Masked Tree Frog - closeup, San Cipriano Reserve, Colombia

comments (13)

Mike Melton

Lion

Fantastic, Ferdy! Posted 2 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks, Mike! Posted 2 years ago

Christine Young

Lion

Very nice, especially the milk mustache. Posted 2 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  And the rings under the eyes from the soup head crash. Posted 2 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Good thing it's cute. Posted 2 years ago

Eric_S

Lion

Amazing shot! Love the detail. How do you like the D850? I have been thinking of upgrading recently. Posted 2 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  It's been claimed by friend and foe to be the best DSLR ever made. So if you're sticking with DSLR for a while and have the budget, you absolutely cannot go wrong.
  
  I should say though that I'm a D850 fanboy. I've owned a D800, a D810, and now 2 D850s. It's technical capabilities far exceed my abilities which gives me the feeling it's a limitless camera, at least for my shooting needs. The other strength is that the ergonomics fit me like a glove, like an extension of myself. It's so well made.
  
  Image quality: even flagship mirror-less cameras, such as the Z9, do not fundamentally improve upon a D850 sensor in resolution, dynamic range, noise performance.
  
  As for weaknesses, I think video support is mediocre, OK-ish. But that seems true for many DSLRs, video advancements are mostly found in mirror-less cameras.
  
  Another thing to consider is speed. With the proper accessories, you can max out at 9 images/second. Which is plenty fast for me as I mostly do macro with incidental birding on the side. High-end mirror-less systems achieve multiples of this though.
  
  Would your upgrade be from a D7100 to a D850? Important to know as that also means an upgrade to full frame, which has its own pros and cons. I once made a similar move coming from a D7000. Posted 2 years ago, modified 2 years ago
2. 1. Eric_S
    
    Lion
    
    Yes it would be from the D7100. I have heard a lot about the Z9. I think based on where I am at in my photography, the D850 would be a more logical step. Posted 2 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      Sure! And have you thought about the move from DX to FX? It can be quite impactful, in particular you'll lose range, unless you use it in crop mode. FX lenses are also heavier and more expensive. Posted 2 years ago
    2. 1. Eric_S
        
        Lion
        
        I have thought a bit about that and I'm thinking I that I would like the switch from DX to FX. All the lenses I have currently shoot in the FX format so that won't be as big an adjustment. The loss of range is probably the biggest con. I'm really looking to boost image quality, detail, and improve noise performance. Will this switch help in these areas?
        Posted 2 years ago
      2. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        In case the range loss really bothers you, DX mode is somewhat of a crude solution. It basically uses only part of the D850's large sensor and this is marked in the viewfinder. Due to the high resolution, the cropped end result is still about a 20MP photo (I think).
        
        Level of detail you should immediately notice, you'll have about twice the pixels, so if the shot is well taken, you can crop pretty deeply.
        
        FX means a larger sensor means more light hits it, which has generic benefits in stops, noise handling, etc.
        
        As for noise, cycling through some of your photos you don't seem to photograph at very high ISO (say 3200 and higher), in which case you may not notice much difference.
        
        You'll win almost 5 stops of dynamic range compared to the D7100, in particularly useful when shooting in RAW and it means less issues in high ISO situations.
        
        FX also means you can take photos with a shallower depth of field. The very "dreamy" shots.
        
        Whether these upgrades are useful for you I don't know, but they're absolutely noticeable and within the domain of DSLRs, it's as good as it gets:
        https://www.dxomark.com/nikon-d850-sensor-review-first-dslr-hit-100-points/
        
        My shorter answer would be that the only regret I had when buying a D850 is to not buy it sooner.
        Posted 2 years ago
        
        Eric_S
        
        Lion
        
        That is great advice! Thank you for helping me out here! I think I definitely will make this my next upgrade! Happy shooting!
        Posted 2 years ago
        
        Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Happy to help and enjoy! Posted 2 years ago