My dad gave me my first camera (a Zeiss Contax) back in the 50s. My second camera was a Nikon F (which I still have), then came a Nikon D800E, a D810, a D850, and finally the new Z 7. I guess you could say that I´m an avid Nikon fan. Great cameras and lenses.

My first digital camera, an Olympus C2000L (the first Prosumer DSLR), gave me the idea that it would be advantageous to see the digital image through the viewfinder, instead of actually looking through the lens. With this technique, you could see exposure adjustments in real time. Great idea. Well, camera evolution has finally caught up to my idea of a perfect DSLR, and it´s the Mirrorless.

I should give the Z 7 four stars because of the small Auto Focus and Auto exposure problems I´m having. But knowing Nikon the way I do, all this is promised to be fixed with the first firmware upgrade coming in May, 2019. I have such faith in Nikon´s dedication to their products, that I´m giving them five stars. I know the problems with this first mirrorless offering will be ironed out shortly.

Don´t hesitate if you´re on the fence about moving up to Mirrorless. Join the next evolution in photograph if you can afford it. Get yourself a Mirrorless camera. The Nikon Z 7 / Z 6 are worth first consideration for sure, because of Nikon´s reputation and dedication to their products. Go for it, you won´t be sorry.

It is the 1st camera of the next generation and so far is working well for me. I had been using Nikon camera since the FM2 through F5, then D100 to D850 (still using it) and now using the Z7. Some adjustment to do with the new technology but Nikon has always been very well designed and preserved some similarity with previous generations. Glad I own it. Lots of complain about the focusing (I shoot portrait and landscape and single focus point), I didn´t have any problem at all since everyone of my shot is composed not point and shoot. Single slot memory card complains are unreasonable! I have never had the need for the 2nd memory card slot EVER (only use it for overflow). Think of it, do you ever need 2nd memory card for your computer or phone or any other gadget?

I have owned Nikons since the SP film camera. The Z7 is very light; the lens adapter is excellent; the set up is a little long. I wish it had a second port for a photographic disk. Other than that, the camera is excellent.

I am a Nikon owner for over 10 years. I recently owned a D750 which I loved. The Z7 have brought my photography to another level. By using the EVF and being able to customize the shooting menus I can capture shots more quickly and make adjustments on the fly. When I go to crop the 45 mp are really evident. Wonderful camera can´t wait to buy more native lenses.

I have been a photographer for 62 years now and have owned and used Nikon SLR´s since 1965. I like to think I am a pretty loyal Nikon user, though admittedly I also own Canon and Hasselblad systems. I purchased a Z7 in November, 2018, selling my Nikon D810. I´ve had almost four months of use with the Z7 but admittedly still have much to learn with the camera. My ownership did not begin well for about three weeks into ownership I had serious malfunctioning of the viewfinder and LCD screen necessitating having to send it in for repair. It took several weeks for the camera to be repaired and returned to me but the problems I experienced have not returned.

There is much positive to say about the Z7 and first among the positives are the flawless auto exposure capabilities of the camera. Whether I record images in bright sun or at night or any number of difficult lighting situations, the exposure is almost always perfect and far superior to the D810 I formerly owned. The form factor of the Z7 is outstanding; much lighter and smaller while still being rugged and possessing almost all the same functions of the D850. Integration with my older Nikkor lenses is flawless though auto-focus does not work with the Sigma and Tokina lenses I own. Focusing is very quick and usually accurate. The 24mm-70mm lens I also purchased with the Z7 is tack sharp and very impressive, I only wish it were 24mm-105mm. Although I wish it had two memory card slots, I can live with only one. It certainly was not a deal breaker. I do wish it had a strobe like my D810 though. I bet the next iteration of the Z7 will have a strobe unit. Although I am not a big videographer, I want to praise the Z7 for how easily it is to make quality videos with the Z7 by a novice like me.

On the downside, I must discuss the electronic viewfinder. Of course, my criticism is based upon using a superior Nikon optical viewfinder for 54 years, and winning me over with an electronic viewfinder is a difficult chore. Having said that, I believe there is still much room for improvement with the Z7´s viewfinder. I find it slow to recognize my eye and turn on. Rapid fire imaging with the electronic viewfinder is very annoying and I often miss sequential imaging because of slow reaction of the viewfinder. Further, I find it slow and annoying syncing between the viewfinder and the LCD screen. Because of my issues with the viewfinder, I gave the camera four stars but if I were allowed, I might have given the Z7 4.5 stars. It is an outstanding camera but in an effort to beat Canon to the mirrorless market, I believe the electronic viewfinder system was not well thought out. I am confident the next iteration of the Z7 will greatly improve the Z7.

I have included several pictures with my Z7. The first image of the columbine was the very first image I took with the camera.

Short version: No ad will serve this camera justice. Go to your favorite camera store and put the Z7 in your hands and play with it and see what you think. Here is my take.

I have owned a long line of Nikon cameras, the more recent ones being a D800, D850, and D5. Excellent cameras, each having their own merits, all of which I was excited with the new features they provided.

When the Z7 first came out I said, meh, I just bought 2 great cameras in the past year, I´ll wait for the next version of the Z7.

But when I needed to replace my 28-70 lense I noticed Nikon had a Z7 and 28-70 packaged at a nice price.

Thinking mirrorless technology is indeed the next generational leap to change photography just as Apple changed home computing and the internet changed world commerce, I didn´t want to invest in any new lenses that weren´t part of this new paradigm so I took the early leap and decided to purchase the Z7 package.

In a word, the experience was nothing less than ´´transformational´´ in my interaction with a camera and the images created.

But beyond all that, there is another important issue to consider. Let me ask you, what camera do you think is the best one to take pictures with? The one you have with you! No camera - no picture - and that amazing shot you stumbled across while driving down the road, or walking thru the city to work, or a quick walk in the woods or along the beach - is gone forever

Forget all the other amazing things this camera provides; just the feel, the huge difference in size and weight, and intuitive design beckon you to take it with you every time you head out the door like the call of Greek sirens to the sailors.

My advice: The new quantum leap is here. If you need to upgrade, the choice is simple. If you´re 1/2 way to a new upgrade and are on the fence to make a jump now, do yourself a favor and go to a camera dealer and hold the Z7 with one of the new lenses. Spend 10 minutes shooting some pictures and see if you still want to wait. I was in that camp, not wanting to upgrade now. And I have never been happier with a camera purchase and excited with the direction photography is headed.

The ads cannot convey your personal experience of using this camera

Have been shooting Canon for almost 40 yrs. I was looking to change to mirrorless and tried the Canon R system and did not like the controls. Tried the Sony full frame, however I did not like the ergonomics or the controls. Tried the Nikon Z7 and love the controls and the ergonomics along with the great picture quality. I photograph landscapes and wild life. I have the new Nikkor AF-S 500mm F/5.6 PF ED VR lens that I use for wildlife using the FTZ Adaptor, also use the 1.4 extender for 700mm all with auto focus.

The performance of the Z7 is on par with my D850 for image quality as well as being smaller and lighter than my D500. I use the later for travel photography, but wanted D850 image quality in a more compact package and the Z 7 accomplishes all that I could ask for. I have a lot of F-mount G series lenses that work flawlessly on the Z 7 with the FTZ adaptor. I love the way the camera feels in-hand and find that the top LCD is really useful at a glance when in the field. The electronic viewfinder is bright and laid out logically with so much useful information heads-up. It is better than any of the viewfinders I encountered in 30 years of professional video camera work. The lens map for S lenses looks exciting, and should provide what I am planning for in the future, which is smaller, lighter gear that maintains (even surpasses) the performance that I am used to with Nikon DSLRs and Nikkor lenses.

I have been shooting with Nikon cameras since 1974 when I got my first Nikkormat FTN. Over the last few years I was shooting primarily with my D810 and my D600 as a backup. I sold my D600 and was deciding between the D850 and the Z7. The FTZ adaptor made the decision easier. I love the features on my Z7. My two favorites are the WYSIWYG in the viewfinder and the tilting viewing screen which makes low lever shooting and overhead shooting easy. I am able to use all my lenses. Two of my lenses, the 60 mm Micro Nikkor and the 105 mm DC Nikkor only work in manual focus because they are AF lenses, not AF-S. I can live with that since I got into photography when everything was manual. All my other lenses ranging from the 8-15 Fisheye zoom to the 200-500 Telephoto zoom all work with full functionality.
A second card slot would have been nice, but truth be told, I never really used the second slot in my D810.
I´m looking forward to getting my 14-30 S zoom next month.