Big birthday this year!!

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Doomrider74

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It's a milestone, and I'm thinking about the possibility of new gear. It's not till later in the year so I have time to save and plan.

At the moment, my main camera is D500 with a 500pf. I also have a Z5 w/27-70F4 S as a general walkabout/landscape camera. That's all the camera gear I have, other than a bag, tripod, and a few filters.

I do wildlife photography 90% of the time, so that's my gear focus, although I'd like something with a bit more range for the Z5 at some point.

I guess this is a bit of an open question on kit upgrade recommendations to give me some thoughts. The obvious one is a Z8, but I'd also need longer lenses to make full use of the FX sensor (yes, I know it can also be set as a DX), and I cant afford both. The Z8 would be at the very top of my budget.

For context, I live in Western Canada and prefer to shoot furry critters and sea creatures (seals, sea otters, whales etc), but also love raptors, with eagles and Ospreys being regular subjects at certain times of the year.

Being in the PNW, low light and poor weather is often an issue.

I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks, y'all.
 
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How exciting! You're upgrading at a good time, lots of new stuff coming out this year and you may see a price break on some of the existing gear.

Although I can't/won't recommend equipment as I don't have enough knowledge in that space, I will tell you that I purchased the 600pf (which is an absolute amazing lens) and I often find myself wanting the z400 4.5 for the background. The 600pf is a crystal-clear lens with good reach but it shoots at 6.3 so the background is usually not giving me that separation. The 600 f4 (and 400 2.8) were out of my reach and buying both the 600pf and the 400 f4.5 was a stretch for me so I decided on the 600pf for subject clarity and reach. Again, amazing lens but there are some tradeoffs.

Heavy on the lens(es) then worry about the camera...just my $.02. Good luck with your upgrades!
 
This will be a big year for camera bodies if you have time to wait. The Canon R5 mark ii is due by fall, the flagship R1 expected by 2nd quarter. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Sony A1 mark ii soon. The way the brand. leapfrog each other at the top, there has to be plenty to choose from each incrementally better than the z9.
 
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The Z8 works great with the 500mm PF. Using DX will give you very similar results as you get with your D500. Try working on getting closer to subjects where you can to take advantage of the full frame sensor and resolution. I think it’s a great place to start. Another option would be to see if you can find a deal on a used 500/600mm F/4 and 1.4x TC for your D500.
 
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I agree that you already have the best lens in the 500mm pf for transition into wildlife in the mirrorless world. All you need at this time is the Z8. Period.

My photographer friend has been using the 500mm pf in the mirrorless world and I have seen the impressive things he can do with that lens. He has a z8.

Both he and I live in the PNW (Seattle area) and we frequently go into coastal BC to photograph. We go to Yellow Point Lodge near Ladysmith every year and spend most of our time on photography.

Now maybe one day you will decide to either get a second long lens or maybe you will sell your 500mm pf and get the wonderful 600mm pf which is essentially the 500's successor. Or maybe you will go another direction. maybe a zoom to cover shorter stuff.

I can tell you that photographing wildlife in the Pacific Northwest I often find myself in need of reach. If you keep the 500mm PF the single thing you can eventually do to improve capability in our area is to add the 800mm pf. That lens has excellent synergy with the 500mm pf and provides the added reach you might find you need.


But don't worry about that now, just get the Z8 start learning to use it and see where it takes you

Maybe we can link up sometime while we are in BC and you can go shooting with us.
 
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wotan1 said:
I agree that you already have the best lens in the 500mm pf for transition into wildlife in the mirrorless world. All you need at this time is the Z8. Period.

My photographer friend has been using the 500mm pf in the mirrorless world and I have seen the impressive things he can do with that lens. He has a z8.

Both he and I live in the PNW (Seattle area) and we frequently go into coastal BC to photograph. We go to Yellow Point Lodge near Ladysmith every year and spend most of our time on photography.

Now maybe one day you will decide to either get a second long lens or maybe you will sell your 500mm pf and get the wonderful 600mm pf which is essentially the 500's successor. Or maybe you will go another direction. maybe a zoom to cover shorter stuff.

I can tell you that photographing wildlife in the Pacific Northwest I often find myself in need of reach. If you keep the 500mm PF the single thing you can eventually do to improve capability in our area is to add the 800mm pf. That lens has excellent synergy with the 500mm pf and provides the added reach you might find you need.


But don't worry about that now, just get the Z8 start learning to use it and see where it takes you

Maybe we can link up sometime while we are in BC and you can go shooting with us.
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Thanks for that.

Yes, let me know next time you are in this neck of the woods.
 
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We go to Yellow Point every October for four nights. I will figure out the dates and let you know by pm.

If you have never been to Yellow Point Lodge it is a great place to visit. People come back year after year. About the only way you can get in is to check for cancellations two weeks before you want to go. Once you are in you can keep coming back.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Yes, that is something else I've looked into. The trouble is the 'E' versions are still mega expensive. The 'G' versions are more reasonable, but heavier, apparently.
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The G models don't seem to focus quite as fast as the Z models, and I assume they are also slower than the E models. But all of them are good, as far as I'm concerned. All of them are better than I am.

I talked face-to-face with a Z8 owner for the first time today. She "loves" her Z8 a lot better than the Z9 due to the Z9's heft and physical size. She said she wished the Z8 had more battery capacity, but she now carries at least one spare battery for an all-day shoot.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Yes, that is something else I've looked into. The trouble is the 'E' versions are still mega expensive. The 'G' versions are more reasonable, but heavier, apparently.
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Yeah, I’ve checked pricing on them occasionally hoping to find a good deal but they are still more than I want to pay for one. I think I’d go Z8 now or wait just a few weeks to see if something is announced as rumors indicate.
 
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wotan1 said:
We go to Yellow Point every October for four nights. I will figure out the dates and let you know by pm.

If you have never been to Yellow Point Lodge it is a great place to visit. People come back year after year. About the only way you can get in is to check for cancellations two weeks before you want to go. Once you are in you can keep coming back.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
It's a milestone, and I'm thinking about the possibility of new gear. It's not till later in the year so I have time to save and plan.

At the moment, my main camera is D500 with a 500pf. I also have a Z5 w/27-70F4 S as a general walkabout/landscape camera. That's all the camera gear I have, other than a bag, tripod, and a few filters.

I do wildlife photography 90% of the time, so that's my gear focus, although I'd like something with a bit more range for the Z5 at some point.

I guess this is a bit of an open question on kit upgrade recommendations to give me some thoughts. The obvious one is a Z8, but I'd also need longer lenses to make full use of the FX sensor (yes, I know it can also be set as a DX), and I cant afford both. The Z8 would be at the very top of my budget.

For context, I live in Western Canada and prefer to shoot furry critters and sea creatures (seals, sea otters, whales etc), but also love raptors, with eagles and Ospreys being regular subjects at certain times of the year.

Being in the PNW, low light and poor weather is often an issue.

I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks, y'all.
Click to expand...
The Z8 would be my choice, and you might be able to find a good used copy to save a few bucks. As for lenses, your 500PF will work perfectly well on the Z8 (with FTZ), but I also would take a good look at the 180-600 for a couple of reasons: to give you a little extra reach, and to provide greater range (from what you wrote, you have almost nothing to cover below 500mm). For larger mammals especially, I like having the flexibility of a zoom in the field when moving about, which provides easy options for capturing behavioral and environmental images, as well as portraits. If I’m more or less staying put, then having two bodies with primes attached is a more viable option, at least for me. Yes, the 180-600 is f5.6-6.3, but faster aperture isn’t the only factor influencing subject separation and depth of field.

BTW, happy birthday in advance. At my age, every year is a milestone! 🥴
 
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Doomrider74 said:
It's a milestone, and I'm thinking about the possibility of new gear. It's not till later in the year so I have time to save and plan.

At the moment, my main camera is D500 with a 500pf. I also have a Z5 w/27-70F4 S as a general walkabout/landscape camera. That's all the camera gear I have, other than a bag, tripod, and a few filters.

I do wildlife photography 90% of the time, so that's my gear focus, although I'd like something with a bit more range for the Z5 at some point.

I guess this is a bit of an open question on kit upgrade recommendations to give me some thoughts. The obvious one is a Z8, but I'd also need longer lenses to make full use of the FX sensor (yes, I know it can also be set as a DX), and I cant afford both. The Z8 would be at the very top of my budget.

For context, I live in Western Canada and prefer to shoot furry critters and sea creatures (seals, sea otters, whales etc), but also love raptors, with eagles and Ospreys being regular subjects at certain times of the year.

Being in the PNW, low light and poor weather is often an issue.

I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks, y'all.
Click to expand...
The 500 mm PF works great on Z mirrorless bodies with an FTZ/FTZII. I’ve used mine on a Z7, Z7 II, Z9 and Z8. I sold it when I decided to get the Z 400 f4.5 and Z 600 PF.

If you want a bit more reach, consider getting an F mount 1.4x TCIII to use with your 500 mm PF. Gives you a very good 700 mm f8 lens. I’ve used that combination a lot on Z mirrorless bodies. It works very well and better than it did on my D500 and D850. You do lose a stop of light, so there may be times you might not want to use it.

Good luck with your choices.
 
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Abinoone said:
The Z8 would be my choice, and you might be able to find a good used copy to save a few bucks. As for lenses, your 500PF will work perfectly well on the Z8 (with FTZ), but I also would take a good look at the 180-600 for a couple of reasons: to give you a little extra reach, and to provide greater range (from what you wrote, you have almost nothing to cover below 500mm). For larger mammals especially, I like having the flexibility of a zoom in the field when moving about, which provides easy options for capturing behavioral and environmental images, as well as portraits. If I’m more or less staying put, then having two bodies with primes attached is a more viable option, at least for me. Yes, the 180-600 is f5.6-6.3, but faster aperture isn’t the only factor influencing subject separation and depth of field.

BTW, happy birthday in advance. At my age, every year is a milestone! 🥴
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Thanks you, and for the rest of your reply.
 
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I agree with those that say the Z8 and the 180-600mm is the best possible "low cost" option. My wife uses this combo for the light weight, also. I also agree that if your budget does not allow this, you can use the Z8 with the F mount 500mm PF and the FTZ2 with no issues.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
It's a milestone, and I'm thinking about the possibility of new gear. It's not till later in the year so I have time to save and plan.

At the moment, my main camera is D500 with a 500pf. I also have a Z5 w/27-70F4 S as a general walkabout/landscape camera. That's all the camera gear I have, other than a bag, tripod, and a few filters.

I do wildlife photography 90% of the time, so that's my gear focus, although I'd like something with a bit more range for the Z5 at some point.

I guess this is a bit of an open question on kit upgrade recommendations to give me some thoughts. The obvious one is a Z8, but I'd also need longer lenses to make full use of the FX sensor (yes, I know it can also be set as a DX), and I cant afford both. The Z8 would be at the very top of my budget.

For context, I live in Western Canada and prefer to shoot furry critters and sea creatures (seals, sea otters, whales etc), but also love raptors, with eagles and Ospreys being regular subjects at certain times of the year.

Being in the PNW, low light and poor weather is often an issue.

I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks, y'all.
Click to expand...
There are so many options, combinations.

The influences or priorities are size, weight, reach, cost, low light capability,
each one of these points dictate.

Mirror less tracking is a toll feature that works in many cases extremely well, but not all, can you achieve similar or much the same outcomes using a Good DSLR, absolutely, i ask your self if have you never really took a perfect shot in your life before on your DSLR.

The 500 PF on a D500 is an exceptional combination for birding and wild life, it features reach, light compact, just falls away depending on where and what your doing.

Is the pending roomer of a Z90 going to be the answer to replace the D500.

The Z6III, FF, small light, fast excellent low light performance easing away the pressure from the lens for low light and speed.

Myself the Z6III on a 500 PF is excellent, and possibly a whisker better is the 400 PF, that said is 100 mm a game changer, then the 600pf would even be better again unless low light is a challenge, but the Z6III would deal with the low light challenge better.

A Z8 would work extremely well also.

Myself, if my history shows i use 400-500 predominately as far as typical reach goes then it would be happy with 400PF 500 PF 600PF on a Z6III, or the Z8, but i do like the option of the Z7III if its 61mp 10 plus FPS, the crop ability would give me easily 100 - 200 mm extra reach capacity. Not certain about low light performance though.

So the spinning wheel goes on LOL.

Marry the glass date the camera as Steve says

Only an opinion
 
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O said:
There are so many options, combinations.

The influences or priorities are size, weight, reach, cost, low light capability,
each one of these points dictate.

Mirror less tracking is a toll feature that works in many cases extremely well, but not all, can you achieve similar or much the same outcomes using a Good DSLR, absolutely, i ask your self if have you never really took a perfect shot in your life before on your DSLR.

The 500 PF on a D500 is an exceptional combination for birding and wild life, it features reach, light compact, just falls away depending on where and what your doing.

Is the pending roomer of a Z90 going to be the answer to replace the D500.

The Z6III, FF, small light, fast excellent low light performance easing away the pressure from the lens for low light and speed.

Myself the Z6III on a 500 PF is excellent, and possibly a whisker better is the 400 PF, that said is 100 mm a game changer, then the 600pf would even be better again unless low light is a challenge, but the Z6III would deal with the low light challenge better.

A Z8 would work extremely well also.

Myself, if my history shows i use 400-500 predominately as far as typical reach goes then it would be happy with 400PF 500 PF 600PF on a Z6III, or the Z8, but i do like the option of the Z7III if its 61mp 10 plus FPS, the crop ability would give me easily 100 - 200 mm extra reach capacity. Not certain about low light performance though.

So the spinning wheel goes on LOL.

Marry the glass date the camera as Steve says

Only an opinion
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Thanks for the reply.

I'm watching the Z6III rumours with interest: However, if it's only 24mpix then no thanks: That would result in a significantly lower pixel density than what I have now. Hell, even if it was 36mpix, it would still be a trade-off. That's why I'm looking at the Z8 as even in DX mode it's about the same as the D500 in terms of resolution.

If they added some of the ZF or Z8 AF capability to the Z7III, but at a lower price than the Z8, I'd be interested, for sure, but I don't see why Nikon would do that. I think the Z7III will take a different path, possibly higher res, but generally slower.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Thanks for the reply.

I'm watching the Z6III rumours with interest: However, if it's only 24mpix then no thanks: That would result in a significantly lower pixel density than what I have now. Hell, even if it was 36mpix, it would still be a trade-off. That's why I'm looking at the Z8 as even in DX mode it's about the same as the D500 in terms of resolution.

If they added some of the ZF or Z8 AF capability to the Z7III, but at a lower price than the Z8, I'd be interested, for sure, but I don't see why Nikon would do that. I think the Z7III will take a different path, possibly higher res, but generally slower.
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You have narrowed it down to the Z8, and that fits many of the needs,
that takes care for the camera choice, now its down to the glass.

Postmortem or theory of my logic was the Z6III may not have the resolution you want, it was mainly only a considering for the usable speed possibly 14 fps, and the super high ISO capability that would translate into tolerating a F5.6 F6.3 glass in lower light.
I do think the Z6III has better iso performance than a Z8 Z9, roumers also have it a t 30 mp?? cant remember with some unique ZF features.
I think some of fetaures will also be in teh Z7III but at 61mp and 10-12fps. making DX mode even better.

https://nikonrumors.com/2024/01/29/a-new-set-of-nikon-z6-iii-camera-specifications-and-details.aspx/

Its down to glass, whats your choice now that you have had some feed back, myslef i am a F2.8 F4 extic prime lover, in DSLR glass especailly as their insainly cheap now.

Only an opinion
 
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O said:
You have narrowed it down to the Z8, and that fits many of the needs,
that takes care for the camera choice, now its down to the glass.

Postmortem or theory of my logic was the Z6III may not have the resolution you want, it was mainly only a considering for the usable speed possibly 14 fps, and the super high ISO capability that would translate into tolerating a F5.6 F6.3 glass in lower light.
I do think the Z6III has better iso performance than a Z8 Z9, roumers also have it a t 30 mp?? cant remember with some unique ZF features.
I think some of fetaures will also be in teh Z7III but at 61mp and 10-12fps. making DX mode even better.

https://nikonrumors.com/2024/01/29/a-new-set-of-nikon-z6-iii-camera-specifications-and-details.aspx/

Its down to glass, whats your choice now that you have had some feed back, myslef i am a F2.8 F4 extic prime lover, in DSLR glass especailly as their insainly cheap now.

Only an opinion
Click to expand...
As I said, I cant afford both a camera and a lens, so its either replace my D500 or replace my 500pf.
 
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