$20k Wildlife Cameras: Sony a1 vs Nikon Z9 vs Canon R5
Visit our sponsor Adorama at sdp.io/adorama to buy your cameras, lenses & more!
Nikon Z9 @ $5,500: SDP.io/Z9
Nikon 600mm f/4 TC @ $15,500: SDP.io/N600f4TC
Sony a1 @ $6,500: SDPio/a1
Sony 600mm f/4 @: $13,000 SDP.io/S600GM
Canon R5 @ $3,000: SDP.io/R5
Canon 600mm f/4 @: $13,000 SDP.io/C600III
Professional wildlife photographers Chelsea & Tony Northrup review the 3 ultimate wildlife camera & lens setups: the Sony a1 with the Sony 1.4X teleconverter and the Sony 600mm f/4 lens (totaling $21,050), the Canon R5 with the Canon RF 1.4X teleconverter and the Canon RF 600mm f/4 lens (totalling $16,850) and the Nikon Z9 with the Nikon 600mm f/4 TC S lens ($21,400).
Their results will surprise some people! Canon's R5 setup is the least expensive by a $4,200 margin, but the older Canon R5 does lag behind in some key ways: it's limited to 20 FPS raw (and only while the battery has over a 60% charge), and those raw files have pretty severe rolling shutter. Still, it's capable of producing amazing, professional-grade results, and it's the best we have for Canon wildlife until the rumored Canon R1 finally shows up.
The Sony a1 is almost as old, but it's held-up much better. It's the only camera here that can do 30 FPS raw stills, and Sony's subject-detection is the best when shooting stills. However, the Sony a1 doesn't do animal eye detect in video, even with the latest firmware update installed, and that's a huge disappointment. Even though it's the most expensive camera in the lineup, it lacks some key features of the Nikon Z9, including GPS and 8k/60 raw video. The Sony's memory cards are slower and more expensive, too. However, the Sony has the best viewfinder and the Sony setup is the lightest of the three.
The Nikon Z9 is the youngest in the lineup. Though it was released in December of 2021, it won our 2023 Camera of the Year award for the firmware updates that greatly improved its autofocus performance. Now, the Z9's wildlife autofocus is pretty similar to the Canon R5 and the Sony a1. Nikon hasn't held back any features, and we found the GPS and 8k/60 raw video to be extremely useful. The single feature that put it over the top is the built-in teleconverter in the 600mm f/4 lens, which made it much easier to get closer to faraway subjects without potentially ruining unexpected up-close opportunities, such as when a bird flies directly towards you.
0:00 Introduction
0:47 Price (Cost)
2:17 Weight
4:23 Still frames per second (FPS)
4:40 Rolling shutter problem with Canon R5
5:11 Buffering
5:58 Precapture (Pre-Release Burst) with Nikon Z9
6:30 Adorama Promo
7:14 Weather Sealing
7:28 Video capabilities, 8k, and slow-motion
9:16 Electronic Viewfinder Resolution
10:19 Menu systems & user interfaces
10:59 GPS in Nikon Z9
11:13 Lack of anti-theft capabilities
11:47 Sharpness & resolution
14:01 Autofocus & Subject Detection
14:27 Summary & Winners
It’s worth mentioning that Nikon Z8 is closer to the R5 in price and a better match to compare to the R5, which makes the Nikon kit more reasonable in price. Also, Nikon has their line of lightweight pro primes (400, 600, 800) that Canon/Sony don’t have anything comparable.
I’d agree… I’d say if you’re going to put the z9 in here should have chosen the R3 to compare it to
@@vono360 R3 is not perfect for all kind of wildlife. With only 24 mp you can not crop much.
@@TVe200 yeah I guess you are right. Wow I didn’t realize the flagship was only 24 MP.
@@TVe200 the R3 is more suited to wildlife with its burst and uninterrupted EVF (Like the Z8 and Z9). I would take the R3 over the R5 for wildlife any day (though I'll stick to my Z8 and Z9).
Or you could have packaged the Z8 with the 800mm PF and had a 7lb rig along with two cards for $10K.....
I'd go the Z9 with the 600-TC lens. Having the ability to flip the tele-converter on and off in half a second, without having to remove the lens is something you will want to have on all your big glass once your experience it.
I like that idea but wonder about image quality.
@@bngr_bngr why???????
@@bngr_bngr The built in TC is designed especially for the lens so it should be just fine.
@@livejames9374 usually a converter will produce lower image quality and reduce the autofocus speed. I haven’t seen a video on the performance of these lens. In photographing sports as opposed to a normal person running in the park.
@bngr_bngr a built-in TC is tailored specifically to that lens. It should be as high or higher than stand-alone TCs in quality.
As a non orthopedic surgeon I have the Z9 with the 100-400 zoom. I like the light weight and ability to zoom out when things get close. Even thought its only 400mm, you can easily crop to equivalent of 600mm and still have a high resolution file. I also find that shooting a bit wider means there is less chance of the wings being out of frame if the bird suddenly moves.
Nikon Z8 with Z180-600 + 1.4 tele gives a pretty good option at literally 1/3 the price. Sure, you won't be able to shoot at dusk at the speed you need for birds and fast moving animals without a lot of grain from the higher ISO, but for sunny day shooting, if you also need to buy a car, it's a great option with a drop in image quality that is nowhere near reflective of the drop in price.
I shoot with the A1 and the 600 f4 as well as the 300 2.8. I've considered switching to Nikon because of the built in TC but decided against it because I don't feel like learning a new system.
The 2nd FE600/4 will have build in TC 🙂.
I havent laughed this much since the wine night podcast!
I had to laugh when you said Cheaper....I was briefly in sales and the first thing I was told was Never Say Cheaper. Say Less Expensive. Cheaper really doesn't mean much with these prices. Thanks for all you guys do. Can't afford any of it but love your show. BTW, Ragnar, my 4Runner was $8800 and born in 1997 in Japan. He still runs perfectly after nearly a quarter million miles of 4x4 adventure.
I also decided for the Nikon Z9 and had to wait almost 1 year for delivery by then but as mentioned now at FW5.0 it’s definitely an outstanding camera, which almost no other brand can compete with.
Thank you for pointing the lack of anti theft technology :) I won't buy any of these until it is being introduced in the cameras.
I am using the Nikon Z8 ($3700, 2lb) and 600 PF ($4800, 3.2lb) for my long lens setup. I have rented the 1.4 TC and was satisfied with the results. I will likely buy one soon. I use the 100-400 on a Z6ii for my middle range setup.
yeah, this setup is such a killer option Nikon has created. Its only real weakness is shooting when the light gets low but you get half the weight and half the price for almost the same performance 90% of the time which is awesome.
I have always enjoyed your videos but the last month or so I have LOVED your videos. You have injected more natural humour and warmth and both looked really happy and content in your work. It's lovely to see 😃
Intro was hilarious lma you guys are goals. Definitely can’t go wrong with these cameras. They’ve been amazing for years and more to come
Z8 or z9 with 600f4 tc or 400f2.8 tc depending on what I need to shoot Also find my 800pf to be very useful in Costa rica, with the heat and everything I'm happy to have something lighter
This is interesting because I would have assumed the 800 would struggle in a high heat environment. Not because its a bad lens (its not, its an amazing lens) but because at that range the impact of heat distortion is pretty high.
@@ryancooper3629 think it s more when you have difference of temperature. Anyway that doesn't really change of at the end you have to crop your pictures.... Costa rica animal are small, vast majority of the time 800 was good. Sometimes I had to switch to the 70-200f2.8 in very rare case... Also 800mm allow to be further back (not possible everywhere ) and have a better angle for subject which are higher than you which is a lot the case in Costa Rica
@@nevakee716 You are correct, but this is why mirages and heat waves are so common in extremely hot places because the intensity of the sun heats up the surface of the earth to be extremely warm relative to the air temperature which leads to heat distortion. I guess it really depends on what sort of environment you are shooting against but small animals on the surface of the earth should be most prone to heat distortion related issues.
All three are great these days…. People should concentrate more on their field craft instead of worrying about their gear
Sure, but if you're dropping $20k, you want to make sure you get the best possible results.
You gotta buy the gear before you can work on your fieldcraft! 🙂
then there'd be no channel...
@@garfieldirwin sure, but you don't have to put out 20k on gear to learn fieldcraft...that's just BS.
@@davepastern Learning fieldcraft is essential in any case but having optimum gear just makes everything easier. Taken to the extreme in theory all you need is a cell phone, but you're keeper/level-of-effort ratio will be abysmal.
Nikon Z9 and Z800mm for BIF and hand holdable. Z400mm f2.8 and TC for large mammals.
I shoot with a Nikon Z8(switched from A7iv to OM1 to Z8). With unlimited budget, I'd still choose Nikon atm. Sony holds tech back in ways Nikon does not, and inevitably Nikon will offer something better than the A1, even if *right now* the Z9 isn't quite as good as the A1 overall. I also prefer the black 180-600 over Sony's white 200-580
I'm 69yo and shoot the Z9 and 600TC. I've not found it an issue to carry it on a sling and hand hold when shooting. I spent 2 weeks in Costa Rica carrying it the whole time. The key is the balance of the lens being towards the camera, which is something you didn't mention. I can not do that with my F mount 400 F/2.8. Also the built in TC a huge plus.
If you're always going for that TC maybe consider the 800 PF.
@@Ben_Stewart The 800pf can't suddenly become a faster lens when you need it to. Its stuck at 6.3. It also can't suddenly become shorter when you don't actually need 800mm of range. Its a great lens, but the 600 f/4 is in a league above it for versatility and performance.
@@Ben_Stewart I have the 800 PF. I have not shot it since getting the 600TC last June. It's a fine lens, but not as versatile as the 600TC. I'm letting my SIL use it and may end up selling it.
I think its the best thing since sliced bread. However yes it's stuck at 800mm. I still think 6.3 is a bargain when you consider weight and price. Also it depends on use cases. most of the time I needed something longer than 560 and 600 and when youre trying to photograph bears and wolves I don't want to be any closer than I have to.@@ronceton8363
I purchased the 600mm F4 S lens, which I paired with the Z9 and 8 cameras. I am pleased to report that the lens and cameras work exceptionally well together.
It's a no brainer. With unlimited funds I buy all three!
And 2 of each body, because we all need a backup body. 😂
Over 2 year now, Not disappointed with my z9. You only got better in time. 100-400 with 2xTC is my choice of lens curently.😊
I have the Z9 and this fall I plan to get the 600 F/4, presently shooting with the 180-600 so that will be a huge improvement.
Oooh nice!
I’m shooting the z8 with the 600 f4 tc the built in teleconverter just can’t be beat
The Nikon Z9/8 EVF may be less than 4 million dots but you forget to mention it has the fastest refresh rate out of the 3.
👍🏼
And? The current refresh rates of all 3 are sufficient and you will not see any difference in use. But EVF resolution is noticeable
Nikon Z9 with 400 f2.8 tc + 2x teleconverter - best combo for me. Lowlight beast with plenty of reach.
I own the Z8 and Z9, but I can't justify the 600TC -- Nikons "lesser" lenses are plenty good enough for me! 😊
Z9, which I have but I'll have to somehow get my finance minister to loosen up on the 600mm acqusition! Oh and Chelsea, we may soon see 30fps raw added to the Z9. Hoping anyway.
That was fun and informative. Well done folks!
May I know which camera you shot this video on? I love the crispy 4K60 on all you videos
Sony a7S III with a 24mm f/1.4 GM or 35mm f/1.4 GM. Moving shots are on a DJI RS3 gimbal.
Enjoying the new scoring system 😀
Thank you for the video. I’ve used and owned all the bodies you reviewed but today I only still own the Sony A1 and the Canon R5. I’m older now and have not stepped up to a 600 mm prime because of the weight but have the FE 200-600 and RF 100-500 plus other lenses. I’m now wondering if I should just sell of my Canon body and lenses and use the money to try 600mm? Is there any other lighter lenses good for wildlife? If you don’t shoot wildlife which system would be the best. For Sony and Canon I have quite a few GM/GMII and RF lenses so I guess I could go either way but Sony seems to offer more higher performance compact bodies as well that Canon doesn’t have. What do you recommend?
This will be helpful: kzhead.info/sun/hLt8pJ2JgGaqfZs/bejne.html or if you really want the lightest combo watch this: kzhead.info/sun/gMuLZ8pqsYtmpqs/bejne.html
@@TonyAndChelsea Thank you for your constructive feedback.
I'm not even interested in wildlife photography, but this video was a riot. 😂
I’d love to see you compare setups with the 400 f/2.8s of them all as well. I just bought Sony’s last week (using it with the A7R V). So I’d love to see how you would say that holds up against Canon’s and Nikon’s.
Great video. Good info, hilarious, the scream killed me.
Thank you!
Z8 and 150-600mm is for me I hope to buy the 180-600 z someday..
Getting the Z9 and the 600 tc next month, can't wait 💪🏻
I really think the Z9 caught up with the a1 in a big way with all the firmware updates and it’s amazing how much a body from 2021 can improve. Makes me wonder what are the companies hiding from us under the hood. Plus their build in TC is great. I think sooner than later Nikon will be the brand that others copy from and not the other way around.
Doesn't Canon have a patent for a TC with a switch to turn it off? If Canon actually releases a TC like that it would be a blast. Imagine turning all your primes into a lens like the Nikon 600 TC.
Nikon has been making waves as of late. Acquiring RED, releasing FW updates, releasing the 28-400mm lens (which has its limits but is still an interesting addition), and now Tamron has released the 28-75/2.8 G2 for Z-mount as well. All we need now is better "cheap" cameras. Z6 III, Z7 III, and hopefully some APS-C updates as well.
This be like: "I'm thinking of buying a Kia." *Watches videos about an Aston Martin Valkyrie*
Yeah this is LITERALLY me.
Good job guys.
Did you guys do some edibles this morning? Lol. Nice review but maybe my next life. Anyway I got to go , I got some homework to do for Thursday...Art.
Breakfast of Champions!
I enjoyed the video and appreciate the hard work that both of you put into your passion for photography. I do have a Z9 and the 800 z lens, as well as other z lenses. So I am invested in the Nikon system. I am not going to buy the 600 TC as it’s super pricey and I think my 800z is really sharp and it’s probably 10k less than the 600 TC. But I know that the 600 TC is an awesome lens and I like seeing it in action. One thing that you did not mention was the size difference between the cameras. The Z9 is super heavy but it shoots vertically and horizontally. Some people don’t want the weight and will choose the Sony. I also thought it was interesting that Tony chose the Nikon as he is shooting a lot of video. I have never shot video on my Z9; sadly, I don’t know the first thing about shooting video and processing it. Obviously both are great cameras. So you can’t go wrong with either of them. I have read the comments that few photographers will spend 20k on a camera and lens combo so it’s not necessary to review such pricey cameras and lenses. I disagree. Although it is true that few people have the money or inclination to spend such a large sum on a camera and lens, it’s still interesting and entertaining to watch videos about them. Few of us will ever afford or ever buy a Lamborghini or Ferrari but the videos about them are awesome. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your videos.
Are your video clips from the Nikon a little soft because they are raw clips? (I've been debating the Sony vs the Nikon, except I am leaning towards the Z8 to save a little weight and money)
The bird in water clips looked like there was some severe atmospheric interference.
I think the internal raw is really making a strong case for the Z8. Not to mention it’s way cheaper than a1 if that is your other choice and uses better and cheaper cards. Not something to be overlooked.
Hello Tony and Chelsea. Thanks for another great video which brought to mine a subject I would love to see you all discuss. That is, “do the new AI tools such as topaz, AI, somewhat even the playing field between moderately priced and very expensive camera gear?“. I’ve been a Sony shooter for five years starting out with the Sony A7 Mark 3, then later graduating to an A7 Mark IV primarily for the additional megapixels and resolution since we shoot a lot of wildlife. I thought recently about upgrading to a secondhand A1, but feel no rush to do so since 0:06 having the ability to improve the resolution, is so great with topaz, AI. Obviously, there are other reasons to switch, such as auto focus and frame rate, but it does beg the question with the AI programs which will be coming down the pike, what is the future of super expensive gear such as shown in this video you just posted. I think you’ll probably agree that the major camera companies need to step up their advancement in computational photography in order to keep up with all these programs available from third parties many already available on our ohones. Either way I’d be interested to hear your point of view on the brake net speed that AI is moving at, thanks for all your wonderful videos, your big fan, Dave Neel.
Today tools like Topaz don't do a great job of scaling up wildlife images, but I'm thinking within the next year someone will create a good AI tool. Though almost every image in the video had Adobe Denoise applied from Lightroom-its pretty amazing!
For wildlife, Id go for the nikon because of the colors, micro contrast, electronic shutter and that lens with the teleconverter. ..and I like the ability to switch to landscape and portrait with the built-in battery grip
Is the Nikon AF still front focusing on the eye, or has that been fixed?
Even if not fixed you will not notice unless you shoot with an F stop of 1.2 which could be very "challenging" on a 600mm lens 😂
True, for birds. But I use my R5 camera for people too. So if I switched to Nikon, because I love Nikon's lens lineup for wildlife, I would want good eye AF on people as well. I know early on Nikon AF would focus on a person's eyebrow rather than eye. Hopefully they have fixed that, hence my question. @@phelanwolf6747
Haven't tested it for portraits recently.
Great video!
I have a Nikon Z8, and would definitely like have the Nikon Z9 as well.
So Tony, you prefer a Nikon camera for video? Anyway, for me it's an easy choice: Nikon (but the Z8). The TC is golden, though I don't think I'll ever own it. But the rest of the wildlife lens offering is also better than the competition. Just look at how many lenses they now have that can reach 400mm: - 28-400mm f/4-8 VR - 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S - 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR - 400mm f/4.5 VR S - 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S For 600mm, there are still three options: 180-600/5.6-6.3 VR, 600/6.3 VR S, and 600/4 TC VR S.
I just enrolled in a bring your own drill and train as an orthopaedic surgeon in 2 days online course so I can buy the Sony lens. So that’s sorted. The Sony and Nikon options look better than canon overall but we have to be delighted to have all the major manufacturers in such a good place camera wise.
One of your funniest shows....a very happy SONY A1/200-600 shooter.
Even if you included Vr/Ibis from Nikon for comparison, it would be sweeping the floor with the competition, Nikon is simply Pro and that's it.
The editor is amazing on this one
Thank you!
Also when are you guys coming to Australia
I shoot with Z9 and 500 f4. But I work a second job just to to afford the Better equipment and I wouldn’t trade my Z9 for anything.
I have a full spectrum Z9 and the 70-200 lives on it❤
I did not expect to hear the word "pocketable" in this video :)
Nice review! 11:42 shot looks amazing!
I am a Nikon shooter so I'd go with z9, though the Sony a-1 would likely be my preference if I wasn't already into the Nikon DSLR system. The Nikon Z 600 f4 w 1.4x tc is out of reach cost-wise for me right now. I do shoot Sony aps-c a6000/a6400. Love the form factor when hiking with the dog or walking around town, but have not gotten the great sony af experience with these two cameras. Wondering if the a6700 and the sigma 500 5.6 or Sony 200-600 would out perform the d500 500 pf by much?
I never really understood the scaling up feature in Topaz, as I always crop to scale up in Lightroom. Am I missing something?
I just bought the R5 as the price is so good right now, and was already in the canon ecosystem so made the moselt sense for me. Pairs really well with my Canon RF 100 - 500 L 😊
Do you think it's worth waiting on the R5ii or just get the still capable R5? I only do photography and mostly do landscape but occasionally do wildlife.
I wouldn't wait for a camera that isn't yet announced
@@TonyAndChelsea true. Guarantee I'll order the R5 and the R5ii will come out the next week haha
@@adamwhittingham86if you do occasional wildlife the r5 should be enough for you. Plus the r5 mkii will be much more expensive. Idk about you but for a 3k camera that is close to compete with the a1 sounds like a deal to me
@@Ken_Makers Thanks Ken. I agree. I've shot with the R6 for a few years and have printed and enjoyed the image quality that 20mp sensor offers, so I imagine jumping up to the 45mp will be a noticeable and worthy upgrade. I hear the R5ii is meant to be 45mp again. Be it BSI and stacked. But again, the original R5 is stellar. Even after 4 years. Thanks again.
@@adamwhittingham86 I crop a fair amount and 45mp is definitely noticeable. I would also love the r5ii but you would have to ask yourself whether it is worth the extra money. Could use that money and get a L lense that delivers the same result
Great video guys. These are all amazing set ups... I however mostly use a OM1 and I think in most situations you can't see a signifcant difference in image quality between the OM1 Oly300F4 and these big guys. Yes they are better and in difficult situations they will come out on top but in most situations I don't think so. Plus OM1 has 50 fps raw and Pro capture is brilliant and again in raw. Not to mention the IS, computational etc. If I could afford 1 of these set ups I would get it but would not let go of my OM1 at this time. Anyway great video guys and then you👍🙏
We did that test years ago if you check the channel... And yeah there's a big difference.
Definately would choose the Nikon with the built in TC.
Dr. Martin here, I can confirm I own all 3 combos
Z9 (or rather Z8) just because of the lenses alone. You got the Primes with the built-in TC, flexible zooms, and a bunch of affordable primes, like the 800 mm f/6.3, which costs less than 1/3of what the Canon 800mm f/5.6 costs.
Yeah it's the 600 TC that sold me
Nice video. I'm glad you included price for setup. I'm not a dr. So I'm using 200-600 on a a7iv. How about a workout video of Chelsea doing weights to show how she gets in shape for the a1 setup
I'd chose a G9ii with a 100-400 and 200 2.8 and many many many trips around the world!
Love the humor!
Used? Sony A9 and a sony 200-600 = total about $3500 ( sony a9 ver one of course used)
I’m not sure just going by memory now but I think there are compromises to some of the systems when trying to get the maximum specified RAW frame rates such as the bit rate dropping down to 12-bit instead of 14, the frame rate dropping depending on the battery power remaining, or not being able to use lossless compressed, etc. I have a Nikon Z8, not the Z9, and nothing like that happens. You always get RAW 20fps lossless at 14-bit if you choose that. Can anyone verify?
Yeah the a1 drops to 12 bit at 30 fps raw but that's always been fine for us.
I’ve read more online about the Canon R5 and there does seem to be a problem with not getting the maximum frame rate when the battery drops below 60%. I could understand this if the battery were nearly depleted but not with more than half the capacity left. This seems to be the case even with electronic shutter and more so with the mechanical shutter. Don’t know if this ever got addressed in a firmware update but it seems that people have a much narrower window where everything has to be within regarding shutter speed, aperture, and battery level, otherwise you’re not getting the maximum fps and it becomes unpredictable.
I love the T&C Live Show Comment Section energy that was brought to this video.
Cue the laughs at 0:14!!! LOL!!!
You do NOT need the fastest and most expensive cameras for wildlife photography ! "wildlife cameras" 🤣
Maybe YOU don't ;)
@@TonyAndChelsea MOST do NOT need those, I have done wildlife photography since 1979, so I do have some experience ( much more than average !!!).
Fact of the matter is that those setups will give you a greater opportunity of getting a better quality photo in more scenarios. For those that can afford it, go for it. Having said that, a Z8 with the Z180-600 + 1.4 tele would be 1/3 of the price with what I would say is a marginal drop in image quality, with all of the opportunity of capturing the images that a Z9 will give (well, on a sunny day anyway).
@@pjfolkes1973 I just got the excellent new Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN Sports Lens which I very highly can recommend !
You are right, you don't, but there is still a reason why all the top wildlife pros have a 400 2.8 or 600 4.0 on their camera 95% of the time. These are the most skilled wildlife photographers in the world who are more than capable of making incredible photos with cheaper gear... ... yet they all still shell out for the exotic primes. Like it or not, gear matters. There are shots only lenses like this can make and on top of that, these lenses deliver image quality that the cheaper lenses can't match. Though, often not due to sharpness, but more because A) their maximum apertures means your ISO is lower and/or your shutter speed is faster than if you were trying to make the same shot with a more budget lens and B) their focus speed and accuracy means your images will lock onto subjects with better precision and be sharper.
I have a 7D mkii and shot at 10 fps and I'm happy with that. Very rarely did I need that Full 10 fps, so even the R5 at 12 fps would be a upgrade. I actually like the sound of a mechanical shutter
If you do not shoot fast moving subjects with a long lens, then you will never need higher fps. But just to show an example situation where more fps makes the difference: A small bird like a blue tit is sitting on a branch, it fills maybe 1/5 of the frame horizontally and is in the center. You shoot with 10 fps and the bird eventually flies off to the left. You get only 2 frames at 10 fps of the bird flying off the branch because of its speed and the narrow frame. With 20 fps you would get 4 and with 30 fps you get 6 frames. And these are not perfect frames, you will want to pick from these, for instance with the best wing spread. With only 2 you need a lot of luck, you might even get no wing spread at all since these birds sometimes jump a bit without wings and one of your 2 frames but have captured that. Could be a nice picture but maybe not the one you were aiming for.
The 600mm Z lens was like $11k refurbished recently. Someone got a relative bargain. What’s up with the purple fringing on the Sony 600mm I’d choose a Z8 + 400 2.8tc + 1.4TC when needed.
Enjoying the relaxed style….. but this should have been the r3
Great bird-pics Northrup's...
Thank you!
few years ago in a bout of insomnia, I made up a couple of spread sheets of "Dream Tech" : the R5 and lots of L glass is the camera sheet.. R5 MkII is in italics.... Tony I'd love you to review dedicated Astro cameras and astrographs (celestron's spring to mind) simply from your perspective as a photographer
The Nikon for sure, the same you have in the video, I guess because I’ve been using Nikon from the start at age 16 :)
I love the respect level and references to Mark Smith -- he is awesome 👌
Since it takes a few weeks to produce this type of videos, is it fair to say that the camera gods generated new firmwares during this video production. So thank you for motivating the computer gods.
Curious why not using the Canon R3 but the R5? Despite less resolution but the R3 is more of a latest/current flagship from Canon.
Hi friends 😁 greetings from Quebec
Hi!
I use Canon 6D and 75-300 zoom at the moment. If I had unlimited budget I’d get Sony A9III and 600 f4 lens. That would be the best combo for me to shoot wildlife pictures.
Crazy comparison - sophisticated scoring - excellent humour :)
I have the Canon R5 with the 600mm F4, i also use the 1.4. I will stay with canon as I've always been and the new R5 Mark ii will be coming out soon I pray 🙏.
Why not use the Canon Eos r3 or 1dx
My go to lens is a 800/5.6.
The running point tally is what I will make my purchasing decision on for equipment - after I save for several decades to fund such a purchase.
Thanks to everyone who went mirrorless, I was able to acquire an almost new D5, D850 and 600 F/4 FL for $9700 and I do the same thing as with mirrorless !
I have to say as someone who had the R5 paired with a 500mm f4 II plus extenders and then selling that I got a Nikon Z8 with the 400mm f2.8 TC. The Nikon colors just are better for wildlife and landscape. Sure Canon and Sony are extremely capable systems however in the instance of Canon when you choose to shoot the R5 in electronic shutter to get the 20fps your raw files are now 12bit color. In my experience the files are workable and you can get out of them what you want however you do need to spend more time on them. secondly the Canon RF 600mm F4 is essentially a EF 600mm F4 III lens now with the adapter "Built in" (same for the RF 400mm F2.8). I will say this is a great lens However the Mirrorless cameras new mount was designed larger for the rear elements of glass to be moved closer to the image sensor to improve sharpness. This lens does not take advantage of this. I would think if you were to not get an optically better lens I would have to choose the EF 600mm F4 III used then adapt it. Id get the same performance with the ability to use this lens on multiple platforms. For example while selling my Canon stuff I was adapting my 500mm F4 II lens to my Nikon Z8 via the Fringer EF-FX II adapter. This worked amazingly well. As for Sony I can't say much. The boxy design and hard edges start to make my hands tender if I shoot with it to long. At least when used with a large telephoto lens.
Nikon d500 and 200-500mm lens
I have been longing for the A1 for many years now, but every time I think I can nearly afford it I end up needing to spend the money else where!
I would look at used gear
Sony for me, but try the new Sigma 500 f5.6 with it only 15 frames per second, but half the weight and half the cost ! Awesome 🤔
This is a bit daft if you already have a camera. As a Canon user with a silly amount of lenses I am hardly going to get a Sony 600mm and A9iii. Anyway, they are about to release the R5ii!. Maybe the R7ii, the R1, R3.3 with 100mp stacked sensor and Nikon are going to release the P1000, 24-3000mm with a full frame sensor!!!
Already have the Z9 and the measley 180-600 lol . Its a Beast ! Im sure that 600 is badass but the $$$$$ ouch.
Chelsea was extra snarky in this video and I’m here for it!
Sony a1 autofocus with 600 F4 is unmatchable.
Why not use an A7S III for video? 4k120 without crop
You often want a crop, or at least the option.
Your previous review of the 3 , u said Canon had best auto focus 😮
Yeah that was true at the time, but firmware updates for the a1 and Z9 have pushed them past the Canon. They're all really very good though.
@@TonyAndChelseaDoes that mean that physically they could have always done it better but the algorithm that decides the focus was not good enough out of the box? Was it released to soon hoping that they could fix it down the road - like every software these days!
@@martink8080 or that Canon needs to pull the finger out and do some serious firmware upgrades for their R3 (which they won't do, cos CrippleHammer™)...
There is also the difference in tracking reliably (where in the frame is the bird?) vs focusing speed and accuracy (why is that eye not consistently sharp?). The R5 has fairly good tracking, but lacks accuracy for fast movers compared to the others.
Also... doesn't the Z 600mm 4 have a built-in TC? That adds some weight.
All cameras were weighed with their 1.4 TCs
@@TonyAndChelsea What about grip and two batteries
@@livejames9374 The cost and weight for the A1 goes up if you buy the grip.