exactly and always remember no camera is perfect... just the perfect camera for you, for what you need it and use it for... just get out there and shoot and enjoy.
What an asinine comment. I can't afford to buy all three, nor do I live in a country where I can return a product simply because I don't like it. That is why I rely on real world user experiences to make a determination.
A7rIII. Superb allround camera that is relatively easy to carry when you pair it with the many lighter primes. The Nikon D850 is a mature and very strong performer especially for stills, but is a brick by comparison. The Z7 is a very good first attempt at 35mm mirrorless but future generations will see Nikon improve on it's weaker points.
I had my a7r3 for a year, shot almost 30 weddings, love the camera and platform. After using the EYE AF and IBIS for a year, I could never buy a camera without them. The full frame 4k is OK, the crop 4k is top notch. I hate the Sony phone app, the port covers are cheap plastic, and the water sealing is terrible. I'm 100% happy moving from Canon, they are just so out of the race. The Nikon Z line is a great start, the next gen on both platforms should be great with the competition.
I went with the Sony A7RII and here's the reason I did. I took a 4 to 5 year hiatus from photography, but before that I was shooting with a Nikon D80. A somewhat beginner camera for photography, but it was still capable of taking good pictures. I think I had one nice lens for the Nikon, so switching over to the Sony A7RIII wasn't a deal breaker for me when it came to lenses. The funny thing is I almost went with the Nikon Z7 camera and actually pre-ordered the camera, but after doing some more research I cancelled the order and went with the Sony A7R III. Six months later I purchased the Sony A9 camera. I have small hands so the Sony cameras feel good in my hand and I'm not to turned off with the touchscreen on the Sony cameras. I just love how the pictures/ videos that come out of these Sony cameras and I love mirrorless where I don't have chimp to see what the picture is going to look like. Before anyone says that I have money, I'm not rich; however, I plan on keeping these cameras for a long time (I hope and want to put them to good use. I think if I had a lot of Nikon glass I probably would had gone with the Nikon D850 first then eventually gone with the Nikon Z7. I don't think anyone can go wrong with any of theses cameras and it just depends what features that you are personally going for that makes the decision in what camera to buy.
The glass argument has become null and void. You can buy pro glass that is native on both systems. Even if you are a pro how many lenses are you really going to buy anyway. Sony now has G-series glass for every type of shooter. They also have the advantage of a variety of e-mount small and light lenses at a reasonable cost (something Nikon does not have and even accordinging to their own roadmap won't happen for at least a few more years at best). I get that you like Nikon, but the old native glass argument just doesn't carry any water anymore. It is true that if you have a Nikon lens collection and want to keep it, then you go with Nikon. But that is a no brainer. I just don't see the Z7 as a pro camera yet as with no duel card slots, the banding when you play with dynamic range, and no real improvement to jump from a D850, why would you. Especially with the crazy price of the Z7. If you are a new camera user you would be crazy not to go with Sony right now. Not only does it have better body stabilization, eye AF, duel card slots, and a ton of lens options to choose from, but Sony is by far the more aggressive company right and is developing tech and releasing it at a much faster clip. Rumor has it that they will be releasing a global shutter in 2019 which would be a game changer. Not to mention they will all be 8K video ready . No contest Sony is the forward thinking company, the most aggressive, and seem to listen to the customer the best right now.
I'm watching this 8 months after the initial publication date - Fro, you really nailed this "Comparo"! Time has proven your "softer features", along with hard facts, about these cameras to be absolutely true! Outstanding Job!
I think Sony has already released the glass you definitely need. So bashing Sony for not having enough glass is a bit outdated. When talking about adapting you could easily use the old Sony A-Mount lenses. I also agree with you, that Nikon has definitely more of the good glass out. I'm working with Sony after my first Nikon and I don't regret it. Got the Sigma Art Lenses and the phenomenal 70-200GM and I don't know yet what I can't shoot with this combination.
23:09: you can also charge via microUSB, not just USB-C. You can even use either one of the USBs for tethering and the other one for charging/powering at the same time.
I do agree.... BUT the Sony LA-EA3 adaptor allows it to use all the native Sony a-mount glass, and now with the latest firmware update I find no penalty using Sony A-Mount.... just saying, I know it doesn't change the result
If we arent picking based on which system of lens we already own... I would choose the A7R3. It has better auto focusing because of its eye AF and more native lens than the Z7 and I like its body size. I personally had hoped the Z series would have been F mount, ever since its announcement I've felt more free to check out the competition. If the F mount is dying there is no need for me to waste time mourning its death.
I changed my D750 to D850 because of quality and a lot of professional functions in the body. I know the mirror less is future but Z7 its not good enough in my opinion. Z7 and Z6 is 1st generation of mirror less Z mount cameras from Nikon. Watching sony improvement over this years, I hope that Nikon next generations cameras will be better and probably my next choice.
The only Nikon glass I owned before upgrading to the Z6 was the 50mm 1.8g. Sony is killing it for sure and their autofocus is unbeatable right now. Someone i spoke with brought up a great point that Nikon has been in the camera game a lot longer. They may be behind Sony now but if they focus their resources to the future it won’t be long before they catch up and be ahead for the next 100 years.
I agree with you on this video completely. Ad a long time Nikon guy....Z7 all day long. If I had the money and I was just starting out, Sony. I like a big camera that feels good in the hand, so I prefer a DSLR body, but I see where the hobby/profession is heading.
The log thing is a big difference for video shooters who want to color grade and want to use high dynamic range. The Nikon has N-log and even 10-bit, yes, but only externally, so you need an external recorder for that. With no external you get zilch: no log, no picture profile at all. With the Sony you only get 8-bit, but you get all the profiles, S-log2 and S-log3, Cine-gammut etc. INTERNALLY, so that might be a huge difference to consider for video guys.
For your question, Sony A7RIII. D850 is great but once you get used to mirrorless... I tried the Z7 and didn't like it much. Not much glass out there yet for the Z cameras.
@Love made in Japan it is called sarcasm, Nikon currently only has a few native mirrorless lenes while Sony has several both by Sony and the rest by Zeiss along with an excellent Tamron 28-75. The Sigma art lens are great for stills and decent for video. Would you rather buy the Z with only a handful of lenses or the Sony with lenses for every situation that you do not have to adapt to old DSLR glass?
Just picked up the A7RIII last week. It's incredible. It was a huge step up from my old Canon DSLR. It's an excellent B-cam for my Sony FS7. Now I just need to swap to E-mount glass and get rid of this Metabones adapter so I can take full advantage of both cameras.
Really loving my Nikon D850. I recently passed from Canon to Nikon and I'm very glad. Going to do a lot of professional work with my Nikon D850 and U know it will never let me down. Mainly portraits and lanscape/nature photography.
When in doubt, nothing beats a DSLR. I love my Nikon Z7. Why? Its IBIS is top notch and I can adapt my Leica glass but I found that Zeiss ZM mount resolves better. Bought two lenses from Sigma - 105/1.4 and their new 40/1.4. The new 40mm is Otus sharp!!! Best Sigma lens so far!!! I rarely pick up my D850 but I found the D850's AF is still superior for sports.
I’d get the D850 because my primary focus is landscapes. I use a Lumix GH4 for video. The D850 is a substantial camera due to the heft and overall weight of it which I’m a fan of. Mirrorless is the future, but for the next few years the D850 sits at the top for landscape photography.
I already have the D850 and it's a beast. For video I would like to have a second camera, like the Z6. I already have 6 Nikon lenses and the Z7 doesn´t make much of a difference. I would wait and go mirrorless for stills in 2020.
I don’t get why people keep bringing up the ftp adapter for Z. There’s an adapter for every camera. Nikon to canon, canon to Nikon, Nikon to Sony, Sony to Nikon canon to Sony Sony to canon... the ftp adapter doesn’t even have a motor, which means a load of Nikon d lenses are unusable in terms of af, while D85 can auto focus all f mounts. The lens option for z is serious limited. The only things you can choose are the hyper expensive z mounts and stylistically ill-fitted f mount. The f mount lens with adapter is ridiculously long, which defeats the small-size purpose of a mirror less.
12.7.2019 - battery grip for D850 is free!; Adapter for Z7 is free! both quality better than sony.... for me, Z7 seems tempting... but only lens worth buy is the 24-70 f/2.8 S - Noct is awesome, but not at $8000 for 58mm only; and the rest are a waste of money.
I got the Z6 last year and it works great, love the buttons and menu system. Image quality on Zmounts is excellent BUT Sony has way more native lenses, superior focusing and a better ecosystem IMO. I own 1 F mount lens and nothing else. I’m considering jumping to Sony A7Riii (maybe a7Riv) or upgrading to the Z7 and sticking with Nikon for the long game. It’s a tough choice! Jared makes the choice easier yet harder at the same time lol
To me it's not even About Specs. I switched from Nikon to Sony because Sony kept improving their cameras with every new iteration! Nikon was behind the times. Sony actually listens to consumers and They are active on social media heavy. Sony has 12-200mm g master lenses and Sigma lenses are Amazing. The battery life improvement Just made it perfect. I shoot with a A7rii right now I switched from a D750 to a A7 mark I and shot it for years.
As a Nikon shooter I have to admit, I love the "beefier" camera. May not be as good as the Z 7 but as a guy with big hands and doesn't care about video the D850 is my choice (which I hope to buy next year).
Thanks for the video Jared! Once I tried the Nikon Z7, I sold my Sony A7Riii and lenses one week later. I shoot D850's as well so it really made sense for me. The Z7's handling and EVF is so much better than the Sony. The way you switch from stills to video is awesome; all of your settings are saved so it's just a flick of the thumb to go back and forth instantly. IBIS is better than the Sony maybe because the larger mount allows more sensor movement. I have no problem focusing with out Eye AF. Eye AF would often fail and the model would give me a puzzled look as I fumbled to go back to the focus/recompose method. It isn't perfect - especially with the 85GM.
I just got an A7III and I love it. It's fantastic. I'd love to pick up an RIII. I want to play with that Pixel Shift thing. Looks REALLY cool and the results are AMAZING. Hell, I might even pick up an A7RII. You can get them STUPID cheap on eBay...I've seen them go for ~1,200-1,300 bucks with batteries and other doodads. That's a TON of camera for the money.
I`m using Nikon since 1979, since 2008 I`m using a Nikon full frame D700, I`ve realy no need to upgrade or change my system, but if I would upgrade my Nikon system it would be a Nikon D5, if I would switch the system it would be the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II - I`m only interested in photography, I don`t care about video, and I don`t need as much megapixels as possible to shoot the images I like - but in general one can`t go wrong with any of these three cameras, so try to test all three and decide only by personal preferences - if I have to decide only between these cameras it would be the D850 of course for many reasons and not only because I`m a Nikon user, it is a reliable solid build camera, easy to use with a superb image quality
As a fast action wildlife photographer l don't see any EVF camera that can equal a DSLR TTL anytime soon. Throw in battery life and the mirror lock up option with the D850 for time-lapse l don't see the need for mirrorless. Hopefully someday the dense minded will realize, mirrorless doesn't take better pics because the mirror is missing.
The A9 is pretty spanky for wildlife. No blackout shooting, 20 fps and incredible af are phenomenal for bif especially. Time lapse is still possible although maybe done differently. I don't like the A7III compared to the D850 because I think they're on slightly different levels (D850 above it).
Great and informative comparison Jared! Very fair although there is a time or two where I don’t think you give Sony enough credit (ex: 1-price comparison, 2-glass: Sony has more actual mirrorless lenses than the others). Thanks for the great content and Happy New Year!
You know what I mean. Lenses that are designed for use only on a mirrorless camera. Their motor systems are optimally designed for working with mirrorless camera focusing systems. Being that Sony has been in the game longer, they have a much wider selection of these truly native lenses than the handful that Canon and Nikon have.
@@froknowsphoto Maybe not in the US, but Konica Minolta was a big thing in Europe and Japan. And they had and HAVE a good lens line-up. The best thing is, you get those now for not much money. But to say, there is no native glas is just wrong. I know people adapting A-Mount lenses to their E-Mount Sonys, just because the lenses are so cheap to get. There is still no cheaper option to lenses like a 70-300mm or a 70-200mm F2.8 in the E-Mount lens line up, but you get them new or used for the A-Mount, so please don't say "for god sake". I can say the same when you say, but think about all the F-Mount lenses you can adapt to the Z7, when you step new into the Nikon Z. Just say it, like it is. It might be a dead system today, but that is also the future for the F-Mount.
how can you give edge to Z7 in terms of lenses? There are three native lenses. Using adapter DOES NOT mean Native and if you are seriously counting that then Sony can use most of Canon lenses as well as A-mount. Not to mention other adapter like M-mount TAP, that gives you AF.
2023 and I’m waiting for my D850 to come as i have the om-1 with all the great lenses they offer the D850 will be for landscapes and portraits I don’t do video with any of my cameras as i have a video camcorder that does that job
If you are into Sony, i suggest, if you can afford it, the SIGMA Art 24-70mm F/2.8 DG DN, lens for all around shooting, I mainly use it on my A7RIII rig, but also on my older A7II as well. excellent lens,
I went with the Sony A7RIII before the Nikon came out, but I was already using Sony and those are the lenses I had. (Still using the crop-sensor lenses until I can afford to buy new glass.)
This was an excellent video! And, I agree with what has been said about being a hard choice as all three cameras stack up well. (I think you only glossed over weather sealing which I think is pretty important). I am a newbie...bought my first camera earlier this year. Due to budget constraints - I chose the Nikon (but D750 as the D850 was out of my price range).... and currently not invested in glass (Tamron 24-70 G2, Tamron 70-200 G2, Nikon 50mm 1.8). At the store - the DSLRs all felt better in my hand. NOTE - at the store. However, holding the camera for protracted periods of time shooting CrossFit photography - it gets heavy - quick. Maybe I have FOMO - but I would likely lean towards the Sony at this point. It is a major consideration from my buying any new lenses although you made an extremely strong case for the Z7. (Yup - committal to a straight answer!). Excellent points made....really enjoyed this.
Good analysis and coverage of many features to use for criteria. In my opinion, one other criteria to consider is what brand most of your photography club or group is using. In my case, I have an inventory of Nikon lenses, prefer the Nikon camera's feel, am familiar with the Nikon menus, and do photo shoots with club members who are primarily Nikon users ... so, a no brainer. I now have a Z7. Agree though, that you can't go wrong with any of the three choices.
I use my camera for photography and not video. I love the feel of the D850 and the quality of its images. I do not feel the need to buy a mirrorless camera... at least not yet.
A7R3 - because I do not believe the existing Nikon F-glass is up to the task of high resolution imaging... and I have an A7R2 now so the upgrade makes sense to me.
Just got a D850. Upgraded from a D750. Been wanting one for the better part of a year. Went into a shop and handled the Z7. Wasn’t impressed. I just like the feel of a DSLR. Plus, I hated that they got rid of 3D tracking on the Z7.
D850. I don't shoot video at all. I like the size, especially with the grip (I use a 5DIV w/grip) which makes the Sony a non-starter as it is plane miserable in hand, it has the mandatory 2 card slots, since I would have it 'gripped', it shoots fast enough for me, it has a much better lens selection than Sony, and I consider it the best all 'round FF camera on the market.
So Jared, what is wrong? The Nikon got an excellent review of its autofocusing. It was compared to the Sony A73 and the A7R3. It lost slightly to the A73 but beat the A7R3 in a test running and walking toward the camera. It beat the A7R3 in at least 3 tests that in reviewed here on RUclips. Maybe the Nikon got a firmware update. I don't know. But i'm asking because I thought of switching to Sony but I'm heavily invested in Nikon. Your thoughts please
Been shooting film since 1973 and FINALLY am converting to digital. A7Riii too damn small for me. Z7 is better ergonomically. D850 is great but the heftiest one. Currently in brain-lock. It'll be a Z7 or D850 but I am leaning towards embracing the future. My decision will probably go down to the wire. They are all great cameras but the Sony just doesn't feel good in my hands. All my research & pondering is hurting my brain! You didn't mention the Nikons essentially automated focus stacking (what they call focus shifting). I would definitely use that for landscape! I'm not a vidnut so that part is not as important to me so I could still lean toward the D850 but then again, there's the future! Decisions, decisions...
like your vids Jared. can you put one list by the end of the vid that shows all the check marks and which cam earned that. this will be super helpful to review and decide on the cam to buy.
Jared I would NEVER take a NIKON Z7 abroad for work without a backup card slot, no matter how good it is. I had cards fail on me in the past. If I would decide to take the Z7 then it means I would surely need a backup camera as well and shoot simultaneously. More weight and more trouble. The D850 is great but its just huge. With the A7RIII you can as well write directly to an external hard disk. As for cameras we almost have every single model there is to buy. We use all types of camera in specialised timelapse 3G weather sealed boxes to monitor and upload construction progress. Budgets we handle are unlimited literally but we still go to smallest cameras possible and at least dual sd card even if we upload all photos instantly on specialised software. We also do not rely on camera built in timelapse. We are currently moving to SONY although these boxes were mostly designed and built for CANONS.
I agree, George. If it doesn't have 2 slots, I won't buy it. I had an expensive 64GB SD card fail. Fortunately, I had an expensive CF card (Canon 5DIII) that didn't fail and I didn't lose anything. Yes, sometimes the data can be recovered, but I'm not willing to take that risk.
Sorry...I treat all of my gear very well and only use top line cards. Still had one fail. It's up to you if you wish to chance losing data. I choose to have as much redundancy as I can afford.
Jared failed in this review to emphasize which is the most ALL ROUNDED camera, which is the Sony A7RIII with the only reservation that you got to make sure you are happy with the glass available. I cannot understand how such a critical way of looking at a camera is getting so overlooked in current reviews. D850 does not compete in video well, Z7 lacks performance and single card slot, A7RIII does everything really well with no major shortcomings.
What about a real world review camera battle. Eg. take an Olympus OMD EM1 Mk II vs Fuji XT-3 vs A7R III vs Nikon Z7 vs Canon EOS R. Where it is all about the feel and useability of the camera instead of the specs, hence the different sensor sizes.
Hi Jared, I know just about every one is blaming the Z7 / Z6 and saying that that Song A7iii is so much better. I would love to see a fist generation Sony A7 ver a Nikon Z7 just to see how they compare. Sill watch and love your content. You and your team have an amazing 2019. Just as an answer to your question I have a D850 and it is a great tool for what I shot with it. But I do have a lot of Nikon lenses, I also have an X1D that to is an amazing camera the nice camera in the hand but not the fastest but a delight to use and the results are stunning.
Going to wait a few more years and see what Nikon mirrorless camera's come out to replace the Z6 and Z7. I'll save my money and wait until a second generation comes out which hopefully addresses a few of the issues and possibly additional tech. Plus a price drop as mirrorless becomes the standard.
I was a die hard Nikon fan, moved to the Sony A7II then the A7RII, and I just can't stand the Sony Menu's, buttons, and ergonomics. No matter how much I force myself, I just don't like it. I want to go back to the Nikon and get a D850. The Nikon was just so intuitive and easy to shoot with; not so much with the Sony. The question is whether I should forgo D850 and get a Z7? I just can't decide. I only have 1 Nikon F lens and two Sony lenses, so I'm not really invested all that much in either platform.
Giving the D850 a check mark for battery where the grip+charger+battery is $920 is very ridiculous. The Sony Grip + extra battery is $376. One of a few completely Nikon bias selections you made. Nikon D850 is a great camera and I'd like to own one to shoot along side my Sonys but don't want to make the investment in Nikon glass at this point.Already having to decide what to do with my Canon glass since I know have a lot of native Sony glass.
If I have to pick the best camera today - that would be the D850. But if I want a better future proof camera, I would pick the Z7. Both Canon and Nikon have already gone to bigger mounts. Panasonic is planning to do so for their full frame. Fuji already has their medium format with a big mount, meanwhile Sony insists that their E mount is good enough. So am I missing something here? Maybe the big boys (like Canon and Nikon) have figured out that there are advantages for bigger mount in making f1.2 or even 0.95 lenses with better edge to edge sharpness in your shots.
Excellent comparison, Jared, except I missed the section on image quality! As a landscape and product STILLS X-T3 shooter (no video), I have been debating on selling my Fuji kit (reluctantly), and moving into FF, specifically the Sony a7Rlll and lenses like the Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM, and the 90mm f/2.8 G Macro . Since I shoot 99% tripod-mounted, neither IBIS nor video interests me. So, my question is, for large print output (around 24"x 36" prints), how much of an improvement in terms of image sharpness, detail rendition, dynamic range, base ISO performance, etc., would I see over the already excellent X-T3 (combined with the ultra-sharp Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro lens), when using the a7Rlll and the Sony 90mm f/2.8 G Macro lens tripod-mounted? Also, another reviewer mentioned that the Sony cameras have an issue with sensor dust. Do you find that as well?
I just sold one of my D750 and bought the D850 at the great price of $2,800 with the grip. The Z7 was $100 cheaper with the adapter. Now looking at that video, I’m wondering if I haven’t done a mistake and should have bought the Z7 instead. Comments/Advices?
Jared, you are always keen to tell us that Nikon has a F mount to Z mount adaptor but never mention the Sony A mount to E mount adaptor, which means Sony users have access to a total of 78 native Sony lenses. How many more do you think you need? I don't know why you dismiss third party lenses when Sony users are raving about the Tamron 28 - 75mm and some of the Sigma lenses. Having owned Nikon DSLR gear in the past I would take the A7RIII, though I actually prefer my A7III: and will replace my A7II with an A9.
@@froknowsphoto. More fool Sony then for wasting their time with the latest update, which allows full functionality when using A mount lenses on E mount full frame and APS-C cameras.
You get to pick one of these three, which do you take and why???
I'dont have money.... LOL
Not Z7 thats for sure
I have D850 and I would like to switch to Nikon Z7...but I think it’s too early. I will wait to see the new version of Z7 next year
heavy nikon bias in this vid lol, a7riii is the easy pick
Fujifilm X-T3 🙌🏻 bye, bye. Nikon sucks 😇
You can’t go wrong with any of these three cameras. Choose the one that you love and enjoy using it the most.
exactly and always remember no camera is perfect... just the perfect camera for you, for what you need it and use it for... just get out there and shoot and enjoy.
What an asinine comment. I can't afford to buy all three, nor do I live in a country where I can return a product simply because I don't like it. That is why I rely on real world user experiences to make a determination.
Are we not entertained? who told you to buy all three tho...!!! What a moron!
When I go to ukphotoshow , this year .. I'm looking at a few in mind for the future..
A7rIII. Superb allround camera that is relatively easy to carry when you pair it with the many lighter primes. The Nikon D850 is a mature and very strong performer especially for stills, but is a brick by comparison. The Z7 is a very good first attempt at 35mm mirrorless but future generations will see Nikon improve on it's weaker points.
Probably the most fair and best summary I´ve ever seen.
I had my a7r3 for a year, shot almost 30 weddings, love the camera and platform. After using the EYE AF and IBIS for a year, I could never buy a camera without them. The full frame 4k is OK, the crop 4k is top notch. I hate the Sony phone app, the port covers are cheap plastic, and the water sealing is terrible. I'm 100% happy moving from Canon, they are just so out of the race. The Nikon Z line is a great start, the next gen on both platforms should be great with the competition.
When will the new gen be releasing?
I went with the Sony A7RII and here's the reason I did. I took a 4 to 5 year hiatus from photography, but before that I was shooting with a Nikon D80. A somewhat beginner camera for photography, but it was still capable of taking good pictures. I think I had one nice lens for the Nikon, so switching over to the Sony A7RIII wasn't a deal breaker for me when it came to lenses. The funny thing is I almost went with the Nikon Z7 camera and actually pre-ordered the camera, but after doing some more research I cancelled the order and went with the Sony A7R III. Six months later I purchased the Sony A9 camera. I have small hands so the Sony cameras feel good in my hand and I'm not to turned off with the touchscreen on the Sony cameras. I just love how the pictures/ videos that come out of these Sony cameras and I love mirrorless where I don't have chimp to see what the picture is going to look like. Before anyone says that I have money, I'm not rich; however, I plan on keeping these cameras for a long time (I hope and want to put them to good use. I think if I had a lot of Nikon glass I probably would had gone with the Nikon D850 first then eventually gone with the Nikon Z7. I don't think anyone can go wrong with any of theses cameras and it just depends what features that you are personally going for that makes the decision in what camera to buy.
The glass argument has become null and void. You can buy pro glass that is native on both systems. Even if you are a pro how many lenses are you really going to buy anyway. Sony now has G-series glass for every type of shooter. They also have the advantage of a variety of e-mount small and light lenses at a reasonable cost (something Nikon does not have and even accordinging to their own roadmap won't happen for at least a few more years at best). I get that you like Nikon, but the old native glass argument just doesn't carry any water anymore.
It is true that if you have a Nikon lens collection and want to keep it, then you go with Nikon. But that is a no brainer. I just don't see the Z7 as a pro camera yet as with no duel card slots, the banding when you play with dynamic range, and no real improvement to jump from a D850, why would you. Especially with the crazy price of the Z7. If you are a new camera user you would be crazy not to go with Sony right now. Not only does it have better body stabilization, eye AF, duel card slots, and a ton of lens options to choose from, but Sony is by far the more aggressive company right and is developing tech and releasing it at a much faster clip. Rumor has it that they will be releasing a global shutter in 2019 which would be a game changer. Not to mention they will all be 8K video ready . No contest Sony is the forward thinking company, the most aggressive, and seem to listen to the customer the best right now.
i bought A7R3 with 55 1.8 last year, the only thing i regret is i cant afford another lens:-)
Adapt old manual lenses.
Yavor Kapitanov that’s sick
@@TheChristopherRiot doing the same, getting a lot of fantastic lenses for less than 50$
85 mm 1.8 best lens ever
35 mm samyang af
18 mm samyang manual focus for wide photos
They will help
Christopher Rios get the 28 f2, the best lens per dollar on the platform, second would be the 85 1.8
maybe next time do the Sniff Test before the Wind Tunnel Test so the results are not skewed.
Landscape photographer D850, love the focus staking. For video I plane on purchasing a Z6 .
Been shooting Nikon since the 70;s . Tones of Nikon glass.
Focus stacking. That's one of my 2019 learning goals.
@@martharetallick204 you will love focus staking on the 850 it's amazing!
focus staking can the Z6 and Z7 too
@@marcoFVD D850 for now
I'm watching this 8 months after the initial publication date - Fro, you really nailed this "Comparo"! Time has proven your "softer features", along with hard facts, about these cameras to be absolutely true! Outstanding Job!
I think Sony has already released the glass you definitely need. So bashing Sony for not having enough glass is a bit outdated.
When talking about adapting you could easily use the old Sony A-Mount lenses.
I also agree with you, that Nikon has definitely more of the good glass out.
I'm working with Sony after my first Nikon and I don't regret it. Got the Sigma Art Lenses and the phenomenal 70-200GM and I don't know yet what I can't shoot with this combination.
D850 for me.
D850 is a best camera in the world
23:09: you can also charge via microUSB, not just USB-C. You can even use either one of the USBs for tethering and the other one for charging/powering at the same time.
I went with the A7riii. The eye focusing is awesome! Glad I made that choice.
I do agree.... BUT the Sony LA-EA3 adaptor allows it to use all the native Sony a-mount glass, and now with the latest firmware update I find no penalty using Sony A-Mount.... just saying, I know it doesn't change the result
Still loving my D850 + holy trinity. Nothing beats it!
Sony e-mount native lenses ➡️ Sony a-mount+la-ea4 ➡️ Minolta 😉 We actually have a lot of glasses 😂
If we arent picking based on which system of lens we already own... I would choose the A7R3. It has better auto focusing because of its eye AF and more native lens than the Z7 and I like its body size. I personally had hoped the Z series would have been F mount, ever since its announcement I've felt more free to check out the competition. If the F mount is dying there is no need for me to waste time mourning its death.
I changed my D750 to D850 because of quality and a lot of professional functions in the body. I know the mirror less is future but Z7 its not good enough in my opinion.
Z7 and Z6 is 1st generation of mirror less Z mount cameras from Nikon. Watching sony improvement over this years, I hope that Nikon next generations cameras will be better and probably my next choice.
Nikon user here but I love all 3 of them thank you! 🙂❤
The only Nikon glass I owned before upgrading to the Z6 was the 50mm 1.8g. Sony is killing it for sure and their autofocus is unbeatable right now. Someone i spoke with brought up a great point that Nikon has been in the camera game a lot longer. They may be behind Sony now but if they focus their resources to the future it won’t be long before they catch up and be ahead for the next 100 years.
I agree with you on this video completely. Ad a long time Nikon guy....Z7 all day long. If I had the money and I was just starting out, Sony. I like a big camera that feels good in the hand, so I prefer a DSLR body, but I see where the hobby/profession is heading.
Nikon D850....
Hopefully Nikon can actually make a D850 Mirrorless in the coming years....
Z7 is kinda like the D850 mirrorless version
The only thing in this video I can afford is the orbit gum
The log thing is a big difference for video shooters who want to color grade and want to use high dynamic range. The Nikon has N-log and even 10-bit, yes, but only externally, so you need an external recorder for that. With no external you get zilch: no log, no picture profile at all. With the Sony you only get 8-bit, but you get all the profiles, S-log2 and S-log3, Cine-gammut etc. INTERNALLY, so that might be a huge difference to consider for video guys.
For your question, Sony A7RIII. D850 is great but once you get used to mirrorless... I tried the Z7 and didn't like it much. Not much glass out there yet for the Z cameras.
Just use the adaptors 😉
@Love made in Japan it is called sarcasm, Nikon currently only has a few native mirrorless lenes while Sony has several both by Sony and the rest by Zeiss along with an excellent Tamron 28-75. The Sigma art lens are great for stills and decent for video. Would you rather buy the Z with only a handful of lenses or the Sony with lenses for every situation that you do not have to adapt to old DSLR glass?
Just picked up the A7RIII last week. It's incredible. It was a huge step up from my old Canon DSLR. It's an excellent B-cam for my Sony FS7. Now I just need to swap to E-mount glass and get rid of this Metabones adapter so I can take full advantage of both cameras.
Really loving my Nikon D850. I recently passed from Canon to Nikon and I'm very glad. Going to do a lot of professional work with my Nikon D850 and U know it will never let me down. Mainly portraits and lanscape/nature photography.
When in doubt, nothing beats a DSLR. I love my Nikon Z7. Why? Its IBIS is top notch and I can adapt my Leica glass but I found that Zeiss ZM mount resolves better. Bought two lenses from Sigma - 105/1.4 and their new 40/1.4. The new 40mm is Otus sharp!!! Best Sigma lens so far!!! I rarely pick up my D850 but I found the D850's AF is still superior for sports.
I’d get the D850 because my primary focus is landscapes. I use a Lumix GH4 for video.
The D850 is a substantial camera due to the heft and overall weight of it which I’m a fan of.
Mirrorless is the future, but for the next few years the D850 sits at the top for landscape photography.
I already have the D850 and it's a beast. For video I would like to have a second camera, like the Z6. I already have 6 Nikon lenses and the Z7 doesn´t make much of a difference. I would wait and go mirrorless for stills in 2020.
I want to buy an A7Rlll. I think the lens is the best combination of the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM. 👍👍👍😊
I don’t get why people keep bringing up the ftp adapter for Z. There’s an adapter for every camera. Nikon to canon, canon to Nikon, Nikon to Sony, Sony to Nikon canon to Sony Sony to canon... the ftp adapter doesn’t even have a motor, which means a load of Nikon d lenses are unusable in terms of af, while D85 can auto focus all f mounts. The lens option for z is serious limited. The only things you can choose are the hyper expensive z mounts and stylistically ill-fitted f mount. The f mount lens with adapter is ridiculously long, which defeats the small-size purpose of a mirror less.
12.7.2019 - battery grip for D850 is free!; Adapter for Z7 is free! both quality better than sony.... for me, Z7 seems tempting... but only lens worth buy is the 24-70 f/2.8 S - Noct is awesome, but not at $8000 for 58mm only; and the rest are a waste of money.
I got the Z6 last year and it works great, love the buttons and menu system. Image quality on Zmounts is excellent BUT Sony has way more native lenses, superior focusing and a better ecosystem IMO. I own 1 F mount lens and nothing else. I’m considering jumping to Sony A7Riii (maybe a7Riv) or upgrading to the Z7 and sticking with Nikon for the long game. It’s a tough choice! Jared makes the choice easier yet harder at the same time lol
So true! He makes it look easy but really gives you a hard time in choosing. Thank you!
Great video Jared! Anyway Sony! Because I love Eye AF!
I do love me some EYE AF for sure.
I've been shooting Canon APS-C for years. I'm looking to go Fullframe and I'll go Sony.
I just bought my Z6 which I loved so much! Therefore, I would go for D850 which I don’t have. Happy Holidays everyone!!! 😊
To me it's not even About Specs. I switched from Nikon to Sony because Sony kept improving their cameras with every new iteration! Nikon was behind the times. Sony actually listens to consumers and They are active on social media heavy. Sony has 12-200mm g master lenses and Sigma lenses are Amazing. The battery life improvement Just made it perfect. I shoot with a A7rii right now I switched from a D750 to a A7 mark I and shot it for years.
As a Nikon shooter I have to admit, I love the "beefier" camera. May not be as good as the Z 7 but as a guy with big hands and doesn't care about video the D850 is my choice (which I hope to buy next year).
Why don't you put up the final score board in the end, that would really help me and the others in choosing.
Yes please do th FroKnow
I would buy a D850
It is a magic camera
Dont hasitate
Waiting for my 2nd D850’s
Thanks for the video Jared!
Once I tried the Nikon Z7, I sold my Sony A7Riii and lenses one week later. I shoot D850's as well so it really made sense for me. The Z7's handling and EVF is so much better than the Sony. The way you switch from stills to video is awesome; all of your settings are saved so it's just a flick of the thumb to go back and forth instantly. IBIS is better than the Sony maybe because the larger mount allows more sensor movement.
I have no problem focusing with out Eye AF. Eye AF would often fail and the model would give me a puzzled look as I fumbled to go back to the focus/recompose method. It isn't perfect - especially with the 85GM.
A7R3 ☑️
I just got an A7III and I love it. It's fantastic. I'd love to pick up an RIII. I want to play with that Pixel Shift thing. Looks REALLY cool and the results are AMAZING. Hell, I might even pick up an A7RII. You can get them STUPID cheap on eBay...I've seen them go for ~1,200-1,300 bucks with batteries and other doodads. That's a TON of camera for the money.
Fucking shitballs...speaking of "TON of camera for the money", $2,798 for the RIII?!?!?! WHAT!?!
I`m using Nikon since 1979, since 2008 I`m using a Nikon full frame D700, I`ve realy no need to upgrade or change my system, but if I would upgrade my Nikon system it would be a Nikon D5, if I would switch the system it would be the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II - I`m only interested in photography, I don`t care about video, and I don`t need as much megapixels as possible to shoot the images I like - but in general one can`t go wrong with any of these three cameras, so try to test all three and decide only by personal preferences - if I have to decide only between these cameras it would be the D850 of course for many reasons and not only because I`m a Nikon user, it is a reliable solid build camera, easy to use with a superb image quality
As a fast action wildlife photographer l don't see any EVF camera that can equal a DSLR TTL anytime soon. Throw in battery life and the mirror lock up option with the D850 for time-lapse l don't see the need for mirrorless.
Hopefully someday the dense minded will realize, mirrorless doesn't take better pics because the mirror is missing.
The A9 is pretty spanky for wildlife. No blackout shooting, 20 fps and incredible af are phenomenal for bif especially. Time lapse is still possible although maybe done differently. I don't like the A7III compared to the D850 because I think they're on slightly different levels (D850 above it).
Happy newyear man, your channel is topnotch.
Great and informative comparison Jared! Very fair although there is a time or two where I don’t think you give Sony enough credit (ex: 1-price comparison, 2-glass: Sony has more actual mirrorless lenses than the others).
Thanks for the great content and Happy New Year!
The22Healer there is no such thing as a mirrorless lens
You know what I mean. Lenses that are designed for use only on a mirrorless camera. Their motor systems are optimally designed for working with mirrorless camera focusing systems. Being that Sony has been in the game longer, they have a much wider selection of these truly native lenses than the handful that Canon and Nikon have.
Thank you, thank you. I'm in bed with Nikon - film and D800, so I'm going for the Z7. Great and informative video!
Fantastic detailed review!! I LOVE IT!
And again, you can mount nativ A-Mount lenses to the Sony.
No one has those for god sake. Not to the extent of the f mount and ef.
@@froknowsphoto Maybe not in the US, but Konica Minolta was a big thing in Europe and Japan. And they had and HAVE a good lens line-up. The best thing is, you get those now for not much money.
But to say, there is no native glas is just wrong. I know people adapting A-Mount lenses to their E-Mount Sonys, just because the lenses are so cheap to get. There is still no cheaper option to lenses like a 70-300mm or a 70-200mm F2.8 in the E-Mount lens line up, but you get them new or used for the A-Mount, so please don't say "for god sake". I can say the same when you say, but think about all the F-Mount lenses you can adapt to the Z7, when you step new into the Nikon Z. Just say it, like it is. It might be a dead system today, but that is also the future for the F-Mount.
Spit Test(Windtest) & Sniff Test Are Super Cool... 😛
how can you give edge to Z7 in terms of lenses? There are three native lenses. Using adapter DOES NOT mean Native and if you are seriously counting that then Sony can use most of Canon lenses as well as A-mount. Not to mention other adapter like M-mount TAP, that gives you AF.
2023 and I’m waiting for my D850 to come as i have the om-1 with all the great lenses they offer the D850 will be for landscapes and portraits I don’t do video with any of my cameras as i have a video camcorder that does that job
If you are into Sony, i suggest, if you can afford it, the SIGMA Art 24-70mm F/2.8 DG DN, lens for all around shooting, I mainly use it on my A7RIII rig, but also on my older A7II as well. excellent lens,
I pick the D850, because I already own the Z6
own a A7Riii now and have use all 3 generations from the series, Sony do improved a lot but still I'm tempted to switch to Nikon Z.
i still don't understand why other youtubers don't use the wind tunnel test. It's a very scientific way of measuring the quality of cameras.
Very coll Comparasion Jared
I went with the Sony A7RIII before the Nikon came out, but I was already using Sony and those are the lenses I had. (Still using the crop-sensor lenses until I can afford to buy new glass.)
This was an excellent video! And, I agree with what has been said about being a hard choice as all three cameras stack up well. (I think you only glossed over weather sealing which I think is pretty important).
I am a newbie...bought my first camera earlier this year. Due to budget constraints - I chose the Nikon (but D750 as the D850 was out of my price range).... and currently not invested in glass (Tamron 24-70 G2, Tamron 70-200 G2, Nikon 50mm 1.8). At the store - the DSLRs all felt better in my hand. NOTE - at the store. However, holding the camera for protracted periods of time shooting CrossFit photography - it gets heavy - quick.
Maybe I have FOMO - but I would likely lean towards the Sony at this point. It is a major consideration from my buying any new lenses although you made an extremely strong case for the Z7. (Yup - committal to a straight answer!).
Excellent points made....really enjoyed this.
Good analysis and coverage of many features to use for criteria. In my opinion, one other criteria to consider is what brand most of your photography club or group is using. In my case, I have an inventory of Nikon lenses, prefer the Nikon camera's feel, am familiar with the Nikon menus, and do photo shoots with club members who are primarily Nikon users ... so, a no brainer. I now have a Z7. Agree though, that you can't go wrong with any of the three choices.
I use my camera for photography and not video. I love the feel of the D850 and the quality of its images. I do not feel the need to buy a mirrorless camera... at least not yet.
A7R3 - because I do not believe the existing Nikon F-glass is up to the task of high resolution imaging... and I have an A7R2 now so the upgrade makes sense to me.
NASA says you're higher than them
Just got a D850. Upgraded from a D750. Been wanting one for the better part of a year. Went into a shop and handled the Z7. Wasn’t impressed. I just like the feel of a DSLR. Plus, I hated that they got rid of 3D tracking on the Z7.
Pretty much the same with me. The Z7 just had too many compromises compared to the D850.
D850. I don't shoot video at all. I like the size, especially with the grip (I use a 5DIV w/grip) which makes the Sony a non-starter as it is plane miserable in hand, it has the mandatory 2 card slots, since I would have it 'gripped', it shoots fast enough for me, it has a much better lens selection than Sony, and I consider it the best all 'round FF camera on the market.
So Jared, what is wrong? The Nikon got an excellent review of its autofocusing. It was compared to the Sony A73 and the A7R3. It lost slightly to the A73 but beat the A7R3 in a test running and walking toward the camera. It beat the A7R3 in at least 3 tests that in reviewed here on RUclips. Maybe the Nikon got a firmware update. I don't know. But i'm asking because I thought of
switching to Sony but I'm heavily invested in Nikon.
Your thoughts please
I'd go with the D850 AND the Z6.
Been shooting film since 1973 and FINALLY am converting to digital. A7Riii too damn small for me. Z7 is better ergonomically. D850 is great but the heftiest one. Currently in brain-lock. It'll be a Z7 or D850 but I am leaning towards embracing the future. My decision will probably go down to the wire. They are all great cameras but the Sony just doesn't feel good in my hands. All my research & pondering is hurting my brain! You didn't mention the Nikons essentially automated focus stacking (what they call focus shifting). I would definitely use that for landscape! I'm not a vidnut so that part is not as important to me so I could still lean toward the D850 but then again, there's the future! Decisions, decisions...
A7Riii's ISO comes down to 50 and you mentioned 100.......... am I missing something?
Nikon comes down to 32!
Sony a7riii
like your vids Jared. can you put one list by the end of the vid that shows all the check marks and which cam earned that. this will be super helpful to review and decide on the cam to buy.
Sony A7r4 or Nikon d850 which one is batter only for photography ??
A7riv miles away
Jared I would NEVER take a NIKON Z7 abroad for work without a backup card slot, no matter how good it is. I had cards fail on me in the past. If I would decide to take the Z7 then it means I would surely need a backup camera as well and shoot simultaneously. More weight and more trouble. The D850 is great but its just huge. With the A7RIII you can as well write directly to an external hard disk. As for cameras we almost have every single model there is to buy. We use all types of camera in specialised timelapse 3G weather sealed boxes to monitor and upload construction progress. Budgets we handle are unlimited literally but we still go to smallest cameras possible and at least dual sd card even if we upload all photos instantly on specialised software. We also do not rely on camera built in timelapse. We are currently moving to SONY although these boxes were mostly designed and built for CANONS.
I agree, George. If it doesn't have 2 slots, I won't buy it. I had an expensive 64GB SD card fail. Fortunately, I had an expensive CF card (Canon 5DIII) that didn't fail and I didn't lose anything. Yes, sometimes the data can be recovered, but I'm not willing to take that risk.
Sorry...I treat all of my gear very well and only use top line cards. Still had one fail. It's up to you if you wish to chance losing data. I choose to have as much redundancy as I can afford.
@@davidpavlich8939 David we are saying EXACTLY the same thing...!! I said I cannot afford loosing data with the Z7...!!
@@g1998k My first reply to you said that I agreed with you. The second reply was meant for 'unknown'. Sorry for the mixup.
Um you can sync wirelessly to a laptop or phone.
Jared failed in this review to emphasize which is the most ALL ROUNDED camera, which is the Sony A7RIII with the only reservation that you got to make sure you are happy with the glass available. I cannot understand how such a critical way of looking at a camera is getting so overlooked in current reviews. D850 does not compete in video well, Z7 lacks performance and single card slot, A7RIII does everything really well with no major shortcomings.
What about a real world review camera battle. Eg. take an Olympus OMD EM1 Mk II vs Fuji XT-3 vs A7R III vs Nikon Z7 vs Canon EOS R.
Where it is all about the feel and useability of the camera instead of the specs, hence the different sensor sizes.
Hi Jared, I know just about every one is blaming the Z7 / Z6 and saying that that Song A7iii is so much better. I would love to see a fist generation Sony A7 ver a Nikon Z7 just to see how they compare. Sill watch and love your content. You and your team have an amazing 2019. Just as an answer to your question I have a D850 and it is a great tool for what I shot with it. But I do have a lot of Nikon lenses, I also have an X1D that to is an amazing camera the nice camera in the hand but not the fastest but a delight to use and the results are stunning.
I've been considering the Sony A7 lll. Great reviews!
Going to wait a few more years and see what Nikon mirrorless camera's come out to replace the Z6 and Z7. I'll save my money and wait until a second generation comes out which hopefully addresses a few of the issues and possibly additional tech. Plus a price drop as mirrorless becomes the standard.
Got my a7riii and love it switched from canon.
Except for the wind tunnel ✅ JP this is another 👏👏👏👏👍🙏🏼
I was a die hard Nikon fan, moved to the Sony A7II then the A7RII, and I just can't stand the Sony Menu's, buttons, and ergonomics. No matter how much I force myself, I just don't like it. I want to go back to the Nikon and get a D850. The Nikon was just so intuitive and easy to shoot with; not so much with the Sony. The question is whether I should forgo D850 and get a Z7? I just can't decide. I only have 1 Nikon F lens and two Sony lenses, so I'm not really invested all that much in either platform.
I have Nikon lenses..... I want to stick with Nikon. Which Nikon would you choose for vlogging/ video? I'm not afraid to spend some money.....
Z6
I got the a7r3 a week ago love it so far
I’m saving for a Nikon d850
Have a about a 1000 to go
I love my current Nikon d7500 but I shoot landscapes and want it for this
Have D850 & rather than opting for Z7, i opted for Z6 due to lesser MRP & better video aspects
great info
I just bought a D850. Done deal. TowerJazz is making the Nikon BSI Sensors
D850 easily.
Giving the D850 a check mark for battery where the grip+charger+battery is $920 is very ridiculous. The Sony Grip + extra battery is $376. One of a few completely Nikon bias selections you made. Nikon D850 is a great camera and I'd like to own one to shoot along side my Sonys but don't want to make the investment in Nikon glass at this point.Already having to decide what to do with my Canon glass since I know have a lot of native Sony glass.
A7R III, I have the A9 so that would compliment what I have.
If I have to pick the best camera today - that would be the D850. But if I want a better future proof camera, I would pick the Z7. Both Canon and Nikon have already gone to bigger mounts. Panasonic is planning to do so for their full frame. Fuji already has their medium format with a big mount, meanwhile Sony insists that their E mount is good enough. So am I missing something here? Maybe the big boys (like Canon and Nikon) have figured out that there are advantages for bigger mount in making f1.2 or even 0.95 lenses with better edge to edge sharpness in your shots.
Excellent comparison, Jared, except I missed the section on image quality! As a landscape and product STILLS X-T3 shooter (no video), I have been debating on selling my Fuji kit (reluctantly), and moving into FF, specifically the Sony a7Rlll and lenses like the Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM, and the 90mm f/2.8 G Macro . Since I shoot 99% tripod-mounted, neither IBIS nor video interests me. So, my question is, for large print output (around 24"x 36" prints), how much of an improvement in terms of image sharpness, detail rendition, dynamic range, base ISO performance, etc., would I see over the already excellent X-T3 (combined with the ultra-sharp Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro lens), when using the a7Rlll and the Sony 90mm f/2.8 G Macro lens tripod-mounted? Also, another reviewer mentioned that the Sony cameras have an issue with sensor dust. Do you find that as well?
I just sold one of my D750 and bought the D850 at the great price of $2,800 with the grip. The Z7 was $100 cheaper with the adapter. Now looking at that video, I’m wondering if I haven’t done a mistake and should have bought the Z7 instead. Comments/Advices?
No
4:58 if it's off by 6 stops, the problem is not the camera. it's YOU. so check mark for the D850.
Jared, you are always keen to tell us that Nikon has a F mount to Z mount adaptor but never mention the Sony A mount to E mount adaptor, which means Sony users have access to a total of 78 native Sony lenses. How many more do you think you need? I don't know why you dismiss third party lenses when Sony users are raving about the Tamron 28 - 75mm and some of the Sigma lenses. Having owned Nikon DSLR gear in the past I would take the A7RIII, though I actually prefer my A7III: and will replace my A7II with an A9.
The issue is no one has those lenses. It’s not like f mount and ef lenses.
@@froknowsphoto. More fool Sony then for wasting their time with the latest update, which allows full functionality when using A mount lenses on E mount full frame and APS-C cameras.
I think that as a system, the Z mount is better for the longer term. for that I would go with the Z7 (out of these 3).
D850. I own it. I love it!
Excellent video Jared thank you for acknowledging that Sony does in fact have adapted lenses that work with the e-mount system.