OK, it's a little outside the box but I can see 80U (Undecillion)

Yes - this is part of what I was talking about. If you go Sony there are a lot of online classes some of which are very helpful.

It can be pretty much a big change. I went through it a couple of years ago--Nikon d7100 to Sony a7iii. I sold my Nikon and lenses and started getting Sony lenses. Here are some of my thoughts on the change--you will have to decide what's important to you and what types of pictures you like to take. Overall I am glad I made the switch.

Learning curve--it's pretty steep. Sony is way more complicated and there are about a million options. In my old brain it's like pouring oil into a bucket with a lot of holes--each time you learn about the Sony it goes into the bucket and a lot runs out. Slowly (for me) the holes slowly clog up and more oil remains in the bucket. But it's fun learning new things and frustrating. The reality is I do not need or care about most of the options on the Sony so that has helped because I've learned what I need.

IQ--is definitely better on the Sony (full frame) but it's a little hard to judge as I did get good shots on my Nikon.

Low light is a huge improvement on the Sony but I was using a d7100 which is not known for low light performance (I think the d500 is better at that). To me this is a big plus.

Crop frame vs Full frame. I'm not sure about this. I think the full frame is what gives me better low light and IQ but I do miss the telephoto factor on the crop frame. I'm working on finding the right Sony lens to take care of that but generally the lenses are heavier to achieve the same telephoto. The last year has made it hard to compare because I can't travel to exotic places where telephoto is important to me.

Weight--don't expect a great weight difference. I started thinking I'd have lighter equipment but after going over everything I didn't get that. I guess I need to spend more time exercising for a few more years.

You have a great system but to me it's always an adventure to try something different and see what I can get from it. You just need to consider what type of pictures you want and under what circumstances. Good luck and good shooting...

I appreciate your review and comments. Will look for more. I am working on getting more reach for my Sony a7iii as I hope to be out again where I'll need it. I have the Sony 70-300 which is a good lens but does not have the reach I'll need. I particularly appreciate any comparisons between the 600 prime and the 200-600. Each seems to have advantages although I tend toward the flexibility of the zoom. Nice pic--I'll watch for more.

Funny about the birds--here in SOCAL we're seeing more birds since the pandemic. The wild Mexican parrots are around all the time and many song birds that we haven't seen in years are turning up. ???

Same here--I'm left handed and write with a curl so I drag my hand through the ink. Keyboards were one of the greatest inventions ever for me. (I even took typing in HS).

Fun morning exercise. All were pretty easy although first time through I didn't see the emoji difference. Second time I looked at it it just jumped out at me. Nice post.

Ya, I just hate it when that happens--you just can't trust your friends any more...

Same here and I would suspect that most of us can do these things. The fact is we no longer need to do them just like we don't know how best to fight off a saber tooth tiger...

This is so true...

I still always carry paper maps. Specially on my motorcycle--I always keep a relevant one open on my tank bag. The only difference now is that I have to look for specialized maps because AAA maps (which are OK for freeways and major highways) tend to really be off on back roads. As an aside, I also use a grease pencil to write the name of the roads or highways I want to turn on that day to make it easier to remember.

Second that. Prices on Sony cameras at the different outlets above are somewhat lower than I paid for my Sony a7iii and lenses about this time last year.

Mostly Fed Ex does a good job but sometimes things go wrong. Do hope they do not give you any trouble concerning your loss.

I've had good luck with them except for the other day. Pandemic difficulties have convinced me to undertake many home jobs. Last week I painted my front porch. To be safe I only painted half at a time and I put a saw horse with a big sign saying, "Wet Paint - Please put packages on 'right/left' side" and had an arrow pointing to that side. You got it--the first Fed Ex delivery the guy walked around the saw horse and dumped the box on the wet paint. No damage but it was a bit annoying and you've got to wonder if they have a reading test for drivers. (That's mean because most of the drivers are great.)

Groan... (but quite funny)

Very interesting point that I will second. I don't look at all award winning pictures but I do see lots of pictures in various formats and forums and I constantly see the same shortcomings in composition, depth of field, contrast and motion to name a few issues. While I approve of having the best equipment you can afford I agree with all those who point out that the photographer is the biggest variable.

Just my experience--you can read about the technical differences. From my experience, pluses and minuses, the switch was worth it.

I shot with a Nikon d7100 (crop frame) for years using both Nikon and Tamron lenses. I really liked that camera but it got heavy, I was having issues with low light shots and I felt my image quality (IQ) was not what I wanted.

So I sold everything and switched to the Sony a7iii (full frame mirrorless) and went with Sony lenses so far. First the negative. (1) The weight is about the same. (2) I have not made up for the telephoto which I shoot a lot. (3) The learning curve for Sony menus is steep and I have not completely mastered it although I have mostly gotten what I want. (4) I'm not sure that I have completely mastered the focus options.

Positive. (1) When I get everything right the IQ is noticeably better. (Like someone else commented--I noticed a couple of people on safari who were using mirrorless and their images were better than my Nikon.) (2) Low light is significantly better and on most trips I shoot a significant amount in low light. (3) When I get the focus right it's really amazing. (4) The weight hasn't put me off . . . yet. (5) I enjoy challenges and learning the new system has really gotten me interested again .

So overall I am glad I made the change. After selling the Nikon and lenses buying the Sony was not a horrible outlay of cash but it was significant. I just have two lenses now (Sony FE 4/24-105 G OSS and Sony FE 4.5-5.6/70--300 G OSS). At 300mm full frame I miss my crop frame with a 400mm lens so it will cost me money and weight to deal with that.

Hope this gives you some insight into my experience and things to think about.