The Field
So after a full on debacle involving a smashed lens, I can finally announce a new camera and lens upgrade is finally here. I have been interested in a new camera and lens combo specifically for wildlife for a while now. My Fujifilm XT-5 and 100-400mm Fujifilm lens have given me some of my favourite wildlife images, but I have always felt I was missing some shots. The cameras autofocus was just not locking on fast enough for my liking while the lens hunted for a subject at times. This was especially highlighted in Costa Rica where I found it difficult to track the smaller birds in flight, and get tac sharp images every time. After a hell of a lot of research, I jumped in head first with my third new digital camera brand in Nikon (yes I’m officially a camera whore).
Introducing after my time with both Canon, and Fujifilm; the Nikon Z8. A full frame, 20 frame a second, 45 megapixel behemoth. Along side the camera itself, I paired it with a dream lens purchase that I hope can give me the versatility and sharpness I want to see for the foreseeable future.
Welcome my new Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Lens to accompany my Z8. Now as much as I’d love a prime f4 600mm lens, I can’t warrant spending 12k plus on one, plus they are just utterly massive and Impractical for travel etc, so I had to look for an option that would give me versatility and quality while not breaking the bank. Don’t get me wrong these two together were eye watering expensive (the most I’ve ever spent on a camera and lens) but this new Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Lens seemed to be my sweet spot of not being crazy wild money, a versatile focal length and hand holdable, while not having a crazy aperture like f8 at 600mm so I can actually use it in the typically dull uk weather.
The first photo I took made me realise immediately I had made the right decision. The autofocus, 3d tracking plus animal identification and full frame censor combined with the 20fps and the 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Lens produced one of the most pin sharp images I’ve seen.
I also tried out the Z8’s inbuilt zoom option which brings the megapixels down to 20 (still great), but also zooms in further rather than cropping in post. I was blown away at just how sharp both images were as my Fujifilm struggled for focus at this distance and would have introduced a lot of noise cropping in later on in editing.
A quick trip at the end of August to the Bristol zoo project gave me another opportunity to try out the new camera and lens, however as I was looking after a 5 year old and it was also a bank holiday, getting the opportunity to take a photo was pretty non existent. At one point I gave up even trying to view the cheetahs as the gaggle of children and parents swarmed around the viewing area was blocking any view from all angles. I did manage to take a couple of photos but nothing like what I would have liked to have taken.
I have a long way to go with figuring out the settings for this camera (they are extensive), but If these first images taken with the new camera and lens are anything to go by, I’m going to have a hell of a lot of fun with this set up going forward.
FIN
