Nikon D6 + 120-300mm f2.8

[BernardLanguillier]

Nikon is full of surprises...

I had been expecting a 300mm f2.8 E FL, but it seems they have reached the conclusion that they could deliver the level of image quality of a prime with a zoom instead. Or... they just remembered that sigma released a similar lens many years ago.

As always, no concrete specs or date. But past lessons have taught us that there is usually a short amount of time between these and actual announcement. Someone in marketing has probably noticed that Canon and Sony had occupied too much media space this past week. It's good news I guess, there is at least one person working at Nikon marketing.

Now... what does SR stand for? That may be the big news under this announcement. I assume that it doesn't mean Service Request, a form or proactive recall?

But at least they stick to their policy to focus on high end.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Martin Kristiansen]

That lens in a Z mount would have solved a lot of issues for users of the Z6 and Z7.

And a D6. Been rumored for a while. I don’t really know what to make of that. Does Nikon anticipate there being mirrorless and DSLR into the future? Could that be what happens? If not why put resources into a D6 and a new lens? Im sure the D6 will be amazing but is this a smart move?

[BernardLanguillier]

That lens in a Z mount would have solved a lot of issues for users of the Z6 and Z7.

And a D6. Been rumored for a while. I don’t really know what to make of that. Does Nikon anticipate there being mirrorless and DSLR into the future? Could that be what happens? If not why put resources into a D6 and a new lens? Im sure the D6 will be amazing but is this a smart move?

I believe there is a real expectation from sport shooters for D6 and 1DX mkIII. Althoug Sony is quickly getting there some of the most popular sport lenses such as 200mm f2.0 and 200-400mm f4.0 aren't available for Sony alpha mount yet, and most sport shooters are working for agencies using Nikon or canon lenses and probably not interesed in switching unless there is a very very clear performance dvantage on Sony side, which isn't the case yet.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Martin Kristiansen]

I don't agree with everything you say but fair enough, it's a plausible explanation.

It sort of explains to me why Nikon has not yet produced longer lenses for the Z mount and is still only rolling out wide angles and standard lenses for the Z series cameras. If you want to stay Nikon and you shoot sports then you have no choice but to to stay with DSLR. If you are determined to go mirrorless and are a sports shooter you have no choice but to go Sony. If you are not a sports shooter and want to stay with Nikon and want longer lenses you are basically in a tough position.

[BernardLanguillier]

I don't agree with everything you say but fair enough, it's a plausible explanation.

It sort of explains to me why Nikon has not yet produced longer lenses for the Z mount and is still only rolling out wide angles and standard lenses for the Z series cameras. If you want to stay Nikon and you shoot sports then you have no choice but to to stay with DSLR. If you are determined to go mirrorless and are a sports shooter you have no choice but to go Sony. If you are not a sports shooter and want to stay with Nikon and want longer lenses you are basically in a tough position.

Well, I have been using my 200mm f2.0 and 105mm f1.4 a lot on the Z6 and frankly I don't see much difference, if any, in terms of AF behavior compared to the native Z lenses. The AF is top notch.

A Z sports camera would be competitive with the a9 even with DSLR super tele lenses.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Rob C]

I'm no sports shooter, but is there a case for thinking a standard form of pentarism viewfinder actually being fast/efficient enough as to make no difference, or perhaps, even be faster for sports use? It would be interesting to hear from a sports specialist on that, rather than from an occasional toe-dipper into the genre.

Are the old systems, less dependent on circuits, more reliable, too?

Maybe it's an admission that there is no battery solution yet available to make up for fewer actual shots per charge.

Just guessing, like everybody else. But I'd hate to run out of battery power in the middle of an event, especially one of rapid activity, but short duration!

;-)

[gkroeger]

It's pretty hard to postulate about the advantages/disadvantages of this new camera... since all we have learned from the announcement is that 6 follows 5, and that Nikon is going to build at least one more high-end F-mount body. Was there anybody that didn't already know that?

[BernardLanguillier]

It's pretty hard to postulate about the advantages/disadvantages of this new camera... since all we have learned from the announcement is that 6 follows 5, and that Nikon is going to build at least one more high-end F-mount body. Was there anybody that didn't already know that?

Comon guys, every single of the D’s has been class leading in high ISO image quality and AF since the D3 11 years ago.

There is no reason to think the D6 will be any different.

On the contrary there are very good reasons to think that it will be significantly better than the D5:
- it will play the same role the F6 did, meaning that it will be the pinacle of the DSLR era, the last samouraï. Don’t under estimate the pride of those engineers with the best skills in the business. They have working literally day and night and weekends for 2-3 years on this camera
- the technologies developed for the D6, AF in particular, will be used in all subsequent high end Nikon DSLRs, including the D860/D900 and those are designed to be the best all round DSLR on the market and to extend the sales of F mount lenses for 3-4 more years
- the threat of the a9 II will have multiplied the motivation of Nikon to come up with a super competitive AF to sustain the sales of high end sport lenses until a Z9 is released and widely adopted, which will take some time regardless of its performance
- the 2020 Olympics take place in Japan. For the Nikon DSLR guys, this is the climax of their careers

Simple logic coupled with in-depth knowledge of Nikon and of the Japenese corporate world.

Some of this is comon to Canon btw, but they have shown less AF skills, a different approach for commonalization of high end camera components in all round bodies and there is zero symbolism associated with the 1DX mkIII naming convention.

Having already sold many F mount lenses I am unlikely to buy a D6, but I can nonetheless recognize it is going to be an amazing tool.

Cheers,
Bernard

[chez]

That lens in a Z mount would have solved a lot of issues for users of the Z6 and Z7.

And a D6. Been rumored for a while. I don’t really know what to make of that. Does Nikon anticipate there being mirrorless and DSLR into the future? Could that be what happens? If not why put resources into a D6 and a new lens? Im sure the D6 will be amazing but is this a smart move?

That's the question I have. Is Nikon going mirrorless or DSLR or straddling both and waiting? If I bought a Z6 / Z7...what does the release of the 120-300 for DSLR tell me? Mirrorless slower 1.8 lenses...DSLR professional gear?

[chez]

A Z sports camera would be competitive with the a9 even with DSLR super tele lenses.

Cheers,
Bernard

I just don't believe this Bernard. Firstly there is no Z sports camera and the existing Nikon AF in their mirrorless cameras is quite a ways behind what is capable with the A9...let's not even talk about the soon announce A92...and that's from photographers that shoot both Nikon mirrorless and Sony mirrorless.

Secondly there is just no way a DSLR designed lens using a adapter can compete against a native mount lens.

So both of those together tell me it's all just wishful thinking by you with no facts at all...period.

[BernardLanguillier]

That's the question I have. Is Nikon going mirrorless or DSLR or straddling both and waiting? If I bought a Z6 / Z7...what does the release of the 120-300 for DSLR tell me? Mirrorless slower 1.8 lenses...DSLR professional gear?

Have you ever used a Nikon super tele on a Z body?

I have used exensively a gen I 200mm f2.0 - a lens released about 10 years ago - and it focuses beautifully.

There is zero doubt that this 120-300 f2.8 will be even better having been designed with the FTZ in mind.

And we all know that the mirrorless flange distance doesn't make any difference for such lenses. So a Z lens would be identifical to this one... because this lens is designed for both Z and F mounts. I understand that this thought is disturbing for you because it doesn't support your belief that Sony's advance can be measured by the amount of native mirrorless super tele lenses vs Nikon and Canon, but this is the reality.
 
Cheers,
Bernard

[BernardLanguillier]

I just don't believe this Bernard. Firstly there is no Z sports camera and the existing Nikon AF in their mirrorless cameras is quite a ways behind what is capable with the A9...let's not even talk about the soon announce A92...and that's from photographers that shoot both Nikon mirrorless and Sony mirrorless.

Considering that the one year old Z6 is already very good AF wise, there is little doubt that a Z9 would be competitive with the a9, if not with the a9 II. Why would Nikon release one otherwise?

But the point of my post was that the Z bodies we have today already focus extremely well with DSLR lenses.

Secondly there is just no way a DSLR designed lens using a adapter can compete against a native mount lens.

OK, and you base this opinion on what exactly?

I have extended first hand experience with the Z6 and Nikon super tele lenses and they work beautifully even on moving subjects.

Cheers,
Bernard