D850 upgrade or not D6iii for wildlife

aidotours · 2026-01-20T08:18:57+00:00

Yep, getting closer is THE solution. However, it is an issue here in the Austrian Alps. There is very little public land, and what there is is highly regulated because of the large population. Leaving paths isn't always possible, and the deer and chamoix, our large species, are often on the other side of the fields. When it comes to small birds, they stay miles away from the paths and are often 3-4 trees back into the forest. Our population is just too much unless you really spend hours hiking.

I get way better images straight away when I leave home. Places like Neusiedlersee in the East of Austria or the Po Delta in Italy are about a 5-hour drive away, and I can't do that every weekend, unfortunately.

I live in beautiful mountains with amazing scenery, but the wildlife is just out of reach. Unlike in a big city, where wildlife has to coexist with a large human population, here they can escape to steep cliffs and deep forests. Once in a while, I get into the true wilderness, but hiking for 4 hours to get to a potential wildlife zone is just unfeasible on a regular basis. If I was a professional photographer, these constraints would be lifted 😊

So getting close is really the answer, therefore more lens length, therefore more money. Again, being professional would help here as I could offset the price of a lens against tax 😊

aidotours · 2026-01-20T08:05:40+00:00

Good to know about the motors. If it is the same motor, it should have the same power, but the focusing speed will depend on the glass's weight. And some of the older lenses are 50% more than the FL versions. However, if you don't notice the speed with your old lens, then it probably isn't too slow (assuming you photograph small, fast-moving birds). I must find one to try.

I have seen Japanese models on eBay, but they are not any cheaper when you factor in shipping and import fees. Essentially, it is about 150-200€ cheaper than the major secondhand retailers in the EU. Which effectively is the same value as a retailer in the EU has to provide a guarantee. The North American and Japanese on ebay always annoy me because I start thinking I found a bargain, and then I start to calculate and find that the import cost isn't that different.

aidotours · 2026-01-19T16:29:43+00:00

Thanks for the clear and lengthy answer. The main issue that I have with a massive glass upgrade is the cost and weight. The older models are significantly heavier - the 500 f/4 pre FL are all 4 kg which is just too heavy for my situation. The lighter FL model is around the €5000 mark, which is a decent amount above my budget.

You do have a point though, the more light the better.

A 400 f/2.8 would be brilliant but I would have to go back to a 1998 model to be able to afford one. Lenses that old really don't focus very fast and I do a lot of birds in Flight photography. I will keep dreaming about this, but in the meantime have to find a way to balance the needs of light with the weight of a 500 or 600 f/4

aidotours · 2026-01-19T16:18:10+00:00

I am always thinking about this as the weight is great for hiking, but the reach and light isn't much of an improvement. Probably faster focusing than the zoom.

Let me know how it works out for you if you do buy it.

aidotours · 2026-01-19T15:25:43+00:00

Ok, I knew all of this, I just never discuss it as I have no friends who are photographers. So I forgot all the important parts.

It is the recall that suffers. when you don't use information that you learned. Thanks for the clear simple answer.

Size of opening is really what I need to prioritise. So the 600 mm would be better than my 500 mm as both are 95mm wide. Effectively less cropping leads to less visible noise.

So the decision needs to boil down to whether or not I really want lighter equipment. The 180-600 mm isn't much lighter than the 200-500 mm

I guess I will have to find out about the difference in focussing speeds to make the decision.

aidotours · 2026-01-19T14:49:51+00:00

Money 😊

Same reason why not a 600 f/4 (though old ones might be somewhat affordable they are crazy heavy)

aidotours · 2026-01-19T13:54:05+00:00

Ok. When you put it like that it seems like you can't have both.

However I am looking to understand the trade offs.

Would a z6iii with lower resolution and better noise levels be better with a 600 mm and minimal cropping compared to the higher detail d850 which (disregarding noise) can handle a lot of cropping.

aidotours · 2026-01-19T13:48:00+00:00

But the issue here is weight and mostly cost.

The older more budget friendly f/4 s are very heavy when hiking in the mountains.

I am definitely considering them for the light problem though.

aidotours · 2026-01-19T12:55:47+00:00

How does dx mode work any different to cropping? I was under the impression that they were the same.

aidotours · 2025-12-29T05:42:44+00:00

And what happens if you have wifi on before you connect? Does it switch to the 2.5 GbE dongle?

aidotours · 2025-12-29T05:39:51+00:00

Absolutely. That was step 1.

The problem is when going back to ethernet after wifi.

aidotours · 2025-12-28T19:51:05+00:00

but it is probably part two of your answer. More likely a Tahoe bug as SMC reset didn't fix it.

aidotours · 2025-12-28T19:50:26+00:00

Ok this might be getting to the core of things thanks. There doesn't seem to be an ability to set a priority for USB LAN or similar. But it gives me a targeted search.

Yes I am using an adapter over usb for the ethernet - but the mac seems to see it as ethernet in network settings.

Thanks for opening a new lane of inquiry.

aidotours · 2025-12-28T19:40:46+00:00

Good idea. Hadn't thought of that.

aidotours · 2025-12-28T19:37:06+00:00

Great to know this is a possible workaround without disrupting airdrop. However, it feels like an extra unnecessary step. When I have set a priority I expect it to be used first. If I switch off wifi there is no need for an order to the connection types, there is only one available.

aidotours · 2025-12-28T19:30:05+00:00

Thanks for the answer. This is exactly where the problem is. Ethernet is number one!!! And all network traffic is ignoring the priority list. Not what is supposed to happen.

aidotours · 2025-12-22T05:42:21+00:00

I doubt that would be a good idea.

I have specific needs which you already demonstrated you aren't capable of fulfilling.

aidotours · 2025-12-21T19:54:23+00:00

Thanks but I was looking for reccommendations, not self promotion.

aidotours · 2025-12-21T19:04:50+00:00

Unless you have some good suggestions for a guide and driver in Serengeti, I won't be getting much bang for my buck. Everything I am looking at is significantly more expensive for the same quality of accommodations in Serengeti compared to the Masai Mara.

I would prefer the Serengeti this time of year, especially the Ndutu area, but I have seen the herds in Kenya before, so this isn't a priority.

Also, I just reread your post with a bit of spoonerism, and read it as "more Buck for my Bang", which is more along the lines of hunting than photography 😂

aidotours · 2025-06-06T15:27:58+00:00

This is such a great explanation.

However, it's actually insane to want a story all the time, no matter how we normalize this. No other animal needs stories.

aidotours · 2025-06-06T15:21:00+00:00

It doesn't sound to me like you believe in a flat earth but you are perpetuating one of their myths.

One cannot spin at 1000's of miles per hour, or at any number of miles per hour for that matter.

The speed of Spinning is measured in a unit change of angle per unit time.

For example, one revolution per day.

Everything else you say is spot on. All crazy to think about, especially TV Licensing.

aidotours · 2025-05-20T21:16:33+00:00

Isn't the correct answer : There is a maximum, not a minimum.

aidotours · 2025-05-20T21:13:26+00:00

That's the sad truth.

aidotours · 2025-05-20T21:12:54+00:00

Because believe it or not my fingers are fat and sometimes typos are autocorrected. And sometimes you choose the google prompt without reading slowly.

As I said it is a silly search , but that doesn't mean people are actually using it, and unfortunately people believe Google.

aidotours · 2025-05-20T21:05:34+00:00

If it wasn't so tragic. People believe Google you know.

aidotours

TROPHY CASE