billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I am 73 and own a Nikon D500 and D850, I use these primarily for landscapes and people.
I also own the Sony a9 and the Sony 200-600 mm zoom for wildlife. If your into wildlife you could buy the a9 or a9II (same guts) off ebay for a really good price, the Sony 200-600 would cost you an extra 2 grand. You should end up around 4-5 grand depending on the number of clicks on the a9 or a9II.
If you then go to the Z9 you could easily sell the a9 with 200-600.
This way you could see if the Sony is going to work for you. Both the a9 and Z9 shoot 20fps RAW.
You can get great results with which ever way you decide to go, sharpness is basically up to the photographer, not the equipment.
Below is an example of what I get with my a9 and 200-600 mm.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
Glossy Ibis with nesting material.

ScottWardwell Loc: Maine

So exactly what are you missing out on at 74 with the D850? If you can't wait for the Z9, then go Sony today and be happy.
The 850 is still the king of DSLRs and there are a lot more of them in use in the real world than will be Z9s in the next couple years. Nikon will have a real solid marketplace winner in the Z9, but only if they can ramp-up production beyond the estimated 3500 a month they are churning out now.

Bill_de Loc: US

Unfortunately you can't cut the line just because you are 74 or because you are one of thousands of people who have been using Nikon gear since '72. Should a 75 year old who has been with Nikon since '71 get to cut in ahead of you.

If you feel slighted, go ahead and switch.
When the Z9 becomes readily available you can kick yourself in the backside when you realize what your unwillingness to wait cost you in $$$.

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camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I am in agreement with others, you have plenty of gear to make beautiful images. If weight is a concern then I can understand your intentions of going mirrorless but pay good attention, sometimes mirrorless is not the best solution to the weight problem.
Never ask someone else what camera to buy because that is a personal decision. Look at the camera you want, see if its ergonomics are to your liking, see if it feels comfortable when shooting with it and most important, see if the camera has the bells and whistles you need in your photography.

"I even sent a letter to Nikon saying that I had been a customer since 1972.....they don't even care!" This is not the Nikon of the 70's when Ehrenreich was the US CEO. He used to pay photographers to test cameras and lenses and report back to him, he then will travel to Japan to talk to executives there about what photographers here felt was necessary to improve the camera or lens. Customer service was top notch. When Ehrenreich was no longer at Nikon things began to deteriorate and service to customers changed radically. I did have my problems when I bought a Nikon 6006 that was using battery power as if there was no tomorrow. They never accepted my complaints and I had to write to the Japanese CEO who promptly exchanged that camera for a 8008, a far better camera without issues. Over the years I have not seen them change very much although when they work with a camera or lens they do an excellent job. In spite of that I try not to use them for repairs and instead I go to APS out of Morton Groove, Illinois or I select SPTS here in Miami.

My advise, keep on using what you have.

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

He listed several Nikon cameras he owns, and said he has lots of Nikon lenses!

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Such a narrow point of view of what a “real” photographer is. Try shooting a sporting event or wildlife with a “normal” lens and zoom8ng with your feet.

BebuLamar

You can't zoom with your feet. The perspective will be different. Sometimes it's better to get close and use a wider angle lens. Sometimes it's better to stay far away and use a long lens.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

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Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

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cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

The amount of whining about getting just about anything just amazes me, especially from folks old enough to understand. There are so many supply chain issues right now and so much trouble overseas with factories being taken out of commission, its amazing we get anything. Nikon stated, very early on, that it would take quite a while to fulfill orders based upon the unexpectedly high volume of them they received. Be patient! Jeeze!

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

The only reason I can think of to go to a mirrorless camera is because it is quiet.

Chuck

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

The Z lenses are sharper .....
.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

There are no limits to what you can accomplish when you own the best equipment.

leftj Loc: Texas

Buy both. Delimma solved.