Currently I have 2 Nikon cameras; I have a DSLR Nikon d5300 and a mirrorless Nikon Z6. When I made the decision to upgrade to the Z6 I put in a lot of research into what I wanted to upgrade to:
Did I want to try and make the switch to Canon? Did I want to try out mirrorless? Did I want to get an upgraded DSLR? How much money was I looking to spend? Lens compatibility? Camera features? Usability? The list went on and on…
Ever since I was in middle school and digital cameras were the hottest thing out there I always had Nikon cameras. So when I made my first big purchase of a nicer camera I stuck with Nikon with out any hesitation or research, it wasn’t any thing special it was Nikon Coolpix B500 and I couldn’t wait to use it. I carried it around with me everywhere and took pictures of whatever I could people, places, literally whatever I could.
Soon after getting it we planned our first cross country road trip and I could not wait to put my not so great skills to use. I took pictures of everything we were driving by and everywhere we stopped I could not believe how BEAUTIFUL the western part of the country was. For having zero training and zero skills the pictures were coming out pretty good. I had zero editing skills and could care less I was proud of what the camera itself made possible.
Flash forward a few years later I began to really research cameras and photography. I found myself passionate about taking pictures , especially of nature and the outdoors. I felt at peace being in the woods and wanted to take places I visited with me in memory. I wanted to make an investment but didn’t have the biggest budget to work with. So after researching cameras in my budget and comparing all my options, I decided on the Nikon d5300. It had a ton of lens compatibility and was great for a beginner. After getting the camera we headed out to Acadia National Park in the middle of winter just so I could put it to the test. Sure enough I found it easy to use and it captured great pictures. This camera came with me on hikes all over and all of my travels to come. Before heading to Iceland with it I took a landscape photography class at my local REI to learn some basic skills on how to capture better images. I continued to use the skills from this one class, but never actually invested into anything else. I had started researching lenses for landscape photography and which would be best to get but never put any more money into it. After a road trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I decided this is what I wanted to do. Upon getting back I really started researching into cameras, lenses, and editing software.
As I began my search I considered upgrading my camera to something even better, I looked into Canon and other Nikon cameras. Went to Hunt’s Photo and talked to camera experts that worked there asking their opinions of what they thought. One thing everyone agreed on was Nikon was the best option out there. The next big decision was upgrading to a new DSLR or giving mirrorless a shot. One of the reps told me that mirrorless was probably a good investment because it is where the future of cameras and photography lies. I headed home and began researching Nikon’s mirrorless cameras and all the details. Turns out the mirrorless cameras are compatible with 90% of Nikon’s Nikkor lenses all you need is an adaptor.
The day I went to make my purchase I had decided on the Nikon Z6 with the Nikkor adapter, but just to assure myself I talked to the reps one more time to assure I was making the right decision. The Z6 came with the adaptor for free I would need which was a great bonus. I couldn’t wait to put the new camera to use! The mirrorless camera is definitely a learning process which I am no where near mastering yet, I am constantly messing with the settings and trying to take classes on mirrorless cameras to improve my skills.
Overall, the images that I get from my Z6 trump the d5300 images any day. I am now looking into lenses and filters that I can get to take even more beautiful images.
kaylawanders 