p.2 #1 · Interview with Nikkor Engineers/Designers
Hats off to those guys. The Z-mount design philosophy was why I switched to Nikon when I decided to go mirrorless after shooting Canon film cameras and DSLRs for 35 years. I made the switch before Nikon had issued a decent action tracking body and had less than a third of the lens lineup of today. I’m a design professional and intuitively recognized Nikon was moving into a design approach that Canon wasn’t. They were going ground up and the results were going to be stellar and sometimes novel.
I expected they’d catch up to Sony on focus and subject tracking while producing bodies you could pound nails with, meanwhile producing lenses with unique qualities and functions. The only technical benefit of the wider and shorter mount I was thinking would be tangible was corner performance. I loved the idea of sharper imagery across the frame wide open. But I mainly switched because I strongly suspected with the Z mount design approach Nikon was signaling ‘here we come, get ready for great stuff.’
I did have some friends think I was stupid to make the switch at that time and admonished me to go Sony. But while I appreciate Sony’s pioneering spirit and great ingenuity, I just didn’t bond with the haptics or menus. Great specs, but uncomfortable fit.
So fast forward to now. I took a flier on Nikon and am glad I did. I still use my Z7 as a great landscape body or knock around lightweight camera, and use the Z9 as my primary camera as the bullet-proof subject tracker it is. The Plena, 24-120, 14-24/2.8, 800PF, and 105 MC are all class-leading lenses in my bag now, all with great design. I love the rear balance design and close focusing ability of my 100-400. I also own the 70-200/2.8 which is quite excellent but not something I’d say is clearly class leading or novel. That was the first Z lens I mounted and it really pops so well I felt like it was a prime lens that covered a range. And it’s the least special lens among my kit. Says a lot!
The Z mount as a design philosophy has cost me a lot of money and brought me a lot of joy and awe. I still feel obligated to get one of the internal TC supertelephotos someday to feel like I own all the goodness of Nikon design these days. Holding out hope they make a 500/4 TC so I don’t have to make the tough choice between the other two focal lengths. And how good are the two external TC’s! Another area where the Z mount shines.
p.2 #2 · Interview with Nikkor Engineers/Designers
"while I appreciate Sony’s pioneering spirit and great ingenuity, I just didn’t bond with the haptics or menus. Great specs, but uncomfortable fit"
You summed Sony up perfectly, at least for me. While Nikon's menus have become a bit more scattered over the years, the ergos have been and remain the best. And regardless of what's in the body, we all relate to the camera by what's on its skin.
