Sony or Nikon wildlife/BIF

[Telscossie]

What would be peoples choice between for BIF Sony A9ii+200-600mm or D500+500pf , Currently I have Nikon kit but want to move to mirrorless but Nikon don't have the cameras at the moment I tried Z6ii but didn't like it even after firmware update and wouldn't be able to afford the Z9, so was looking at Sony I know the A9ii is meant to be a great camera but not sure how the 200-600 comes up against the 500mm pf , Any advice is much appreciated thanks .

 

[RockvilleBob]

I am in the same situation. The Z9 is overkill for me. However I am waiting for its introduction. The rumor is that SONY will introduce the A9 III probably before the Z9 is introduced. The SONY A9 III with the 200-600 lens looks like the way I migrate into mirrorless. I currently use D500s with the Nikon 500 f4G and Sigma Sport 150-600. I feel the SONY A9 III with 200-600 will be less costly than the Nikon Z9. Why Nikon designed the Z6/7, both original and II versions, with AF performance less than the D500 is beyond bewildering. Even more bewildering to me is why the Z 6/7 II did not address the AF issues. Once I get going with the A9 I will probably sell the Sigma Sport and 500G and get the SONY 600. I will likely keep the rest of my Nikon gear for my photography outside of wildlife (I live in Delaware so WIldlife = Birds)

 

[DavidT]

I have been in the same boat. I picked up a Sony a1 and 200-600 and have been trying it out. To be very candid what the Sony af does is mind blowing. I have had it out twice in the last week I have had it and still working on familiarizing myself with it and plan on having it out all weekend shooting birds.

At this point I don't see much reason to stick with Nikon. When I ordered it I planned on keeping the D850 and wide lenses as I don't need fast af for landscapes and such but the Sony is so good I can see myself migrating fully over. Not in a hurry but if my impression with the a1 continues I will buy the 600f4 this summer. I plan on picking up the macro lens for it in a few weeks which will be my second Sony lens.

Until you have tried the Sony af you don't really understand what you are missing. Mark Smith released a video yesterday and I have to say I am tracking exactly like he did on his change to Sony.

 

[Calson]

If switching to mirrorless I would not ignore the Canon cameras and their 100-500mm zoom lens or the Olympus MFT cameras that provide in camera VR along with lens VR for 8 stops of image stabilization. Sony would be my choice for video as it has been for many videographers for multiple reasons. I care as much if not more about the available lenses as I do the camera's capabilities. When I switched to Canon in 2004 to get good high ISO performance I had to put up with their terrible 24-70mm f/2.8 n(many Canon shooters used the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens instead to get accurate autofocus) and 16-35mm f/2.8 lenses. I was happy to switch back to Nikon in 2007 when the D3 and 24-70mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm f/2.8 lenses. If Nikon had not introduced the two new lenses the D3 alone would not have induced me to switch from Canon.

Canon has 4 different 400mm lens offerings as well as the 100-500mm zoom lens and that is a far superior offering than what is currently available from Sony. Nikon's saving grace is the 500mm PF lens.

 

[Roaring 40s]

The Sony 200-600 is way bigger than the 500pf.
But I like the internal focus and short-throw zoom.
All up, the AF on the D500 is more reliable but harder to use than the A9.
But the Sony images have more pop, as you'd expect.
Value for money, the D500 wins hands down.

 

[DavidT]

What would be peoples choice between for BIF Sony A9ii+200-600mm or D500+500pf , Currently I have Nikon kit but want to move to mirrorless but Nikon don't have the cameras at the moment I tried Z6ii but didn't like it even after firmware update and wouldn't be able to afford the Z9, so was looking at Sony I know the A9ii is meant to be a great camera but not sure how the 200-600 comes up against the 500mm pf , Any advice is much appreciated thanks .

I own everything you have listed for Nikon and hands down the Sony a9II and 200-600 is a better choice. The D500 I have never loved, the D850 produces a nicer image. The a9II will blow the D500 away in higher iso and af speed and fps. The 500pf is a great lens, I enjoy mine but the 200-600 is more versatile and $1,600 cheaper.

At the end of the day consider what is most important to you. Do you want more frames that are tack sharp that deliver more choices? Do you want better high iso performance? Do you want a camera that isn't outdated? If so then Sony a9 or a9II all day.

I highly suggest you watch this video that came out yesterday:

 

[ChrisM]

This video watches like one long revelation on using a mirrorless camera with a stacked sensor. I guess many have lived through this revelation. But a few remarks:

-this is all about access to an easy way of shooting fast unpredictable action moments, and about silent shooting with an EVF. Nice, but there's a lot more.
-the Sony A9 (II) is 24mp. If you want D850 resolution, you will have to get the A1 at 6500,- In which case you could say that if the Z9 is overkill, so is the A1.
-Mark Smith's story on the 500PF is something I would not dream of relating in this way in a video with his audience, without at least having tried to find out what was wrong, by trying another copy. If he did not feel like doing that, he should have left it out. Very disappointing, and to me, changes this whole video into a Sony commercial.
-His real reason for a permanent switch was the Sony 600GM. Nikon has a Z600/4 on the way. Comparing it to a Nikon 600FL is useless. His mentioning of Sony's "special sauce" sounds fishy to me.

I.m.o. and I have also been at the point of selling everything for a Sony 600GM and a A9, the game is just beginning, and it will take until the end of this year until we can stop comparing apples to oranges. My feeling is that I will like a Z9 + Z600 better than a Sony A1 + 600GM, purely based on Nikon's history of optics and dslr AF, but time will tell.

 

[DavidT]

This video watches like one long revelation on using a mirrorless camera with a stacked sensor. I guess many have lived through this revelation. But a few remarks:

-this is all about access to an easy way of shooting fast unpredictable action moments, and about silent shooting with an EVF. Nice, but there's a lot more.
-the Sony A9 (II) is 24mp. If you want D850 resolution, you will have to get the A1 at 6500,- In which case you could say that if the Z9 is overkill, so is the A1.
-Mark Smith's story on the 500PF is something I would not dream of relating in this way in a video with his audience, without at least having tried to find out what was wrong, by trying another copy. If he did not feel like doing that, he should have left it out. Very disappointing, and to me, changes this whole video into a Sony commercial.
-His real reason for a permanent switch was the Sony 600GM. Nikon has a Z600/4 on the way. Comparing it to a Nikon 600FL is useless. His mentioning of Sony's "special sauce" sounds fishy to me.

I.m.o. and I have also been at the point of selling everything for a Sony 600GM and a A9, the game is just beginning, and it will take until the end of this year until we can stop comparing apples to oranges. My feeling is that I will like a Z9 + Z600 better than a Sony A1 + 600GM, purely based on Nikon's history of optics and dslr AF, but time will tell.

I think you missed his journey. I had money set aside for the D6 and then the a1 was announced. I decided rather than buying the D6 to try the a1. It’s a balance of how to spend your money to get better results.
he has had the 600 for over a year so to say the Z 600 is coming doesn’t make much sense. When he made a choice to try something different it was with what was available then not in a couple of years.
If someone wants to sit around and wait on a lens or camera for 1-2 years that’s fine it’s their money but for others myself included I have the money now and when I look at the market and what I can buy today Nikon has no camera to compete with a9 or a1 and no native 600. The reality is when they do it will likely take months if not years to get them adding more time to the equation. Meanwhile I’m capturing images and invested in a system that is not only the leader today but likely will continue to be.
It’s a personally journey and he explained his and there are many more like him taking the same journey. Look at a forum that isn’t mostly Nikon shooters and you will see beyond the Nikon bubble, the Sony tech is bringing over a lot of shooters who have been loyal to other brands. It’s not because the Sony sucks. Frankly until I tried one I didn’t truly comprehend the difference.

 

[ChrisM]

I think you missed his journey. I had money set aside for the D6 and then the a1 was announced. I decided rather than buying the D6 to try the a1. It’s a balance of how to spend your money to get better results.
he has had the 600 for over a year so to say the Z 600 is coming doesn’t make much sense. When he made a choice to try something different it was with what was available then not in a couple of years.
If someone wants to sit around and wait on a lens or camera for 1-2 years that’s fine it’s their money but for others myself included I have the money now and when I look at the market and what I can buy today Nikon has no camera to compete with a9 or a1 and no native 600. The reality is when they do it will likely take months if not years to get them adding more time to the equation. Meanwhile I’m capturing images and invested in a system that is not only the leader today but likely will continue to be.
It’s a personally journey and he explained his and there are many more like him taking the same journey. Look at a forum that isn’t mostly Nikon shooters and you will see beyond the Nikon bubble, the Sony tech is bringing over a lot of shooters who have been loyal to other brands. It’s not because the Sony sucks. Frankly until I tried one I didn’t truly comprehend the difference.

I may not have expressed myself with enough clarity. I am all for spending your money on the best available system, regardless of brand. But Mark Smith has access to the top of Sony's camera and lens lines, and of course his journey is bright, all the more because the stacked sensor mirrorless camera opened a new world of shooting ease for him. I find him very sympathetic and great video's with a lot of imagination.
My point though, is that this topic opens with pitching Sony against a D500+500PF set-up. To begin with, the A9 is a 24mp FF camera, and puts a lot less stress on the lenses, but also limits reach. When I had a Sony lens rebate check because I bought another A7RII beginning this year I thought hard about getting a 200-600G and read a lot about an endless array of lamenting posts about the abysmal performance of this lens on the Sony A7RIV.
Bottom line: Sony was first to get a stacked sensor to do its magic, and that magic is blinding the Sony part of this world a bit too much for my taste. Sony cannot make the 200-600 perform anywhere near decent on the 3500,- A7RIV, so they are merely mortal and I don't care for the special Sony sauce story. I have time to wait myself and will welcome Nikon's Z9 with stacked sensor and the 400 and 600 primes, no doubt with dual AF motors end of this year. I think we will see quite a few Sony special sauce myths de-mystified and then we can start to choose with more sense. Anyone who does not have that time can get some great gear at Sony right now with the A1 and 200-600 or 600GM

 

[DavidT]

I may not have expressed myself with enough clarity. I am all for spending your money on the best available system, regardless of brand. But Mark Smith has access to the top of Sony's camera and lens lines, and of course his journey is bright, all the more because the stacked sensor mirrorless camera opened a new world of shooting ease for him. I find him very sympathetic and great video's with a lot of imagination.
My point though, is that this topic opens with pitching Sony against a D500+500PF set-up. To begin with, the A9 is a 24mp FF camera, and puts a lot less stress on the lenses, but also limits reach. When I had a Sony lens rebate check because I bought another A7RII beginning this year I thought hard about getting a 200-600G and read a lot about an endless array of lamenting posts about the abysmal performance of this lens on the Sony A7RIV.
Bottom line: Sony was first to get a stacked sensor to do its magic, and that magic is blinding the Sony part of this world a bit too much for my taste. Sony cannot make the 200-600 perform anywhere near decent on the 3500,- A7RIV, so they are merely mortal and I don't care for the special Sony sauce story. I have time to wait myself and will welcome Nikon's Z9 with stacked sensor and the 400 and 600 primes, no doubt with dual AF motors end of this year. I think we will see quite a few Sony special sauce myths de-mystified and then we can start to choose with more sense. Anyone who does not have that time can get some great gear at Sony right now with the A1 and 200-600 or 600GM

The OP asked for advice on 2 combos. Neither of which are the top of the line for either brand. Given the choice between the two the Sony is by far the better camera and the most versatile lens. Own them both and the 500pf has its place but given the OP choice Sony wins.
Mark has access to the same equipment we all do. He paid for all the Nikon gear and Sony gear with his own money just like the rest of us do. So I don’t really get what you mean.
People will wait on the Z9 and I hope it’s the camera everyone dreams of but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The other reality is most people won’t pay the price that camera or any other flagship cost. They likely won’t buy the big primes either.
I am investing in tools and like any tool you get what you pay for. I’d rather buy the right hammer that I can get now then wait around for a future hammer that might be as good. I’m building my house now so the tool today is where my money is going. That’s one reason I hadn’t bought into another brand until the a1. The a1 is the first camera that checked enough boxes to say yup that’s worth spending money on. For me the a9 while great was lacking in areas that I wasn’t willing to open the wallet.

 

[ChrisM]

The OP asked for advice on 2 combos. Neither of which are the top of the line for either brand. Given the choice between the two the Sony is by far the better camera and the most versatile lens. Own them both and the 500pf has its place but given the OP choice Sony wins.
Mark has access to the same equipment we all do. He paid for all the Nikon gear and Sony gear with his own money just like the rest of us do. So I don’t really get what you mean.
People will wait on the Z9 and I hope it’s the camera everyone dreams of but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The other reality is most people won’t pay the price that camera or any other flagship cost. They likely won’t buy the big primes either.
I am investing in tools and like any tool you get what you pay for. I’d rather buy the right hammer that I can get now then wait around for a future hammer that might be as good. I’m building my house now so the tool today is where my money is going. That’s one reason I hadn’t bought into another brand until the a1. The a1 is the first camera that checked enough boxes to say yup that’s worth spending money on. For me the a9 while great was lacking in areas that I wasn’t willing to open the wallet.

I don't think we're that far apart really. I never went for the A9 because 24mp on FF was just not enough for me, because reach is very important. When I heard about the A1, I was ready to consider a switch after all to a A1+200-600 combo, with the 600mm in the future. Then came the Nikon Z9 development announcement, and that settles it for me, as I have the 500PF and prefer it to any 200-600 zoom, Sony or the one Nikon has in the works. I am satisfied enough to wait it out for the Z9, but I guess more importantly, I have no doubt that the Z9 will be Sony A1 level, and neither have doubt that the Z600/4 will be at least Sony 600GM level. That is why I mentioned the non-stacked Sony A7RIV falling fár behind on AF with the 200-600. DPreview has a very enlightening article on the stacked sensor and its potential with the right processor. Nikon may need a firmware 2.0 or 3.0 update, but that they will bring the Z9 to A1 level is a given for me. Their engineers made the best dslr AF system around. They needed the right stacked sensor and a new processor, and it's on its way....

 

[NorthernFocus]

What would be peoples choice between for BIF Sony A9ii+200-600mm or D500+500pf , Currently I have Nikon kit but want to move to mirrorless but Nikon don't have the cameras at the moment I tried Z6ii but didn't like it even after firmware update and wouldn't be able to afford the Z9, so was looking at Sony I know the A9ii is meant to be a great camera but not sure how the 200-600 comes up against the 500mm pf , Any advice is much appreciated thanks .

It's a dilemma. I already own a D500 and the 500PF. The lens is absolutely amazing. And perspective from someone who has shot with a 500 f4G for several years. The D500 on the other hand underwhelms. For one thing the viewfinder blackout time(i.e. mirror down) at 10 fps is about 60 percent. That doesn't bother some people but it does me. I have to keep fps turned down to 8 or less in order to be able to track BIF. Also AF doesn't track nearly as well as the D850. Probably due to the same issue with blackout time. If I didn't already own the D850 and 500mm PF I'd be inclined toward the a9ii and 200-600. I've seen some amazing results come from that combo. Since I do own the 850/500PF I'm biding my time on the sidelines to see how things develop this year.

 

[DavidT]

I don't think we're that far apart really. I never went for the A9 because 24mp on FF was just not enough for me, because reach is very important. When I heard about the A1, I was ready to consider a switch after all to a A1+200-600 combo, with the 600mm in the future. Then came the Nikon Z9 development announcement, and that settles it for me, as I have the 500PF and prefer it to any 200-600 zoom, Sony or the one Nikon has in the works. I am satisfied enough to wait it out for the Z9, but I guess more importantly, I have no doubt that the Z9 will be Sony A1 level, and neither have doubt that the Z600/4 will be at least Sony 600GM level. That is why I mentioned the non-stacked Sony A7RIV falling fár behind on AF with the 200-600. DPreview has a very enlightening article on the stacked sensor and its potential with the right processor. Nikon may need a firmware 2.0 or 3.0 update, but that they will bring the Z9 to A1 level is a given for me. Their engineers made the best dslr AF system around. They needed the right stacked sensor and a new processor, and it's on its way....

I hope you are right but idk I don’t see them launching a camera this year that will hang with the a1. Sony admitted it took several years of development to get the a1 we have today. Fingers crossed but I think a lot of folks are going to be disappointed.

 

[abc123brian]

What would be peoples choice between for BIF Sony A9ii+200-600mm or D500+500pf , Currently I have Nikon kit but want to move to mirrorless but Nikon don't have the cameras at the moment I tried Z6ii but didn't like it even after firmware update and wouldn't be able to afford the Z9, so was looking at Sony I know the A9ii is meant to be a great camera but not sure how the 200-600 comes up against the 500mm pf , Any advice is much appreciated thanks .

I can’t tell you what way to go, but I will say having a D500 and 500mm PF, along with the Z6, Z7, and Z7ii and the 200-500mm. I find it a lot easier to use the 500mm pf when tracking bif and it is a lot lighter to handhold. Since getting the 500 pf I only use the 200-500mm when I need a second body with a long lens. The D500 with the OVF is a lot easier to follow fast moving action than the EVF in the Z. I haven’t used the A9ii (or A9), but I’ve seen videos of it in action Without the blackout free EVF And that is clearly the future for fast action Shooting. I have no doubt that we will see that in future Nikon bodies too. All this to say that you will have to decide whether to hold onto the d500 and 500pf which is a great setup for what your doing or go with a bulkier lens and blackout free EVF. For me, I think I’m don’t switching systems and will wait to see what Nikon brings out For future Zs.

 

[Telscossie]

ny thanks for all your reply’s to my post it’s not an easy decision to make the right choice with camera equipment and it’s not cheap either especially when you get it wrong like I have over the last year lol , I think I am gonna go with the A9ii & 200-600mm and hopefully save up for the 600 f4 , thanks once again for all the advice and insights .

 

[FB101]

Just to be a contrarian, I’d go Canon R5 and adapt any of their long lenses based on available budget. Their adapted lenses don’t seem to slow down at all and canon’s mirrorless AF is currently the best there is for wildlife.
take their 400 f:4 DO mk2 (not the original version which has issues, I owned it...) as a base, plus x1.4 converter for a 560mm f:5.6 when you need it. Or jump directly to the 500mm f:4. And R mount long lenses are around the corner too.

if I didn’t own so much Nikon gear, I’d be making that change - I just dont trust Sony to stay in photography. Their history across many industries says they jump in, rip benefits and jump out when things get tough. Now, they have stuck with photography longer than I thought and fought through some tough adjustments after buying Minolta - so they might be committed for as long as they make sensors, hard to tell.

 

[ChrisM]

I don't mean to argue with you or with your preferences, but I feel your assuming things about the coming Z9 that are not founded. You have to separate technical matters from the special sauce aura that hangs around Sony due to the benefits of the stacked sensor technology and what that enables, and a low mp FF version on top of that, that plays easy with lenses and especially TC's.
I once more repeat the fact that Sony has its own serious issues with the A7RIV + 200-600G lens, that had driven users crazy. And that is a combo at the price point of the D500 + 500PF.
If you consider the technology that Nikon has prepared, than it is completely ubnfounded to assume that the Z9 with the coming Z400 and Z600 will be a disappointment. That is literally reasoning from within a Sony magic sauce bubble.
It has no merits if you dive into the technology that is at the base of a succesfull mirrorless system.
Nikon had had years too to develop knowledge, AF programming etc. But they have not developed their own dedicated mirrorless hardware before. The Z9 is set to be the introduction of that. If you followed the latest Nikon interviews, they have explained it all: they moved too slow and needed time to develop the neccessary technology, which they now have. "Let the games begin" as stated in a recent Nikon interview.

I sure hope Nikon users keep an open mind and are not all swept by the Sony magic sauce myth.

 

[arbitrage]

Sony A9II/200-600 every day and twice on Sundays. But I've expanded a lot more already on your thread on FM. Once we start throwing in other things like A1, Z9, Z600, Z200-600, apapted 500PF onto Z9...then who knows? Stick with the glass these days be it Canon, Nikon or Sony. I got the 600GM for such a steal of a price that I stuck with Sony and got the A1. Had I not got the deal I did last year on the 600GM I'd probably be a full on R5 shooter with adapted Mk III 600/4 or 400/2.8. If I owned a lot of good Nikon glass I'd wait on the Z9. But I wouldn't stick it out with the D500/500PF. I actually still own that combo but at this point it is sort of a museum piece on my camera shelf. I never have any desire to use it and the last time I did I felt exactly as Mark Smith felt in his last video when he tried to give his D850/500/4 one last shot.

 

[Telscossie]

Hi yeah I know the Z9 is coming but it will be out of my budget if reports are right I only have 3k ish to spend on a camera

 

[DavidT]

Good choice! I just got back from 4 hours out in the field with the 200-600 and a1 and I know for a fact I got shots I wouldn’t have with the D850. It’s pretty exciting!

ny thanks for all your reply’s to my post it’s not an easy decision to make the right choice with camera equipment and it’s not cheap either especially when you get it wrong like I have over the last year lol , I think I am gonna go with the A9ii & 200-600mm and hopefully save up for the 600 f4 , thanks once again for all the advice and insights .

 

[Telscossie]

Good choice! I just got back from 4 hours out in the field with the 200-600 and a1 and I know for a fact I got shots I wouldn’t have with the D850. It’s pretty exciting!

Do you have any photos anywhere I can view , thanks

 

[DavidT]

Here are a few I just took today. I had to down sample the jpg significantly and I have some I can't seem to get small enough to post here, the original full quality is even better.
All of these shots are around iso 650-2000.
Camera Sony a1, lens Sony 200-600 with 1.4x, all shot at 840MM.

It isn't that my D850 couldn't have focused on these shots but rather the speed it happened. I wasn't sitting and watching one specific bird waiting for it to take off or land on a perch. I was walking around a nature preserve looking for birds that are flying to test out the a1. Each of these happened fast, pull the camera up to my eye and fire away. With the D850 I would have missed some simply because it takes a lot longer to get a focus point onto the subject. With the a1 set in medium spot or zone with bird eye af tracking all I had to do was get the box on the subject and compose, tracking took over and it didn't care if the focus box was on the other side of the frame. The little birds on the thorn branches were darting around and were there for less than 25 seconds. I have about 90 frames of them! No way I could have kept up and gotten a 99% in focus hit rate and that many frames of them in such a short period of time.

To me this is what is making the Sony stand out. It is fast to acquire, I have never once used the joystick to move a focus point, it shoots so fast I have tons of choices, it finds the eye which makes getting the shot faster, and I have fallen in love with the 1,2,3 user set shooting modes. I have mode 1 set for birds on a perch, 2 for flying and 3 for non bird animals. I have different af mode, shutter speed, bird or animal eye af engaged etc. and I all I do is quickly move from mode 1 for a 1/640th to mode 2 for 1/3200 shutter speed. It is the fastest system I have seen while in the field to have a full settings mode ready for the action you want to shoot. This has also helped nail shots that before I would be trying to quickly jack up my shutter speed or go from single point to a group etc.. Now one quick click and boom I am in business.

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[Anjin San]

The OP asked for advice on 2 combos. Neither of which are the top of the line for either brand. Given the choice between the two the Sony is by far the better camera and the most versatile lens. Own them both and the 500pf has its place but given the OP choice Sony wins.
Mark has access to the same equipment we all do. He paid for all the Nikon gear and Sony gear with his own money just like the rest of us do. So I don’t really get what you mean.
People will wait on the Z9 and I hope it’s the camera everyone dreams of but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The other reality is most people won’t pay the price that camera or any other flagship cost. They likely won’t buy the big primes either.
I am investing in tools and like any tool you get what you pay for. I’d rather buy the right hammer that I can get now then wait around for a future hammer that might be as good. I’m building my house now so the tool today is where my money is going. That’s one reason I hadn’t bought into another brand until the a1. The a1 is the first camera that checked enough boxes to say yup that’s worth spending money on. For me the a9 while great was lacking in areas that I wasn’t willing to open the wallet.

I’m with you...the Z9 will be way more expensive than most of us are willing to spend as are the big primes. The 500PF is about as much as I’m spending although I did order the Z 70-200 to go with my Z7II. What I really want to see is the mirrorless D500...it’s going to be cheap enough compared to the 9 that it will sell a lot and have more features than the 50...especially if they continue to improve the AF algorithms. For me at least...switching systems is more than I’m willing to spend. Yes, the 7II and 70-200 with TC are 7K or so...and I could get the one of the higher MP Sony bodies and lens for that...but then you’ve got your feet in both camps and have to deal with the Sony menu system...so a switch really means a complete switch and that’s north of 20K and I would get probably 5 to 6K for my used stuff tops...and then the whole muscle memory process needs to start over whereas I k ow where Nikon things are. I’m even staying with BBAF on my 7II even though it’s largely not necessary with the mirrorless AF points to retain similarities of operation...although I might devote one of the U modes to no BBAF if it can be done without reconfiguring every time I want to experiment or not. My D7500 will remain my other body and married to the 500PF for long range until or if a better crop sensor body comes along or I decide to go completely Z...but that’s another pile of cash for lenses unless I’m willing to stay adapted.

 

[Anjin San]

I have the 500PF and prefer it to any 200-600 zoom,

Me too. I loved my Tamron 150-600 G2...until I got the 500PF...and despite the less flexible single focal length it’s a joy to shoot compared and is actually hand hold. So much so that I caved and ordered the 70-200/2.8 for the 7II despite the cost since I’m going to carry both bodies anyway. I’m going to try the 500 on the 7II as well...perhaps the larger field of view will make keeping the BIF in the viewfinder easier and the MP makes it a wash for pixels on target...and the faster frame rate in high extended...once I get used to it...might improve the keeper rate...only testing will tell.

 

[eaj101]

Different strokes for different... again. I'm not the target customer for a Z9, or an a1, or a D6 for that matter. I shoot wildlife but randomly moving little birds are only a small part of what I shoot, and the majority of my images that really work for me are taken with an old 20mm f2.8. I shoot birds and wildlife because it's fun and I love the creatures. My 'shootout' was a few years back with the D850 vs the A7Riii. I bought both. I sold the Sony. In my own evaluation (features, images, lenses, ergonomics) it wasn't even close. As well, the handling and image quality of the 500PF are such that I wouldn't trade it for any long zoom, Nikon, Sony, or Tamron or... But if you want supernatural AF for BIF I suggest you try the Bird AI on the Olympus OM-D EM1X. I borrowed one and the speed and accuracy were close to mind reading in executing what I wanted. (I'm not buying one of those either and I'm staying with an OM-D E1Mkii as my backpacking camera). I think you really need to look clearly at your subjects and style of shooting. BUt... What would you carry if you could only carry one body?