agillot

I find that inside shots at a school gymnasium with average light , a modern i phone does much better then a camera .

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Funny, but I don't like to wait. Imagine if I was waiting for the Zf. It was rumored to be available in August. Still waiting. I figure if the update is so much better than the one I have, I can sell it and buy the new one. Next week, next month, or next year are ages away. I want to live my life now!

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

It's interesting that almost everyone is asking you to spend anywhere from 4-6 times the amount of money that your own suggestion indicates that you are considering. And it's true that there are some benefits to buying a current model camera, given Nikon's truncated support model for older cameras. I have (or had) and occasionally still use the cameras you list in your history (or their close kin), but neither of the ones you are considering.

Of your two choices, even given the Z6 family's reputation with limited lighting, my guess is that you would be happier with the D780. The D850 that was suggested would do great in dim gyms, but you will have to decide if you are willing to deal with the monster files it creates. You'll need pretty hefty memory cards to handle a lot of shots from a basketball game. It is still very tough to beat the versatility of the D850 if you end up wanting to use it for other things.

Another choice which is almost as versatile as the D850 is the D500. It will do almost everything the D850 will do, and I've seen nice used ones for as little as $750.

I have both of these cameras, and see no need to move to anything else. I've shopped the Z cameras pretty hard and may some day get a Z8, but right now I've got lot's better things to do with $4000 +new memory cards. For that matter, you could probably buy a nice D500 and a D850 and have approaching $2000 left over against buying a Z8. $4000 if you don't buy a Z9.

In the end, you have to make your own choice. Just i just encourage you to give all options some thought.

BebuLamar

I have to wait and buy what I want because I am not rich like you and I can't afford to buy and sell at a big lost.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

If you could afford it a Z8 is great, otherwise wait for the Z6iii later this year hopefully. If you can't wait, a Z6ii now is fine. I have the Z6ii and love it - great all around Z camera - best for everything except fastest action perhaps. I am waiting for the Z6iii and will keep the Z6ii as a second body. I am really waiting for a Z version of the D500 but that may take a long while if ever. Of course, a used D500 would be great too for fast action. Nothing wrong with a DSLR, especially if you already have F mount lenses.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

When a new camera is introduced, the critics usually rave about it. The Z8 is different, though. The critics are going beyond raving, with some of them saying that it's the best camera ever. Some have switched from other brands to Nikon just because of the Z8. Frankly, I'm surprised at this incessant praise. It's not that I don't think the Z8 is a great camera; I'm just surprised that so many online experts (Yes, I'll call them experts) are raving about it. I see some videos that hint at dislikes, but when I watch them, their dislikes amount to little more than click bait.

If you shoot with another brand of camera, fine. I'm not proselytizing here, just pointing out that so many pros are crazy about the Z8, beyond their usual praise of a new model.

photoman43

I have had a D600 and used it until I replaced it with a D 500 and D850. Either the D500 or the D850 would be better for you IMO. Make sure the shutter speeds in any body are what you need.

If your budget allows it a new Z8 or Z9 would work very well for you.

I now shoot with a Z9, D850 and D500 with mostly "old" Nikon prime lenses.

Before you buy anyhting, rent it to see if it meets your needs.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

My D850 is GREAT with Hi ISO!

neillaubenthal

A Z6II would help solve some problems…but realistically I would suggest a Z8 (if budget allows) would solve more. The newer design sensor allows much better high ISO performance and the improvements in AF…along with the IBIS and VR in the lens working in concert make using a high enough shutter speed to freeze the action and still get usable shots pretty easy…especially with the improved NR software available now…

Larry’s point about used is valid…and I have to admit I didn’t consider budget…just the capabilities. The D500…and D850 are excellent DSLRs…but the ability of the FF Z models in low light to utilize higher ISOs and still get decent shots shouldn’t be discounted…and while I never owned a D500 I did have a D7500 which uses the same sensor IIRC…and even the Z7II is much better than it was at high ISOs and the Z8/9 are better than the Z7II. I’d get is a concern for a lot of people…and I tend to sort of ignore budget when making recommendations unless the question imposes one and just go for technical solutions.

Waiting for the Z6IIi or Z7III could be a fools errand…they may or may not ever come to exist…and unless Nikon upgrades the sensors in those bodies they’re not going to provide the ISO performance or frame rates needed for sports…although the Z6II does have a decent FPS. The problem is that one of the reasons for the cost of the Z8/9 is the increased sensor and processor cost…and the improvement really requires both of those…and that could drive the price point of those bodies higher in a III model and that probably isn’t what Nikon wants to do as it lowers model differentiation from both a capability and price POV…not to mention the ‘those don’t exist’ issue which will probably eventually be solved but who knows when…and some people will bitch when/if they arrive anyway because it doesn’t do;have xx.

btbg

Yes but it is not a sports camera. Very limited frame rate. I own a D500, D5, and D850. They are all great cameras, but the difference between any of them, even the D5 and the Z9 is night and day and sports is specifically what the op is asking about. At this point in time if you have enough money mirrorless is the only way to go for sports.

Dalbon

I have the Nikon D-800 I'm thinking of selling if that will do you any good. It's in very good condition and I have the battery and charger for it also.
David

Bill McKenna

I have a D6 to shoot my son's basketball games in some of the worst gyms in the world relative to lighting. Not bad. Best I've found.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

I don't shoot sports, I do shoot birds in flight. It's hard for me to believe that my D850 couldn't keep up with basketball players! My D500 doesn't do quite as well in low light, but it does do 10 fps. They both have fantastic focusing systems.
I guess it's a good thing I don't do sports...I have no plans to go mirrorless, and it's not about money!

btbg

I'm glad that you are happy with your cameras. Like I said, the D850 is a great camera, but compared to the Z9 it is in the dark ages. You can get about eight or nine frames per second with the D850 if you are lucky. The Z9 will shoot 30 in raw and 120 in jpeg mode.

The Z9 will shoot up to a second before you push the shutter button, so it makes shooting lightning or batters in baseball much easier than ever before. It is better in low light. It is better when it comes to shooting double exposures. The Z9 is better in low light. The Z9 does much better at focusing directly on the eye when you are shooting wide open. It focuses more quickly and more accurately. It is simply a far better camera.

You can take great photos with a D850, but remember the op was directly asking about sports photography, which is what I do for a living, and the two cameras are not even close. The only reason I still use my D850 at all is there are times when I don't want to have to change lenses during an event, so I carry more than one body. I might have a 600F4 on the Z9, a 70-200 on my D5 and a 24-70 on my D850 so that I can cover anything that happens during the event, but you will notice that the D850 gets the widest angle lens, meaning it gets used the least of the three.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

All true. But also about six times the cost of the options the OP indicates that he is considering. And about four times the cost of a nice used D850.