View single post by jk
 Posted: Sun Jan 27th, 2019 06:43
jk



Joined: Mon Apr 2nd, 2012
Location: Carthew, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Posts: 6874
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blackfox wrote:
What do those numbers actually equate to though Jonathon , how do you choose from those the ones that are the best for wildlife and sport and that's without bringing the lenses into the equation ..

I think I already know but it could be helpful for future reference for others


OK the D5, D500, D850, Z7, Z6 use the latest AF unit which is the best that Nikon has in the market.
Some may argue that it is better than other manufacturers but that is debatable as other factors also then come into play.

The Z7 and Z6 being mirrorless are also slightly different as they have addition AF. I dont see any difference between AF speed and reliabillity between Z7 and D850. Test I have done with my D850 v D500 indicate to me that the D500 is more sure footed regarding AF lock on and reliability. These are my in-use tests and not in-lab scientific tests. I think this is due to the AF hot spot layout which is all over the screen rather that in the central part.
So for wildlife and sports I would reach for the D500. Everything else I would go for D800, D850 or Z7.
That said Graham manages very well with his D850 anf 500mm f4 for bird photography. My BIF tests were conducted with my Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 AFS VR and 300mm f2.8 AFS and 400mm f2.8 AFS.

I cant see any difference in the AF speed between D800 and D850.

So for speed of AF the units go CAM20K ==> CAM3500 ==> CAM4800/4800DX ==> etc....

One thing that is missing from my table is the chipset level EXPEED 5, 4, 3.
This chipset makes a difference in the noise levels in images and also does tweaks to the AF and other stuff, the exact content is unknow unless you are in Nikon Japan as it is proprietary.



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