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OK, another mirrorless and full frame question
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Jan 2, 2019 06:06:47   #
deanfl Loc: Georgia
 
jaycoffman wrote:
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering changing from my Nikon d7100 to a mirrorless in the near future. My two main reasons are that I hope to lighten and shrink my equipment even a small amount as it's getting harder to lug my d7100 and Tamron 18-400 lens around. I realize there will be some change in how I view my photography with a mirrorless and also that some lenses will be as big as what I have but between lugging the gear in the tank bag of my bike and jumping in and out of safari vehicles and walking through the brush I'm ready for a little relief. Second, I also find myself pushing the ISO in the d7100 for a lot of shots in very low light conditions and a lot of my pictures are very difficult to bring back from the snow factor when using high ISOs even with subscription Lightroom/Photoshop. My 50mm makes pushing possible but not enough for acceptable pictures.

Right now many reviewers are saying that the mirrorless Nikon Z6 is the best buy now but there are as many still sticking the the Sony a7III (both are at about the same price point). The Nikon attracts me because I'm used to Nikons. If I get the Z6 I'll also get the 24-70mm f4 lens for my general lens.

First Question: My two main lenses on my d7100 are the Tamron 18-400 and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens. Both are, I believe, for the crop sensor. So if I get the adapter for the Z6 will these work for me on the full frame Z6? I know they will increase the bulk when I need to use them but I will no longer need to use the 18-400 as a walk-around lens.

Second Question: Will I see low light improvement in the quality of my pictures with a mirrorless? (I understand that I am responsible for the content and getting the exposure factors right and I will always be working on that.) Low light performance is one of the things advertised about these full frame mirrorless cameras.

Last Question: Nikon vs. Sony--Will I have to do anything special with the FTZ cards, are they expensive and does anyone have experience with them?

If anyone has any other cameras in this range I'm open to suggestions. I'm not a pro and won't be but I do like trying to get good images that I can use in picture stories and other things but probably no huge prints.

Thanks for any thoughts. I will go to the local camera store tomorrow to see how each of these cameras feels to me and see what they say about my issues but I've been somewhat disappointed in their advice in the past which is why I'm posing this question.
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering c... (show quote)


I recommend that you consider getting a Nikon D5500 or D5600. I also use a Nikon D7100...but mainly for landscapes...on a tripod. I also have and use the Tamron 18-400...but normally use it with the D5500...thr D5500 is lighter, newer, and has a flippy, touch screen.

Many people who want to lighten their load seem to jump to considering Mirrorless...the Nikon D5500 or D5600 is a very capable camera....very budget friendly as a refurb or even new.

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 06:12:26   #
Flickwet Loc: NEOhio
 
imagemeister wrote:
Wow, that's quite an attitude/rant you have there !.....

..

Always the same drivel from bipod, unrelenting... ask him to post a picture that he has produced...nuttin, just a deformed little creature that lives under a bridge.

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Jan 2, 2019 06:16:24   #
CO
 
I rented the Z6 with the 24-70 f/4 S lens for one week recently. I used my D500 side-by-side with the Z6 for comparison purposes. I can say that the Z6 autofocus is not as good as the autofocus in the D500. The Z6 would often hunt in even slightly dim light. My D500 would acquire focus right away. The Z6 does have a low-light autofocus mode. It improves things a little. It's still very good autofocus but for low light or action photos I would trust my D500 AF a little more. One thing that's good is that no AF fine tuning is needed. It nails the best focus every time since it's finding the highest contrast at the sensor.

I took photos with the Z6 at up to ISO10000. The photos still looked good but colors were becoming a little wonky and the resolution was dropping.

It's actually XQD cards not FTZ. I use them in my D500. They're more robust than SD cards and have higher transfer rates. They have the same type of contacts inside as SD cards which I think is good. I'm glad Nikon went with those instead of CF or CFast cards. The CF cards have pins that have been known to bend or break.

I agree with imagemeister above about the quality of the images with lenses that are designed for the Z cameras. I was very impressed with the 24-70 f/4 S lens. The image quality is stellar I always thought that Nikon's AF-S (ultrasonic silent wave motor) lenses were very smooth and quiet. The stepping motor in the 24-70 f/4 S lens seems to be even quieter. It's so quiet and smooth that the only way to know it's focusing is when you see the subject come into focus in the viewfinder.

I also want to purchase a Z6 but want to wait a little to see what the D750 replacement is going to be like.

I did comparison shots with the Z6 and my D500. I made diptychs with them for comparison purposes. I'll post them below. Some of the differences can be attributed to the different lenses also.

Left image Z6. Right image D500
Left image Z6. Right image D500...
(Download)

Top image Z6. Bottom image D500
Top image Z6. Bottom image D500...
(Download)

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Jan 2, 2019 06:23:19   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
jaycoffman wrote:
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering changing from my Nikon d7100 to a mirrorless in the near future. My two main reasons are that I hope to lighten and shrink my equipment even a small amount as it's getting harder to lug my d7100 and Tamron 18-400 lens around. I realize there will be some change in how I view my photography with a mirrorless and also that some lenses will be as big as what I have but between lugging the gear in the tank bag of my bike and jumping in and out of safari vehicles and walking through the brush I'm ready for a little relief. Second, I also find myself pushing the ISO in the d7100 for a lot of shots in very low light conditions and a lot of my pictures are very difficult to bring back from the snow factor when using high ISOs even with subscription Lightroom/Photoshop. My 50mm makes pushing possible but not enough for acceptable pictures.

Right now many reviewers are saying that the mirrorless Nikon Z6 is the best buy now but there are as many still sticking the the Sony a7III (both are at about the same price point). The Nikon attracts me because I'm used to Nikons. If I get the Z6 I'll also get the 24-70mm f4 lens for my general lens.

First Question: My two main lenses on my d7100 are the Tamron 18-400 and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens. Both are, I believe, for the crop sensor. So if I get the adapter for the Z6 will these work for me on the full frame Z6? I know they will increase the bulk when I need to use them but I will no longer need to use the 18-400 as a walk-around lens.

Second Question: Will I see low light improvement in the quality of my pictures with a mirrorless? (I understand that I am responsible for the content and getting the exposure factors right and I will always be working on that.) Low light performance is one of the things advertised about these full frame mirrorless cameras.

Last Question: Nikon vs. Sony--Will I have to do anything special with the FTZ cards, are they expensive and does anyone have experience with them?

If anyone has any other cameras in this range I'm open to suggestions. I'm not a pro and won't be but I do like trying to get good images that I can use in picture stories and other things but probably no huge prints.

Thanks for any thoughts. I will go to the local camera store tomorrow to see how each of these cameras feels to me and see what they say about my issues but I've been somewhat disappointed in their advice in the past which is why I'm posing this question.
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering c... (show quote)


Many folks have found advantages of both systems. A growing number of photographers now shoot both.

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Jan 2, 2019 06:27:30   #
Delderby Loc: Derby UK
 
jaycoffman wrote:
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering changing from my Nikon d7100 to a mirrorless in the near future. My two main reasons are that I hope to lighten and shrink my equipment even a small amount as it's getting harder to lug my d7100 and Tamron 18-400 lens around. I realize there will be some change in how I view my photography with a mirrorless and also that some lenses will be as big as what I have but between lugging the gear in the tank bag of my bike and jumping in and out of safari vehicles and walking through the brush I'm ready for a little relief. Second, I also find myself pushing the ISO in the d7100 for a lot of shots in very low light conditions and a lot of my pictures are very difficult to bring back from the snow factor when using high ISOs even with subscription Lightroom/Photoshop. My 50mm makes pushing possible but not enough for acceptable pictures.

Right now many reviewers are saying that the mirrorless Nikon Z6 is the best buy now but there are as many still sticking the the Sony a7III (both are at about the same price point). The Nikon attracts me because I'm used to Nikons. If I get the Z6 I'll also get the 24-70mm f4 lens for my general lens.

First Question: My two main lenses on my d7100 are the Tamron 18-400 and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens. Both are, I believe, for the crop sensor. So if I get the adapter for the Z6 will these work for me on the full frame Z6? I know they will increase the bulk when I need to use them but I will no longer need to use the 18-400 as a walk-around lens.

Second Question: Will I see low light improvement in the quality of my pictures with a mirrorless? (I understand that I am responsible for the content and getting the exposure factors right and I will always be working on that.) Low light performance is one of the things advertised about these full frame mirrorless cameras.

Last Question: Nikon vs. Sony--Will I have to do anything special with the FTZ cards, are they expensive and does anyone have experience with them?

If anyone has any other cameras in this range I'm open to suggestions. I'm not a pro and won't be but I do like trying to get good images that I can use in picture stories and other things but probably no huge prints.

Thanks for any thoughts. I will go to the local camera store tomorrow to see how each of these cameras feels to me and see what they say about my issues but I've been somewhat disappointed in their advice in the past which is why I'm posing this question.
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering c... (show quote)


You are interested in best IQ but walk around with a 22 x zoom?

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 06:34:19   #
Flickwet Loc: NEOhio
 
jaycoffman wrote:
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering changing from my Nikon d7100 to a mirrorless in the near future. My two main reasons are that I hope to lighten and shrink my equipment even a small amount as it's getting harder to lug my d7100 and Tamron 18-400 lens around. I realize there will be some change in how I view my photography with a mirrorless and also that some lenses will be as big as what I have but between lugging the gear in the tank bag of my bike and jumping in and out of safari vehicles and walking through the brush I'm ready for a little relief. Second, I also find myself pushing the ISO in the d7100 for a lot of shots in very low light conditions and a lot of my pictures are very difficult to bring back from the snow factor when using high ISOs even with subscription Lightroom/Photoshop. My 50mm makes pushing possible but not enough for acceptable pictures.

Right now many reviewers are saying that the mirrorless Nikon Z6 is the best buy now but there are as many still sticking the the Sony a7III (both are at about the same price point). The Nikon attracts me because I'm used to Nikons. If I get the Z6 I'll also get the 24-70mm f4 lens for my general lens.

First Question: My two main lenses on my d7100 are the Tamron 18-400 and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens. Both are, I believe, for the crop sensor. So if I get the adapter for the Z6 will these work for me on the full frame Z6? I know they will increase the bulk when I need to use them but I will no longer need to use the 18-400 as a walk-around lens.

Second Question: Will I see low light improvement in the quality of my pictures with a mirrorless? (I understand that I am responsible for the content and getting the exposure factors right and I will always be working on that.) Low light performance is one of the things advertised about these full frame mirrorless cameras.

Last Question: Nikon vs. Sony--Will I have to do anything special with the FTZ cards, are they expensive and does anyone have experience with them?

If anyone has any other cameras in this range I'm open to suggestions. I'm not a pro and won't be but I do like trying to get good images that I can use in picture stories and other things but probably no huge prints.

Thanks for any thoughts. I will go to the local camera store tomorrow to see how each of these cameras feels to me and see what they say about my issues but I've been somewhat disappointed in their advice in the past which is why I'm posing this question.
It may just be a GAS attack but I am considering c... (show quote)

The future is mirrorless, for size reduction any crop sensor will be much smaller, full size is still ruled by lens. Only at extremes will differences be apparent between formats. M43 and Fuji are both terrific and much smaller than full size.
I went with m43’s BUT! I had trouble with the haptics of the small size and numerous un-labeled “f” buttons and switches (em1.1). So I went back to what worked all the time for me, Nikon dslr’s.
You will not see lowlight improvement because of “mirrorless”, you will see improved lowlight performance from a newer system, or increase in sensor size.
Being able to adjust exposure with wysiwyg is priceless, at first; then you get the lag, hate lag, it’s not significant like it used to be, but it’s there and I hate it. After a while you really don’t need the wysiwyg as much.
I had issues with menus, things settings etc., would change on me with the touch screen, I’d have to stop what I was doing,sit down, put my reading glasses on and miss the shot while I was trying to correct whatever was wrong. Although I think I’m just old...
The Z6 at least shares the ergos of the Nikon system.
Lastly: with the reduced flange distance of any mirrorless system wide angle lenses can be designed without the compromises of retro-focus, not a big deal but there is that.

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Jan 2, 2019 06:52:53   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
For anyone who has already decided on a Z6 but has not yet purchased, as of 6:30am Amazon is still showing the $100 off the FTZ if purchased with a camera. Officially that ended December 31.

--

Reply
 
 
Jan 2, 2019 08:09:31   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
I would first check the specs of bodies and lenses and see how much weight you are going to save by spending several thousand dollars.

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 08:22:07   #
mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA
 
Bipod wrote:
This sounds like a smoke screen. Either this person is totally deluded by
marketing, or he is marketing. Assuming the former:

Try a smart phone: smaller and lighter (since that's what you care about).
Also faster and cheaper! And you can make phone calls with it.

Funny how painters don't mind carrying around easels and paintboxes,
but amateur photoraphers now complain about the weight of their (mostly
plastic) cameras. Try a Nikon F2! Or a Sinar!

There is nothing new about mirrorless or tiny formats. Minox was both.
It's just that people used to care about image quality, and they were willing
to work to get good photographs. Times have changed.

Electronic viewfinders are new. They do the job of an optical viewfinder,
but with lower resolution and lower contrast. However, an EVF can do three
things an OVF can't do: mess up the color, introduce a time lag and create
a big battery drain. We all love dead batteries!

Optical viewfinders draw 0 mA. And you are seeing the actual light from
the subject. EVF displays can't even match the sensor's contrast or
resolution.

Eventually, EVFs may be excellent. And global shutters (or even a separate
solid-state optical shutter) may be able to replace the mechanical shutter
in high-end cameras. But not today. Today mirrorless is a step backwards.
Before 1861, all cameras were mirrorless.

The reason EVIL/MILC cameras are being heavily promoted is that they are
cheaper to manufactuer: less labor to assemble. That's good for the
manufactuer, but not good for you unlessthey pass along the savings---
which they are not doing. A Nikon Z7 costs $1000 more than a D-850
(both 45 megapixels). A Nikon Z6 costs about the same as the D800 did
(both about 24 megapixels).

You are paying more for less. You are a good consumer---the Nippon
Manufacturer's Association loves you.

You might be surprised by Henri Cartier-Bresson's "walk-around lens".
Or that of Annie Liebovitz, Bill Cunningham, Terry Richardson, Don McCullin
or Bruce Barnbaum. (Of course, one shouldn't listen to famous photographers,
only to advertising.)

Did you know you can now get a computerized minature bicycle? And
Tonka makes very small, compact trucks.

Or you could take up knitting instead of fauxtography (or marketing?).
This sounds like a smoke screen. Either this pers... (show quote)


So.... how do you really feel?

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Jan 2, 2019 08:37:13   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
Flickwet wrote:
Always the same drivel from bipod, unrelenting... ask him to post a picture that he has produced...nuttin, just a deformed little creature that lives under a bridge.


There is a place for this kind of drivel. This just isn't the place. There are many successful blogs and radio talk shows that thrive on this kind of crap. Unfortunately he or she landed here on what is supposed to be discussions on photography. The admin accepts it, so we can all ignore it or read it for a laugh. Just don't let it get under your skin.

I don't know if there is a connection, but there is a Bipod Photography presence on Facebook.


https://www.facebook.com/BiPodPhotography/


---

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 08:44:25   #
mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma
 
I'm a big fan of the Olympus OMD series. You should check out the e-M 1 Mark II. The Olympus internal stabilization is phenominal, weather proofed and wide assortment of lenses. If you're trying to lighten your load... I have the M 5 II. My go to lens is the equivalent of a 28-300. The two combined weigh less than my Nikon 70-200 f/4. I'm getting better images and my camera gets to go more places because it's no longer a pain to haul around.

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Jan 2, 2019 09:16:47   #
Beejank
 
If your #1 goal os lighten your load, I recommend looking at the M-4/3rds cameras. Being an older guy I just got tired of the aches from lugging. Now shooting with an Olympus OMD em-1Mii. Everything has its trade-offs but all in very happy. Current high end Olympus lenses are great, love the lighter weight. Major negatives are the complicated menu and some low light issues. Of course your investment in legacy glass feels like a reason to stay within the old brand, but fact is older lenses don't get best results, anyway. I sometimes get some snickers from colleagues but my back is much better and I'm very happy with my images.

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Jan 2, 2019 09:16:51   #
Mama Bear984 Loc: Langley, BC Canada
 
I was a 7100 user for years. Then changed to Fuji, I have the XT2 with 18-135 on it most of the time. I also have the 100-400 for other uses. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I ❤️ it.
I love all the firmware upgrades, no more having to buy a new camera after 2 years just to get the latest.
Do look into Fuji as well.

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 09:48:30   #
PhotoFem
 
LOL! My same sentiments. Advertising and promotion really work....for the manufacturers and sellers...not necessarily for the photographer. My suggestion would be: See if you can rent the various cameras to try them out first and see if they meet your needs. Some camera stores will let you do this.

Reply
Jan 2, 2019 10:19:18   #
wmurnahan Loc: Bloomington IN
 
You are having an attack. A FF mirrorless body will be lighter without the mirror and pentaprizm but the lenses will be the same size and weight. The only way to save wt is to move to the Panasonic/Olympus crop sensor where they are making the lenses fit the sensor. In the Sony which has been making both crop sensor and a FF, you can buy crop frame lenses that are smaller but for the most part the lenses are the same size. So is the weight savings of the body enough to switch systems? Low light should be about the same among a DSLR and a mirrorless, Sony does seem to be the leader in low light with their FF.

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