Admittedly, I am looking for external validation here. I'm about to purchase a secondhand Z7ii and want to see if anyone else agrees with my logic. I'm primarily a landscape shooter, I also shoot wildlife but primarily large mammals not BIF. Occasional portrait/event work. I also occasionally do video but it's not a primary concern. I boiled down my options to the following:
Nikon Z7ii: Great files, ergonomics, lens selection (I really want that 24-120), price. Weaker AF than rivals and don't love the single axis LCD screen.
Sony A7rV: Highest resolution, best AF, lens selection (hold that thought), best video features. Poor ergonomics, expensive, no 24-120 standard zoom, questions about durability/reliability.
Canon R5: Great ergonomics, good video features, AF. Poor lens selection for my needs, expensive.
Looking at my options, I can get the Z7ii for about $1000-$1500 cheaper than its rivals and ultimately I will get the same, if not better, image quality. I am sacrificing AF (C-AF that is) and video features, but I like the lens selection the best. My starting kit would likely be the 24-120, 85 1.8, and either the 14-30, 17-28, or 20 1.8.
I know a Z8 may be coming, but my current situation requires me to get a camera before I'd likely get my hands on a Z8, assuming one is announced at all in the near future. So I think this is my best option. Would love to hear feedback on my logic. Thanks!
I don't think the gap in AF is as big as you indicate. I have had a Z7ii since release, and it does a very good job with jumping horses, birds in flight, and similar fast action. What it doesn't have is strong subject identification and tracking for wildlife. It's excellent for landscapes, macro, events, travel, etc.
The other thing to consider is if you want cutting edge focus, you can buy a used Z7ii and sell it when the replacement camera is in your hands. That may be 1-10 months from now - depending on when it is announced and when you can get it.
I have used the Z6 and Z7ii for video. The biggest gap is it does not produce 8k video - and neither do the alternatives you mentioned. I'm not sure that is a big deal.
Your initial kit sounds good. I would get the 14-30 over the 17-28 - I have the 14-30 and it's very good.
Eric Bowles
www.bowlesimages.com
"I'm primarily a landscape shooter" ... go buy a Z7II now ! :D
... and Z24-120 of course :D
Your logic is perfect to my sense ! The only doubt I would have is compared to Panasonic S1R, but their 24-105 is hardly better than the older EF Canon version. Anyway, Z 24-120 makes all the others standard 24-1xx bite the dust :D...
Another doubt would be if you often process panoramic works with an old computer, that could make Z6/II a better choice for processing ease... (I didn't try Raw-M on Z7II though, anyone ?).
Anyway, if your budget allow you to buy the Z7II, I don't think there is anymore question, to my sense.
I agree with the others, the Z7II will work perfectly fine for what you described. I guess you have seen Spencers article about BIF with the Z7? The AF of the Z7II isn't bad, just not up to the (more expensive) competitors.
Back in the day, I did a lot of bird photography (also action shots) with a D800 as my main camera, and I have many shots from that time that I still count among my best. The Z7II's AF is definitely not worse than that of the D800 - so while there are surely better AF systems out there, it's not like you can't take good action/flight shots with the Z7II.
And for landscape and portrait work, the Z7II is more than good enough.
If you mainly shoot landscapes then AF performance is not a big topic on the list. Many landscape photographers even use manual focusing... But even in AF mode, the landscape is not going anywhere so you have all the time in the world.
I need to say this: I can't understand why so many people bash on Nikon's AF performance. Go and watch some videos of Hudson Henry. you'll soon understand that knowing your camera is far more important than owning the camera with the "best" AF system. Knowing your gear and understanding how to use it is far more important that the "best" technology!
What many people seems to miss is that the Z platform is currently the most future proof system on the market.
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Pascal Hibon
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/phibon/
Website: https://pascalhibon.net/
Thanks everyone for your comments! I'm officially joining the Nikon family! Got a great deal on a like-new Z7ii on FM. Now to start my lens kit... 24-120 here I come!
I agree, a 7ZII for your use case is an excellent choice, welcome to the Nikon family!
I just bought a new Z7ii to complement my Z6 and Z50. I like to shoot landscapes, city-scapes, architecture and occasionally air shows. These bodies coupled with a handful of Z lenses will be all I need for many years to come. And yes, the 24-120 is excellent and extremely versatile.
Cheers!
Do let us know what you think of the Z7ii, I have a feeling it's going to exceed your expectations especially in the AF dept. for moving subjects. Wisdom from experience here: There is a huge difference in using cameras in real life than reading about them with coffee at home.
The point of diminishing returns with real life performance in cameras was reached quite some time ago for DSLR's and that point has already passed for mirrorless too. Even what people online consider antiquated for mirrorless is extremely capable, and there is definitely something to be said about the person behind the camera in terms of producing results.
In fact I'd contest (and have many times) that the person behind the camera is much more important than lab measured marketing specifications for a camera. I know of so many photographers that do awesome work with "antiquated" gear that far exceeds any marketed expectations of its initial design.
A good rule to remember, buying a good camera doesn't buy you good pictures. Get good through practice.
The best advice I can give a photographer buying equipment these days is to keep the gear you enjoy using the most, don't settle for less. You have so many options. Enjoying your gear and being one with it will definitely give you an edge.
www.photographic-central.blogspot.com
For me glass is more important than a new body. I bought a used Z7 from mpb and I am going to substitute my Tamron 150-600 G2 for a Nikon Z 400 f4.5. I still know how to focus without the help of a computer.;)
Hi all,
This is my first post on a PL forum. I would like to say hello and just say that I have followed a few web sites for advice and keep using PL because it's just good. I know we are all special (nothing is normal) but PL appeals to my special; so I am going to camp out here, if you don't mind. I recently bought the Z7ii to replace my D750. I bought the converter for the F mount glass that I have but then caved in and said wtf, and bought the Z7 24-70 and 100-400 glass plus the 1.4TC. Nuts but you have to be special ;-) Just need learn to use it all. Had one shoot in low light with the TC and the results were very pleasing. Heading off to Scotland in July for two months and Tuscany for 6 weeks after that. Scotland for the whisky, and Tuscany for the food; oh and the photography as well !! Hope I can grow into this Z7 quickly.
Cheers, peter
As someone who owns both a Z7ii and a Z9, this is my experience:
For landscape, portrait, street, large still or slowly moving mammals and birds it's fantastic. Eye detect AF for humans and cats/dogs works great. IQ is outstanding, and I regularly push ISO to 6400, 12800 on occasion. I have had it fall down when trying to rapidly acquire focus of large moving animals (exact scenario: snap shot of a kudu jumping over a fence). But I have gotten large birds in flight with it and I've shot a few airshows with it. It'll work, but there will be more missed shots due to the blackout or lag (depending on which speed you're at).
The Z9 (and apparently Z8) excel for BIF and flexibility with focus areas, which can buy incremental improvements for things like portrait work but it's not night and day.
My personal assessment based on reading reviews:
- Canon is solid but expensive (their lenses seem to be around 30% more than the competition and they're stomping third party integration) though they're putting out some good entry level bodies. They have some of the widest angle lenses around that nobody else has an answer for when it comes to landscapes. Their 28-70mm f/2 looks like a wonderful flexible portrait/event lens.
- Sony has great AF and a high quality lens ecosystem with an open mount, and they've been steadily improving their ergonomics. Their 20-70mm f/4 encroaches on the ultrawide territory with a constant aperture f/4 and their GM series lenses are first rate. Personally I think the 61 megapixel sensor is too slow and not enough more resolution than 45 megapixels (50% more is my threshold for caring) and I find myself choking on 45 megapixel files as it is, so I don't find the higher resolution a draw the way other people do.
- Nikon has been great for portraits, events, and landscape but fell down for sports/BIF and now has an answer there in the form of the Z8. If you're into wildlife photography neither Canon nor Sony have an answer for the 400mm or 600mm TC, and the 400mm f/4.5 and 800mm f/6.3 are incredible value propositions compared to the competition. For landscape, the 24-120 or 24-200 and 14-30mm make excellent two-lens kits you can take into the back country without breaking your back.
Overall you can't go wrong with the big 3. When looking at the lens ecosystems, Sony has the potential to be the best value due to third party glass, followed by Nikon, followed by Canon. All three have unique lenses that matter to different types of photography. AF a solved problem for portraits, landscapes, and events, though there's still differentiation in the high end and a reason to pay ruinous amounts of money for it if you can afford it.
@novalaker I hope you are enjoying your Z7 ii. I have narrowed my choice to a Z7 ii as well. Upgrading from D5100.
I wanted to check with you. You mentioned, getting a great deal on a like-new Z7ii on FM.
Which is this site?
Cheers
Vijay
@vsingh I'm sure that he was referring to fredmiranda.com, specifically their buy/sell forum for photographers. It usually beats eBay in my experience, but there is a small registration fee.