as well as a Z6). The Z50 is a great little camera, but for birding, the AF on the D500 is unbeatable. I, too, would seek to the D500 with another if mine ever failed. Even considering picking up a « gently used » one as backup. They are great cameras.
I also recommend the d500 with the Nikon 500mm f5.6 of lens. It has 10 frames per sec. the d850 cannot match that. I have it too that I use for most everything else.
Feb 12, 2021 11:33:15 #
Feb 12, 2021 11:42:18 #
agillot wrote:
on a DX , its like the picture is pre cropped , so if you shoot full frame the same bird will be there , but with more stuff around that you just crop .so in the end you have same bird .i have only DX cameras . but would have same end result with a full frame , just remove more surrounding .
If the full frame had the same number of pixels, lower pixel density, you would have lower resolution.
Nothing is free, so to speak.
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Feb 14, 2021 12:59:30 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
John Howard wrote:
Thinking of adding a DX camera to my birding equipment for the extra reach. Have been reading that the IQ is better than simply going to DX mode on an FX camera. Thinking of the D500, but it is 4 years old. Wondering if there are rumors of a Nikon replacement or upgrade pending. Giving the deals being offered I think maybe. Went to Nikon Rumors and could not get any info. Thoughts?
I see you're using the 46MP full frame Nikon cameras (D850 and Z7). In DX crop mode what's left is approx. 19MP images. That's not bad. It's more of a concern doing DX crops to a 20 to 24MP full frame image. Even a 30MP FX camera's images take a pretty big hit from DX mode.
The D500 might be 4 years old, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As DSLRs go, it's still one of the best APS-C models.
You might also want to consider the Z50 (since one of the FX models you shoot with is the Z7). The Z50 and D500 have essentially the same 21MP sensors. So does the D7500.
Older isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, one of the best DX Nikon DSLRs is the D7200, which was discontinued a couple years ago. It's a 24MP camera... so about 15% more resolution than Z50 or D500. It's also got slightly wider dynamic range than the D500 (so does your D850... I don't know how dynamic range from Z7 or Z50 compares).
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On the other hand, the D500's AF system is probably the most advanced and high performance of the DX models. While the D7500/7200 AF system is good and capable, the D500's is even better. It's essentially the same as in your D850. I don't know how the Z50's compares to D500/D850 or the Z7's AF system, for that matter.
You won't be gaining a whole lot with a D500, though. Might as well just shoot with your D850 in FX mode, then crop images later in post-processing. If you match the DX crop in post, the result is exactly the same as shooting with the camera in DX mode. But an advantage of shooting FX and later doing the crop in post is that you can shift the crop if needed, or adjust it a little larger than DX if that was just "too tight". Frankly, I don't see much purpose of shooting in DX mode unless you're using a DX lens on the camera or perhaps the crop is super critical for some reason and you're taking your time setting up the shot (which is rarely the case when "birding").
Finally, "birding" often means being mobile and trekking with your gear, in which case the weight savings of the DX format cameras might be attractive. Of course, the mirrorless cameras are even smaller and can save even more weight. On the other hand, birding sometimes means taking a lot of shots to get what you wanted, in which case the DSLRs probably get considerably more shots per battery charge.
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