From Nikon F to Nikon Z: Is It Actually Better?

This yr, I lastly made a whole transfer to the Nikon Z system. It’s true that I’ve owned the Nikon Z6 for some time now, but it surely wasn’t my most important digital camera as its autofocus merely wasn’t ok for many wildlife situations. Recently, I moved to the Nikon Z8, and whereas it’s an incredible digital camera, is it actually an improve from my trusty Nikon D500?

The Nikon D500

For the longest time, I used the Nikon D500. Actually, I nonetheless use it infrequently, having lately despatched it to Nikon for a basic cleansing. Everyone is aware of the D500 is a good digital camera. It’s fairly quick, and its autofocus isn’t far behind the most effective, even now.

I’ve additionally received to confess that I like the optical viewfinder! I do know I’m within the minority, however I benefit from the optical viewfinder in some ways greater than the digital one. Of course, the digital viewfinder is superior for judging publicity, and the optical viewfinder can’t be used for video. But there’s one thing magical about seeing the picture and not using a display screen. Also, the viewfinder can be utilized whereas the digital camera is off to check compositions and to determine birds with out utilizing battery energy.

Then there’s the truth that DSLRs just like the D500 activates immediately. The different day, I actually examined this and tried to press the shutter button as quickly because the on change fell into place. You know what? It took an image simply effective and the autofocus begins working immediately. That’s nonetheless not true of mirrorless cameras just like the Z8.

And lastly, can we speak about battery life? The D500 is one environment friendly digital camera. During most of my days within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest final yr, I all the time carried three batteries with me. But I can’t recall one time when a full battery didn’t final all day. Not one. I did swap out the battery on the two-bar stage to really feel snug, however I might have gotten by on only one battery all day! That can’t be carried out with the Z8.

Is the Z System Actually Better?

The different day we had a ballot about the most effective Nikon digital camera, and after hundreds of votes, the Z8 gained. It even beat the D500 head-to-head in a rating of 76% to 24%. So is it higher than the D500? Is it actually?

Well, this isn’t a kind of contrarian, “the DSLR is better” articles. The fact is, I feel the Z8 is a greater digital camera, however possibly not for the apparent causes that most individuals agree upon, comparable to its topic recognition, high-speed taking pictures at 20FPS, and 8K video.

In reality, 20 FPS isn’t that vital to me (though in some instances it’s helpful). Even the 11 FPS from the D500 was fairly good, and I don’t use burst a lot. Actually, I’ve solely ever used UHS-I SD playing cards in my D500, and I handled the CFExpress slot merely as a backup!

Likewise, 8K video is one thing I gained’t use too usually. Maybe often for zooming in put up, however in any other case, no. Actually, once I’m doing video, I all the time output in 1080p, so 4K is often lots for cropping or zooming in put up.

So, why did I get the Z8, even when I don’t use all of its options? It really does have one mode that I enormously get pleasure from over the D500: the blackout-free, silent taking pictures with digital shutter. The reality is, discovering a great composition with a fowl is uncommon, and once I discover it, I really feel completely within the second. It’s very peaceable, and the completely silent shutter simply matches so significantly better with that have than a mechanical shutter that makes noise.

I’ll let you know a narrative. The different day, I used to be taking pictures intimate landscapes with the Z6, which can be an incredible Z-mount digital camera. It was a kind of uncommon moments the place I used to be utilizing a tripod, calmly composing my shot with the rear-view display screen. I simply spent the entire day trip within the subject, looking for essentially the most organized-looking and deliberate images of grass. (No, I used to be not hoping for a fowl to fly into the grass – haha!)

The coolest factor was that I used to be simply sitting there, with nobody round, listening solely to the wind by means of the leaves and the occasional (I’m afraid to say) distant sounds of Savannah Sparrows. It’s such a uncommon factor as of late to have moments with out the sounds of civilization, and once I can have such a second I cherish it deeply. And on this silence, I actually appreciated the completely silent shutter. It appears like a small factor, however to me it’s large.

Mirrorless is good in different methods, too. Besides the sound, the silent shutter means no shutter shock. On event, I’ve observed a little bit of shutter shock with the D500, and I’ve misplaced some picture high quality on some events. And hey, the full-frame sensor, extra correct autofocus, and synchro-VR IBIS are fairly good!

I additionally get pleasure from that the AF system can be utilized with the rear LCD display screen. With the D500, autofocus in dwell view was just too gradual for use aside from static topics. I discover that it’s a lot simpler to shoot low-level photographs with the Z8’s rear LCD – and I like low-level photographs. No DSLR that I’ve used can evaluate.

Conclusion

So, is the Z system an enchancment over the F-mount DSLR days? I do know it’s for my work. On the opposite hand, I can consider a number of robust arguments for the F-mount being higher, relying on particular person preferences. For instance, once I decide up my D500, I love its simplicity. It’s received so few autofocus modes however they work simply effective, and truthfully, I’m fairly positive it might probably sustain with the Z8 95% of the time. The 5% of the time principally consists of extra erratic birds in flight; then the Z8 pulls forward.

Anyway, lots of people assume that when a brand new piece of drugs is a lot extra superior, it’s going to robotically improve their keeper price rather a lot. I’ve by no means discovered that to be so, not with any digital camera improve I’ve had prior to now.

Instead, the one factor that can actually improve your keeper price is rising your time on the market within the subject, and pondering actually laborious about what kinds of compositions you need. What new gear can do is take away a couple of obstacles to getting the shot whenever you do arrive at a probably superb composition, and I feel that’s one factor the Z system does very properly.