Win a free camera: freesdp.com | 20% off our stuff: northrup.photo coupon 'gas' We compare the new Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless camera (sdp.io/z7) against the Nikon D850 DSLR (sdp.io/d850), the Canon EOS R (sdp.io/r) and Sony a7R III (sdp.io/a7r3).
Hey are you planning to do a video on Zeiss zx1? I mean it has features that you were asking for in a previous video, like on-board memory, possible live stream capabilities, etc. I am really curious what you think about it.
Does your video series offer the same amount of direction as your book? I have your book, but I feel like it might be easier for me to follow the video. Thank-you
Tony a few things, I have used all 3 these cameras for more than a weekend now. I think you either don't understand the Nikon Z7 very well yet, or you don't care about a lot of features that many other people do. That being said both the Sony and Nikon cameras are very good cameras in my opinion. The EOSR, I am really struggling to find anything to like about it. I'd rather shoot 5D Mark iii or iv. With all of the above you missed a lot when providing a true comparison. The 2nd slot on the A7Riii if used as a backup and not overflow really kills the buffer you already are saying is bad on that camera, as the 1st slot is the only one that UHSII. The Z7 blows the A7Riii out of the water in Video, no comparison, colors, 10-bit 4k 4:2:2 to external. Full Frame Video, not cropped like the A7Riii or the EOSR. (The EOS R is a joke as a 4k camera with that crop.) Number one reason people want mirrorless is to shoot hybrid, combination of still and video. Number two size/weight, and number three was EVF having WYSIWYG. The Nikon EVF is much better than the Sony. Don't give me that EVF blackout line either, you can change the settings and then it's 0 issue on the Z7, but the EVF is sharper. The Nikon back screen, is much sharper, and it has no glare. The EOSR is very similar if not the same in sharpness, but seems to get a little more glare, both have less glare than the A7Riii, and both are significantly sharper. Have you even used the wifi on the new Z7, it's vastly better than the D850/D5/D500? I am not saying it's better than the Sony, but it worked for wireless tethering with some workarounds to my MacBook Pro, and at a speed that isn't that bad. You talked about the IBIS in the Z7 and said it was very good, but you didn't mention that it's better than the A7riii. If you do astro, the A7Riii is still eating stars, and overheating. I did a 8k time-lapse last night in camera on the Z7. Oh that's another thing you can't do on the A7Riii. No internal time-lapse. The A7Riii also doesn't have a built in intervalometer. I know you talk a lot about cameras for Vloggers, but more people shoot time-lapse than shoot Vlogs. You used pixel shift on the Sony, but you didn't use the Focus Stacking on the Nikon (which by the way is easier to use in my opinion). Not exactly the same, but it does greatly enhance the overall images when using a tripod. Doing so will give that A7Riii a run for the money on sharpness then. (FYI I was even able to pull it off using this handheld about 1/3 of the time at F4 1/100 of a second at ISO 100 using the 24-70 kit lens. This is due to it only taking 3 exposures vs. the 4 on the A7Riii. Between the bad ergonomics on the Sony making it harder to hold, the 4 pictures required for pixel shift, make the Nikon the winner here as well.) You should have learned this technique on your D850, as it was there, and no reason for you to not include that comparison. Also you should mention the very soon upcoming CF Express with write speeds up to 2GB per second on the Z7, which Nikon announced will work in the Z7 with a firmware update (yes Delkin is releasing these before the end of the calendar year or less than 3 months).This alone should make it so the Nikon will never fill on buffer. One rep said they plan on allowing 10-bit internal 4:2:2 with N-log when that happens as well, but until that is formally announced I won't count on it. Also your disclosure should have an estimated value on each of the events you went to. Because the value of those trips for Sony was significantly more than the Nikon event, and the Canon was even more significant compared to both of the Sony and Nikon events. You might be trying not to give favor to one brand over another consciously, but sub-consciously you don't know what that has truly done to your objectivity. I think you did list all of the advantages of the A7Riii, except for Eye Autofocus, but far from all of the advantages of the Nikon. In conclusion you should add to the Nikon slide advantages: Focus Stacking Camera Grip Camera Ergonomics (much easier to make adjustments on the Nikon once you set it up, and buttons are easier to use) (Too many people think or call the grip ergonomics, but ergonomics is how easy it to use the features of the camera. Grip is like seat comfort in a car, while ergonomics is how easy it to use the features of the car, reach the controls, use the controls, etc....) IBIS on the Z7 is better realistically by 1 to 2 stops (depending on the person, those with less skill will see great gain using a stabilized lens or camera with IBIS). Video (Full Frame no crop other than top to bring it to 16:9 ratio, 10 Bit 4:2:2, the kit lens has 0 focus breathing at throughout the range of focus lengths rivaling $2000 plus lenses, and Color Science) EVF Back Camera Screen (Less glare, and significantly higher resolution) Upcoming CFast Express Cards with up to 2GB write speeds Internal Time Lapse up to 8k Internal Intervalometer Add eye AF to the A7Riii Making these changes would greatly improve the accuracy of your comparison. I would add more to the EOSR, but you really didn't make to many statements about that camera, and the ones you did were pretty good. I will say that the Canon does have better color science than the Sony as well. Compared to the Nikon it's tough to say, and probably a personal preference, like it has been for years with their DSLR cameras.
Excellent in-depth information. I think it is obvious Tony has not had the Z7 for very long, but it is inexcusable to not mention the built-in intervalometer and focus-stacking features when they were also available on the D850. For me (and I presume many other photographers) these two features are more important than any Eye-AF, no matter how good the implementation.
IBIS is harder to measure effectiveness of, so I don't blame him for not saying it's better with one system or another, just saying that they both have it and they seem to work well. I am a little surprised that intervalometer modes were left out as a pro though, since it's pretty nice not to have to buy yet another piece of gear for a $3k camera. I don't agree that focus stacking should be compared to Pixel Shift (as a K1 amateur) since they do different things. I'm also not sure that Focus Stacking is done in camera so much as in post, I vaguely remember Tony doing a video about focus stacking similar to the one he did on Super Resolution but that could be my mind playing tricks on me. As for snapbridge, he hates it in general so the fact that it's faster isn't really changing the fact that he hates how it works. I am okay with it for now, it works faster with my D3400 than my K1 and Ricoh's app, so if Sony's app is even better this time around, that's pretty useful. Overall, the Z7 is shaping up to be "Ok" which is not what a lot of people were hoping for out of a $3k camera from Nikon. I am surprised that he didn't delve into Video features between the Z7 and EOS R more since they're really gung-ho about the EOS R. But, I do appreciate the time taken to put these videos up and try to start honest comparisons to give viewers a fair shake for products on the market.
Update: TONY: I found *no banding* in the outdoors pics (I returned the camera for other reasons). Did you use LED lights indoors? If yes, activate the FLICKER REDUCTION setting from the SHOOTING MENU. In the D850, it completely eliminates LED light banding, and it even warns you beforehand in the viewfinder.
This is a repost so hopefully more see. So I’ve been testing this out to see if its a shutter problem somehow and have pinpointed it to iso settings. Tested so far from iso 64, 80, 100 and then 200. 200 exhibits A LOT LESS banding in really dark areas. Thinking it may probably be codec or unsupported software but it’s definitely an in camera problem since processing in camera show the same results.
Simon S: Even better, I'd go back to film, because even without any of those in-camera settings, the processor itself does tons of processing before writing RAW data to the card, and then the computer does tons of processing to display them on the screen (hence the color/rendering difference of different digital cams with the same exact lens).
I love these technical reviews....this stuff is invaluable......I love having the ability to have an informed decision on gear and large purchases...Photography aint cheap
@@josecolon8143 while xt3 is an extremely good camera (unless you do sports, birds and wild life. D500 is still the apsc king for those) and the best apsc sensor out there in my opinion, even competing with and/or surpassing ff sensors in some aspects, being an apsc sensor still has its' limitations and problems. While I love my x100f for street photography, and have a lot of positive thoughts about fuji cameras due to my experience with them, still I wouldn't buy an xt3 for my landscape needs.
Aamaj re:D800 Yes, I shoot mine daily and have 330,000 clicks. No sony ever build will last like that. You can't even get replacement parts for 3-year-old Sony's Since the Z7 is build in Sendai Japan on the same line as D5, you can expect it to be plugging along 10 years after the Sony is landfill.
One advantage of the Z6 or Z7 you missed was the new mount - it lets in 100% more light then the old mount - I'd love to see another comparison when Nikon has the new 70-200 2.8 on Z7 vs Sony gmaster 70-200 2.8 on A7RIII or Z6 with new 70-200 2.8 vs A7III with 70-200 2.8 G-master!I'm not pro Nikon (I shoot Canon - and yes, I get good shots!), but I think they are going in the right direction with that new mount!
Thank you, this is good information and very much appreciated. In comparing image quality between the Z7 and D850, it would be more informative to use the same settings. Understandably, the Z7 IBIS is an advantage for the Z7.
I'd like to go all out Sony but damn the lens are expensive and the ergonomics are terrible compared to my DSLR's. Maybe I'll switch to the A7iii soon. Those two last years have been mind boggling hahaha.
@@CaptainLouis If the ergonomics bother you consider getting the battery grip. I'd say it makes all the difference. As for lenses, they have some great low cost options that are excellent like the Sony 85mm 1.8 and the 55mm 1.8.
@@hitmanhart22 I got to try out both bodies this past week, and I can comfortably say it'll be at least another 3 to 4 years before they catch up to what Sony has today in 2018. Imagine what Sony will have by then! Maybe an A9III or A7R5 with even crazier tech.
Interesting comparison, Tony, however, I think you missed one major point of comparison between the Z7 and the Sony a7Rlll...You only showed the Sony's Pixel Shift technology against the Z7's single image. Why not include the Nikon's "Focus Shift" mode??? I believe THAT to be the more relevant comparison! Thanks, and be safe!
That was the most useful comparison I seen so far. I am interested portraiture and performance/event(theater, ballet, club) and some architecture, about 6 commercial shoots a month. I am heavily invested in good Nikon glass and I have been trying to decide whether to add a Z7 or D850. My D800 actually serves very well, 330k clicks and still like new. Nikon build quality difference and weather sealing means Sony is not an option. A single XQD card is preferred to 2 SD cards due the great difference in reliability. What this test showed, which I did not expect, to see 1/3sec hand held getting usable shots is very impressive. My fast primes do not have VR so this is a big advantage for the low light conditions I shoot. Since in clubs I use balance flash often to expose the general atmosphere and let the flash in Rear Curtain freeze the subject. What you showed means background will be much sharper. I do not boost in post much, but all the later Nikons have been good for that, and that banding you noticed would never be seen in my style and subject matter. The 85 1.2 S lens coming out next year is reason enough for adding a Z7. For me, it looks like the Z7 is a better match than any of the other mirrorless but Panasonic's SR1 announced in development could be a very impressive competitor. I wonder if Sony will respond with a pro-oriented camera(sealing, better ergonomics, more rugged, better construction, XQD and product support). The Nikon WT-7 wireless system with real-time 1gigabit per second transfers over a radius of 660 feet is what pros really need for backup, having large files in real time on remove editing or slideshow monitors. That is the future of pro work and particularly wedding, sports, studio and events. The sooner the move away from SD the better, no camera with SD can be considered a pro-grade camera. Thanks again for the very useful comparison. It is making the decision easier for me. I love theD850 after using one on several sessions but the 5 axis stabilization is really a desirable feature that would be used in every gig. The build quality of the Z7 (made in the same production facility that is making the D5 in Japan indicates how Nikon considers it to be a pro-oriented camera)
I like how one of your tests included image stabilization and you made differences in exposure based on that...because many people still don't know how much of a game-changer image stabilization can be.
Its a really well made comparison, Tony. I was really surprized about the image quality of the Canon EOS R in the overall performance (resolution, shadow recovery and noise) - in the past canon lays way behind Nikon and Sony. Welso dont have to forget that we are comparing Canons FF Entry Mirrorless Camera with high end cameras from Sony and Nikon with 50% more MP than EOS R. The 1100 Dollar price difference shows that clearly. I hope Canon will bring in the sensor stabilization into their camera line up Soon. Sensor stabilization advantage is clearly showed here (okay it will make the cameras more expensive, but okay for me)
Nikon - along with having a full touch screen FINALLY and MUCH better video auto-focus (video) - No crop in 4K, 120 fps in 1080p, 8K time-lapse. Canon offers none of these for video in the EOS-R.
To be fair, we're comparing Nikon's top of the line mirrorless (Z7) to Canon's entry (which should be compared against the Z6). Having said that, Canon has the best video AF... it's up there with Sony. The most impressive this to me, outside of some of the technical differences you just mentioned is that these shots were compared with a (cheaper) kit lens on the Nikon and a very nice 24-105 on the Canon. I imagine the IQ will get bumped up even more with better glass.
Another thing one should mention in the pixel shift technologies, is that a) nothing should move in the frame (on a windy day, trees and leaves etc will move a lot), b) the color temp has to remain exactly the same to avoid color corruption, for example in cloudy days with clouds moving fast you may get that +/- 300K difference in less than a second. I think getting a GFX for that additional resolution plus better lenses plus better color density and more natural-looking ("organic" some call it) dynamic range gives more peace of mind than carrying around the Gitzo and being afraid that the long lens will shake (they do...).
Yeah, Pixel Shift is really only useful for architectural stuff, product photography, etc. Things where you may want to employ a MF camera. Obviously if that's all you do then it makes sense to go MF. If not... then you can get by with pixel shift.
I would like more discussion about the automatic focus shift available on the Z7. That is very important to me as a landscape, close-up, and macro photographer.
You are right, but I get what Henry says. Basically at this point the differences are important for people who need some specific features for some specific jobs. Otherwise the cameras, overall, are overlapping in terms of one feature or the other.
In my tests, I can confirm that the JPG profiles of the Z7 have some additional noise reduction, but one arrives at the same result with the D850 via Photoshop or C1 noise reduction, without worrying about banding issues in the meantime. I couldn't get to 5 stops stabilization - 3 stops maximum WITH the "electronic front curtain shutter" on. From that aspect, the D850 with a well stabilized lens (the Tamron 24-70 G2) had better results.
That means you have better hand holding skills. The less stable you are/capable of handheld shots, the more IBIS, or Lens IS will help you in terms of number of stops. If you could shoot it at 1/30 of a second, you might get to 1/10 with the IBIS, but if on the same shot you were ok at 1/120th you will get to 1/30th. As your shutter speed gets longer, each stop increases it exponentially more (i.e. 1 second to 2 second. F4.5 at 1/2a second is the same as F3.5 at 1 second, and F2.2 at 2 seconds, so the gains are a lot harder to get.) I hope that makes sense, but it means you have better skill.
Well I can get the focal length rule with the D850 without shake up to 135mm. With the Zeiss 28 I got down to 1/30, with the Tamron 1/4. With the Z7 not lower than 1/15 WITH the e-shutter. But I always thought that a younger and healthier Tony Northrup would be more stable than myself (or my daughter, who got the same symptoms with the Z7, and I bought the camera for her, she didn't like it, she loves her phone and the D810... I know, weird).
Island boy: The JPEG profiles are what you see on your computer screen when you open a RAW file. That's what I mean. I only shoot RAW, even more than Jared Polin. But what you see on your screen is an embedded jpeg file inside the RAW.
So many defenders lmao, bet they are the same people knocking the Sony first evolutions when they first came out, sony banding, sony EVF, sony 1 slot, sony menu's, sony lack of native lens, its excuses from nikon loyalty card holders. Would love to go back to sony's release video's to see nikon users comments, i bet they reflect exactly what people keep posting now. Popcorn ready...
Hi Tony, If it's something you are able to do, I would like to see some tests of the Z7 with third party lenses. I heard some Tamron lenses don't work. For the ones that do work, I am curious about their performance (for example AF performance in video mode). I have a lot of third party Nikon F mount lenses and I'm trying to decide between getting the Z7 or Z6 and keeping my Nikon F lenses (and even my D800) or get rid of it all and switch to Sony. Thanks
It's not like Sony is light years ahead of Nikon and Canon. Both new cameras are better than Sony's second generation of a7 cameras. It's only with the a7iii and a7riii where Sony really killed it. So Nikon and Canon are realistically only a year or two behind with great lenses coming down the pipeline. At the end of the day, however, who cares what you shoot with. Learn how to use your gear rather than worry what your gear can do for you. It's about the experience ✌️
"So Nikon and Canon are realistically only a year or two behind..." Probably, but in a year or two Sony will have advanced again (assuming they keep on top of their game). Not a Sony user, BTW . I'm a Nikon DSLR user wondering which direction to go.
But Sony will still have consumer grade build, ruggedness and weather sealing. It still will not have a service network and will still not provide parts for repairs to models that are not in production. The Z7 is built to last years, Sony users do not keep cameras for years so over a 3-4 year period they spend far more on cameras than simply buying a Nikon once.
Hello, Northrup, Since canon released the EOS R I have watched many reviews about any comparison attribute to image quality for the famous cameras in the market. I decided to get results from the opinion of unexpected people (four young girls of age between 8-12). I opened the dpreview page specifically the images comparometer and I selected three-cameras the EOS R, 5D MK 4 SONY A7R III and Nikon D850 the test was for raw and JPEG files at the normal and low light condition and at ISO 3200 specifically, the result was EOS R is the winner for image of Raw files and while the A7R III was the winner of JPEG files. that was the opinion of four girls
Tony that camera behind your head on the wall, what is it? I remember my dad having one like that. And, what is it worth today? I mean, the "technical drawing" behind you.
I bought a Sony A7 II about 2 years ago as my lighter and smaller Travel camera. I know Sony improved on some of the gripes that I had with my A7II with their new iteration, my main problem with the system however is still their lens lineup. They might have good glas for people with big wallets, but many of the less expensive lenses are vastly less desirable (and still very expensive for what they are). I used the 24-70/4 that performs just like an entry level Kit Lens in a fancy shell and a nearly 1000€ price tag. I also invested in the 35/2.8 (the 1.4 is way too big and heavy for a Travelkit) and not only is it not very fast, it is also noticeably less sharp in he corners at anything below F/4. Overall I think a lot of it is splitting hairs because all the manufactures have great cameras but looking at the entire system one might fit better to a persons needs than others do.
The Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is the 7th sharpest lens in the world, it's actually the second sharpest 85mm (just barely behind a Zeiss cannon for 4500$) and cost 600$ A Sigma 85mm 1.4 for Cannon cost twice as much and is not sharper, just a bit faster. The Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS is the second sharpest in the world and cost 1100$ Sony FE 50mm F2.8 MACRO only cost 500$ and is nr 15 sharpest. and 3d sharpest 50mm The 50mm 1.8 is not that sharp but it's only 250$ and weighs nothing. There is of course more to a lens then sharpness, like chr abberation, distortion, and vignetting, but those you can kinda fix in post. On the zoom side, I wish Sony had the cheap and sharp Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Canon, or a cheap tamron 24-70 2.8 but the Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens is maybe the best kit lense there is, and only 500$. And the 24-70 2.8 GM is pretty good, and the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM maybe the best zoom regarding IQ, but both quite expensive, but so is the competition. Still wish for some cheap tamron zooms tho.
Nice comparisons, brief and clear. The only thing I'd want to see otherwise is to pull down by 5 stops and see which has more headroom (highlight recovery).
@@dimebagdarrell147 Clunky response w/LH adapter. Like he said earlier about Nikon to Sony adapter, dump the A series lenses and get E's. A lot is possible, but oh so impractical.
Nice review. I have personal used the Nikon Z7 with Ny Manual focus Nikkor 300 2.8 IF-ED AIS and it worked great. Loved the ergonomics and the View finder. I like the focus peaking. If your a fan of Nikkor legacy glass the Z7 seems like its is a winner. Right now using a Sony A7r11 for mirrorless And Nikon D4 for DSLR.. For the first generation I think Nikon is going in the right direction.
Hello. Not sure I understand how images on the Z7 can be "softer" than those on the D850, simply because of the newly designed Nikkor S lenses?! I've read other reviews that extoll the virtues of sharpness and micro-contrast of the Nikkor S zooms, and the 50 f/1.8 Nikkor S in particular. Thanks!
Thanks. Really appreciate your thorough reviews and comparisons. Enjoying my Z7 for the reasons you mentioned (using my Nikon glass, IBIS, EVF, etc.). Looking forward to your Z7 “settings” video!
PixelShift is a definite Sony a$$kicker. With one or two lenses, I'd probably sell my 'glass'es' and go Sony. With three full generations of Nikkor lenses and the backward compatibility that Z6/Z7 offers, Nikon is still my preferred choice, hands down.
Hi Toni, sorry to say in long exposure shots, Z7, you can see banding with exposure increase of only 2-3 stops, not the camera for Long exposure or Landscape with extreme dynamic range(HDR Doesn't solve it)
Nikon can beat Sony But I don't see Canon catching up The new Nikons impress me Sure 2 Card Slots would be great But the next models surely will have it Nikon at least listens to fans A greater Mount Nikon has been around for a long time I am sure they will bring out many great lenses Sony is still on top and I love the A7R3 and A73 But I would also get a Nikon if I want a new system Thanks for the great video Tony
I agree that Nikon can beat sony because they such a great pedigree but they also have a huge challenge. The sensor has nowhere enough AF points to deliver eye AF which one the best features of mirrorless and that is going to take a major redesign and they rely on others including sony to build them. It is crazy for nikon to be so reliant on a competitor. Reviews elsewhere also suggest that the AF struggleseven match their basic dslrs in low light which is really worrying for nikon. They have a fantastic fan base built on great products but they're vulnerable at the moment.
I'm sorry Tony but how can you compare image quality Z7 ISO 5600 vs D850 ISO 25600? I understand you wanted to point out image stabilization but this is not image quality. You can just shoot hand-held in more difficult light conditions. That's all...
This is the first video that I’ve seen after photokina took place and most youtubers arrived home. Good to see a lot of comparisons in image quality and your explanation as to why some images were slightly different due to the megapixels. Good to see positive points on the Z 7 and differences in regards to Sony and Canon. Even though the Nikon and Canon cameras are new, I still think it is all going to come to personal preferences and the type of photography people are doing to choose a system.
HDR image merging in photoshop using multiple exposures and then editing them in LR is the same thing. Plus if you make a mistake and one of the exposures doesn't align with the rest, I assume that the final image would be unusable by using pixel shifting, you can save your work by just using bracketing mode for shooting multiple exposures on a nikon.
The Nikon has built in Focus Shift...... Tony didn't show it but should have. It's faster, and easier to use than the Pixel Shift.... I have used both.
Focus shift is used for focus stacking, not at all the same as pixel shift - since you have used both, you should know :) Mahos Paterakis, you can pull out individual frames. The difference isn't just taking multiple shots and stacking them, but also moving the sensor between the shots.
Thanks for the vid. Only note: I would not consider the s-Mount to be a pro for the z7. The lens options are way less unless you add the adapter. That said, I have not seen any issue with the adapter on. I also did not like the digital view finder while working with both the d850 and z7 in the Peruvian Amazon. Because of drastic iso switches, it would often black out the screen, which after a quick adjust put me at a disadvantage when shooting fast moving subjects. As a nature photographer I find this to be problematic. Also, underwater, I usually rely on strobe lighting, so the camera often meters dark until the flash goes off (especially for macro in low vis). I could see this being a problem unless there is a way to make the view finder agnostic to the shooting settings. And forget live view. On the d850 it is tolerable, and even still on the z7 when shooting still subjects or video, but it is not viable for fast moving subjects.
Bending is a big deal for me, I shoot landscapes and I often need the most dynamic range I can get without loosing quality. I had the 5D Mark II and sold all my Canon stuff because the poor dynamic range and banding noises even in low ISO.
Thanks for doing these comparisons, it saved me a lot of effort. I wonder why other IBIS camera bodies don’t have a pixel shift function for still scenes? I hope the Pro Z camera body that Nikon is working on will have pixel shift.
So the Z7 with a price tag of more than 2000 dollar is not a pro body? 😂😂😂😂 . Every body with a price tag more than 2000 dollar is for pros, some cameras cost even more (f.e Nikon D4 for sports shooters) but they are not more professional when they have a higher price tag. They are only more specialized (wheather sealing, higher fps, ..)
Agree the Nikon looks worse. There is quite a difference in the magnification of each image though. If the Canon was enlarged to match the Nikon they would probably be very close.
Im a Nikon hybrid event shooter. I've used the Z7 and liked it for my style of shooting. I've tried the A73 but didn't like the EVF and rear screen. Im going to get the Z6 because of the better ISO and price difference.
Hi Tony and Chelsea, You guys are awesome in every sense of work and style.. I really love the way you represent your reviews.. Keep doing great work! I am the wildlife life amateur photographer and would like to know is.. Sony A7R3+MC11+Sigma 150-600 C or Nikon Z6/Z7+FTZ+Nikkor 200-500 Which one would be better combination for wildlife photography? I already have Sigma MC11+150-600 C in my kit. I would highly appreciate your expert opinion on this...please Suggest!
I came here to see a laser show and naked girls! I'm _deeply_ upset, Tony! Because of how boring this video is, I'm only going to watch it three more times!
yup, naked girls, me too :) Also, it's kind of annoying that I can only watch how this competition Sony/Nikon/Canon unfolds as I can't afford any of the new cameras atm :) But one day... When you raise the exposure by 5 stops, ISO 8000, handheld, zoom in and see no noise at all...
Thanks Tony and thanks for mentioning how far you are zooming in! It really helps to know just how far we are pixel peeping. I have noticed going to 2:1 on the A7iii starts showing degradation as it is just enlarging pixels at that point. Sure would be nice to have the extra MP. I hopefully will look at adding the Sony A7RIV when ever it comes out. But if Sony didn't exist and I hadn't just switched I would chose the Nikon over the Canon at this point but it isn't a completely fair comparison.
We have had a few tests with the system and for a lot of the shots, we couldn't reproduce banding at all. Our current guess is that the banding is a side effect of an insufficient ability to read the RAW files or that they occur when dealing with a certain format of raws. What workflow did you use? Did you re-exif to D850? Which kind of raw, compressed, uncompressed, lossless? This might have an effect. We couldn't reproduce the banding and it would be highly interesting to see what kind of behaviour actually elicits the banding effects vs. what doesn't.
This is the first video I've seen showing better image quality credited to sensor stabilization. It would be great if they made a full frame DSLR with sensor stabilization and pixel shift....Oh wait they did! Thanks Pentax!
@@Bayonet1809 Which is a shame, because when Sony first introduced Pixel Shift, Tony remarked that Pentax's implementation worked way better and Sony had a ways to go. Now we don't hear about Pentax as much but there's not a heck of a lot to say.
@@stanspb763 I am sure there are no professional photographers using the Pentax medium format 645z... currently the second ranked sensor on DXO above the d850
@@Bayonet1809 Pentax does lack in focus tracking and movie mode compared to Canikon, but they more than make up for it with, superior image quality, stabalized sensor, pixel shift, weather selling/durability, on body controls, astrotracer, etc
+Tony & Chelsea Northrup - love your videos. Thanks for taking the time to share the technical stuff and details as well as your own opinions. Having handled the Z7 myself, I'm not its biggest fan. I have a dozen large SD cards and they're rendered useless in the new build. Further, I have large hands. It feels awkward compared to my D850 and D500 with actual vertical grips. And lastly, the AF system just feels foreign.. otherworldly, and not in a good way. I'm not a fan and am hoping to see a price drop in the D850 once the Z7 gets pushed harder or gets a workable firmware update...
Tony I appreciate your sharing of information for us consumers trying to decide what's best. My concern is durability of these camera's. Weather sealing is always stressed by all reviewers and I don't think everyone's worried about a bucket of water hitting their camera's. I have experienced two camera's being knocked out of commission from simple bumps into metal things like tripod legs. Hopefully one day you will do a full report on the ruggedness of these expensive camera's that need some type of shock absorb protection built into them. I intent to write other reviewers hoping everyone takes this issue on.
There is no contest in ruggedness, Sony a7 series cameras use consumer grade components(cards, jacks, connectors and sockets, housing) and have no weather sealing. The Z7 is built as a pro camera with sealing for weather including all S lenses and is made on the same assembly line in Japan as the top camera for ruggedness, the D5. Even the D850 is made in Thailand. If you shoot outdoors or in uncontrolled environments the Z7 is the hands down more suitable camera. Sports, landscape, dusty or high humidity situations it is not a good idea to expose an a7xxx to those conditions, particularly since Sony service is almost nonexistent. Sony also stops distributing parts for units out of production so a7 owners are out of luck if some rain gets into their 3-year-old camera. The Sony a7 series is built for the price point, across all divisions their margins on products are higher so to sell the a7III for $2000 in the US it means consumer grade construction is used on all parts selections. In fact the corporate-wide marketing plan for Sony is maintaining high sales rates by forcing owners to upgrade every model change. Ask your friends who had Sony for 3-4 years how many times they upgraded. 3 times in 4 years. Ask a Canon or Nikon user, and it will be 3-8 years per upgrade but their old camera is still repairable and is used as a second shooter camera in events. The D700 is still the most used wedding camera, 12 years later. No old Sony's are seen in the field. The Sony cameras deliver alot of performance in a light duty camera for hobbyists and occasional shooters and are a good buy but not for someone who pushes their gear or shoots inadverse conditions.
@@1001spencer directly it doesn't. Indirectly it does because it's really amusing to see people trying to defend canon and nikon hobbyist ff cameras at pro price.
Was looking to get one for video, but the 16-55 does not have OIS (or am I wrong), nor does the body have IBIS. So now I am waiting for the Sony a7000.
Me too, I think at this stage it is the benchmark APS-C camera, with awesome capabilities, the only downside is the mediocre battery life that can be negated by buying a battery grip. Coupling the X-T3 with a D850 would be perfection for me, this would perfectly cover general, landscape & telephoto photography.
I hope I can get the XT3, it is likely the EOS R is not so promised. I have checked the image quality of the XT3 at imaging resource really there is a good upgrade.
I purchased a Sony A7 mark ii, with a kit lens. Now I want a zoom lens that extends to at least 300mm, but the cost of the lenses new are ridiculous and more than I can afford. Do you recommend buying used Sony FE lenses? If so, where (which merchants you recommend) would you suggest I look?
良新 did you notice z7 was shot at 1/3 sec and D850 was shot at 1/50. That’s a huge difference when handholding a camera. He changed the iso so that they’d be the same exposure
I watch a ton of videos comparing the D850, Z7 and the sony A7RIII. All are great but deciding is tough. It almost come to flipping coins for me to pick. I like the D850 anr its robust feel but I also like the reactions of the A7RIII and the Z7. Rambling on I really dont know which one to chose. You guys have great videos and they a really helpful. If you could recommend one what would it be. I'm doing HD video and stills. Maybe a 60/40 video vs photo. Thanks for all the info
trx350 - I'm not Tony, but I'll offer this if it helps. I shoot video and stills. Just ordered the Z7. 120fps @ 1080p. 10 bit 4:2:2 N-Log out the HDMI Port and 8 bit internal. smooth, very good auto focus for video with S lenses and usable with all my Nikon glass for manual focus pulling or some auto situations. In camera sensor stabilization worked great. Face tracking work very well in my short tests. The Z7 handily beats the D850 if you are shooting video and need it to look great (which the D850 can do) and be much easier to shoot and have some good stabilization. So it's really between the Z7 and A7RIII... If you have Nikon glass... it's over... get the Z7 or Z6. If you want to sell everything and start over... then it's a more difficult choice between the two. I think the new Z mount will bring good things in the future and you can use your existing glass until it does.
Canon flew you to Hawaii for the press event.....and you were very dismissive of the one card slot on their camera as opposed to the bashing the Nikon Z camera received. I will watch this review with a jaundiced eye.
@@aceflibble Tony released a video last week where he said 'there is no clear winner' when comparing the A7 III to the Canon EOS R. In that video, the single card slot concern was glazed over, only to blast Nikon in this one. Definately a bias.
aceflibble so that’s how it works? Because Nikon came out first, you bash their so called shortcomings, then when Canon does the same you hardly mention it cause you said it about the Nikon? That’s ridiculous.
Zane Leitch Nikon fanboys are getting as bad as Fuji fanboys LOL. Boohoo, Tony was angrier at Nikon than he was at Canon. I wonder, just maybe, because we're comparing a consumer entry-level FF Canon to a supposedly professional high-end FF Nikon? Watch the bashing Canon will get if their pro model, to be announced later this year, has only one memory card!
Well done, I am old school Nikon and think the Z -line is a home run. However the Sony and Canon really just as good. For me the FTZ adapter is a game changer. I lots of old Nikon and other lens that I can still use with the Z series.
Tony, I see the a7r3 was at f4 as was all the other test. Was the Sony using a GM lens? What is the effect of the camera, what is the lenses effect on on a test like this?
Luis Miguel Paquete + Nikon doesn't care about the older lenses. You can't use a D series lens on a D3000 or D5000 series camera and have them auto-focus, so why think that Nikon was going to support this on the replacement for both series? For the last 10 years or so, it almost seems that Nikon is pushing it's loyal base away since they keep dropping support for older lenses. I use the Nikon 20-35 f/2.8D as well as the 35-70 f/2.8 D partially because they're half the size of the 17-35 and the 24-70, and built like a tank and don't suffer from AFS motor squeal. I for one, will be passing on the Z6 or Z7, as they offer nothing for me.
I had a chance to try out the EOS R this last weekend: I found the on-screen track-pad feature very usable, and a solid replacement for the joystick. It takes some getting used to, but works just fine.
If I understand correctly, there is a 'relative' mode and an 'absolute' mode: one tracks in the way you describe, where as the other basically uses the whole screen and where you touch it, it is where it will assign the focus point...
Thanks a lot Tony, just one question, those strange colors on A7R3 are not in the DPreview samples! Why they are so clean in DPR tests compared to the one you did?!!!
Thanks for claryfying the importance of dynamic range. I have been attacked and offended so many times in the past. They really use the same reasons everytime, it is really that idiotic: "If you really need to push the exposure by 5 stops, you are a bad photographer" "A good photographer exposes just right" "There are hardly any situations where you need 5 stops of dynamic range" etc... In my opinion it is the opposite: People who do not get the importance of dynamic range, are not deep enough into photography -
Totally agree. The human eye has a dynamic range of about 20 stops, whereas photos usually show only about 8. Pushing shadows 5 stops still only behind you to 13 stops-still way less than the human eye sees.
Especially with Landscapes, if you don't want to take 7 exposures of the same shot, you need dynamic range. With video, you can't take 7 exposures so it's even more important there.
So true! I encountered the same, those bashing us with these claims are usually living in denial, they cannot accept the truth that their beloved cameras have less dynamic range. (yes, canon users)
Videos on h.264 you can't do anything really to recover properly... it gives you just 8bit, so the dynamic range is limited. here comes the clog and slog that helps you shoot on 10bit RAW video. Don't think that because on a photo raw file you can recover 5 stops, you can do it in video! and i am still saying that if a photographer needs 5 stops to recover a photo then he needs to study again. on Landscape photography we have the gradient filters, that will help you to achive that 5 stop, without loosing quality(unless you will buy cheap stuff, then the problem is again YOU). no matter how good the DR will become, you are still loosing quality when you push it over the -3EV/+3EV
I like to compare on sensor focus points to a dust particles.More focus points=more dust particles on your sensor.And you have to hide those focus points somehow.Something like dust reduction. Quality of image suffers in process. I love your videos.Good job!
Nikon Rumors is using your video for extra traffic. They ridicule you but then post your video to get more ad traffic. More and more I am liking NR less. It’s sad how biased and aggressive they’re about everything.
Nikon Rumors steal contents from people and put on watermarks, spread false accusations, and basically has no abilities to gather rumors other than translating Japanese rumor websites.
"Nikon Rumors is using your video for extra traffic" that i am not sure. "They ridicule you" - When Tony posted his first impression on Nikon Z7, no one ridiculed him (including Nikon Rumors). it all happened once he posted his Canon EOS R video, and his clear bias over canon system.
Good technical review. I like how you did the handheld test between the Z7 and the D850. That IBIS is a huge win for the Z7 shooting with un-stabilized glass. I do a lot of sports photography on the water. On a sunny day, you're dealing with a bright sky, bright specular reflection on the water, and subjects that are often in deep shadow. Even ignoring dynamic range for a moment, if I swing my camera 10 degrees my exposure can be completely different, and even the best metering doesn't always nail it, especially considering that I'm bouncing around on the water, struggling to keep my subject in the frame at all. And when you do consider dynamic range...yeah....
Nah, I've raised shadows up to five stops before. It's rare, but you'd be surprised how much dynamic range can be required for some scenes unless you want to bracket. And bracketing is not always ideal because it makes you unable to photograph moving subjects well. Add to this that you now have the ability to underexpose an image by a few stops. That alone is beneficial in that you can shoot at a faster shutter speed with a lower ISO and have an overall cleaner image, but when you add sensor stabilization in the mix it opens up a whole new world of image possibilities in terms of technical quality.
Exactly. Then use Auto HDR in Lightroom to merge the image. Why do we expect the camera to do everything for us, instead of just working on improving our technique? Are photographers? Or do we just push a button?
"Auto-bracket multiple exposures in camera and then in post production, use an auto HDR tool=masterful photography. Taking a single image and squeezing out as much dynamic range as possible=relying on cameras to do the work for us." I'm really interested to know how that kind of reasoning even begins to make sense. Because I'm failing to see how using one set of automated tools over others makes someone a better photographer.
Tony keeps giving "wins" to the Z7 on cleanliness on higher ISOs, but really it looks completely devoid of details after a baked in noise reduction on the deep shadows.
Rafaelinux, I noticed this too. I was surprised that despite the chroma noise and lower resolution, that the EOS R seemed to have greater detail at low and high ISO. Currently I use both Canon and Sony and have resisted going full frame since I prefer a smaller kit vs a bit better SNR. Were I to go full frame, I'd probably grab the A7R3 or EOS R. I don't see any real benefit to the Z7 beyond compatibility with Nikon F mount lenses.
RayValdezPhotography, it's definitely a possibility given that Canon glass is often slightly sharper than Nikon glass. That said, most people seem to use the kit lens for most of their shots so having a lens that effectively wastes 15 or 20 megapixels is still worth mentioning. I'm sure that the Z7 could at least match, if not out-resolve the EOS R with better glass.
Seriously though, I got the Commlite Nikon adapter for the Sony and autofocus is super fast and accurate, like it was a native lens. You really should update your views on this :)
So I’ve been testing this out to see if its a shutter problem somehow and have pinpointed it to iso settings. Tested so far from iso 64, 80, 100 and then 200. 200 exhibits A LOT LESS banding in really dark areas. Thinking it may probably be codec or unsupported software but it’s definitely an in camera problem since processing in camera show the same results.
of what?still sucks royal with the less than mediocre focusing!using a D750 and getting the Nikkor 20mm f1.8 tomorrow!gettting the D850 in march though!
Kinda true!I have had 2 D800s and the last one died last year!the well known Nikon problem with the loose rubber grip "leather" got flappy and let moisture in that ate the mother board and killed it!I will also stop after D850 in which I mean will probably buy and maintain a couple of D810s since 36 mpx is enough for sure!!!
Even though I have Nikon glass, version one does not invoke confidence for investing into the system. Too many compromises. Have you done a high iso a7riii vs a7iii for stills? Curious how the resolution and detail balance with noise between the two.
Win a free camera: freesdp.com | 20% off our stuff: northrup.photo coupon 'gas'
We compare the new Nikon Z7 full-frame mirrorless camera (sdp.io/z7) against the Nikon D850 DSLR (sdp.io/d850), the Canon EOS R (sdp.io/r) and Sony a7R III (sdp.io/a7r3).
Hey are you planning to do a video on Zeiss zx1? I mean it has features that you were asking for in a previous video, like on-board memory, possible live stream capabilities, etc. I am really curious what you think about it.
Does your video series offer the same amount of direction as your book? I have your book, but I feel like it might be easier for me to follow the video. Thank-you
🤞🏼🙏🏼🤲🏼
Hi Tony. Please post detail review of fujifilm xt3.
what is the pixel shift link?
Tony a few things, I have used all 3 these cameras for more than a weekend now. I think you either don't understand the Nikon Z7 very well yet, or you don't care about a lot of features that many other people do.
That being said both the Sony and Nikon cameras are very good cameras in my opinion. The EOSR, I am really struggling to find anything to like about it. I'd rather shoot 5D Mark iii or iv. With all of the above you missed a lot when providing a true comparison.
The 2nd slot on the A7Riii if used as a backup and not overflow really kills the buffer you already are saying is bad on that camera, as the 1st slot is the only one that UHSII.
The Z7 blows the A7Riii out of the water in Video, no comparison, colors, 10-bit 4k 4:2:2 to external. Full Frame Video, not cropped like the A7Riii or the EOSR. (The EOS R is a joke as a 4k camera with that crop.) Number one reason people want mirrorless is to shoot hybrid, combination of still and video. Number two size/weight, and number three was EVF having WYSIWYG.
The Nikon EVF is much better than the Sony. Don't give me that EVF blackout line either, you can change the settings and then it's 0 issue on the Z7, but the EVF is sharper.
The Nikon back screen, is much sharper, and it has no glare. The EOSR is very similar if not the same in sharpness, but seems to get a little more glare, both have less glare than the A7Riii, and both are significantly sharper.
Have you even used the wifi on the new Z7, it's vastly better than the D850/D5/D500? I am not saying it's better than the Sony, but it worked for wireless tethering with some workarounds to my MacBook Pro, and at a speed that isn't that bad.
You talked about the IBIS in the Z7 and said it was very good, but you didn't mention that it's better than the A7riii.
If you do astro, the A7Riii is still eating stars, and overheating. I did a 8k time-lapse last night in camera on the Z7. Oh that's another thing you can't do on the A7Riii. No internal time-lapse.
The A7Riii also doesn't have a built in intervalometer. I know you talk a lot about cameras for Vloggers, but more people shoot time-lapse than shoot Vlogs.
You used pixel shift on the Sony, but you didn't use the Focus Stacking on the Nikon (which by the way is easier to use in my opinion). Not exactly the same, but it does greatly enhance the overall images when using a tripod. Doing so will give that A7Riii a run for the money on sharpness then. (FYI I was even able to pull it off using this handheld about 1/3 of the time at F4 1/100 of a second at ISO 100 using the 24-70 kit lens. This is due to it only taking 3 exposures vs. the 4 on the A7Riii. Between the bad ergonomics on the Sony making it harder to hold, the 4 pictures required for pixel shift, make the Nikon the winner here as well.) You should have learned this technique on your D850, as it was there, and no reason for you to not include that comparison.
Also you should mention the very soon upcoming CF Express with write speeds up to 2GB per second on the Z7, which Nikon announced will work in the Z7 with a firmware update (yes Delkin is releasing these before the end of the calendar year or less than 3 months).This alone should make it so the Nikon will never fill on buffer. One rep said they plan on allowing 10-bit internal 4:2:2 with N-log when that happens as well, but until that is formally announced I won't count on it.
Also your disclosure should have an estimated value on each of the events you went to. Because the value of those trips for Sony was significantly more than the Nikon event, and the Canon was even more significant compared to both of the Sony and Nikon events. You might be trying not to give favor to one brand over another consciously, but sub-consciously you don't know what that has truly done to your objectivity. I think you did list all of the advantages of the A7Riii, except for Eye Autofocus, but far from all of the advantages of the Nikon.
In conclusion you should add to the Nikon slide advantages:
Focus Stacking
Camera Grip
Camera Ergonomics (much easier to make adjustments on the Nikon once you set it up, and buttons are easier to use) (Too many people think or call the grip ergonomics, but ergonomics is how easy it to use the features of the camera. Grip is like seat comfort in a car, while ergonomics is how easy it to use the features of the car, reach the controls, use the controls, etc....)
IBIS on the Z7 is better realistically by 1 to 2 stops (depending on the person, those with less skill will see great gain using a stabilized lens or camera with IBIS).
Video (Full Frame no crop other than top to bring it to 16:9 ratio, 10 Bit 4:2:2, the kit lens has 0 focus breathing at throughout the range of focus lengths rivaling $2000 plus lenses, and Color Science)
EVF
Back Camera Screen (Less glare, and significantly higher resolution)
Upcoming CFast Express Cards with up to 2GB write speeds
Internal Time Lapse up to 8k
Internal Intervalometer
Add eye AF to the A7Riii
Making these changes would greatly improve the accuracy of your comparison. I would add more to the EOSR, but you really didn't make to many statements about that camera, and the ones you did were pretty good. I will say that the Canon does have better color science than the Sony as well. Compared to the Nikon it's tough to say, and probably a personal preference, like it has been for years with their DSLR cameras.
Excellent in-depth information. I think it is obvious Tony has not had the Z7 for very long, but it is inexcusable to not mention the built-in intervalometer and focus-stacking features when they were also available on the D850. For me (and I presume many other photographers) these two features are more important than any Eye-AF, no matter how good the implementation.
@@Bayonet1809 I never shoot portrait, I shoot timelapse and landscape where eye Af is useless. 😀😀😀
Jason Rehder excellent post, thank you for sharing that. Those are all definitely valid factors worth noting 👍
When the comments offer an entire other video in text form. Thanks for taking the time to make these points.
IBIS is harder to measure effectiveness of, so I don't blame him for not saying it's better with one system or another, just saying that they both have it and they seem to work well. I am a little surprised that intervalometer modes were left out as a pro though, since it's pretty nice not to have to buy yet another piece of gear for a $3k camera. I don't agree that focus stacking should be compared to Pixel Shift (as a K1 amateur) since they do different things. I'm also not sure that Focus Stacking is done in camera so much as in post, I vaguely remember Tony doing a video about focus stacking similar to the one he did on Super Resolution but that could be my mind playing tricks on me. As for snapbridge, he hates it in general so the fact that it's faster isn't really changing the fact that he hates how it works. I am okay with it for now, it works faster with my D3400 than my K1 and Ricoh's app, so if Sony's app is even better this time around, that's pretty useful.
Overall, the Z7 is shaping up to be "Ok" which is not what a lot of people were hoping for out of a $3k camera from Nikon. I am surprised that he didn't delve into Video features between the Z7 and EOS R more since they're really gung-ho about the EOS R. But, I do appreciate the time taken to put these videos up and try to start honest comparisons to give viewers a fair shake for products on the market.
Update: TONY: I found *no banding* in the outdoors pics (I returned the camera for other reasons). Did you use LED lights indoors? If yes, activate the FLICKER REDUCTION setting from the SHOOTING MENU. In the D850, it completely eliminates LED light banding, and it even warns you beforehand in the viewfinder.
For a name saying "straight out of camera" you surely don't shoot straight out of camera. Why not put some high iso noise reduction in there as well?
from what i know and see on the phone camera, led does not cause flicker because it uses continuous current, does not depend on the network frequency.
This is a repost so hopefully more see. So I’ve been testing this out to see if its a shutter problem somehow and have pinpointed it to iso settings. Tested so far from iso 64, 80, 100 and then 200. 200 exhibits A LOT LESS banding in really dark areas. Thinking it may probably be codec or unsupported software but it’s definitely an in camera problem since processing in camera show the same results.
Simon S: Even better, I'd go back to film, because even without any of those in-camera settings, the processor itself does tons of processing before writing RAW data to the card, and then the computer does tons of processing to display them on the screen (hence the color/rendering difference of different digital cams with the same exact lens).
Cristian Baluta I’ve read there are many kinds of LED drivers each with its own character. Hard to say what LED driver was used in their case.
Difference is minimal.
Just get a camera and shoot.
I love these technical reviews....this stuff is invaluable......I love having the ability to have an informed decision on gear and large purchases...Photography aint cheap
What technical reviews, ??!!!!!!!!!! ... He's a bluffer ...
Great Comparison video as always. No system has it all I guess. Still loving my trusty D810 😁
D810 is amazing still shooter and will be way in the future
Still loving my trusty D800! haha
@@josecolon8143 while xt3 is an extremely good camera (unless you do sports, birds and wild life. D500 is still the apsc king for those) and the best apsc sensor out there in my opinion, even competing with and/or surpassing ff sensors in some aspects, being an apsc sensor still has its' limitations and problems. While I love my x100f for street photography, and have a lot of positive thoughts about fuji cameras due to my experience with them, still I wouldn't buy an xt3 for my landscape needs.
Aamaj re:D800 Yes, I shoot mine daily and have 330,000 clicks. No sony ever build will last like that. You can't even get replacement parts for 3-year-old Sony's Since the Z7 is build in Sendai Japan on the same line as D5, you can expect it to be plugging along 10 years after the Sony is landfill.
One advantage of the Z6 or Z7 you missed was the new mount - it lets in 100% more light then the old mount - I'd love to see another comparison when Nikon has the new 70-200 2.8 on Z7 vs Sony gmaster 70-200 2.8 on A7RIII or Z6 with new 70-200 2.8 vs A7III with 70-200 2.8 G-master!I'm not pro Nikon (I shoot Canon - and yes, I get good shots!), but I think they are going in the right direction with that new mount!
Maybe I missed it; how long did you use the Z7?
Thank you, this is good information and very much appreciated. In comparing image quality between the Z7 and D850, it would be more informative to use the same settings. Understandably, the Z7 IBIS is an advantage for the Z7.
Every announcement that's happened in the last 2 months makes me even happier that I chose to go all in with Sony 4 years ago! 📸 Great video!
I'd like to go all out Sony but damn the lens are expensive and the ergonomics are terrible compared to my DSLR's. Maybe I'll switch to the A7iii soon. Those two last years have been mind boggling hahaha.
@@CaptainLouis If the ergonomics bother you consider getting the battery grip. I'd say it makes all the difference. As for lenses, they have some great low cost options that are excellent like the Sony 85mm 1.8 and the 55mm 1.8.
@@hitmanhart22 I got to try out both bodies this past week, and I can comfortably say it'll be at least another 3 to 4 years before they catch up to what Sony has today in 2018. Imagine what Sony will have by then! Maybe an A9III or A7R5 with even crazier tech.
They're gonna catch up though (when sony is still 2 generations ahead, but still,...)
Captain Louis there are also L-Brackets that help a little. I have mixed feelings about the one I have, but it is better than not having it.
Interesting comparison, Tony, however, I think you missed one major point of comparison between the Z7 and the Sony a7Rlll...You only showed the Sony's Pixel Shift technology against the Z7's single image. Why not include the Nikon's "Focus Shift" mode??? I believe THAT to be the more relevant comparison! Thanks, and be safe!
will come back in 24h with a 4 gallon tub of popcorn
That was the most useful comparison I seen so far. I am interested portraiture and performance/event(theater, ballet, club) and some architecture, about 6 commercial shoots a month. I am heavily invested in good Nikon glass and I have been trying to decide whether to add a Z7 or D850. My D800 actually serves very well, 330k clicks and still like new. Nikon build quality difference and weather sealing means Sony is not an option. A single XQD card is preferred to 2 SD cards due the great difference in reliability.
What this test showed, which I did not expect, to see 1/3sec hand held getting usable shots is very impressive. My fast primes do not have VR so this is a big advantage for the low light conditions I shoot. Since in clubs I use balance flash often to expose the general atmosphere and let the flash in Rear Curtain freeze the subject. What you showed means background will be much sharper. I do not boost in post much, but all the later Nikons have been good for that, and that banding you noticed would never be seen in my style and subject matter. The 85 1.2 S lens coming out next year is reason enough for adding a Z7. For me, it looks like the Z7 is a better match than any of the other mirrorless but Panasonic's SR1 announced in development could be a very impressive competitor. I wonder if Sony will respond with a pro-oriented camera(sealing, better ergonomics, more rugged, better construction, XQD and product support). The Nikon WT-7 wireless system with real-time 1gigabit per second transfers over a radius of 660 feet is what pros really need for backup, having large files in real time on remove editing or slideshow monitors. That is the future of pro work and particularly wedding, sports, studio and events. The sooner the move away from SD the better, no camera with SD can be considered a pro-grade camera.
Thanks again for the very useful comparison. It is making the decision easier for me. I love theD850 after using one on several sessions but the 5 axis stabilization is really a desirable feature that would be used in every gig. The build quality of the Z7 (made in the same production facility that is making the D5 in Japan indicates how Nikon considers it to be a pro-oriented camera)
Do you have any "I Shoot Raw" t-shirts?
Lol
He does now!
thats cold lol
you can ask "Fro" for that shi(r)t:D
No windtunnel test!!! Incomplete camera review.
I like how one of your tests included image stabilization and you made differences in exposure based on that...because many people still don't know how much of a game-changer image stabilization can be.
Its a really well made comparison, Tony. I was really surprized about the image quality of the Canon EOS R in the overall performance (resolution, shadow recovery and noise) - in the past canon lays way behind Nikon and Sony.
Welso dont have to forget that we are comparing Canons FF Entry Mirrorless Camera with high end cameras from Sony and Nikon with 50% more MP than EOS R. The 1100 Dollar price difference shows that clearly.
I hope Canon will bring in the sensor stabilization into their camera line up Soon. Sensor stabilization advantage is clearly showed here (okay it will make the cameras more expensive, but okay for me)
Maybe he did this test shooting from a tripop, while using ibis, this can influence sharpness in anegative way.
@@metropolis3775 Maybe or maybe not, I dont care if it really influence sharpness. I talked about the image quality and not only about sharpness
Hi Tony , some bloggers are finding the Canon AF is slow, basically it’s dual pixel technology the best for video but not for photo. Do you agree?
Yeah
Nikon - along with having a full touch screen FINALLY and MUCH better video auto-focus (video) - No crop in 4K, 120 fps in 1080p, 8K time-lapse. Canon offers none of these for video in the EOS-R.
Yea and in the pluses he doesn't mention IBIS for Nikon over the Canon...weird
apparently the Nikon screen lag when shooting video , that's weird !!!
@@JetBen555 there is no lag
To be fair, we're comparing Nikon's top of the line mirrorless (Z7) to Canon's entry (which should be compared against the Z6). Having said that, Canon has the best video AF... it's up there with Sony.
The most impressive this to me, outside of some of the technical differences you just mentioned is that these shots were compared with a (cheaper) kit lens on the Nikon and a very nice 24-105 on the Canon. I imagine the IQ will get bumped up even more with better glass.
11:39 ?
Nikon z7 has full frame 4k and 1080p 120fps when compared to Canon EOS R
Another thing one should mention in the pixel shift technologies, is that a) nothing should move in the frame (on a windy day, trees and leaves etc will move a lot), b) the color temp has to remain exactly the same to avoid color corruption, for example in cloudy days with clouds moving fast you may get that +/- 300K difference in less than a second. I think getting a GFX for that additional resolution plus better lenses plus better color density and more natural-looking ("organic" some call it) dynamic range gives more peace of mind than carrying around the Gitzo and being afraid that the long lens will shake (they do...).
Yeah, Pixel Shift is really only useful for architectural stuff, product photography, etc. Things where you may want to employ a MF camera. Obviously if that's all you do then it makes sense to go MF. If not... then you can get by with pixel shift.
I would like more discussion about the automatic focus shift available on the Z7. That is very important to me as a landscape, close-up, and macro photographer.
Almost all of them are super capable, difference is minimal.
You are right, but I get what Henry says. Basically at this point the differences are important for people who need some specific features for some specific jobs. Otherwise the cameras, overall, are overlapping in terms of one feature or the other.
Main difference is price.!
In my tests, I can confirm that the JPG profiles of the Z7 have some additional noise reduction, but one arrives at the same result with the D850 via Photoshop or C1 noise reduction, without worrying about banding issues in the meantime. I couldn't get to 5 stops stabilization - 3 stops maximum WITH the "electronic front curtain shutter" on. From that aspect, the D850 with a well stabilized lens (the Tamron 24-70 G2) had better results.
That means you have better hand holding skills. The less stable you are/capable of handheld shots, the more IBIS, or Lens IS will help you in terms of number of stops. If you could shoot it at 1/30 of a second, you might get to 1/10 with the IBIS, but if on the same shot you were ok at 1/120th you will get to 1/30th. As your shutter speed gets longer, each stop increases it exponentially more (i.e. 1 second to 2 second. F4.5 at 1/2a second is the same as F3.5 at 1 second, and F2.2 at 2 seconds, so the gains are a lot harder to get.) I hope that makes sense, but it means you have better skill.
Well I can get the focal length rule with the D850 without shake up to 135mm. With the Zeiss 28 I got down to 1/30, with the Tamron 1/4. With the Z7 not lower than 1/15 WITH the e-shutter. But I always thought that a younger and healthier Tony Northrup would be more stable than myself (or my daughter, who got the same symptoms with the Z7, and I bought the camera for her, she didn't like it, she loves her phone and the D810... I know, weird).
Either way... IBIS is clearly a nice feature to have (comes in Z6 & Z7), this is something Canon missed out on, unfortunately. Among other misses.
really jpeg....get real
Island boy: The JPEG profiles are what you see on your computer screen when you open a RAW file. That's what I mean. I only shoot RAW, even more than Jared Polin. But what you see on your screen is an embedded jpeg file inside the RAW.
So many defenders lmao, bet they are the same people knocking the Sony first evolutions when they first came out, sony banding, sony EVF, sony 1 slot, sony menu's, sony lack of native lens, its excuses from nikon loyalty card holders. Would love to go back to sony's release video's to see nikon users comments, i bet they reflect exactly what people keep posting now. Popcorn ready...
Hi Tony,
If it's something you are able to do, I would like to see some tests of the Z7 with third party lenses. I heard some Tamron lenses don't work. For the ones that do work, I am curious about their performance (for example AF performance in video mode). I have a lot of third party Nikon F mount lenses and I'm trying to decide between getting the Z7 or Z6 and keeping my Nikon F lenses (and even my D800) or get rid of it all and switch to Sony. Thanks
It's not like Sony is light years ahead of Nikon and Canon. Both new cameras are better than Sony's second generation of a7 cameras. It's only with the a7iii and a7riii where Sony really killed it. So Nikon and Canon are realistically only a year or two behind with great lenses coming down the pipeline. At the end of the day, however, who cares what you shoot with. Learn how to use your gear rather than worry what your gear can do for you. It's about the experience ✌️
even some points Nikon better then Sony .agronomics are better , weather sealing , 10 bit 4k , view finder is better touch screen is also better .
"So Nikon and Canon are realistically only a year or two behind..." Probably, but in a year or two Sony will have advanced again (assuming they keep on top of their game). Not a Sony user, BTW . I'm a Nikon DSLR user wondering which direction to go.
The bad thing is they are comparing this to a7iii which was released a while back, how much more will the A7IV be.
But Sony will still have consumer grade build, ruggedness and weather sealing. It still will not have a service network and will still not provide parts for repairs to models that are not in production. The Z7 is built to last years, Sony users do not keep cameras for years so over a 3-4 year period they spend far more on cameras than simply buying a Nikon once.
I'll hold on to my 70D for a least two years. Then I'll see what's available then, and maybe wait some more.
I'm not suffering from GAS.
Hello, Northrup, Since canon released the EOS R I have watched many reviews about any comparison attribute to image quality for the famous cameras in the market. I decided to get results from the opinion of unexpected people (four young girls of age between 8-12). I opened the dpreview page specifically the images comparometer and I selected three-cameras the EOS R, 5D MK 4 SONY A7R III and Nikon D850 the test was for raw and JPEG files at the normal and low light condition and at ISO 3200 specifically, the result was EOS R is the winner for image of Raw files and while the A7R III was the winner of JPEG files. that was the opinion of four girls
You should have added the Fujifilm GFX 50R to the mix.
Tony that camera behind your head on the wall, what is it? I remember my dad having one like that. And, what is it worth today? I mean, the "technical drawing" behind you.
I bought a Sony A7 II about 2 years ago as my lighter and smaller Travel camera. I know Sony improved on some of the gripes that I had with my A7II with their new iteration, my main problem with the system however is still their lens lineup. They might have good glas for people with big wallets, but many of the less expensive lenses are vastly less desirable (and still very expensive for what they are). I used the 24-70/4 that performs just like an entry level Kit Lens in a fancy shell and a nearly 1000€ price tag. I also invested in the 35/2.8 (the 1.4 is way too big and heavy for a Travelkit) and not only is it not very fast, it is also noticeably less sharp in he corners at anything below F/4.
Overall I think a lot of it is splitting hairs because all the manufactures have great cameras but looking at the entire system one might fit better to a persons needs than others do.
The Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is the 7th sharpest lens in the world, it's actually the second sharpest 85mm (just barely behind a Zeiss cannon for 4500$) and cost 600$ A Sigma 85mm 1.4 for Cannon cost twice as much and is not sharper, just a bit faster.
The Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS is the second sharpest in the world and cost 1100$
Sony FE 50mm F2.8 MACRO only cost 500$ and is nr 15 sharpest. and 3d sharpest 50mm
The 50mm 1.8 is not that sharp but it's only 250$ and weighs nothing.
There is of course more to a lens then sharpness, like chr abberation, distortion, and vignetting, but those you can kinda fix in post.
On the zoom side, I wish Sony had the cheap and sharp Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Canon, or a cheap tamron 24-70 2.8 but the Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens is maybe the best kit lense there is, and only 500$. And the 24-70 2.8 GM is pretty good, and the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM maybe the best zoom regarding IQ, but both quite expensive, but so is the competition.
Still wish for some cheap tamron zooms tho.
Nice comparisons, brief and clear. The only thing I'd want to see otherwise is to pull down by 5 stops and see which has more headroom (highlight recovery).
7:48 Why do you put that as an advantage? It´s like say in Sony E you can adapt A-mount lenses, Canon EF, Canon FD, Minolta MD...
Sony A-mount lenses don't work like a FE native lens.
But you CAN, in Z mount you can't, that's an advantage ;-)
@@dimebagdarrell147 Clunky response w/LH adapter. Like he said earlier about Nikon to Sony adapter, dump the A series lenses and get E's. A lot is possible, but oh so impractical.
Around minute 12 you compare a ISO 64 shot against an ISO 100 one. Is this fair?
Great review! As a canon photographer I know Ill keep my gear and wait for the next mirrorless body!
Nice review. I have personal used the Nikon Z7 with Ny Manual focus Nikkor 300 2.8 IF-ED AIS and it worked great. Loved the ergonomics and the View finder. I like the focus peaking. If your a fan of Nikkor legacy glass the Z7 seems like its is a winner. Right now using a Sony A7r11 for mirrorless And Nikon D4 for DSLR.. For the first generation I think Nikon is going in the right direction.
The noise on the Z7 is smoother because the image is softer. The D850 image is sharper so the noise will be sharper as well
Hello. Not sure I understand how images on the Z7 can be "softer" than those on the D850, simply because of the newly designed Nikkor S lenses?! I've read other reviews that extoll the virtues of sharpness and micro-contrast of the Nikkor S zooms, and the 50 f/1.8 Nikkor S in particular. Thanks!
Thanks. Really appreciate your thorough reviews and comparisons. Enjoying my Z7 for the reasons you mentioned (using my Nikon glass, IBIS, EVF, etc.). Looking forward to your Z7 “settings” video!
PixelShift is a definite Sony a$$kicker. With one or two lenses, I'd probably sell my 'glass'es' and go Sony. With three full generations of Nikkor lenses and the backward compatibility that Z6/Z7 offers, Nikon is still my preferred choice, hands down.
I wonder if Nikon will offer pixel shift as a firmware update.
Hi Toni, sorry to say in long exposure shots, Z7, you can see banding with exposure increase of only 2-3 stops, not the camera for Long exposure or Landscape with extreme dynamic range(HDR Doesn't solve it)
Nikon can beat Sony
But I don't see Canon catching up
The new Nikons impress me
Sure 2 Card Slots would be great
But the next models surely will have it
Nikon at least listens to fans
A greater Mount
Nikon has been around for a long time
I am sure they will bring out many great lenses
Sony is still on top and I love the A7R3 and A73
But I would also get a Nikon if I want a new system
Thanks for the great video Tony
I agree that Nikon can beat sony because they such a great pedigree but they also have a huge challenge. The sensor has nowhere enough AF points to deliver eye AF which one the best features of mirrorless and that is going to take a major redesign and they rely on others including sony to build them. It is crazy for nikon to be so reliant on a competitor. Reviews elsewhere also suggest that the AF struggleseven match their basic dslrs in low light which is really worrying for nikon. They have a fantastic fan base built on great products but they're vulnerable at the moment.
Maybe Sony will have 3 card slots by the time Nikon has 2.
R5 and R6 boom , R3 and R1 on the way ..
I'm sorry Tony but how can you compare image quality Z7 ISO 5600 vs D850 ISO 25600?
I understand you wanted to point out image stabilization but this is not image quality.
You can just shoot hand-held in more difficult light conditions. That's all...
Fair and thourough yet susinct while also offering excellent commentary and perspective. This is why Tony is the best there is. Great job.
At 3:20, comparing pictures from Z7's ISO5600 + sensor stablelization and D850's ISO25600 non-VR is misleading.
Exactly!! fake review, missleading..
I laughed when he said. "This is at 8 to 1" I didn't even know you can do that!
This is the first video that I’ve seen after photokina took place and most youtubers arrived home.
Good to see a lot of comparisons in image quality and your explanation as to why some images were slightly different due to the megapixels. Good to see positive points on the Z 7 and differences in regards to Sony and Canon.
Even though the Nikon and Canon cameras are new, I still think it is all going to come to personal preferences and the type of photography people are doing to choose a system.
Pixel shift example was amazing! No comparison:)
HDR image merging in photoshop using multiple exposures and then editing them in LR is the same thing. Plus if you make a mistake and one of the exposures doesn't align with the rest, I assume that the final image would be unusable by using pixel shifting, you can save your work by just using bracketing mode for shooting multiple exposures on a nikon.
The Nikon has built in Focus Shift...... Tony didn't show it but should have. It's faster, and easier to use than the Pixel Shift.... I have used both.
Focus shift is used for focus stacking, not at all the same as pixel shift - since you have used both, you should know :)
Mahos Paterakis, you can pull out individual frames. The difference isn't just taking multiple shots and stacking them, but also moving the sensor between the shots.
@@jasonrehder953 it's not even close, sorry man.
@@jasonrehder953 what an unusable comment. You are clearly talking about things you didnt understnd
Thanks for the vid. Only note: I would not consider the s-Mount to be a pro for the z7. The lens options are way less unless you add the adapter. That said, I have not seen any issue with the adapter on. I also did not like the digital view finder while working with both the d850 and z7 in the Peruvian Amazon. Because of drastic iso switches, it would often black out the screen, which after a quick adjust put me at a disadvantage when shooting fast moving subjects. As a nature photographer I find this to be problematic. Also, underwater, I usually rely on strobe lighting, so the camera often meters dark until the flash goes off (especially for macro in low vis). I could see this being a problem unless there is a way to make the view finder agnostic to the shooting settings. And forget live view. On the d850 it is tolerable, and even still on the z7 when shooting still subjects or video, but it is not viable for fast moving subjects.
Bending is a big deal for me, I shoot landscapes and I often need the most dynamic range I can get without loosing quality.
I had the 5D Mark II and sold all my Canon stuff because the poor dynamic range and banding noises even in low ISO.
Thanks for doing these comparisons, it saved me a lot of effort. I wonder why other IBIS camera bodies don’t have a pixel shift function for still scenes? I hope the Pro Z camera body that Nikon is working on will have pixel shift.
So the Z7 with a price tag of more than 2000 dollar is not a pro body? 😂😂😂😂 . Every body with a price tag more than 2000 dollar is for pros, some cameras cost even more (f.e Nikon D4 for sports shooters) but they are not more professional when they have a higher price tag. They are only more specialized (wheather sealing, higher fps, ..)
Tony, nice review but you did not mention the video capabilities, vastly improved autofocus, 4k capabilities etc etc of the Nikon Z7? Reason?
I love your reviews. I agree with almost everything but the Z7 vs Canon R ISO6400 comparison. In my opinion the Canon R wins over the Z7.
I also was surprized by that
Agree the Nikon looks worse. There is quite a difference in the magnification of each image though. If the Canon was enlarged to match the Nikon they would probably be very close.
What do you suggest for still photography , Nikon 850, Nikon d780, Z7 or Z6 or Sony a7riii. Which one should one buy
Im a Nikon hybrid event shooter. I've used the Z7 and liked it for my style of shooting. I've tried the A73 but didn't like the EVF and rear screen. Im going to get the Z6 because of the better ISO and price difference.
Keep in mind the a9 and a7r3 have a significantly better evf than the a73
@@AllCarsUnited yes - but I don't think there £2000
Mark Shirley and the iso performance of a73 is better than z6 xD
@@elbanaag9355 not according to Dpreview
Mark Shirley did they test high iso? or just low xD like 10k-50k iso
about image quality between d850 and z7 you are just comparing iso 5600 up against iso 25600 on the d850. did you notice that? is this real?
Yes Pedro, I noticed the same thing. This can easily explain the important difference between the two shots ... I can't imagine it's possible ...
When you consider the price difference, the Canon EOS R is a great deal.
Hi Tony and Chelsea,
You guys are awesome in every sense of work and style.. I really love the way you represent your reviews.. Keep doing great work!
I am the wildlife life amateur photographer and would like to know is..
Sony A7R3+MC11+Sigma 150-600 C or
Nikon Z6/Z7+FTZ+Nikkor 200-500
Which one would be better combination for wildlife photography?
I already have Sigma MC11+150-600 C in my kit.
I would highly appreciate your expert opinion on this...please Suggest!
"Incomplete and boring"? All the better for the trolls to comment on, who will no doubt completely ignore your warning!
I came here to see a laser show and naked girls! I'm _deeply_ upset, Tony! Because of how boring this video is, I'm only going to watch it three more times!
yup, naked girls, me too :) Also, it's kind of annoying that I can only watch how this competition Sony/Nikon/Canon unfolds as I can't afford any of the new cameras atm :) But one day... When you raise the exposure by 5 stops, ISO 8000, handheld, zoom in and see no noise at all...
Thanks Tony and thanks for mentioning how far you are zooming in! It really helps to know just how far we are pixel peeping. I have noticed going to 2:1 on the A7iii starts showing degradation as it is just enlarging pixels at that point. Sure would be nice to have the extra MP. I hopefully will look at adding the Sony A7RIV when ever it comes out. But if Sony didn't exist and I hadn't just switched I would chose the Nikon over the Canon at this point but it isn't a completely fair comparison.
The Eos r for seems to be the best for the buck out of these.
We have had a few tests with the system and for a lot of the shots, we couldn't reproduce banding at all. Our current guess is that the banding is a side effect of an insufficient ability to read the RAW files or that they occur when dealing with a certain format of raws.
What workflow did you use? Did you re-exif to D850? Which kind of raw, compressed, uncompressed, lossless? This might have an effect. We couldn't reproduce the banding and it would be highly interesting to see what kind of behaviour actually elicits the banding effects vs. what doesn't.
This is the first video I've seen showing better image quality credited to sensor stabilization. It would be great if they made a full frame DSLR with sensor stabilization and pixel shift....Oh wait they did! Thanks Pentax!
Poor Pentax. Everyone seems to have forgotten about them.
@@Bayonet1809 Which is a shame, because when Sony first introduced Pixel Shift, Tony remarked that Pentax's implementation worked way better and Sony had a ways to go. Now we don't hear about Pentax as much but there's not a heck of a lot to say.
Pentax? Are they still in business? I have not seen one of their cameras in use by photographers in years.
@@stanspb763 I am sure there are no professional photographers using the Pentax medium format 645z... currently the second ranked sensor on DXO above the d850
@@Bayonet1809 Pentax does lack in focus tracking and movie mode compared to Canikon, but they more than make up for it with, superior image quality, stabalized sensor, pixel shift, weather selling/durability, on body controls, astrotracer, etc
+Tony & Chelsea Northrup - love your videos. Thanks for taking the time to share the technical stuff and details as well as your own opinions.
Having handled the Z7 myself, I'm not its biggest fan. I have a dozen large SD cards and they're rendered useless in the new build. Further, I have large hands. It feels awkward compared to my D850 and D500 with actual vertical grips. And lastly, the AF system just feels foreign.. otherworldly, and not in a good way. I'm not a fan and am hoping to see a price drop in the D850 once the Z7 gets pushed harder or gets a workable firmware update...
Interesting. Thanks. I'll keep my D850.
Same.
I'll keep my Canon 5D Mk3 ;-)
I'll keep my ochra
Yep. I'll be keeping my D850's for stills, and my GH5 for video.
I'll be keeping my 5D mk1 lol
Hey Tony. Nice video. Very informative. I support ur videos n love them all. I'm also supposed to buy a new cam. I gues I'll go for the Nikon D850
I want Chelsea to talk about Nikon Z7 😅
Tony I appreciate your sharing of information for us consumers trying to decide what's best. My concern is durability of these camera's. Weather sealing is always stressed by all reviewers and I don't think everyone's worried about a bucket of water
hitting their camera's. I have experienced two camera's being knocked out of commission from simple bumps into metal things like tripod legs. Hopefully one day you will do a full report on the ruggedness of these expensive camera's that need some type of shock absorb protection built into them. I intent to write other reviewers hoping everyone takes this issue on.
There is no contest in ruggedness, Sony a7 series cameras use consumer grade components(cards, jacks, connectors and sockets, housing) and have no weather sealing. The Z7 is built as a pro camera with sealing for weather including all S lenses and is made on the same assembly line in Japan as the top camera for ruggedness, the D5. Even the D850 is made in Thailand. If you shoot outdoors or in uncontrolled environments the Z7 is the hands down more suitable camera. Sports, landscape, dusty or high humidity situations it is not a good idea to expose an a7xxx to those conditions, particularly since Sony service is almost nonexistent. Sony also stops distributing parts for units out of production so a7 owners are out of luck if some rain gets into their 3-year-old camera.
The Sony a7 series is built for the price point, across all divisions their margins on products are higher so to sell the a7III for $2000 in the US it means consumer grade construction is used on all parts selections. In fact the corporate-wide marketing plan for Sony is maintaining high sales rates by forcing owners to upgrade every model change. Ask your friends who had Sony for 3-4 years how many times they upgraded. 3 times in 4 years. Ask a Canon or Nikon user, and it will be 3-8 years per upgrade but their old camera is still repairable and is used as a second shooter camera in events. The D700 is still the most used wedding camera, 12 years later. No old Sony's are seen in the field.
The Sony cameras deliver alot of performance in a light duty camera for hobbyists and occasional shooters and are a good buy but not for someone who pushes their gear or shoots inadverse conditions.
I'm so happy with my X-T3 👻
Thats great! How does it relate at all to a video comparing FF mirrorless cameras?
@@1001spencer directly it doesn't. Indirectly it does because it's really amusing to see people trying to defend canon and nikon hobbyist ff cameras at pro price.
I prefer Fuji's super full frame cameras ;)
Was looking to get one for video, but the 16-55 does not have OIS (or am I wrong), nor does the body have IBIS. So now I am waiting for the Sony a7000.
Me too, I think at this stage it is the benchmark APS-C camera, with awesome capabilities, the only downside is the mediocre battery life that can be negated by buying a battery grip. Coupling the X-T3 with a D850 would be perfection for me, this would perfectly cover general, landscape & telephoto photography.
I hope I can get the XT3, it is likely the EOS R is not so promised. I have checked the image quality of the XT3 at imaging resource really there is a good upgrade.
Sony a7r iii is the winner here - end of story! 😉
I purchased a Sony A7 mark ii, with a kit lens. Now I want a zoom lens that extends to at least 300mm, but the cost of the lenses new are ridiculous and more than I can afford. Do you recommend buying used Sony FE lenses? If so, where (which merchants you recommend) would you suggest I look?
You use Z7 iso 5600 compare D850 iso 25600 , picture in z7 obviously better than d
850
良新 did you notice z7 was shot at 1/3 sec and D850 was shot at 1/50. That’s a huge difference when handholding a camera. He changed the iso so that they’d be the same exposure
I watch a ton of videos comparing the D850, Z7 and the sony A7RIII. All are great but deciding is tough. It almost come to flipping coins for me to pick. I like the D850 anr its robust feel but I also like the reactions of the A7RIII and the Z7. Rambling on I really dont know which one to chose. You guys have great videos and they a really helpful. If you could recommend one what would it be. I'm doing HD video and stills. Maybe a 60/40 video vs photo. Thanks for all the info
trx350 - I'm not Tony, but I'll offer this if it helps. I shoot video and stills. Just ordered the Z7. 120fps @ 1080p. 10 bit 4:2:2 N-Log out the HDMI Port and 8 bit internal. smooth, very good auto focus for video with S lenses and usable with all my Nikon glass for manual focus pulling or some auto situations. In camera sensor stabilization worked great. Face tracking work very well in my short tests. The Z7 handily beats the D850 if you are shooting video and need it to look great (which the D850 can do) and be much easier to shoot and have some good stabilization. So it's really between the Z7 and A7RIII... If you have Nikon glass... it's over... get the Z7 or Z6. If you want to sell everything and start over... then it's a more difficult choice between the two. I think the new Z mount will bring good things in the future and you can use your existing glass until it does.
I'm just here waiting for the negative comments 👍
*grabs popcorn*
Negatives are so passé.
vangelaobli the complainers are the ones who never took a shot in their lives with anything other than a mobile phone! 😛
They love this shit, more views equals more $$ for them. Nothing wrong with that, just sayin'
-1
I can see a Z7 body in my future, but not for 6 months or so. Hey, was that soundproofing in the studio to drown out Pixel noise?
Canon flew you to Hawaii for the press event.....and you were very dismissive of the one card slot on their camera as opposed to the bashing the Nikon Z camera received. I will watch this review with a jaundiced eye.
@@aceflibble Tony released a video last week where he said 'there is no clear winner' when comparing the A7 III to the Canon EOS R. In that video, the single card slot concern was glazed over, only to blast Nikon in this one. Definately a bias.
aceflibble so that’s how it works? Because Nikon came out first, you bash their so called shortcomings, then when Canon does the same you hardly mention it cause you said it about the Nikon? That’s ridiculous.
Steve F
Naykon sucks
Zane Leitch Nikon fanboys are getting as bad as Fuji fanboys LOL. Boohoo, Tony was angrier at Nikon than he was at Canon. I wonder, just maybe, because we're comparing a consumer entry-level FF Canon to a supposedly professional high-end FF Nikon? Watch the bashing Canon will get if their pro model, to be announced later this year, has only one memory card!
No need to be jaundiced, Everyone likes what they have... choose the one you like and then go take pictures... let the pictures talk...
Well done, I am old school Nikon and think the Z -line is a home run. However the Sony and Canon really just as good. For me the FTZ adapter is a game changer. I lots of old Nikon and other lens that I can still use with the Z series.
Once you shoot with IBIS, you cannot live without it.
I have and I can.
read that as "IBS"
James Ryan I agree.
Taking the IBIS T shirt required Tony
Shooting video or photo?
Tony, I see the a7r3 was at f4 as was all the other test. Was the Sony using a GM lens? What is the effect of the camera, what is the lenses effect on on a test like this?
Why doesn’t anybody talk about the Non AF issue on the D lenses with FTZ mount…?
Am I the only one that have Nikon D Lenses…?
Glad I'm not alone. Pissed to find out my 85mm won't autofocus. Use that lens all the time.
Do AF-S D lenses auto focus with the FTZ?
yes ,all afs lenses af.
Luis Miguel Paquete +
Nikon doesn't care about the older lenses. You can't use a D series lens on a D3000 or D5000 series camera and have them auto-focus, so why think that Nikon was going to support this on the replacement for both series?
For the last 10 years or so, it almost seems that Nikon is pushing it's loyal base away since they keep dropping support for older lenses.
I use the Nikon 20-35 f/2.8D as well as the 35-70 f/2.8 D partially because they're half the size of the 17-35 and the 24-70, and built like a tank and don't suffer from AFS motor squeal.
I for one, will be passing on the Z6 or Z7, as they offer nothing for me.
cory james Thanks
I had a chance to try out the EOS R this last weekend: I found the on-screen track-pad feature very usable, and a solid replacement for the joystick. It takes some getting used to, but works just fine.
Yeah it's not too bad. It's too slow for sports, though, and I often have to swipe twice to get to the other side of the frame
If I understand correctly, there is a 'relative' mode and an 'absolute' mode: one tracks in the way you describe, where as the other basically uses the whole screen and where you touch it, it is where it will assign the focus point...
EOS R banding was a million times worse yet he puts BANDING IS REAL for Nikon Z7 lol
A million. That's a lot!
Thanks a lot Tony, just one question, those strange colors on A7R3 are not in the DPreview samples! Why they are so clean in DPR tests compared to the one you did?!!!
Thanks for claryfying the importance of dynamic range. I have been attacked and offended so many times in the past. They really use the same reasons everytime, it is really that idiotic: "If you really need to push the exposure by 5 stops, you are a bad photographer" "A good photographer exposes just right" "There are hardly any situations where you need 5 stops of dynamic range" etc... In my opinion it is the opposite: People who do not get the importance of dynamic range, are not deep enough into photography -
Totally agree. The human eye has a dynamic range of about 20 stops, whereas photos usually show only about 8. Pushing shadows 5 stops still only behind you to 13 stops-still way less than the human eye sees.
Especially with Landscapes, if you don't want to take 7 exposures of the same shot, you need dynamic range. With video, you can't take 7 exposures so it's even more important there.
So true! I encountered the same, those bashing us with these claims are usually living in denial, they cannot accept the truth that their beloved cameras have less dynamic range. (yes, canon users)
Dynamic range is the thing I care most about after ISO performance. Or equally maybe.
Videos on h.264 you can't do anything really to recover properly... it gives you just 8bit, so the dynamic range is limited. here comes the clog and slog that helps you shoot on 10bit RAW video. Don't think that because on a photo raw file you can recover 5 stops, you can do it in video!
and i am still saying that if a photographer needs 5 stops to recover a photo then he needs to study again. on Landscape photography we have the gradient filters, that will help you to achive that 5 stop, without loosing quality(unless you will buy cheap stuff, then the problem is again YOU). no matter how good the DR will become, you are still loosing quality when you push it over the -3EV/+3EV
I like to compare on sensor focus points to a dust particles.More focus points=more dust particles on your sensor.And you have to hide those focus points somehow.Something like dust reduction. Quality of image suffers in process. I love your videos.Good job!
Nikon Rumors is using your video for extra traffic.
They ridicule you but then post your video to get more ad traffic.
More and more I am liking NR less. It’s sad how biased and aggressive they’re about everything.
Nikon Rumors steal contents from people and put on watermarks, spread false accusations, and basically has no abilities to gather rumors other than translating Japanese rumor websites.
"Nikon Rumors is using your video for extra traffic" that i am not sure.
"They ridicule you" - When Tony posted his first impression on Nikon Z7, no one ridiculed him (including Nikon Rumors). it all happened once he posted his Canon EOS R video, and his clear bias over canon system.
NR also stands for Negative Reviews ! ... or Nasty Rumblings or Nuisance Reporting ... or ...
LOL
how nice to watch the video without blurry background
You say banding is a negative but, “No need to worry about the banding”, you say? Such a double standard.🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
It depends on you. I don't really care about it but other people are different from me and I'm not going to hide information from them.
Good technical review. I like how you did the handheld test between the Z7 and the D850. That IBIS is a huge win for the Z7 shooting with un-stabilized glass.
I do a lot of sports photography on the water. On a sunny day, you're dealing with a bright sky, bright specular reflection on the water, and subjects that are often in deep shadow. Even ignoring dynamic range for a moment, if I swing my camera 10 degrees my exposure can be completely different, and even the best metering doesn't always nail it, especially considering that I'm bouncing around on the water, struggling to keep my subject in the frame at all. And when you do consider dynamic range...yeah....
Bracket landscapes if you're having banding.
vnitto literally this. He’s also lifting shadows from a level that only a novice would
Nah, I've raised shadows up to five stops before. It's rare, but you'd be surprised how much dynamic range can be required for some scenes unless you want to bracket. And bracketing is not always ideal because it makes you unable to photograph moving subjects well. Add to this that you now have the ability to underexpose an image by a few stops. That alone is beneficial in that you can shoot at a faster shutter speed with a lower ISO and have an overall cleaner image, but when you add sensor stabilization in the mix it opens up a whole new world of image possibilities in terms of technical quality.
Exactly. Then use Auto HDR in Lightroom to merge the image. Why do we expect the camera to do everything for us, instead of just working on improving our technique? Are photographers? Or do we just push a button?
"Auto-bracket multiple exposures in camera and then in post production, use an auto HDR tool=masterful photography. Taking a single image and squeezing out as much dynamic range as possible=relying on cameras to do the work for us." I'm really interested to know how that kind of reasoning even begins to make sense. Because I'm failing to see how using one set of automated tools over others makes someone a better photographer.
i was talking about landscapes, bro.
It would be interesting to see the Z7 with a sharper lense. Sigma 24-105? Nikon 70-200?
Tony keeps giving "wins" to the Z7 on cleanliness on higher ISOs, but really it looks completely devoid of details after a baked in noise reduction on the deep shadows.
Rafaelinux, I noticed this too. I was surprised that despite the chroma noise and lower resolution, that the EOS R seemed to have greater detail at low and high ISO. Currently I use both Canon and Sony and have resisted going full frame since I prefer a smaller kit vs a bit better SNR. Were I to go full frame, I'd probably grab the A7R3 or EOS R. I don't see any real benefit to the Z7 beyond compatibility with Nikon F mount lenses.
Remember the canon might have a sharper lens though
RayValdezPhotography, it's definitely a possibility given that Canon glass is often slightly sharper than Nikon glass. That said, most people seem to use the kit lens for most of their shots so having a lens that effectively wastes 15 or 20 megapixels is still worth mentioning. I'm sure that the Z7 could at least match, if not out-resolve the EOS R with better glass.
Seriously though, I got the Commlite Nikon adapter for the Sony and autofocus is super fast and accurate, like it was a native lens. You really should update your views on this :)
Canon EOS R is ..... Prettier 😁😁😁
Good one Tony 😁
It is and has way better ergonomics. I tested it at the photokina last week
who give a shit if the camera is ''pretty'' , it could be a putrid green box for all I care, as long as it take great pictures and videos
@@JetBen555 I Like this and thousands of other people. The ergonomics of the EOS R are outstanding
Camera are fucking tools, you should NEVER buy a camera based on the LOOK of the camera OMG how dumb are you????
It's pretty ... omg AHAH what a joke
As a note, the newer F to E mount adapters, like the newest fotodiox one, works fairly well. Not as well as native, but similar to EF-S to E adapters.
SONY GOD FOREVER ✌️#1 👑
lmao
tony i’m curious although you might have mentioned this in one of your videos.. what camera system do you use?
Canon EOS R looks like the best camera for money
I'd be interested in seeing it compared to older generations of the A7 that are similarly priced.
Егор Владимирович the IQ and DR was surprisingly good. I expected the Z7 to blow it away and it didn't really. All 3 of these cameras are great!
Best troll comment goes to ...
You misspelled gh5
Older A7 versions are slow as hell on auto focus.
So I’ve been testing this out to see if its a shutter problem somehow and have pinpointed it to iso settings. Tested so far from iso 64, 80, 100 and then 200. 200 exhibits A LOT LESS banding in really dark areas. Thinking it may probably be codec or unsupported software but it’s definitely an in camera problem since processing in camera show the same results.
Z7 is a rip off. It sucks
of what?still sucks royal with the less than mediocre focusing!using a D750 and getting the Nikkor 20mm f1.8 tomorrow!gettting the D850 in march though!
For the same money you could get a D850, one of the finest cameras made. Even that is pricey.
I have always used Nikon, but I’ve stopped at D810 as it’s all the camera I will ever need. Any more upgrades cost a lot more money for not much bang
Kinda true!I have had 2 D800s and the last one died last year!the well known Nikon problem with the loose rubber grip "leather" got flappy and let moisture in that ate the mother board and killed it!I will also stop after D850 in which I mean will probably buy and maintain a couple of D810s since 36 mpx is enough for sure!!!
you won't be saying that after Oct. 18th.
Even though I have Nikon glass, version one does not invoke confidence for investing into the system. Too many compromises. Have you done a high iso a7riii vs a7iii for stills? Curious how the resolution and detail balance with noise between the two.