Random Ramble Ep. 02 - Back From Africa and Sayonara Sony...
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
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my biggest complaint about the Sony a9, A9ll and then the A1 was the ergonomics.... I am also all in with the Z9..
Welcome back. Missed you. 😉 Going in search of Instagram photos.
I am with Nikon since 2012 and bought several AF-S Nikkor lenses which i am still using on the Nikon Z series. I never wanted to switch because i was always satisfied with Nikon ergonomics, usability, flexibility, price, performance and image quality.
Happy to hear Nikon is back in the game. Hopefully some of their new technology will filter down to models that are affordable by retired hobbyists!
Nikon is looking great! lens to come out and ergo/feel .. HUGE memory cards (capacity compared to the "A") monster battery life... instant on... so much more BUT the real technology is in your talent; i know you can make beautiful images with a box/hole camera.
I am also all in with Z 9.
What a great camera.
Glad to see you back 100% Nikon! Nikon ergonomics are unbeatable
Hi Steve, great to see you back 100% Nikon. You may have been there, but the Alabama Hills near Death Valley would be a great place to spend time as well.
Very nice picture on insta. Glad to see you back. And have a good time with you kinds.
No surprise on the Nikon choice,you are a smart gentleman indeed.
Informative and entertaining as always! Glad to hear Nikon delivered for you!
Steve, glad you are back safe and sound…. No wildebeest to dodge on the runway. Can’t wait to see the photos from Africa. Glad also that you have a Nikon you love.
Thank you sir 🙏
Awesome video Steve. Glad to hear your thoughts on the Nikon Z9. I stuck with Nikon and I'm so glad I did. I've had my Z9 for a little over a month and I am continually impressed with what it can do.
I think you should check out Anza Borrego State Park while in SoCal. Some great photo spots.
Welcome home, look forward to your Z9/A1 Conclusion. Cheers Ian (UK)
welcome home Steve. depending on how high fuel cost get in next two weeks, I'll be heading up to the Tetons. Hopefully will see you out there.
Glad you're back, have fun in Cali
Welcome back. Looking forward to images from your African trip. I think it helps to concentrate on getting to know one camera well so, congrats on the Z9. Looking forward to hearing a little bit more about that decision such as what will you miss about the Sony A1.
The Sony A1 is a great camera but I prefer the Nikon ergonomics and colour science of the Nikons...
A good choice. I got my Z9 last week and the Z100-400 in Dec.
Looking forward to Africa photos.
The Z lens range is nearly filled out.
I just need to learn to use my Z6ii
Missed you. Glad you had fun and are back safe and sound.
The beard is gone, Steve! Lookin fresh! Glad to see you made it back in one piece...can't wait to see all your photos, especially from that morning in Maasai Mara! - Palmer
Glad to hear Nikon has caught up with the competition. I really like the s line lens I have and am waiting patiently the rest of the lineup to roll out.
NPS came through for me and I got my hands on the Z9. Wow.... What a camera. Anyway, thanks for the random ramble and happy hunting after the Spring Break!
Glad your home safe and healthy. I have to say that I really thought you were going to choose Sony. Happy that Nikon made the cut.
Great to see you switching to Nikon!
Those small things you mention all add up
LCD screen, instant on, battery life,
I love my Z9 .,
Yes we missed you . Love your videos …. Keep them coming plz . Would love to hear about the 400 2.8 w TC / when u get it ! Thx
Other great bird photo locations in Cali: Elkhorn Slough and Point Lobos State Nature Reserve. Both near Monterey. Shorebirds, Peregrine’s, Pelicans, Sea Otters and much more. Enjoy your trip Steve.
Seriously, who wouldn't miss somebody who has a Beagle dog! Glad to hear you had a successful trip looking forward to the coming years worth of utube from your site.
Have also gone (almost) completely ZED, keeping my D6 for now. Only have one complaint, no DxO PureRAW support for Z9 to date. Hence still using Z7II for low light wildlife photos. Cheers, from Australia.
Glad to see you are back safely and that the Z9 is all you wanted it to be! For me it was the opposite, after a decade shooting Nikon I am finally relieved to be able to move away from Nikon's ergonomics - I've always found their double-button-presses challenging to execute rapidly. I like the A1 because I can set it up exactly how I want and I can get everything done with a single button press. Ergonomics is such a personal thing, what works for you is completely different from what works for me :-) Looking forward to those amazing shots from Africa!
So glad you made it home safely!
Amen brother glad you've come back to Nikon. I've been shooting the Z9 as well.
We did miss you 😊
I look forward to your footage and photos! I hope to visit the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area next year myself. As for the camera: sounds like a reasoned decision, especially how invested you are in Nikon lenses already.
In SoCal, consider Orange County for Bolsa Chica, Upper Newport Bay, and San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary for a mix of shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors just an hour north of La Jolla.
Not a really bad system out there, but I also have been with Nikon and stayed with Nikon when they introduced their Z system. The 9 is more than I need but the 7ii and lenses are amazing. I'm a SoCal guy and can't go wrong with what you mentioned. Big Bear Lake near Joshua Tree, etc. has the eagles up there and some other wildlife. Going up to Bishop you get within about an hour the highest point in the lower 48 (Mt. Whitney) and Death Valley (the lowest) and the sand dunes out there are epic. Alabama Hills just outside Bishop are pretty amazing as well. Can't speak to wildlife outside of some black bears in the mountains, but those are unique places here in CA. Enjoy spring break with the kids!
Nice short video about your thoughts on that Sony and Nikon topic. I'm with Nikon, but as you said it is now all about own preferences. Here in Europe (Germany) we are although still waiting for the Z 400/2.8 TC VR S. I can't wait to go out shooting with it.
Lots of great surf spots in San Diego!
Can't wait to try the new z telephoto. I am also selling my 600 fl next week. I did pre/pre order the yet to be release 600mmxf4s. I sold all my f lense and I will only keep the 200mm F2 . I am sure you are gonna love your 400mm 2.8s
Loving my Z9 so far as well. Definitely excited to get lots of use out of it this year in Yellowstone/Tetons, and it will be great to start doing more video (the DSLRs weren't the best for that so never really did much).
Looking forward to viewing your videos and stills from your Africa trip. How soon will you show us?
Welcome back (I always miss your wildlife videos)!!! Steve any plans on purchasing Nikon new 800mm F/6.3 lens? Have a great trip to Southern California.
Yes that lens looks very interesting...
Welcome back Steve! I'm shooting 90% video, so am interested to hear your detailed observations of the Z9 vs. A1 in that department. From everything I've seen the Z9 doesn't seem to outperform the A1 in any significant way in terms of video if you don't need prores/prores raw (which I don't due to the ridiculous file sizes and insignificant improvement in IQ over simple 10bit 4:2:2).
Can't wait to see the photos from Africa. Not surprised you're going with Nikon because you were a Nikon shooter before. I'm glad the Sony gear helped you capture some amazing photos and video to share with us :) I'm also happy Nikon caught up b/c the mirrorless features are fantastic. Having the right tool for the job makes it all ok. I am very surprised about your comment that the Sony is slow to start. I'm wondering if you've tried it without the grip? The only reason I ask is because I find the A1 incredible to start. I'll be out with snowy owls, camera off and if something happens, I flip the camera button on and as you mentioned, when it's to my eye, it's ready to roll. But I don't use the grip. I have it, but rarely use it so I'll have to try it and report back. My Sony A7RIV however, is very slow to turn on. Have fun with the family!
All good Then Steve 👏😀. Would be amazing if you could catch up with Mark Smith in Florida 👍
Basically I fully agree. Except 3:12, there is a difference: subject detection is equal, as long as nothing is between lens and e.g. bird. The a1 AF does not get distracted by tiny branches between bird and camera, the Z9 totally fails in such situations and is always focusing on the branches instead of subject, that’s quite annoying. Same thing with reflections on water or water surface rippled by waves. Also distracting background such as trees/forest or mountains. No such problems with the a1. The only Nikon working almost perfect in such situations is the D500. - However, I’m a Nikon shooter since ever and also sold all Sony the day the Z9 arrived. Let’s hope, Nikon fixes this problems next firmware updates. Waiting also for my Z 400.
Z Mount advantage Wins
Great to here that, because I was wondering, if a change to sony would be worth it. It seems not, I also love my Z9. I also think about seeling my 500 PF and 600 FL once I get my 400 :)
I shoot sony but I’m very glad Nikon shooters have a very solid choice now. Enjoy!
If you love desert landscapes but are looking to check out a new place have you considered Death Valley? Really think you'd love it there and reasonable temps for this time of year! Tons of creative opportunities there!
Welcome back to the good guys lol
IIRC, big rock climbing areas east of SD. Not sure exactly where, and not sure if there js any interesting photography to be done there. I seem to recall a marsh near Del Mar with a lot of birds, but no idea the name or public access.
Nikon must have done something right. I've stumbled on 'new' Z9s being sold private party at a huge mark up. I thought that was just an new xbox / ps5 thing. Sounds like you found the right match for your needs. Can't wait to hear more about Africa and SoCal.
Battery life and ergonomics of the Sony plus the build quality is inferior on the Sony plus the crappy menu design of the Sony leaves a lot to be desired.
Nothing to do with the z9 but I might be upgrading my camera and I wanted to ask you a question. For wildlife photography would you choose the d850 or the z7 2. Thanks.
First thank you. Since you might not have your A1 anymore but what firmware version did it have. I have both the Sony Alpha 1 and Nikon Z9. Just tested start up head to head and the Nikon is faster but by a fraction of second. Don't know if lens types have any effect but can honestly say there is currently very little difference.
Excellent video and presentation. A question., if I could only take one lens with a Z9 to Kenya, what would that be? Thank you.
For me, the new Z 100-400... but that is just me...
@@SteveMattheis Thanks.
Hi Steve. Congrats on going back to Nikon. Been there since 1974, and though I’ve been tempted, have stayed true to the brand. Off topic, how do I find a good photo safari to Africa? I absolutely don’t need photo instruction, just a good safari. Thanks Buddy
Welcome back! Was hoping the 400mm was waiting for you. Great insight on the Nikon Sony choice as I thought you would stick with both systems. I'd like to have both but I'm happy with D850.
Will probably save for the Z9. My question is when changing lenses does the Z9 autofocus not work like the D850 sometimes where you have to unmount and remount the lens to fix it?
That in itself is the drawback to the Sony startup time.
My D850s never exhibited that behavior, nor has the Z9. I think you should send in the D850 for repair…
UA-cam missed you too.
Ha! Thanks..
Sayonara means goodbye- forever. Possible you can go for many years with either Z9, A1 or possible R1 for that matter. My personal view on this when keeping up with technology is that Nikon has made a stretch with Z9 while Canon and Sony has more up it's sleeves that we will se in the future A1II and R1. The lauches of the two happends while Nikon still working on updates and fixes on the Z9. That said, the Z9 and you will for many years to come, produce awesome images and videos for us followers to see. I quite sure though that we will see another leap in development from the two you left behind in favour of Nikon during 22/23. I understand the reasons behind the system you selected to go forward with and as you said, preferences will vary among the users. I still keep my presciption to you channel because the vids and images you produces attracts me more than the brand.
I've really enjoyed you posts from Africa on IG. Instead of using stories, or I should say, in addition to, crop your videos to 9:16 and up/l to the Reels format. The IG algorithm is pushing Reels and I picked up a bunch of new subscribers when I started doing that. Plus as a creator, they might start paying you!
Hello Steve, I’m an amateur wildlife photographer from Costa Rica who owns Nikon D750 with Sigma 150-600 I can’t afford a Z9, should I wait until Nikon releases a better camera than Z6II in order to jump to mirrorless system? Kind regards
Anza Borrego ,hawks and flowers.
Agree with the recommendation for Anza Borrego Desert State Park, especially at this time of Spring.
When the bloom is strong and the caterpillars are everywhere the Swainson Hawk morning fly out can be phenomenal. We have had a fly out of 400 at times. The Swainson Hawk recovery is one of the most exceptional restoration successes ever.
Look forward to seeing the pictures from Africa. Did you use the flexshooter this trip?
A little bit, mostly used a beanbag and handheld...
Steve, do you feel that your UA-cam channel has helped increase photography sales? I am considering a channel of my own.
Also, interested in knowing how you market your business.
QUESTION? Does the view finder have the ability to detect what your eye is looking at and focus accordingly? I thought I saw that on someone’s video,but I can’t locate it.
I think only the Canon R3 currently has that ability.
Sir share the photos or make another video of photos side by side
Eagerly waiting for next video
Thank you 😃
Steve, please put your photos on Flickr (or similar). Your images are wonderful and Instagram just doesn't measure up. For those of us who are amateur photographers and follow your work a better platform to view your images would be wonderful.
My website! www.stevemattheis.com but I know what you are saying...
It sounds like you can speak freely.
I was starting to think you had ended up as the main course for some critter.
There were a couple of close calls 😂
Nikon z !!!!
j'ai un Sony A7R IV et aujourd'hui j'ai cette impréssion que Sony ne respect pas c'est client. pas de mise a jour des firmware, limitation des licence accordé a sigma pour des bague, objectif, ...
il fond de bon capteur / boitier MAIS ... une foi acheté vous attendé pas a d'autre effort de la pare de sony
Bioluminescence is back in San Diego if you are out here. Always fun to shoot.
Welcome Back to the darkside. 😅
And when Sony releases the A1MKII ... ... ...
Eventually they will. In the mean time I'll be out in the field happily making photos. And when they release mkii, I'll be happily making photos then too👍
Steve, please don't take offence but are you related to Robert Vaughn ? Lol.
No but that dude had good hair…
Sony has a higher fps in raw. Sony has a much higher resolution viewfinder. Sony is over a pound lighter (it’s still lighter with the battery grip and extra battery attached).
Sony won't shoot full quality raw at 30fps, only lossy compressed raw. Maybe that important to you, maybe not. And the higher resolution viewfinder only gives you higher resolution if you are not using continuous tracking autofocus - and who isn't shooting an A1 in continuous AF? Otherwise it blinks and switches to lower resolution whenever you engage continuous autofocus which is actually pretty annoying. Yes the Sony is lighter. That is important to some people for sure, but not me.
@@SteveMattheis- 30fps compressed is better than 30fps jpegs. And I agree that the lowing of resolution in the viewfinder is annoying, but even when it lowers it is still at a higher resolution than the Z9’s. I will however concede that the ergonomics are something that Sony could definitely continue to improve upon.
I personally want full quality images so it's 20fps Max for me either way.
@@SteveMattheis I mostly shoot 20fps EVF looks great on my A1
Why would you want a tiny light camera if your using something like a 600f4...If 1lb makes a difference get a monopod..most people don't notice a 1lb difference
Nikon Sponsored Add..
Hahaha I wish.
What is the actual deal with Sony shooters? Can you not just enjoy your "best ever" camera and go take pictures? I'm really starting to wonder if Sony makes people sign a contract before taking delivery of their cameras, that you have to promise to go on social media and troll Canon/Nikon.
And, it's "ad"
@@ncmetalfan5267 are you going to try Fuji GFX100FS next don't get emotional mate its all a bit of gest.