The last Nikon (premium) DSLR

[sk66]

I thought that 3D focus tracking with the D850 was similar to the D500 and although the same system as the D5, not quite as effective - are you saying the D850 loses focus after less than one second........... no matter how long you hold the shutter button down ......... or am I misunderstanding your point?

All of it is the same as the D500/D5... I'm talking about the d9-d153 (d9-d51) focus modes. With your D810 you can set the camera to d51 AF-C and select a focus point at one end of the AF area, acquire a subject/point in focus, and it will hold/track focus all the way across & around the AF field; indefinitely. The D850 is very similar, except it quits tracking and reverts to the original selected point after ~ 1 sec.

I don't use 3D color tracking... with any of them. IME it is not terribly good and you don't have any real say in what it chooses/tracks (it's mostly another version of Auto).

 

[BillN_33]

All of it is the same as the D500/D5... I'm talking about the d9-d153 (d9-d51) focus modes. With your D810 you can set the camera to d51 AF-C and select a focus point at one end of the AF area, acquire a subject/point in focus, and it will hold/track focus all the way across & around the AF field; indefinitely. The D850 is very similar, except it quits tracking and reverts to the original selected point after ~ 1 sec.

I don't use 3D color tracking... with any of them. IME it is not terribly good and you don't have any real say in what it chooses/tracks (it's mostly another version of Auto).

As always, many thanks Steven for your expert opinion - I've also just bought the Nikon 105mm f1.4 - I know it's not VR and that with the large D850 sensor it may show up any problems with my hand holding skill.

Best wishes

 

[chambeshi]

Well according to a recent video of his on AF settings in Zed and D6, Moose Peterson claims the AF tracking has improved significantly thanks to the latest firmware D6 upgrade. This is with Auto AF. My findings confirm the general consensus that Auto AF mode is not much better than 3D tracking in the D850 (although Thom Hogan rates D3 better in the D5).

As for what new DSLRs Nikon might release, no one knows outside of Nikon. Again Thom Hogan seems to have the more reliable of insights, namely Nikon were working on a D850 upgrade. This will presumably use a Z7 sensor and hopefully D6 AF engine. Thus enhanced Liveview, i-Menu etc and a truly industry leading AF system. Unlike the underwhelming D780, Nikon will hopefully keep the extended Custom options (D6 scope) in a D880 - delivering a most impressive camera.

Well over a year after launch of the D6, the feedback from experienced sports photographers is the D6 is a remarkable camera. Most importantly, its new AF system is far more reliable. Compared against the excellent D5, this is no small feat by Nikon's engineers, and makes a mockery of the internet experts parroting specifications to bash the D6.

 

[fujilover]

Get the D6, will build muscle and keep you fit. Or be a massive pain to carry and make you not feel like taking it out

 

[lindsay]

Camera soul for me is one of my old Leica iii series RF's, or the Pentax Spotmatics. Small in the hand, not too heavy, easy user interface and a connection to some truly great togs of the past who used the same kit. My D500 will always produce technically better photographs more easily and reliably, but with less of that indefinable something.

 

[BillN_33]

I'm going around in circles between the Nikon and Canon for birds - I have just bought a D850 - I'm impressed even compared to my D810 - the images straight out of the camera seem to be just a little bit better.
I have a Nikon 600mm f/4 which I use for birds with a couple of Nikon 300mm's - I almost bought the Nikon 500mm VR PF but it was "out of stock", so I started looking at the R6 and R5 and Canon's focus tracking system just seems to be amazing and the RF 100 to 500mm Canon also get great reviews, I'm really tempted to get an R6 + the 100 500mm just for birds ......... I know that I have all this Nikon stuff, but to be honest, at my age and were I shoot birds the Canon would seem to be ideal,

 

[sk66]

I'm going around in circles between the Nikon and Canon for birds - I have just bought a D850 - I'm impressed even compared to my D810 - the images straight out of the camera seem to be just a little bit better.
I have a Nikon 600mm f/4 which I use for birds with a couple of Nikon 300mm's - I almost bought the Nikon 500mm VR PF but it was "out of stock", so I started looking at the R6 and R5 and Canon's focus tracking system just seems to be amazing and the RF 100 to 500mm Canon also get great reviews, I'm really tempted to get an R6 + the 100 500mm just for birds ......... I know that I have all this Nikon stuff, but to be honest, at my age and were I shoot birds the Canon would seem to be ideal,

The mirrorless PDAF is getting to be pretty amazing in good light and in easier situations. But there are significant differences between it and the DSLR's dedicated PDAF system which limits its' capabilities notably in some situations; particularly in low light. And there are other issues as well for action photography (e.g. viewfinder lag).
There are reasons I want to go mirrorless (silent shooting); but there are plenty of reasons that (IMO) it is just trading for different limitations/issues.

 

[BillN_33]

The mirrorless PDAF is getting to be pretty amazing in good light and in easier situations. But there are significant differences between it and the DSLR's dedicated PDAF system which limits its' capabilities notably in some situations; particularly in low light. And there are other issues as well for action photography (e.g. viewfinder lag).
There are reasons I want to go mirrorless (silent shooting); but there are plenty of reasons that (IMO) it is just trading for different limitations/issues.

I am quite happy to use my Nikon gear for everything other the "birds" - but the R6/R5 seems the way to go for birds, particularly the R6 from a price point/specification point of view and EVEN IF Nikon match the Canon AF system it probably will not be in a body at the R6 price

 

[Nod]

Camera soul for me is one of my old Leica iii series RF's, or the Pentax Spotmatics. Small in the hand, not too heavy, easy user interface and a connection to some truly great togs of the past who used the same kit. My D500 will always produce technically better photographs more easily and reliably, but with less of that indefinable something.

Soul is all very well but these days, I'd keep forgetting a step or 3 in the process that my old S1a had to be put through to get a properly exposed image! Might just about get away with it on negative film but I wouldn't trust myself with a roll of slide through it!

 

[sk66]

but the R6/R5 seems the way to go for birds

I'm not sure what you are seeing that makes you think the R6 is the way to go for birds... yes, the eye AF is an impressive improvement; but it is just another form of auto and has it's issues as well.

 

[droj]

Might just about get away with it on negative film but I wouldn't trust myself with a roll of slide through it!

Yes, how did we do it for slides, with a hand-held meter, or centre-weighted metering in camera? But it worked mostly, somehow. I know that sometimes the palm of my hand was involved. But neg film was easy ...

 

[Nytol]

do you think cars and motorbikes have a "soul" - it depends how you define soul or what word you chose to use?

I have always felt "connected" to the motor bikes that I have ridden - low cost or expensive

my 1989 911 has something that a 2020 Ford Fiesta does not have ........ or indeed the latest electric cars

100%

I have an old 911 and an old Fireblade, and both give me so much more pleasure than the newer, faster, 'better' versions,

I love the 'click' and feel I get from my DSLR, it adds to my pleasure, just like manually changing gear does in my car, even though I logically know the PDK auto gearbox does a faster, more efficient job, if all you are concerned with it getting the fastest lap time.

It is all subjective, but for me, the process can give as much pleasure as the outcome.

 

[Nod]

Yes, how did we do it for slides, with a hand-held meter, or centre-weighted metering in camera? But it worked mostly, somehow. I know that sometimes the palm of my hand was involved. But neg film was easy ...

Couldn't afford to do slides back when I was using the Pentaxes and only had the clip on meter with the S1a and the Spotty's built in one, neither of which I would have trusted to get close enough for properly exposed slides! Roll forwards to the F65 and F80 and their meters were plenty good enough (and I was better equipped to afford to bracket if I felt the need!)

 

[chambeshi]

I'm not sure what you are seeing that makes you think the R6 is the way to go for birds... yes, the eye AF is an impressive improvement; but it is just another form of auto and has it's issues as well.

Agreed. As I posted above (yesterday), Nikon have improved the secret sauce in the D6 AF - in the latest firmware. Nikon did not state this explicitly, but this is why many of us routinely upgrade firmware to get these unannounced fixes and tweaks. A rumoured Firmware upgrade of the Z6 / Z7 could update the tracking and AF overall: possibly released before October. Perhaps, these additions to Auto tracking are proverbial crumbs off from table from the Z9 AF algorithms. Typically, only Nikon knows.

The new EXPEED7 processor in the Z9 is expected to leverage on N5P Milbeaut SoC, [Socionext announced its adoption of TSMC’s N5P, the most advanced process technology available]. If true, this should deliver significant performance boosts but with reduced heat etc. With the stacked sensor, the combination may indeed set new standards for photographing action in challenging conditions.

Beware the costs of bleeding edge - on bank accounts especially. Personally i'm waiting for both Customization and AF of the Z Mirrorless system to mature and offer affordable Z8 - even better a Z90. Perhaps, a Z9 feeding frenzy frees up Used D6's at decent prices.

These options should be clearer in a few months - perhaps sooner. We can expect the Auto-AF modes of CaNikony flagships to keep iterating: in tandem with more processing power and refining AI databases for pattern recognition etc. The realities are the D5 and D850 will keep on delivering