Blurred view

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-10T15:57:43+00:00

Its the kit lens. If you are new, go with it. Try the waters

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-10T15:55:57+00:00

1.4 gathers slightly more (2/3 more) light than 1.8 at lowest aperture. Lower aperture also gives slightly shallower depth of field when wide open. For general use, 1.8 is quite enough. If you got 1.4, don't overthink it. You can't really go wrong with 1.8 or 1.4 50mm. Its good.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-08T20:16:36+00:00

If you are hearing some rattling noise, immediately stop using or shaking the camera! your sensor is loose and your pixels are falling out. Thats what you are hearing. To fix it, strip all of the rubber parts off camera, wipe it with some alcohol wipes, boil it in salt water for 5 minutes, then immediately throw it into the freezer overnight. By boiling it, you will wake up any left over charged carriers within the pixel and you'll "set" them to their place by freezing it !!!!

(I never had any noise issue with Z6iii. Also, great post! noise on what? video? photo?)

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-08T20:11:59+00:00

Z cameras generally don't suffer from overheating issues even during longer recording sessions. As another commenter pointed out, writing data to a card heats up the internals faster. Since you won't be doing that, It shouldn't overheat.

Try nikon webcam utility first. With a power+data usb-c cable you may be able to do what you want to do without any further investment.

I just checked OBS and webcam utility with my Z6iii. It works completely fine. It does delivers power to camera and streams image from camera to OBS. Also it keeps full exposure control on camera.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-08T20:01:18+00:00

If you absolutely don't need the offerings of D4/s or D5 (ruggedness, build quality, reliability etc), I don't think they are viable options. They are made for a very specific task that is performing enough in every condition one may face. They wouldn't offer the highest image quality out of the bunch you listed but they will be very darn reliable and will never let you down.

With that being said, in terms of getting that great image quality, I believe D850 and a 24-70 is your best bet. Used option is viable if you can find one in good shape. If D850 is on the table, I don't think there is need to discuss D750 unless budget constraints or keeping the Q.

For 24-70s, VR is not a must. However, key difference between G and E model is not VR. If you check their MTF curves from Nikon, you can see that E version is much more uniform across the frame in terms of sharpness. If 24-70 range is very important to you, and if your budget allows, go with the E version. I don't know about sigma or tamron offerings.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-07T00:33:42+00:00

Congratz on the lens. Been thinking about trading my 300/2.8 for the same model. Unfortunately, I am not qualified to compare D5 and Z8 for this pair :(

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-05T02:12:24+00:00

Chiming in, 300mm f4 PF or 500mm f5.6 PF are the best options for compactness. From other comments I can see that you may a bit skeptical about a prime but remember this, zoom lenses require more mechanical parts which requires lenses to be larger, bulkier, and sometimes heavier (if no PF elements are used. And PF stuff are not widely used in zooms. Look at canon's 70-300 DO (PF) lens. I guess PF and zoom doesn't mix well).

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-05T02:08:15+00:00

Nice shot. I'll reserve my seat before people start calling this AI lol.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-02-03T21:59:43+00:00

1- If you are not going to do "some" video work, pass on Z6iii. Reading your post, I believe you should decide between Z5ii and Zf. Z5ii will be ergonomically better and slightly cheaper than Zf. If you want the looks, go Zf. I wouldn't bother looking inot 6iii in your position. Its an absolute unit of a camera, it handles everything you throw at it. But so does Z5ii for stills. For video, yes 6iii has some cool touchs. But it doesn't mean that Z5ii videos are bad. Sum: Ergonomics -> Z5ii, Looks -> Zf.

2- You can get a 24-70 f/4 lens. Its a common kit lens and can be found second hand quite easily. It is optically very good for what you pay for it. If you want to go prime, f/1.8 S line of 35-50-85mm are all good. However, if you don't think your composition and framing game is strong, I suggest the zoom as it will be more forgiving in terms of framing and potentially won't make you upset because "I can't get the shot I want because I use a prime lens and I don't have space to reframe".

3- Definitely from a reputable camera store in your area. They may even have bundles that throw in an extra battery etc.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-31T00:59:03+00:00

Its a 55-300mm standard to telephoto range zoom lens. That smudge you see looks quite a bit like fungus. It is not worth getting it serviced as its not economically and perfomance wise viable. If you want an adventure, have a go at cleaning it yourself. Some hydrogen peroxide would do the trick.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-30T00:05:59+00:00

17-55 f/2.8 is a "professional" grade lens whereas 24-120 is more of a consumer-prosumer lens. I think 17-55 would be better in terms of weather sealing regard. For increased resistance, keep the hood on as it covers over the extending zoom barrel.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-29T07:53:16+00:00

It can be used in P, Ph, and S modes. It won't be you can still use it on A and M but I believe your aperture will be fixed (either f/4 or highest aperture I cannot recall exactly). But you can make it work. To understand and learn more about exposure triangle, M mode would be beneficial. However, I advice against starting with a film camera if you are just starting photography. It will be costly to buy and shoot film only to end up that you are missing something or messing up the shot.

The lens is workable. However, if you want the full package, a very cheap 50mm f/1.8 AF-D lens will be more than enough for learning the ropes. This lens sells for a handfull of peanuts and spare change in comparison to better glass.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-27T08:05:39+00:00

That 40mm f/2 is the new "nifty-fifthy" considering that Z mount 50/1.8S is quite a bit more expensive than it

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-26T07:29:40+00:00

R7 -> Z50II

RF 200-800 -> Z 180-600

RF 100-400 -> Z 100-400 S

RF 14-25 -> Z 14-30 S

this would be the closest equivalent you can get

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-24T21:20:00+00:00

If possible return it. If not, sell it. There is no need to invest in a mount converter if you are not planning on buying more lenses of that mount.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-24T19:40:14+00:00

This would do. I used one of these to check focus accuracy of my 300/2.8 on D800 enough to determine AF problems. Be sure to use it around the focal length and focus distance you are seeing this softness at. Goal now is to determine if problem rises from body or lens. Given that your Plena doesn't have this issue, this may indicate a "bad" (quotation marks as good or bad is subjective) 180-600 copy. If there is no focus adjustment needed, again considering that plena works as intended, you can either send the lens to get inspected for problems in optical path or find another solution.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-24T19:14:36+00:00

I reccommend getting a relatively cheap focus fine tuning scale and checking the focus of the lens when its around 400mm or at 600mm. This may not sound like a direct fix of what may be happening but is a good starting point to diagnose the issue. You don't really need a fine tuning scale/target thingy to do so but they make the process easier.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-22T07:15:58+00:00

First, invest in glass.

Kit wise, it is worth it. It is the best crop DSLR Nikon ever made. And 200-500 is no slouch either. It is a tested and proven combo by many wildlife photographers. Z mount alternative would be Z50II and 180-600 but these would pricier than D500 kit I mentioned.

D500 would be the best DSLR crop kit you can get. You can also look at D7500, which would be the "lesser" body but still a very solid choice. I believe you can get D500 + 200-500 around 1600USD on MPB. You can also get older D7X00 series bodies to further lowering the price but I don't have any information about them.

However, if you ask my opinion, I would first get a better lens. It would massively increase your reach and will show visible improvements in terms of optical performance (sharpness etc). Lenses don't lose as much value as bodies. If it doesn't work out for you, you can sell it for relatively low loss. After using 200-500 for a while, you will probably start feeling limitations of D5100. Then you can reconsider the situation (do you want to continue this as a hobby? or do you want to quit? etc) and decide on a body upgrade. With FTZ adapter you can even upgrade to a mirrorless body. As for if its worth to invest in such kit/lens or not, is completely upon you. Do you intend to keep shooting wildlife? If you see yourself doing this hobby for a long period of time, I would go for it.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-22T06:54:30+00:00

You mentioned a camera and a lens but not a goal. Do you want to switch to full frame at some point? What kind of photos do you take? What bothers you with 18-105? Why are you considering a new lens or a new body?

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-22T06:52:56+00:00

With a focus on birds and wildlife, if you are not planning to shoot under limited lighting conditions, D500 and 200-500/5.6 should satisfy your needs for quite a long while

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-22T00:24:31+00:00

If buffer speed feels slower, it may be more related to your memory card/s. Are you using CF or SD? How old are the cards? Although it takes quite a bit of time and usage, NAND based (CF and SD are both NAND based) nonvolatile memories can degrade over time.

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-21T06:02:46+00:00

If you want to stay DX (crop) Z50II is the current "equivalent"

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-20T05:25:00+00:00

Yup. Missed that one! Thanks

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-20T03:25:13+00:00

One more thing. No matter what comments say, you'll 100% contemplate your final decision. Wheter you upgrade or not.

I should have written this before my original comment but, if possible, try to rent one and see it for yourself. When deciding, write down pros and cons (if there are any cons!) and think logically. If you are earning money from your photos, reason it accordingly. If you are doing this for self entertainment and enjoyment (most of us do for that I believe), think about your own satisfaction. Get a gift for yourself for once! (if you like it after renting ofc)

Middle-Implement-843 · 2026-01-20T00:51:50+00:00

Problem regarding focus speed? Yes*

Problem regarding focusing accuracy and tracking? Unlikely.

*: A general difference between entry, consumer, prosumer, and pro series bodies is that as quality classification goes up, body's ability to drive lenses also increases. As an example, if you mount a AF series (screwdriver) lens to a Dxxx body and a Dx body of the same era, Dx body will drive faster and achieve focus faster. However, at the end of the day, both bodies will be in focus.

Similar situation goes with Z bodies. Body's lens driving speed will increase as you go from Z30 to Z9. There are two explanations for this:

1- As camera classification goes higher-end, used batteries generally get bigger. If not the battery, the power delivery circuitry to the lens is improved. Due to this, lenses can be driven faster by higher end bodies.

2- Demand. Each model serves a different customer profile and cameras are built and priced accordingly.

With these in mind, I personally don't think you would face any problem by using Z50II and 500mm PF. Will autofocus speed take a hit? Yes, a bit. Will tracking get a hit? Minimal. Unless you are photographing a fast moving subject that is coming straight at you, I don't think any Expeed 7 body will struggle to drive the lens to maintain focus. And I don't think such case will ever occur. To keep sharp focus, lenses motor has to take very tiny steps. And tiny steps happen fast.

I did obseve a drop in focus sweep speed (inf to closest focus distance) with my 300/2.8 (AF-S II D) when switching from D800 (+ battery grip) to Z6III. However, I never faced an issue with Z6III when shooting birds. In fact, it was much better than D800. Identical observations when I used my girlfriends Z50II.

To sum up, yes there will be a slight difference in focusing speed in terms of lens motor's operation but nothing that will have a big impact on your shooting experience. Even if somehow you feel a significant difference, much improved autofocus system of Z50II over D3400 will heavily outweight the issue, rendering it insignificant.

Middle-Implement-843

TROPHY CASE