Z7II or 850?

[Darthfeeble]

They are pretty much the same camera. Sensor is the same, card slots are the same I believe, there's probably some wizbang function that is on the 850 that's not on the 7II, after all the 850 is the top of the line. If you want the best they have to offer you have to go the Z9. I have the Z7 original, I have a few F mount lenses and they all work fine, up to and including the 150-600 Tamron. I like the lighter weight of the body and only wish that they would come up with lighter and more compact lenses in Z mount.

 

[Photon42]

I just have the Z7 and once used and owned a D810. The 3D C-AF tracking of the D810 was in my eyes the one thing where that camera topped the Z. Remember: The D8xx don't a stabilised body (which can work in conjunction with a stabilised lens) and there is no potential issue with lenses having focussing tolerances. And the Nikon app for the iPhone, while having a bit a dated interface, works like a charm.

 

[phofseth]

I use a Z7 and its pxel count is no problem with good old lenses, and focussing is very much easier when one uses the image magnification feature.

For those of impaired memory who need exif to remind them of which lens they used ,or for hypocondriacs who worry about exact settings , electronic contacts might be a priority, otherwise almost anything can be adapted to the Z-7.

My only gripe is that focus and spot metering light at exactly what I wish to have sharp and corrrectly exposed is hindered by the focus point moving. It cannot be fixed in the middle without faffing about with the moving button while the light or the motive goes away.

The autofocus is fast and accurate as long as it does not decide that the nearest tree branch in a forest is more interesting to focus on.

p.

 

[Gordon Moat]

There’s a 200-600 zoom on the official Z-mount lens roadmap. It’s probably going to cost more than the Tamron you already own. The main reason to switch to a Z body is to use Z lenses. That’s why I sold nearly all my autofocus F-mount lenses, and a D3 and D4, to go into the Z6. Side note, I had a D800 years ago, but generally didn’t like using it. The Z bodies are a learning curve for anyone use to D bodies, because the interface is different enough to throw off what you may have known from D bodies. If you like your F-mount lenses, I suggest sticking with F-mount bodies, and that comes from someone who made the switch to Z bodies.

The primary things to consider with Nikon mirrorless are focus accuracy, one-button zoom focus, and easier manual focus. The Z-mount lenses are mostly excellent in rendering. A kit will pack slightly smaller and lighter than similar F-mount gear. Downsides include higher lens prices, and somewhat larger prime lenses, than F-mount.

 

[farlymac]

Not being really pixel picky about my results as I stopped doing photography for pay many years ago, I purchased a D610 to be able to use my screw drive D lenses without an adapter. It was a good choice, but shortly after that my wrist deteriorated to the point I now have to wear a brace for many activities. It made my decision to get a Z5 much easier, and also to replace my D300s's with the Z50. Now, I know none of these cameras are within your scope of purchase, but the experience of using them is quite similar.

First thing I liked was the lenses are much lighter than before, at least for the ones I purchased to round out the kits. That said, I've not delved into the S line which could be a bit heavier with their f1.8 or larger apertures. The weight savings in the cameras alone helped in that respect. Having the flip-out screens is great too as I like to get low or high sometimes for a different viewpoint. The ability to use rangefinder lenses with an adapter is a nice feature if one has a lot of them. I may want to get a Z6II (or III) in the future to take advantage of the optional battery grip, something I used quite a bit with my other film and digital cameras.

I suppose it all depends on where you are headed in your photography journey, what would work best for you. I was used to using my DSLRs like film cameras but when I went mirrorless it opened up more avenues for me. And I just do it for fun these days! Just figure out what features you need, Benjamin, and that will help in determining which system will be best for you. I still use the D610 occasionally because of the D lenses I built the kit around but can see myself letting them go in the near future as I add to the Z line.

PF

 

[Ororaro]

I’d definitely go D850. It will give you a good and easy10 years of service with all the lenses yoi already own.

10 years of peace.

I really don’t see myself changing systems, losing a ton of money…

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Saw this thread revived. OP here. I went with the Z8 and have been very happy.

 

[Photon42]

Brilliant choice.

 

[farlymac]

Saw this thread revived. OP here. I went with the Z8 and have been very happy.

Good to hear that.

PF

 

[James Evidon]

The trend is going mirrorless for good reason. The cameras are smaller, lighter and less complex mechanically. I think it's true that image quality is not that much better, if at all, when compared to the later DSLR's such as the Nikon 850. If your priority is price and IQ, go for the 850. If you want new, lighter and fewer moving parts regardless of price, go for the Z's.

 

[Archiver]

Saw this thread revived. OP here. I went with the Z8 and have been very happy.

Congratulations. Do you use your legacy Nikon glass with the Z8? If so, what mix is manual and AF? How is AF with the adapter?

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Congratulations. Do you use your legacy Nikon glass with the Z8? If so, what mix is manual and AF? How is AF with the adapter?

Interesting question. In "everyday" shooting, I do use a mixture of older lenses with the Z8. I started a separate thread on that here:

Nikon Z8 w/Adapted Lenses (Leica M+R, Pentax, Konica etc.)

In general, I find that they work well, and I am thrilled to have a near-universal platform to use favorite lenses. However, this past weekend I was the photographer for a friend's wedding and for 90% of the shots, I used only the S-mount native Nikon lenses. For that application, particularly in a fast-changing environment, the autofocus is just better than I am at nailing the shot. The other 10%, though, were where fast MF lenses shine -- low light situations, e.g. The two lenses that made it out of the bag for that were the 50/1 Noctilux and the C/V 55/1.2 Nockton, which did really well in that situation.

Finally, I would like to report on the AF adapter, but it only works on G-series lenses and newer, so my older AF and AF-D lenses don't autofocus with it. The other functions (aperture control, for instance) work fine. I only have one SLR lens that is new enough to authfocus with the adapter (100/2.8 Macro), but I have the S-mount analogue of that lens and the most recent version of that 100mm lens is sooooo good that I am going to go for the newer version in a head-to-head choice. I do have the Techart adapter for M lenses, and I can report that it does autofocus with the M glass on this platform.

To return to your "Mix" question, when I go out for the day, I am usually picking a family of lenss. "This will be a Lecia-R mount day" or "that will be a Contax mount day." Those expeditions are pure play-time for me and part of the fun is seeing how different brand/era lenses perform on the platform. The Contax lenses are marvelous -- that I can say without hesitation. But I have every focal length of Pentax-K glass that I could want and still haven't had a chance to have a day out with each of them. An embarrassment of riches.

Here's a picture taken with an S-mount autofocus lens at the wedding I mentioned:



And here's a Noctilux photo by candle-light (mainly):