Nikon vs. Canon vs. Sony Mirrorles Wildlife Setup <$3500 - My Experiences

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Over 3 separate weekends, I rented a Nikon, Canon and Sony mirrorless wildlife combo, looking for the best hybrid setup under ~$3500. Below are my findings. Hope they could be helpful for the "budget" shoppers here.

My previous setup was a Nikon D750 with a Sigma 150-600 C.
Let me know if there are any factual inaccuracies here - I'll correct those.


Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
AF Acquisition​
Slower than D750 + Sigma/Tamron​
Can be slower than D750 + Sigma/Tamron. Depends on mode and situation. Likely on the lens + adapter​
Quick​
Auto-Tracking​
None-existent​
Good with hiccups​
Good​
Tracking with Fixed AF Point​
About the same as D750 + Sigma/Tamron​
As good or better​
As good or better​
AF Sticking to Background​
Worst​
Happens sometimes, can be snapped out of​
Rarely happened, easiset to get out​
AF Object Recognition​
--​
Best Eye-AF/ Animal body AF
Looks cool in EVF, but not a guarantee of sharp focus (likely on the lens)​
I preferred regular lock-on or wide area​
AF Consistency​
Throws a curveball every once in a while​
Sometimes tracking gets interrupted by hutning​
Very dependable​
AF Through Branches​
Haven't noticed a big difference. Manual overrides are still needed.​
AF on Object Small in Frame​
Can start hunting even in single point
Only happened in one case for me, but was reproducible there.​

Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
EVF Resoltuion​
Good enough to not notice it​
Often irritating, especially in low-light and when moving quickly​
EVF Refresh Rate​
Couldn't notice much difference between 60 and 120​
Burst Blackout/Lag​
Got used to slideshow effect quickly, even for BIF​
Less lag is great, but the others were fine​
Got used to slideshow effect quickly, even for BIF​
Electronic Shutter​
Most usable of three (not perfect, but 'll take the risk of using it)​
Jello effects every once in a while, made worse by IBIS.
Wouldn't rely on it, given that 12FPS on mechanical are quiet​
Worst rolling shutter. Wouldn't use it for BIF​
Mechanical Shutter​
Very quiet​
Very Quiet​
Loud as my DSLR. Choosing between electronic and mechanical can be tough.​

Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
Button Layout​
No complaints​
On-Off switch on the left side makes it impossible to quickly turn on/off while lifting the camera to the eye.
Seems ridiculous, knowing how much easier it is on Nikon and Sony.​
Movie button is too close to EVF (and my face) and needs to be pressed in a lot.​
Button Functionality​
Would've been nice to have the record button record movies even in photo mode (with settings selected in movie mode).​
Movie mode is 4 modes removed from Manual on the mode dial.
Very annoying when trying to quickly switch between stills and video.

No D-Pad is mostly okay, but does annoy on some menu screens​
Custom Buttons​
Least buttons and functions available. No way to assign AF/shooting settigns to a button for immediate recall.​
More buttons and fns than Nikon, but most of them weren't all that useful to me.​
Best. Most buttons, most settings, granular control.​
Custom Modes​
Mapping to U1-3 modes works great for photo and video. Not mappable to buttons though.​
C1-3 don't save vide settings (to push people to R5).
"Frustrating" would be an understatement...​
Two custom modes (on the dial) + 3 custom setting combinations assignable to buttons. Most extensive and customizable of the three. You can granularly select which settings (AF-mode, shutter speed, etc.) are recalled, when using a custom mode.
Especially useful: pressing a button to instantly set you shutter speed to 1/2000, focus area to wide (and a couple other things) when you need to quickly focus on un expected BIF.​

Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
Camera IQ​
All three are very good and good enough for me.​
Lens IQ​
Tamron was softer than Sigma at 600, otherwise fine.
Niikon 200-500 may be even better, but I haven't tried it.​
This copy of Sigma was as good as the one I had on the D750. Better than Tamron​
Significant problems: softness, low contrast, chromatic aberrations, diffraction.
Tested at different temperatures and distances.
Most likely a faulty copy. Was disappointing anyway.​

Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
Switching video/photo​
Quickly done via switch.​
Rotating the mode dial is slower, and it's positioned awkwardly.
Can technically start recording in one of the photo modes – with full auto settings...​
Can rotate the dial to video or one of the custom modes.
Can start recording directly in photo mode, recalling the last settings for video.​
Changing frame rate

Note: with modern TVs and monitors, you can stick to NTSC, but i still wanted to point out how regional settings work.​
Best.
A list of all resolution + frame rate combinations (PAL and NTSC) is always avaiable.
Frame rate + shutter speed + picture profile can be save to custom modes.
I set up 4K30 on U1, 4K60 on U2 and 1080p120 on U3.​
Worst.
Frame rates above 60 only available in special mode that needs to be selected in the menu.
PAL and NTSC are separate modes.
Video settings cannot be assigned to custom modes

Going from 24 to 120 fps would require changing two/three settings in the menus and then manually changing the shutter speed.
Going from 25 to 120 would add another setting.​
Switching frame rates within selected regional setting (PAL/NTSC) is as easy as Nikon.

Switching PAL/NTSC is even slower than Canon and REQUIRES FORMATTING YOUR CARD.​
Video AF​
Interface exactly same as in photo mode. Accuracy and usability about same as for stills – good.​
Tracking works differently than for stills - focus points not shown on screen.
Cannot instantly override focus area.
When auto-tracking works, it's great, when not – overriding isn't that easy.​
Lock-on areas not available.
Workaround for locking on requires using the touchscreen.
AF is aways-on (AF-F on Nikon), but can be paused with a button.
About as good as the Nikon.​
Log(-ish)​
Log per se not available (internally).
Flat profile is very good for grading.
Custom log profiles can be made in free Nikon software.​
Canon Log only with 10-bit recording.
Default picture profiles are terrible.
Custom log profiles can be made in free Canon software.​
Many "normal" and log profiles, different color settings. Available (only) in 8-bit​
10-bit Video​
Only in h265 – proprietary format with terrible licensing, very limited editing options.
Not editable in free/libre software.
Some limitations when transferring from camera via USB-C.​

Nikon Z6II (Frimware 1.10)
Tamron 150-600 G2​
Canon R6 (firmware 1.3.1)
Sigma 150-600 C​
Sony A7III (firmware 4.0)
Sony 200-600 G​
EVF Zoom-In​
Easiest to use (partly because you're not going to use auto-tracking)​
Cannot magnify when tracking​
Cannot magnify when tracking (generally in continuous AF?)​
PC Connection​
If connected to PC in energy saving mode, shuts down shortly (even though the USB-C cable charges it).​
Aperture & Exposure in M mode​
Aperture is fully manual. I'm used to this and prefer it.​
Can select the Nikon or the Sony approach.​
Changing the exposure changes the aperture. Can put you at F11 when you least expect it.
Some weird behavior happened to me, but my interpretation was disputed by long-term Sony owners​
Auto-ISO Display in EVF​
Displays calculated ISO​
Displays calculated ISO​
Displays "Auto". Need to press a button to see numbers.​
USB charging​
Convenient USB-C Charging that isn't too picky​
USB-C Charging didn't work in a Citroen​
Charges over micro-USB​
 
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Wow - thanks for sharing! I've been shooting all three systems now (A1, Z7, and R5) and my conclusions largely echo yours (on the ones that apply - the a1 and a73 are worlds apart of course). I'm sure this will be incredibly helpful to a lot of people.
 
Wow - thanks for sharing! I've been shooting all three systems now (A1, Z7, and R5) and my conclusions largely echo yours (on the ones that apply - the a1 and a73 are worlds apart of course). I'm sure this will be incredibly helpful to a lot of people.
Thanks, Steve. Glad you think that.
Out of curiosity, did you encounter the same 200-600 issues?
 
Thanks, Steve. Glad you think that.
Out of curiosity, did you encounter the same 200-600 issues?
I haven't used our 200-600 that much (my wife like it and I like the 600 F/4) but we're really happy with the lens. It's plenty sharp and IQ is good - really not what it looks like you experienced. I do agree maybe it was a poor copy or something.
 
Thanks for posting. Great info and well presented. But I didn't see your conclusions. Which did you prefer overall?
None of the three really. Finding something in this price range today means dealing with serious compromises.

At this very moment I'm gravitating towards the Nikon with a Sigma or a 200-500, but with a clear understanding that I will likely be selling one or both them in about a year. At the very least, my investement will not be that large. The AF issues I'd have to live with. Tomorrow I might think differently though. :)

The Canon video setting limitations can be hugely frustrating when trying to quickly switch to 120FPS after noticing a heron about to go for a fish. This has happened multiple times. And the amazing AF is definitely limited by a cheaper lens, so it becomes less of a positive.

The Sony camera was amazing in AF and customization. The EVF alone wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but that lens definitely was. I ended up with 1000's of in-focus shots, none of which looked as good as the best ones on the Nikon or Canon.

System-wise Canon and Sony seem miles ahead, but I'm looking for gear I can afford, and in this price bracket the Nikon might just make the most sense.
I'll wait for a little bit, perhaps some firmware updates from Nikon or Canon will make it an easier decision.
 
None of the three really. Finding something in this price range today means dealing with serious compromises.

At this very moment I'm gravitating towards the Nikon with a Sigma or a 200-500, but with a clear understanding that I will likely be selling one or both them in about a year. At the very least, my investement will not be that large. The AF issues I'd have to live with. Tomorrow I might think differently though. :)

The Canon video setting limitations can be hugely frustrating when trying to quickly switch to 120FPS after noticing a heron about to go for a fish. This has happened multiple times. And the amazing AF is definitely limited by a cheaper lens, so it becomes less of a positive.

The Sony camera was amazing in AF and customization. The EVF alone wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but that lens definitely was. I ended up with 1000's of in-focus shots, none of which looked as good as the best ones on the Nikon or Canon.

System-wise Canon and Sony seem miles ahead, but I'm looking for gear I can afford, and in this price bracket the Nikon might just make the most sense.
I'll wait for a little bit, perhaps some firmware updates from Nikon or Canon will make it an easier decision.
FWIW, and I don't know if it's in the budget, but we've been testing the 100-500 canon and it's outstanding in every respect.
 
I'm curious about the observation that the Sony in M mode can put you at f/11 when you least expect it. This doesn't sound like any manual mode I've ever used.
AFAIU, it tries to keep the exposure at the same level, so if you set your desired exposure level lower, it'll close the aperture a bit to compensate.
Canons can optionally do this, but there's a setting to turn this behavior off. I couldn't find it on Sony. Sony shooters are welcome to point out how stupid I am for not knowing the right menu option. :)
 
I haven't used our 200-600 that much (my wife like it and I like the 600 F/4) but we're really happy with the lens. It's plenty sharp and IQ is good - really not what it looks like you experienced. I do agree maybe it was a poor copy or something.
Glad to know that it's not the normal quality of the lens. Not so glad that I was one of the unlucky ones.
 
FWIW, and I don't know if it's in the budget, but we've been testing the 100-500 canon and it's outstanding in every respect.
It's within the budget insofar as I can buy just the lens and put it on a shelf. :)
I was thinking about a (used?) EF 100-400. But on an R6 it'd either be short (at 400) or dark (with a TC) with the whole combination still costing more than the Nikon ones.
 
AFAIU, it tries to keep the exposure at the same level, so if you set your desired exposure level lower, it'll close the aperture a bit to compensate.
Canons can optionally do this, but there's a setting to turn this behavior off. I couldn't find it on Sony. Sony shooters are welcome to point out how stupid I am for not knowing the right menu option. :)
Can you explain this a little better. I've had the Sony A1 and 200-600 for 2 months and I really dont understand what you are referring too. Are you referring to manaul exposure in auto iso mode when the iso hits the set ceiling for IS0? I haven't noticed the aperture changing from set aperture in manual mode.
 
AFAIU, it tries to keep the exposure at the same level, so if you set your desired exposure level lower, it'll close the aperture a bit to compensate.
Canons can optionally do this, but there's a setting to turn this behavior off. I couldn't find it on Sony...

None of my Sony cameras have done this in manual mode. What you're describing sounds more like shutter priority auto exposure. Manual to me means manual ISO, manual shutter speed and manual aperture. The cameras I've used (a7II, a7rII, a7rIII and a1) all have separate independent controls for each side of the exposure triangle, not one of them showed this behavior when all of these controls are off Auto.
 
Welp. I may be wrong on this one. Would be interesting to know how I exactly I messed up.

Can you explain this a little better. I've had the Sony A1 and 200-600 for 2 months and I really dont understand what you are referring too. Are you referring to manaul exposure in auto iso mode when the iso hits the set ceiling for IS0? I haven't noticed the aperture changing from set aperture in manual mode.

Most of the time I shot in "M" mode with auto ISO, but I might have ecncountered the same issue with manual ISO too (I haven't written this down while testing, unfotunately).
The scenario was as follows:
  • I shoot at optimal settings (with auto ISO)
  • The situation calls for lower exposure
  • I move the exposure dial to a lower value (not changing anything else)
  • The aperture changes to a higher F number
It's possible that I was hitting minimum ISO (because I accidentally set a picture profile with S-Log), bu even so I wasn't expecting the aperture to change.
I was definitely able to reproduce this behavior multiple times, but unfortunately cannot do it now as I don't have the camera with me.

None of my Sony cameras have done this in manual mode. What you're describing sounds more like shutter priority auto exposure. Manual to me means manual ISO, manual shutter speed and manual aperture. The cameras I've used (a7II, a7rII, a7rIII and a1) all have separate independent controls for each side of the exposure triangle, not one of them showed this behavior when all of these controls are off Auto.
I was not able to find a specific way to set the aperture to be manual (besides simple being in manual mode). Did I miss something?
 
Wow - thanks for sharing! I've been shooting all three systems now (A1, Z7, and R5) and my conclusions largely echo yours (on the ones that apply - the a1 and a73 are worlds apart of course). I'm sure this will be incredibly helpful to a lot of people.
Speaking of silent shutter…I've got a related question. I like the silence obviously but am concerned about rolling shutter effect. Steve…do you…or anybody else for that matter…have any suggestions on when to use it and not use it…or should it mostly be used except for certain situations and if so what are those…or should it be not used unless it's a particular situation and if so what those are.

The lack of noise is very nice…but that conflicts with the potential rolling shutter effect and I'm just looking for qualitative ideas on when it should/should not be used since getting out and trying various situations is still somewhat hard.
 
The lack of noise is very nice…but that conflicts with the potential rolling shutter effect and I'm just looking for qualitative ideas on when it should/should not be used since getting out and trying various situations is still somewhat hard.
Rolling shutter is an issue with higher speed action photos. It's basically a sampling rate problem and is reduced in cameras that use higher sampling rate sensors like the stacked sensors used in some Sony and Canon cameras and in the upcoming Nikon Z9.

IOW, rolling shutter isn't an issue with static scenes or even scenes with relatively low speed motion but for high speed action like small or fast birds in flight it can definitely be an issue, especially for cameras that use lower sampling rate sensors (e.g. 60 Hz sampling vs 120 Hz sampling). So in terms of general guidelines, electronic shutter isn't a problem for perched birds or most mammal photography but can be an issue for high speed action photography though much less of an issue if you happen to shoot with a camera that includes a higher sampling rate stacked sensor.

Cameras using faster readout stacked sensors solve several MILC problems including: better EVF performance with reduced frame blackout, reduced rolling shutter effect, and improved AF performance as the AF system receives focus data from the sensor more frequently. From what I've read the biggest limitation of Nikon's current MILCs is the use of standard DSLR sensors that have limited readout rates relative to the latest generation of stacked sensors like what's used in Sony's A1, Canon's R3 or Nikon's Z9.
 
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Speaking of silent shutter…I've got a related question. I like the silence obviously but am concerned about rolling shutter effect. Steve…do you…or anybody else for that matter…have any suggestions on when to use it and not use it…or should it mostly be used except for certain situations and if so what are those…or should it be not used unless it's a particular situation and if so what those are.

The lack of noise is very nice…but that conflicts with the potential rolling shutter effect and I'm just looking for qualitative ideas on when it should/should not be used since getting out and trying various situations is still somewhat hard.
What Dave says, he nailed it. :)
 
Can you try this out on your end?

I have been unable to duplicate your observation. I made a base exposure with manual shutter speed & aperture, then set the ISO limits 1/3 stop over and under the ISO recorded by the Auto ISO function, then made test exposures with exposure compensation +1 and -1. The result was the Auto ISO hit the limits and the test exposures were over- and under-exposed. The aperture didn't change.

These are exceptionally complex tools and IMHO a weekend isn't sufficient to understand them well enough to draw any meaningful conclusions.
 
Over 3 separate weekends, I rented a Nikon, Canon and Sony mirrorless wildlife combo, looking for the best hybrid setup under ~$3500. Below are my findings. Hope they could be helpful for the "budget" shoppers here.

Thank you for taking the time to compile the information.

I do think you are looking at the wrong setups though...

If zoom isn't a must, I think the best hybrid setup around the 3500$ mark is the Olympus E-M1 II with the Olympus 300mm f4.
The lens does a lot of heavy lifting to compensate for the smaller sensor by beeing both faster and sharper than what you chose initially, takes the TC14 like a champ and it's Dual IS is great for video work hand held at long focal lengths.
Not to mention the AF being more than decent (I've often seen shots of swifts with this combo) the 18fps and the Pre-Capture mode that buffers shots before you press the shutter.

I would also look at the Fuji X-T4 + 100-400 as they have good reviews.

Finally, the E-mount Sigma 100-400mm C has decent reviews and the Sony A6600 comes with the much apreciated Real Time Tracking (not present on the A7 III).
 
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