Telscossie
New member
Hi, I'm curious Has Anyone Swap from Sony to Nikon Impaticulary A1 to the Z9 0r Z8 , and what are your thoughts . many thanks
Sony to Nikon Move ?
- Thread starter Telscossie
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I’m sure it’s happened but the bigger question is why you would switch? What are you trying to achieve by switching systems? Those questions will lead to answers/suggestions that will better guide you in your decision.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
Like David said, the big question is to examine the motivations. All the major players have good options and usually you can make any of them work, but they do differ slightly in strengths and weaknesses and the trick is to find what fits your needs and wants the best.
Vincent_VdB
Well-known member
The most tricky question ever 
.
Indeed, as asked above is your question asking some clarification on the why. I am a Nikon shooter (did shoot Sony for a while) and both brands are excellent.
I love the available lenses from Nikon for us, wildlife shooters, others have for sure other reasons for choosing Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, …
. Indeed, as asked above is your question asking some clarification on the why. I am a Nikon shooter (did shoot Sony for a while) and both brands are excellent.
I love the available lenses from Nikon for us, wildlife shooters, others have for sure other reasons for choosing Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, …
abc123brian
Well-known member
There are a couple forum members here that have used the A1 and sold it to move to Nikon and some who have used both for a while and then sold their Sony gear. I'm sure they will respond at some point. I went from Canon and Fujifilm to Nikon and it has worked out well for me. There are valid reasons to switch systems and if your motivation is valid it should work fine. For example, if you find Nikon's lenses to better fit your photography. A bad reason example may be trying to achieve better AF as the best is going to go back and forth between brands. It is usually an expensive decision so whether you decide to proceed, make sure you're ready for the investment. Additionally, I found adapting to Nikon to be a little more difficult than other brands because certain things are reversed, such as lens rotations.
TurtleCat
Well-known member
I’m a Nikon person and haven’t used a Sony but I would wonder why anyone would make such a move. At this point there’s nothing that any of the systems out there can’t do basically and each leapfrog the other in small ways. The only way I can see what anyone would want to switch would be if they really get along with the ergonomics and “philosophy” of the brand they are moving to or just want something novel to learn (and have excess funds).
Unless the Nikon will do something for you that the Sony won't…or unless you hate the Sony menu system or ergonomics…or you want the Nikon glass which even Steve agrees is ahead in the Z mount at this point…I can't see that you'll see any improvement by switching and it will cost a lot of $$…and I say that as a Nikon shooter. Don't know if you've ever used Nikons before…but the menus and controls and what things are named is really different from Sony and while I hate the Sony menu system (because it's unfamiliar and I've been a Nikon guy for a long time), I'm sure that long time Sony users would say the same things about Nikon's menu system. Long story short…the glass is better on this side of the fence but capability wise both the A1 and the Z8/9 are excellent systems that will do whatever you want…and Sony actually has more customization ability for some of the buttons than Nikon does…again Steve says that as well.
Unless there's some reason to switch…I wouldn't.
You must have your reasons, but I think it is a non-optimal time to move. All the big names are about equivalent at the moment. Canon and Sony are (probably) in the process of renewing their top end.
Nikon has made big moves with the Z8/9, but rumors are they will renew their second tier (Z6/7) and continue to round out the Z glass.
Unless Nikon has a special feature you absolutely need, I would wait to see what develops.
Nikon has made big moves with the Z8/9, but rumors are they will renew their second tier (Z6/7) and continue to round out the Z glass.
Unless Nikon has a special feature you absolutely need, I would wait to see what develops.
nmerc_photos
Well-known member
Lots of people have swapped from Sony to Nikon recently.
I was never a "main" sony shooter, but have used and compared the A1 to the Z8/Z9. Performance is pretty much the same regardless of which modern body you use. There are going to be very few situations where having a different body results in a missed shot.
As others have said, the real question is what will you gain by swapping to Nikon?
The lion's share of people I've seen swap have been primarily wildlife photographers who want the big primes with built in TC's, or the lightweight PF lenses - both of which Nikon is the only competitor in the market.
I was never a "main" sony shooter, but have used and compared the A1 to the Z8/Z9. Performance is pretty much the same regardless of which modern body you use. There are going to be very few situations where having a different body results in a missed shot.
As others have said, the real question is what will you gain by swapping to Nikon?
The lion's share of people I've seen swap have been primarily wildlife photographers who want the big primes with built in TC's, or the lightweight PF lenses - both of which Nikon is the only competitor in the market.
LTK
Well-known member
I went from D850 to Sony A9ii to A1 , I've had the A1 for over 3 years and thought about going Z9 mainly for the 600mm PF . I do a lot of walking around looking for wildlife with my gear . Would the Z9 offer an improvement over my A1 ? probably not but I personally like the Sony's customisation and rear dial . The Nikon lenses are nice though
RikWriter
Well-known member
Unless you must have a Nikon lens such as the 800 or one with the built-in TCs, don't waste your money.
I own both brands.
In addition to what you want to change, what do you like most about your current gear? Any shortcoming in those requirements would nag at you or frustrate you.
The capabilities of each system are both top professional level. Some say the Nikon camera system assumes you want to have a high degree of control, while the Sony system anticipates your needs and delivers. I'm not sure that is right or wrong - but it's the kind of nuance that is at a system level. Nikon's lenses are excellent across the board, and optical performance, telephoto lineup, or other specific lens needs could be important in evaluating changes.
The capabilities of each system are both top professional level. Some say the Nikon camera system assumes you want to have a high degree of control, while the Sony system anticipates your needs and delivers. I'm not sure that is right or wrong - but it's the kind of nuance that is at a system level. Nikon's lenses are excellent across the board, and optical performance, telephoto lineup, or other specific lens needs could be important in evaluating changes.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
More specifically, @Telscossie, tell us about what has gotten you thinking about this, what you hope to gain, what things do you dislike about your current situation and how you hope something else might work better as well as other constraints like budget, current investment. basically, the more information you provide, the better answers you'll get
ChrisM
Well-known member
changing systems when talking about bodies like the Z9 and A1, and lenses like the 400/2.8 and 600/4, is véry expensive.
I shoot the Sony A1 with 600GM, but was a Nikon user with the D500. I like Nikon better for wildlife but switched when Nikon only had the very big and heavy Z9.
To change back to Nikon for the Z8 with Z600TC would be so expensive that I stay with Sony.
An option, if changing systems is véry expensive and both systems are very good, is too add the other system, e.g. when wanting a light set-up next to the big gear. In my case a Nikon Z8 with Z600PF would be a much better investment than swapping systems. But it could also be a set-up for e.g. landscape photography.
In short: I used to strive to shoot only óne brand, and switched brands a number of times, but it was always a very costly endeavour and never totally satisfying.
I've become much more conservative when it comes to system switching. So my first question would also be, like a few others, 'why do you want to switch?'
Just out of curiosity btw.
Of course you want people to respond that háve actually made the switch.
I shoot the Sony A1 with 600GM, but was a Nikon user with the D500. I like Nikon better for wildlife but switched when Nikon only had the very big and heavy Z9.
To change back to Nikon for the Z8 with Z600TC would be so expensive that I stay with Sony.
An option, if changing systems is véry expensive and both systems are very good, is too add the other system, e.g. when wanting a light set-up next to the big gear. In my case a Nikon Z8 with Z600PF would be a much better investment than swapping systems. But it could also be a set-up for e.g. landscape photography.
In short: I used to strive to shoot only óne brand, and switched brands a number of times, but it was always a very costly endeavour and never totally satisfying.
I've become much more conservative when it comes to system switching. So my first question would also be, like a few others, 'why do you want to switch?'
Just out of curiosity btw.
Of course you want people to respond that háve actually made the switch.
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RikWriter
Well-known member
I thought about just adding the Z8, the 600 f6.3 and a 1.4X TC and that still came out to something like $9000 I think?
abc123brian
Well-known member
If the sale info shared in another thread is accurate, both the Z8 and 600mm PF will each be $500 off starting tomorrow. Decent savings, but overall still a pricey addition..
foxysport
Active member
If I may ask what were your motivations for moving from Canon to Nikon?
Things move fast in cameras as far as freshness. The Z9 is 2.5 years since release, which puts it at least over the hill. The Z8 is mostly the same tech as the Z9. the A1 is 3.5 years, and the R5 is the grand-daddy of them all, already 4 years old. So I wouldn't be surprised if an A1ii isn't soon, be worth waiting for. The Canon R1 and R5ii are supposed to be announced this month, shipping in July supposedly. In Canon speak the "1" has been the flagship, but their flagship cameras are usually low megapixel. The R5ii is probably the next big thing for wildlife. I don't follow Sony rumors but wouldn't be surprised by an A1ii. So I guess I'd keep shooting the A1 until the other shoe drops with the A1ii and the R5ii.
abc123brian
Well-known member
It was the final part of my move to mirrorless from DSLR and happened before Canon released the R5. I started using Fujifilm mirrorless cameras alongside my Canon DSLR gear and at the same time I started to do more travel photography and less people photography. The smaller lighter gear was nice. When the X-T1 came out I was pretty happy with the Fujifilm cameras and I was getting more into wildlife. I had to decide which system to buy a longer lens for. I was either going to add the Fujifilm 100-400 or the Canon 400mm F/5.6 to my 5Dmkii. I opted to try the Fuji and when the X-Pro2 came out I was basically primarily using my Fujifilm cameras and sold some Canon lenses. I didn’t love the 100-400 lens and Fujifilm wasn't releasing anything else useful for wildlife at the time so I either had to go buy the Canon lens I previously considered or look at other options and I liked the idea of Nikons 200-500mm and 500mm PF. So I bought a used 200-500 and used D750 as a temporary solution for wildlife. When the first mirrorless Nikon and Canon cameras came out I liked Nikon’s options better and tried a Z6 and liked it enough to move everything to Nikon. Of course it wasn’t long after the R5 came out and I thought I made the biggest mistake. Once the Z9 came out I felt better about my decision but it has been a long wait for the smaller Nikon bodies to catch up. I am honestly happier with the lens options available from Nikon for what I’m shooting now. If my photography interests didn’t change from people to travel, nature, I’d probably still be using Canon and would have been happy. Also, as a note if anyone was curious, I did look at the Sony A7 line numerous times as a possible option but until the A7iii Sony’s autofocus was horrendous and the 200-600 option didn’t come out until after I decided on Nikon mirrorless.
foxysport
Active member
Many thanks for your detailed answer and apologies if I distracted anyone from the main subject raised by the thread owner. I feel the subject of system changes requires quite a lot of lateral thinking, broader perspective, and clear motivation.
TonyF
Active member
As far as the poducts go, I wouldnt consider switching because I like the Sony customisation.
Any encounter with Sony Customer Service however always drives me close to the edge
There appears to be quite a big difference on the service front.
Sony UK Customer service as of today (Source - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.sony.co.uk)
Trust score of 1.5 with 9% awarding 5 stars and 82% awarding 1 star
And here is Nikon UK (Source - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/nikon.co.uk)
Trust score of 4.2 with 61% awarding 5 stars and 26% awarding 1 star
foxysport
Active member
Using your format
And here is Canon UK (Source - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/canon.co.uk)
Trust score of 1.6 with 11% awarding 5 stars and 80% awarding 1 star
And here is Canon UK (Source - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/canon.co.uk)
Trust score of 1.6 with 11% awarding 5 stars and 80% awarding 1 star
John Navitsky
Well-known member
[deleted]
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Hmmmm.....where did @Telscossie go? Just being a troll?