p.2 #1 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
I have used Sony and Fujifilm cameras in the past before switching to the Nikon Zf.
As a casual photographer who mainly takes pictures of my family and document everyday moments, there are a few reasons why I find the Nikon system appealing:
1) Compressed RAW
This is a big one for me. Nikon’s High Efficiency RAW files are around 12 MB, which is quite close to the size of a JPEG at around 10 MB. In comparison, RAW files from other brands with similar Megapixels are much larger. For someone who takes a lot of family photos, the smaller file size makes a noticeable difference in storage.
2) I really like the images straight out of the camera
I’m not exactly sure why. It could be the auto white balance, the way Nikon handles contrast, or simply the rendering of the S lenses. I currently have the 24-70mm S and 35mm f/1.8 S, and I really like the colors they produce. I do minimal or no edits before sharing.
3) Cheaper and high quality kit lens
The 24-70mm S f/4 is a relatively affordable in used market. I recently bought the 24-120mm S here only because I wanted the extra reach for my kid's school events.
4) Retro design with good autofocus
I really like the retro design of the Zf. At the same time, the autofocus is much better than what I experienced with Fujifilm and may be on par with Sony. For my use case, I don't need anything complicated, just a reliable face and eye detection.
5) Great compatibility with Leica M-mount and Techart Pro adapter
The Z system has better compatibility with Leica M-mount lenses.
I like using small Voigtländer lenses, and the adapter can be especially useful when photographing kids because it gives me autofocus with manual-focus lenses.
I have also collected some film-camera lenses, and I enjoy adapting them to the Zf occasionally.
6) Nikon Picture Profiles and Lightroom support
Ideally, "Flexible Color" camera matching profile in Lightroom should be a good starting point with colors and rendering that is very close to the Picture Profiles used in the camera.
However, from my testing they don't seem to match well. Maybe I'm missing something or Zf is not supported like Z6iii/Z8/Z9 as mentioned in adobe's website.
The only reasons I would consider upgrading from the Zf would be if Nikon introduced a true rangefinder-style retro camera, or a significantly lighter Zf II.
For situations where I can't carry the Nikon, I currently use the Ricoh GRIV. I really wish Nikon would make a small pocketable camera with either a fixed lens or a compact zoom.
p.2 #2 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
I went to Nikon from Fujifilm for the S line of glass. I was considering the R5 and Z8 bodies, and Nikon glass pushed my to the Z8. Now I'm pretty invested in Nikon glass... Yet, I still shoot a Fuji X-H1 for the fun of it.
p.2 #4 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
michaelgunne wrote:
Hey folks,
I’m a Nikon guy for over 5 years now and I’m quite happy. Sometimes I look over the fence and see what’s going on at Sony, canon, Fuji, etc. Just out of curiosity and there is a lot of exciting stuff.
So, let’s do a little scenario. You win at a big photo competition (BPC) with your out of focus cat picture which was outstanding and put photography into a new perspective. The price: 10.000€/$. BUT in the same second a meteorite slams into your camera gear and destroys everything. So good time to start over again.
Let’s use the 10k we won. Would you invest into the Nikon ecosystem in 2026 again? What would you buy and why? What’s the reason you value Nikon higher than the other brands?
(Just for clarification. I didn’t win at a photo competition and I don’t plan to switch ecosystem. Just curious about people’s opinions with all the new releases)...Show more →
In your situation with a limited budget I suggest getting relatively similar or newer replacement gear. There has been a slowdown of new gear lately especially with Nikon.
I've used all kinds of cameras in my life, including Nikon since 1976, but the differences today are not that great. They all have pros and cons. I typically work backwards from lenses to cameras and continue to use multiple systems. All gear is disposable; only the RAW file matters in the long run.
If you are not sure then rent gear and test it in your usage conditions. Everyone has different weighting of priorities. Some people want wimpy small gear, some want heavy duty ruggedness, some want lenses with high MFT center to edge, some want lenses with the borkahs and poor edge MTF, some want state of the art AF acquisition and tracking, some want high quality videos.
p.2 #5 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
I’ll jump in again to support those who mention the quality of Nikon’s colour and metering: there’s been some smart engineering by Nikon and I’ve found the files usually don’t need much work to look good, though they do stand up to tinkering.
p.2 #6 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
It's simple. My dad gave me a coolpix back in the mid 2000s. Once i started my first job, i got my first serious camera. A D3400 with a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8. I used that for 8 years before finally upgrading. I have always disliked Canon because of my dad. No other reason.
When it came time to upgrade i tried both Sony and Nikon. I just did not gel well with the Sony body ergonomics. I bought the Z6iii in 2024. It was a spaceship compared to the D3400. The colors straight from out of the camera were so nice. I felt that I didn't have to do a lot to get the file to look how i want it.
Now that i seriously got into birding and wildlife and I use a Z8, I can see where Nikon is still behind Sony when it comes to autofocus but it just makes me work a bit harder. Two or three things and the Z8 would be perfect but 20fps is nothing to scoff at.
The value that the Z lenses provide specially at used prices are unmatched too.
p.2 #7 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Why did I choose Nikon over another brand? Well, it was 1987 I think, started my career with them and never thought to use another brand to be honest (in 35mm / FF).
I have no clue what the other brands are even doing these days, don't really care either. I just ordered a Nikon ZR to work B-cam / gimbal on a couple of documentaries, look forward to getting it.
p.2 #8 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
I'd look at all other brands and then still buy Nikon. I like Nikon ergonomics, their lens line up and the output. Other brands may offer a few better things here and there from time to time, but these things go in cycles. At the moment, my Z8/Z9 does everything I need those cameras to do and the lenses I have are as good as you'll get in their respective focal lengths. I am very satisfied where I am.
p.2 #9 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Not having manual lens data entry for my adapted old manual focus lenses is actually a big thing keeping me from looking at Sony and Canon, as little as most people care about that. I'm also the opposite of most people on camera size and think the Z8 is at the very *bottom* of the acceptable size range. I've been on the GFX system for a while (and yes, the original GFX 100 was too big, even for me), but I do wish Fuji would add the latest "assign a custom button to change non-CPU lens aperture value in EXIF" innovation that Nikon has now.
p.2 #10 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Difficult question.
Y had a canon R, loved the ergonomics, but the rest didn't make me feel good. Small primes are so so, and the output never was at the level of Nikon for my taste.
I'm interested in Sony A7r6, specs are what I want from a camera, so I'd like to try it, but it's too expensive for me. I tried other bodies but never liked them, I hated the EVF. I never had Sony so I don't know about actual use, long term... maybe I like it maybe not . Theey have a lot of lenses so I'm sure I would enjoy some.
So probably I would buy a Nikon zf,z5ii or z8. Nice balance of ergonomics, feeling, price... And the lenses are fine for me, but some aperture ring, lighter primes... Would be welcome.
p.2 #11 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Yeah, I agree. At this point the differences between systems are pretty small, and it really comes down to your priorities and the lenses you want. The lens-first approach makes a lot of sense
p.2 #12 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Lee Saxon wrote:
Not having manual lens data entry for my adapted old manual focus lenses is actually a big thing keeping me from looking at Sony and Canon, as little as most people care about that. I'm also the opposite of most people on camera size and think the Z8 is at the very *bottom* of the acceptable size range. I've been on the GFX system for a while (and yes, the original GFX 100 was too big, even for me), but I do wish Fuji would add the latest "assign a custom button to change non-CPU lens aperture value in EXIF" innovation that Nikon has now....Show more →
I agree. Those small workflow features can make a surprisingly big difference, especially with manual and adapted lenses Nikon’s lens-data handling is definitely one of those things you only appreciate once you actually use it
p.2 #13 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
When it comes to digital I've had Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Leica M. One way or another I've had most film cameras made in 35mm and 120. As someone that shoots for fun and never really had more than 4-5 lenses for each system (and never superteles), I didn't have a particular issue trying different camera. I always liked the Canon film camera ergonomics vs Nikon, yet there were always Nikon lenses I preferred (eg 58/1.4G, 50/1.2AIS, 85/1.4AFD etc). I now have a Zf, paired with a couple of Voigtlanders it is the digital equivalent of an FM2n+50/1.2 (peak film camera enjoyment for me).
The only other camera I actually care about acquiring is the Hasselblad 907x. If I ever get to a Zf + 907x then it will be like the days I used to run around with a FM2n over one shoulder and a 501CM on the other.
p.2 #14 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Your use case, cat photography, can be measured by Cat Share trends. Canon dominates and is ascending in Cat Share.
Claude prompt: "Give me an estimate of the number of cat pictures in the last year on the internet by camera brand (not including smartphones)."
Estimate: about 35 million cat photos taken on dedicated cameras were posted publicly over the past year (October 2025 to September 2026), with a plausible range of roughly 10 to 100 million. As before, this is a back-of-envelope estimate rather than a measured figure.
Cameras in use: about 60 million dedicated cameras are still being used. That's the roughly 10 million new cameras shipped in 2025 plus older ones still in service.
Photos per year: I assumed about 1,500 photos per camera, which gives about 90 billion photos.
Posted publicly: I assumed about 5%, which gives about 4.5 billion.
Cats: I assumed about 0.75% of those, which gives about 35 million.
Split by brand, with the trend. For the past year, I gave equal weight to 2025 shipment share, which is published data, and to the older installed base, which is my estimate.
Brand 2025 new-camera share (Nikkei) Est. share, all-time Est. share, last year Est. cat photos, last year Trend
Canon 45.7% 30% ~39% ~13.7M ▲
Sony 24.6% 16% ~21% ~7.4M ▲
Nikon 8.9% 19% ~14.5% ~5.1M ▼
Fujifilm 11.8% 6% ~9.5% ~3.3M ▲▲
Panasonic 4.4% 6% ~5% ~1.8M ▼
Olympus 1.5% 6% ~4% ~1.4M ▼
Ricoh/Pentax 2.1% 2% ~2% ~0.7M ▬
Others 21% ~5% ~1.8M ▼▼
p.2 #15 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Related to this I’m waiting to see what the Monster Adapter LA-FZ11 looks like. Supposed to be a special adapter for Nikon F MF lenses with the aperture feeler to automatically pick up the aperture used. Hard to tell exactly from what they put out back in February but it sounded like you would pick the attached lens from a smartphone app and then the adapter will send the lens and aperture selected to the camera for EXIF.
Lee Saxon wrote:
Not having manual lens data entry for my adapted old manual focus lenses is actually a big thing keeping me from looking at Sony and Canon, as little as most people care about that. I'm also the opposite of most people on camera size and think the Z8 is at the very *bottom* of the acceptable size range. I've been on the GFX system for a while (and yes, the original GFX 100 was too big, even for me), but I do wish Fuji would add the latest "assign a custom button to change non-CPU lens aperture value in EXIF" innovation that Nikon has now....Show more →
p.2 #16 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
For the ability to utilized legacy glass on newish camera bodies. There is a lot of really cool old Nikon lenses out there, and the same can't be said for other brands.
p.2 #17 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
This is a hard one for me. I've come to the conclusion that for a variety of reasons I prefer shooting APS-C to other options, but there really isn't an APS-C line today that fits me well. I've shot FX and m43 extensively over the years as well.
Why do I prefer APS-C? It's got some body and lens size advantages in the range I primarily use (wide and short telephoto), I don't need absolute resolution, but need occasional long reach where APS-C brings value, the IQ these days meets my needs, and there's enough interesting lenses while still adapting FF glass in a reasonable manner (I don't mind the 1.5x Field of View narrowing while 2x on m43 is just a bit too much for most lenses outside the 50-105mm range for me).
The downside with APS-C? I don't like XTrans sensors (have sampled Fuji multiple times over the years, always end up bailing because I don't like how XTrans renders blues, I'll probably try the new 40MP sensor at some point to see if they have better Blue rendering than the older sensors) and nobody else has a really complete body+lens lineup in APS-C. Canon is the closest, but the R7's AF annoys me. Nikon lacks a higher-end body unless I want to shoot a Z8 in DX mode all the time. Sony's APS-C bodies annoy me ergonomically (why can't Sony just stuff an A6700 into an A7V body and call it a day...)
FX for me is simply too much body/lens size for IQ I don't really need, the IQ advantages of the Z5ii over the 20.9MP DX bodies is real, but I don't really need it, and I also don't usually need the extra resolution of a high-MP body (getting 19.5MP DX from them is nice though).
m43 is in a better place right now for me than it was the last time I sampled it (which was when the OM-1 came out). Frankly the new Pen and an OM-1mII would probably work well for me, the biggest struggle for me when I was last in was the lack of a decent light carry option at the time that wasn't on the old menus and old image processing. But the system still lacks the wider range of fun/cheap glass I can get in APS-C these days (and a bunch of the options are just APS-C lenses better suited to the larger format).
For now I'm shooting Nikon because frankly I like the Zfc better than the X-T30III it competes directly with (better EVF implementation and better AF), and rounding that out with the Z7 in DX mode and a D7500. I do think that in the current mid-range that Nikon has the best offerings in the Zfc and Z50ii (vs the X-T30III, A6400 and R10)
Nikon's DX line has serious issues right now, with only one real modern body and needs both more native glass (especially an UWA zoom other than the 12-28PZ) and a higher-end body option that isn't just buying a Z8 and shooting in crop (something in between the Z8 and Z50ii in cost and performance, but still with at least 20MP DX resolution, IBIS and an EN-EL15 series battery) along with refreshes of the Z30 and Zfc to EXPEED7.
p.2 #18 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
When I choose a system, I first look at what the primary focus of my photography will be. Most of my work now centers around birds, other wildlife, and my fieldwork as an ecologist. At the time I upgraded my system, Nikon had the best set of long glass for my purposes in their PF and TC lenses.
For street and travel photography, I keep a compact Fuji and several lightweight lenses.
In my previous work as a photojournalist when sports was a big part of the equation, I bounced back and forth between Canon and Nikon, depending on the brand the newspaper I was working for was using.
I'm passionate about photography, not so much my equipment. Best tool for the job.
p.2 #19 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
Lance B wrote:
I'd look at all other brands and then still buy Nikon. I like Nikon ergonomics, their lens line up and the output. Other brands may offer a few better things here and there from time to time, but these things go in cycles. At the moment, my Z8/Z9 does everything I need those cameras to do and the lenses I have are as good as you'll get in their respective focal lengths. I am very satisfied where I am.
p.2 #20 · Why would you choose Nikon over the other brands?
I bought my first Nikon (an F2) in 1974. At that time Nikon's only real competition was Canon and Nikon was the market leader. Over the years I moved to the bodies that replaced it and acquired many f mount primes. In the 90s I got an F4 and added some autofocus Nikkors. Nikon released its first DSLR (the D1) in 1999 and I bought one in 2002. Through the manual focus, autofocus, digital transition Nikon kept the f mount, so all the lenses I'd acquired were usable on all the bodies I purchased. It is said "One dates the bodies, but marries the lenses." In my case that has been true.
Today I have the Z8 and Z9 and continue to use my f mount lenses with the FTZ adapters. I added a couple of z mount lenses that did not overlap my f mount glass. As the reviewers accurately reported, the z mount lenses set a new standard in Nikon glass. It was tempting to replace my most used f mount lenses with their z mount versions, but I went in a different direction.
