So here’s the dilemma: I realize that mirrorless is the future. I can see and have read about how many BIF shooters are moving to the Sony A1 (Mark Smith, Arthur Morris, Ari Hazeghi, etc) and I’m sure some of them are landing in Nikon/Canon land.
I have also briefly rented the A1 and can see it’s potential.
This thread isn’t about that.*
MAIN QUESTION
So, for people with experience with both a D6 and 1Dx iii, which one would you go with for BIF? It’d be nice to get to at least 800mm.
I do own a 1Dx iii + 300 2.8 ii + 1.4x iii and a D6 + 70-200 FL. I’m stupid that way.
You can stop right here and give advice (if you want). Below is a bunch of other thoughts that probably confuse the issue. Skip that stuff unless you like delving into the weeds.
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Been shooting mainly with the Canon setup (300 2.8 ii + 1.4x iii) at 420mm. It’s pretty good. Could get the 2x iii canon which would give me a 600mm f5.6. And I’ve heard that, unlike Nikon, Canon’s 2x iii extender is very very good. Tried one in the camera shop with my 300mm 2.8 ii and came away impressed.
But that’s only 600mm, and it sure seems like lots of birders wind up at 840mm. I shot the Sony rental 200-600 and 600mm was a lot less mag than I had thought. (They didn’t have a 600 f4 to test)
I’d sell the 300mm if I buy a big tele.
I have read that people like Ari left Canon’s 1dx Mark ii for Nikon D500/D5 because of improved AF performance (“slower, but more stable AF” was the quote), but that happened before the Mark III 1dx and before the D6.
I’ve never used the D6 with anything longer than a 200mm.
The AF BIF performance is paramount.
I could rent a big lens from each manufacturer for testing and that’s what I’d do if I was a kick-ass BIF shooter. But I’m not and thus I’m asking you guys/gals. My BIF skills are not at the level in which I can easily compare the two AF systems.
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Here are something other things I’m considering. Feel free to skip. Focus on the main question above, but keep these issues in mind…I am probably wrong about some of them. But maybe this list will help someone else who has other priorities.
Pros Canon:
Pros Nikon:
To consider:
*More details: I am not sure I want to move to mirrorless for a number of reasons, but a chief reason is finances. My older mac laptop has the Adobe suite on it (not the infinite rental version). I cannot upgrade the OS if I want to keep this non-rental Adobe suite. It’s High Sierra 10.13.6.
Anyway, I cannot open Sony .ARW files in the version of Camera Raw that I have. Cannot update that either. And the sheer amount of frames the A1 puts out (and the mp of each frame) totally chokes my computer. Cannot install Capture One.
So even if I did upgrade to the A1, I’d have to upgrade the whole computer chain. I’d be getting into the $25,000 area with camera, a 600mm f4, and a new laptop.
I have also briefly rented the A1 and can see it’s potential.
This thread isn’t about that.*
MAIN QUESTION
So, for people with experience with both a D6 and 1Dx iii, which one would you go with for BIF? It’d be nice to get to at least 800mm.
I do own a 1Dx iii + 300 2.8 ii + 1.4x iii and a D6 + 70-200 FL. I’m stupid that way.
You can stop right here and give advice (if you want). Below is a bunch of other thoughts that probably confuse the issue. Skip that stuff unless you like delving into the weeds.
===========================
Been shooting mainly with the Canon setup (300 2.8 ii + 1.4x iii) at 420mm. It’s pretty good. Could get the 2x iii canon which would give me a 600mm f5.6. And I’ve heard that, unlike Nikon, Canon’s 2x iii extender is very very good. Tried one in the camera shop with my 300mm 2.8 ii and came away impressed.
But that’s only 600mm, and it sure seems like lots of birders wind up at 840mm. I shot the Sony rental 200-600 and 600mm was a lot less mag than I had thought. (They didn’t have a 600 f4 to test)
I’d sell the 300mm if I buy a big tele.
I have read that people like Ari left Canon’s 1dx Mark ii for Nikon D500/D5 because of improved AF performance (“slower, but more stable AF” was the quote), but that happened before the Mark III 1dx and before the D6.
I’ve never used the D6 with anything longer than a 200mm.
The AF BIF performance is paramount.
I could rent a big lens from each manufacturer for testing and that’s what I’d do if I was a kick-ass BIF shooter. But I’m not and thus I’m asking you guys/gals. My BIF skills are not at the level in which I can easily compare the two AF systems.
===========================
Here are something other things I’m considering. Feel free to skip. Focus on the main question above, but keep these issues in mind…I am probably wrong about some of them. But maybe this list will help someone else who has other priorities.
Pros Canon:
- 2.0x teleconverter performance is great
- 400mm f4 DO II is pretty light for handholding, with 2x = 800mm f8
- 400mm 2.8 + 2x = 800 5.6, so I could have a great sports and BIF lens
- Potential for an occasional 1200mm f8 with the 600mm
- Big teles are very light
- Can lower release lag to 29ms (vs ~55ms), which significantly improves blackout. But does it have AF accuracy impacts?
- 16fps
- Canon will service non-USA lenses; lessens the anxiety of finding a lens
- big teles are holding their value better
- Able to assign controls better so I can use/switch more settings with just the right hand. For example, playback in the field is easier, can delete with one hand, easy to quickly change drive speed one-handed. Three savable (and lockable) custom banks. Not a massive plus, but it’s there.
- Maybe better video? But I’m not a video guy (yet, anyway)
- When deleting in camera, easy to delete batches
- Lots more gear Made in Japan
- Customer service is flat out stellar (first hand), mere mortals can join CPS
- No great hi-rez body: 5D IV not up to snuff (D850)
- AF patterns less flexible
- Potential: less good BIF AF performance?
- Lighting the control LCDs/buttons is a little inconvenient and one cannot force them on all of the time (not a huge deal, but I have crap eyes)
- When deleting in camera, the system will not remember your reviewing direction (after deleting, always moves to the newer pic even if you are going from newest to oldest)
Pros Nikon:
- maybe more sticky/stable AF? But can’t find a test. Did the 1dx iii close the gap?
- Seems to have lower high ISO noise than the 1dx iii, but I’m no expert
- Seems to focus a bit better in very low light levels where the 1dx iii will give up
- A bit quieter shutter
- Best hi-rez body option (D850), and a great DX option too (D500)
- I find the D6 body nice to use when it’s dark out (lighted displays and the ability to force them to be always on)
- can pick up a 600mm cheaper than a Canon
- able to customize shape of AF zones (but is this an actual advantage?)
- 500mm PF is light for handholding, works ok with 1.4x = 700 f8 but doesn’t work great with 2x
- When deleting in camera, the system DOES remember your reviewing direction
- I have a big soft spot for Nikon
- Big teles are quite a bit heavier
- 2x teleconverter performance is iffy (maybe?), might have to buy a number of units to test? Arthur Morris pans Nikon TCs.
- the whole “is it USA” kerfuffle re: repair
- Slightly slower fps at 14fps (but in actual use it might be a wash)
- When deleting in camera, no good way that I’ve found to delete batches
- Forced to use two hands for playback zoom, playback delete, and switching AF or drive speed (unless using a recall button…I think? But just one recall bank). Not the end of the world.
- Photo/Custom banks not lockable (hasn’t been a big deal)
- heard weird reports of poor repairs
- Many cheaper lenses/bodies (even expensive lenses) are made in China or Thailand
- cannot join NPS unless an actual pro
- customer service is quite poor (first hand)
To consider:
- Pro bodied Nikon DSLRs and big F-mount teles have worse resale than Canon equivalents, but cheaper to buy used than Canon. Maybe Nikon price has less distance to fall as people switch to mirrorless?
*More details: I am not sure I want to move to mirrorless for a number of reasons, but a chief reason is finances. My older mac laptop has the Adobe suite on it (not the infinite rental version). I cannot upgrade the OS if I want to keep this non-rental Adobe suite. It’s High Sierra 10.13.6.
Anyway, I cannot open Sony .ARW files in the version of Camera Raw that I have. Cannot update that either. And the sheer amount of frames the A1 puts out (and the mp of each frame) totally chokes my computer. Cannot install Capture One.
So even if I did upgrade to the A1, I’d have to upgrade the whole computer chain. I’d be getting into the $25,000 area with camera, a 600mm f4, and a new laptop.
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