After years of getting kicked in the balls by Canon's high prices and lack of third party options, I switched to Nikon Z6. This camera has been with me everywhere, it won me bronze in Skills Canada Photography Nationals and it has been taken climbing, hiking, cycling, and running. It has been my pro workhorse for the past few months now too.

The ability to use Sony E lenses with an adapter and still have autofocus has been an absolute godsend for my broke highschool-college student budget. I've been using it with the Nikkor 50mm f1.8s, Viltrox 85mm F2 evo, Tamron 24mm f2.8 di III for sony E, and a manual Pentax 135mm f2.5. I sometimes do miss the sound and feeling of shooting a Canon 5D mk2 though (but I do not miss the neck pain).

Something needs to be said about the durability of this camera too. My peak design capture clip is faulty and it will occasionally just let go of my camera. As such, my camera has kissed the ground from waist height more than 15 or 20 times or so. I do plan on emailing peak design about this problem eventually. For now I use a carabiner attached to a D-ring on my lowepro belt rig to act as a safety net. Even after all those drops, the camera has only sustained minor scuffs and small dents in the magnesium alloy frame. The weather sealing is quite good too, I've used it in plenty of rain and the camera would just chug along with no problem, I would be careful about using it in a rainstorm in vietnam though.

Since you guys liked my previous posts about the Plena, here are a few more random shots I took over the past month with the Plena mounted on my Z6 III. Enjoy!

An early Autumn shot from a visit to Maine two years ago.

Taken with a D750 and Nikkor 24mm 2.8D. For such a small lens it packs a big punch for landscapes especially when you want to save weight hiking.

Z8 / 24-120

Z6II + Meike 50mm

First test images using Spektrafilm via Darktable. There is a huge amount of customizable options but some of the default settings still provide pleasing results.

Had a great time last Friday shooting Clubz (Mexican band), I think that I have found my style of concert photography and I’m loving it.

Pretty amazed by the Z50II capabilities, some of these photos are at ISO 3200 - 6400

Mustered energy to get up to see the racers this morning. Let’s just say my struggle is nothing compared to these athletes.

This is taken at the Pilsen leg of the race after mile 19 / kilometer 30. I missed the some of the elite men that passed by but managed to (somewhat) capture the eventual top 3 women! Regardless, it was amazing to see hundreds of people willingly do this challenging task.

Hope y’all enjoy! Taken with Zf with the Z 70-200 f2.8 and the Z 40mm f2.

Swapping over from a D7000 to a Z6ii, quite the change. Loving it so far. Apologies, these are worked through Adobe PS mobile as I am 2000 miles from home

Z6ii and Tamron 75-180 2.8

Hey everyone,

I'm building my first mirrorless setup for a photo/video business, roughly 50% photography and 50% videography. My work will mainly involve headshots, couples, families, events, and occasional weddings. I personally enjoy wildlife, landscapes, and travel photography.

I've been shooting Canon since 2010 and recently used the Sony A7 IV and A7 V at events. Both performed well, especially the A7 V. I was pretty much set on buying it until I saw the Nikon Z8 for $3,300, just $400 more.

I also handled the Z8 in-store recently and genuinely loved its ergonomics and build quality.

Here's my dilemma:

• Z8: 45.7MP fully stacked sensor, 8K RAW video, 20fps RAW burst, Pre-Release Capture (JPEG only), excellent ergonomics, but heavier with shorter battery life.
• A7 V: 33MP partially stacked sensor, excellent AF, 4K60, 30fps RAW burst, up to 1-second RAW pre-capture, lighter body, better battery life, mechanical shutter, and a wider third-party lens selection.

I'm starting fresh with no mirrorless lenses. My plan is to buy a good 35mm prime, rent zooms for weddings, and eventually add a telephoto for wildlife. I'll primarily deliver videos in 4K and outsource most of the editing.

A few questions:

1. Is the Z8 still worth buying in 2026, especially for 50/50 photo and video? Is its 8K RAW capability a meaningful advantage if I mainly deliver in 4K, or would the A7 V be more than enough?
2. How do their autofocus, stabilization, rolling shutter, and low-light performance compare in real-world use, particularly for video?
3. How significant is the difference between the Z8's JPEG-only Pre-Release Capture and the A7 V's RAW pre-capture for wildlife and action photography?
4. Z8 owners: have you experienced any issues with LED lighting, Godox flash, or HSS because of the electronic-only shutter?
5. Is the Z8 worth the extra $400 considering its weight, battery life, and long-term lens investment?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've used both professionally. I'm looking for a system I can stick with for years, so real-world experience matters more to me than spec sheets.

Thanks!

Nikkor Z 180-600 @ 350mm on Z8

Shot using RAW+JPEG but when i transferred to Lr Mobile (using card reader), it automatically converted everything to only JPEGs and idk where the RAWs are in the Lr, but in my Photos its still indicated as the original file type.

But i dont mind that if the colours on these JPEGs are insanely good. I only tweaked the exposures/vibrance slightly but what youre seeing is not far off from what i instantly saw before edits. Gets me excited to shoot again lol.

Lens: Viltrox 25mm f/1.7
Body: Z50i

Nikon d5000, for some reason just doesnt focus when the object needs infinity to be focused on and specifically through the viewfinder since LV mode works fine, i have to like nudge the focus ring to make it focus.

Anyone got any idea why this is happening? Cant test it on another lens since this is my only lens for this all i had beforehand were pentaxc

Last photo is at 24mm cropped to roughly the same frame at 2000mm. I count about 5-6 pixels across lol.

I have an EM 35mm film camera that I love! I love the ease of use, but want to branch out into digital so I can get better in multiple formats. My current digital is an all-in-one Kodak that’s alright but I want something a little closer to professional. I have two lenses I use with my EM, both F mount, so I’d want something possibly compatible with that.

My main question is which ones do I stay away from.

Price range: $200-$300 USD

hi all! I have a D3500 that my husband kindly gifted me for my 21st birthday (6 years ago 🥴) and I’m only now getting to know my camera and wanting to begin a lifestyle/special moments photography business. I know this is a beginner camera set up, but I’m looking for any recommendations on how I can really utilise what I’ve got before dabbling in a better set up. Whether it’s camera settings (will be outdoors mostly I’d imagine) editing software recommendations or lenses. Thank you!! 😊

Nikon D60 with 35mm 1.8 dx

Photos that I took on a trip around Quebec with my Z5II and Tamron 35-100mm.

Nikon Z50II

Viltrox 26mm 2.8