I'm feeling intrigued by the Nikon Z6 but not sure if I want to take the jump or wait longer. Keep in mind, it took me years to give up my 35mm Nikon N90 and get a Nikon D7100. Lens selection and development seems to be behind what's available with DSLR's. Liking the compact size of the mirrorless but wondering what I may be giving up with DSLR's. Also reading mixed reviews on Nikon's FTZ conversion unit for running F-mount lenses on the new mirrorless platforms.

So tell me, the good, the bad and the ugly...

I moved from 5D mk iii to an eos r almost a year ago. My lens interchangeability is seemless. Uses the same battery, has a better sensor, better digic rendering, and very fast. Some people hate the touch bar, but I use it quite frequently. The menu is still good.

Downsides of all mirrorless cameras is that you rely on viewfinder to digitally recreate the image and tones. Some do better than others. Another issue is battery due to powering the viewfinder and backscreen, which is worse for the Nikon, as there is no battery grip. While there is a lack of glass currently, Tamron and sigma just announced plans to make or reconfigure Sony E-mount glass to Cannon R mount. I think I read Tamron will make Z-mount glass in 2021.

I kept all my Canon glass and batteries, picked up the smart adaptor with the control ring and love it. I think Nikon is releasing 2 more mirror less cameras this year too.

I shoot nature, wildlife, landscape with an occasional portrait. My R kills my 5dm3 every day of the week, so I traded it in.

I bought an M50 in between so I had a second camera to test the mirror less system, which led me to the R. The M50 is great for travel, very small, good on battery, and lightweight, but few lenses, and 90% of the time lives with the M-to-Eos adaptor attached. That camera is almost solely used for wildlife with my 100-400 lens.

I did and sold my old Nikon on here as well. Went from Nikon D90 to Sony a6000. Only have the two kit lenses and a Sigma 35mm 1.4 prime for it now but not lugging that heavy/bulky setup for it has been wonderful. The jump in technology is also amazing to me. It hurt to see all of that gear go and also to see how little it was worth compared to what I paid but that’s the piece of aged technology.

I just recently acquired a Z7. I have not had many opportunities to use it yet, but will be soon. I elected to keep my F mount cameras as they are of current manufacture and are a known factor regarding capabilities. I own extensive lenses for them so that was another point in keeping them.
I chose to pick up the Z7 as a vacation travel kit since it will pack much smaller in a car that has limited luggage space. My F mount cameras will be used for times when I take my SUV on photo related excursions for wildlife etc.
What i have seen so far is that I really like the way the camera feels in my hands, its lightness and how well it will fit in a smaller bag. My D850 with grip and L bracket does not do that well.
I presently have the body, Z24-70 f4s kit lens and a Z14-30 f4 wide angle. This is probably as much as I will purchase as I want it compact.
There is a battery grip available for the Z series cameras which holds 2 of the EN-EL 15 batteries but it is not in my plan to keep things smaller. My intention is to keep a spare battery or two along if I suspect I will be using it a lot. Two batteries will easily fit in a pocket or sling pack.
I suggest you visit the Nikonians website if you haven't already as there is good information there by folks whose judgement I trust.

I started doing photography of dance and music events last year with an old Canon Rebel. Low light and fast movement can be a tough combination and most say I need mirrorless and full-frame. I got some decent prime lenses and was about ready to get a newer body when all dance events got put on hold. The Canon R5 supposedly coming out next month look promising, or but something used might do as well.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
So tell me, the good, the bad and the ugly...

Can't find any bad or ugly. I added a Z6 last year to supplement my Nikon DSLRs because it had some features I thought would be useful. Although I also shoot with a D850 and D5, the Z6 has become my most used body. One feature I thought would be limiting was the electronic viewfinder. It is actually a strength. Not only is the view through it not significantly different (to my eye) than that the optical finders I'm used to, but the display of the subject using the camera settings is invaluable. I use a lot of manual settings and can easily fail to notice when lighting conditions change. With the EVF I see it immediately and can adjust the settings.

The FTZ works well with my F-mount lenses. They work on my Z6 as they do on the other bodies. The S-Mount lenses I have are amazing and in my view justify the transition to the Z system.

Yes. I make my living doing video/still/aerial work.
After decades of using Nikon DSLRs, I made the switch to Sony's A7III in early 2019.
(I also have a Canon cinema series camera that gets used on occasion as well.)
I can tell you the A7III is easily the best *all-around* camera I have ever owned in the three decades I have owned and used cameras to make a living. Especially when it comes to video.
I am one or two lenses away from completing the switchover, which has been expensive but also very rewarding.
It's a great time to be a camera guy.

I went from being a longtime Nikon user to Fujifilm...it was between Sony and Fuji, but I liked the Fuji system better for little, personal reasons - like menu layout. I’m sure th Sony would have suited me just as well, but both are solid systems.

Went from Canon to the Sony A6 mirrorless about 3-4 years ago. Plenty satisfied. Look into lens compatibility for what you are considering would be my suggestion

Went to Sony RX10 Mk IV. No regrets. One day I will return to dslr when I am retired.

Went from Canon 5D4 to EOS R and love it. So much I bought a second one.

Lenses perform better with the converter as the differences in the focusing system remove any need for micro-adjustments.

I have gone all in and am now switching to RF lenses and selling off the EF ones to get full benefit of the mount and reduce size/weight.

Will probably sell one of the R bodies after the R5 is released to upgrade.


I also have a pretty big Micro Four Thirds kit with Panasonic bodies (G9 and GX9) and lenses.


Don’t miss flipping mirror at all.

I guess no one wants to hear about my Canon Pelix from the 1960s.... But then it does have a mirror, just stationary. Now I've got to go try to find it. At the time it was so costly that I'm pretty sure I haven't tossed it out. Or the big chunk of glass out front. F 1:1.2 as I recall.

rburg, those are both rare pieces of photographic history. Would love to see them!

I'm a long time Nikon shooter that has both the D850 and the Z6. I bought the Z6 on a whim thinking if I didn't like it I could always get rid of it, but I enjoy using it so much that my D850 is almost never used anymore. I've taken the Z6 on a couple of trips and even with the 24-70 kit lens, Ive been impressed with the photos.

I too have begun the switch from Canon DSLR's to mirrorless... I was pretty hesitant so I stuck a toe in with an M50. Decent camera and it produces good images but it is too small and I've used the 1D whatever generation for so long I just can't get used to using the touchscreen interface.

All of my 5d whatever's wear battery grips and are configured to be as close to 1D controls as possible.

I was eagerly awaiting the Olympics to see what wizardry Canon rolled out. I know some info on a few cameras was aggressively leaked but as soon as the Olympics was cancelled all that stopped.

I really like the new lenses being released. I will transition a few targeted lenses but the rest will have to do. I feel like I will end up with either the 50 or the 85 1.2. I really want to try the 85DS to see it in action as well as the 70-200 although I can't imagine a scenario where I give up my current 70-200. It is just a fantastic lens. That is one where I could see owning both versions.

While I wait for the R5 I'm trying to decide on a R or RP. My wife keeps grabbing the M50 so I probably go ahead and gt something else...

My guess is the R5 will be my last major camera body purchase. Unless of course a R-1Dx is released before the 2024 Olympics.

tis a good time indeed to be a photog...

I made the switch in 2018, going from my old Nikon D200 to a Sony a7rII full frame mirrorless camera. My only complaint is that the battery doesn't last a long time. The models after mine changed all of that with a different battery system.

I'm won't list all of the positives of full frame mirrorless over their close DSLR cousins since that is all over the internet. However, some DSLRs are basically mirrorless when they are used with their mirror is locked up, putting them in mirrorless mode. Even so, the mirrorless design loses all of that unnecessary space, weight and complexity by doing away with the mirror/optical viewfinder system.

What I like is that they are or can be smaller, have edge to edge focusing, have GREAT human eye focus and really good animal eye focus and there is no need to 'chimp' since you see the image in the electronic viewfinder.

Yep, no chimping since you pretty much get what you are seeing in the EVF. I used to chimp every image with my old camera, and not having to or needing to is a BIG plus.

Sony is still pretty much at the top of the game right now in full frame digital cameras, but Canon is said to leapfrog Sony with the soon-to-be released EOS R5. It will be a 'real' professional full frame mirrorless camera do to its setup and capabilities - a real game changer!

Nikon is really hurting in the camera side of their business so the Z6 and Z7, both great cameras, are the only things out right now close to professional for Nikon. I'm following the news on the photography front, and I don't think Nikon will stay down and will eventually release professional full frame mirrorless to keep afloat. Z system is good, but Nikon needs to go full speed ahead with it and let DSLRs die like they should.

Just FYI, if I wanted to get into a system right now and wanted THE best, I'd get a Sony a9II or a7RIV. If I wanted the best in the near future, I'd wait for the Canon EOS 5. Canon has and is making some REALLY good glass so that is a BIG factor.

A good friend of mine has used the Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras for a while, and published a couple travel books with the photos.

I'm not a photog, but the photos from her travels around the world always look really good.

Something interesting I learned from her - they are cheaper to buy in Japan than here or anywhere else. That certainly didn't make sense, knowing how expensive everything in Japan is. The Japan market Japanese language only version is quite a bit cheaper than the international version with English and other language options. You just have to be able to read Japanese, which she can so no problem.

Personally, I take much better pictures looking through the lens, and a lot worse looking at a screen. An LCD viewfinder that feels like a true SLR is an option but I still prefer a purely optical view.

They already took away my film. They ain't getting my reflex mirror.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
They already took away my film. They ain't getting my reflex mirror.

I learned with film, too (1989). It's starting to make a comeback.
I'm trying to resist.

Took me a while to make the jump to digital too. I had, way back in the day, a Canon A1. Many years later, I managed to get a Nikon F2 and full kit of gear to go with it. It was part of a studio system the old Estes Model Rocket Company got rid of.

Years later, I went through a few point-and-shoot digitals until finally settling on the Canon 5D platform. I currently own a 5D4. I'm way too kitted up with 5D4 gear, glass, etc. to make a move, although I'll keep my eye on the R5 out of curiosity.

A few years ago I took a half day seminar with a landscape photographer (Laurence Parent) in Guadalupe Mountain National Park, and he moved to mirrorless, primarily due to weight and bulk, which makes sense if you have to lug it for miles.