Today I sent a message to Nikon concerning the Z7 series. I doubt I will hear anything back of substance, but I did want to make it clear to Nikon that some Z7(II) users are losing their patience and growing increasingly frustrated with Nikon. I suggest other Z7(II) users also send their messages.
Good day,
As an early adopter of the Z series, I am growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of communication from Nikon about the Z7 line of cameras. I purchased the Z7 in early 2019, and the Z7II upon its launch in 2020.
We are coming up on 6 years since the Z7II was released, and there continues to be no communication from Nikon about the future of the Z7 line. I feel that this lack of communication after nearly 6 years is bordering on disrespect. Especially considering that 4 entirely new product lines have been launched since the Z7II was released (Z9, Zf, Zr and Z8).
I implore Nikon to communicate its plans for the Z7 line. No specific details are necessary. Just provide a development announcement like you did for the Z9, or let us know if a Z7III is not coming within the next year or two (if that is the case).
Overall, in any relationship, silence is a killer. Nikon's continued silence on the Z7 line is killing the relationship Nikon has with Z7 and Z7II users.
Thank you for reviewing this message and hopefully forwarding it to decision makers at Nikon.
I feel your pain. I ended up recently adding a Z5II to my Z7.
As long as nothing is moving it can shoot 96mp images with pixelshift.
With High Efficiency* compression the NX Studion merged NEFX file size is about 500mb. LR is able to read NEFX files and save them as 200mb DNG. Not the fastest workflow. But it generates very detailed images as long as nothing is moving. They look fine, but I have not done big comparisons to Z7 files.
You can’t be serious. Did your Z7ii all of a sudden stop working because it’s old. Nikon is not killing any relationships. So you are going to divorce them since you don’t have a Z7iii? Nikon has all kinds of great choices in cameras and they serve different purposes. I own a Z8, Z7ii, Z6III, and Z50ii. They are all great. Stop whining and go out and photograph. You have a great camera that does many things well.
My word, borderline drama queen. Not even a single word on what you expect from this relationship and how it can improve. If the other side is not been told what is expected will that only leave frustration.
Savviest wrote:
Today I sent a message to Nikon concerning the Z7 series. I doubt I will hear anything back of substance, but I did want to make it clear to Nikon that some Z7(II) users are losing their patience and growing increasingly frustrated with Nikon. I suggest other Z7(II) users also send their messages.
Good day,
As an early adopter of the Z series, I am growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of communication from Nikon about the Z7 line of cameras. I purchased the Z7 in early 2019, and the Z7II upon its launch in 2020.
We are coming up on 6 years since the Z7II was released, and there continues to be no communication from Nikon about the future of the Z7 line. I feel that this lack of communication from after nearly 6 years is bordering on disrespect. Especially considering that 4 entirely new product lines have been launched since the Z7II was released (Z9, Zf, Zr and Z8).
I implore Nikon to communicate its plans for the Z7 line. No specific details are necessary. Just provide a development announcement like you did for the Z9, or let us know if a Z7III is not coming within the next year or two (if that is the case).
Overall, in any relationship, silence is a killer. Nikon's continued silence on the Z7 line is killing the relationship Nikon has with Z7 and Z7II users.
Thank you for reviewing this message and hopefully forwarding it to decision makers at Nikon....Show more →
Welcome to FM....I see you're new.
I own the Z7, Z8 and Zf. Seeing your frustration, what precisely is it that you're hoping for.....firmware updates? A Z7iii? If the latter, what specs would you hope for and why not shift to a Z8? Size and cost?
I'm considering selling my Z7. I really don't have a great reason for keeping it other than I like a small option that can optically equal the Z8.
Nikon will make a Z7III if they think it is viable, otherwise, they won't. What a few people on a forum think should be the camera Nikon make does not a successful camera make. Nikon have the research that will tell them what cameras are likely to sell but it has to meet certain criteria. If the marketing dept., the engineering dept. and the manufacturing dept. think it can be done and make money, then Nikon would probably make it. So, it has to fulfill Nikon's criteria and it may be all of these and more:
- if the hardware is available: meaning is there a sensor that is available that meets the criteria that Nikon want to Z7III to fulfill.
- is there sufficient sales that would be generated for Nikon to make the investment viable. It has to turn a profit!
- will it cannibalize sales from other cameras too much as it may be too close to say the Z8.
- does the Z7III fit into their manufacturing: will it fit into their manufacturing constraints - labor, machinery, real estate.
- can Nikon obtain the necessary chips in this era of chip shortages?
- is there technology around the corner that means waiting is better than a stop gap camera?
A camera has to have a certain number of sales for it to make money. They may factor in a figure of 500,000 units for it to make the desired profit for the investment involved. So, they have to know that that target can be reached in a certain time frame. They may foresee that technology moves quicker than the allotted time frame for selling 500,000 units and thus the camera won't reach that sales figure. No point in making that camera if that is the case. This happens with all forms of manufacturing.
Simply wishing something to happen won't make it so and neither will advising Nikon what you think Nikon should do won't make it happen either. Nikon does know best as they have to make it and make a profit. It has to fit at least all the above and if it doesn't, then it won't happen.
I agree with Lance.
Let me add that Z7II is still a valuable camera (its selling price in EU is around 2300 € with no promotion/cash-back etc.) if you don't have to take fast-action, BIF, and/or sports photographs.
It does work flawlessly for portraits, close-ups, landscapes, architecture, etc. I mean, if we need the medium-format quality of the film era (Hasselblad 6x6 cameras weren't that fast ...), Z7II is perfect (with even slightly better dynamic range than Z8/Z9 ...).
I’d be interested to know what you perceive as being the key features that a Z7III should have and the distinction you could imagine between it and other high-end Nikon cameras. I wonder if Nikon is wanting to streamline its offerings in the top end of its photography range and am sorry if this is small comfort.
Vinnie_VdB wrote:
My word, borderline drama queen. Not even a single word on what you expect from this relationship and how it can improve. If the other side is not been told what is expected will that only leave frustration.
Quite the mean-spirited reply there. I made it clear that all I want is any communication from Nikon about the Z7 line. If that is being dramatic to you, well I don't even know what to say to that.
shinyobject wrote:
I’d be interested to know what you perceive as being the key features that a Z7III should have and the distinction you could imagine between it and other high-end Nikon cameras. I wonder if Nikon is wanting to streamline its offerings in the top end of its photography range and am sorry if this is small comfort.
For me the key features ideal for the Z7III would be:
About the same size and weight as the previous versions.
45MP BSI Sensor - Non-Stacked to preserve dynamic range.
Expeed 7 Processor
EVF of the Z6III
A nice to have would be the Zr's 4 inch LCD screen, but that would just be icing on the cake. Basically all I really want is a processor, EVF and autofocus upgrade.
I think the distinction between the Z7III and Z8/Z9 would be speed and video specs. Without a stacked sensor, the Z7III would not be as fast as the Z8/Z9. And it will not have the same high-end video specs that the Z8 and Z9 have either. The Z7 line would remain the photo centric line, whereas the Z8/Z9 would continue to be the best hybrid cameras.
Well, most likely Nikon isn't communicating anything because the Z7 line is fine as it is, with the Z7II.
Savviest wrote:
For me the key features ideal for the Z7III would be:
About the same size and weight as the previous versions.
45MP BSI Sensor - Non-Stacked to preserve dynamic range.
Expeed 7 Processor
EVF of the Z6III
A nice to have would be the Zr's 4 inch LCD screen, but that would just be icing on the cake. Basically all I really want is a processor, EVF and autofocus upgrade.
These are interesting features, but it all depends on how many Z7III cameras they manage to sell—and at what price—without cannibalizing sales of the Z8, as well as how many Z7II camera bodies they still have in stock
SSISteve wrote:
You can’t be serious. Did your Z7ii all of a sudden stop working because it’s old. Nikon is not killing any relationships. So you are going to divorce them since you don’t have a Z7iii? Nikon has all kinds of great choices in cameras and they serve different purposes. I own a Z8, Z7ii, Z6III, and Z50ii. They are all great. Stop whining and go out and photograph. You have a great camera that does many things well.
urbanwild wrote:
Welcome to FM....I see you're new.
I own the Z7, Z8 and Zf. Seeing your frustration, what precisely is it that you're hoping for.....firmware updates? A Z7iii? If the latter, what specs would you hope for and why not shift to a Z8? Size and cost?
I'm considering selling my Z7. I really don't have a great reason for keeping it other than I like a small option that can optically equal the Z8.
Ideally I would like to see a Z7III released, but if that isn't going to happen it would sure be nice to know. I am just tired of being kept in the lurch for years on end. The lack of any communication is what is really frustrating me.
I think the issue is that the Z7 sensor has a relatively slow read time (though ten years ago it would have been considered pretty fast) and so it needs a mechanical shutter which is avoided in the Z8 due to its very fast read time. The Z8 is more general purpose, with its faster sensor read time facilitating video, high fps burst shooting, and autofocus, and it has a faster and less laggy viewfinder as well, yet it's only somewhat more expensive than the Z7 II. Nikon could put a Z7 sensor in a new camera with Expeed 7, and this would enable somewhat faster autofocus, and more advanced customisations, but probably they want such a camera to have a new sensor which could have higher resolution while maintaining a reasonable read time. I think the Z7 III is missing because the technology to make a significantly better Z7 III than the Z7 II while not being the Z8 is not available yet, and until it is, they don't want to make a Z7 III only slightly better than the Z7 II. There is also the question of what higher megapixels would bring to users today if they are mostly posting stuff on instagram. :-/ I'm serious, not that many people seem to want to show their photos as large prints these days. It's like the convenience of online display overrides quality considerations for many people and thus the market for a specialized high-image-quality camera might be smaller than in the past.
Eventually there will be a new sensor such as having 100 MP, and a Z7 III with that would distinguish from the Z8/Z9 more significantly and bring some benefits (to a small group of users). I would be interested in such a camera mainly for the higher (base ISO) dynamic range which might be possible in a non-stacked sensor with high resolution.
jcw1982 wrote:
I think you need to move on to another camera brand. Looks like Nikon isn't doing it for you.
Modern man deserves to be ruled by psychopathic autocrats. There’s no right to criticize, think for oneself, or engage in debate. Either we obey, or we emigrate.
If someone, as a user, criticizes Nikon, is “switch brands” really all you can say? Seriously? Don’t you have anything smarter to say?
Nikon is selling older models at reduced prices, keeping the product lifecycle longer and maintaining decent market segmentation with the Z8 essentially replacing the Z7 II. Some might lament a bit of noise and DR in the Z8's low gain mode, but you are not giving up much at all over the Z7 II compared to what is gained.
Is there any indication that Nikon will bother to update the Z7 II at all? They might just discontinue it.
EB-1 wrote:
Nikon is selling older models at reduced prices, keeping the product lifecycle longer and maintaining decent market segmentation with the Z8 essentially replacing the Z7 II. Some might lament a bit of noise and DR in the Z8's low gain mode, but you are not giving up much at all over the Z7 II compared to what is gained.
Is there any indication that Nikon will bother to update the Z7 II at all?
EBH
The Z7 series are, however, much cheaper than the Z8 (at least in my country) and this is true of their introduction prices as well. They are also smaller, lighter, and can be used in artificial lighting, e.g., some types of theatrical light causes basically unrecoverable banding in Z8 images which is practically invisible in images taken with cameras with mechanical shutter. The Z7 (II) also has lower noise than the Z8 at low ISO. I don't own a Z7 or Z7II but have D850's and a Z8. The D850's base ISO images look visibly smoother and more beautiful and malleable than corresponding Z8 images which are a bit gritty in my perception. The Z8 is great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't offer any benefits for a landscape photographer, for example, and arguably is slightly worse than its predecessors with slower sensor read times.
Nikon hasn't indicated anything, but I don't see why they would not update the Z7 II when they can do it with a substantial improvement. Sony makes two cameras with 61 MP, for example, so this market for a high image quality camera clearly exists. There are also 100 MP cameras from Fujifilm and Hasselblad which Nikon could try to compete with if they make a 100 MP (or 200 MP, for that matter, though I suppose at some point there are diminishing returns given human eyesight and limitations in printer technology, in addition to the effects of noise) FX camera.
Nikon is trying to compete in the video space and bought RED likely for that reason, to increase their competence and product portfolio in that area. This probably involves making more video-first camera models and a cinema lineup of lenses which probably takes significant resources from Nikon. On the other hand, RED has a Super 35 mm 8K sensor and maybe Nikon could also use some of the technologies involved in a stills-first camera? ARRI has a very high dynamic range sensor in the Alexa 35, so the focus on video might lead to improvements also in sensors for stills. Dual-gain output sensors have been made by Arri, Panasonic, and Canon, and making something along those lines could result in an interesting Z7 III.
Assuming Nikon is solely dependent on Sony for sensors it's a question if they will make an updated 45MP for Nikon that prioritizes high IQ over speed. The market seems to be all about video and read speed.
I use the a7rV often and neither Nikon nor Canon have a sensor at that level, which was 2019 in the a7rIV. If anything the Z7 II should have a higher-res sensor in the 60MP range, eschewing the faster reads for IQ. That would not be cheap though. The fact that Sony has not updated it in so many years indicates to me that either market is too small or the tech is so mature that updates prior to now would have been minor. There is no question that better sensors are possible.
Why do you need to know so bad? You don’t like your Z7ii? You can’t use it since it’s not a Z7iii? There are more important things in life than being frustrated because Nikon isn’t telling you what their next move is. 🤦♂️🤦♂️
Savviest wrote:
Ideally I would like to see a Z7III released, but if that isn't going to happen it would sure be nice to know. I am just tired of being kept in the lurch for years on end. The lack of any communication is what is really frustrating me.
