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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clovishound" data-source="post: 845984" data-attributes="member: 50197">I don't have any specific recommendations for you, but I will give a little info about my journey into bird and BIF photography over the last couple of years. Over the last five years I have owned 4 digital Nikon cameras. My philosophy is that it is the photographer, not the camera, that really makes the difference. Having said that, bird and BIF photography is much more heavily dependent on the gear than other genres. My initial upgrade was from an entry level DSLR to a mid level mirrorless. This was a smart move for me, as the Z5 controls and layout suited my style much better. I was a little disappointed that going from a 24MP crop frame to a 24MP full frame did not result in a particularly noticeable upgrade in resolution. I purchased the 200-500 with an FTZ adapter, since there were no affordable long teles available at the time for Z mount. I was very happy with both camera and lens for a while. I was lured into upgrading to the Z7ii by the high resolution sensor. This was a mistake on my part. The Z7ii is an excellent camera in most respects, but the AF was lacking for the use I was mainly putting it to. I do love the high rez sensor, as it allows me to crop without fear, which helps a lot with long distance shots, and some of my macro images. I was fortunate enough to have a windfall last year, and purchased the Z8. The AF functions for this camera are head and shoulders above any of my previous cameras, and the 20 fps and pre release capture are a definite asset to BIF photography. At Christmas time last year I took the family offer of adding some Christmas present for me money to make my purchase of a Z mount long tele. I thought long and hard between the Z600pf and the 180-600. I ended up with the 180-600 because of the flexibility of a zoom, and the much closer focusing of the zoom. I have been very happy with the 180-600, although it is not an extreme upgrade from the 200-500. I realize not everyone has the disposable income to purchase the Z8, but it is a game changer, IMO, for this type of shooting. Several of the newer Z models have the Expeed7 processor, which allows for many of the sought after features not available on previous models. Mirrorless has a great many advantages over DSLR, but they both get the job done. Both the D500 and 500pf have a reputation for being excellent wildlife gear. I have seen a great many outstanding images taken with both the D500 and the 500pf. I have heard that the 500pf pairs well with mirrorless, if and when you decided to move to mirrorless.</blockquote>

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