When I made the switch to mirrorless about 18 months ago, I made the call to sell all my DSLR gear in order to help fund the transition. For years, I always had two bodies, and now only have one (the Z8). This has been difficult and I frequently find myself wanting another body with a shorter lens while I’m out shooting wildlife. This body would have four purposes:
1. Animalscapes/environmental wildlife shots
2. Casual landscape shots while I’m shooting wildlife with the Z8
3. Close-ups when wildlife gets too close for my other setup
4. Emergency backup in case of failure of the Z8 while on a trip
Ideally, I would prefer to just get a second Z8 but that’s out of my budget right now (I’d like to stay around $1,500 if possible). I thought about the Z50 II but I don’t really want to go with a crop sensor. So I’m assuming my best option is a used Z6 II or Z7 II.
So BCG experts…what say you?
When I want a second body, my thought process is that the second body needs to be my primary camera some of the time. I want a camera body that is different enough to justify the investment.
If I'm traveling and investing $500-5000 in a trip - plus the days of time involved - I always want a backup camera in case of malfunction. I may want two backup cameras for some trips, but that could involve a significant compromise. In thinking about the impact of broken gear, I also think about the lenses. I want to carry a second long lens so the trip is not ruined by damaged gear. In the case of travel, your second camera can be a rental. I once used a film camera as a backup - and it turned out I needed the film camera. I've had several trips where my primary camera was damaged and I needed to use my backup, but only one trip where the second camera also failed temporarily and ruined a half day shoot (internal fogging after keeping my gear in a cold hotel room overnight - and my primary camera was already damaged).
It may be through mounting a different lens, but that also means carrying two cameras and two or three lenses most of the time. That means instead of a 5-6 pound kit plus a tripod some of the time, I've got a 15 pound kit with reduced mobility. If I'm mobile, weight is a factor and I don't want to be constrained by 10 extra pounds of gear.
In the field, I can usually live with a single camera and 1-2 lenses. It may cost me an hour of time, but I can usually go back to my car to swap gear if needed. I'm willing to walk a couple of miles to swap out gear if needed - but that is extremely rare.
I shoot a wide range of subject matter. My primary camera is usually the Z8, but the Z6iii is a very good alternative. The Z7ii was my prior backup camera, but I found it was never my primary camera. The Z6iii is a primary camera for events, casual bird photography, astro, some landscapes, and for video. The controls pair well with the Z8. I just added a Z50ii for my wife - replacing her Z50. It's a primary camera for her - even on paid shoots with me. The small size is excellent. It's a primary camera for her, and secondary for me in case of emergencies. Before the Z8, the Z6 was an adequate backup camera to the Z7ii as a primary camera. I've used all these cameras professionally.
In terms of options, I'd probably look at a Z6iii or Z50ii for backup if you want it to cover action and will use it a lot. If it's emergency only, the Z7ii or Z6ii are good cameras but short of the AF subject detection performance on the current cameras.
