I bought a Nikon Zf earlier this year after coming from the Sony A7R series and its 60MP sensor. On paper, the Zf is a considerable downgrade in resolution, and I’m not even using expensive glass with it. My only S-line lens is the 24-120mm, while the rest are more consumer-grade lenses and manual lenses. Yet somehow, I’ve been more content with this camera than I expected.
The Zf reminds me a little of a good Apple product. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but the overall experience feels very intentional. It makes me want to slow down and take good, well-thought-out pictures rather than constantly thinking about specs and gear.
Going back to 24MP has also changed the way I look at lenses. With Sony, I was always drawn toward G and GM glass and those $2,000 f/1.2 lenses. With the Zf, I’ve been much more open to trying lenses that cost a quarter as much, if not less, and I’m still getting wonderful images. Oddly enough, having "less" has made me want less. All in all, I think the Zf has cured my GAS, at least for now.
Interesting, I have a Nikon ZF and another 24mp body and have been thinking about getting a higher resolution body, maybe a used Sony a7rii for a thin filter mod. Maybe the grass is greener on the other side 😁
The Zf is an insanely capable little package. I'm very glad that Nikon listened to feedback and changed the worst aspects of its physical controls via firmware updates. I never feel the pull for more megapixels when I look at its files. I can crop down to around 4000x wide and upscale back to 24mp essentially for free.
A $150 chinese lens feels as much at home on it as does a 40 year old Soviet lens, or even the ultimate swiss army knife that is the Z 24-120.
Plenty of room in the kit for a little bit of everything. Zf is my lower-res EDC, Z9 is my highER megapixel action and portrait setup, and the X2Dii is my landscape/still life/product shot rig.
h_jimmy wrote:
Interesting, I have a Nikon ZF and another 24mp body and have been thinking about getting a higher resolution body, maybe a used Sony a7rii for a thin filter mod. Maybe the grass is greener on the other side 😁
I’m not saying Nikon is better than Sony or vice versa. There are plenty of reasons to choose Sony. For me, the retro design of the Zf and the nostalgia of shooting Nikon again were big factors. My first DSLR was a Nikon D90, so there’s definitely some attachment there. The Zf just works really well for what I do and how I shoot. YMMV, of course. If Sony has what you’re looking for, go for it.
If you’re a pixel peeper, a high-resolution camera can absolutely blow you away. When I went from the A7 III to the A7R IV, I was amazed by the detail and how much I could crop. Eventually, I realized it was nice to have, but it didn’t really matter for how I use my photos. Most of mine are viewed on screens and shared digitally. If I printed regularly, I’d probably care a lot more about megapixels.
I’m not a pro, so enjoying the camera and the overall shooting experience matter to me as much as the specs. Even trying a cheap $150 Chinese lens that’s smaller, lighter, and surprisingly good is part of the fun. I also feel manual lenses work better on ZF, including the adapted Sony lenses like Loxia. Photography is a hobby for me, and I find the Zf more enjoyable than chasing more professional-level gear and better specs.
