1bwana1 wrote:
No way you will have it by then. I don't think there will be wide availability this year.
So, for your Bosque trip I suggest you rent an a1 and an appropriate lens. You can ask one of the a1 BIF specialist members here on FM to send you their setup file. It takes just seconds to install on the rental. Then a quick Zoom call with the file sender and you should be ready to go to the Basque and achieve great results. Not much of a learning curve this way.
This might be the plan Maybe my local shop will have the A1 in this week or next... I'm second on the wait list... who knows?
What's going to happen...I'll make the switch back to Canon or the move to Sony... and as soon as I do, Nikon will drop the Z9 and some other amazing camera the same day...with everything in stock
ilkka_nissila wrote:
I think the important qualifier here is "for fast action". For most purposes the Z AF works very well, when correctly used. It's just that it doesn't track subjects well across the frame (easily losing the subject). If one uses other techniques it works fine unless there is fast movement towards or away from the camera. It's important to keep the focus area fully within the subject. For photos of stationary or slowly moving subjects, people in conversation (which is a very typical subject for many photographers in journalism, events, and portraiture) etc. it usually works very nicely. There are some circumstances where it doesn't work well (strong backlight is one such scenario) but many people can work around those limitations without much effort and get great results. The fast-movement crowd is over-represented in the online conversation IMO. ...Show more →
But in a marketplace where there are multiple products from multiple manufactures being offered that don't have these performance issues they become an important consideration in purchase decisions. The result as we have seen is a serious loss in reputation and market share.
1bwana1 wrote:
But in a marketplace where there are multiple products from multiple manufactures being offered that don't have these performance issues they become an important consideration in purchase decisions. The result as we have seen is a serious loss in reputation and market share.
Yes, there are multiple product lines to choose from but there are also multiple criteria which a customer may weigh when choosing a system.
Nikon have rarely had the best autofocus (there are only a few years over the 40-year history of autofocus cameras when they've had the upper hand in that area) yet they've done just fine as a brand. One criteria is not everything except for of course those who specialize in photography particularly dependent on that feature.
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Yes, there are multiple product lines to choose from but there are also multiple criteria which a customer may weigh when choosing a system.
Nikon have rarely had the best autofocus (there are only a few years over the 40-year history of autofocus cameras when they've had the upper hand in that area) yet they've done just fine as a brand. One criteria is not everything except for of course those who specialize in photography particularly dependent on that feature.
Market share numbers are objective, not subjective. There is a reason Nikon mirrorless market share is so low it is in the "others" category these days. One of the prime reasons for this is AF deficiencies. In mirrorless they are not doing "just fine as a brand". Even Nikon senior management has said this. The good news is that they are very focused on changing that right now. Hopefully the Z9 will be a big step in that direction.
In the latest data mirrorless now accounts for nearly 80% of revenue in the marketplace. It is not "doing just fine" to be in 5th place in this area.
1bwana1 wrote:
Market share numbers are objective, not subjective. There is a reason Nikon mirrorless market share is so low it is in the "others" category these days. One of the prime reasons for this is AF deficiencies. In mirrorless they are not doing "just fine as a brand". Even Nikon senior management has said this. The good news is that they are very focused on changing that right now. Hopefully the Z9 will be a big step in that direction.
In the latest data mirrorless now accounts for nearly 80% of revenue in the marketplace. It is not "doing just fine" to be in 5th place in this area.
Fit for my purposes is not measured by market share but simply making available gear that allows me to do my thing with satisfaction.
Nikon's market share would probably do much better if bitter ex-Nikon users stopped spending all day, every day on bashing their ex camera brand online like some seem to be doing. I think Nikon has to disappear completely before they are satisfied on their rampage, and then rise again when the ex-users are no longer inhabiting the planet. I think they'll never find satisfaction in simply using their current gear and making photos and loving it without having to peek into Nikon forum discussions to insert their poison.
you are right regarding Nikon AF. I remember when lots of Nikon photographers left Nikon for Canon. I guess they had to leave because they were sports photographers and Canon just made a big surge forward in AF.
And as 1bwana1 said, one of the biggest reasons the Nikon mirrorless market share is low is because of AF deficiencies.
I know nothing about market shares. But I know that Nikon has lagged behind in AF quickness and accuracy.
That's about to change. I'm guessing the reason it's about to change is because Nikon knew it had to change.
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Fit for my purposes is not measured by market share but simply making available gear that allows me to do my thing with satisfaction.
Nikon's market share would probably do much better if bitter ex-Nikon users stopped spending all day, every day on bashing their ex camera brand online like some seem to be doing. I think Nikon has to disappear completely before they are satisfied on their rampage, and then rise again when the ex-users are no longer inhabiting the planet. I think they'll never find satisfaction in simply using their current gear and making photos and loving it without having to peek into Nikon forum discussions to insert their poison....Show more →
Your last sentence is perfect! We lived through it didn't we? Oh, I remember it alright.
imo, they are not frequenting the Nikon forum as much as before. I think they're not shooting their mouths off as much as before. But I do see some unfamiliar names in the "Like" features of negative Nikon posts. They're lurking.
They sense the impending Nikon Moment.
What will they do now, sell their equipment and come back?
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Fit for my purposes is not measured by market share but simply making available gear that allows me to do my thing with satisfaction.
Nikon's market share would probably do much better if bitter ex-Nikon users stopped spending all day, every day on bashing their ex camera brand online like some seem to be doing. I think Nikon has to disappear completely before they are satisfied on their rampage, and then rise again when the ex-users are no longer inhabiting the planet. I think they'll never find satisfaction in simply using their current gear and making photos and loving it without having to peek into Nikon forum discussions to insert their poison....Show more →
Spot on, it's amazing how much energy they have in doing so...
Who knows, Sony may have some secret special discount for them...
I notice a few posters seem to have a bit of inside info on the Z9. Anyone confident that there will be a certain type of card slot in the Z9. It seems XQD is possible....and I hope so.
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Fit for my purposes is not measured by market share but simply making available gear that allows me to do my thing with satisfaction.
Agreed, one should always chose the system that he feels fits his needs best. That is measured by a long list of criteria.
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Nikon's market share would probably do much better if bitter ex-Nikon users stopped spending all day, every day on bashing their ex camera brand online like some seem to be doing. I think Nikon has to disappear completely before they are satisfied on their rampage, and then rise again when the ex-users are no longer inhabiting the planet. I think they'll never find satisfaction in simply using their current gear and making photos and loving it without having to peek into Nikon forum discussions to insert their poison.
No one is bashing Nikon. We are simply having a dispassionate discussion on photographic equipment, the players in it, and the some of the objective numbers that reflect the issues being discussed. I think you will find that everyone in this thread at least has been very positive about there hopes for Nikon's future.
I think your recommendation about enjoying equipment and shooting applies to all regardless of the content of the discussions. Everyone should enjoy it all, including the discussions.
I could be wrong, but I do not believe ilkka is referring to you. I know I am not. I am convinced that you are not bashing Nikon.
I think everyone in this thread is positive about Nikon's future.
It was not always that way Steve. Not sure you were in this thread then. Clearly, we *had* our teasing trolls over here. Oh yes they were Steve. But that was then, not now.
I agree with your positive attitude; i.e. that we should not dwell on that negative.
Again, I do not think ilkka was referring to you Steve.
Rimpson wrote:
I notice a few posters seem to have a bit of inside info on the Z9. Anyone confident that there will be a certain type of card slot in the Z9. It seems XQD is possible....and I hope so.
Hi Randy... long time
1bwana1 knows the answer to that I believe. I believe both slots will be XQD's or cfexpress.
The only gaps in features of the Zed cameras is blackout rate for challenging action and lack of Customization options matching D850, D5 etc. As for lenses, the flood of high quality images confirms the FTZ works very well.
We can look forward to the Z9 clinching the most demanding challenges for shooting extreme action scenes; where remarkably as it may sound, a D6 fails!? Oh and don't forget the essential prerequisite of silent shooting for these action scenes
The pending Z lenses will close up most of the REAL gaps for those who simply must shoot a pure Mirrorless system uncluttered by a PF or other of the exotic telephotos.
I agree they are obsessives who strive to post to turn wildlife/action genre threads in Nikon forums into an accolade to CaSony. This forum has become worse than dpr, which speaks volumes.
Whether or not cloaked in platitudes, it seems the catalyst is insecurity: either GAS ie gear obsession and /or bitterness against Nikon. This spins around an obsession with eye tracking modes primarily.
The offenders get called out in Nikon forums repeatedly but persist. I blocked most of them a while back, as the silencing these repetitive posts loses zilch to the value of forum conversations.
Noone knows why precisely what factors have directly reduced Nikon's profile. 1. One is switching from its mass market in budget DSLRs, including dispersing assets including entire factories;
2. Decline of ILC market share across all top brands lost to smartphones;
3. A relatively smaller resource base to grow Z system at 15-20 lenses/year. But the frustrated condemn ~8-10 lenses/yr as too little too late.
What's the point of industry outsiders debating such possibilities ad nauseam of causes and trends? Perhaps these conduits empower the trolls to fill out yet another spiralling thread predicting Nikon's demise as an inevitability.
As Ikka has spelled out in many posts - based on his pro sports experience with leading DSLRs - Nikon's system delivers in spades. This is widely known to many of shooting wildlife with D850, D5, D6 and even older models. You see, for sports and wildlife,what really matters for us out there is primarily the unmatched options in Nikkor telephotos; and their high cost is a massive factor for most of us in the real fiscal world....
As for the new Z system, its common knowledge that since mid 2019, the well known firmware upgrade improved the AF of the Z6 and Z7 significantly. This was released only some months after the inaugural launch of the entirely new Z system. Since then capable photographers have been widely satisfied with the Z system for earning from events, landscapes, traveling and remarkably wildlife subjects (dedicated threads refer).
A flagship camera always takes longer to perfect its cutting edge performance for action genres. Releasing 20+ Z lenses in 3 years must be some record, especially as they are all excellent for real photographers' needs. The f2.8 Three Dragons are the best yet made, and these tick many photographers' needs.
Perhaps the pending launch of the roadmapped Z telephotos exacerbates all the more a bitterness among those who have switched, or already invested in another system? Inadequacies compounded by no 500 PF, 120-300, 180-400 and many more lenses.
The there's the obvious threat of a Z9 built on a 8K, stacked sensor in the pro Nikon flagship. Another looming primary threat, perhaps! I n the real world where photographers take images, this camera will be working alongside the D5 and D6 (as some of us will carry on happily with a mixed DSLR - MILC system) . The only serious gap will then be a more Affordable action MILC (Z90 or Z8).
The Z9 will certainly inject new life into the new Z lenses and approx 100 AFS F Nikkors..... Why else all the frenzy of Nikon bashing and also DSLR bashing?
1bwana1 knows the answer to that I believe. I believe both slots will be XQD's or cfexpress.
Thanks Robert....it is Ricky not Randy though....no worries
Hope you are doing well. After checking your site out it seems we have both have had similar battles. Glad you and I are still kicking and will hopefully be using the Z9 soon.
Maybe my local shop will have the A1 in this week or next... I'm second on the wait list... who knows? 
