Thanks, very nice article indeed.
The last paragraph says it all:
Nikon is merely enlarging their ecosystem to cater the needs of both worlds, some of us will stick with the DSLR while others will go all in to mirrorless or use both platforms to combine the benefits of the two to handle a wider spectrum of challenges.
Yes. It's early days obviously but the outlook across the Greater Nikon Ecosystem is exciting - Sure, enlarging toward wider frontiers :-)
For me the right balance currently is to use short and medium (manual focus) lenses ranging from 15mm to 125mm on mirrorless and use the D500 plus 200-500VR for the long action stuff, when the AF on mirrorless becomes as reliable under challenging light conditions as with a DSLR I might go all mirrorless again but for now I've learned my lesson the hard way that it isn't so at the moment (though I haven't tried the Sony A9 or Nikon Z6 & Z7 yet).
For my needs, I plan to use the Z7 should be perfect for close up and landscape, especially in rougher terrain where a lighter system makes one more mobile. But I will also put the silent mode and allied features to work with subjects, where this MILC sounds optimal for stalking and strategic camera-trapping - ie close encounters by proxy and other. The potential to couple the Z6 / Z7 with the 300 PF and now 500 PF opens up tantalizing horizons.....
My DSLRs will remain core workhorses for wildlife - action obviously. Especially where tricky contexts challenges the AF; so, I foresee scant changes in the job description of the D850. Nevertheless, I rarely shoot the buffer-straining sustained bursts at 9 / 10 fps, which are all the rage with some pundits. So the Z7 should see even wider usage. Where conditions allow, 2-3 cameras will use complementary lenses (eg in a hide / vehicle etc). The sharing of the ENEL15b battery across the Nikon DSLR trifecta and these Z MILCs is a big bonus to lower costs and logistics (charging etc!).
There's no good or bad choice as we all have our specific needs and restrictions, as long as we acknowledge that fact we can continue to coexist peacefully in our little community
100% correct. We are privileged to live in these times with such superb technology. Which is why all the +ve's embodied in the Df with MF lenses etc endure