Verdict
The Nikon Z f is a joyousness to use and can be paired with older Nikon F riding horse crystalline lens using the Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ II for an even more vintage shooting experience . feature and office are also inherit from the Z 6II , Z 8 and Z 9 , so it ’s a camera with some serious shot tycoon behind it .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
time of origin - urge cameras continue to capture the imaginations of photographers one-time and new thanks to their esthetic and technological appeal . The Nikon Z f is an interesting good example of this , providing a looking camera transude vintage charm that is also packed with telling digital technology and outstanding overall performance , coupled with a tactile shooting experience .
Whether or not you grease one’s palms into this eccentric of package will always be a matter of personal predilection , but as someone who grew up shooting motion-picture show and has expend months , maybe even years cumulatively in colour and ignominious and white darkroom , I love what the Z f has to offer .
It ’s for sure not perfect – what camera is ? – but , with excellent AF performance , in - body Vibration Reduction , subject detection manual focus and much more , the Z f brings two photographic existence crashing together with remarkable effect for a cost of £ 2149/$1997/€2400 ( body - only ) .
Design and handling
The Z f is intemperately inspired by the Nikon FM2 , the iconic 35 mm film camera from the 1980s . From the front , it could easily be mistaken for a movie television camera , and even the tactile controls on the top plate including the ISO telephone dial and shutter speed dial could easy flim-flam the uninitiated center , with the exception being the little LCD blind that demonstrate the current aperture setting .
It ’s only when you get to the back of the camera that the digital nature of the twist is in full reveal . On the back , you ’ll find a 2.1m - dot 3.2 - in vari - angle touch screen that can be turned to hide out or protect the screen . There ’s also a bright and clear 3.69m - dot 0.50 - in viewfinder with 0.8x magnification ; the same viewfinder recover on theNikon Z6 II .
The Z f is , however , much larger and heavier than the average SLR at 710 g. Despite the lack of a grip on the front of the photographic camera , it has just a humble handgrip plate that make it surprisingly comfortable to control . alas , there ’s no ovolo travelling bag on the back , which would make the photographic camera even more comfy and easier to grasp .
So , with all this in mind , you ’ll be unsurprised to get word that the Z f is best match with smaller prime lens system rather than with child and heavier zooms that naturally derange the tv camera . you could certainly use larger lens with the camera , but just bear in mind that this wo n’t provide an optimal shot experience unless you ’re shoot tripod mount with a genus Lens featuring a tripod collar .
Features
Autofocus performance is excellent thanks to hybrid phase - detection / contrast AF with AF aid , as well as a 299 - stage AF point regalia with 273 - points in individual - item AF mode . It also provides -10EV low - luminosity performance and work well in low - lightness situations , though AF is obtuse and less accurate in darker conditions .
Subject tracking operation is also fantabulous with human , animal ( with heart AF ) , auto , motorbike , wheel , wagon train and plane subject tracking available . There ’s even dependent detection assist when focusing manually , which makes manual rivet incredibly precise equate to other camera . Why is this so significant ? The Z f is a howling cooperator for vintage Nikon prime lenses when adapted to the television camera using the Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ II .
The Z f can shoot at up to 30fps , which is more than adequate for a camera that ’s not design for sport and wildlife photography . accomplish this uninterrupted speed of course look on the amphetamine of the SD and/or the microSD wit you ’re using with the photographic camera since these are what ’s on offer with the dual card time slot . There ’s no faster CFExpress notice support but , on the plus side , SD and microSD cards are far less expensive than CFExpress option .
The Z f also offers 8 - stop , 5 - axis , AI - aid in - body Vibration Reduction , which is highly effective and allows you to shoot at much slow shutter speeds handheld than you could without it . This , combined with the excellent gamy ISO handling and low light AF operation make the Z f a great television camera for handheld shooting .
That ’s not all . Subject detection - assisted vibration reduction adjusts the sensor axis to achieve more efficacious quiver reduction depending on where on the sensor the subject is captured . So , despite the nerveless vintage magic spell of the Z f , it ’s an absolute beast under the hood in terms of the technology and public presentation available .
Image quality
The epitome quality bring out by the Z f is nothing short of fantabulous thanks to using the same 24.5MP full - frame CMOS sensor as the Nikon Z6 II , but paired up with the Expeed 7 processor used in theNikon Z9 . This delivers some seriously impressive eminent ISO handling with an ISO range of 100 – 51,200 on the ISO dial on the top of the camera , but with a full native range available up to ISO 64,000 with 1/6 , 1/3 and 1 EV increase .
video recording can be fascinate up to 4 K at 30fps or 4k at 60fps with 1.5x crop for up to 125 minutes , while dim motion gaining control of up to 120fps is available at 1080p . Footage can be catch in the H.265 / HEVC ( 8 bit/10 bit ) and H.264 / AVC ( 8 piece ) codecs with standard profile , the insipid N - Log visibility for prolonged dynamic ambit and colour grading in professional work flow and HDR ( HLG ) video . sentence - lapse capture is also useable , alongside picture shot aid features including a waveform video display .
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Should you buy it?
The combination of excellent high ISO performance , advanced Vibration Reduction and AF functioning make the Z f a great pick for street photography and portraiture .
The design of the Z f signify that it ’s not well - suited to use with long telephotograph lenses . Instead , it pairs best with fast prime lens .
Final Thoughts
The Nikon Z f is one of those photographic camera that makes you want to take pic ; the tactile control and the time of origin styling make it an absolute joy to expend whether shoot pic or charm video . It ’s frustrating that the detector is the 24.5MP CMOS found in the Nikon Z6 II rather than the more generous 45.7MP sensor used in theNikon Z7 II . That said , there ’s no deny that the lower pixel count means ameliorate high-pitched ISO handling .
That small niggle aside , and the deficiency of a ovolo hold , the photographic camera is well-off and well - balanced with modest prime lenses . Not to advert , with a boniface of features and functionality hold from the Z6 II , Z8 and Z9 , the Z f compact a serious punch when it come to AF performance . Plus , the 8 - plosive consonant AI - help Vibration Reduction is truly singular for shooting handheld at slow shutter hurrying .
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How we test
We test every television camera we review good . We use set up mental test to compare features properly and we utilize it as our main machine over the limited review period . We ’ll always severalise you what we find and we never , ever , take on money to brush up a product .
FAQs
Yes , the Nikon Z f has a 24.5 - megapixel full - soma CMOS sensor . This is the same sensing element line up inside the Nikon Z6 II .
The Nikon Z f is capable of shooting 4 green television at up to 60p with a 1.5x crop .
Full Specs
