[Leica] Nikon et al vs Mirrorless cameras

[hcummer at gmail.com (Howard Cummer)]

Hi Frank,

I am off to the Calgary zoo this sunny afternoon with the Grands and the Z6 
with adaptor and the 300 f4.0 Pf. Will see how it performs. It is a warm day 
in Calgary today (just above freezing) so I hope the batteries will perform 
well. The two batteries that come with the loan kit are not holding charge 
particularly well - or perhaps the Z6 is a power hog. I don?t know which - 
but I have some newish batteries with me for the D500 and I am using them 
instead so will see how they perform. Kudos to Nikon for not changing the 
batteries for the Z series.

About my bird flying photography comment I have cycled through using Nikon 
D300S, D750, D4, D800E and the best combo for capturing birds on the fly,
in my experience, is the D500 with whatever zoom (I use the 200 - 500VR) or 
fixed lens (the 300 f4.0 Pf) works best for the conditions.

I have tried to give Fuji a chance to be my birder camera. I have the Fuji 
XH1 and the 100 - 400 Fuji zoom, and have tried several times to use this 
combo at my usual eagle photo site and the results, compared to the D500, 
are not rewarding. The Fuji?s ability to lock on to a flying bird is not in 
the same league as the Nikon?s - despite what one may read on the internet. 
And locked on follow focus is not as good either, if capture focus is 
attained.

Now I have great respect for Fuji?s design and lens quality so perhaps one 
day they will catch up but I suspect some of the problem is inherent in the 
way EVF?s work compared to OVF?s.  At one time I was also kitted out with a 
complete Olympus Micro 4/3rds outfit and I used it, quite successfully, on 
an African safari - but there weren?t many flying bird shots. I gave up on 
it when, with each software upgrade, the camera settings defaulted to 
factory settings and I had to go through and reset all my preferred 
settings. 

I don?t want to start a war over which is better and which is dying and what 
is surging but for me that answer, at the moment, is to keep using the D500 
/ 300 f4.0
combo for my birds and (perhaps) try the Z7 for my panos and landscape work 
- as a replacement for my trusty old D800E. For me I have to use the 
equipment and form my opinion for my own experience. My comment is not meant 
in any way to demean anyone?s opinion - It?s just the way I find out what is 
true for my shooting style. I am sure that EVF cameras will equal and 
hopefully exceed the D500 standard some time in the future, as you suggest, 
and I look forward to trying them then, if I?m still around (approaching 77).

Warm regards,

Howard


Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 07:45:42 -1000
From: Frank Filippone <bmwred735i at gmail.com <mailto:bmwred735i at 
gmail.com>>
To: LUG <lug at leica-users.org <mailto:lug at leica-users.org>>
Subject: [Leica] Nikon et al vs MIrrorless cameras

 Peter and Howard have been having a debate on Nikon ( specifically) Z6
camera progress to replacing all DSLR with Mirrorless models.

A different perspective....
First the interchange.....
The loan program shows how desperate Nikon is to convince Nikon users to
move from DSLRs to the EVF models. The latter are competent, as you can see,
but I am not sure that they will be as versatile as the old mirror prisms
on the DSLRs - especially for the flying bird photography that I do

. . .

If you want a bird imaging camera, with the Nikon brand on front, it is
coming.  As good as the D5 or D500.  Better.  Just wait a couple more
years....... maybe sooner.....
Because you ain't going to see new, high end DSLR development in the
future.  Brand N or C..  Or other.

Frank Filippone
BMWRed735i at gmail.com <mailto:BMWRed735i at gmail.com>