I think i did a mistake

[relQ]

Hello everyone,

i have transleted this text with an AI, because i am not a native english speaker.

i have seen i wrote a little bit more then i was planned, but i will give enough information for you so we can discuss

2 months ago I bought the Z8. At the time I thought I also needed a powerful camera system with fast autofocus and a high frame rate. I had these thoughts especially because I had been shooting with a Fuji XT2 for a long time and the AF there is of course not the best.
Now I have the Z8, I'm totally impressed by its technical capabilities, but I realize that I don't need all that. It's nice to have accurate AF but it's almost something like too good. That would all be ok and not a bad thing.
But the biggest problem is that the camera is too big for my hands... As a result, I simply can't develop any real enthusiasm for the camera. No matter how good the technical features of the camera are.

I'm actually thinking about selling the Z8... Sounds a bit crazy but a hobby should be fun and the Z8 just doesn't do that...
I'm thinking about switching to a Z7II. It's a bit smaller and will certainly be able to meet my requirements.

I would now like to introduce you to the subjects I photograph:
-Wildlife, mostly birds (but I only sometimes photograph birds in flight)
-Macro, small flowers and details in nature or insects
-Nature and landscape in general
-Street
-some portrait and everything else

I do the first three topics the most.

Boundary conditions
I take photos when I have time, so whatever the weather and light. That's just the way it is, so the camera should be weatherproof and be able to cope with rain. I also switched to full-frame because I want to be able to cope with poor lighting situations as well as possible. But i think this will be not a problem with other cameras or systems

For bird photography, it's really nice to see what a 45MP sensor can do. But I'm sure from my experience with the Z8 that this would be sufficient and that I can crop enough.

And yes, of course, the camera should fit well in the hand and be comfortable to use. It's all about the basics, I don't want to have to go into a menu so often to adjust something. Aperture, ISO, shutter speed and maybe the AF field and that's it in most situations. I do the rest at home on the PC.

Now I'm thinking about changing the Z7II.
Alternatively, I might consider changing to a Sony A7R4. I think with the Sigma 500mm lens that could also be a nice thing.

(At the moment iam not big investet in nikon, i have the z8 and the 186 lens. My plan was to try it a few weeks and after that go the bigger step and buy time by time the other lenses)

What's holding me back is ultimately my lack of knowledge about the AF capabilities of the Z7II. I just want to have a reliable system. I've become a bit cautious because the Fuji wasn't that good and I absolutely enjoy having something accurate.

But I also often think about going back to Fuji. The system is not perfect but somehow I miss Fuji with everything they offer, mainly the color reproduction. I simply had to do less on the PC at home, which is also a big advantage if you actually want to take photos and the PC work is not the most important thing. I was able to hold an H2 in my hand for a few minutes and that was very good... But the AF problem also keeps me from doing it. The question is how a Z7II, for example, can hold its own against an H2 or even better an H2s in AF situations.

What do you think is best way for me, would you recommend the Z7II?

 

[Mark Sloe]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I was exactly where you are when I bought my A7RIII after owning an X-H1, chasing the high res full frame bug. Amazing performance upgrade, definitely more than my need and skill would require, but something intangible was missing... the way Fujifilm cameras handle with the manual controls and the film simulations are just great once you are used to them and any change would require adjustment.

6 years on, I still have the A7RIII. I wanted to sell the A7RIII on multiple occasions - right after I bought it, kinda like your situation, my appetite for taking photos dropped as the process was now very mechanical, and then periodically once a year or so I get a desire to change gear, but I never pull the trigger.

The reason is that the Sony is still all I need and more. I got much better in post processing and working with color as a result of not relying on the film simulations. In fact, when I rented an X-T5 and GFX 50s II, the effect of the simulations on me wasn't that great. If you don't want to invest your time in post processing, there are many presets you can buy for your editing SW of choice to give you the look you desire. Most importantly, the Sony never let me down, what cannot be said about the X-H1.

I wouldn't worry about the size too much, mostly because the margin between Z7II and Z8 will be dwarfed by the size and weight of the long lenses you'll be using for birding. While the Z7II body has a good grip, big lenses will balance better on Z8.

Z7II AF wasn't top tier when the upgrade from Z7 came around, but should be adequate for most situations. However, once birds and things start moving, the gap to Z8 will be considerable. If you get an idea of shooting birds in flight as well, Z8 will deliver. Cannot compare Z7II to X-H2 in terms of AF, but my A7RIII easily outperformed X-H2 chasing my kids around the garden. X-H2S has reportedly a much better AF, but you are dropping some resolution.

So my advice would be to stick it out a bit longer, but if you really feel like the experience is a no-go, there is nothing wrong with changing things around. A hobby should be bringing you joy and in the end, the money you spend to change the system doesn't matter long term (considering you are not piling on a debt).

 

[Ruedon]

...

What do you think is best way for me, would you recommend the Z7II?

No. You wanted a more capable camera and you got it. It all depends on the lenses you use. The larger they get, the more the say 200g added by the Z8 don't make a difference anymore. At the same time providing grip for large lenses.

My Z8 is becoming incredibly small with the 26mm f/2.8. As good as any street cam.



A smaller body might provide even more fun in such cases, if it chases the moment ... 200g less ... I just bought a Z fc as second camera with half the weight. That's a difference! But less performance too.

Lenses like 24-70/2.8 or the Tamron 35-150/2-2.8 ask for a more substantial body. The Z8 just feels right with such lenses.