It’s been a little over a month since I purchased my Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera, and as I mentioned in my inaugural post, I have been having issues with the continual focus. Come to think of it, I have issues with continual focus in the real world too!
Wait…what was I talking about?…
Continual focus – or more specifically “eye auto focus” (EAF) – is a relatively new auto-focus technology that ideally finds the subject’s eye(s) and locks in focus even as the subject is moving around. This is important when trying to capture moving subjects like say, my daughter at her dance recital – or my other daughter moving around the stage during her school play. Or, in the “real world” for a photo journalist who is trying to capture spontaneous moments where you can’t predict where your subject is going next.
EAF is one of the key differentiators of the Sony system – they created and perfected the technology – and everyone else, including Nikon is trying to catch up. You can see a comparison of the EAF in the tests run on the Sony A7iii versus the Nikon Z6 versus the Canon EOS R in this video by Jared Polin (“Fro Knows Photo”) below.
As Jared states, when it comes to EAF:
“Nikon is a newborn, or still in the womb, because they’re still trying to figure it all out, while the Sony is in college and is getting ready to graduate from college because it keeps getting better and better. Maybe it’s going for its Masters degree before it goes for its Doctorate. The Sony is by far better. The Nikon…it’s there. It’s starting to be useable.”
Beyond the EAF, the Sony A7iii also has two card slots (Z6 has one), an option to add a vertical grip (which makes the camera more ergonomically pleasing and allows you to have two batteries), and it allows for third party lenses from Sigma and Tamron which could be about half the price of native glass. All these Sony advantages come at about the same price I paid for the Nikon Z6.
So, I should just return my Nikon Z6 and go out and buy the Sony, right? (Yes, I do have the option to return the Z6 for a full refund). Well that’s where the cognitive dissonance sets in (link to song?). The reason I chose the Nikon to begin with is that it has a nicer electronic view finder (EVF) and LCD with a touchscreen. The colors coming out of the Nikon are more vibrant which suits my tastes. And the video capability of the Nikon might be better if I ever decide to get professionally serious about videography. It was a tough choice back in December and I sort of went with the “feel test” to make my decision at the time.
Earlier this week, I conducted an informal poll on the FroKnowPhoto Facebook group to ask their opinion and 60% said stick with the Z6, 10% said make the switch, and 10% said they don’t give a damn what I do (someone added that option in and people went for it.) Most recommended I get “better glass” which means buy more expensive/better lenses. The Z6 came with a 24-70 “kit lens” – the more expensive 24-70 f2.8 lens is about $2,200. (No, that’s not a misprint.)
Still undecided, I went to Samy’s Camera last night to get another feel of the Sony A7iii and to ask their experts what they think. Of course, they couldn’t provide a definitive recommendation. But they did say I could rent the Sony A7iii for the weekend if I want. So that’s something I’ll consider.
In the end, I just want one camera to have everything I want and need – and at the right price. And that probably doesn’t exist for a camera – or pretty much anything in life.
What do you think? What would you do?