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Z5, or Z6ii or Z7ii ?


chrismitchell

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If I buy the Z5 I get a couple of nice lenses. If I buy the Z7ii I get a single inexpensive lens. Z6ii is in the middle. If I understand this correctly, Z7ii and Z6ii have can combine multiple shoots in camera to make star trail shots, Z5 cannot. Z5 has 30 second max shoot and Z6ii and Z7ii have 900 second max shoot timers. Can you see where my interest is?

Is there much difference between the prints from a Z 5 and a Z6ii? at say 20 x 30 inches?

I will be photographing National Parks. An example would be climbing the hill near Norris geyser basin and trying to catch a long night shot with Steamboat erupting. I don't care about rapid frames per second or sports.

I'm going to be in Oregon, (where there is no sales tax,) on labor day. If anybody knows where a careful shopper might find a a Nikon store with a sale going on?

Long exposure prints that can be 10 to 30 inches tall, is what my main interest is. Nikon has a video about star trail made in camera by combining multiple shots, but only with the more expensive models.

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It might be reasonable to get the original Z7. I did that when the Z7ii came out to save a little money. If you push the shadows 5-6 stops you can find some banding (I read its a software issue), but otherwise the sensors are the same. In my landscape photography I have never seen banding; I just pushed a file or two to see if I could produce it. One card, not 2. I have had it a year or so, a couple of backpacking trips and I have not regretted it. The same can probably be said of the Z6 vs Z6ii.
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Do you NEED HIGH ISO for what you do?

From my research the Z6ii has the best high ISO. The Z9 is closer to the Z7ii.

My need is for night/gym sports under poor lighting, so the Z6ii was the winner.

 

Still have not pressed the [buy] button.

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I'm going to be in Oregon, (where there is no sales tax,) on labor day. If anybody knows where a careful shopper might find a a Nikon store with a sale going on?

Google shows a number of stores in Oregon selling Nikon. You may call and ask, depending on where you plan to stop. I suppose you will be at the Oregon Coastal area? If no-tax is in your mind, alternatively you can mail-order from B&H with their PayBoo credit card.

Long exposure prints that can be 10 to 30 inches tall, is what my main interest is. Nikon has a video about star trail made in camera by combining multiple shots, but only with the more expensive models.

I believe you can also use Z5 for multiple shots (link). The Z5 has a cropped sensor (not full frame), so you may want to have a wide angle lens or zoom. For night-sky (milky way, star trails, etc.) it is best for a lens to be f/2.8 or lower. These lenses are usually on the more expensive side. If you use an F4 too of course, just compensate your exposure factors accordingly.

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Mary, the Z5 is full frame. It's the Z50 thats a cropped sensor.

Sorry I was confused... :eek: Apologies!

Is there much difference between the prints from a Z 5 and a Z6ii? at say 20 x 30 inches?

The Z5 appears to be decent in comparison to the Z6, Z7, etc, (link). I don't see much of any problem printing to 20x30.

 

Nowadays, as long as your image is sharp, you can even blow it up to a ridiculous size with the help of Topaz Gigapixel AI.

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Mary, there is also no sales tax in Oregon, similar to New Hampshire and Delaware.

Yes, OP did mention it. I was providing an alternative if sales tax is an issue. Now I am thinking that the PayBoo credit limit may not cover enough for an expensive item for a new customer, so this may not be possible.

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The Z5 is a slightly dumbed-down version of Z6ii - both are great and capable cameras. I was considering both but for other purposes than what you describe.

 

For me, the Z6ii came out on top primarily for it's BSI sensor (which at least theoretically should give better results with adapted rangefinder lenses) and its video capabilities. My dealer also had a very generous trade in offer valid only for the Z6ii which made the final decision easy.

 

If long exposure is a deciding factor, you may look into if there exist external timers.

Niels
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I've been "locked in" to DSLR's since 2015. I just recently jumped into mirror-less, buying a used Z5 from a local dealer, the camera coming with a 24-50 "kit" lens, and a low shutter count. The Z5 is a great entry point camera for someone who doesn't want to go head first into the Z6xx or Z7xx. I'm comparing it, feature-wise, more to the D610 and D750, since those two have similar sensor sizes.

 

The Z5 compares favorably, image-wise, to both cameras. It's not feature-laden, but since I prefer AP over other shooting modes, the Z5 answers my needs as a basic camera. It harkens back to a simpler time when you had to think a bit more about what you wanted to do with your camera. The same day I found the Z-5, another dealer had a used FTZ adapter, which really opened up the options with the Z5. I really like using my 24-70 f/2.8E ED VR lens although it is much heavier than the "walk around" 24-50 lens. I've also compared some of the images taken with the Z5, to those taken with my D810 (using the same 24-70 lens), and it's tough to make real distinctions in the images, especially in "web" sized photos.

 

I'll likely advance to a Z7xx, since I'd like the nearly 2x size of the sensor, plus some of the bells and whistles on that model.

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I've been "locked in" to DSLR's since 2015. I just recently jumped into mirror-less, buying a used Z5 from a local dealer, the camera coming with a 24-50 "kit" lens, and a low shutter count. The Z5 is a great entry point camera for someone who doesn't want to go head first into the Z6xx or Z7xx. I'm comparing it, feature-wise, more to the D610 and D750, since those two have similar sensor sizes.

 

The Z5 compares favorably, image-wise, to both cameras. It's not feature-laden, but since I prefer AP over other shooting modes, the Z5 answers my needs as a basic camera. It harkens back to a simpler time when you had to think a bit more about what you wanted to do with your camera. The same day I found the Z-5, another dealer had a used FTZ adapter, which really opened up the options with the Z5. I really like using my 24-70 f/2.8E ED VR lens although it is much heavier than the "walk around" 24-50 lens. I've also compared some of the images taken with the Z5, to those taken with my D810 (using the same 24-70 lens), and it's tough to make real distinctions in the images, especially in "web" sized photos.

 

I'll likely advance to a Z7xx, since I'd like the nearly 2x size of the sensor, plus some of the bells and whistles on that model.

 

 

Both the Z5 and Z7xx are FX cameras, so the sensors are the SAME size.

If you have the DX Z50, the difference to FX is 1.5x, not 2x.

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Both the Z5 and Z7xx are FX cameras, so the sensors are the SAME size.

If you have the DX Z50, the difference to FX is 1.5x, not 2x.

I understand that both sensors are FX, but the Z7xx has 45.7 MP (effective). I should have been more clear in my post. Thanks.

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The so called lens focal length "crop factor" is 1.5x between FX and DX. In other words, a 50mm lens mounted onto a DX body will have the same angle of view for a 75mm lens mounted on an FX body.

 

The sensor sizes are 24x16mm for DX and 36x24mm for FX, give or take by +- 1mm as the sensor sizes are not always that precise. FX has more than twice the sensor area as DX (more like ~2.25 times the area).

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Since my last post, my "Z" condition has changed. I ran across a deal on a used Z7. It has mid-5k on the shutter, (2x) EN-EL15b batteries, the MB-N10 battery grip, strap, and Delkin CFexpress Type B 128gb memory card. I went over the body with a 10x magnifier, and couldn't find a mark or scar on it. I hadn't been specifically searching for a Z7, but a local store had this one, and the price was just too good to ignore. It already had the latest FW installed. And the first images came out very sharp. They're mostly of local items on our block, but this weekend it'll get a proper break-in.
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Gents, and ladies,

Thanks.

I've been hiking in Olympic national Park since I started this thread. I recommend the Olympic Wilderness Coast. 78 Miles of untouched beach.

The answer I zeroed in on was the Z7 possibly being a better bargain. The two things on my mind are. If I can resume travel to places like Guatemala and Colombia, where theft and violent crime is far more common, do I want the most expensive camera body? If I buy the Z5 I can also buy the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S . If I buy the Z7 I'm going to have to choose a Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 or some other inexpensive lens. I thought long and hard for a few years. I decided Nikon Mirrorless was what I wanted. Then covid came along and cut into my income for 2 years. My guess is that someone will have a labor Day sale and I can start a collection that will be my companion as I grow old and enjoy our National Parks. In a virus free world, I will also visit Central and South America in the winter months.

Out of all the Z lenses, which would be the best for portraits? Somewhere I read that 85mm was a good choice.

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I can do 90+ percent of my landscape work with the Z7 and the 24-70 f2.8 lens. If I need wider, I can take 3 vertical frames and paste together with pano software. With a Z7 I can crop if I want a telephoto look. It costs more but is a superb lens. Used might be a good option for the lens.
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