Sony A7s3 V Nikon Z6 Milky Way Photography 

No other reviews have mentioned the lack of decent zoom for manual focusing. Thanks for mentioning. Important feature for nightscape photography.

fantastic job! I still haven't had the chance to go out and shoot the aurora here yet, weather has been blocking the really good displays hopefully soon. I did go out and shoot a whole video just using moon light and fire light (coming soon) and the A7sIII does some amazing stuff in low light... Some day I'll get to shoot the Milky Way some day...

Richrad I've always like Nikon for its dynamic range and colour it produces. Sony looks pretty good and a lot would say it's a better system, but the z6 is a great camera and you make bloody amazing images from it. You thinking of the z6ii?. Also I personally think nikon glass is the best.

Richard - thanks for all the info. Based on it, I would save my money for a Z6 upgrade (not to Z6ii) or more Z lenses. My need for a flippy screen is taken care of by a few on camera 5" and 7" monitors I have.

Hi, as beginner I am also thinking to buy a Sony A7IV or the Nikon Z6II for Nightscape and Timelapse. And cannot decide 🙂 I would easily decide for the Nikon, but for in the most reviews in internet I see the Sony lenses are better for astronomy purpose. I see from your equipment list you also use Sony lenses, but I wonder why dont you use the very good Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8 or the fantastic Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM? Do you have any doubts about using this lenses with the Nikon camera? KR

I switched from Nikon Z6ii /Z7 to Sony A7RV. For nightscape I miss the Nikon because they focus on infinity automatically which is perfect for this scenario.

That video was vary helpful!! I do landscape and nightscape photography. I'm shopping for a new camera now and I'm considering between the Nikon Z711 , Sony A7R111 and the Sony A7V which is a 61 MP camera. I have heard that a high MP sensor at high ISO may show more nosie. Could you share your thoughts on this. I'm going out to Utah and California USA in the spring. If you ever come to the US to shoot and want a detailed (to the exact spot) where a lot of good Milky Way pictures are, let me know. Thank you for your advice on the cameras.

I'm glad you found the perfect camera for your video's and as you say they are a big part of what you do so for that l think your onto a winner as the clips look great. The Z6 is such a great little performer for stills so l'm glad to see you have no plans to swap it out... as far as Canon goes l wouldn't even bother but l have always had Nikon so perhaps l'm alittle sentimental and biased 😉

Excellent comparisons Richard, thanks for showing the two. As a dark, dark side user of Canon :), I do like the Canon R with its larger articulated screen and before buying it did compare it with the Sony A7riv, though in daylight, found the colour straight out of the camera, slightly better than the Sony. In saying that all three brands are amazing cameras! thanks again.

Im surprised that the Z6 is better at photo, but only because how long its been out compared to the A7S3. Great vid!

The durability and quality of Nikon cameras is unquestionable

Yeah the Sony a 7siii is amazing mate I’ve definitely made a good choice

Oh yeah. Only 12 mp and a 4x digital zoom. Not a camera you want to be reaching for a regular basis for astro, though it can do it. I said it last time and I'll say it again, what a freaking awesome video camera for low light! It's really impressive and your production at night is going to be so much higher quality now. Great video.

Thank you !! Great review as always. I was wondering if you ever have a chance to check the Panasonic Lumix S5. As is a competitor to the Sony A7III. I started Milky Way Photography with A lumix GH5 Which I have it for video. Now I am thinking of buying a Full Frame Camera and I am considering the Lumix S5 For video compatibility with My Lumix GH%. But I wont if it is not good for Milky Way Photography. In all reviews looks like isa good competitor to the Sony A7III but no Milky Way Photography Reviews so far. I am wondering if you have an opinion on it. Thanks a lot.

Great review! So Honest :) I'm a Nikon fan myself but have been looking for the best of night video recording, Sony keep getting the most thumbs up. I have a lot of Nikon Len's and lean towards the Z6 with F mount adapter , But maybe I should just save hard and buy a whole new system, The Sony A7S3. As for the dark side, Going from Nikon to cannon is like going from Ford to holden or Carton to collingwood ;)

Hello Richard, good job. It was expected that the result of your test would be this because comparing a machine that was developed to make films with a machine for making photographs could only give this result. I would like to see a test comparing the same type of machines :)

Great comparison video Richard! I hope you get to compare the Z 6 against the Z 6II someday. Mine will be delivered on Tuesday! I can't wait to try it out. 😁😁😁

Excellent review, however, I think you are a couple of weeks too early. You should now be reviewing bathe Sony A7s3 against the Nikon Z6ii. Listening to your comments comparing the autofocus speed etc. I think, from other reviews I have seen by people who have actually had their hands on the new Nikon, you will find this has been more than addressed. No, Nikon hasn't redesigned the screen to swivel round to front-face, but that doesn't bother me as I don't make these sort of videos, but in every other respect I think the new Z6ii and Z7ii will more than match the Sony performances. Love my Z6 and am looking forward to receiving a Z7ii in December. I certainly couldn't afford to run two brands nor switch from one to the other. Very happy to lie in the "Nikon bed".

One thing you do not mention at all, which I would think is important, is the much longer single-shot exposure time the a7siii can give you because of the 12mp/larger photosites. For those not interested in post processing stacking, you can likely shoot 20-21 seconds in the a7siii (using the NPF rule) without introducing star trails. For the 24 MP cameras, you are limited to 12-15 second depending on the lens and f-stop. Interesting you limited to 15 seconds only, and did not explore that difference.

In order to evaulate ISO sensor performance you need a close up comparison of the RAW images using the same lens for both. This video is definitely useful but it is impossible to judge the actual sensor performance between the two as a viewer.

On digidirect, $5749 for the Sony a7s3?? That's just insane. I was thinking it would $3000.

Got some very good astro pictures of Orion nebula and constellation on the new Nikon Z6ii. There are no videos yet on the internet for astrophotography for the Z6ii. Milky Way season is over so its just the Orion and Pleaides for just the Z6ii and Star Adventurer. I tested the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8, the Nikon Z 20mm F1.8 and Rokinon 14mm F2.4 for the Nikon Z 6ii. The Sigma is too heavy to carry around and had lots of astigmatism at 14mm. Rokinon has lots of coma but a less heavy. The Nikon Z 20mm had best performance when stopped down from F1.8 to F2.8 and was lighter. I will return the other 2 lenses. I used the back button to magnify the stars to focus on the Z6ii with the red light indicator when the stars are in focus. Its still not exact on the Z6, but very close. Focusing always seems to the be issue on the Nikon Z lenses. I am thinking of testing the Nikon Z14-24mm lens for astro. No one on the internet has done it yet.

When do you think camera manufactures will get with the program and just make all these DSLR's with a flip screen as standard fare. Fair Dinkum for the price you pay for them, and they still leave something as simple as a flip screen off. My trusty old Canon 600D from 2012 has one, yet a 3k Nikon Z6??? Just my two bob's worth.

If you want to know where you are in the frame, flip the Sony's screen around so you can see yourself in the composition. I did that many times when making commercial videos with a Lumix GH4, probably 6 to 7 years ago now, and it worked fine. I realise this video is 2 years old, so I've only just seen this discussion, but having owned a Sony A7, I wouldn't go anywhere on an actual job without a backup camera and it wouldn't be another Sony.

The sole reason I would never buy the a7Siii (or the X-T4, S5 and all Canons) is that stupid side hinged screen. It’s so slow, obtrusive and nearly doubles the width of the camera. Kudos to Nikon for not succumbing to the RU-vid influencers.

Hi Richard, I have decided that when I upgrade I am going for the z6ii which now has the fully articulated screen. I can only afford one z lens ( I haven’t got any Nikon lenses),so for nightscapes 20mm , 24mm or 35mm ?

With Sony and a history of stuck and failing shutters, I say no thanks. Nikon is the better value and all rounder, specially when with the option to shoot 12-bit 4:2:2 ProRES Raw if needed. It has plenty of detail at 24mp, very good stills/video focus, and plenty of options for video if needed. Plus its Nikon built so its very durable. Great battery life.

I've been a Canon shooter for 40 years now so I've always said that Nikon was the dark side. :) I do think you did a good review, and the captures were outstanding (per usual).

fascinating video great images from both camera s but nikon is better ,but then i would say that being a nikon user .did you sell your nikon d750 ?all the best Richard

Have you looked at the A7c for video ? Replacement for the G9, more pixels

In this video from 6:13 to 6:30, which camera and lens that you shoot it? what set up of iso and aperture?

I'm a little surprised (& disappointed) that you have found that the A7Siii is not significantly better for low light nightscape stills use, if anything, it seems its not quite as good.

How about the batery durability? In Sony it doesnt last to much? How it works in the A7s3?

Interesting. Maybe with fresh eyes you might want to go back and look at the shearing shed images. I thought the bright area above the roof has more clarity and colour depth from the Sony. Love your work anyway.

I am just starting out in astrophotography and was looking for a very unbiased opinion until I got your video, I will stick with the Nikon Z 6 as it fits my budget and will allow me to photograph objects such as nebulae and galaxies, thank you Richard.

Goes to show that there’s no perfect camera.. yet. Even the new sony a1 doesnt have flip screen tho it can easily be the do-it-all mirrorless both for photo and video, daytime or lowlight if it has the flip screen. Waiting for what a74 will bring in to the table..

Yeah, having clarity at max magnification is VITAL especially for astro. Good video Richard.

Both of the camera lens combos are 10x better than what I have (Fuji X-T2 and Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8), but the real difference is that your knowledge and skill are off the chart better than mine. If we went out together and I used your setup and you used mine you would come back with better pictures. My biggest room for improvement is to go out and shoot with what I have...alot.

In your testing I think the Z6 still looked awesome at 51000 ISO and lets face it thats incredible ... the Sony is just a little more incredible in that regard but it's not really necessary to go that far. I'll be picking up a Z6ii shortly. I've been an alpha shooter since moving over from canon back in 2016 but I'm over the crappy ergonomics and my alpha suffers from star eating and sony doesn't care to fix it for the A7rii. I'm seeing more and more good reviews of the Z6ii as well as the Z7ii. Thanks for the testing I subbed.

You are right. I have watched your videos and I could notice the focus was hunting sometimes. Sony S3 should be your good choice.

Great video, loved your comparison. I am so deep into Nikon, that there is no possibility of a change for me, and I am still very happy with my Z6!

Many use a 10x mag loupe or a Bahtinov mask mask for astro focus.

Hi! it would be great if you did a "how to set menus on nikon z6 for nightscape photography". in any case, I thank you for the work you do; i am learning a lot from your videos. a greeting from the Italian Alps .. and sorry for my bad English

Please remember that you're working with the same Camera.....Both Z6 and Sony have the same sensor ...once Nikon buys the sensors from Sony they modify and tweek the colors and that's about it. Nikon has no production of their own sensors and all of them are bought from Sony. so that should tell you something.

add NINJA or any external screen to Nikon Z 6 it will cost less then invest in new Sony + Lenses

Nice video! I got sony a7siii n even though my eyes can see okay on 4x zoom but I do miss the 10x on my sony a7riii. Any tips on focusing on stars with 4x zoom on the sony siii? Would appreciate your feedback 😁

Marvellous! As I'm about to return to astrophotography I'm so happy to find your channel! Your compositions and the way you share your experience are exceptional! Instantly subscribed.

Hy there my favorite nightscape image channel. I want to tell you that the S from Sony are in fact for video 90% if you want for pictures that will beat the Nikon at every thing you can buy Sony a7R IV that is a best for pictures and videos. Like every time great video love the work and details that you put in your video’s ! P.S sry for English it’s rusty !😁😁😁

Richard, are you going to stop using Nikon? It would be a shame. Sony cameras are expensive and have very questionable durability

What camera recorded you light painting? The Sony is pricy but sexy. I’ve always been a Nikon guy and always will but I understand your desire for shooting at night.

Hello and thanks for amazing video but I have one question and that is how do you keep your objectives warm??

No reason Nikon can't put an articulated flip screen on. My cheaper Nikon P900 even has one.

I guess the Sony can only zoom in 4 times because it doesn't have enough megapixels to make a decent image at a further zoom. At 4x zoom it's not even 1 megapixel

What size do you usually print your milky way shots?

Great video as always Richard, the biggest reason not to get A7siii is its price

"Sony is the clear winner for video" - Well it better be, it nearly costs double than the Nikon. Great review.

When I saw the video shot by the Sony I thought wow how clear and sharp it looked. I agree and for a long time I've thought the images straight from the Sony seem nicer. The only reason I wouldn't buy a Z6 is for the one memory card. Knowing my luck I would take my best ever image and the SD card would stop working and I would never get a shot like it again.

Great vid Richard - currently looking between the Z6ii and the Sony and that flip screen is a considerable factor when operating alone, with my Z6 I use the wifi remote with a mobile phone just to check that the focus is working correctly & composition is good etc. As the Z6ii has majorly improved autofocus (it no longer changes focal plane when loosing lock) and I’m more into the photo’s than video for me that looks a better option. Great to see the comparison as it has helped in making my choice :-)

Thanks for that detailed comparison! Wow, this at 21:30, that’s astonishing only 4x zoom on the 7S3. May you please add a link to Alyn’s video you’re mentioning in description or pin a comment? So many thanks in advance.

The A7S series cameras are primarily video cameras,

Good review even though I’m a stills shooter and don’t need the flip screen. Have you ever done a comparison between the updated Z6 and your (mine also) D750? I’m still wrestling with whether to update within Nikon’s low light leaders.

Starting point at 23:20, special thank you for beautiful watermark and huge white frame with astonishing shadows

У моего nikon d 7000 нервно дёргалась шторка затвора при виде таких пушек ) Голосую за z6 ... ) Спасибо Ричард !👍

Richard k1 Pentax or k3 have built in astrotracking Now that is the dark side I use the k70 for now. Great work !!

Well done on the comparison video. I am happy that you recognised the benefit of the filly screen, now to test theCanon R series. Bring it on.

Can you explain if you are using a star tracking system or not? If not how do you avoid star trails? Thanks! Very nic video.

I'd be more interested in what the A7S3 does when you push it as opposed to a like for like image (where you've done the same exposure settings with the same spec lenses, I'd honestly hope there would be no difference aside from the end file).

Hey there, I was toyin with the idea of trading my 14-30 f4 for the new 14-24 f2.8 z lens....but thinking I may stick with the f4 and get the 20 1.8 instead.

Hi, next year I will purchase Sigma 24-70 DG DN Art lens for my Sony A7III. Can you test this lens soon?

Great video. Did you encounter any issues with Sony and their "star eater" firmware on the A7siii?

100g difference seems irrelevant, particularly for astro where you would always be on a tripod.

Is it just me, or is the video hunting in and out allot

That was quite a comprehensive review for us nightscape photographers, Richard. I don't shoot with either platform but it was very interesting hearing about what features you look for, and how the Nikon and Sony models compare. As for you coming to the Canon "dark side", I won't hold my breath! 😉

I'm out at night in North America worried about squirrels and racoons. Buddy here is out in the middle of the night in Australia.

Thankyou. Just bought z6.

Great video Richard and thanks for sharing the comparison, I’ve been waiting to see this and there were some surprises I didn’t know about. You certainly have an awesome set up now using the Sony for video and the Nikon for stills, or at a pinch visa versa for an emergency. Cheers mate and thanks for video again 👍🙏📸

Thanks for the video. It's a really nice comparison. It will be interesting to see the same test at ISO12800, since the Sony A7S3 has dual native ISO and the picture quality will significantly improve going from 6400 to 12800. Did you use any light pollution filters for these photos or is this straight out of the camera?

Nice comparison, thanks. With each new Panasonic release, I hope they will "fix" the autofocus, but I am starting to loose hope. Sad to see Sony catch up and pass them in almost every way (except Ibis). Still love my G9 for walking around, a great small package with 3 lenses in my bag.

Nikon should watch this.

HAVE JUST WATCHED THIS AND WONDERED WHY YOU DIDNT GO CANON R5 OR R6 WHEN THEY ARE RAVING ON ABOUT THEASE ON RU-vid

Hi Richard I love you work i have been following you for some time You have in inspired me to do night time photos I not shore if you cn answer this question . I have a problem with single shoot . After i edit my photos i seam to get a horizonal purple lines in in my photos . I use canon 5d mark 4 with canon 16-35mm wide angle lens Regard Gary Jones from Tuross Head NSw

This is great comparison

Both cameras took great photos 🤩👏

Too much talking.

what lens were you using with the Nikon for the photography?

Great side by side comparison - Good job I had my Canon camera hidden away during the whole of the video, it would have cried its SD card out! Is there any particular reason you don't use an external screen clamped to the tripod with the Z6?

Great stuff , would love you to try a canon r5 or r6 just out of interest

Great comparison Richard, have been looking forward to this once since I first saw that "shot on a Sony a7S III" caption slip in there a few weeks ago. Glad you pointed out Alyn Wallace for a Sony 20mm f/1.8 lens review as you'll struggle to find anyone else who puts more effort into their landscape astrophotography compositions than this man, a thumbs up from him is a safe purchase. That said it was actually the review by Nate Luebbe (landscape photographer who does a lot of astro) who convinced me to sell my Sigma 20mm f/1.4 in favour of the Sony 20mm f/1.8. He did a really good astro centric comparison of the 20mm and GM 24mm as well that is well worth checking out; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1wAv2L5LRHg.html If your bank balance is dehydrated now, perhaps skip Nate's review of the Sony GM 12-24mm f/2.8, it's been on my wish list ever since. I'll be getting the Sony a7S III for the low light 4k video capabilities also and agree (here in Australia at least) the camera is very expensive (I'll be selling all my M43 gear to soften the blow). Having said that, it really is a video centric hybrid targeted to go head to head against the likes of the Panasonic S1H and the new Canon R5 of which it is actually the cheapest. I'll also be getting the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and will be having a good look at the new Samyang f/1.8 Tiny Prime series. The reviews I've seen so far of the 75mm and 45mm are quite favourable and should help with the size/bulk transition from significant compactness advantage of the M43 platform. For those interested in the Sony 20mm f/1.8 but lack the budget, I would recommend the 1st generation a7S or a7R which (in Australia at least) can be had for around $700~$900 used. I use the a7S for all my night videography now and apart from only being capable of FullHD internal recording, it is still a low light monster for video on which I regularly shoot ISO 51200. The Sony a7R actually uses the same 36MP Sony image sensor as the Nikon D800 and is very capable for those higher resolution requirements. Steer clear of the A7, it is not so great for astro purposes.

Morning Richard, as you said the main reason you got the Sony was the articulating screen for video. Stick to that as your reason for buying, I looked into Sony when I bought my Fujifilm and price was a factor the Sony at the time being far more expensive and for the glass too. Much preferred the Nikon images you showcased.

As usual many idea's and things to pick up for my own RU-vid video's... the important thing is COFFEE ... we do a lot of waiting around so coffee is a godsend.. many thanks for your informative and inspiring work.

You pay for the quality with the new A7S3, People seem to constantly want good quality for cheap which I don't understand. You can buy all the extra bodies and for video there isn't anything that touches it. Nikon is ok but I use the A7R4 which is incredible and also the 7R3 which for second hand prices is awesome. I came from Nikon and I am so thankful I left and switched.

I have (had) both of them. There were numerous advantages for the Nikon, but the low light for the stills was much better,in terms of S/D and DR. About 1 stops on the S/N on average and 1.3-1.6 on the DR based on our Photometrics. At 16,000 ISO, the S/N of the SONY is almost 8dB better. What ISO’s and PP were you using (and Yes, PP does matter with raw stills too)?

very nice comparison

Nikon boasted the big mount advantage over Sony's but then all they did was releasing bigger f/1.8 lenses?

Hi Richard, a fantastic comparison between these two's. Appreciate your efforts. Just wanted to know your thoughts on Z7 ||; think it has not been yet rolled out, but I heard that's a best one amongst Nikon Z camera's range

Hello Richard- With your concerns about the monitor size and flexibility of the cameras, I was wondering if you have considered using an add-on monitor for this. Since you are almost always on a tripod, it wouldn't add much in the bulk department. There are several companies that produce items that can plug into the HDMI output port of the cameras. Some devices are monitors only, or you could use a device that is a monitor and video recorder. Have a look at the Atomos Shinobi and Atomos Ninja V. (not affiliated) www.atomos.com/shinobi. Good luck

I used the A7S3 and found the same thing that it wasn’t any better than the Z6 in light gathering. Honestly I prefer my friends A7iii v her S3 for photo noise. I don’t own either of the Sony’s so maybe it was user error, but I was hoping it would be a good hybrid for me, but the S3 just isn’t good for photos. And while the A7iii is great for photos, I don’t think it’s any better than the Z6 unless you’re only gonna use wide AF and EyeAF. But I tend to use spot focus for portraits anyways 🤷‍♂️

Allô! I was under the impression that you would say that the Sony performs better ... happy to know that your Z6 - and mine, by the way 😂 - are still "above" it! Anyways! The bottom of the line is : no matter what you’re shooting with ... if it’s the one you like. Who cares if one uses Nikon, Canon, Sony or whatever, as long as it’s what someone is confortable with it. The camera might make a difference as for full frame or cropped, but the thing is to be able to do something with it, no?! Thanks a lot for another great video and amazing pictures. Looking forward to get my 2021 calendar. 🥰👋🥰

Now THAT's a proper review....one that is based on practical examples and real experience. Seeing you with a Sony made me uneasy at first, but I managed to deal with it. Moving to a Canon?! I'll need to have a lie down when that happens!! :-) Great video, as always, Richard. Many thanks.

Excellent review Richard, i wish you could do a review of Nikon Z5 for Astrophotography. It would be very interesting to watch how Z5 compares with Z6.