Z7 for Wildlife - Crop Mode

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I have a D500, which is great for everything wildlife/birding, but I'd like to be able to carry one camera body when I travel and be able to use the one body for landscapes/travel photography and in case I see some wildlife capture some photos as well. My thought is that a Nikon Z7 would fit the bill because the extra megapixels would allow me to use it in Crop mode, and act as a DX for wildlife, and non crop mode for anything else.

Since I don't own a Z7, I'm wondering if anyone can chime in how well the Z7 is in crop mode for the purpose of wildlife photography. I know that the focusing might not be on point with the D500, but that's fine....I won't be using it for birds in flight, and more of static subjects.

Thanks
 
I own both the Z7 and D500. Apart from autofocus issues, the Z7 has better colour fidelity and dynamic range at ISO’s over 1600. Which is why my D500 only comes out for wildlife. Or sports, which I rarely shoot.
 
Image quality on the Z7 in DX crop mode is pretty much identical to the D500, so no worries there. However, the Z7 also allows you to shoot full frame, which gives you an ISO advantage for relative output. Plus, full frame has the potential to offer more subject isolation.

On the other hand, the Z7 isn't going to touch the D500 for AF performance, buffer, and "real" frame rate. (The Z7 can do 12FPS, but it comes in the form of a slide show. So, as you shoot, you see an image of what you just shot - making it hard to track.)

Keep in mind the rumored Z7s is on the horizon and might do exactly what you want.
 
Hi Steve: thank you for the input - I appreciate it. I wish there was a Z series D500 equivalent, but maybe someday. That's great to hear that the Z7's DX mode is the same as in teh D500, I think I will wait for the next generation of the Z7 - save up for it and that way I get the both of 2 worlds: DX and FX.

I'm curious to know how often you use a Z7 in DX mode for your wildlife photography,
 
Hi Steve: thank you for the input - I appreciate it. I wish there was a Z series D500 equivalent, but maybe someday. That's great to hear that the Z7's DX mode is the same as in teh D500, I think I will wait for the next generation of the Z7 - save up for it and that way I get the both of 2 worlds: DX and FX.

I'm curious to know how often you use a Z7 in DX mode for your wildlife photography,
Every now and then - but it's mostly to keep the buffer from filling. Most of the time, I just crop as needed back on the computer - and most of the time if I have to crop, it's somewhere between DX and FX. That's really what I love about both the Z7 and D850. Lots of flexibility.
 
You got me thinking as I completely forgot that with the high megapixel count of the Z7 or D850, which is over double the amount of the D500, one use in FX mode and still achieve great results from cropping in post processing and not suffer loss in detail - would this be a correct assumption Steve?

Cheers
 
You got me thinking as I completely forgot that with the high megapixel count of the Z7 or D850, which is over double the amount of the D500, one use in FX mode and still achieve great results from cropping in post processing and not suffer loss in detail - would this be a correct assumption Steve?

Cheers
Yes and no. You'd get about the same detail as with a D500 if you're using the Z7 in crop mode (I think that's what you're referring to), however, you'll get much more detail if you fill the frame with the Z7 in FX mode.
 
Whether you set it in crop mode or crop from the full-frame the definition will be the same as the bird on the sensor will be the same size. Forget all that rubbish about DX increasing the focal length ...a 500mm lens is still 500 whatever camera you put it on.

You would be better and cheaper buying a D850 as the AF is so much better
 
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