lukemeup wrote:
I don't mean to complain, but coming home today with 2000 photos of owls is sort of problematic. Especially when 90% are sharp. Busy backgrounds? No problem. Ugh. Life was so much easier at firmware 1.0.
Pardon the owlerload.
Looks like you had a great session with the owls. Seems better than some of my friends have had their recently.
Sounds like Z9 on FW 3 has come a long way from FW 1.1 or whatever I had that camera on.
arbitrage wrote:
Looks like you had a great session with the owls. Seems better than some of my friends have had their recently.
Sounds like Z9 on FW 3 has come a long way from FW 1.1 or whatever I had that camera on.
Thank you, Geoff. I'm really happy with the way it works now.
ilkka_nissila wrote:
Enjoy the new gear and don't think about more purchases for a while.
The Z9 was announced over a year ago, and a lot of people seem to prefer smaller camera bodies, so one would think Nikon would put out a smaller camera with close to Z9-like capabilities soon (in 2023). The Expeed 7 processor should give a large boost to the performance of the Z6 / Z7 series, and there could be other models coming as well. If the intention is to use two cameras side by side, then it probably is not desirable to have two Z9's for this purpose, rather, have a smaller second body to keep the total weight of the bag and cost at a manageable level. An 800/6.3 can then be added at an earlier point and there would be a bit more space in the bag for it than if the space and carrying capacity is occupied by two large and heavy bodies.
Personally don't mind switching lenses and don't keep two cameras mounted to lenses at the same time. I prefer the lighter weight bag when just carrying one camera. I miss moments for sure (not always having the right focal length at hand) but then I also miss shots in case I am burdened by a bag that is too heavy and as a result don't go out to shoot. ...Show more →
Thanks for the advice Ilkka...
I need to work with two bodies because I do most of my photography in lousy weather. MN is not unlike your area of the world, cold, snowy, and wet. Because I do not work under a dome or in a gym, weather impacts my ability to change out bodies efficiently.
I am actually loving the 400mm f4.5... I can't believe how well the lens works on the Z9, and it is a huge weight savings when compared to my former 200-400. When shooting in poor weather I typically keep a Z6ii (my only other body) on the 100-400S. I really benefited from the D5/D500 pairing as I could easily move between bodies without thinking. The same is not true for the Z6/Z9. The interface and responsiveness between the two cameras is very noticeable.
I avoid shooting in the worst weather (storm, pouring rain, etc.) but other than that, I have not felt lens changes to cause any significant risk to gear. I use my upper body to block rain/snowfall on the rear element while changing lenses and keep the camera body pointed down while the cap is off. The Z9 has a sensor covering protective shutter, so that should make things easier. Changing lenses without snow or water going in should be easy enough to do. Even if a drop of water or snowflake comes in, which can be avoided most of the time, it is unlikely to affect the image once it dries out.
Dust, sand and volcanic ash are another matter and I can see that exposure to especially the latter two would be damaging to gear. They have a cleaning service at authorized repair centers. I occasionally use it. Fortunately I am not drawn to volcanoes or sandy beaches. I am more at home in forests.
ChrisMak wrote:
The Z400mm f4.5 seems to work extremely well optically with the Z1.4TC. Is this the consensus? Or does is still trail the 500PF?
It doesn't 'seem to work' - it just 'works'. If you're into extreme pixel peeping 400+TC1.4 combo is marginally less sharp than bare 500PF. Otherwise - the combo balances better on the body, there's no penalty to AF speed and the VR doesn't run non-stop. It's also less prone to specular highlights (since it's not a PF lens) & doesn't require FTZ adapter.
lukemeup wrote:
It doesn't 'seem to work' - it just 'works'. If you're into extreme pixel peeping 400+TC1.4 combo is marginally less sharp than bare 500PF. Otherwise - the combo balances better on the body, there's no penalty to AF speed and the VR doesn't run non-stop. It's also less prone to specular highlights (since it's not a PF lens) & doesn't require FTZ adapter.
I used the 500PF for two years on the D500, and it was my favorite combo up to that stage. That had all to do with the combination of prime lens quality combined with portability.
I currently use the Sony A1 + 200-600 combo, but the 200-600 does not exite me optically like the prime lenses do, so even though it works stupidly well on the A1, I am looking for a change of lens. I am on the 800PF pre-order list since last april and am slowly moving up to the position where the next delivery will lead to a call from my camera store.
I am fully convinced that optically, the 600GM is thé way to go for me, and would make me happiest with the resulting images and with the level of AF performance. But here's the catch: I really don't like the size of the 600GM, so much so, that I am not sure I would ever enjoy using it. The weight is still within bounds, but compared to the Nikon 800PF, it still needs a 1.4TC and a lens coat, which will add some 400gr and even more length. So Nikon seems more logical, the 800PF needs no TC for small birds, needs no lenscoat being in a black finish. Next to that, the 800PF can be paired with the Z400mm f4.5+1.4TC adding a great small walking combo that still has top IQ.
I have in honesty never liked the Z9's size and weight, but for wildlife and birding, lenses like the Z400 and Z800 make up for much. I have been close to having myself removed from the Z800PF list, and just get the 600GM and never look back.
But luckily you guys have these threads going on the Z400 and 800mm lenses. The Sony 600GM with 1.4TC attached is 48,5 cm long. The Nikon Z800PF is 38,5cm, and this is without their respective hoods, and of course the 800PF has a smaller diameter: 140mm vs 164mm for the Sony.
I will remain on the Z800mm PF list, I should get the call in about three months, and by that time I have to have it worked out. The Sony A1 is for all shooting other than wildlife/birding and will remain so whatever I do.
ChrisMak wrote:
I used the 500PF for two years on the D500, and it was my favorite combo up to that stage. That had all to do with the combination of prime lens quality combined with portability.
I currently use the Sony A1 + 200-600 combo, but the 200-600 does not exite me optically like the prime lenses do, so even though it works stupidly well on the A1, I am looking for a change of lens. I am on the 800PF pre-order list since last april and am slowly moving up to the position where the next delivery will lead to a call from my camera store.
I am fully convinced that optically, the 600GM is thé way to go for me, and would make me happiest with the resulting images and with the level of AF performance. But here's the catch: I really don't like the size of the 600GM, so much so, that I am not sure I would ever enjoy using it. The weight is still within bounds, but compared to the Nikon 800PF, it still needs a 1.4TC and a lens coat, which will add some 400gr and even more length. So Nikon seems more logical, the 800PF needs no TC for small birds, needs no lenscoat being in a black finish. Next to that, the 800PF can be paired with the Z400mm f4.5+1.4TC for a great small walking combo that still has top IQ.
I have in honesty never liked the Z9's size and weight, but for wildlife and birding, lenses like the Z400 and Z800 make up for much. I have been close to have myself removed from the Z800PF list, and just get the 600GM and never look back.
But luckily you guys have these threads going on the Z400 and 800mm lenses. The Sony 600GM with 1.4TC attached is 48,5 cm long. The Nikon Z800PF is 38,5cm, and this is without their respective hoods, and of course the 800PF has a smaller diameter: 140mm vs 164mm for the Sony.
I will remain on the Z800mm PF list, I should get the call in about three months, and by that time I have to have it worked out. The Sony A1 is for all shooting other than wildlife/birding and will remain so whatever I do....Show more →
I don't like gripped cameras, but Z8 is just around the corner, some people think, it's gonna be Z9 in compact package.
He talks about Nikon at the beginning..
ChrisMak wrote:
I have in honesty never liked the Z9's size and weight, but for wildlife and birding, lenses like the Z400 and Z800 make up for much. I have been close to having myself removed from the Z800PF list, and just get the 600GM and never look back.
But luckily you guys have these threads going on the Z400 and 800mm lenses. The Sony 600GM with 1.4TC attached is 48,5 cm long. The Nikon Z800PF is 38,5cm, and this is without their respective hoods, and of course the 800PF has a smaller diameter: 140mm vs 164mm for the Sony.
I will remain on the Z800mm PF list, I should get the call in about three months, and by that time I have to have it worked out. The Sony A1 is for all shooting other than wildlife/birding and will remain so whatever I do....Show more →
You seem to be thinking about that 600GM for some time now. Life is short - go with whatever makes you happy. If you are waiting for Sony to release the lenses that Nikon released in the last year - you might be waiting a long time. Personally I'd never want to use ungripped body with any larger lenses (even 400 4.5 on a Z6 is ridiculously unbalanced for me) - I can't fathom using a 600TC on a Z6 sized body. Nikon will release a smaller Z9 at some point but I'm glad I wasn't waiting for that (there's a lot of decent wildlife photos that I managed to take since getting that Z9 back in January).
cvrle59 wrote:
I don't like gripped cameras, but Z8 is just around the corner, some people think, it's gonna be Z9 in compact package.
He talks about Nikon at the beginning..
A Z8 in the first quarter of 2023, being a smaller, gripless version of the Z9, would be great, and would make the Z800PF an even (much) more attractive option.
If they can get close to the A1 size, weight and performance wise, but at a lower price, then I may be looking at a Z8+Z800PF+Z400 at a price not much above the price of the Sony 600GM.
The Z8+Z400+1.4TC would be a near 2kg combo.
Sorry to polute this image thread with discussion, but Nikon is really getting things together.
lukemeup wrote:
I don't mean to complain, but coming home today with 2000 photos of owls is sort of problematic. Especially when 90% are sharp. Busy backgrounds? No problem. Ugh. Life was so much easier at firmware 1.0.
I was just lucky to be there at the right time. The light was good, the owls were hunting. In the end I posted 16 photos on my flickr but was tempted to post some more. I need to keep reminding myself to 'kill my darlings'.
lukemeup wrote:
I don't mean to complain, but coming home today with 2000 photos of owls is sort of problematic. Especially when 90% are sharp. Busy backgrounds? No problem. Ugh. Life was so much easier at firmware 1.0.
I manage a trap line close to where I live intended to protect endangered bird species from introduced mammals. I love doing this work as it involves a very nice walk down a valley with a mangrove estuary on one side and forest and small holdings on the other and a sandspit at the end leading into the sparkling waters of the Waitemata Harbour. I always take my Z9+1.4+400/4.5 on a wrist strap in one hand and my bucket of baits, lures and trapping paraphernalia in the other. It takes me much longer than it should as I invariably spend too much time photographing the local birds. Here are some samples of my encounters along the route (all with 400/4.5 + 1.4)
Kereru (very large native pigeon) stuffing itself with Kawakawa berries.
Tui feeding on harakeke flower nectar
A fence-full of swallows:
Swallow at full speed:
Handbrake turn when insect spotted flying past:
tūturiwhatu chick, the species being protected. Not a great pose but love the light. She is "listening" with her foot for bugs in the sand:
BTW, these are all uploaded at 2k so if you are using a higher pixel screen, they will look soft and noisy unless you click on the image to go into this site's image viewer and resize your window down to roughly 2k pixels wide.
I got this light weight lens today while waiting for my Z 600/4 S. Paired with my tiny Z fc, the combo is just ideal for a wildlife/sport walk-around.
First impression after a few hours outdoor shooting: the sharpness is phenomenal wide open, better than the 180-400/4E FL TC.
