Z 7

For me, I have always felt photography is like receiving a personal gift from someone I don´t know. A total stranger who allows me to enter their world with my camera and capture a moment in time with them. Without that opportunity, without their permission, I would never have the chance to get those interesting photographs and mingle in worlds that are strange to my own. My hope is my pictures can solicit change through the use of photojournalism and get my subjects voices to be heard. The Nikon Z7 camera system helps me succeed in this. I traded in my new D850 and struggled with the entire process. I´m a photojournalist and a NatGeo book author and image quality and picture accuracy is important to me. My compelling factor for change was the smaller size and overall better lens design of the S line. Out of the gate, I decided on the Z7 and the 24-70 2.8 S Line lens. The combination of technology has proven a excellent choice. Yes there was a bit of a learning curve to the camera, but the benefits of the mirrorless technology have proven exceptional for me. My final thought is centered around the single memory card. No big deal. Nothing is perfect in our world but the reliability of the CF Express and XQD memory cards are superior. I off load my camera images to a Gnarbox frequently during my day to insure they are backed up and secure. I´m heading for a 150 mile Camino hiking pilgrimage in Spain this May and my Z7 has found a secure home on the front of my backpack strap. Nikon please keep updating the firmware! Keeping this camera rich with improvements only solidifies the Nikon commitment from your customers.

I live in Alaska and the photography I do is primarily scenic and wildlife. I have had a chance to use the camera extensively and came to the following conclusion: it´s great for taking landscapes as it produces beautiful images in a variety of circumstances; however, for wildlife that moves quickly or unexpectedly, the focus is rather poor and I have missed quite a few shots...sometimes it doesn´t lock focus and often loses focus. For static wildlife it´s much better. When shooting wildlife and using my D5, D500 or D850, there´s just no comparison...the DSLRs do a much better job and there are very few out-of-focus images. If the Z7 makes it into my bag when I´m out shooting, it will unfortunately only be used for taking scenics. I wish Nikon updates the autofocus via firmware updates (more than what they did with the version 2 firmware update) to make it more usable for photographers like me. I sincerely hope we don´t have to get a new Nikon mirrorless camera (if and when that comes out) to get a more usable and better autofocus system.

The only problem was the compatibility with the flash SB 5000. I was not informed about the need to upgrade the firmware version of the flash when I purchased the Z7, so when I got it flash and camera was not ´´working´´ propriely, checking on Nikon webpage I found the need to upgrade the firmware of the flash and in the midle of the process t upgradewas not finished... now I have an uslesss flash...

Sure, you will read that there may be a button or two in a different place or perhaps one or two (out of how many menu options...?) options that should be added or redone. However, once I set it up (a breeze), it was 101% familiar as though I´d used it for a year. The list of bonus additions are too long to list here - the WYSIWYG and Focus Peaking and my top favs right mow. Everything else is what I got with my D850 and couldn´t be better. Thank you, Nikon!

This camera is my first mirrorless, and it is better than I imagined. Why? For one, the ability to meter the frame BEFORE shooting is worth a good deal. The histogram and exposure meter are valuable to evaluate the exposure BEFORE the shot. The EVF is also very good. I hesitated buying for this reason alone, but I find the EVF excellent. I worry about the battery life, but carrying a spare battery is already planned foe field work. A battery pack may be bought as well, but, seriously, all the advantages of miorrorless should not be negated by mere battery issues. Batteries will get better and better over time. I initially considered the D850, but other reviews found in photo journals convinced me to take a look. I became convinced Nikon´s future lies with mirrorless, and I simply did not want to fight the inevitable. Thus far, for me, it was the right decision.

I wanted to change to a mirrorless camera as my arthritic hands have trouble with the old heavy bodies with long lenses. I have my Z7 for about a month now and have been out shooting all kinds of subjects with the included 24-70 lens. What can I say - I LOVE IT. Using the EVF allows me to adjust my preferences for light and SEE it in real time. The menus are easy to use, and there are so many more capabilities that I have yet to explore so there is much room for growth in my photography. It writes fast to the card so I was able to capture a Seagull in flight and it was tack sharp, even though I only shot at 70 mm ! The clarity of the shots, the details and the ease of use have made me a convert forever to the Z7 mirrorless

I already own a Z6 and was immediately impressed with the high resolution viewfinder and its very good optics. Much more care went into it than you see with the more traditional optical viewfinders of mirror DSLR´s .When shooting in dim light or with slower glass, the electronic viewfinder provides a bright image making focusing and composition shockingly easy. I´ve also used the Z6 as a B video camera for some of my shoots where I need a wide shot or other angle. I use an outboard video recorder to get around the limited recording file size of the camera itself.

Getting back to the Z7, looking for higher resolution, I added a Z7 to my arsenal after being impressed with the Z6. Yes, the added resolution is apparent with some of my photography. i´ve shot with several Nikon primes, 20mm f/1.8 and the new 50mm f/1.8 S on a trip to Montreal. Fabulous results as to be expected. But I was hampered by not having sufficient reach for some street candids, etc. Constantly changing lenses was a PIA and I did lose some photo opportunities. So after reading great reviews about the S series mid-range zooms I opted to add the 24-70mm f/2.8 S to my arsenal. I love that lens. It has been staying put on the Z6. But I still missed having a real telephoto lens. So for a theatrical shoot I acquired the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 IC lens which is a great portrait lens. But it did not solve the problem of lens swapping during a shoot. Fortunately the theatrical shoot did not require a shorter focal length. But here´s where the Z7 comes back into play. That longer zoom will mostly likely remain on that body. And maybe when the S version arrives in 2020 I´ll trade in for it if it´s at least comparable in performance. If not, the F2S adapter is okay even though it makes a large lens even bigger. Preliminary views of a mockup of the lens seem to show it as a pumper, i.e.not internal zoom. If so, then it will not be as robust a lens even if more compact when not in use.

One nice feature of the Z7 is having spare pixels, so to speak. That is, in sensor DX crop mode one still gets more pixels than the Z6 in native FX mode. Thus shooting in DX crop, not only provides 300mm reach but does so while still providing greater resolution than the same lens on the Z6 in FX mode!

Wireless transfer of photos to a computer workstation is convenient though it takes some work to figure out how to set it up. It is, however a lot slower than using a USB 3 card reader. Using the smart device app to remote control the camera is a lot of fun. You can use it for selfies and immediately post 2 megapixel proxy images to your favorite social media page or send the images to a client shortly after a photo shoot.

Finally, both cameras have an amazing array of features tucked into their menus, enough to keep you occupied and amused for a long time. As others have said, they are fun cameras. And they are more customizable than any previous Nikon.. If I had to list glaring shortcomings it would be battery life and the lack of control wiring for a traditional battery handle.

When I reach for my D850 I associate it with my professional tool, and when I grab my Z7 I call it my professional toy. Because it has put a lot of fun back into my photography!

I have a lot of fun aquatinting myself with the Z7. Its very much a traditional Nikon design with some changes that I feel enhance and make the photographic experience more enjoyable. The electronic viewfinder is actually a pleasure to work with, as much as I prefer optical the Z7´s e.v. in no way hinders it very much enhances.

I was able to shoot in a light rain for over an hour without worrying about my camera because this is my secondary and was impressed that the claims are true of weather sealing on this body and the 24-70mm f/2.8.

I think the onboard technology hit the mark I was expecting when I imagined what a Nikon mirror-less body would be like. I hesitated when it was released, but now after owning my Z7 I feel I was being foolish and listening to very biased reviews/critiques. No camera is going to be magic, but this Z7 as a tool is going to give you the results you need.

My only complaint would be initial start up on the camera is ´´slow´´, not anything unreasonable, but if I had to ask for a space to point out as one that needed improvement this would be the only one. But once i turn it on and keep it on that speed is not an issue. My other critques would be so nuanced to my own shooting needs that they are not worth mentioning.

Don´t wait on experiencing Nikon mirrorless, its just as good as their DSLR experience if not more fun because of the new technology. Also the programmable third ring on the S series glass is something you have no idea how much you needed until you actually use it.

When I shoot auto with my DSLR (D810) I sometimes need to adjust white balance to get a correct lighting on the image. But with the Z7, the auto mode took care of the white balance as well so I was impressed and happy.