What were your reasons for getting into Nikon mirrorless?

I've had a think about this lately. For myself I haven't got a Nikon mirrorless. If I am confronted the decision; like if my dSLR broke down, I might just pick up another used but newer dSLR body. I can see that mirrorless have definite advantages but I do seldom of that and things like eye detect focus I don't see myself really need those features. Althou mirrorless does make the camera body a bit more compact they are still more dedicated equipment than a holiday / street camera.

 

 

Maybe mirrorless at a point will be so price competitive and they move away from dSLRs that decision is made for us by the manufacturer if one wanted to buy new.

 

What are/were you reasons for mirrorless?

 

 

Cheers :)

I avoided "Nikon Mirrorless" , the Z50 gives me no advantage what so ever over my D500.

I find XQD memory is hard to get and to expensive where i live, so i am still on sD cards in my D500

the Z6 and Z7 dio not support sD memory cards.

 

So if i would be in the market for a new Nikon Camera, it would be either a "low end"or a D780 , just because of the supported memory cards (sD) ..

Thanks for that. I hear them say, other lenses can be adapted, focus peaking, better focus modes for video work etc ... At the end of the day for me, I pretty much stick with native lenses, I shoot still images; call me old fashioned hahah. Well OK, I hear they say the lenses are better but is that criteria as big as they make it out to be? I accept they are better but does it suddenly make F mount lenses inferior now.

 

Surely the bulk of the customers are not gonna use lenses in manual focus and retrofit other format lenses and vintage lenses. Also with the EVF and OVF, I have tried the Z6 and I have been impressed with it over some of the other mirrorless I have tried. This thing with EVF and OVF is kinda the thing that you just adapt to your tools right? Plenty of people were happy with OVF and still now. Shrugs ....

My reasons to Z:

a) weight and bulk reduction. My hiking kit (UWA and kit zooms) is half the weight and it's no longer a struggle to get the gear into my backpack.

b) focus peaking for my AIS and pre-AIS manual focus lenses.

c) high ISO performance for low light and night sky photography. I'm surprised by how much I can recover from shadows.

d) ergonomics and UI are close to my other D cameras.

 

My back isn't getting any younger and I'm contemplating the Z50 for a walk-around/travel camera.

 

I'm not selling my D800x any time soon. For action, the OVF is my preference - I can flip the camera to ON as I raise it to my eye and it's ready to shoot. The Z lags behind on startup and I had been turning it off between shots. I have since found the battery life is good enough to keep the Z on during a session.

There are many other reasons to go mirrorless ...

• Small footprint (Leica M size)
  
• Precise manual focusing (magnification >> focus peaking > ground glass)
  
• Ability to use nearly any legacy lens - including Nikon, Canon, Leica
  
• Silent operation possible
  
• Full-time live view, WYSIWYG
  
• Cinematic-quality video
  
• High quality dedicated lenses, not encumbered with long backfocus requirements. Especially important for lenses wider than "normal."
  
• AF sensor coplanar with image sensor
  
• 90% AF coverage of FOV
  

Mirroless pro in general is its viewfinder. If you like it better than the DSLR viewfinder then it's better.

I personally don't like the EVF so the only reason for me to ever get a Nikon Z is the lenses. I like them better than F lenses.

Small size is the moot point for me. In fact the size problem is about the lens size not camera size. I don't see a problem carrying the D5 or the Z7 if the lens is a small say 50mm. If the lens is 300mm then it's the lens that makes difference.

The Z does have the down side of battery consumption but it's OK for me. I don't shoot a lot per outting.

There are many other reasons to go mirrorless ...

I'll add 'IBIS' (In Body Image Stabilisation) to Ed's list.

It works superbly on my a7Riv, giving new life to old MF lenses that don't have VR, VC, IS - call it what you will.

 

Also, for me, the EVF and its wide dioptre adjustment, makes it useable without the encumbrance of wearing spectacles.

 

Why did I decide against a Z series camera? I completely lost faith in Nikon's quality control over the last 5 years or so. Plus the dearth of lenses for the Z mount.

Maybe mirrorless at a point will be so price competitive...

Mirrorless cameras don't seem to be any more expensive than a DSLR of similar specification/quality to me.

The Z does have the down side of battery consumption...

A complete non-issue really. Batteries last much longer than 36 shots, don't need rewinding before unloading, and take up only about the same volume as a cassette of 35mm film. 3rd party ones only cost about the same as a roll of film+processing too.

Edited July 2, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

I saw a tourist with a Z6 or Z7. It looked small, maybe even tiny with the oversized lens attached. Even the common 50mm F1.8 looks huge and over priced in Z form. A Z50 with the kit looks intriguing and reasonably priced right now with more models and lenses on the way, but where to you go to see one in person before spending $1000? Our local Best Buy is unlikely to have one on display.

Well, I went to the local camera shop (Rowe Photo) to see and buy my Z6. Unfortunately I know a lot of brick and mortar camera shops have disappeared over the years, so you have to be in a city or just lucky.

Got very good reviews, but Z adds nothing to my current capabilities, have a variety of Nikons and Nikon lenses, old and new, a Mirrorless system and high quality stand alone Mirrorless. I would be far more likely to buy another Nikon DSLR if one had some valuable feature I currently lack.

Before the stores locked down for C-19, every Best Buy I wandered into had a Z50 and Z6 out.

 

Mirrorless cameras don't seem to be any more expensive than a DSLR of similar specification/quality to me.

 

 

Yes for sure a Z6 is even a bit cheaper than a D780. I was thinking about the entire dSLR line up. Maybe there will be a time eventually when the D3000 and D5000 series have price equivalent replacements with Z cameras that informally disestablishes F mount gear.

Yes for sure a Z6 is even a bit cheaper than a D780. I was thinking about the entire dSLR line up.

That's only true if you insist on staying with Nikon.

 

Some time back I bought a used Sony a6000, which cost me about 1/3rd less than Nikon's cheapest consumer DSLR. The resolution (24 Mp), picture quality and features offered easily equal those of my D7200 at 4 or 5 times the price. And Sony's E-mount gives access to a multitude of Sony, Zeiss and other 3rd party lenses. While a cheap adapter allows my Nikon F-mount glass to be used, albeit only in MF mode.

 

With an E-mount AF lens fitted, the auto-focus is far more consistently accurate than I ever got from a Nikon DSLR, and with no 'AF fine-tune' nonsense required.

 

Despite their lightweight feel, most of Sony's MILC offerings appear to have an all-metal, or mainly metal construction.

Edited July 3, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

the auto-focus is far more consistently accurate than I ever got from a Nikon DSLR

Do you reckon that's 'just' the advantage of a native direct AF mechanism rather than the dance-around-the-prism phase detect of most DSLRs?

 

I'm tempted by the Z6 for the rather obscure reason of allowing drop-in filters into a modded FTZ with F-mount lenses. Sadly, no-one has built one yet to allow auto functions to work.

 

Interestingly, i couldn't find a tear-down of an FTZ either. Unusual in these days of YouTube.....maybe I just haven't found it yet?

Do you reckon that's 'just' the advantage of a native direct AF mechanism rather than the dance-around-the-prism phase detect of most DSLRs?

I think 'just' is a bit of an understatement!

I'm tempted by the Z6 for the rather obscure reason of allowing drop-in filters into a modded FTZ with F-mount lenses.

Que?

What possible drop-in filter, that can't be digitally emulated, are you thinking of?

What possible drop-in filter, that can't be digitally emulated, are you thinking of?

 

UV (only) Trans. AKA a Baader Venus or U Filter. Even at 2", it's ~ £250. The lenses I want to use are the Sigma's with 82mm filters....:eek:

 

It would also allow filters on the unfilterable UWAs.

 

Remember this Canon adapter....?

 

Buy Drop-in Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R with Drop-in Circular Polarizing Filter A

 

I want the Nikon version!!

That's only true if you insist on staying with Nikon.

 

Some time back I bought a used Sony a6000, which cost me about 1/3rd less than Nikon's cheapest consumer DSLR. The resolution (24 Mp),

 

Yep, last year instead of a Z6 or Z7, I got myself a used Fuji X-T1 16MP with a kit lens, the vertical grip and 4 OEM batteries for $300US. For this hobby when I am doing local photography I could just use my F system. Instead with a bit more I could had gotten a X-T20 which I think has 24MP.

 

 

For me it seems like the Z are a replacement of a newer cousin of the F. Viewfinder very nice, it is full frame. I don't do action photography but I guess eventually that would be supplied by the Z series. I am pretty much over paying brand new prices for photographic gear. All my current series F lenses were also used. My last new item was maybe the D600 in 2013 and maybe 2010 the new lens was the 35mm F1.8 DX.

To me the mirrorless cameras are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. What can I do with a Z series camera that I can't already do with a large group of DSLR bodies and lenses as old as the 70's that still give quite good quality? Why would I want to start all over again? I guess I am becoming more of an OTB (old tired bastard) but I'm not impressed with mirrorless anything.

 

Rick H.

To me the mirrorless cameras are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Well, I'd argue that the complex and error-prone mirrored reflex viewing system is the problem that it's the answer to.

 

By 'error-prone', I mean it's nearly impossible to get exact alignment between viewing screen, AF sensor and image-plane each and every time the mirror bangs up-and-down. Remembering that this has to happen in any orientation of the camera; meaning that gravity can't be relied upon to do some of the work.

 

If you've never been forced to use magnified LiveView on a DSLR, and never rely on autofocus, then, great, there is no problem.... as long as you're prepared to put up with frequently mis-focussed shots.

Edited July 4, 2020 by rodeo_joe|1

Well, I'd argue that the complex and error-prone mirrored reflex viewing system is the problem that it's the answer to.

 

By 'error-prone', I mean it's nearly impossible to get exact alignment between viewing screen, AF sensor and image-plane each and every time the mirror bangs up-and-down. Remembering that this has to happen in any orientation of the camera; meaning that gravity can't be relied upon to do some of the work.

 

If you've never been forced to use magnified LiveView on a DSLR, and never rely on autofocus, then, great, there is no problem.... as long as you're prepared to put up with frequently mis-focussed shots.

 

I agree. One time I was convinced that the focus was a bit off, while on holiday in Tokyo I went to the service center only to be told later on the same day that it was within spec. I calibrated AF fine tune on 2 primes but the zooms was a bit more complicated to do. Kinda just accepted it, not every-time one can use live view before taking the shot. Even my old mirrorless without the mirror is quite liberating. The mirror is simply not there, one less factor to deal with.

One nice thing about upgrading every 10-15 years or so is you really appreciate the new features. For me, being able to shoot an event like a company party, in dim light, at high ISO and low noise, with face and eye detection nailing focus near every time, is a revelation. I'm not capable of doing that with manual focus even on my best day. The Z6 shutter can be near silent for places where that matters. Show me a silent dSLR. In-body IS has given a new life to my old lenses.