Z 7

While waiting for a professional level Nikon mirrorless camera I started using the best crop-frame camera gear from Fujifilm, Olympus, and Panasonic in addition to my Nikon D750 and D810. I always loved the great image quality from my Nikon F mount lenses and bodies but was looking for more compact weather resistant gear. I also wanted to explore the most innovative mirrorless camera features. After a lot of research and using other mirrorless cameras, I decided to purchase a Nikon Z7 with the 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens. In February 2020 I finished a month of traveling in India and shooting the with the Z7 as my primary camera. It was a great experience! It was hard to put the camera down at the end of each day.

I found the Z7 to be highly configurable. I always carry more than one camera and often carry gear from multiple vendors, so configuring gear to operate similarly is important. The Z7 is the most configurable Nikon body I have every used and comparable to the best in that respect. Nearly everything setting I adjust frequently was able to be associated with buttons, and many other settings could be accessed quickly through the i menu. MY Menu took care of the remainder. Accessing custom settings using C1-C3 on the mode dial really helped too. I was able to set up the Z7 to work the way I wanted and to make it fit well with other gear. Thank you Nikon!

I always loved the feel and ease of use of the Nikon D750. Now I have a new favorite, the Nikon Z7. The ergonomics of the Z7 sealed the deal for me. The grip is solid but not overly large and the command dials have a comfortable amount of resistance and click. The buttons are well positioned and easy to locate without looking. The viewfinder is nothing short of amazing! It is large and crystal clear like an optical viewfinder.

The Z7 is very responsive in use. It powers up/down quickly, autofocus is quick and accurate, and navigating menus is fast and easy. The low light autofocus feature has helped me while shooting in dark buildings and at night. The variety of electronic and manual shutter options made it easy to capture crisp images without utilizing exposure delay or live view as I did on my DSLR bodies.

The image quality using my D810 with the 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens was excellent, but the image quality of the Z7 with the Z-mount 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens is phenomenal! The Z7 also has a rich feature set and all the essential capabilities I need for successful travel photography, which is a combination of street shooting, landscape, small event, and portrait photography. I cannot wait to edit the images from my most recent travels. I am absolutely delighted with my new Nikon Z-mount products.

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.