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Iain
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After two years with Sony I am changing back to Nikon with a Z8. I am not impressed with the robustness of the Sony. As Nikon has caught up with the rest it’s time to head back. I prefer the handling and the colours out of the Nikons.
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chrisbet
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Interesting, welcome back!
I have built up a selection of professional Nikon F mount lenses now so will stay with Nikon F for stills (only been with Nikon for 40 odd years!) I do have a Sony but that is an FS5 video cam.
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jk
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Agree that Nikon have caught up Sony in the functionality in the camera.
I have always preferred Nikon to Canon but that was just ergonomics in the DSLR. I think that no matter what make of camera they can all perfom well so it is more about how the camera feels in your hands.
Hope you like the Z8.
I love my Zf but find my Z9 heavy but very functional. Currently holding out for Nikon to release the Z7iii as that seems to be a natural replacement for my Z7.
Z8 seems much larger than the Z7 but since there are no camera shops nearby temptation is reduced!
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Iain
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jk wrote:
Agree that Nikon have caught up Sony in the functionality in the camera.
I have always preferred Nikon to Canon but that was just ergonomics in the DSLR. I think that no matter what make of camera they can all perfom well so it is more about how the camera feels in your hands.
Hope you like the Z8.
I love my Zf but find my Z9 heavy but very functional. Currently holding out for Nikon to release the Z7iii as that seems to be a natural replacement for my Z7.
Z8 seems much larger than the Z7 but since there are no camera shops nearby temptation is reduced!
I thought of a Z9 but didn't want to go that big again and as the Z8 is in essence a cut down Z9 I think that will be fine.
Chris, I have ordered a FTZii as well as I still have a 70-200 2.8 vr, a1.4tc and old 28-200 that was very sharp on my DSLRs. I still have an old D300s that has been to the moon and back as far as shutter count but still takes good pictures. It earned me good money in the old days so Its sentimental value.
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Iain
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Camera and lens arrived today, not had any time to play just been setting it up.
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Eric
| Joined: | Wed Apr 18th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 4496 |
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Iain wrote:
Camera and lens arrived today, not had any time to play just been setting it up.
What lens have you gone for Iain? A long birding lens or just mid range for now?
Presumable, if you don’t go for a Z lens you still need the adapter thingie?
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Iain
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Eric wrote:
What lens have you gone for Iain? A long birding lens or just mid range for now?
Presumable, if you don’t go for a Z lens you still need the adapter thingie?
I have got the Z 180-600mm Eric. I have got the FTZii as I still have a 70-200mm f2.8.
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chrisbet
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Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II?
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jk
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chrisbet wrote:
Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II?
Optically I dont think there is much difference just that the v.ii has Nano crystals!!!
I have the v.i and found it very good but the better version in my opinion was the 80-200 f2.8 AFS (I think Eric had this version as well). For great colour you need to go back to 80-200 f2.8 push pull which makes lovely warm images.
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Iain
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chrisbet wrote:
Is that a 70-200 2.8 vr I or II?
It's the VR1. one of the few Nikon bits I didn't get rid of. Still have a 1.4tc ii 28-200mm and a old D300s.
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jk
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How goes the Z8 testing and use?
Still holding off for the Z7iii (still to be announced by Nikon) as I hope it is a smaller and lighter Z8 but I need to decide before September when I am off to Namibia.
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Iain
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jk wrote:
How goes the Z8 testing and use?
Its going fine Jonathan just sometimes refuses to focus, if I turn it off and on again its fine. Some people are saying they sent theirs into Nikon and they said they couldn't find a fault but it never did it again. Mine is on the latest firmware so will wait and see if it does it again.
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Eric
| Joined: | Wed Apr 18th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 4496 |
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Iain wrote:
Its going fine Jonathan just sometimes refuses to focus, if I turn it off and on again its fine. Some people are saying they sent theirs into Nikon and they said they couldn't find a fault but it never did it again. Mine is on the latest firmware so will wait and see if it does it again.
I had a similar fault with an earlier Nikon and it turned out to be a dirty contact on the lens/body interface. I found releasing the lens and reseating influenced it but cleaning the contacts solved it. Probably not same issue on new camera kit but makes you wonder if Nikon ‘finding no fault’ involved Nikon removing the lens, wiping it and replacing it?
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Iain
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Eric wrote:
I had a similar fault with an earlier Nikon and it turned out to be a dirty contact on the lens/body interface. I found releasing the lens and reseating influenced it but cleaning the contacts solved it. Probably not same issue on new camera kit but makes you wonder if Nikon ‘finding no fault’ involved Nikon removing the lens, wiping it and replacing it?
I think I'll give that a try. It will do no harm.
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Iain
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Just cleaned the contacts on the camera and lens and was surprised that there was some grime come off both.
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Eric
| Joined: | Wed Apr 18th, 2012 |
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Iain wrote:
Just cleaned the contacts on the camera and lens and was surprised that there was some grime come off both.
Could it be that simple? Hope so. Time will tell eh?
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Iain
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Eric wrote:
Could it be that simple? Hope so. Time will tell eh?
Used it today and it was better in that it never refused to focus and locked up. It refused to focus twice but I just moved the focus point and it focused. We will see. The only other thing I have noticed is that at high ISO, i.e above 6400 it produces more noise than the A1. Not a great problem in that there is plenty of denoise software to deal with that.
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jk
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Iain, have you used a Z7 orZ7ii in the past? If yes then how does the AF speed of the Z8 compare with a Z7?
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Iain
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jk wrote:
Iain, have you used a Z7 orZ7ii in the past? If yes then how does the AF speed of the Z8 compare with a Z7?
I've never used a Z7. I've used a Z6, and the Z8 is a little faster I think, it's hard to tell. I think it was Steve Perry of Backcountry Gallery that did tests on them and found that the Z9/8 were the quickest and the Z6/7 were a bit slower.
I have noticed that when shooting birds with the bird capture selected the Z8 I quick at focusing on the bird.
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Eric
| Joined: | Wed Apr 18th, 2012 |
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Iain wrote:
Used it today and it was better in that it never refused to focus and locked up. It refused to focus twice but I just moved the focus point and it focused. We will see. The only other thing I have noticed is that at high ISO, i.e above 6400 it produces more noise than the A1. Not a great problem in that there is plenty of denoise software to deal with that.
That’s interesting because I feel the Sony raw files are quite noisey, especially colour noise.
IMHO there has been little noise reduction improvement in any cameras in the 3000 - 6000 iso range. Manufacturers seem to have worked more on getting acceptable levels in the 10000+ regions rather than extending/applying the low noise levels seen at 400 to 4000.
UK wildlife photography routinely requires us to compensate for dull lighting with higher ISO than the average photographer in brighter sunnier climes needs to use.
If I had a camera that required NO denoising below 10000iso, it would be far more useful.
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jk
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Looked at the Steve Perry YouTube videos but also found this other one by Thomas Heaton who I also follow.
https://youtu.be/g-SC1VxwpEw?feature=shared
and this from Nigel Danson is good.
https://youtu.be/Ry1i3W6gtSo?feature=shared
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jk
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OK decided that I would not wait for a Z7iii so a Z8 is in-coming!
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Iain
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jk wrote:
OK decided that I would not wait for a Z7iii so a Z8 is in-coming!
I think you will enjoy it Jonathan.
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Iain
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Did you get your Z8 Jonathan?
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jk
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Yes it arrived yesterday so it has kept me busy customising.
That is all done now while I waited for the Smallrig Arca L bracket to arrive. That is here and fitted.
Tomorrow hopefully will be a good day to go out and take some photos.
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Iain
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Let us know how you get on.
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jk
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Had a quick play with the camera today.
Very disconcerting to have little sound associated with the shutter release but have adjusted that now.
I really like the four banks and switching between them.
AF difference between Z7 and Z8 is very noticeable, the Z8 is so much quicker and also much surer.
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Iain
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jk wrote:
Had a quick play with the camera today.
Very disconcerting to have little sound associated with the shutter release but have adjusted that now.
I really like the four banks and switching between them.
AF difference between Z7 and Z8 is very noticeable, the Z8 is so much quicker and also much surer.
There is new firmware out for the Z8 Jonathan. Updated mine today but haven't used it since.
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jk
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I have updated as well but it doesnt fix much just some video stuff. I dont do video. Apparently it dumps some of the bank data so checks if your A-D banks have changed.
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jk
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jk wrote:
I have updated as well but it doesnt fix much just some video stuff. I dont do video. Apparently it dumps some of the bank data so checks if your A-D banks have changed.
Yes it changes the Bank modes to P.
.... Bloody hell Nikon ...P does NOT equal Professional!!!
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Iain
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I’ll have to check that. Thanks.
Some of the Sony updates put the camera back to factory settings.
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chrisbet
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P = plonker, Rodney...
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jk
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Iain, some of the other bank settings have also changed as well as the Mode setting. I think it changes the Preview exposure setting in viewfinder value as well as I had mine set to Always but it was changed from this to one of the other values.
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Iain
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jk wrote:
Iain, some of the other bank settings have also changed as well as the Mode setting. I think it changes the Preview exposure setting in viewfinder value as well as I had mine set to Always but it was changed from this to one of the other values.
That’s odd as I’ve been through mine and nothing has changed.
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jk
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Iain wrote:
That’s odd as I’ve been through mine and nothing has changed.
I guess it may vary as to what the individual customisations are.
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