Yesterday, my girlfriend got frustrated as I didn't get to the dinner table even after she asked me 5 times.
Finally she came over and asked me what exactly was so important, that I made her wait 20 mins,
and how much longer it would be before I would have dinner with her.
I patiently explained to her how this 1 random stranger on the internet (YouTube it was) was so wrong,
that I had to correct him, that we had been going back and forth for a while, and how I was almost winning.
Women just don't get how important it is for us to win each thread for our brand!!!!!!
The challenges Nikon has been facing in terms of market share result from a variety of factors:
- Most of the market share gains of Canon come from low end APS-C DSLR and M mount mirrorless, mostly not from the success of the R6 and R5. This is smoke and mirrors because there is no migration path for these users (M mount has no future and lenses can't be adapted to the RF cameras),
- Few Nikon high end DSLR users moved to Sony which is very different from Canon (just a personal note that may not be representative, but I don't know anyone still shooting Canon, they all moved to Sony). These guys have no reason to migrate to mirrorless quickly as the D5/D6/D850 are still competitive today which speaks volume about how good they were at release time
- Nikon Z got a very bad press about AF although the Z6II and Z7II are today in the same ball park as competitors AF wise. A bit behind in tracking, excellent in eye AF. Anyway much better than they are given credit for. As a former Sony a7rIV user I never found its AF better than that of the Z7II for example. I am sure many more people would consider going from Nikon DSLR to Nikon mirrorless if they knew the reality of the AF performance instead of hearsay resulting from outdated information
- Nikon has had major problems meeting demand, which doesn't help in terms of market share obviously
The current chip shortage, various supply chain disruptions, shipping crisis due to an alarming number of container ships being docked at LA and other ports, and the steep climb of oil prices ... all seem to be cooking up something nasty for everything coming from Asia. 🥺🥺
I hope all of these issues will get resolved soon. The world has gone bonkers!
runamuck wrote:
HURRY UP Z9!!! That will drive down the price of thee z7.
The Z7 or Z7 II are not flagships, they are mid range cameras. The Z9 isn't replacing them so they shouldn't drop much at all because of the Z9 launch. The Z9 has nothing to do with that.
leewoolery wrote:
I too am growing weary of the delay on the Z9.
I have a full winter season of basketball games, bowling matches, gymnastics meets, swimming, ice hockey and wrestling and if I see some incredible R3 independent test results from indoor sports and that camera is available by the end of the year, brand loyalty goes out the door if the Z9 isn't available until spring '22.
Nearly all of my winter sports are shot with the 70-200 f/2.8 so my lens investment would be minimal.
As much as I like the results I am getting from the D6 on football, soccer and volleyball this past season, my experience using the R3 and R5 in the spring of 2021 did show me something with eye AF and tracking on those cameras.
The only reason I didn't make that move was ball distortion with electronic shutter, durability and battery life of those 2 cameras.
Weather resistance and battery life are not an issue for indoor sports so even revisiting an R6 and RF 70-200 f/2.8 is an option. 12 frames per second mechanical shutter is not a hindrance.
Basketball is the most difficult sport that I shoot and I missed the 20-21 season due to Covid restrictions and shutdowns but we are back full-strength this year and I want perfect AF and tracking on the court.
If another brand makes that easier, I owe it to my clients to show up with the best gear possible.
I am doing some basketball scrimmage tests with the D6 to help with my decision making.
The D6 is fine for football and soccer but basketball is so much faster and the action closer so faces in focus, not just arms, legs and uniforms, are critical.
The D6 has many AF modes but eye focus is not one of them.
I guess your current gear stopped working once the Z9 was announced and that teaser trailer launched. I thought that only happens to iPhone people when Apple launched a new device.
1bwana1 wrote:
The new menus in the current generation Sony cameras is well thought out. Simple, easy, and efficient. Even Thom Hogan, one of the strongest critics on the old Sony menu system had this to say comparing them to Nikon's current menus.
"A more layered menu system. Sony got this right on the A1, and Nikon needs to follow. 32+ things on a scrolling PHOTO SHOOTING menu means too many things are buried and take longer to find/change. We've got room for seven "sub-categories" (e.g. Image/Color, Flash, Focus/Lens, Series Photos [bracketing, multiple exposure, etc.], and so on. Choose a category, choose an option, done. No more scrolling. For this level camera getting to a setting fast is important; you don't want to lose photo opportunities while scrolling through long lists."
Sort of like the bad rap that the Z cameras are still getting on AF. It is not representative of the current generation, and a hang over from the first gen of the the Z cameras on release. ...Show more →
I have 3 friends with the A1 and day the menu is AWFUL. Some settings 1 made a change to didn't take effect. Had to go to 2 OTHER areas in the menu to make a change for it to actually change in use. No thanks.
Eric214 wrote:
I have 3 friends with the A1 and day the menu is AWFUL. Some settings 1 made a change to didn't take effect. Had to go to 2 OTHER areas in the menu to make a change for it to actually change in use. No thanks.
Typical response to a forum post like the one you made:
Imagine 3 friends unable to figure out what many knowledgeable experts and reviewers are saying is the best most efficient menu system on the market today.
I can see how this could happen. Did you all become friends on that short little bus that took you 4 to school? That would explain it.
How I actually feel:
Seriously, I see this like the focus issues on the current Z cameras. It actually works really well if you learn it, and shoot it the way it was designed to be used. It is the same with most camera issues. The answer lies in mastering your tools.
I disagree, but don't object to what you say. Everyone is entailed to opinions and preferences. Shoot with what works for you.
1bwana1 wrote:
Typical response to a forum post like the one you made:
Imagine 3 friends unable to figure out what many knowledgeable experts and reviewers are saying is the best most efficient menu system on the market today.
I can see how this could happen. Did you all become friends on that short little bus that took you 4 to school? That would explain it.
How I actually feel:
Seriously, I see this like the focus issues on the current Z cameras. It actually works really well if you learn it, and shoot it the way it was designed to be used. It is the same with most camera issues. The answer lies in mastering your tools.
I disagree, but don't object to what you say. Everyone is entailed to opinions and preferences. Shoot with what works for you. ...Show more →
Nikon may have an unfair advantage when it comes to designing menu systems....you see, when you have barely any options available to customize the camera, designing a "simple" menu is rather straightforward.
I have said this before but worth saying again I think because of these silly brand wars. Although I sold my Nikon gear (D850, 500 PF and 600 F4E) to go fully mirrorless and now shoot Sony (A1 and 600 f4) I have also spent 7 years shooting Canon (1DX, 1DXii, 5Div, 7Dii, 70D and 20D) so think I have a pretty good understanding of the 3 systems. The talk of menus is also silly to me. After a basic pass through the menus I did not find any of them to be in slightest way difficult or bulky. They are different but did not find any better than the other. I actually really like the Sony menu because you can basically just do anything to any button and assign whatever you want where ever you want. Again once you get the hang of it navigating the menus is a piece of cake. What I will say and I really hope that the Z9 is as customizable as the A1 is. Basically being able to assign almost any function to any button makes the menus obsolete. Once you set it up other than formatting your cards there is very little if anything to do in the menus. Like Arbitage wrote, the Nikon menus are basic because there are few options for customization.
About 6 months after I had switched to Nikon I was standing on a hawkwatch and someone did not know how to use the custom functions on their 1dxii. I said here let me do it but then it took me some time to remember the Canon menus because I was so quickly accustomed to the Nikon menus. I feel the same about the Sony menus now. Nothing I can't find or do and it basically feels like 2nd nature.
I had to think long and hard about switching and really hope the Z9 is as customizable as the A1and delivers with typical Nikon colors, image quality and a new and improved auto foucs system. If it is then Nikon shooters will really be in for a treat. I will always leave the option open to switch back to Nikon, but not until they have a camera that is as good or better than the A1 and also a 600F4 that equals the Sony in sharpness, weight and balance. Many of my friends are heavily invested in Nikon so I am really hoping the Z9 delivers. Good luck to all of you that are waiting.
aboutthelight wrote:
I had to think long and hard about switching and really hope the Z9 is as customizable as the A1and delivers with typical Nikon colors, image quality and a new and improved auto foucs system. If it is then Nikon shooters will really be in for a treat. I will always leave the option open to switch back to Nikon, but not until they have a camera that is as good or better than the A1 and also a 600F4 that equals the Sony in sharpness, weight and balance. Many of my friends are heavily invested in Nikon so I am really hoping the Z9 delivers. Good luck to all of you that are waiting. ...Show more →
Agree.
The power and agility that advanced customization provides cannot be overstated. I think that Sony set a new standard here just like they did with AI, AF, and FF stacked sensor mirrorless cameras. A system will have to have all of these levels of advancement to be fully competitive going forward.
I believe that Nikon will implement much of this with the Z9. It will be worth the wait.
1bwana1 wrote:
Typical response to a forum post like the one you made:
Imagine 3 friends unable to figure out what many knowledgeable experts and reviewers are saying is the best most efficient menu system on the market today.
I can see how this could happen. Did you all become friends on that short little bus that took you 4 to school? That would explain it.
How I actually feel:
Seriously, I see this like the focus issues on the current Z cameras. It actually works really well if you learn it, and shoot it the way it was designed to be used. It is the same with most camera issues. The answer lies in mastering your tools.
I disagree, but don't object to what you say. Everyone is entailed to opinions and preferences. Shoot with what works for you. ...Show more →
Some of the reviewers day the same thing. A1 menus are the worst. But it's not about not knowing what they are doing, you DO have to make changes in 3 places to make a change take effect
Eric214 wrote:
Some of the reviewers day the same thing. A1 menus are the worst. But it's not about not knowing what they are doing, you DO have to make changes in 3 places to make a change take effect
This thread has nothing to do with the A1 (other than how great it would be if the Z9 has the features of an A1) but I am curious which change did you need to make 3 times? I don't recall doing that at all. In fact I have just about every button custom set with different focus modes, or assigned to image quality or tracking. Each only required one programming. But maybe I did not do the type of change you are referring to in the menu? And people like to complain and hear themselves talk. I don't pay any mind to "what people say". I found the menus easy and intuitive. Just like I did Nikon and Canon. All have their quirks but once you spend some time in them they become 2nd nature.
I also owned and quickly returned a Z7ii. For action and tracking (birds) that thing was awful. Any Nikon shooter will be over the moon elated if the Z9 has the features of the A1 but in a Nikon body. Even if the menu is a bit more complicated.
Eric214 wrote:
Some of the reviewers day the same thing. A1 menus are the worst. But it's not about not knowing what they are doing, you DO have to make changes in 3 places to make a change take effect
This is a Z9 thread so we should not try and solve the incorrect use of the a1 menu system here. I suggest you start a thread in the Sony forum for the answer.
1bwana1 wrote:
This is a Z9 thread so we should not try and solve the incorrect use of the a1 menu system here. I suggest you start a thread in the Sony forum for the answer.
Moving on.
Nice passive aggressiveness, have to have the last word and the need to feel right. Leaning a lot about some people.
Eric214 wrote:
I guess your current gear stopped working once the Z9 was announced and that teaser trailer launched. I thought that only happens to iPhone people when Apple launched a new device.
D6 is working fine but the Z9 (and R3) will be better cameras for photographing action.
Just like the D3 was an improvement over the D2h and the D4 was better than the D3...etc.
The eye focus tracking of the higher end mirrorless pro cameras will be an improvement over DSLR's and I can accept that since it will allow me to do my job even better.
The D6 worked fine for soccer games last night but I look forward to the mirrorless focusing and more frames per second.
From a business standpoint, you have to look at advances in technology and that makes sense to someone who photographs action for a living.
It should be exciting time for soccer photographers, in particular for those equipped with Nikon. The ability to crop on a 45mp camera vs a 20mp one should open new possibilities for mid-field action, right? More fps also means better ability to capture the exact moment of a foul or a goal.
Add to that a 400mm f2.8 with built-in TC and you have a pretty unique value proposition I would think. Replace a 400mm f2.8 and 600mm f4 with a single lens. Less cost, less weight, less bulk by the side of the field, much simplified transportation,...
Not to mention video if you need to capture some on assignment.
