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 p.2 #13 · Hell froze over. My Nikon ZF impressions. | |
RoamingScott wrote:
After talking to a few users about how exactly auto ISO is handled on the camera, I came to the conclusion that I could use the EC dial to make it workable without needing to futz with the ISO dial nearly ever.
I still think Nikon not including an A on the ISO dial was one the dumbest design decisions on a camera I've seen in many years.
Anyways...now that THAT is behind us...
(and a sidenote: all these impressions are with a SmallRig grip attached)
+ The files. I was not prepared for how different the files are from the Z8 and Z9 files I'm used to. It's hard to quantify. I've seen people talk about Z6iii files being "painterly", and I think I'm leaning that way. They take post processing completely differently than my Z9 files (in a good way). I'm still wrapping my head around what I'm seeing, but the IQ is great and processing is a joy.
+ Build quality. There is a reassuring heft to it, the dials feel well crafted and all parts of the camera have very little slop and gapping. It's reminiscent of how the X100 series feels like it's cut out of a single piece of material. The only nit is the bottom of the camera, like so many other cameras. The materials switch to the cheapest feeling plastic on the planet that are easily scratched. It's a heavy camera for its size...I'm not sure why Nikon couldn't just put a more robust base on it.
+ The leatherette feels nice especially on the back of the LCD
+ Round eyecup
+ Fantastic IBIS
+ Great noise handling at higher ISOs
+ 1/8000th shutter easily allows F/2.0 shooting midday
+ Manual focus EyeAF shooting aid is neat and useful when it works...there are bugs here for sure
+ Handling/weight distribution with most lenses is better than you would think
+ Video is EXCELLENT
+ Completely serviceable battery life
+ I like the black and white switch more than I thought I would, if only to help me visualize how a particular scene might look in mono in post
- Button layout. I get that Nikon wanted to match the Z Fc. Stupid move! They could have had the 4 way combo of the ZF/Z6iii/Z8/Z9 all with the same button layout, even if they left the joystick off the ZF. It's inexcusable to have the play button on the left requiring two-handed operation, requiring you to waste one of the 3 right-hand-buttons you might want to re-use for that. Worst of all, Menu is in the "wrong" spot compared the modern trio. No one at Nikon asked my opinion, and it shows. It's a damn shame too, given what a nice B cam this is for Z8/Z9 users.
- D-Pad location could be a bit higher now that it's pulling double duty for the joystick. I don't think they had room for both, and I'm fine without the joystick, but the D-Pad isn't in a natural spot while shooting for AF box repositioning. No, I'm not enabling touch on the LCD, because the LCD is staying closed while shooting 95% of the time.
- Ergonomics without a grip. This camera is unusable without a grip IMO. It's a weird thing to say, but it's absolutely true. Most post-release chatter about this camera isn't about the images it makes, it's about which aftermarket grip feels the best. Your grip is going to add depth and height. The camera, one that started pretty large for what it is, gets even bigger with this mandatory augmentation.
- The black paint looks...bad, compared to the classic film SLRs, X100, and other recent cameras. It almost looks like its thickness is uneven at points, and isn't quite matte enough to pull the look off.
~ LCD doesn't open completely 180 degrees. It's so close that I can't understand the design decision behind that. It's annoying, but not a hard con.
~ The front custom button is dangerously close to my ring finger and I suspect there are shooters who accidentally hit that button. If it was moved towards the lens a few millimeters it would help a lot. You end up putting a lot of weight on these fingers due to the bizarre ergos and the last thing you want is a button by a pressure point.
~ Micro SD is a dead format. This should have dual UHS-II slots. The Fuji X-T2 had this 8 years ago in a much smaller camera. Regardless, you'll almost never remove the Micro card if shooting it in backup mode. I would go into playback from time to time and make sure the card is still readable for sanity's sake.
~ The eyecup could be a bit deeper, I get more glare in my eye while shooting with this camera than many I've used in the last few years.
~ I'm not a huge fan of the rubber on the SmallRig and have a leather case with grip coming to test instead
~ The SD card becomes rather cumbersome to remove once you have a grip installed. I've seen some people claim they have to use tweezers and I can understand why.
My overall impression is it's a better camera than I expected from a technical perspective, and it's more enjoyable in the field than it seems like it would be. The fresh Expeed and AF systems feel great in operation, and the images and videos it creates punch above its weight. That said, in no way do I see this as an EDC camera like some have said, it's simply too large. Once you get even the Z 40/2 on it, it looks like a full on SLR and can't fly under the radar like the smaller options like the X100 line. That said, it certainly packs smaller than a Z8, and in that way, I think it's a smart B camera for people deep into the Z line who might have some smaller lenses they can put on it. I tested lenses up to the 24-120 and found most comfortable and well balanced. I even like the way the F 35/1.4G feels adapted to it.
Overall, it's a fun camera to pick up and shoot, which is what I was hoping it would be, and will hopefully be a nice addition to my cabinet of Nikon gear....Show more →
Congrats, Scott. I've been off the Zf threads for a while since I sold my Zf a while back. But yesterday hell must have still been cold from your purchase because I purchased another one (sepia brown this time), and it arrives later this week.
Agree with a lot of what you say above.
The look of the Zf images you mentioned: they look like they were shot with an AA filter designed for a sensor half the Zf's resolution. The Zf images look smooth the same way medium format low ISO slide film looked on the light table – hard to see the bottom of the pond so to speak. With AA-free sensors, sometimes the resulting images look hyper real in a way that breaks the illusion that we're looking into a three dimensional scene.
That front button does always get pushed accidentally. I had to deactivate it. Hoping this time the Small Rig grip solves that leverage issue that required me to put my finger there. I also bought the Small Rig Zf cage with the wood grip to try out.
I avoided re-buying the 40 f/2. I have the Zeiss Tessar 40 2.8 C/Y I can use if I want that FOV but with much more character. Instead I chose to order the 26 2.8 pancake for when I want to run with AF and the thinnest possible setup without a grip. The Zf with the 26 may still not be EDC size, but I think it will be perfect for over the shoulder touristy stuff. I prefer the iPhone and Leica Q FOV for that type of shooting anyway.
I previously had the Voigtlander 50 APO and 40 1.2, and I won't be rebuying those, either. If I buy another Voigtlander Z lens, it will be the 50 f/1 Z. I have owned the Leica M mount version, and it had the same great color and contrast as their M APOs and was much sharper at f/1 than their f/1.2 M lenses I've tried.
I hope the success of the Zf allows Nikon to produce a more expensive Zfx with whatever sensor the Z7III will get, more premium features like a joystick, etc., add an "A" mode to the ISO dial, and so on. I don't think that would hurt Zf sales at all.
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I think I can find a use case for all 4 of them.