Upgrading from a D800/D800E to a...?

[Mike Dale]

But what is gained from that "upgrade"? A little bit of weight saving (on the order of 150g when the weight of the FTZ adapter is taken into account). The option to shoot in quiet mode. A higher frame rate - but with caveats regarding AF and metering. A bit more resolution. Better performance at higher ISO? The main advantages seem to be with shooting video.

 

For Nikon shooters the main advantage of the Z cameras over Sony's offerings are the much better adaptability of Nikon F/G-mount lenses via the FTZ adapter. The differences in handling and UI are minor - especially as long as one photographs relatively static subjects only.

 

I have to disagree with some of your post. Have you actually used a Z7/Z6 yourself for an extended period? I have and I prefer it my Sony A7RIII (now sold). If there is any difference in image quality between a D850 and a Z7 I cant see it. In my opinion it’s better than the III especially if you shoot at ISO64. Construction and handling is far superior to Sony. Battery life is not quite as good as the III but certainly comparable to the II and far, far better than the the I. Menu structure is much more familiar to Nikon users and although I got used the Sony it’s not as intuitive. Yes it doesn’t have eye focus like the Sony. It has face detection which apparently is pretty good. I never photograph people so I don’t know. I gave up trying to photograph BIF with the Sony using the excellent 100-400GM preferring the D850, this is also the case with the Z7, static birds are fine with the Z7. Never use video so I can’t comment other than it’s reported to be the best.

 

Upgrading from D800/D800e for anything involving fast movers a D850, anything else a Z7.

[Dieter Schaefer]

for an extended period

No. I wish I could but for myself I see no reason to get a Z6 or Z7 at this time.

better...at ISO64

True.

Sony's menu structure is not as intuitive

True - but in many cases irrelevant since one has to set things only once. And Nikon's Z interface has some quirks too.

Never use video so I can’t comment other than it’s reported to be the best.

Same here.

 

I was also strictly speaking from the standpoint of someone moving from an existing Nikon DSLR - for someone starting afresh there are very few reasons to stick with DSLRs at this point (and they all have been referred to ample times so no point of rehashing them).

 

As I wrote earlier - barring the need to make a premature change because of equipment failure - to me the Z system will become attractive once there are a sufficient number of relevant lenses available as I simply don't want to bother with the adapter. At that point, two things will matter - the cost for the changeover and most likely the lack of available DSLR alternatives.

 

Upgrading from D800/D800e for anything involving fast movers a D850, anything else a Z7.

If there is a good reason to upgrade at all.

[ShunCheung]

In the case of Keith the OP, the advantage of getting a Z7 is to consolidate everything into Nikon such that all of his lenses are compatible instead of having two different systems. In other words, the bigger impact is to replace the Fuji, rather than to replace the D800. IMO the EVF has some advantages, such as in low-light conditions.

 

This morning on purpose I tried some birds in flight with the Z6 and a 600mm AF-S, and I did get some very sharp images, but overall the success rate is clearly very much inferior to my Multi-CAM 20000-based DSLRs.

 

To me, getting a Z6 and Z7 at this point is also for the future. I think wide angles designed for mirrorless will be superior to those Sigma Art, Nikon F mount wide angle and wide zooms. Besides up-coming Nikon S lenses for the Z system, most likely the likes of Sigma, Tamron, etc. will have newly designed wide-angles for Nikon, Canon and of course Panasonic/Sigma mirrorless cameras. Besides adding a Z body, one needs to be willing to upgrade some lenses as well in the next few years to get the full benefit of mirrorless.

 

The Nikon F system has been around for 59 years, almost 60. The Z system has been around for a few months with a lot of lenses still missing. If one would like to play it safe, you might as well wait another year or two to see how things evolve before spending a lot of money.

[Mike Dale]

I typically used the D850 for anything involving wildlife and near to the car. For anything involving walking I used the Sony. I've had the A7R, the A7RII and the A7RIII so I have a lot of experience with them. When the Nikon Z series was announced it peeked my interest because traveling with 2 sets of lenses, batteries, battery chargers, cables, flashes, memory cards, card readers was a real pain. Now I'm back to being all Nikon, one set of battery's, XQD cards and a reader, same menu structure, familiar controls, compatible lenses, for me it's win win because I sold all my Sony gear except the IR converted A7R and 16-35 f/4 which I might sell soon.

 

The S 35mm f/1.8 is an awesome lens, sharp corner to corner so makes a great lightweight general purpose walk around lens.

 

I bet with a bit of practice and the right settings the Z BIF will become much better. I've yet to try BIF with the Z7 and 500PF but first chance I get I'll report back.

[photo_galleries]

In the case of Keith the OP, the advantage of getting a Z7 is to consolidate everything into Nikon such that all of his lenses are compatible instead of having two different systems. In other words, the bigger impact is to replace the Fuji, rather than to replace the D800. IMO the EVF has some advantages, such as in low-light conditions.

 

Exactly.

 

If there is a good reason to upgrade at all.

 

As I had stated, I'm in no rush right now but if/when I do pull the trigger, I'm sure I'll have a good reason that works for me.

Edited December 23, 2018 by photo_galleries

[Two23]

I've been using the D800E for several years now. My strategy for camera gear (at least digital stuff) is to buy the best lenses, first class tripod, and an extensive lighting system. Into that I plug a camera every few years. The camera is the least important thing in the system to me. With that in mind my intention is to completely skip the D810, which offered little over the D800E. There is no way on earth I'm going to put >$3,000 into a digital camera. They lose value so fast, and I just don't see enough of a difference for the money spent. Poor value. My plan is to wait until used D850 are hitting $2,000 (almost there!) and buy one. It will replace: D800E, D500, Sigma 17-50mm f2.8, and a Nikon Coolscan V. Eventually I will buy a used Z7, but only after 3-4 years. By then there will be more lenses for them and used ones will be available at huge savings. Makes no sense right now.

 

 

Kent in SD