RLSprouse
Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)
I have a D850 (and several other DSLR bodies) and a slew of F-mount lenses, and resisted the move to mirrorless for quite a while. I finally went for a Z7. I'm quickly falling in love with it. The FTZ adapter works flawlessly with the F-mount lenses, although as has been noted, autofocus does not work with older AF lenses that require the "screwdriver" AF motors in the DSLR bodies.
That said, you stated that you are into shooting BIF, and the AF systems in the Z series bodies are not yet on a par with the best DSLR bodies. In your case, you may want to wait and see what the next high-end Z series body (Z8?) offers, for that reason. My $1/50.
CHG_CANON wrote:
There are three responses to a great image: yes, no, or they must have used a mirrorless camera.
Don’t you produce all your great images with a Canon 5D Mark iii?
RahulKhosla wrote:
Mostly the D5 and 500 for action and 850 for stills. Seems the best policy is to wait for improvements in the Z’s to come.
I have a Z7 and I love it. The images I’m getting with landscapes and macro blow me away. The D500 with the 200-500 is still my go to for wildlife, especially BIF. I’m really looking forward to the Z mount 200-600 that’s hopefully coming next year.
cjc2
Loc: Hellertown PA
RahulKhosla wrote:
I have a lot of Nikon gear, so am pretty deeply "invested" in that brand. None of the three bodies I have (D5/850/500) are mirrorless and I have been thinking about adding a mirrorless body to the arsenal to get faster shutter speed and AF esp for BIF and wildlife action as well as for better video capabilities.
I have the same cameras as you with the addition of a Z6 as well as a D6. Not sure why you think the Z series will result in either a faster shutter speed and/or AF because neither is true. Only the D6 has AF better than the D5, and that's yet to be proven by my personal experience due to the current situation. Can't speak about video as I don't use it at all. I purchased my Z6 to save weight and because I can use many of my existing Nikon lenses. I have two S lenses and am very happy with both, but the Z6 isn't my choice for any sports since I own the D5 and D6 along with the D850 and D500. If you're heavily invested in Nikon, I'd recommend a Z series. Best of luck.
I have Olympus mirrorless cameras but I have been using Nikon for more than 55 years. I invested in Olympus because when I did Nikon did not have a mirrorless camera that met my needs.
I am not familiar with Nikon mirrorless cameras and I do not believe that for action or wildlife their mirrorless bodies are better than dSLR cameras.
If I were you I would wait for a new camera with more advanced AF system and most probably new and better technology.
When you know you need a mirrorless camera, you have the knowledge to succeed.
RahulKhosla wrote:
Basically looking for quicker shutter speed (more than the DSLRs I own) and faster AF
The chance of using your Nikon glass on a Sony with an adapter being faster to focus doesn’t seem likely. As for shutter speed, you D500 and D850 can both shoot at 1/8000 of a second. Do you really need faster?
tomcat wrote:
Interesting comment you gave about the Z6 hunting for focus in low light. What were the ISO values when you were experiencing this problem? I shoot high school volleyball and basketball in dim gyms at ISO values of 10-12,000 ISO with no problems whatsoever on achieving focus and continuously tracking the ball and players movements. I use the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 s lens It outperformed the D5
I don't remember exactly what the settings were. We're talking about focusing though, not high ISO noise performance. The sensor has its native ISO and the signal is boosted when increasing ISO. I don't think the ISO settings affects focusing performance.
CHG_CANON wrote:
The first next-step for all photographers contemplating a move to mirrorless is to sell all their DX / EF-S equipment. If they've already made this action, the next next-step is to sell all their DSLR-style lenses where there is already a superior Z / RF / E-mount lens. The final-step is to sell-off all the DSLR bodies. Don't let a mirror stop you from being the photographer you could become.
Unless you have a 10 year plan for your current DSLR bodies. Then you just extoll the virtues of mirrorless to others while using your DSLR’s.
tomcat wrote:
Interesting comment you gave about the Z6 hunting for focus in low light. What were the ISO values when you were experiencing this problem? I shoot high school volleyball and basketball in dim gyms at ISO values of 10-12,000 ISO with no problems whatsoever on achieving focus and continuously tracking the ball and players movements. I use the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 s lens It outperformed the D5
I’m guessing he tested it before the firmware updates.
RahulKhosla wrote:
I have a lot of Nikon gear, so am pretty deeply "invested" in that brand. None of the three bodies I have (D5/850/500) are mirrorless and I have been thinking about adding a mirrorless body to the arsenal to get faster shutter speed and AF esp for BIF and wildlife action as well as for better video capabilities. I have heard a lot about the wonders of Sony and other mirrorless bodies and lenses - however, going outside the Nikon range would mean interoperability problems. What would you wise people advise?
a) stick with Nikon?
b) if yes, which one?
c) if not, what would you recommend and how would compatibility / interoperability be solved?
d) should I just shut up and stick with DSLR's ?!!
I have a lot of Nikon gear, so am pretty deeply &q... (
show quote)
Hi, I bought a Nikon Z7 and a Sony A9 and learnt a few things I want to share:
Background: I don't have a D5 but I have D3/850/750/500 and loads of Nikkor lens and accessories. I bought Z7 when it first came out with the kit lens and I am very happy with its picture quality, versatility, and weight. I am not a wedding/sport photographer so the lack of dual card slots is not a problem.
1. The stacked CMOS sensors technology is the reason I purchased Sony A9. I don’t have D5 to compare but the A9’s keeper rate is a tad better than D500. I don’t know if that minute difference will justify the change of the whole eco system.
2. If you want to take extremely high-resolution bird-in-flight and high-speed sport photographs. Waiting is probably a good strategy to see if the camera manufacturers will move the A9, A9II, D5, D6, D500 (all 24MP) high frame rate technology to a larger sensor camera. The most mirrorless cameras on the market today and your DSLRs will handle the landscape / portraiture / medium keeper rate sport / wildlife photography with ease.
We all know that camera lens is more important than camera body.
3. Do not wait for Sony to change its lens E-mount size from 46.1mm to 55mm (Nikon mirrorless Z-mount). Even if it happens the current E-mount lens will not perform 100% via the adapter. Nikon FTZ adapter taught me a practical lesson.
4. The shorter flange distance and larger lens mount size will afford Nikon to build higher quality and lighter future Z lens that’s why I only rent GM100-400mm or FE600mm lens for the A9 and keep my Nikon 500mm prime with 1.4 extender on D850 (they will do the job as A9 + FE 600mm and $15,000 cheaper). I am waiting to see the Nikon Z 200-600mm lens specs.
5. Dual card slots are good for backup, but not necessarily for speed. Two XQD, XQD Express, or SD Express are good for both backup and speed, but they come with a hefty price.
Hope this will help.
RahulKhosla wrote:
I have a lot of Nikon gear, so am pretty deeply "invested" in that brand. None of the three bodies I have (D5/850/500) are mirrorless and I have been thinking about adding a mirrorless body to the arsenal to get faster shutter speed and AF esp for BIF and wildlife action as well as for better video capabilities. I have heard a lot about the wonders of Sony and other mirrorless bodies and lenses - however, going outside the Nikon range would mean interoperability problems. What would you wise people advise?
a) stick with Nikon?
b) if yes, which one?
c) if not, what would you recommend and how would compatibility / interoperability be solved?
d) should I just shut up and stick with DSLR's ?!!
I have a lot of Nikon gear, so am pretty deeply &q... (
show quote)
If you have the D850, I would go with the Z7. My D850 is on the shelf and I carry two Z7s in the field to limit lens changes. I am not sure about the mirrorless for wildlife photography but as I do only flowers, landscapes, and some still life it more than serves my purposes and is a tad lighter.
Your glass will work with the Nikon adapter although the Z-Mount lenses are
so much sharper than and F Mount lens I have ever worked with.
I always smile with these discussions of GAS. Come on, as a Nikon user since the D80, I've had most of their cameras and way too many lenses. The images are superb with all and the AF continues to improve. The sensors are improving as the technology develops. Are any of us at a point we really "need" the latest best-us gear. Weight maybe, but at what costs??? Thankfully, Nikon has made a very functional adaptor so you can carry your DSLR lenses over to the Z line. A small Sony 6---- line or small Fuji works great for street photography, but maybe not much better than our evolving cell phones which are the lightest and least intrusive of all, and always available. Your current combination offers a full spectrum use and quality. I had a D500 with my 810 and 850; sold it after not using it for about a year and have deeply regretted it since for wildlife, especially birds. I just don't see what goodies in the immediate future that would justify the costs and hassle of a major gear change.
The grass is always greener when captured with a mirrorless camera.
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