UKC

Sony v Nikon

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 jethro kiernan 11 Jul 2020

I have been having intermittent fault with my full frame Nikon which has been extremely frustrating (various lenses back focusing and no amount of fine tuning of the focus sticks) 

So at this point I’m looking at a possible new camera, Finances are tight due to corona but as I use it for business I can use a loan.

the cheapest option would be to get a second hand body and use all my existing lenses.

The next option would be mirrorless Nikon Z6and 14-30 lens and use the adapter to use my other lenses, and then gradually change them as and when.

The other option is to go change completely to Sony Mirrorless ARiii

i like the look of the Sony lens options they seem more compact than the Nikon lenses

The camera will have to take some harsh weather, is the Sony upto speed?.

whats the UKC hive minds experience of the mirrorless options?

In reply to jethro kiernan:

Even cheap sensors are so good now, unless you're pushing the limits of the camera I'd just get a new lower budget body that would fit your lenses. Better to have good glass in front of a cheaper sensor than poor glass in front of an expensive sensor. If you buy second hand watch out for dead pixels. 

 Brian Pollock 12 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

The Nikon z cameras feel great in the hand and so far seem to be very well weather sealed. I've had mine out in torrential rain a couple of times with no ill effects. Same for the native lenses. The only issue is the lack of native lenses at present. If you have f mount lenses already the ftz adaptor works well although it definitely adds bulk and faff. There is a 24-200 (relatively affordable and so far looking impressive) and a 70-200 (likely stellar but wildly expensive) on the horizon which ought to fill out the line up a little. The 14-30 is fantastic also. I'm planning to replace my 24-70 f4 with the new 24-200 for a two lens solution for the hills (along with 14-30). Plenty of good deals on eBay, mpb, etc.

 John2 12 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

If you are thinking of changing systems completely the new Canon EOS R5 looks worth a look. https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3236591186/hands-on-with-the-new-canon-eo... 

 fotoVUE 12 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

> The camera will have to take some harsh weather, is the Sony upto speed?.

Hammered my Sony ARII Jethro, and two A6000s..snow, rain, wind, sun..............in all weathers. Not had a problem. Similarly with my Sony lenses...10-18, 16-35, 24-105 and 100-400.

Mick

In reply to fotoVUE:

Cheers

howw are the menus and controls on the Sony and is the 16-35 lens good?

the lenses I have are 

14mm 2.8 samyang 

16-35 f4

20mm 1.8

85mm 1.8

70-200mm f4
 

this pretty much covers everything I need But if I were to go out and buy it for a new system it would be prohibitively expensive, I don’t mind getting second hand lens from MBP as they’ve been okay so far.

The other thing would be IBS, I’ve found this really useful on the Olympus system and this is one of the main reasons along with size/weight that is pushing me towards mirrorless rather than just getting another DSLR 

 Mike_d78 12 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

I don't own the 16-35 f4 but it's meant to  be a decent lens. If you want better and have deep pockets the GM is also available covering the same focal lengths. I have the Tamron 17-28 which is a very nice lens. Though I'm hankering for something a little wider... from what I here the Sony versions of all the lenses you mention are great.

Menus wise some people hate the Sony's others are fine with them. They are very customisable so I would've thought you'd be able to configure to your needs. I think it depends a lot on how tech savvy you are and how much effort you want to put in. 

I've not exposed my A7iii to really bad weather though not had any issues so far. I think there's a general feeling that the Sony's are less well sealed than say Nikon or Canon but I think each iteration of the cameras has improved on that. 

 LucaC 13 Jul 2020
In reply to Mike_d78:

I had my A7 out all winter in some seriously nasty weather. It threw a fit a couple of times but has come back to life happily once it warmed up. I’ve heard from a couple of people that the worst bit for water getting in is the cable entry for the back screen. 

Interestingly on the Scottish International Winter Meet, three of us with A7s all had the same problem on the same day with the programmable buttons not doing the functions they were programmed to do!

The lenses I’ve used seem to be better weather sealed than the Olympus ones I was using outdoors before. I never gave my Canon stuff a beating so can’t really compare.

I really love the size/quality of the Sony, definitely would recommend!
 

Post edited at 07:21
In reply to LucaC:

Cheers, Sony seems to be the front runner, I need to crunch the numbers a little to see if I can manage things. As a minimum I need the 16-35 and 70-20 I can wAit a bit for the the 20mm1.8 and the 85mm 

the advantages of the Nikon is I can use the adapter to tide me over 😏

the Sony 20mm /24m both seem pretty compact lenses the Nikon equivalencies seem a little looong 😏

Post edited at 21:29
In reply to jethro kiernan:

Of the handful of pro outdoor photo/ videographers I've met, the majority used Sony mirrorless.  

When I've contemplated the same as an amateur, the so so weatherproofing has sounded alarming although I've seen those cameras take abuse.  Full frame sensor, OIS and class reading autofocus is compelling, plus the lens range is ever expanding across multiple manufacturers.  I've read that the A7 riv has improved weather sealing, if you really want to spend!

I have Fuji x cameras which are less expensive, nicer to handle, better weather proofed and have brilliant lenses.  But no built-in OIS except the new XT-4 or rather meh XH-1, APSC sensor and less good autofocus.

In reply to jethro kiernan:

So a bit of an update.

I’ve  been to the Local camera shop had a chat and a play with the cameras lenses and adapters

to summarise I prefer the Nikon body but the Sony lenses 😏

Financially in the short term  The Nikon used with the adapter means I only have to get one lens the 14-30mm Z and I can trade in two lenses reducing the pain.

longer term I am not that keen on the Z primes could just be the new format etc and my DSLR lenses are loosing value so I’ll be out of pocket in a few years. Also the resolution on them is fine on the Z6 but will hit their limit on any future upgrades.

It was also suggested by the shop that canon lenses are easily adapted to nikon so that opens up options with the Canon 70-200 zoom.

ultimately cost will be an issue with uncertainty around work etc. 

 Mike_d78 17 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

I guess you have a lot of familiarity with Nikons so I'm sure that would help with the feel/body preference. 

Considering the cost aspect as well maybe Nikon is your best bet.

I'm not sure about the Canon lenses working well on a Nikon? They certainly also work well on Sony's so assuming both statements are true I'd say that one cancels itself out.

 LucaC 17 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

I guess thats not surprising since the Z system is pretty new and the lens selection will still be developing. It took a good few years before the Sony FE mount lenses really grew into a good selection. 

I like the physical feel of the Sony, but did you play around with the menus? They must have been designed on a Friday afternoon by someone desperate to clock off for the weekend, because they are terrible!  

1
In reply to LucaC:

I’ve heard about the menus, apparently not as bad as they were.

im going to have to think it over, also the qxd cards are quite a hit, £350 for two cards 😮 for the Nikon when I’ve a draw full of SD cards.

The adapter can be troublesome with tripod plates as well.

I’m probably overthinking it, I know both systems will take good pictures and online reviews just take you down the wormhole.

also because of what happened to Olympus I worried about Nikon’s long term survival 

The Nikon D850 also briefly crossed my mind 😏

 Mike_d78 17 Jul 2020
In reply to jethro kiernan:

Some random guy that I've never head of seems to think Nikon are fairly safe, it is linked from the Thom Hogan (a Nikon user) site.

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4357284-nikon-not-only-camera-company-upsi...

I here Nikon are about to release a few more Z mounts lenses to.

Post edited at 14:58
 Brian Pollock 17 Jul 2020

In reply to jethro kiernan:

I used the ftz adaptor for a while - now sold. It works well if you mount it directly to a tripod with an Arca Swiss plate attached to the base, particularly for a telephoto as it helps with balance. I used a cheap one from a company called Andoer on Amazon. There is just enough clearance to keep an L bracket on the camera - I use the Three Legged Things one made for the Zs (ridiculous price but very well made).

I ultimately went with the Z camera over the Sony because it just felt like a more solid/ ergonomic body and after handling it, I just couldn't see past it and haven't regretted it. I have owned another Sony before and it felt more of a computer that took good photos than a camera - fiddly and not intuitive.

The other reason I opted not to go with Sony was the cost of the lenses. There is no doubt they look fantastic and wide ranging but the GM lenses are well beyond my price range. The Tamron options do look very attractive/ affordable if you don't mind the odd focal lengths.

I can definitely recommend the Z 14-30 and if you want a fast prime the 50 1.8 is both the cheapest and sharpest in the Z series. I have a few photos on here with both of those - although definitely not representative of their full potential.

The 24-70 f4 kit lens is also really good and a steal second hand/ as a kit, but I sold mine to get the 24-200 when it comes back into stock. For landscapes the latter is supposed to be just about as good as the 24-70 at those focal lengths, weighs about the same and saves you carrying a heavy telephoto.

Look forward to seeing your photos whatever you get.

In reply to Brian Pollock:

Yes I have a l bracket for the big camera and I’d probably get the 3 legged thing (if I go down the Nikon route)

In reply to jethro kiernan:

Thanks for all the input, I went down the Nikon route in the end, Nikon Z6 with 14-30mm lens and FTZ adapter.

So far I've been happy with the choice however I haven't really tested it to the full yet.

Battery life has to be watched and topped up after each and every shoot.

cost of CF express cards a pain (and a card reader), especially with a load of sd cards already, putting off the expense of a spare for now and no option of a handful of cheap 16gb spares dotted around various bags/cars 

form factor and menus nice

FTZ adapter is pretty good and although it extends the lens it actually the same length as the z lens 

Hopefully post a few pics back on here when I get back from work.


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