3 New camera and lens demo

[Dale D]

After resisting mirrorless cameras for years I finally gave in and purchased the Nikon Z8, and begged Nikon and finally received the limited release of their new 180-600 mm lens f/5.6-6.3 in time for an upcoming trip to Kenya.

Both the Z and the 180-600 lens are extremely complex, especially the Z8 camera with hundred of menu selections. After watching a ton of videos I did my first field trip today on a hot, humid, sunny Sunday to the Miami Zoo. I tested the accuracy of the following and focus abilities of the camera and the lens by doing the recommended use of a technique called “back button Auto Focus). This allows me to place a focus cursor on the subject (usually the eye), and the lens will LOCK IN the eye for distance and focus and I can fire away. For every image shown here , there were many thrown away.

All of these have also been edited in Photoshop. In viewing, notice the details in the whiskers and hair and the eyes. I was very pleased with these results. In some of these images the animal was walking (tiger, cow), but the cursor held the eye as the camera moved to
Follow. (The lion would not wake up for a picture but notice the details in the hair). Most all of these are hand held at 600mm!

Comments appreciated.

Dale

 

[GFields]

All of these are absolutely fantastic! My favorite is the tiger walking towards you.

 

[NorthEastJohn]

After resisting mirrorless cameras for years I finally gave in and purchased the Nikon Z8, and begged Nikon and finally received the limited release of their new 180-600 mm lens f/5.6-6.3 in time for an upcoming trip to Kenya.

Both the Z and the 180-600 lens are extremely complex, especially the Z8 camera with hundred of menu selections. After watching a ton of videos I did my first field trip today on a hot, humid, sunny Sunday to the Miami Zoo. I tested the accuracy of the following and focus abilities of the camera and the lens by doing the recommended use of a technique called “back button Auto Focus). This allows me to place a focus cursor on the subject (usually the eye), and the lens will LOCK IN the eye for distance and focus and I can fire away. For every image shown here , there were many thrown away.

All of these have also been edited in Photoshop. In viewing, notice the details in the whiskers and hair and the eyes. I was very pleased with these results. In some of these images the animal was walking (tiger, cow), but the cursor held the eye as the camera moved to
Follow. (The lion would not wake up for a picture but notice the details in the hair). Most all of these are hand held at 600mm!

Comments appreciated.

Dale

Amazing pics. Thanks for sharing

 

[Dale D]

All of these are absolutely fantastic! My favorite is the tiger walking towards you.

Thanks GF. It was my favorite too! You sorta have the feeling the tiger wants to eat you! The rhino up close ws also fascinating to me. He was being fed by a young girl zookeeper off the frame. That's why his mouth was open. I have never, ever seen the inside mouth of a rhino before.

Planning African safari Oct 5 so I am practicing with the new gear.

Dale

 

[SmilingOgre]

Lookin good Dale! Enjoy that camera and trip!

 

[Dale D]

Lookin good Dale! Enjoy that camera and trip!

Thanks Ogre

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

WOW.
What's the cost of the camera and lens?
Is there built is stabilisation?
What's 'up' with the cow's eye?

 

[Dale D]

WOW.
What's the cost of the camera and lens?
Is there built is stabilisation?
What's 'up' with the cow's eye?

Thanks- not sure of your question about the cow's eye. The point I was making is that I set the focus cursor on the cow's eye as the cow was walking. Yet the camera "locked on" to the eye as I re-composed the image and the cow's whiskers were as sharp as a tack. This was not a domestic cow. It was a rare species from Asia.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

The point I was making is that I set the focus cursor on the cow's eye as the cow was walking. Yet the camera "locked on" to the eye as I re-composed the image and the cow's whiskers were as sharp as a tack

I understood that but there is some sort of crazing in the cow's eye, almost like ripples in distant water or speckles. I think some of it is reflections of what might have been around/behind you.I am just wondering what it is.

 

[Dale D]

I understood that but there is some sort of crazing in the cow's eye, almost like ripples in distant water or speckles. I think some of it is reflections of what might have been around/behind you.I am just wondering what it is.

I brightened the eye in Photoshop with the dodge tool.You are seeing the actual reflections of items in the cow's cornea of the surrounding light.

 

[WanderLost]

After resisting mirrorless cameras for years I finally gave in and purchased the Nikon Z8, and begged Nikon and finally received the limited release of their new 180-600 mm lens f/5.6-6.3 in time for an upcoming trip to Kenya.

Both the Z and the 180-600 lens are extremely complex, especially the Z8 camera with hundred of menu selections. After watching a ton of videos I did my first field trip today on a hot, humid, sunny Sunday to the Miami Zoo. I tested the accuracy of the following and focus abilities of the camera and the lens by doing the recommended use of a technique called “back button Auto Focus). This allows me to place a focus cursor on the subject (usually the eye), and the lens will LOCK IN the eye for distance and focus and I can fire away. For every image shown here , there were many thrown away.

All of these have also been edited in Photoshop. In viewing, notice the details in the whiskers and hair and the eyes. I was very pleased with these results. In some of these images the animal was walking (tiger, cow), but the cursor held the eye as the camera moved to
Follow. (The lion would not wake up for a picture but notice the details in the hair). Most all of these are hand held at 600mm!

Comments appreciated.

Dale

Fantastic quality we could only dream of just a few short years ago. Congrats on the excellent camera/lens combo.

 

[Dale D]

WOW.
What's the cost of the camera and lens?
Is there built is stabilisation?
What's 'up' with the cow's eye?

You can easily price it out
Nikon Z8 body
Nikkor 24–200mm lens
Nikkor 180-600 mm f/ 5.6-6.3
There is IBS in body stabiliz of 5 stops and all of these images were handheld

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

You can easily price it out
Nikon Z8 body
Nikkor 24–200mm lens
Nikkor 180-600 mm f/ 5.6-6.3
There is IBS in body stabiliz of 5 stops and all of these images were handheld

Ouch £6,000+

 

[Dale D]

Ouch £6,000+

Nikon Z8 B ody $4,000
24-200mm f/4 lens $898
170-600mm lens $1700
Nikon F Lens to Nikon Z-adapter Mount Camera $275
total-$6873.00 approximately

 

[Chrislaf]

Nice shots Dale! Congrats on the new camera and lenses. I haven't made the jump to mirrorless yet and probably won't for awhile.

I still love my Nikon D750! Just came back from a camping trip to a beautiful Ontario Provincial Park called Bon Echo. It's well known for the 100m high Mazinaw Rock Cliff featuring over 260 Indigenous pictographs. I did some star photography there on the night of the new moon and a few days after with my D750 and Nikon f2.8 14-24mm combo. It still amazes me how good this camera and lens combination is.

Looks like you will be putting your new Z8 and lenses to good use.

Chris

 

[Dale D]

Nice shots Dale! Congrats on the new camera and lenses. I haven't made the jump to mirrorless yet and probably won't for awhile.

I still love my Nikon D750! Just came back from a camping trip to a beautiful Ontario Provincial Park called Bon Echo. It's well known for the 100m high Mazinaw Rock Cliff featuring over 260 Indigenous pictographs. I did some star photography there on the night of the new moon and a few days after with my D750 and Nikon f2.8 14-24mm combo. It still amazes me how good this camera and lens combination is.

Looks like you will be putting your new Z8 and lenses to good use.

Chris

Chris:
Not sure if you knew that for YEARS I used two D750's with two 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses. The second set was for doing photography while I waited for the timelapses to run.

When I decided to buy the mirrorless Z8 I sold off one D750 body and one of the lenses. I still maintain the other, and will keep it for life. It is my "go to" combination for astro using the 14-24mm like yours. I have done hundreds of day time lapses with the D750 and the 28-300 combo, along with the Really Right Stuff tripod. The 28-300 lens is no longer available but it is a gem for me.

I am loving the mirrorless- the zoo pics were at about 60 frames per second. I chose the very best image from the ACR in Bridge in each case. I put the cursor over the eye of the animal and lock it in with the back button AF-on and then fire away and I am able to re-compose to center or place my image wherever I want in the frame and not worry about re-focusing. Cannot wait to get it shooting in Kenya/Maasai Mara.

I also just returned from Alberta/British Colombia and have finally worked my way through editing over 90 GB of material. I cannot work on the video now because of the upcoming trip but I got some great images in those Canadian Rockies.

Dale

 

[Chrislaf]

Chris:
Not sure if you knew that for YEARS I used two D750's with two 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses. The second set was for doing photography while I waited for the timelapses to run.

When I decided to buy the mirrorless Z8 I sold off one D750 body and one of the lenses. I still maintain the other, and will keep it for life. It is my "go to" combination for astro using the 14-24mm like yours. I have done hundreds of day time lapses with the D750 and the 28-300 combo, along with the Really Right Stuff tripod. The 28-300 lens is no longer available but it is a gem for me.

I am loving the mirrorless- the zoo pics were at about 60 frames per second. I chose the very best image from the ACR in Bridge in each case. I put the cursor over the eye of the animal and lock it in with the back button AF-on and then fire away and I am able to re-compose to center or place my image wherever I want in the frame and not worry about re-focusing. Cannot wait to get it shooting in Kenya/Maasai Mara.

I also just returned from Alberta/British Colombia and have finally worked my way through editing over 90 GB of material. I cannot work on the video now because of the upcoming trip but I got some great images in those Canadian Rockies.

Dale

I too have the 28-300. The only drawback to the D750/14-24/28-300/200-500 setup that I have is that it is heavy. Mirrorless is on the horizon for me because it is ligher, but not for awhile. In the meantime I use a D3300 with a Tamron 18-400 superzoom as a take everywhere setup because its light and covers a huge focal range.

I will have to head over and take a look at your Alberta/BC photos in the next few days. Sounds like it was a great trip.

Chris

 

[Dale D]

I too have the 28-300. The only drawback to the D750/14-24/28-300/200-500 setup that I have is that it is heavy. Mirrorless is on the horizon for me because it is ligher, but not for awhile. In the meantime I use a D3300 with a Tamron 18-400 superzoom as a take everywhere setup because its light and covers a huge focal range.

I will have to head over and take a look at your Alberta/BC photos in the next few days. Sounds like it was a great trip.

Chris

Whoah! They aren't ready yet. I sent out 3-5 daily to this forum last week and the week before but nothing is put together yet. Send me your e-mail by private conversation and I can send as many as I can from those batches. The 28-300 was my walking around lens and I used it for most of the timelapses done in the day or from day to night (Holy Grail-sunsets sunrise, etc).

Check out my Mavic Pilots post of Sept 16 Sunset Atop Sulfur Mountain,Banff,Alberta.
I would not advise a trip to these areas now. The crowds were terrible. Would be happy to advise if you are planning a trip there.
[email protected]
If you do send me your mail, be advised that mostly all of the images are now taken by the Z8 and its new companion, the 24-200 f/4 with the Z mount. I shot mostly with auto iso because there just doesn't;t seem to be a lot of noise with this camera or lens, and if there was, I put the image through Topaz Denoise AI.

 

[Dbez1]

True amazing photos Dale. I’m a Nikon guy also. I’ve always been a sucker for sharpness and these are some of the best I’ve seen. In some cases, like the tiger pacing, there is very narrow depth of field but the eye is still perfectly in focus. Technology has come a LONG way. Enjoy your trip and your new camera.

 

[PHZ]

Ouch £6,000+

Ha, ha. Like someone once told me, “Good stuff ain’t cheap, and cheap stuff ain’t good.”
Thanks for sharing Dale. Can’t wait to see your pic from Africa.