p.21 #4 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
That was one of the weird things I found when testing the Z7. The AF box seemed to track well, and everything looked in focus. This is how all the video tests I have tried/seen are. Nice, smooth and sharp.
In still image mode, the tracking box seemed to be following the subject just like in video mode, and it looked sharp. However, when reviewing than actual captured image, and zooming in, the keeper rate was low, about +-50%. The camera had either missed focus, or front/rear focused.
This is also what I have seen in many posted tests. Hopefully, people will figure out how to increase the keeper rate as they get more experience with the camera.
I still have my D810 and my Nikon lenses for when they do.....
p.21 #5 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
1bwana1 wrote:
That was one of the weird things I found when testing the Z7. The AF box seemed to track well, and everything looked in focus. This is how all the video tests I have tried/seen are. Nice, smooth and sharp.
In still image mode, the tracking box seemed to be following the subject just like in video mode, and it looked sharp. However, when reviewing than actual captured image, and zooming in, the keeper rate was low, about +-50%. The camera had either missed focus, or front/rear focused.
This is also what I have seen in many posted tests. Hopefully, people will figure out how to increase the keeper rate as they get more experience with the camera.
I still have my D810 and my Nikon lenses for when they do.....
It is weird, as you said, but Nikon has no choice, future FW updates should take care of those issues.
This is first version of Nikon FF ML camera, and nobody expected it to be perfect right away.
p.21 #8 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
cvrle59 wrote:
It is weird, as you said, but Nikon has no choice, future FW updates should take care of those issues.
This is first version of Nikon FF ML camera, and nobody expected it to be perfect right away.
Of course Nikon has a choice. It's called beta testing. It's not like they don't know how to do tracking. It's not like they've never built a FF camera before. It's not like they've never built a mirrorless camera before. It's not like they don't know what a sharp image looks like. Frankly I think it is foolish to buy a camera hoping that some future update might improve it.
I suspect there was a trade-off made at some point in the design and development with the emphasis put on video which has been pretty widely praised. It's a very good camera; it's just not a D850 or D3.
p.21 #9 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
glassartist wrote:
Of course Nikon has a choice. It's called beta testing. It's not like they don't know how to do tracking. It's not like they've never built a FF camera before. It's not like they've never built a mirrorless camera before. It's not like they don't know what a sharp image looks like. Frankly I think it is foolish to buy a camera hoping that some future update might improve it.
I suspect there was a trade-off made at some point in the design and development with the emphasis put on video which has been pretty widely praised. It's a very good camera; it's just not a D850 or D3....Show more →
Fuji does it all the time, and people are very happy about it...
Z6 will come with all the issues fixed...
p.21 #11 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
cvrle59 wrote:
Fuji does it all the time, and people are very happy about it...
Z6 will come with all the issues fixed...
There could be some truth to that assumption. Right now I expect Nikon software engineers are working overtime to fix some of the AF (and other) issues on the Z7, so it's reasonable to assume some of those improvements will show up on the Z6 on first release.
p.21 #12 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
glassartist wrote:
Of course Nikon has a choice. It's called beta testing. It's not like they don't know how to do tracking. It's not like they've never built a FF camera before. It's not like they've never built a mirrorless camera before. It's not like they don't know what a sharp image looks like. Frankly I think it is foolish to buy a camera hoping that some future update might improve it.
I suspect there was a trade-off made at some point in the design and development with the emphasis put on video which has been pretty widely praised. It's a very good camera; it's just not a D850 or D3....Show more →
They've never built a FF MILC with a huge pixel count and AF before. The small sensor MILC had much greater DOF, making AF easier. Mirrorless means reading the entire sensor for each AF sample.
Nikon would not release a camera without carrying out thorough beta testing. However the D850 and D5 have set a high bar. It's not an easy task. The Sony A9 has 'only' 24 MP and costs a lot more than the Nikon Z6 which is the true equivalent.
p.21 #13 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
Two weeks ago, I was shooting a wedding. About 7 hours in, card failure! I have not been able to recover the images from the card. I did have all the images on a second card. I just threw away the card .... no problem. I would have hated to have to deal with it if that was the only card that I was using.
p.21 #14 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
ahaug wrote:
Two weeks ago, I was shooting a wedding. About 7 hours in, card failure! I have not been able to recover the images from the card. I did have all the images on a second card. I just threw away the card .... no problem. I would have hated to have to deal with it if that was the only card that I was using.
Then the z7/z6 in its current iteration isnt for you if you need a 2nd card slot, obviously. Old news about the single card slot and for those working photogs needing a 2nd card slot.
p.21 #15 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
LeifG wrote:
They've never built a FF MILC with a huge pixel count and AF before. The small sensor MILC had much greater DOF, making AF easier. Mirrorless means reading the entire sensor for each AF sample.
Nikon would not release a camera without carrying out thorough beta testing. However the D850 and D5 have set a high bar. It's not an easy task. The Sony A9 has 'only' 24 MP and costs a lot more than the Nikon Z6 which is the true equivalent.
D600 oil splatter, D800 outer point focus issue, D750 shutter issue, 300 PF IS issue . . . Some of these are QC issues, though beta test ought to be on production models. Otherwise, I don't disagree with you.
p.21 #16 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
ahaug wrote:
Two weeks ago, I was shooting a wedding. About 7 hours in, card failure! I have not been able to recover the images from the card. I did have all the images on a second card. I just threw away the card .... no problem. I would have hated to have to deal with it if that was the only card that I was using.
p.21 #17 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
glassartist wrote:
D600 oil splatter, D800 outer point focus issue, D750 shutter issue, 300 PF IS issue . . . Some of these are QC issues, though beta test ought to be on production models. Otherwise, I don't disagree with you.
Canon have issues too, such as light leaks and banding. I only know of the D600 oils issue and from what I’ve read it was a problem with a shutter mechanism made by a third party, and could not have been picked up in beta testing. These machines are incredibly complex and I think the QC of Japanese camera companies is remarkable. I’ve bought 20 year old Nikon cameras and lenses that performed like new, and I’ve had almost no issues over the last 25 years with cameras or lenses. Cars/automobiles tend to have far more issues, well, non Japanese ones.
I think the real issue is how they deal with problems. The handling of the D600 oil splatter was not Nikon’s finest hour. Or even year.
p.21 #18 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
LeifG wrote:
I think the real issue is how they deal with problems. The handling of the D600 oil splatter was not Nikon’s finest hour. Or even year.
Totally agree. I purchased a D600 at launch for full price and was affected by the oil splatter. I sent it in to Nikon twice to get it serviced but each time a sensor cleaning and calibration was all they could do. It really soured me that their solution was to release a virtually identical D610 with a redesigned shutter and to effectively abandon the D600 early adopters by refusing to install the D610 shutters in D600s. I sold my D600 at a loss and decided to move up to a D800 instead. Unfortunately, my D800 was plagued with the left focus issue. Sending it in for a recalibration alleviated most of the problem but even with AF fine tune I wasn't able to get consistent focus across the frame with some of my 1.4 primes. Hilariously as I was dealing with the left focus problem Nikon relented and quietly agreed to install the updated D610 shutters in D600s that were sent in for service.
I remain a loyal Nikon user since I enjoy their optics and ergonomics but I've been burned by them multiple times. I know I'll have a Z in my lineup at some point in the future but I just can't bring myself to be one of their early adopters again.
p.21 #19 · Official Z Series Camera and Lens Discussion
I’m using my z7 as a backup and BTS camera for a shoot in New Orleans right now. So far it’s performing flawlessly, and is autofocusing quickly and accurately with my 24-70 f2.8g, 16-35 f4g, and 85 f1.8g. I literally received the camera the same day as the beginning of the shoot, and only had about 10 mins to set it up and get familiarized. Skintones out of camera, sharpness, ergos are all great. Functionality with profoto strobes is also great.
I’m using my D850 as my main camera, but so far would have no qualms using the z7 as a backup
