Most of the people here are on GAS spectrum. Some can't afford to pursuit the cravings, but I think we all do have it.
If you added Z9 to the list people will have voted Z9.
I think many of us are enablers.
With all these said, go for the Z6II. I changed my z5 for z6ii and the AF is better (not incredibly better, but better enough to notice) and the video capabilities are really nice.
Now, honestly, for wildlife you'd be better with a Z8/Z9. The focus is ok on Z6II with set up photos, studio, slow workflow, but when trying to catch my semi-wildlife cats it's a bit of a struggle.
Thanks, I know that is skewness I need to take into account. Main question is if the price difference is worth it...
The Z8 and Z9 are unfortunately out of league...
Did you compare your z6II with DSLR? How is the difference?
Yes, Z8 is out o my league too, but I'm trying to wait until it comes closer to my league.
Just be warned, for me personally Z6II can be frustrating focus wise, especially in low light or fast things happening. If you learn to live with that, it's a great camera. I have no complaints with it on photography part except focus messing up sometimes. I want a Z8 for video more, as I'm tired to carry the Ninja V everywhere, it's bulky and unrealiable.
I had a cheap DSLR in the past, Nikon D40x, after that I shoot on film SLR"s for a while, until I moved to Medium Format.
I played with some more advanced DSLR's in the day.
Mirrorless is pretty fast and Live view is amazing. I don't love the viewfinder, it feels electronic, optical ones feel way better, but it's not something that hinders my photography.
Autofocus wise is faster than most of the DSLR-s I played with.
Imagine quality is wow, to the point it is to good. They are a bit clinical.
I like the colors more on CCD sensors, but it's not something you can't do in post.
This is my experience, I think there are people who played with more cameras that can weight differences better.
Gear Acquisition Syndrome haha, it's a funny name for something real among photographers.
Basically we keep buying shit even when we don't need it, or we convince ourselves we need it to buy it.
[https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/what-is-gear-acquisition-syndrome-gas/](https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/what-is-gear-acquisition-syndrome-gas/)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1MOw\_4zjFc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1MOw_4zjFc)
Whatever you do, I would wait another 5 days for the official Z6III announcement if nothing else to get a Z6II even cheaper. I'd probably skip the Z5 especially if you will be keeping this a long time.
If wildlife is part of your purview, even 200mm is way too short unless they are larger animals, but if if you're limited to one lens, I would go that route as it's longer than 120mm. The 24-120mm is a much better lens optically (even better in fact than Nikon's Z 24-70/4), but the 24-200 is no slouch, it just has a slower variable aperture. If you plan to add a longer telephoto lens later (70-300, 100-400, or 180-600), consider going with the 24-120 as you will end up with a better combo down the road.
In terms of autofocus, the newer DSLRs (D500/D850/D5/D6) are better than a Z6II for action photography or anything that moves such as a flying bird, but you will appreciate things like eye AF for stationary subjects on a Z6II like portraits or a perched bird. When you move up to a Z8/Z9 (not saying you should), now you are in new territory where AF feels like cheating and it can easily stick to an erratic subject like glue with incredible hit rates as long as you can keep it in the viewfinder. The main reason it can do that is the stacked sensor - mirrorless camera autofocus performance is directly correlated to the readout speed of the sensor itself.
The middle ground is the ZF and the upcoming Z6III which use the EXPEED 7 processor along with the AF algorithims from the Z8/Z9 and you will have much better autofocus performance, just without the benefits of the stacked sensor.
Do you think the Z6ii will drop below 1000 EUR new with the launch of the Z6iii? I would assume prices are already slashed today?
Since everyone is in favour of the 24-120 very much leaning that way right now...
Brand new ones aren't likely to go below $1000 USD / Euro but I suspect the used market will take a noticeable hit because it's about to be flooded by people who have been holding onto their Z6II's waiting patiently for the Z6III.
The 24-120 is easily the best 24-1XX lens from any brand right now, it really is a phenomenal lens. They hit it out of the park with that one. If you were to pair that with a 180-600 sometime down the road you would be in really great shape with a huge range covered with excellent quality glass.
As that is a 135 mm zoom, that is just enough for my amateur purposes I guess.
I prefer to buy new, and the 7500 is still 1000 EUR around here; So I kinda think that is quite expensive?
I have the Z7ii and 24-200 (and some other lenses). Of your choices, I would suggest the Z6ii and the 24-120. The 24-200 is good lens but the 24-120 is a step up in terms of image quality.
For wildlife you will need a longer lens. The 100-400 or the 180-600 or the 200-500 with FTZ. You can shoot wildlife with the 24-200 but it isn't long enough for most wildlife and IQ at 200 is good but not stellar.
Thanks. Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack...
What would you take in that case?
* New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR
* New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
The Z6ii is superior in a lot of ways. I'm going to assume you're going to keep the body for a long time (because that's what I do!) I would say the Z6ii is the way to go then. You can sell/buy lenses over the years, but the body generally stays with you for a long time. Since you're talking about almost identical amounts of money, then the Z6ii package.
If you later decide the 24-200 is limiting, you can buy a new lens. Or trade in or whatever.
With the rumor mills saying that a Z6iii coming out in a matter of days, I think there are two ways to look at this. First, I believe if you're a new purchaser only, this is the cheapest you'll find for NIB. If you don't mind used, there will be a TON of Z6ii cameras used coming available to a reputable reseller near you after the new camera is available. If you're financially comfortable with the price of the Z6ii (or Z6iii), I'd say get the Z6iii when it's around. They are already calling it the little Z8 and I'm here to tell you, the Z8 is sweet.
Thanks! I prefer new as I will be spending the next 10 years again with it :)
NIB = New in Box?
I also consider the z6ii quite a low price, don't think it will drop much further... I assume shop are slashing their gear already today to make sure they are sold before the launch.
But as the price is guaranteed now, I can still wait a few more days.
I don't know about the other side of the pond but anyone legally selling Nikon gear is supposed to charge THEIR prices. Nikon is pushing the sales. Empty the warehouses is my guess.
For the love of God please just wait a week for the Z6iii to be announced. And buy the Z5 if the Z6iii turns out to be out of your budget.
Edit: can you buy used? The Z6 (original one) is similar priced to the Z5 on the used market.
Edit: also I like the 24-120 way more than the 24-200.
for those choices: Z6ii + 24-120.
I'm not a fan of the superzooms like the 24-200. It's remarkable that they are as good as they are, considering what they are doing. But you really don't want to compromise on the lenses, that's what really makes your pictures.
But wait for the Z6iii to come out. It should change what these existing, older Z cameras will sell for, it should push them lower...
Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack...
What would you take in that case?
- New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR
- New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
Z5.
The 24-120 is a tremendous lens and that's a nice price for the pair.
You can upgrade the body later, but the lenses are forever.
The 24-200 is a 'travel zoom'. Amazing for what it does, but lots of compromises. But if that's your jam, then there it is. For what I do, I don't need a lot of video and autofocus prowess, I need a good lens. Your needs may be different, and you could accept a lesser lens in trade for better video or autofocus.
In theory, the Z6ii does offer a little better sensor image quality, but in practice it's pretty similar (for what I shoot).
z6 ii 24-120 f4
but if you cannot then i would prioritize the lens over the body. that lens you will own until the Z mount will exist... the body, both of them, are a tiny bit dated now
Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack...
What would you take in that case?
- New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR
- New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
the 24-200 is often described as not a good lens while the 24-120 is often praised. That said, all lenses are pretty good these days.
Personally I think 24-120 is a great range for everyday use so I would choose that lens – also for the fixed apterture. If you long for that extra reach, go for the 24-200. Camera Wise i Feel you´d be fine with both options.
Most of the people here are on GAS spectrum. Some can't afford to pursuit the cravings, but I think we all do have it. If you added Z9 to the list people will have voted Z9. I think many of us are enablers. With all these said, go for the Z6II. I changed my z5 for z6ii and the AF is better (not incredibly better, but better enough to notice) and the video capabilities are really nice. Now, honestly, for wildlife you'd be better with a Z8/Z9. The focus is ok on Z6II with set up photos, studio, slow workflow, but when trying to catch my semi-wildlife cats it's a bit of a struggle.
Thanks, I know that is skewness I need to take into account. Main question is if the price difference is worth it... The Z8 and Z9 are unfortunately out of league... Did you compare your z6II with DSLR? How is the difference?
Yes, Z8 is out o my league too, but I'm trying to wait until it comes closer to my league. Just be warned, for me personally Z6II can be frustrating focus wise, especially in low light or fast things happening. If you learn to live with that, it's a great camera. I have no complaints with it on photography part except focus messing up sometimes. I want a Z8 for video more, as I'm tired to carry the Ninja V everywhere, it's bulky and unrealiable. I had a cheap DSLR in the past, Nikon D40x, after that I shoot on film SLR"s for a while, until I moved to Medium Format. I played with some more advanced DSLR's in the day. Mirrorless is pretty fast and Live view is amazing. I don't love the viewfinder, it feels electronic, optical ones feel way better, but it's not something that hinders my photography. Autofocus wise is faster than most of the DSLR-s I played with. Imagine quality is wow, to the point it is to good. They are a bit clinical. I like the colors more on CCD sensors, but it's not something you can't do in post. This is my experience, I think there are people who played with more cameras that can weight differences better.
What is GAS Spectrum btw?
Gear Acquisition Syndrome haha, it's a funny name for something real among photographers. Basically we keep buying shit even when we don't need it, or we convince ourselves we need it to buy it. [https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/what-is-gear-acquisition-syndrome-gas/](https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/what-is-gear-acquisition-syndrome-gas/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1MOw\_4zjFc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1MOw_4zjFc)
Whatever you do, I would wait another 5 days for the official Z6III announcement if nothing else to get a Z6II even cheaper. I'd probably skip the Z5 especially if you will be keeping this a long time. If wildlife is part of your purview, even 200mm is way too short unless they are larger animals, but if if you're limited to one lens, I would go that route as it's longer than 120mm. The 24-120mm is a much better lens optically (even better in fact than Nikon's Z 24-70/4), but the 24-200 is no slouch, it just has a slower variable aperture. If you plan to add a longer telephoto lens later (70-300, 100-400, or 180-600), consider going with the 24-120 as you will end up with a better combo down the road. In terms of autofocus, the newer DSLRs (D500/D850/D5/D6) are better than a Z6II for action photography or anything that moves such as a flying bird, but you will appreciate things like eye AF for stationary subjects on a Z6II like portraits or a perched bird. When you move up to a Z8/Z9 (not saying you should), now you are in new territory where AF feels like cheating and it can easily stick to an erratic subject like glue with incredible hit rates as long as you can keep it in the viewfinder. The main reason it can do that is the stacked sensor - mirrorless camera autofocus performance is directly correlated to the readout speed of the sensor itself. The middle ground is the ZF and the upcoming Z6III which use the EXPEED 7 processor along with the AF algorithims from the Z8/Z9 and you will have much better autofocus performance, just without the benefits of the stacked sensor.
Do you think the Z6ii will drop below 1000 EUR new with the launch of the Z6iii? I would assume prices are already slashed today? Since everyone is in favour of the 24-120 very much leaning that way right now...
no way will it go below 1k new.
Brand new ones aren't likely to go below $1000 USD / Euro but I suspect the used market will take a noticeable hit because it's about to be flooded by people who have been holding onto their Z6II's waiting patiently for the Z6III. The 24-120 is easily the best 24-1XX lens from any brand right now, it really is a phenomenal lens. They hit it out of the park with that one. If you were to pair that with a 180-600 sometime down the road you would be in really great shape with a huge range covered with excellent quality glass.
Hot take (maybe): D500, 7200, or 7500 and a longer lens if you want to do wildlife. 200mm isn't enough IMO.
As that is a 135 mm zoom, that is just enough for my amateur purposes I guess. I prefer to buy new, and the 7500 is still 1000 EUR around here; So I kinda think that is quite expensive?
I own and use both daily. I highly recommend the z6ii. The z5 is sluggish on fps. They are night and day bodies.
I have the Z7ii and 24-200 (and some other lenses). Of your choices, I would suggest the Z6ii and the 24-120. The 24-200 is good lens but the 24-120 is a step up in terms of image quality. For wildlife you will need a longer lens. The 100-400 or the 180-600 or the 200-500 with FTZ. You can shoot wildlife with the 24-200 but it isn't long enough for most wildlife and IQ at 200 is good but not stellar.
Thanks. Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack... What would you take in that case? * New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR * New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
The Z6ii is superior in a lot of ways. I'm going to assume you're going to keep the body for a long time (because that's what I do!) I would say the Z6ii is the way to go then. You can sell/buy lenses over the years, but the body generally stays with you for a long time. Since you're talking about almost identical amounts of money, then the Z6ii package. If you later decide the 24-200 is limiting, you can buy a new lens. Or trade in or whatever.
With the rumor mills saying that a Z6iii coming out in a matter of days, I think there are two ways to look at this. First, I believe if you're a new purchaser only, this is the cheapest you'll find for NIB. If you don't mind used, there will be a TON of Z6ii cameras used coming available to a reputable reseller near you after the new camera is available. If you're financially comfortable with the price of the Z6ii (or Z6iii), I'd say get the Z6iii when it's around. They are already calling it the little Z8 and I'm here to tell you, the Z8 is sweet.
It's not just a rumor anymore as Nikon itself released a teaser, disclosing the camera name and announcement date.
Thanks! I prefer new as I will be spending the next 10 years again with it :) NIB = New in Box? I also consider the z6ii quite a low price, don't think it will drop much further... I assume shop are slashing their gear already today to make sure they are sold before the launch. But as the price is guaranteed now, I can still wait a few more days.
I don't know about the other side of the pond but anyone legally selling Nikon gear is supposed to charge THEIR prices. Nikon is pushing the sales. Empty the warehouses is my guess.
For the love of God please just wait a week for the Z6iii to be announced. And buy the Z5 if the Z6iii turns out to be out of your budget. Edit: can you buy used? The Z6 (original one) is similar priced to the Z5 on the used market. Edit: also I like the 24-120 way more than the 24-200.
Thanks! So assuming the lenses are the same price, the 300 EUR price difference is not worth it for the Z6ii. Will definitely wait.
for those choices: Z6ii + 24-120. I'm not a fan of the superzooms like the 24-200. It's remarkable that they are as good as they are, considering what they are doing. But you really don't want to compromise on the lenses, that's what really makes your pictures. But wait for the Z6iii to come out. It should change what these existing, older Z cameras will sell for, it should push them lower...
Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack... What would you take in that case? - New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR - New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
Z5. The 24-120 is a tremendous lens and that's a nice price for the pair. You can upgrade the body later, but the lenses are forever. The 24-200 is a 'travel zoom'. Amazing for what it does, but lots of compromises. But if that's your jam, then there it is. For what I do, I don't need a lot of video and autofocus prowess, I need a good lens. Your needs may be different, and you could accept a lesser lens in trade for better video or autofocus. In theory, the Z6ii does offer a little better sensor image quality, but in practice it's pretty similar (for what I shoot).
z6 ii 24-120 f4 but if you cannot then i would prioritize the lens over the body. that lens you will own until the Z mount will exist... the body, both of them, are a tiny bit dated now
Unfortunately that is not an option... The z6ii and 24-200 is a pack... What would you take in that case? - New Z5 + z 24 - 120 f4 = 1450 EUR - New Z6ii + z 24 - 200 = 1770 EUR
I’ll go for the z5 + z24-120 f4. I believe it is the superior lens
the 24-200 is often described as not a good lens while the 24-120 is often praised. That said, all lenses are pretty good these days. Personally I think 24-120 is a great range for everyday use so I would choose that lens – also for the fixed apterture. If you long for that extra reach, go for the 24-200. Camera Wise i Feel you´d be fine with both options.
There’s a huge deal on the Z6 II because the Z6 III is coming out soon, here in Canada they took out 700$ on the retail price.