Photo at top: Lesbos Mediterranean Sea, and some hills at the overside of south bay. Nikon DSLR D300 Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 35mm equivalent: 50 x 1.5 = 75mm. At the bottom of this page you see a picture of Bee Eaters at Lesbos at a distance of about 20 meter, shot with Nikon mirrorless camera V1 nikkor 18.1mm f/1.8 + Swarovski telescope 35mm equivalent: 2.7 x 18.1 x 50 = 2500mm. Those two pictures illustrate the enormous difference in reach (bereik) and perspective when one uses essentially different optical combinations.

DSLR or mirrorless?

A “DSLR” is a system camera (interchangable lenses) using a mirror and pentaprisma for its optical viewfinder (zoeker) and a mechanical shutter. It uses an image sensor but also a separate autofocus sensor. Nikon DSLR’s use “F-mount“ (F-bajonet) lenses. Canon DSLR’s use their “E-mount” lenses, etcetera, etcetera. Nikon Z camera’s can also use F-mount lenses in combination with an optical adapter, called FTZ adapter.

An “MLC” is a mirrorless system camera (interchangable lenses) and does not need a mirror and prisma but uses a high resolution Electronic Viewfinder “EVF”(electronische zoeker) replacing the mirror, pentaprisma and optical viewfdinder. Once you get used to this clear viewer it is hard to switch back to the optical viewfinder of a DSLR. The EVF of an MLC is a significant improvement in bird photography not only when working in low light situations but particularly in clear sunlight because one can far better check picture quality via the relatively bright high reolution EVF.

Market leading producers like Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Leica and Panasonic are moving away from the DSLR concept and investing in extending their product line of mirrorless camera’s and compatible lenses. For example Nikons S class Z Mount lenses are side by side lighter and optically superior to their F Mount counterparts. For example the late 2023 Z mount Nikkor 800mm flagship was annouced as being “Lighter and cheaper”.

The autofocus function of an MLC is integrated in the one and only sensor in the camera. MLC’s electronic shutter enable the camera to produce pictures at exceptionally high burst rates, almost only limited by data bus speed, data buffer size and card speed. An MLC is usually smaller and lighter than a DSLR but has comparable or even superior ergonomics, functionality and quality and uses relatively lighter lenses of significant higher optical quality like the S class lenses of Nikons Z MLC’s. They feature a substantially larger Z-mount (Z-lensvatting) for light transmission than classical F-mount camera’s and lenses do.

So both, DSLR’s and MLC’s, are system camera’s (systeem camera’s). You can interchange and mount lenses as long as they use a compatible lens mount (lensvatting). Nikon uses its F-mount lenses on its DSLR’s, a different CX-mount on System 1 MLC’s and lately Z-mount lenses on its Z series MLC‘s. Sigma and Tamron produce CX-mount and Z-mount compatible lenses of high quality.

Nikon Z MLC’s do have the largest cross section worldwide of the light transmission opening in this class of digital camera’s.

Lens mounts (lensvattingen) are very important. The diameter of their opening determines the amount of light transmitted onto the sensor. Mount adapters like FT1 (F mount To Nikon System 1 Series) or FTZ (F mount To System Z) next to transferring light are also passing on electronic control signals for APERTURE, autofocus and stabilisation of the lens. Canon uses its “E-mount“, Panasonics four thirds MLC’s like in their G3, a great MLC and popular amongst digiscopers. The other “digiscoping champion” is Nikons System 1 V1. Sony uses yet another mount, etcetera. Numerous adapters exist to interchange lenses in between camera brands.

Reach (bereik) of various camera’s

Reach (bereik) is key in bird photography. In this context some facts about Nikon camera’s and converters are important:

• An APS-C type image sensor with an image area (beeldoppervlak) 24 x 16 mm is significantly smaller than a full frame sensor witn 36 x 24 mm surface. This results in a so called crop factor 1.5 which contributes substantially to the relatively large reach (bereik) of Z50 and late Z3. See a detailed explanation in: 6 Reach. Nikon Series 1 MLC’s have an even larger crop factor 2.7 and 9 x 13 mm surface (rounded numbers).

• The usage of converters is always a trade off in bird photography because it may decrease image quality. However using high quality converters in combination with high quality lenses like Nikkor 300mm f/4D, Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR, Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR and Nikon Z System S-class tele lenses (and some other Z lenses) is definitely worthwhile trying out.

• In our experience particularly aspherical converter TC-20E III in combination with Z mount lenses gives us substantial reach (bereik) up to 1500mm equivalent maintaining quite high image quality. Particularly in combination with the light Nikon Fresnel-lenses, 300mm f/4E PF VR (770 gram) and 500mm PF VR f/5.6E PF VR (1450 gram), we do appreciate this converter. See the testfoto SD card at 28 meter below. By the way this appreciation is shared by quite a few renowned bird photographers.

• Nikon System 1 Series and Z camera’s, support the use of Nikon’s aspherical converter TC-20E III in combination with F mount (compatible) Nikkor lenses. This is a advantage next to the obvious benefit of an high resolution EVF providing us in the field with perfect instant review of pictures made in dark wheather or bright sunlight.

• Nikon claims that the resolution of Nikkor 500mm PF VR f/5.6E PF VR will not degrade when using converter TC-14E type III. In our experience this is true. Anyway we are regarding this Nikkor 500mm PF VR f/5.6E PF VR more or less as our “poor man’s 700mm f/8 super telelens” (with built-out converter).

More about Z50

Affordable APS-C type MLC with good grip, also with F-mount lenses. High resolution electronic viewfinder “EVF” extraordinary useful in good light and low light circumstances. Speed 9 FPS, data buffer qqq. Two card slots. We have been using it for many years now. High quality pictures ISO range 100 – 51.200. Based on an improved D500 image sensor. Autofocus sensor has been integrated at this sensor.

We are experiencing two problems: No Multiselector Lock switch like at D500, so from time to time you have to press OK button to reposition AF selector in the centre of the image viewer. Also somewhat restricted AF and AF suject tracking (yet?). Anyway this Z50 is a great camera in lightweight bird photography. We have been using it for several years now and most of thr time with F mount tele lenses and FTZ adapter.

This Z50 has rightfully received an EISA award for its high price/performance-ratio.

More about Z7 II

Supports TC-20E III. Two EXPEED processors. Two card slots. Fast reliable autofocus. Reach slightly over Z50 because of higher quality sensor, not because of 46Mp. Not yet as good as Canon, Fujifilm, etc, regarding tracking. Apart from this Z7 II is a great camera for lightweight bird photography. Battery grip with control buttons. Price body end 2022 around 3000 dollar. A better choice may be Z8 if yoou canafford it. This camera is more or less perfect.

Overview DSLR’s and MLC’s suitable for lightweight (bird) photography used by us:

Camera	type	MP	"APS-C MP"	crop	pixel pitch	FPS	buffer	gram	note
D300(S)	DSLR	12.3	12.3	1.5	5.5	6		840
D7200	DSLR	24	24	1.5	3.9	8		780
D800	DSLR	36	16	1.0	4.9	5		900
D500	DSLR	21	21	1.5	4.2	10	30	860	AF á la D5
Z50	MLC	21	21	1.5	4.2	10		450	also TC-20E III
Z5	MLC	24.3	9.5	1.0	6.0	qqq	qqq z50 buffer	qqq	also TC-20E III
Z6	MLC	24.5	9.5	1.0	6.0	12		675	also TC-20E III
Z6 II	MLC	24.5	9.5	1.0	6.0	14		705	also TC-20E III
Z7	MLC	45.7	21	1.0	4.3	10		825	TC-20E III
Z7 II	MLC	45.7	21	1.0	4.3	14		qqq	TC-20E III. Two EXPEED.
Z8	MLC	qqq	qqq	qqq	qqq	qqq
Z9	MLC	50.1	22	1.0	qqq	qqq		qqq	also TC-20E III
V1	MLC	10	18	2.7	3.4	30		295	ideal for digiscoping
V3	MLC	18.3	34	2.7	2.3	30		325	also TC-20E III
J5	MLC	21	38	2.7	2.4	30		415	also TC-20E III
G3	MLC	16		2.0	-	-		-	ideal for digiscoping
D850	@dik qqq
D750	@dik qqq								great tracking!

The pixel pitch is the distance in micrometers between the centers or two neighbour photo sites (micro- electronische beeldpunt circuits) on the image sensor of a digital camera. The larger these photo sites the more information they will record and the less noise (ruis) the signal will relatively contain. A relatively large pixel pitch is an indication of a high quality image sensor.

The size of the RAW buffer in combination with the frames per second rate, FPS, determines the so called in action photography very important “sustained burst rate” of a camera. As an example: a D500 can photograph and store a burst off about 40 RAW frames in 2 seconds. Thereafter it will start shooting at a lower speed because RAW files in the buffer have to be transferred via the D500 databus to the XQD or SD card in parallel with the transfer from image sensor to D500 data buffer.

DSLR‘s like D500 are using an image sensor and a dedicated autofocus sensor whereas MLC’s like Z50 and Z7 II have the autofocus function integrated at their one and only sensor.

Highlights Nikon camera’s bird photography suitable for lightweight bird photography (chronological order)

• D300(S) good old DSLR 12 Mp, still good starters camera.
• D7200 better old 24 Mp DSLR, significantly better sensor, also still a good starters camera.
• D500 robust, semi pro, high image quality, reliable tracking 10 FPS (8 if focus/release priority focus).
• D750 reputed DSLR subject tracking champion.
• D800 Nikons first high quality full frame DSLR. Marvellous camera, great pictures.
• D850 top quality successor of the older full frame D800.
• V1 MLC 10 Mp, great digiscoping camera with 1 Nikkor with 18.5mm f/1.8.
• V3 MLC 18.5 Mp, supports TC-20E III also with Sigma/Tamron 600mm f/6.3, Nikkors 500mm f/5.6E.
• LX3 Panasonic digicompact 16 Mp excellent four thirds sensor, crop 2.0, great digiscoping camera.
• G3 Panasonic digicompact 16 Mp great sensor, crop 2.0, great digiscoping camera 20mm f/1.7.
• J5 MLC 21 Mp, D500-architecture sensor, slow databus (!), no EVF (!), yet TC-20E III Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E, Sigma/Tamron 600mm with quite good image quality.
• Z7 full frame MLC, EVF, definitely not low budget, but definitely great camera with wide viewer field.
• Z6 full frame MLC, EVF, good grip, excellent subject tracking (not yet used by us).
• Z7 II full frame MLC EVF, two EXPEED processors, two card slots, battery grip.
• Z6 II full frame MLC, EVF, good grip, excellent subject tracking (not yet used by us)
• Z50 APS-C, good grip also with F-mount lenses, EVF, 9 FPS, EISA award price/performance.
• Z5 full frame MLC, EVF, 9MP APS-C-format normalised, great camera (not yet used by us).
• Z9 full frame MLC, EVF, Nikon flagship, splendis conplete camera, expensive and no “affordable” lightweight camera for bird photography; not used by us.
• Z8 full frame MLC, cheaper but more or less as good as Z9; although not bing an “affordable” lightweight however we may consider to buy one as our “definitely final mirrorless for the next five years”).

Image sensors Nikon: Full Frame (“FX“), APS-C type (“DX”), (more or less obsolete) CX-format System 1

The main sensor in a digital camera is the image sensor. It contains millions of pixels (beeldpunten), originally electronic circuits producing an electronic signal that, converted into digital bytes, eventually is stored as a RAW or JPG format file on the memory card of the camera. Image sensors have quite different formats. A full frame image sensor measures 36 x 24 mm (rounded figures), equal to that of a classical diapositive 35mm smallfilm photograph. Many camera’s including MLC’s are built around a full frame image sensor. They are more expensive but have significant advantages in (semi) professional bird photography. You can for example:

• Produce high quality large prints or screen images if you need those.

• Use a relatively large viewfinder that gives you a larger field of view. Example in the field: at a distance of 10 meter a from left to right horizontally fast flying Great Spotted Woodpecker (Grote Bonte Specht) will cover about 2/3 (66%) part of the width of the viewfinder of an APS-C type D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR. Using a full frame camera like D800 it will cover only 1/1.5 = 4/9 (45%) part of the viewfinder. This may look not seem to be a great difference but this really matters in bird action photography: you get far fewer action pictures of the bird, without head or tail, because the bird has been longer “present in in the pictures”.

MLC’s in bird photography

Nikons older type System 1 MLC’s have exceptionally large reach (bereik) as we already explained. Look for example at the picture of the Bee-eaters at the bottom of this page. We have used Nikons – at the time rather revolutionary – System 1 V3 from the first day it was available in Holland in 2014 and still use it occasionally next to our System 1 J5, wich is based on a predecessor of the D500 image sensor. This way we get 35mm equivalents up to 2270 mm using Tamron G2 or Sigma Sport 600mm or Nikkor 300mm TC-20E III. Of course there is some degradation in overall image quality when using converters and some bird photographers never ever will use them, but in our situation the amount of detail is often important for example like when photographing (and not disturbing) the nest of a White-tailed Eagle (Zeearend) at over 200 meter or of an UHU (Oehoe) with juveniles at about 40 meter or a Honeybuzzard (Wespendief) near its nest at about 50 meter.

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Pictures using different combinations camera-lens-converter and digiscoping at various distances

Picture of Bee-eaters at 25 meter:

At present we are most of the time using Nikons DSLR D500 or MLC Z50 and occasionally full frame MLC Z7 (courtesy Nikon) or Z7. This way we get 35mm equivalents up to 1500mm using pro quality Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR TC-20E III and the large full frame view in the viewfinder and top image quality images using a full frame camera and in both cases the clear brilliant EVF which is a substantial advantage in bird photography.

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