Nikon Zf - A New Compact Full Frame Camera

[BTM_Pix]

19 minutes ago, mercer said:

When/if this camera drops closer to $1200, I'm a buyer.

I hope that unlike the Z9/Z8 that Nikon have got their supply act together otherwise it could be a long wait to get one even at the new price.

3 minutes ago, mercer said:

This camera isn't really designed for video users, but I think it could have been an excellent platform for them to offer their Nikon Raw at 1080p.

It looks to have the same/similar processing clout in it as the big cameras so who knows whether that might be an option further down the line.

Unless RED have got a super specific patent on "RAW video shot at above 23.89999999 fps inside a camera shell that looks quite reminiscent of classic SLR cameras from the 20th century made by a manufacturer whose name begins with N and who were founded on 25 July 1917 at roughly midday local time".

Because they might well have 😉

 

[MrSMW]

2 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

I hope that unlike the Z9/Z8 that Nikon have got their supply act together otherwise it could be a long wait to get one even at the new price.

Indeed. If it Had not been for that very issue with the Z9 in the second half of '22 and first half of '23, I'd have been shooting Nikon all this year as that is where I was going. Except couldn't buy one until out was too late (for me) 😒

Another thing about the Zf, I cut my teeth on FM3's I think they were back in the day. 2 years and college and 3 at uni and all we had were those and rolls of Ilford HP5 so no guesses what I bought as my first pro camera.

FM3/F3, whichever was the smaller one...but it was 30+ years ago so the memory is a bit foggy.

They weren't available in orange, blue, red or any other colour skin however...

[BTM_Pix]

17 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

FM3/F3, whichever was the smaller one...but it was 30+ years ago so the memory is a bit foggy.

FM3 was the smaller one but they were only released at the turn of the 2000s so if its further back then it was likely to be the FM2.

The Zf is actually just about the same weight as the F3 at 710g so well within your weight criteria !

[MrSMW]

Late 80’s into early 90’s so after a quick Google, looks like the FM2.

I know it wasn’t one of those big blocky one’s…

[mercer]

5 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

I hope that unlike the Z9/Z8 that Nikon have got their supply act together otherwise it could be a long wait to get one even at the new price.

It looks to have the same/similar processing clout in it as the big cameras so who knows whether that might be an option further down the line.

Unless RED have got a super specific patent on "RAW video shot at above 23.89999999 fps inside a camera shell that looks quite reminiscent of classic SLR cameras from the 20th century made by a manufacturer whose name begins with N and who were founded on 25 July 1917 at roughly midday local time".

Because they might well have 😉

 

Damn... we're screwed. 

[mercer]

Nikon pretty much perfected film bodies back in the late 70s with the FM/FE, and their successors, and the F3, so to see a FF digital go back to those body styles is really exciting for me. If the Zf had a split micro prism viewfinder function, it could be the perfect shooting experience.

I was intending on being a late R5 adopter and then go all in with the RF mount, but this release from Nikon is making me second guess.

[hojomo]

Other than the 40mm f2 (plastic mount, yuck), there are no lenses well suited to this body. Optically that lens is supposed to be excellent however.

I am really enticed to get it for stills, is anyone familiar with Z manual focus fly-by-wire experience?

I am able to get decent 'linear' manual focus with L mount lenses. That + Panny's fantastic focus peaking makes it reliable & pretty enjoyable overall (depending on lens).

I would love to be able to use Sigma's DG SN Contemporary primes on this. The FP is ok; but for a compact street setup this would be close to ideal (EVF is mediocre).

[hojomo]

Other than the 40mm f2 (plastic mount, yuck), there are no lenses well suited to this body. Optically that lens is supposed to be excellent however.

I am really enticed to get it for stills, is anyone familiar with Z manual focus fly-by-wire experience?

I am able to get decent 'linear' manual focus with L mount lenses. That + Panny's fantastic focus peaking makes it reliable & pretty enjoyable overall (depending on lens).

I would love to be able to use Sigma's DG DN Contemporary primes on this. The FP is ok; but for a compact street setup this would be close to ideal (EVF is mediocre, same 24mpx that is now in a Blackmagic camera hahaha).

I came up in late 80s/early 90s when serious shooters used Nikon (photojournalism) & still have a couple F3s and some AIS primes, various Nikkor lenses.

Very happy to see they added WFM monitoring. Bodes well for video in the Z6III/future bodies

[Django]

Nikon already attempted this a decade ago with the Df:

.. was a FF D610 in retro body. Then again not long ago with the APS-C Zfc:

This latest Zf is basically a Z6ii with the new Z8/Z9 processor. It’s a cool concept, right out of the Fuji playbook but ultimately as a hybrid nothing groundbreaking imo. Nikon is playing catch up with cropped 4K60p and average read-out. The card slots on the bottom battery door and micro SD are annoying. I also fear overheating may be severe (heard reports it overheats in stills mode).

other than the cool retro look and dials I’m not sure I’d pick this over a R6ii that does full sensor 4K60p, less RS, 6K external RAW, superior video AF etc in the same price range.

All that said I do salute Nikon for pursuing the retro camera design for stills shooters and including decent video specs. 

[MrSMW]

6 hours ago, Django said:

other than the cool retro look and dials I’m not sure I’d pick this over a R6ii that does full sensor 4K60p, less RS, 6K external RAW, superior video AF etc in the same price range.

Agree with you there Django, but the Zf is a photo-centric camera and the folks that buy these kind of things are not really into rigging stuff out for external RAW etc. Or even video full stop in a lot of cases other than occasionally.

I don't know about the overheating, that one remains to be seen, but definitely if video was my primary focus, this camera would not be on my list. Certainly not 'professionally'.

As a 50:50 hybrid shooter, I have tried using the same bodies to do both and come to the conclusion I can do it, but I prefer having dedicated units to each.

I have pretty much settled on the 3 body approach now, one for stills, one for (considered) filming and one for (mainly static) video.

The downside with this approach is it really requires zooms in order to limit the compromises and I'd rather shoot primes so I might flip back with my next gen kit to having 3 identical bodies that can fulfil all 3 roles in a hybrid manner. If I do, the Zf would NOT be a contender for this. I don't think anyway...

But I am considering the possibility of a pair of Zf's with some primes, purely for stills and go for that classic pairing of something like the 35mm f1.8 on one hip with the 85mm f1.8 on the other with something wider and something longer in the bag for those times when I need it.

I'm going to be in Paris in mid November so hopefully some of the stores like FNAC will have at least demo units so I'll have a play if I can.

[Django]

3 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Agree with you there Django, but the Zf is a photo-centric camera and the folks that buy these kind of things are not really into rigging stuff out for external RAW etc. Or even video full stop in a lot of cases other than occasionally.

I don't know about the overheating, that one remains to be seen, but definitely if video was my primary focus, this camera would not be on my list. Certainly not 'professionally'.

As a 50:50 hybrid shooter, I have tried using the same bodies to do both and come to the conclusion I can do it, but I prefer having dedicated units to each.

I have pretty much settled on the 3 body approach now, one for stills, one for (considered) filming and one for (mainly static) video.

The downside with this approach is it really requires zooms in order to limit the compromises and I'd rather shoot primes so I might flip back with my next gen kit to having 3 identical bodies that can fulfil all 3 roles in a hybrid manner. If I do, the Zf would NOT be a contender for this. I don't think anyway...

But I am considering the possibility of a pair of Zf's with some primes, purely for stills and go for that classic pairing of something like the 35mm f1.8 on one hip with the 85mm f1.8 on the other with something wider and something longer in the bag for those times when I need it.

I'm going to be in Paris in mid November so hopefully some of the stores like FNAC will have at least demo units so I'll have a play if I can.

Zf + Z8 might be a good pairing for your needs..

As an old-school Nikon stills shooter myself the Zf is interesting to me. Paired with super affordable compact primes (such as the vintage AI-S series) it would be a neat almost rangefinder style experience. The video specs are also quite decent, they actually surpass the previous Z6/Z7 series. So this product actually does speak to me. Overheating though is definitely a concern and if severe would be a total deal breaker for any professional usage. It really seems to be the plague of current mirrorless systems.

[MrSMW]

2 hours ago, Django said:

Zf + Z8 might be a good pairing for your needs..

For me it would be a pair of Zf’s with primes, or a single Z8 with a zoom…except I’d go for a Z9 actually over a Z8.

I like both approaches about equal really but other than Lumix making me my S2R/H, it’s more like a pair of Zf’s with a set of primes vs a single Sony A7RV with a single zoom lens for the smallest, lightest, most croppable, flexible, package around.

I really don’t wish to change my S5ii’s and lens sets for my video work because they just work.

It’s stills only (with occasional hybrid use) for the 3rd unit.

Or back to 4 units with the Zf’s…but if they are small and light enough…and with primes they would be, I could swing that.

At least my options are narrowed down to just 3 now but we’ll see, it all hinges on The L MOUNT ALLIANCE.

[Andrew Reid]

You've got to applaud Nikon for designing with culture in mind and drawing on their lovely past.

I just hope they can take the implementation that next step because the original Df, and the Fc don't actually feel like they look. Kinda cheap.

The Fz seems like it will handle and feelthe same way with those cheap buttons and the fake leather.

It is lovely to look at though.

I had an Fc earlier in the year in orange, but apart from the looks, I couldn't justify keeping it vs Fuji, as the X-H2 just did so much more, as did X-T4.

[MrSMW]

25 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

I had an Fc earlier in the year in orange, but apart from the looks, I couldn't justify keeping it vs Fuji, as the X-H2 just did so much more, as did X-T4.

It would be interesting to see a face off between the Zf and the XT5 which to me looks like the closest competitor?

Not just on paper specs, but how they actually shoot and the results they produce.

Someone I am sure will do that head to head shortly...

 

[MrSMW]

I think I can feel a Zf, plain black...or maybe the brown...or the grey...or the red, incoming...

The 28mm f2.8 and 40mm f2 lens for candid stills / '42 & 60mm' 4k 50p video.

Paired with a used GFX100s and a pair of lenses for more considered work, mainly stills.

Must. Sit. On. The. Fence. And. Wait. To. See. If. Lumix. Make. An. S2R. But it's so hard resisting the temptation 🤑

[homestar_kevin]

I really like the 28mm 2.8, the 40mm is just OK, or at least my copy is. The 50mm 1.8 Z is spectacular. 

I'll most likely grab a ZF at some point because I've already began investing in the system a few years ago when I grabbed a $999 z5.

I'm pretty excited to pair the ZF with some contax G lenses and may end up buying a few of the smaller sony primes with an adapter too. 

[MrSMW]

2 hours ago, homestar_kevin said:

the 40mm is just OK

Is it the 40mm f2 SE?

I'm not sure if they are different optically or the SE version is just a fancy retro-ish casing?

[homestar_kevin]

I have a copy of the non-SE. They're the same optically, just slightly different exterior aesthetics 

[homestar_kevin]

Also just realized how cool this camera will be with the Techart PRO TZM-02 leica M autofocus adapter. 

[MrSMW]

28 minutes ago, homestar_kevin said:

Also just realized how cool this camera will be with the Techart PRO TZM-02 leica M autofocus adapter. 

Another rabbit hole entered…