Ausi
Member
Thank for sharing your experience with the Zf. Will keep that in mind for sure.
Great picture too!
Best nikon body (aside from Z8/Z9) for wildlife photography?
- Thread starter Ausi
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Great picture too!
Calson
Well-known member
It is the subject detection that is the primary advantage of shooting with those mirrorless cameras that can provide this capability. Being mirrorless is secondary. The only reason this feature is provided only on the most expensive cameras from Nikon, Sony, and Canon, is that they want to give consumers a reason to spend more money.
The least expensive such camera at this time with eye detection for animals is the Sony a7 III that can be bought used for as little as $1200.
The least expensive such camera at this time with eye detection for animals is the Sony a7 III that can be bought used for as little as $1200.
Ausi
Member
Thank for that information! Much appreciated!
D6 has served me well with wildlife shooting.
RickL
New member
What is your budget? You can’t beat a Z8 for birding and with an f mount adapter use your f mount lenses. If a used Z8 is still beyond your budget, a D850 is the best DSLR.
I did birding with a D850 for years with excellent results. I now have a Z8, with the 2.0 firmware upgrade, the results for birding are exceptional. Consider saving up and purchase a used Z8.
I did birding with a D850 for years with excellent results. I now have a Z8, with the 2.0 firmware upgrade, the results for birding are exceptional. Consider saving up and purchase a used Z8.
Ausi
Member
Thank you. Saw one open box deal previously. Will keep looking.
When mirrorless cameras were just out, I bought the Z50 to test the concept. It is very small and has the DX format, that means extending a lens by1.5 times, making your 300mm lens a 450mm lens. I have used the Z 50 to get good bird photos but at approximately $900 (US) it not as good as a Z6, 7 or 8. But for approximately $900 (US) you will get a workable camera that you can use until you can afford better. Further the savings on the camera may enable you to afford the new 28-400 mm lens Nikkon just released.
Especially with the 2.0 firmware update which added bird recognition to the menu.
I would second the Z F with the Z mount Tamron 150-500 (Bruce had a typo). If I had not already bought the Z180-600 well before the Tamron came out the Tamron would have been an easy choice.When people ask me this, I always return with... 3 Questions:
-> What's your budget?
-> What do you intend to photograph?
-> Do you know how to get close or do you like to stay far?
Without knowing one and two, it's hard to assemble a kit. Without knowing 3, helping you with a lens is a crap shoot.
Here's the honest truth... for about 50 years, a 500mm lens was considered an extreme telephoto focal length. A ton of wildlife photography was done with 400mm, and my first successful attempts with wildlife was with 300mm. These days, people like to stay in their car, shoot from the road, grab a shot, and crop the crap out of it (see what I did there). There's nothing wrong with the latter, but it mostly results in "got it shots" that are just good enough for Insta and Facebook.
If you are willing to invest in your technique and accept that you will miss some shots of distant animals, I can suggest a kit that would be about $3300 out the door.
The Nikon Zf with 24MP sensor, though designed for more street-like photography, has a super capable AF and will allow for a high in-focus rate at 10fps. It costs $2000 new.
The Tamron 100-500 Z-mount is a very high quality lens and will out perform your 200-500... it is $1200 or so.
Probably the best budget kit in the Nikon ecosystem.
bruce
I looked at this combo seriously for my wife but she vetoed it as to heavy compared to here Z7II and Z400 f/4.5. Both the camera and lens weigh more.
I do not know the cost in CD but exchange rates also "imply" higher income value in CD ... my dad lived in CD for years and that ratio always bounced around.
My wife still has her Z50 although here Z7II is used by far the most. I ordered the Z28-400 for her use and am anxious to see what she thinks about it on her Z50. Supposed to ship mid to late April per Nikon press release.
D500/D850 price is dropping. There are two D500 right now on FM forums...one at $450 with 21k shutter, the other at $600, There is D850 for $1150. As said above, both very good for wildlife.
Ausi
Member
Thank you for the correction re Z F.
Chiguy
Member
New Z6III will be announced this month will shoot 15 frames per second in mechanical shutter and 20 FPS Raw in electronic shutter has new 24mp sensor with new high speed processor.
NIKON Z6 III: Is Nikon on a run? (youtube.com)
NIKON Z6 III: Is Nikon on a run? (youtube.com)
So it sounds like no new intel just reporting what had been on Nikon Rumors and they do not always get it correct and other times dead on so still up in the air about if, what and when from what I can tell.
fcotterill
Well-known member
Nothing new beyond the mixed rumours circulating last month
www.nikoneye.com
nikonrumors.com
Nikon Z6III specs leaked on Weibo? – NikonEye.com
The latest Nikon Z6III picture from China is fake, the specs are just a copy of what I have been reporting for months - Nikon Rumors
This Nikon Z6 III picture and a set of camera specifications were reportedly posted on social media by a Nikon dealer in China: Pixels: 24.5 million pixels Processor: EXPEED7 processor Anti-shake: 7 levels of anti-shake Shutter: 1/16000 seconds AF: 299 points Video: 6K/60p&4K/120p12Bit N-RAW...
nikonrumors.com
O
Well-known member
D5 D4s and soon the D6 are crumbling in the used market, if your looking at mirror less the ZF is good value with lots of benefits.
If I ever bought a DSLR for nostalgia it would be the D4s and then I would have to find a Nikon 28-300 and a Tamron 150-500 G2 or Sigma 150-600 sport for it to wear on our nostalgia date and I bet I could still get some cool shots with them
O
Well-known member
Ken, now that's the wholly grail of the nicest combo.If I ever bought a DSLR for nostalgia it would be the D4s and then I would have to find a Nikon 28-300 and a Tamron 150-500 G2 or Sigma 150-600 sport for it to wear on our nostalgia date and I bet I could still get some cool shots with them
I loved my D4S just brilliant, it was just so solid dependable and the deadly accurate reliable solid focus attack speed was nothing but brilliant, it nailed anything and everything 100% of the time, if it didn't it was me that failed.
My friend she has the D4s and a D850,
and says while the 45 mp files are irresistible of course due to resolution, the D4s is just for fast sports action and for focus accuracy just brilliant.
She still nails the image of the month in club comp and gold awards on the D4s regularly in open conceptions.
She has no interest in mirror less, why i asked, why should i spend money and change when i am winning against mirror less photographers already.
Unless i use wide with bird id and tracking i can still do all most everything that matters on a D850 D4s, Ok i said. I felt wow at least she is happy, i guess that's what really matters.
Personally i feel while mirror less has some nice key features and is technology wise really advanced and sophisticated especially for video, its i guess in simple terms like 25% brilliant 75% trend video related and lots of marketing, i do and always will believe that skill sets matter more than anything else, i see many people still do amazing things on DSLR gear and even older gear that the outcomes are no better or worse than mirror less for them in many cases, yes its a broad wild statement but gee there is an element of reality to it.
I guess what i am saying is mirror less doesn't make good DSLR gear obsolete as the mirror less marketing trends elude to.
The D4s with group is still great as it is on the D5 D6.
I saw the other day at Nikon service a couple of pro NPS guys picking up bags of gear, 98% of it was all DSLR stuff,
I asked how do you find mirror less, they answered, great interesting, for what we do the DSLR gear works still very very well, we don't do that much video, but we do like the feel of the smaller light mirror less lenses.
They had the D4s D5 D6 D850 in their packs.
What does this all mean ?
People are allowed to be different, these guys make a full time living from what they do. How can they be competitive into days high tech mirror less world.
Interesting to people watch LOL.
There is no right or wrong in camera gear just what works and makes you happy.
But i always encourage club members to never feel your left behind because your not all mirror less.
Only an opinion
O
Well-known member
Totally true many people i know still do if not in cases even better.If I ever bought a DSLR for nostalgia it would be the D4s and then I would have to find a Nikon 28-300 and a Tamron 150-500 G2 or Sigma 150-600 sport for it to wear on our nostalgia date and I bet I could still get some cool shots with them
Roy
Well-known member
Maybe the soon to be released Z6iii otherwise the Zf is very versatile ...
O
Well-known member
If you want mirror less the only real thing currently available would be the ZF.
DSLR the D850 D5 D6, the D850 with a grip and use group covers a lot, FX DX 45 MP 9 fps cheap.
Only an opinion