Nikon Shooters - Would you switch to another brand (or have you?)

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Would you or have you switched from Nikon?

  • I have already switched to another brand

    Votes: 13 4.9%
  • I am on the verge of switching

    Votes: 7 2.6%
  • I'm open to switching

    Votes: 54 20.2%
  • I probably won't switch

    Votes: 123 46.1%
  • I will never leave Nikon

    Votes: 44 16.5%
  • I'm shooting Nikon and another system

    Votes: 26 9.7%

  • Total voters
    267
I don't know if I've told this story, so here goes. It's Christmas 2015 and my brother has just transitioned from 20 years as a newspaper photographer to Canon Pro Rep for the northeast. When I bought my first DSLR in 2011 I knew I could go with Canon (which he shot) and have all his stuff at my disposal when we shot together, but I found the D7000 to be a better fit for me than what Canon had at the time so I went with that. Flash forward to XMAS and I'm shooting with a D750, D610, and D7100, and I've really settled in with my kit. My brother tells me to come out to the car with him, he opens the trunk and there's all his gear. He tells me, "Take it and use it for as long as you want. Canon wants me to shoot just their latest and greatest and have given me one of everything. Transition over time and give back what you replace or don't need whenever." It was an incredibly generous offer and I didn't know what to say, so I brought it all inside and he showed me around.

Over the course of the holiday break I start poking around with his stuff and start to wonder, "Do I want to learn a new menu system? Do I really want to sell my stuff at a loss just because I have access to his gear? It's not like I can get a break buying Canon gear because of him." So instead of playing with the Canon stuff I start making a list of what I'm not getting out of my Nikon gear to see if that justifies a switch. The only thing missing was a high frame rate, big buffer DX camera for wildlife, which was 80% of what I shot. One week later Nikon announced the D500 and I invited my brother to lunch, packed his stuff into my trunk, and told him for as much as I valued and appreciated his offer, the D500 announcement put the icing on the cake. He understood completely, but lamented having to tell his boss that he couldn't manage to convert his own brother. LOL

Since then I've been privy to play with a lot of pre-release Canon gear and have been utterly blown away by a lot of it, particularly their mirrorless stuff. I suspect had I been anything other than a wildlife shooter I'd have defected in 2016. When I texted my brother a pic of my just out of the box Z6ii he grumbled knowing the hook was firmly implanted. I cannot say I'll never switch. I did shoot with a Sony a6000 for a while when I wanted a small travel camera, but that was sold when I got the Z6ii. When my D500's wear out we'll see where we are. But given that I'm looking to transfer to "retiree" sooner than anything else I'm likely going to have to hit the lottery first if I can ever justify switching brands again.
 
Way back in the early 80’s when I was in college, my dad gifted me a Canon QL 17 which was my introduction to photography. Used it extensively till I started working. It was later in 1992 that I got myself a Nikon 801 and then later a D90. Have been used to the Nikon ergonomics since then. About 4 years ago I spent a lot of money purchasing Nikon D750 and Nikon 810 as I could afford it after years of working 😄. Now I have a D850 and D500 with 400mm and 500mmPf along with 70-200 etc. I love Nikon and don’t see a compelling reason to consider other brands even if they have eye tracking or faster FPS etc...
 
I likely will stick with my current Nikon lineup of cameras and lenses as they have what I need, especially my 300mm f4 pf and 500mm f5.6 pf lenses and 105mm f2.8 and 200mm f4 macro lenses. If Nikon had a Z body that incorporated the features of a D500 and D850 and S lenses like my four most used lenses, then I might go mirrorless. Switching to another brand like Sony could happen, but there would have to be a "plus " somewhere in the equation. My situation may be different than others as I have reached the age (78) where the body just cannot accomplish what it used to do.
 
I am not married to Nikon, but I am heavily invested in it -> simply said it's my "Ecosystem" for serious photography.
I love the quality of their files, build quality of their cameras, wide choice of lenses, their handling and the "feeling" I get when using them.
I can see myself investing in another brand when I introduce Mirrorless to my Ecosystem (without abandoning DSLR).
I am however confident Nikon will step up and will eventually deliver the MLC I am looking for.
 
I have been using Nikon for over 40 years and see no need whatsoever to switch. Why switch from something that has served me well for 4 decades? I have enough bodies, 8 film and 3 digital, and Nikkors (36 at last count) to open up a used photography store so to be honest, I have enough gear to last me until I no longer want to do this. I know mirrorless seems to be the latest rage but DSLR's suit me just fine.
 
My first Nikon was a plain vanilla Nikon F (1971). I have used an FM, FE2, F3HP, then after life tossed me a hiatus, I resumed with a D7000, a D600 (replaced by Nikon with a D610), currently a D810, D750, and a D7200.
I wouldn’t consider myself a fanboy, I AM an enthusiastic user. I get a bit nostalgic every time I see a picture of a Nikon F.
I know I can get a D850 (especially now) with more features, but I don’t really NEED one. I print a lot, primarily. My gear covers that well. I won’t change brands.

The best thing for my photography is to try to improve, continually. I get GAS often (that D850 sale for instance), but for some reason, it’s at it’s worst after reading forum posts. When that happens, I go online or grab a book from the shelf (I have lots of books) and look at photographs… the GAS goes away. Especially looking at old, classic photos seems to help.
Mine too, a 1969 vintage still in near mint condition that I just sent off for a CLA and CdS cell replacement. I still use it frequently, in fact there is T-Max 100 in it right now, and love the looks I get when people see me using it. I have actually been asked how many MP it has and I tell them "35". Jeesh!

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I went with Nikon when I switched to digital because the camera felt "right" in my hands. Of course I drool over the A1's tracking ability, but other than possibly more keepers I doubt it would make me a better photographer. Switching would certainly decrease my ability to travel ($$$)! Heck, I still haven't maximized my ability with my current gear. It is easy to say I'm going to switch, but reality is unforgiving.
 
I don't see myself switching at this point in my life. My first Nikon was my grandfather's first year F (one of the early ones with a cloth shutter, I still have that camera) that I got in 1976. Followed by FE, N6006, F4s, F5, D100, D2x, D300, D4, D5, D500, D810, D850, D6. I won't bore you with the list of glass, but I am too heavily invested in Nikon to consider switching. I like the Nikon UI and don't want to learn a new system. I'm the weakest link, there isn't much that any other system can do that my Nikon gear can't. If I'm not getting the shots I want, it's not usually the gear, it's the stuff 1"-3" behind the viewfinder. While I will never say never, I will say it's doubtful I'll switch to mirrorless regardless of the offerings. At my age, I should have enough gear to last me the rest of my life as long as I can get the needed things (memory and batteries) and assuming current gear either lasts or can be repaired. To get even close to what I have in Nikon would cost well beyond $25K even factoring in sales of existing along with a lot of streamlining.
 
I started with a Minolta SRT-101 and 50mm f/1.7 MC Rokkor-X in 1972. I stuck with Minolta for about a year and when felt like I had been clearly bitten by the photography bug I decided I wanted more than Minolta had to offer so I switched to Nikon about a year later. I got a Nikkormat FTN and 50mm f/2 Nikkor H and it has been smooth sailing with Nikon ever since.

I have one of every one of the Nikon F series from FTN to F5, my old Nikkormat, FE2, FM2, D500, D750 and D850 and manual focus Nikkors from 8mm fisheye to 600mm f/4 super telephoto. I am WAY too heavily invested in gear and see absolutely nothing on the market that would even remotely entice me to switch. I put microprism/split image screens (by focusingscreens.com) which are fantastic and brighter than any of the standard Nikon DSLR screens in all of my digital cameras so they work as well as my film cameras. For grins I put a friend's 500mm AF Nikkor on the D850 and the lens focused perfectly with them. In the unlikely event that I ever get an AF lens I am confident it will work just fine.

My manual focus Nikkors still work as flawlessly as the day I got them, are built far more robustly than so many of the cheaply made plastic Nikkors out there today and are fantastically sharp with both film and digital. Only once has one needed to be worked on, my 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor, which developed some oil on the aperture blades, a fairly common occurrence I later found out. A very quick and inexpensive fix and the problem has never recurred. I know each of my lenses inside and out and at 63 am hardly willing to go back and start at square 1 with unfamiliar gear. This old dog can learn new tricks when it comes to photography and I am constantly learning and experimenting, but at least when it comes to photography gear, I simply choose not to.
 
Mine too, a 1969 vintage still in near mint condition that I just sent off for a CLA and CdS cell replacement. I still use it frequently, in fact there is T-Max 100 in it right now, and love the looks I get when people see me using it. I have actually been asked how many MP it has and I tell them "35". Jeesh!
Nice.
I got the itch last year, before lockdowns began, to shoot some snow shots with my F3HP. I recall the look I got from young bystanders as I opened the back of the camera to swap rolls of FP4. Priceless.
 
I voted for using multiple systems since I have Nikon and newly acquired Sony a1 and a few lenses. The reality is I am most likely making a full switch to Sony.

I have sold off all of my Nikon bodies except for a D850. I have only sold the one Z lens I had and still have all my F glass. I mostly shoot 600mm plus and in my opinion where the Sony really shines is in action photography. So my 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 FL E are fairly safe and delivering on my needs with the D850. My 105 micro, 2x, and 200-500 will soon be on the market as the Sony replacements are superior and Sony is delivering better results for those uses.

I intend to add a 600f4 to the stable in the next month which is one reason I decided to try the a1. With the performance of that camera I would be nuts to buy a Nikon 600 f4 and be stuck with Nikon for many years to come. The 600 will keep me in a brand for a long time as I can't afford to keep replacing that lens. In my opinion Sony is going to stay ahead of the pack in AF, Canon probably is best positioned to catch them but everyone has been talking about how Nikon and Canon need to bring out a camera to compete with the a9II and boom Sony drops the a1 and further moved the bar. I see them doing catch up for many years to come.

At the end of the day I didn't plan on moving 100% to Sony and it might take a bit as the short stuff I don't use much but the more I use the Sony a1 the more I could care less what Nikon is doing or rumored to do. Lets face it Nikon is already behind this year on releasing 4 new lenses, what they have released including new bodies are about impossible to find. When they drop the pro Z body, the new 600 f4 and 105 micro etc it will take them forever to fill the shelves. While others are waiting around hoping and dreaming I am buying Sony gear and loving it.

I know this is a Nikon board for the most part and my comments will be bashed by the loyal and I am ok with that. I hope Nikon pulls it out and blows everyone away but frankly now that I have tried Sony I am seeing what could be. I know now what I didn't know when all I knew was Nikon. Each time I pick up the a1 Nikon becomes a more distant memory.
 
Nice.
I got the itch last year, before lockdowns began, to shoot some snow shots with my F3HP. I recall the look I got from young bystanders as I opened the back of the camera to swap rolls of FP4. Priceless.
I have an F3HP with MD4 and MK1 (which are rare as hen's teeth but are fantastic!) which is one of my favorite cameras. I got it in 1991 and it has probably had well over a half mile of film run through it to date. I took it out just last weekend to shoot some wading bird stuff and the MD4, hardly quietest motor drive around (but not as bad as the MD2 on my F2A) and the sound turned heads of some of the Generation D (Digital) photographers out there, "what kind of camera is that?"
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It has been well used but also taken very good care of and I am sure will serve me until I can no longer find film. If only someone would make a digital back for it I would be in hog heaven!
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Thank you everyone for your responses! I get questions about switching multiple times a day and when that happens it feels like the world is leaving Nikon. It's good to see the vast majority are happy with Nikon (at least, more or less).
The only thing in my opinion that Canon does better than Nikon is marketing. I don't think their gear is any better and although I don't have experience with Canon's customer service, Nikon's is terrific. Nikon is also heavily involved in medical and industrial optics and other areas as well and has a stellar reputation for quality and top notch optics. Canon does not venture into those areas. Nikon does not make printers or copy machines either, to the best of my knowledge. And by the way, how many Canon's have made it to the Moon or on the Space Shuttle (enter the sound of crickets chirping)?

Nikon microscopes are fantastic scopes, I am a retired Clinical Microbiologist and liked them far better, their phase contrast ones especially, than any Leica or Olympus scope I had used even though many were more expensive (some A LOT like the Leicas) than Nikon's. As a microbiology lab manager, it is a whole lot easier to go to the board and ask for $5000 for a new scope than it is $10,000.
 
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I’ve been a Nikon shooter since the D7000, with other travel cameras. A string of Nikons since, primarily for wildlife, but also landscape and travel - D850 and D500 now. I’m heavily invested in F mount lenses. I’ve already sold my Z6.

The technology is accelerating toward mirrorless and once the exposure preview is experienced in the EVF, it’s hard to go back.

The Nikon Z object recognition is not competitive with Canon or Sony for head/eye detection and tracking. Canon and Sony’s object/eye detection and tracking at wildlife distances are game changers.

I’ve previously rented the Canon R5 and currently have a Sony Alpha 1 out to try with the 200-600. The Canon RF 100 macro is a strong draw and an RF 100-500 f4 is rumored. We know what long glass Sony has. I was disappointed that Canon took an expedient route with their recently announced RF 400 and 600mm telephotos - EF lenses with add-on RF adapter (although appears they did add an additional communications contact). We’ll see what Nikon does with their Z teles.

I said I was on the verge of switching. I’m waiting to see what Nikon offers for Z9 performance. Also what they will offer for long Z lenses - the 200-600 or 600 f4. I am interested in the Canon R3, and the yet to be announced flagship R1. I’ll wrap in how I’ve enjoyed the Sony Alpha 1 experience. So far the AF is very impressive, the ergonomics experience, not so much. The new style menu is fine.

Sony’s AF performance also depends on the imagery pipeline, communications to the lens. The Alpha 1 lays down 120 AF/AE calculations per second as the performance measure to meet or beat. I’m not optimistic that the Nikon Z9 performance will meet the currently available Sony Alpha 1’s performance. We’re still waiting to see how Canon will do.

Could I get by with 20 fps and 60 AF/AE per sec? You bet - but I’ll make a decision based on the camera lens system. The Canon R5 was the camera to beat until the Alpha 1. I like some of the Canon RF glass and their rumored future directions - lots of RF glass. I would say Canon has the edge at the moment.

I would like to add that encouraging discussions of the full range of competing photography products is a refreshing change. I want to express my appreciation to you, Steve for providing an open forum.
 
Leave Nikon....Nah! I’ve had Hasselblad, Bronica, Mamiya, Olympus, Pentax, Kodak (hahahahaha), at one time or another, but I’ve never been without a Nikon for over 50-years. From the EM, FM2, F3, F4, F5, D5300, D7200, and a few other models I can’t remember. I currently have a D5, D500, and Z7 and eagerly awaiting introduction of the Z9. My Nikons have never let me down in any situation. Nikon Professional Services (NPS) has been outstanding any time I’ve needed them, which I would like to add, has only been a couple times in all those years. I’m sure the other brands are just as good, some maybe better. My daughter swears by Canon, but asked that I leave my Nikons to her in my will...hahahahaha.
 
I voted for using multiple systems since I have Nikon and newly acquired Sony a1 and a few lenses. The reality is I am most likely making a full switch to Sony.

I have sold off all of my Nikon bodies except for a D850. I have only sold the one Z lens I had and still have all my F glass. I mostly shoot 600mm plus and in my opinion where the Sony really shines is in action photography. So my 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 FL E are fairly safe and delivering on my needs with the D850. My 105 micro, 2x, and 200-500 will soon be on the market as the Sony replacements are superior and Sony is delivering better results for those uses.

I intend to add a 600f4 to the stable in the next month which is one reason I decided to try the a1. With the performance of that camera I would be nuts to buy a Nikon 600 f4 and be stuck with Nikon for many years to come. The 600 will keep me in a brand for a long time as I can't afford to keep replacing that lens. In my opinion Sony is going to stay ahead of the pack in AF, Canon probably is best positioned to catch them but everyone has been talking about how Nikon and Canon need to bring out a camera to compete with the a9II and boom Sony drops the a1 and further moved the bar. I see them doing catch up for many years to come.

At the end of the day I didn't plan on moving 100% to Sony and it might take a bit as the short stuff I don't use much but the more I use the Sony a1 the more I could care less what Nikon is doing or rumored to do. Lets face it Nikon is already behind this year on releasing 4 new lenses, what they have released including new bodies are about impossible to find. When they drop the pro Z body, the new 600 f4 and 105 micro etc it will take them forever to fill the shelves. While others are waiting around hoping and dreaming I am buying Sony gear and loving it.

I know this is a Nikon board for the most part and my comments will be bashed by the loyal and I am ok with that. I hope Nikon pulls it out and blows everyone away but frankly now that I have tried Sony I am seeing what could be. I know now what I didn't know when all I knew was Nikon. Each time I pick up the a1 Nikon becomes a more distant memory.

I voted for using multiple systems since I have Nikon and newly acquired Sony a1 and a few lenses. The reality is I am most likely making a full switch to Sony.

I have sold off all of my Nikon bodies except for a D850. I have only sold the one Z lens I had and still have all my F glass. I mostly shoot 600mm plus and in my opinion where the Sony really shines is in action photography. So my 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 FL E are fairly safe and delivering on my needs with the D850. My 105 micro, 2x, and 200-500 will soon be on the market as the Sony replacements are superior and Sony is delivering better results for those uses.

I intend to add a 600f4 to the stable in the next month which is one reason I decided to try the a1. With the performance of that camera I would be nuts to buy a Nikon 600 f4 and be stuck with Nikon for many years to come. The 600 will keep me in a brand for a long time as I can't afford to keep replacing that lens. In my opinion Sony is going to stay ahead of the pack in AF, Canon probably is best positioned to catch them but everyone has been talking about how Nikon and Canon need to bring out a camera to compete with the a9II and boom Sony drops the a1 and further moved the bar. I see them doing catch up for many years to come.

At the end of the day I didn't plan on moving 100% to Sony and it might take a bit as the short stuff I don't use much but the more I use the Sony a1 the more I could care less what Nikon is doing or rumored to do. Lets face it Nikon is already behind this year on releasing 4 new lenses, what they have released including new bodies are about impossible to find. When they drop the pro Z body, the new 600 f4 and 105 micro etc it will take them forever to fill the shelves. While others are waiting around hoping and dreaming I am buying Sony gear and loving it.

I know this is a Nikon board for the most part and my comments will be bashed by the loyal and I am ok with that. I hope Nikon pulls it out and blows everyone away but frankly now that I have tried Sony I am seeing what could be. I know now what I didn't know when all I knew was Nikon. Each time I pick up the a1 Nikon becomes a more distant memory.
I agree that Sony is currently ahead in some of the performance areas, but I don't think it will take that long for others to catch up. It is clear that Nikon and Canon are now serious about mirrorless systems and it will be interesting to see what evolves in the next one to three years. It sounds like the move to Sony may work well for your situation. The challenge for a lot of us is that we are not going to buy an A1 level body (or R3 or Z9). Also the 600mm F/4 lenses, as you know, are quite expensive and out of reach for most. My point is, for the typical person who likes to shoot wildlife as a hobby and is willing to spend a decent amount on gear, the competition is a lot closer.

If we were to take the A1 class cameras out of the equation as well as 600mm F/4 lenses, what options do we have left. Sony has the A9ii which looks great and that works well with the 100-400mm and 200-600mm. There is always the A9 or A7iii for a more budget friendly option. If you want high res, you have the A7R4, but it doesn't sound like it works well with the 200-600mm. Canon has the R5 and R6 which look great, but the only native reasonably priced lens is the 100-500mm F/4.5-7.1L and some F/11 primes. They do have the 400mm F/2.8 and 600mm F/4, but again, most of us aren't going to justify the cost for those. Quite a few EF options available. For Nikon, we have the Z6ii and Z7ii which are decent cameras but performance wise, behind Sony and Canon. Worse would be the native super telephoto options as they are non existent. If they can manage to get the 100-400mm and the 200-600mm out this year, that would be a big improvement. They need to get the 400mm and 600mm out to go with the Z9, so I am not sure that they will deliver the zooms this year. I hope they do as you can see it is desperately needed. So here we are stuck with some great F glass. So even here, Sony holds a lead, (maybe depending how you look at it) but it looks like it could swing quickly to any of the three brands. As of now, there are still gaps from all three brands. None of these options stand out to me seems like a clear winner.
 
So far I have been able to convince myself that my problems are the fault of my short comings in the areas of photographic and editing skills. Changing cameras is not going to help that issue. My D90, D500, D850 and 7 lenses represent for me an amount that can be classified as "cubic dollars". Selling my stuff
and converting cubic dollars to "micro money" is an activity that would be quite painful.
 
Leave Nikon....Nah! I’ve had Hasselblad, Bronica, Mamiya, Olympus, Pentax, Kodak (hahahahaha), at one time or another, but I’ve never been without a Nikon for over 50-years. From the EM, FM2, F3, F4, F5, D5300, D7200, and a few other models I can’t remember. I currently have a D5, D500, and Z7 and eagerly awaiting introduction of the Z9. My Nikons have never let me down in any situation. Nikon Professional Services (NPS) has been outstanding any time I’ve needed them, which I would like to add, has only been a couple times in all those years. I’m sure the other brands are just as good, some maybe better. My daughter swears by Canon, but asked that I leave my Nikons to her in my will...hahahahaha.

You haven't gotten rid of your Blad, have you? My 500CM still gets a fair amount of use, mostly for personal stuff with Portra 160 and T-Max 100 but I have still done some portraiture work with it. You just can't get any better than the CZ lenses. Prints are amazing, especially black and white on Oriental Seagull G3, as are scans, but admittedly a 4000 dpi scan of a negative with my Nikon CoolScan 8000 usually runs around 700-800MB :oops: which eats up HDD space pretty quickly!

I do get some pretty puzzled looks from some people sometimes when they see me using it! The hand grip with the cable release makes handling a breeze.

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I have two camera systems: Nikon and Olympus so have been though troubled times with the Olympus sell off to JIP.

I like the Nikon mirrorless system a lot, it is excellent for my landscape and macro work. I can wait for the Z 9 to see what Nikon come up with for wildlife before making any decisions on changing. If I were to change it would be to Canon. Only Nikon and Canon redesigned the lens mount to get the full optical benefits in the lens design from mirrorless. Sony is ruled out for me on this basis. The Z lenses I have are amazing compared to the F-mount lens equivalents that they replaced. I really enjoy working with the raw files from my Nikon Z cameras.

I think Thom Hogan sums it up well

Nikon need to communicate more with their users
 
This is for the current and former Nikon shooters. I'm kind of curious. I get a lot of people asking me about switching to Sony or Canon and I'm wondering how many Nikon shooters would consider it or have already done so. It feels like there are a lot of people on the fence with this and I' curious to get an idea of the percentages. Also, if you have a moment, I'd love to hear why either way. Inquiring minds want to know!
Sticking with Nikon but have to admit to checking out Sony periodically. But happy with the performance and weight of the D500 and D850 with 300 PF and 500 PF. Hope Nikon mirrorless will catch up to Sony for wildlife by the time my current dslrs breakdown or are obsolete.
 
I am open to switching, will certainly go mirrorless due the EVF, silent shooting, and a couple of other reasons for a wildlife camera. I currently have a D850 wih a 500PF. I have enough money to invest one more time in a system. I am trying to wait until the Z9 comes out and see how the FTZ (or an upgraded FTZ) works with the 500pf. Failing that, see if Nikon has a lens similar to Sony’s 200-600mm in the Z system. My gut tells me to go ahead with the Sony A1and 200-600mm, but I REALLY like Nikon mirrorless cameras. We’ll see.....
 
I'm very comfortable staying with Nikon. I started with them in the late 70s. My last 35mm film camera was the F100 and I've owned the D200, D750, and now the D850. I recently sold my Mamiya RZ67 Outfit and it's paid for the D850. I'm 63 and I started early retirement SocSec so I need to be smart, and seeing I own a bunch of Nikon lenses it made sense to stay with Nikon. I figure if the D850 is as great as everyone says, why would I need to change other than having a bad case of NAS :)
 
I'm not going to switch for a number of reasons.
1) I have traditionally been a generalist hobby photographer, so I like to travel and shoot nature, architecture, landscapes and wildlife. For the longest time I was quite content with Nikon's prosumer range - D70S, D90, D7000, D7100 and D7500. Those were quite good enough for what I do.
2) When the Z series came along I was for the first time seriously ready to pull the trigger on a full frame camera for its better IQ compared to the DX format. This made me purchase a Z6 - it was as small and light as the D7500, so easy to handle and travel with. One of the reasons I did not switch to FX sooner is because I did not like the size and weight of the FX DSLR's.
3) Unfortunately at the same time that I switched to FX I also became more interested in BIF work. It was soon apparent that the Z6 was lacking for BIF work (very good for everything else I photograph) so after a year I switched to the Z6II. I find the Z6II to be approximately equal in performance for BIF work as my previous D7500. It will be even better if Nikon can now improve its subject tracking mode on the Z6, then the camera will be better than the D7500, and that will be good enough for me going forward.
4) I'm nearing retirement age when I'll have to live with a fixed income so discretionary spending will be crimped to some extent. For that reason switching to a more capable MILC system now doesn't make sense. I'll rather live with the Nikon MILC shortcomings for now since I can wait for Nikon to catch up to the others. It will cost me less to build on my Nikon MILC kit than switching everything to a different brand. Besides suffering in BIF capabilities, I have everything else nailed down with the Z6II.
 
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