Small birds with my new Nikon Z7ii + 500PF and (mostly) 1.4 TC

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janzin

janzin

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I've had the Z7ii for several weeks now and I'm sort of in love :) Although I'm not ditching my D850, I just love the handling, the WYSIWYG, the full frame AF coverage, and the fact that it nails focus every time without fine tuning (well, for static subjects anyway.) And I've had good luck with some moving birds too.

Common Redpoll Z7ii + 500PF

JZ1_1402-EditP.jpg
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Pine Siskin, Z7ii + 500PF

JZ1_3007-Edit.jpg


The following are all with the 1.4TC. The combo handles the 1.4TC wonderfully as long as there is bright light. I haven't (and probably wouldn't) use the TC if the light was really poor.

Sanderling Z7ii + 500 PF + 1.4 TC. He was running as Sanderlings do.

JZ1_2761-Edit.jpg


I can also attest that the Z7ii worked great in frigid cold temps (about 20F) and the battery even held up for the 700 shots I took on this outing of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and assorted sparrows which were flocking at a park where folks had put out some seed.

Snow Bunting in the snow, Z7ii + 500PF + 1.4 TC

JZ1_3166.jpg
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Eastern Meadowlark, Z7ii + 500PF + 1.4 TC. Unfortunately a few days after this photo was taken, he was taken by a hawk :(

JZ1_3551.jpg


I have a few more I'd love to post, including some owls and a flight shot or two, but it seems we can only post five, so I'll post more another day.
 
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Cristobal said:
Very nice photos; also surprised by the sharpness of TC with 500 PF; does Z camera improve this sharpness comparatively to a DSLR?
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I've gotten excellent results with the D850, 500PF and the 1.4 TC as well but unscientifically I feel I am getting better results with the Z7ii. I haven't really done a head-to-head comparison though. Just a sense that I'm getting more keepers with that combo than I did with the D850.
 
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Steve said:
Nice shots - I don't think I've ever seen meadowlark in the snow!
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Thanks Steve, it is not unheard of for them to over-winter here (I'm in New York City, but this group of birds were in Westchester a bit north of NYC) but I certainly never have seen one in winter, much less in snow; and also never have seen one so close and cooperative. There was some speculation he might have been sick, although he was eating well, he looked a bit bedraggled. And as I noted, he got taken by a Red-tailed Hawk the next day so he may very well have been ill.

Here he was probing for food in the rocks.



JZ1_3673.jpg
 
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janzin said:
I've gotten excellent results with the D850, 500PF and the 1.4 TC as well but unscientifically I feel I am getting better results with the Z7ii. I haven't really done a head-to-head comparison though. Just a sense that I'm getting more keepers with that combo than I did with the D850.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your feedback; personnally, I tried the 1.4 TC on the 500 PF with my D500 and I was not very satisfied of the results...
 
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janzin said:
Thanks Steve, it is not unheard of for them to over-winter here (I'm in New York City, but this group of birds were in Westchester a bit north of NYC) but I certainly never have seen one in winter, much less in snow; and also never have seen one so close and cooperative. There was some speculation he might have been sick, although he was eating well, he looked a bit bedraggled. And as I noted, he got taken by a Red-tailed Hawk the next day so he may very well have been ill.

Here he was probing for food in the rocks.



View attachment 14593
Click to expand...
Yeah, he looked a bit beat up, but I figured the time of year and weather. Too bad he got taken, but I suppose hawks have to eat too.
 
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Cristobal said:
Thank you for your feedback; personnally, I tried the 1.4 TC on the 500 PF with my D500 and I was not very satisfied of the results...
Click to expand...

I definitely get better results with the D850 than the D500, but I've never AF fine-tuned the lens on either camera. This Semipalmated Sandpiper (missing a foot!) is with the D850+500PF + 1.4 TC

JZ8_3677-EditL.jpg
 
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Awesome captures, (y) . Especially I like the picture of the Semipalmated Sandpiper . Did you see this particular handicap more in other birds and how did he manage to survive it?
 
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JaapL said:
Awesome captures, (y) . Especially I like the picture of the Semipalmated Sandpiper . Did you see this particular handicap more in other birds and how did he manage to survive it?
Click to expand...
Thanks! Missing feet or toes on shorebirds is actually quite common...what often happens is they get them caught in shells that snap shut on them! Sometimes it can also be caused by getting snagged in fishing line. I've seen it often, it doesn't seem to impair them much although I am not really sure if it shortens their life span.
 
Member's gallery
janzin said:
I've had the Z7ii for several weeks now and I'm sort of in love :) Although I'm not ditching my D850, I just love the handling, the WYSIWYG, the full frame AF coverage, and the fact that it nails focus every time without fine tuning (well, for static subjects anyway.) And I've had good luck with some moving birds too.

Common Redpoll Z7ii + 500PF

View attachment 14576

Pine Siskin, Z7ii + 500PF

View attachment 14583

The following are all with the 1.4TC. The combo handles the 1.4TC wonderfully as long as there is bright light. I haven't (and probably wouldn't) use the TC if the light was really poor.

Sanderling Z7ii + 500 PF + 1.4 TC. He was running as Sanderlings do.

View attachment 14577

I can also attest that the Z7ii worked great in frigid cold temps (about 20F) and the battery even held up for the 700 shots I took on this outing of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and assorted sparrows which were flocking at a park where folks had put out some seed.

Snow Bunting in the snow, Z7ii + 500PF + 1.4 TC

View attachment 14578

Eastern Meadowlark, Z7ii + 500PF + 1.4 TC. Unfortunately a few days after this photo was taken, he was taken by a hawk :(

View attachment 14582

I have a few more I'd love to post, including some owls and a flight shot or two, but it seems we can only post five, so I'll post more another day.
Click to expand...
Terrific images—care to share how you metered the snow bunting & meadowlark against the snow? Looks like you nailed it!
 
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Bluetail said:
Terrific images—care to share how you metered the snow bunting & meadowlark against the snow? Looks like you nailed it!
Click to expand...

Well that's the awesome thing about mirrorless...no need to guess as you can see your exposure as you are shooting. This was especially helpful in these snowy conditions as I'm not used to shooting in snow. Both of those were +1.33 EV in matrix metering.
 
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