nikonos6 wrote:
Just a short question - you had and maybe still have the original Z7 : So do you think you would have been able to take most of the photos of this set with it in the same way you took them with the new Z7II here ?
I suppose the updated AF performance really helps in a lot of situations, but for me it seems many great pictures could still be taken with the first iteration of this camera .
Would be great to hear your experiences and impression about the real world differences in performance .
Yes, I do still have my Z7, but it is going up for sale. However, I would definitely have been able to get most of the shots I got with the Z7II above if I had used the Z7. The firmware updates made the AF of the Z6/7 much more responsive and quick to respond, I was actually very satisfied with the AF ability of my Z7, just not the AF tracking ability of *some* of the AF tracking functions compared to the D850. The Z6/7 AF tracking in general was greatly improved and they also added better face and eye detect and this went a long way to making them compete with the then current versions of the Sony and Canon ML. These were the areas where the initial criticisms of the Z6/7 were aimed at and were largely resolved with those said firmware updates. I really had little issue with chasing birds around in situations like the ones above as I wouldn't have been able to use any of the tracking modes of say the D850 either, too many distractions that get in the way for them to be successful. In situations like the ones above, I would use a single point or 9 point for my D850 and similarly with my Z7 or Z7II and the results would not have been any better. In fact could possibly have been worse as the Z7/7II has IBIS, EFCS and the AF is just a tad more accurate with ML cameras. The lock on AF speed would be similar in the situation above.
The Z7II is a tad faster to wake up and to lock on, but I don't think that was a deciding factor on getting the shot in most of the images above. The advantage of the Z7II is that it just feels more responsive due to the dual EXPEED processors, just a slightly more polished camera. However, I wouldn't let that put you off getting a Z7 as it is a gem of a camera.
I'm quite happy that I got these as I have been trying to get photos of the Rufous Fantail for quite some time but never had the opportunity. They are a beautiful little bird probably a bit smaller than a house sparrow with a gorgeous fan tail. I have found them difficult to get photos of as they rarely sit still, rarely in good light and rarely in an area to get a clean shot. It was quite by chance that this guy was so caught up in chasing his dinner of small insects that he was quite oblivious to my friend and my presence. However, the big draw back was that is was in very dark undergrowth, but still flitted about a lot and with quite sudden movements and thus the AFing was difficult as was the balance of shutter speed and ISO. I am impressed that my Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF was getting shots that my mate was missing with his Canon R5 + 300 f2.8 with it's eye tracking AF turned on. I think I ended up with a few more keepers than him.
Unfortunately, very high ISO exacerbated by the fact I had auto ISO set and it was set to a maximum ISO6400 so, the shots were underexposed by about 1.5 stops, meaning an ISO of about 18,000 or so. These are also cropped by about 25%. Noise reduction by Noiseware.
Rufous Fantail
Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF, 1/250s f/5.6 at 500.0mm iso6400
Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF, 1/250s f/5.6 at 500.0mm iso6400
Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF, 1/250s f/5.6 at 500.0mm iso6400
Great shots here again Lance !
And what a wonderful and very special little bird it is - quite pretty !
And thanks so much for all the info regarding the Z7 vs. Z7II .
I am looking for a nice 2nd hand copy of the Z7 - the II is just too expensive for me now.
It should cover a lot of my portfolio !
nikonos6 wrote:
Great shots here again Lance !
And what a wonderful and very special little bird it is - quite pretty !
And thanks so much for all the info regarding the Z7 vs. Z7II .
I am looking for a nice 2nd hand copy of the Z7 - the II is just too expensive for me now.
It should cover a lot of my portfolio !
Lance B wrote:
I'm quite happy that I got these as I have been trying to get photos of the Rufous Fantail for quite some time but never had the opportunity. They are a beautiful little bird probably a bit smaller than a house sparrow with a gorgeous fan tail. I have found them difficult to get photos of as they rarely sit still, rarely in good light and rarely in an area to get a clean shot. It was quite by chance that this guy was so caught up in chasing his dinner of small insects that he was quite oblivious to my friend and my presence. However, the big draw back was that is was in very dark undergrowth, but still flitted about a lot and with quite sudden movements and thus the AFing was difficult as was the balance of shutter speed and ISO. I am impressed that my Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF was getting shots that my mate was missing with his Canon R5 + 300 f2.8 with it's eye tracking AF turned on. I think I ended up with a few more keepers than him.
Unfortunately, very high ISO exacerbated by the fact I had auto ISO set and it was set to a maximum ISO6400 so, the shots were underexposed by about 1.5 stops, meaning an ISO of about 18,000 or so. These are also cropped by about 25%. Noise reduction by Noiseware.
Rufous Fantail
Z7II + 500 f5.6 PF, 1/250s f/5.6 at 500.0mm iso6400
What a lovely bird. Adorable eyes, sort of mischievous light in his(?) eyes. And beautiful tail. Gorgeous capture. Love the bokeh. These shots make me smile.
akul wrote:
What a lovely bird. Adorable eyes, sort of mischievous light in his(?) eyes. And beautiful tail. Gorgeous capture. Love the bokeh. These shots make me smile.
Luka
Thank you very much for your lovely comments and kind appraisal, Luka. Much appreciated!
