Well if you are a Nikon shooter (which I’m not!), you have noticed a couple of exciting announcements, and all I can say is “Canon – You’re Next” (PLEASE!).

Nikkor 500mm f/5,6 PF

The announcement that I am most excited for, at least for my Nikon friends, is the release of the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR. I have always been incredibly envious of the 300 PF whenever I have seen one on the trip, so now that Nikon has stepped it up and released a 500, I’m hoping it is a kick in the pants that Canon needs to start releasing some newer and lighter equipment.

The biggest surprise for me is the price tag of the 500 PF, at just under $4,900 CAD, this compares to the Canon 400 f/4 DO of over $8,800 CAD.  The price is absolutely incredible, and gives photographers (well Nikon shooters) the ability to get a longer focal range at a lower price.  Especially when compared to the Nikon 500mm f/4 at just under $13,000 CAD.

In addition to the lower price tag, this lens (and one of the appeals) is that it comes in at a lower weight, weighing less than half of the 500mm f/4, coming in at 1,460g (compared to 3,880 for the 500 f/4). This makes the 500 PF a great lens for photographers who travel often, and and restricted for baggage size and weight.

Of course, I’m not about to get too excited for Nikon shooters, or jealous, just yet because it still all hinges on image quality, but assuming it’s anything like the 300 PF, I think Nikon shooters are lucky and have one more option when it comes to lenses.

It also comes weather sealed and with Nikon’s Fluorine Coating, making it a capable lens for rugged shooting conditions.

More information on the 500 PF can be found on Nikon’s website.

Nikon Full Frame Mirrorless  (z7 & z6)

The next announcement that has me begging Canon to step-up is the announcement of two full-frame mirrorless cameras, which compare quite closely to the Sony a7iii and a7riii.  Both of these cameras come with a different mount, but have the ability to use an adapter to make it compatible with the existing f-mount lenses.

The z7 is a full frame 45.7MP camera that has 493 AF points, and shoots at 9 frames per second.  The price tag of this body is just under $4,700 CAD, and weighs in at just 585g.  It also comes equipped with video capabilities including 4k video. And one thing this camera has that the Sony’s do not, are xqd slot, but only one, which could take some getting used to for shooters used to two.  More about this camera can be found on Nikon’s website.

The z6 is a full frame 24.5MP camera that comes with 273 AF points, and shoots 12 frames per second.  The price tag of this body is just under $2,800 CAD and it weights 585g.  It also comes with the ability to capture 4k videos.  More about this camera can be found on Nikon’s website.

Two common complaints with mirrorless cameras are the autofocus, and battery life.  The battery life of the z7 is advertised to be 330 shots and the z6 slightly less at 310 shots. This battery life is much less than the Sony a7Riii at 530 shots, and the a7iii of 610 shots.  For the autofocus, I am curious at how closely it will match that of the full frame dslr cameras, based on the technical specs, it has many of the similar AF Area Modes as the DSLR’s but we will see how well it functions.

Hopefully in the not too distant future I am excitedly writing and gushing about the new releases from Canon (hopefully!).  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me [email protected].