keywest305 Loc: Baltimore Md.

From a person who does some wildlife and family pics and some random sports here and there is it worth an upgrade to the D9. This is mainly for someone who upgraded from the D850. Did you after the upgrade have any regrets and if so what were some. I'm contemplating but over the years some of my upgrades I thought this wasn't worth the money to upgrade for what I do. Thoughts

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

What does you D850 not do for you that you need or want in an "upgrade"?

Bill_de Loc: US

If / when Nikon comes out with a D9 I will probably get it, as long as 'all' my old lenses will work.



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CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The biggest problem with this idea is there is no "D9".

The next biggest problem is contemplating to replace Nikon's final and best DSLR with anything, negating the $3000+ investment in a camera with an expected 200,000 shutter.

The next biggest problem is buying a professional sports mirrorless model (Z9) for $6000 for 'family pics and some wildlife'.

If you've got that kind of GAS, what glass are you shooting for 'family pics and some wildlife'? Are you going to buy mirrorless lenses too? Which ones?

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Stick with your D850.

ricardo00

Only you can decide whether your picture taking is worth upgrading to a Z9 ($5,500 for the camera plus $250 for an adapter for your current lenses). In addition to the cost of the camera, you should include extra funds for the cards and batteries plus (the biggest expense) any new Z lenses you decide to get (your older lenses will be hard to sell at a decent price). Also, if you don't use the power pack on the D850, the Z9 is quite a bit heavier. That said, there are numerous advantages to a mirrorless that have been reviewed here multiple times.
As someone who switched from the D500 to a Z9, I would say that it is fun to play with this new toy and its ability to do video (if that is something you occasionally do) far surpasses Nikon's DSLRs (both the D850 and D500). For wildlife, it works better with my 500mm PF plus TCs than a DSLR and having the ability of the camera focussing on the eyes is a great addition.
It might be worth renting one and trying it out though it does take some getting used to. So far I haven't regretted the decision to upgrade to the Z9. But for sure there are some downsides (shorter battery life, heavier). Good luck on your decision.

tramsey Loc: Texas

IF you have the best glass with your 850 nothing can economically or quality touch it for what you want to do. I have an 850 with one lens, a Nikkor 70-200 f/2. I bought both from KEH last year. I have yet to come across something that I can't shoot including BIF and indoor basketball

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Cool. If the camera does/has 5 neat new things that's only $1,000 a thing.....
Hey, it's only money, but it will make me feel so good.

therwol Loc: USA

I say if you have money to burn, do what you want. I see no advantage in spending $6000 for little or no improvement over a D850 for the kinds of pictures described above. A professional sports photographer or someone into high end video might benefit from a Z9, but then again, it has been pointed out many times on this forum that Canon and Sony win the trophy for focus tracking. It's also true that the Z9 will give you higher frame rates, but does a casual sports shooter need that? Is it worth that much money?

BebuLamar

I don't think the OP will get an answer that he wanted. Nobody can really answer that question except for the OP himself.

ricardo00

Many people would say that the D850 and the 20 lenses the OP has (a prior post) would be overkill for the kinds of pictures they described. What the financial situation of someone is and what gives them pleasure is something only they can decide. I know many people who spend much more on other hobbies. Even if a Canon or Sony or OM-1 Systems cameras might track better, the Z9 would allow the OP to use their numerous Nikon lenses.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I've been shooting with a D850 for about four years and with a D810 for a year and a half longer than that. I also have had a couple of D500s for several years and still use them a lot...more than the full frame cameras, on fact.

I've looked seriously at the Z7 and checked out the Z6 in passing. Both are a step back from the D850 except for a couple of specific benefits that don't make any difference to me. A look at the Z9 shows it to be pretty much equal to the D850 except for a couple of specific features which again, don't matter to me. The Z9 does have practically an identical operating system and user interface to the D850, although at twice the price.

Last week, I bought a second D850 at my local camera store while they were on sale. It was their last one, and I'm now looking for a MB- D18 grip for it, which may be a challenge.

I won't try to influence your choice here. You will have to decide. I will share a little bit of a discussion I had with the owner.

It seems that buyer's remorse is quite common among D850 owners who have bought or traded for Z9s. Apparently they spend the $5500, then discover that the Z9 offers no real, tangible benefit for their photography. Quite a few "undo" the trade if their old camera is still available.

If you just want something new, your choice is really pretty simple. Shooting the Z9 will be just like shooting your D850. Menu differences are primarily just to accommodate the few new functions. Your flashes and intervalometers will just plug in and work. The A1 will be something new and completely different. All new accessories.

Bill_de Loc: US

Threads like this are not meant to have definitive answers. What we and why we spend money is a personal decision. I remember when my friend/neighbor was looking at my D850 while we were standing in my driveway. He was telling me how crazy I was spending that kind of money on a camera. I pointed the camera across the street, snapped a picture and showed him the screen on the back of the camera. I asked him if that was a decent picture (it wasn't) of his $200,000 motor home. We both had a good laugh.

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Value is relative...

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I would never ask a group of internet strangers whether to spend $6000 to replace my $3000 camera. But, that's just me I guess.