Upgrade D7500 to Z8 for African safari next year ?

[Machlott]

Hello guys,
I'm pretty new on this forum, so if i post in the wrong topic or did something wrong don't hesitate to tell me.

So i'm currently planning a trip to Tanzania with my wife for our honeymoon.
And i'm really excited to do a Safari, cause i really love Wildlife photography.
I'm currently running on a D7500 paired with either a nikon 70-300 f5.6-6.3 and since last year a nikon 200-400 f.4.
And the idea of improving my camera has been on my mind for several years.

Do you think this could be the perfect moment to change and go on an hybrid ?
And also do you think the Z8 could be a really good option ?

Thanks in advance for your help and advices

PS : You can found attached some of my last shoot in a zoo. (D7500 - Nikon 200-400 F4)

 

[Strodav]

FWIW, if it's a honeymoon, your wife should be more important to you than your camera. When your camera starts interfering with your relationship, put the camera down.

The D7500 is a fine camera. If you keep it, I recommend you spend some significant time with it before you travel getting a good feel for the important functions like the AF and metering systems. For that camera, I'd take a 35mm f/1.8, a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a 200-500mm f/5.6. Don't forget spare batteries and mem cards. Your going to also want circular polarizers for each lens. It is a dslr, so it is pretty noisy compared to a mirrorless camera, but wildlife photographers have been using dslrs since they hit the market. You will need to think about a backup camera in case your D7500 fails.

If you want to go mirrorless, the Z8 is an amazing camera (I have a Z9), but be prepared for the learning curve. I'd take a 50mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, and the new 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3. This rig gets you to state of the art with a significant boost in capabilities and image quality. Again, don't forget about spare batteries, mem cards, circular polarizers and a backup camera.

 

[Machlott]

FWIW, if it's a honeymoon, your wife should be more important to you than your camera. When your camera starts interfering with your relationship, put the camera down.

The D7500 is a fine camera. If you keep it, I recommend you spend some significant time with it before you travel getting a good feel for the important functions like the AF and metering systems. For that camera, I'd take a 35mm f/1.8, a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a 200-500mm f/5.6. Don't forget spare batteries and mem cards. Your going to also want circular polarizers for each lens. It is a dslr, so it is pretty noisy compared to a mirrorless camera, but wildlife photographers have been using dslrs since they hit the market. You will need to think about a backup camera in case your D7500 fails.

If you want to go mirrorless, the Z8 is an amazing camera (I have a Z9), but be prepared for the learning curve. I'd take a 50mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, and the new 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3. This rig gets you to state of the art with a significant boost in capabilities and image quality. Again, don't forget about spare batteries, mem cards, circular polarizers and a backup camera.

Thanks for you advices.
Don't worry my wife is more important than the photography

And why do you think the 180-600mm is better than the 200-400 ?
Primarly for the extended 200mm ?

 

[Strodav]

Thanks for you advices.
Don't worry my wife is more important than the photography

And why do you think the 180-600mm is better than the 200-400 ?
Primarly for the extended 200mm ?

One strategy when shooting nature / wildlife, is to take a shot in context, i.e., include the environment / background; take a shot of just the subject trying to separate the subject from the background; take a head shot; maybe take a partial of the face including an eye. A longer reach lens gives you more flexibility with this strategy. It's a general rule in nature / wildlife photography that you can never have too much reach. Not absolutely true, but close enough for a practical guideline.

The 200-400mm lens is a fine lens, but the 180-600mm is more flexible, has a longer reach, can be used handheld, and every review I have seen says it's going to be an epic nature / wildlife lens. If I was only going to bring one telephoto lens, it would be the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3. Full disclosure: I've been using a Sony E mount 200-600mm f/5.3-6.3 with a megadap Z to E adapter for over a year now on my Z9, which is long before the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 was even announced. The Sony with the Z9 has served me very well.