Nikon D880 or Nikon Z9?

UPDATE: Nikon has now abandoned development of its DSLR range of cameras, so no D880!

Nikon D880

$4,000 MRP

Release date: Never!

Digital SLR

55 or 60 MP FX-Format FF BSI CMOS back-illuminated sensor

10 or 14 fps

Expeed 6 image processor

4K 24, 30, 60fps N-Log , N-Log2 & 10-Bit HDMI Out

In-Body Stabilization: No (in early prototypes)

3.2″ 2.36m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD

Bluetooth, WiFi, Clean HDMI Out, Touchscreen

IBIS

Nikon Z9

$6-7,000 MRP

Release date: 2022

Mirrorless

Stacked FX 8256 x 5504-pixel 45.4MP sensor with multi-leaf blade protective shutter that automatically covers the sensor when switched off or changing lens

Improved noise levels and specifically significantly better dynamic range

16-bit RAW option

New EXPEED processor designed for 8k (newly developed Imaging Pipeline Processor to broaden sensor readout emphasizing speed)

30 fps (120fps in a 6MP cropped mode up to a maximum of 160 fps)

Blackout-free 5.67-million-dot EVF (1600 x 1200 pixels)

ISO 64-25,600, with two extended modes (Hi1, Hi2) above that, probably ISO 51,200 and 102,400

Improved AF (Object detection AF)

Improved 3D AF tracking of faces, eyes, animals and cars

493 ‘hybrid’ focus points that can use either contrast-detect or phase-detect autofocus

8K video capture at 30fps

High resolution, blackout-free EVF: probably 5.76 MP or maybe even 9k MP viewfinder, 120 Hz refresh rate (the resolution can be reduced to increase the refresh rate)

Blackmagic RAW and Apple ProRes RAW support

Same battery as D6 or new Nikon EN-EL18d USB-C chargeable battery with 10.8V 3,300mAh capacity and MH-33 charger (input: 5V/9V-3A, output: 12.6V-1.6A)

Gigabit Ethernet port, GPS and Wi-FI connections, plus USB-C

Two slots that accept XQD and CFExpress Type B cards

Built-in GPS – probably GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)

Low light -7 EV

New and improved articulated screen that even works in portrait mode

New locking flap for the two CFExpress memory cards.

Third joystick/selector added to use whilst shooting

Many new menu features

Shutter release sound level can be adjusted from silent to loud

I bet against England winning Euro 2020, and I won enough money to buy a new camera - but which one?

As you can see from the lists above, the specifications of both are pretty impressive, but the major decision is whether to buy another DSLR or whether to go mirrorless.

Up until recently, I just assumed my next camera would be the latest DSLR in Nikon’s D8xx range, which should be the D880 (if it ever arrives!), but now I’m not so sure.

What about a mirrorless camera?

I’ve watched Steve Perry’s video on wildlife photography with the existing Nikon Z6 ii and Z7 ii, and it looks like they’re not quite at a level to compete with my Nikon D850 - let alone the D880.

However, that might all change with the new Nikon Z9.

Sony has the A1, and Canon has the EOS R5, so what can Nikon come up with to match those?

Steve Perry has recently done another video comparing DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for wildlife photography, so feel free to have a look at that.

Pros and cons

I’ve used many different kinds of camera, from a film SLR when I was a kid to iPhones, a GoPro, the Nikon 1 AW1 underwater camera and the Nikon D800, D810 and D850 DSLRs.

I mainly used my DSLRs for my professional output, but there are definite pros and cons.

Here’s a quick guide to the differences between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

DSLR

DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, and that means essentially three things:

• It’s digital rather than using film.

• It only has one lens.

• It has a mirror that flips up when you take a picture to allow light to reach the sensor.

The first two elements are the same with mirrorless cameras, so it’s only the last one that we have to take a look at.

The fundamental problem in camera design is that you can either watch the scene through the optical viewfinder or take a picture, but you can’t do both!

The DSLR solves that problem by having a mirror that flips up and back down as quickly as possible before and after the exposure.

If you’re only taking one shot at a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second, say, then you hardly notice the interruption of the mirror: the optical viewfinder very briefly turns black, but then you can see everything again.

The problem comes when you’re either using long shutter speeds or when you’re taking a burst of shots on Continuous High.

In the first case, it’s impossible to see what’s going on, so you need to use a tripod or switch to Live View, which means looking at the scene on the LCD on the back of the camera.

In the second case, you can usually just about see what’s happening, but you have to put up with an annoying and confusing flicker while taking your shots, which is not great when you’re trying to take wildlife action shots!

Having to use a tripod of Live View is not ideal, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles when you have a DSLR.

Mirrorless

Mirrorless cameras adopt a very different solution to the problem.

They use an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) rather than an optical one, which means that you can always see what you’re shooting, even during the actual exposure itself.

The only downside is that the image has to be created electronically, which means you only see what the world was like a fraction of a second ago…!

In the early days of mirrorless cameras, that could be very frustrating - particularly for wildlife action shots - but the technology has improved, and the time lag has shortened dramatically.

Here’s Steve Perry’s list of the main advantages of a mirrorless cameras:

• Autofocus points all over the electronic viewfinder

• Better tracking software

• Eye detection

• Silent shutter

• Faster frame rates

• WYSIWYG exposure

• No AF fine tuning necessary

• No viewfinder blackout

• No glasses required (ie you can do everything using the EVF instead)

• Compact size

• Larger lens mounts

• More customisation possible

• Less vibration

• Better viewfinder visibility in low light

And here are the disadvantages:

• Slow start-up

• Viewfinder lag

• Shorter battery life

• Poor native lens availability

• Too small

• No cross-type AF points

• Focus can get stuck on backgrounds

• High price

Conclusion

I’ve never used a proper mirrorless camera, but I’m prepared to have a go.

Park Cameras told me before the pandemic that I might be able to borrow a Nikon Z6 or Z7, and I’m going on a trip to Canada to photograph the polar bears in November, so that might be the ideal opportunity to try one out.

Ideally, I’d like to start with the Z9, but it’s unlikely to be available then, so the Z6 or Z7 will have to do.

When it comes to lenses, it’s relatively straightforward to use F mount lenses with a Nikon mirrorless camera by means of fitting an FTZ mount adaptor.

‘FTZ’ just stands for ‘F To Z’ mount, so it simply allows you to fit regular F mount lenses to the new mirrorless Z series cameras.

There’s no glass in the FTZ adaptor, so, unlike a teleconverter, it has no impact on the widest aperture of the lens or the speed of the autofocus system.

However, that’s only an intermediate solution.

Nikon is gradually releasing a dedicated range of lenses for the Z series of cameras, and the signs are that they will be cheaper and of higher optical quality.

That means a difficult decision is waiting for me down the track if I prefer the mirrorless camera system!

We shall see…

Source: techradar, NEW CAMERA, Digital Camera World, Daily Camera News, Nikon Rumours, Gear In Stock

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