Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Nikon Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1 2 3

5 … 16 17 end

Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

dcisive
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #1 · p.4 #1 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

I'd like to think I'm not a biased reviewer as I've owned (over the last 4 years) a Canon R5, OM Systems OM1, Sony A7RV and now a Z9. They are ALL excellent cameras. And for many the differences are very minor indeed. Every brand has some form of "flavor" to their file results. The Z9 may not have started out a leader in the autofocus realm where Canon and Sony led them. But with the current 4.10 firmware I feel they are beyond splitting hairs and are virtual equals.

I would not even argue the areas of "color science" as they are all very good and in post processing if you have half a clue can end up with a fine result. As I've stated before. I strongly feel (and have since the early 2000's) that Nikkor lenses are the finest pieces of optical glass there is. The RF L and GM glass are quite wonderful indeed. Just that I feel the overall corner to corner and lack of CA etc. on the Nikkor glass is the finest. My comparisons of the A7RV with a Tamron 35-150 f2/2.8 lens against the same shots taken with a Z9 and 24-120 f4S with landscapes with very high detail involved, did NOT show the Sony as in any way sharper or superior.

The more obvious differences I've noted with the Nikon Z9 (and probably Z8) is their IBIS is simply the BEST in a camera at this time. I can shoot at ridiculously slow shutter speeds rendering a super sharp noise free image. Indeed the low light shots from a Z9 trump a A7RV as no surprise. The one truly annoying thing I ran into with the A7RV was it has moire in the viewfiinder and lags terribly in low light. The Z9's viewfinder is a pure joy as it has NO lag light or not and never shows any type of artifacts. A true pleasure to track birds with. I'll just leave it at that. As I said all the cameras I've mentioned are wonderful and for many will satisfy them. We're in some ways splitting hairs.

Nov 01, 2023 at 04:41 PM

JadedWriter
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #2 · p.4 #2 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

I basically put the 50 1.2S in the "sharp enough" category and moved on with my life. Had it for years and this was when I could've bought the GM. I didn't care. I guess this is just the benefit of "I shoot what I want" and I'm just happier for it.
CanadaMark wrote:
Gotta love those zero-context amateur sharpness tests that don't do much other than compare the differences between lenses and RAW converters with many uncontrolled variables unaccounted for

Using a test like that to make a conclusion about the camera body speaks to the inexperience of the testers. Focus accuracy in an environment like that is not a problem for any MILC on the market. I'm also pretty sure the Sony 50/1.2 GM is sharper than the Nikon Z 50/1.2 as the Nikon seems to have been tuned for a less clinical or more 'artistic' look (not saying either approach...Show more →

Nov 01, 2023 at 05:20 PM

lukemeup
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #3 · p.4 #3 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

In the end you can cherry pick whatever features or lenses you see as superior in different brands and based on that justify claims they're 'the bestest of them all'. Just don't try to mask it as an impartial advice.

Nov 01, 2023 at 06:07 PM

1bwana1
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #4 · p.4 #4 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

You will make super high quality images from either of these two camera systems. Likely indistinguishable in real life when competently shot. The biggest inarguable differences will be one of two things.

Whether you need the speed of a stacked sensor, and all the benefits that brings in capability, and the shooting experience (smooth EVF) . Of these two, only the Z8 provides those benefits.

Then there is the size and form factor. If the large size and weight of the Z8 is a preference or an obstacle for you, your choice is likely clear.

Personally, I want the stacked sensor experience, and the small size. Si I will not have either of these two cameras. Thankfully there are other choices. But that comes at a fairly steep price difference.

Nov 01, 2023 at 06:45 PM

ajamils
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #5 · p.4 #5 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

Your reviews might not be biased but it is difficult to take your reviews seriously when one day you are praising one camera and lenses as best thing since sliced bread and then next week it is some other brand.

Not too long ago you were singing similar praises for OM-1 then it was Sony A7RV and now it's Nikon. Tomorrow when Sony release A9III, you will be calling it the holy Grail camera 😀

dcisive wrote:
I'd like to think I'm not a biased reviewer as I've owned (over the last 4 years) a Canon R5, OM Systems OM1, Sony A7RV and now a Z9. They are ALL excellent cameras. And for many the differences are very minor indeed. Every brand has some form of "flavor" to their file results. The Z9 may not have started out a leader in the autofocus realm where Canon and Sony led them. But with the current 4.10 firmware I feel they are beyond splitting hairs and are virtual equals.

I would not even argue the areas of "color science" as...Show more →

Nov 01, 2023 at 06:47 PM

Alistair1
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #6 · p.4 #6 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

tzhang4284 wrote:
I think this forum is a heavily biased source too depending whether you are on team Nikon or team Sony or another brand. There are no unbiased opinions here. I do think the ops wants to make a switch though that goes beyond pure reason so probably best to just scratch that itch.

I disagree. This forum is heavily frequented by shooters from other forum, such as your good self. As a result you will find a range of uniquely divergent opinions here.

Nov 01, 2023 at 07:08 PM

bernardl
Online
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #7 · p.4 #7 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

Most objective posters seem to agree that AF is not a differentiator anymore, all 3 brands are overall very close with some stronger and weaker points. Image quality is very close also, with just Canon still behind a bit in DR. Nikon has a clear lead in video but it won't matter to most people here.

In this context, to me the main reason why Nikon makes the most sense is the ability to adapt Sony FE mount lenses with great AF.

This means I have access to the wonderful - and now extremely competitive - Nikon Z lenses line up, but that if Sony or a 3rd party vendor comes up with a lens that would bring value to me I can get it overnight and fill the gap.

The opposite is not possible and will never be.

Nov 01, 2023 at 07:24 PM

tzhang4284
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #8 · p.4 #8 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

Alistair1 wrote:
I disagree. This forum is heavily frequented by shooters from other forum, such as your good self. As a result you will find a range of uniquely divergent opinions here.

Divergent opinions doesn’t mean unbiased - there’s a lot of false information and inaccuracies here in this thread that I would not rely on for purchasing decisions.

Also nothing wrong with participating in a thread that compares Sony cameras to Nikon cameras as an interested party unless you really just want to only hear what your echo chamber is telling you. There’s plenty of Nikon userS that participate in similar threads on the Sony forum however I think the defensiveness is definitely higher here.

Nov 01, 2023 at 07:44 PM

dcisive
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #9 · p.4 #9 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

ajamils wrote:
Your reviews might not be biased but it is difficult to take your reviews seriously when one day you are praising one camera and lenses as best thing since sliced bread and then next week it is some other brand.

Not too long ago you were singing similar praises for OM-1 then it was Sony A7RV and now it's Nikon. Tomorrow when Sony release A9III, you will be calling it the holy Grail camera 😀

I thought I was very specifically clear as to the advantages of a Z9/Z8 vs. those other I owned, and yes enjoyed while I had them. I even said they were ALL great cameras. But each has some advantage or disadvantage alone the way. Take it or leave it.

Nov 01, 2023 at 08:52 PM

ajamils
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #10 · p.4 #10 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

bernardl wrote:
In this context, to me the main reason why Nikon makes the most sense is the ability to adapt Sony FE mount lenses with great AF.

This means I have access to the wonderful - and now extremely competitive - Nikon Z lenses line up, but that if Sony or a 3rd party vendor comes up with a lens that would bring value to me I can get it overnight and fill the gap.

The opposite is not possible and will never be.

Yes!! That is one of the driving factors why I even consider Nikon. As I can have one set of lenses and use on both bodies. Also, now that Tamron is releasing lenses for Nikon, it makes it more viable compared to closed Canon mount.

Nov 01, 2023 at 09:21 PM

saaketham
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #11 · p.4 #11 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

JadedWriter wrote:
"The Sony is just a little sharper" Ok and?

You see what you want to see
That z8 mis focused and the eye is not in focus

Its not about sharper .. its about the a7R5 getting the eye perfectly. Z8 missed as usual. Nothing surprising.

Edited on Nov 01, 2023 at 10:04 PM · View previous versions

Nov 01, 2023 at 10:03 PM

nhmorgan
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #12 · p.4 #12 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

I was a nikon shooter for a long time and made the switch to Sony in 2021 with the A1 as nikon didn't have enough diversity and firepower in it mirrorless body lineup and the lenses weren't there yet. This spring I came back to nikon with the z8 which brought the power of the z9 to a smaller form factor and the 85mm 1.2 which offered a really versitile Z lens with pro level AF. The 1.8s primes are good lenses, but lack in AF capability for sports. There are things I still miss about the a1 (I liked the really small form factor, and the size of their fast primes, and the GM lenses are REALLY good), but overall I'm very happy with where Nikon is. There are plenty of lenses to choose from and a greater range of bodies that are fully capable for my needs. A nice advantage is that the F mount lenses are really dropping in price, whereas you still need to spend close to 10k for a fast super-tele prime for Sony. On the other hand, adapted F-mount exotic primes that are still workhorse lenses can be had for as little as 2k for nikon. That's a huge benefit.

Nov 01, 2023 at 10:04 PM

Alistair1
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #13 · p.4 #13 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

tzhang4284 wrote:
Divergent opinions doesn’t mean unbiased - there’s a lot of false information and inaccuracies here in this thread that I would not rely on for purchasing decisions.

Also nothing wrong with participating in a thread that compares Sony cameras to Nikon cameras as an interested party unless you really just want to only hear what your echo chamber is telling you. There’s plenty of Nikon userS that participate in similar threads on the Sony forum however I think the defensiveness is definitely higher here.
Divergent opinions means the bias found in this forum is just as likely to be pro Sony as it is pro Nikon, more so.
When I shot Sony and visited that forum, I did not see Nikon folk on it denigrating Sony products.
Presumably the OP also posted on the Sony forum, or would have done so if he wanted to hear from Sony fans.

Nov 01, 2023 at 11:09 PM

ajamils
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #14 · p.4 #14 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

Why would I ask Sony shooters opinion about Nikon? I already own Sony so already know about its pros and cons.

Alistair1 wrote:
Divergent opinions means the bias found in this forum is just as likely to be pro Sony as it is pro Nikon, more so.
When I shot Sony and visited that forum, I did not see Nikon folk on it denigrating Sony products.
Presumably the OP also posted on the Sony forum, or would have done so if he wanted to hear from Sony fans.

Nov 01, 2023 at 11:26 PM

Alistair1
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #15 · p.4 #15 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

ajamils wrote:
Why would I ask Sony shooters opinion about Nikon? I already own Sony so already know about its pros and cons.

Because you wanted the opinion of Sony shooters, but I guess you get that here anyway.

Nov 02, 2023 at 01:28 AM

NikonClio64
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #16 · p.4 #16 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

molson wrote:
I think the OP was asking for actual user's opinions, rather than social media content...

Unfortunately, all three are biased sources, as two of them depend on promoting Nikon (via the books they sell) for income, and the third is pro-Nikon by virtue of never having used any other systems. Steve Perry is the least biased of the three, but his scope of use is limited to the niche of wildlife photography, which not all potential Nikon customers are interested in.

Yes, Brad H and Steve P are indeed mostly about outdoor photography. Photography Life is probably the better option for the overall product range, particularly the expanding Z System - besides ThomH that is. If there is a more authoritative source of reliable information about the Nikon System, I'm sure many of us Nikonians will be very interested to know.

I disagree on excessive biases. if ThomH is actually biased to the commercial bent, his ebooks and reviews would be of an inferior quality. They are definitely not - if anything his biases are too much nitpicking and minutiae.. Hogan is critical of all brands.

Brad Hill doesn't compare brands in any case, as he concentrates on reviewing Nikon products and comparing them to the available options in F or Z mount.

With all technical products, notably photographic gear, it is challenging to define unbiased let alone identify completely unbiased reviewers..

Nov 02, 2023 at 04:25 AM

JadedWriter
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #17 · p.4 #17 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

How do I survive without Sony's wondrous AF tech...
saaketham wrote:
You see what you want to see
That z8 mis focused and the eye is not in focus

Its not about sharper .. its about the a7R5 getting the eye perfectly. Z8 missed as usual. Nothing surprising.

Nov 02, 2023 at 05:26 AM

saaketham
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.4 #18 · p.4 #18 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

I don't think you do 😅

Anyways, I bought and tried the z8 for several weeks.
Loved the look/feel but not the lousy AF compared to a1.
If its working out for you, good for you. 🙂

If it makes you happy, I see several For Trade ads on FM where folks are going from a7R5 to z8 or z9.
Mainly because a7R5 does not have a stacked sensor, and suffers from EVF blackout and rolling shutter.
And if and when the z8 gets the rumored 2024 FW update, I am sure it will be a class leading camera.

Minute 8:21 is where he shows the z8 trying to track a flying bird and not doing great.
I had the same experience in multiple outings.
Interestingly enough, my struggles were also with ospreys - maybe z8 hates ospreys!

Edited on Nov 02, 2023 at 08:49 AM · View previous versions

Nov 02, 2023 at 06:36 AM

JadedWriter
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #19 · p.4 #19 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

I always joke that I "downgraded twice" to Nikon and Fuji and in all honesty I'm happier because for the three years I was using Sony I never really enjoyed editing the colors on those files. Sometimes the Z9 misses yeah, I will always admit that, but for what I've been using the Z9 and XH2S for I've been mostly fine with the two cameras. You almost can't get me to shoot the second gen cameras though these days

saaketham wrote:
I don't think you do 😅

Anyways, I bought and tried the z8 for several weeks.
Loved the look/feel but not the lousy AF compared to a1.
If its working out for you, good for you. 🙂

If it makes you happy, I see several For Trade ads on FM where folks are going from a7R5 to z8 or z9.
Mainly because a7R5 does not have a stacked sensor, and suffers from EVF blackout and rolling shutter.
And if and when the z8 gets the rumored 2024 FW update, I am sure it will be a class leading camera.

https://youtu.be/5L103gKExcE?feature=shared

Minute 8:21 is where he shows the...Show more →

Nov 02, 2023 at 07:13 AM

Spectro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.4 #20 · p.4 #20 · Anybody switched from Sony to Nikon?

nhmorgan wrote:
I was a nikon shooter for a long time and made the switch to Sony in 2021 with the A1 as nikon didn't have enough diversity and firepower in it mirrorless body lineup and the lenses weren't there yet. This spring I came back to nikon with the z8 which brought the power of the z9 to a smaller form factor and the 85mm 1.2 which offered a really versitile Z lens with pro level AF. The 1.8s primes are good lenses, but lack in AF capability for sports. There are things I still miss about the a1 (I liked...Show more →

WRT lack of Z lens AF capability for sports I can say from experience that my F mount lenses have not skipped a beat since I moved to the Z9. I shot my first NHL game this week since moving to firmware 4.10. My ageing reflexes challenge me with photographing the speed of today’s game at ice level. My keeper rate was close to 100% where previously I would not be surprised with a soft initial frame or complete miss if I was was moving quickly to keep up with the pace. Just an experience comment and not a comparison as I know my colleagues using the A1 are more than happy with its real world performance as well.

Nov 02, 2023 at 07:14 AM

1 2 3 4 5 … 16 17 end
FM Forums \| Nikon Forum \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 4 5 … 16 17 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.