KLaban wrote:
I'm still more than satisfied with the original Z7.
I had both for a while and agree that the Z7 was very adequate except for low light AF, which is where the Z7II picked up some slack.
One observation I made with the Z7 and Z7II side by side was that the AF speed/accuracy was a tad better for adapted lenses on the Z7, but better for native Z lenses on the Z7II in a number of situations. Others have noted this subtle detail. My theory has been that the Z7 was developed when Z glass was in its infancy and Nikon had to optimize the usage of F mounts to help gain acceptance of mirrorless cameras in 2019 so the original Z's were "tweaked" for adapted lens algorithms, particularly on their higher end lenses like the 70-200 Fl, 105 1.4 etc, I saw this effect when doing extensive comparisons of the 85 1.8Z vs the 105 1.4 especially.
I have 2 Z7IIs.
It'll take a huge technological leap to get me to upgrade.
Usually shoot at 24mp unless it's something special.
I also love being able to get ~24mp apsc files as well when I shoot baseball.
Panorascal wrote:
I have 2 Z7IIs.
It'll take a huge technological leap to get me to upgrade.
Usually shoot at 24mp unless it's something special.
I also love being able to get ~24mp apsc files as well when I shoot baseball.
The Z8/Z9 would blow you away if you're shooting sports on these clunkers. You get the same DX crop advantages and so many more keepers.
RoamingScott wrote:
The Z8/Z9 would blow you away if you're shooting sports on these clunkers. You get the same DX crop advantages and so many more keepers.
The attitude that the Z7II is a "clunker" is big time hyperbole.
I'm not lacking anything except the desire to part with big money. If It's not a "keeper" it's because the moment was uninteresting. I rarely miss focus (been at this since the 80s), not interested in bat-in-contact-with-ball/Z7II more than fast enough, & upgrading glass always comes first. I'm not a spray and pray shooter at all. Last thing I want to do is cull 1000 frames per game or fill up hard drives with stuff no one cares about. For me it's about knowing the game and anticipating. I never fill up memory cards and always have all the keepers I can handle. I'd still be getting it done with my D750 if the Z glass wasn't so awesome.
Maybe by the time the Z8II comes around I'll feel motivated to upgrade but for now, beside landscapes, I shoot low light concerts and sports and I'm not missing anything.
Panorascal wrote:
The attitude that the Z7II is a "clunker" is big time hyperbole.
I'm not lacking anything except the desire to part with big money. If It's not a "keeper" it's because the moment was uninteresting. I rarely miss focus (been at this since the 80s), not interested in bat-in-contact-with-ball/Z7II more than fast enough, & upgrading glass always comes first. I'm not a spray and pray shooter at all. Last thing I want to do is cull 1000 frames per game or fill up hard drives with stuff no one cares about. For me it's about knowing the game and anticipating. I never fill up memory cards and always have all the keepers I can handle. I'd still be getting it done with my D750 if the Z glass wasn't so awesome.
Maybe by the time the Z8II comes around I'll feel motivated to upgrade but for now, beside landscapes, I shoot low light concerts and sports and I'm not missing anything. ...Show more →
I've shot the Z7ii extensively, and then the Z9, and then the Z8 to see if it was up to snuff, so I have plenty of first hand experience (sports, airshows, birds in flight, and then all the other more appropriate things). The Expeed in the Z7ii is simply lacking. You can certainly get in focus keepers, but it requires more work and luck, by a LOT, compared to the newer gen cameras.
You not wanting to cull has no bearing on the tech being better, that's your preference, but don't pretend your methodical shooting makes the Z7ii better. You don't have to spray and pray on the Z8 or Z9 either
For the work I do, the original Z7 does everything I need. If they brought out a Z7iii, I would probably go for it. As it is, the Z8 is physically too large for my needs, when I carry two cameras with me. So I guess I will just have to stick with what I have got.
Just pick the tool to suit the job. I still use the OG Z6 alongside the Z9. Stll great for talking head events and the video is beautiful, especially to an external recorder where I can get BRaw and NRaw and well as 10 bit oversampled 4k/30 NLog. Of course it does not suit every occasion.
I have the Z7 - purchased it at a local camera store for less than $700 with a shutter count of around 20,000. It’s a 7-year-old camera, but still produces great images. It reminds me of a smaller and lighter version of the D850 I used to own. I shoot in AF-S since I mostly shoot subjects that aren’t moving. At times, the autofocus hunts a bit, but for the most part it works well. Also, I use it to scan 35mm film negatives.
Lance B wrote:
If I could justify keeping my Z7II after I got the Z8, I would have. I love the form factor and size of the Z7II for travel etc. However, the Z8 is not all that much bigger and heavier to justify the luxury of having a Z7II as well.
This... I sold my Z7ii after using the Z8 for a minute.
MattStevens wrote:
This... I sold my Z7ii after using the Z8 for a minute.
To be honest, I don't think I would bother with a Z7/Z7ii now either. If I had plenty of money I might consider it for travel purposes, or when I just want a small light camera, but those days are rare. Even when I travel, the Z8 is small enough and only a few hundred grams heavier so it's no big deal. The extra performance advantage sways it to the Z8 also. Practicalities would mean that the Z7/Z7ii wouldn't get used much at all. I did come from the early days of DSLR's and started with a Pentax *ist D, which was very small, solid but slow as a wet week in all departments. However, I still loved using it and its output was very nice.
Yeah, I think if the Z8 features are of value to you (the vast majority of the market) then it is a very modest increase in size and weight for a substantial increase in performance. If they aren’t of much or any value to you (a small niche of the market) then it’s just a bigger and heavier camera with very slightly worse base ISO IQ.
I did a three week, 186 mile trek in the Himalaya last Fall that included a 20,000’ foot peak summit.
I had to choose between a Z7II, Z8, Z9, Hasselblad X2D or a Leica M10P, the extent of my digital equipment.
I went with my Z7II, 24-70 2.8 and 70-180 2.8. It was absolutely perfect, it did everything I needed it to do and then some. A real advantage is that it uses third party batteries that have a USB-C port for directly charging the battery and let me leave the bulky charger at home.
I imagine there might be a 60-80MP Z7III one day but in having a Hasselblad X2DII, I doubt I will get it so the Z7II is a rather permanent tool in the kit.
I enjoyed my time with Z7 & Z7II, used mostly for landscape. Superb image quality. When the Z9 came out I had an opportunity to grab an NPS order from the first batch so I switched to that to try it out, and loved many things about it. A year later I needed a smaller/lighter body I could carry in my hand shooting all day for a full week documenting my niece’s Make A Wish trip, and also needed top notch eye/face AF, so I ended up switching to a different brand to get that (this was before the Z8 release).
Recently I decided to add a Nikon mirrorless body back into my shooting system for fun and the decision was down to Z7II because of my overall pleasant ownership experience with it, or a Z5II because of improved AF at an excellent price level, and I chose the latter. But if Nikon had a Z7III featuring the improvements seen in the new bodies (such as Z6III) it would have been my first choice regardless of price. It’s kind of amazing to me that the original Z7 is about to enter it’s 8th year of existence. It will be interesting to see if Nikon is killing off the Z7 line, or if they have a mkIII up their sleeve.
NIKON Z 7NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens64mmf/11.01/10s64 ISO0.0 EV
Indeed Ross, the Z7 line remains tops for ultimate IQ in my mind in the Z lineup...I prefer my Z7ii landscape work to my Z9 work, though the Z8/Z9 is the far more flexible camera to have in the field.
A Z7iii that incorporated all the nice to haves of the Z5ii with the original Z7/Z7ii sensor would be day 1 purchase for me. I have little interest in the 61mp version of the sensor found in many other bodies these days.
RoamingScott wrote:
Indeed Ross, the Z7 line remains tops for ultimate IQ in my mind in the Z lineup...I prefer my Z7ii landscape work to my Z9 work, though the Z8/Z9 is the far more flexible camera to have in the field.
A Z7iii that incorporated all the nice to haves of the Z5ii with the original Z7/Z7ii sensor would be day 1 purchase for me. I have little interest in the 61mp version of the sensor found in many other bodies these days.
I love the snow patterns on your Great Sand Dunes shot. I’ve only been there once, need to go back, preferably off season when the dunes aren’t covered with tourists sliding down sleds (I think I was there in spring).
I think Nikon has a real opportunity with a Z7III, as I believe you & I are among many that would use and enjoy the higher resolution combined with current level functionality in a body smaller/lighter than Z8. If they stay with 45mp I’m fine, and if they do more that’s ok with me also, I can work with either. I’m tired of checking for rumors all the time, let’s go Nikon
Ross Martin wrote:
I love the snow patterns on your Great Sand Dunes shot. I’ve only been there once, need to go back, preferably off season when the dunes aren’t covered with tourists sliding down sleds (I think I was there in spring).
I think Nikon has a real opportunity with a Z7III, as I believe you & I are among many that would use and enjoy the higher resolution combined with current level functionality in a body smaller/lighter than Z8. If they stay with 45mp I’m fine, and if they do more that’s ok with me also, I can work with either. I’m tired of checking for rumors all the time, let’s go Nikon ...Show more →
I leave a note under all Nikon's social media posts I come across about z7.3 or smaller z8.2
