Nikon Z* mirrorless

To be honest, it’s not far off what I paid several years ago for my Micro Four Thirds Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14 F2.8 Pro (seem to recall that was about a grand), and this one is full frame and a Z mount.

In fact today on Camera price buster, it’s exactly the same price as the Nikon (£1149), although the Fuji 10-24 F4 is quite a bit cheaper at £819.
 
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I’m properly lusting after a 14-30, but have settled on a Sigma 12-24 until the price is slightly less insane!
 
Stephen L said:
Knock 50% off and I’d have one ...
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you've already got one even if it's made by Tamron :) I'm going to see how big the initial price reduction is but eventually, once all my Fuji stuff is sold, I think that's the one I'm looking for and I can daresay survive with just 24 at the wide end for a few months.
 
chris321 said:
I’m properly lusting after a 14-30, but have settled on a Sigma 12-24 until the price is slightly less insane!
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I had the original version of the Sigma 12-24 and absolutely loved it despite or perhaps because the sharpness rapidly declined away from the centre. But that 12mm was wonderful. In fact I wouldn't rule out a second hand one while I'm waiting if the price is low enough.
 
lunar22 said:
you've already got one even if it's made by Tamron :) I'm going to see how big the initial price reduction is but eventually, once all my Fuji stuff is sold, I think that's the one I'm looking for and I can daresay survive with just 24 at the wide end for a few months.
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Yes, and it's a sound lens. My only wish is for it to be lighter and less bulky, as I thought the native lens may be (I've not checked specs).
 
Not sure if this has been covered before, but in my view Nikon did bloody well with the Z6 and Z7 (after having used my Z6 for a few weeks now) especially as it was their first foray into FF mirrorless (or any Mirrorless for that matter). But, despite how close they got, there are a few things that I would have liked to have seen added (maybe some via firmware and some on the next generation cameras).

So just for fun, my list would be the following (in no particular order)
  • Better implementation of the horizontal horizon feature. I'd like them if possible to use the system they had on their DSLR's (and on my Olympus cameras) of a series of dashed lines at the bottom and side of the screen. When one dash is shown you are centred, then the more you tilt the camera to one side, the more dashes appear. This would enable you to see the image (without the current graphic obscuring the screen) and give a much clearer view.
  • The ability to have the histogram and horizontal horizon on screen at the same time, and also with more detailed shooting information. Not sure why these have to all have their own independent screens ?
  • Change the cover over the ports so the USB socket has it's own small cover so when charging the camera via USB, you don't have the whole cover flap hanging around.
  • A return to the DSLR's Group AF for AF-C
  • Change the current behaviour of the AF boxes so that when in wide or dynamic modes, when the item is in focus the AF box turns green instead of staying red (it seems to work as expected in standard box size AF-S, so why it doesn't in the other modes is a mystery?)
  • The battery percentage displayed on screen (like my Olympus cameras), rather than just a 5 segment battery graphic
  • An FTZ adaptor without the tripod socket (or at least removable)
  • A proper battery grip (as Canon has on their R series), so that when using longer lenses for wildlife you get a much better balance on the camera and more purchase (also must have portrait shooting controls)
  • 4K 60 would be nice
  • The return of the 1.2 Crop mode (in addition to the 1:1 and 1.5x DX crop)
  • Built in wireless flash transmitter
  • a 70-200 F4 S lens to complement the 14-30 F4 S and the 24-70 F4 S, for those of us that don't need F2.8
  • A built in Panorama mode using the electronic shutter. Yes I know you can stitch multiple photos, but on my Fuji's it's a feature I use quite often.
  • Unless Olympus have a patent on it, Nikon's own implementation of Live Time and Live Composite modes for night shooting without blowing out the highlights (surprised no one but Olympus has got this so maybe they do own a patent?).
  • Dual card slots. Yes I know that XQD is a very robust standard, but if I were still shooting weddings, I'd still be a bit nervous about not having an instant back up (even if the second slot was a UHS-II SD card (like the D850)
I know a few of the above points will probably be reserved for a future High end Z series body, but I think a few of these at least could be addressed by firmware ? So all in all, for me the Nikon Z series pretty much hit the mark for a first salvo, so it will be really interesting to see how these develop.

Anyone else have any thoughts on tweaks or features they would like to see that's not included in the above ?
 
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I agree with you on most of these features, and don't disagree with any. Though many of them would be irrelevant for my shooting. But I'd like to add another - better implementation of Depth of Field preview. It's my understanding that if you assign a button to it, it only stops down as far as f5.6. Or am I wrong?
 
Stephen L said:
Yes, and it's a sound lens. My only wish is for it to be lighter and less bulky, as I thought the native lens may be (I've not checked specs).
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actually the Tamron is slightly (25g) lighter but then of course you have to add the 130g adpator
 
Stephen L said:
I agree with you on most of these features, and don't disagree with any. Though many of them would be irrelevant for my shooting. But I'd like to add another - better implementation of Depth of Field preview. It's my understanding that if you assign a button to it, it only stops down as far as f5.6. Or am I wrong?
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I thought that you had to assign a button to get the full DOF beyond F5.6 as that is only way to currently review it.
 
Stephen L said:
Ah, is that the way?
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If you go on Youtube and search for Hudson Henry Photography the inability to check DOF past F5.6 except by using an assigned button is his biggest complaint about the Z7/6. He shows you how he assigns a button to get round the issue though he hopes that Nikon will sort it with a Firmware upgrade.
 
Quick question please. The Z6 doesn't come with the EH-7P Charging AC Adaptor, but the Z7 does. I've been looking at possibly getting one on-line but every photo I've seen of it shows what looks like a folding AC wall socket from the USA (or somewhere else), not the 3 pin we have in the UK.

Can anyone with this confirm they do come with a standard UK plug attached ?
 
Sootchucker said:
Quick question please. The Z6 doesn't come with the EH-7P Charging AC Adaptor, but the Z7 does. I've been looking at possibly getting one on-line but every photo I've seen of it shows what looks like a folding AC wall socket from the USA (or somewhere else), not the 3 pin we have in the UK.

Can anyone with this confirm they do come with a standard UK plug attached ?
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I just use the USB cable supplied in a standard mains adaptor. Very slow, mind.
 
Yeah, that's why I was thinking of getting one. I use an Apple Ipad adaptor but it's still very slow.
 
Just thinking if Nikon did a recall for the grip issue, would grey models be eligible for repair/replacement?
 
Shoot Em Up said:
Just thinking if Nikon did a recall for the grip issue, would grey models be eligible for repair/replacement?
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Don't know Nikon UK's policy, but my warranty with Panamoz (3 years) states that all repairs will be by Nikon UK. Whether Panamoz or Nikon pay, I don't know.
 
Shoot Em Up said:
Just thinking if Nikon did a recall for the grip issue, would grey models be eligible for repair/replacement?
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I've missed this, what's the issue with the grip?
 
How about a nice discreet protective cover?

02_NikonZ_EasyCover_L.JPG


They do have it in black too :ROFLMAO:


Looks like hard digging of fingernails being the issue, do people hold their cameras that tight? I rarely use a strap for any camera and never so much as marked any of them.

My old D800 suffered from loosening grip though, underneath the shutter and on the bottom right corner, the buyer apparently had it re-skinned, similar happened to my Fuji XT1, even though I bought that used I found out that Fuji were re-covering them for free so emailed them and asked them to send me the grips instead - which they did, camera was like new after replacing the grips and it only took about 10 minutes. I wonder will Nikon offer similar here.
 
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i just use the standard Nikon charger and have a few spare batteries.
The other one is in a box in storage, so sorry can’t help Andrew.
 
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Cagey75 said:
How about a nice discreet protective cover?

02_NikonZ_EasyCover_L.JPG


They do have it in black too :ROFLMAO:


Looks like hard digging of fingernails being the issue, do people hold their cameras that tight? I rarely use a strap for any camera and never so much as marked any of them.

My old D800 suffered from loosening grip though, underneath the shutter and on the bottom right corner, the buyer apparently had it re-skinned, similar happened to my Fuji XT1, even though I bought that used I found out that Fuji were re-covering them for free so emailed them and asked them to send me the grips instead - which they did, camera was like new after replacing the grips and it only took about 10 minutes. I wonder will Nikon offer similar here.
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I’ve just bought the black version of the easycover - less worried about the grip, but I did a lot of walking with my 5DIII and wore through to the metal/plastic on the bottom corners, which I’d like to avoid!
 
Have any of the updates allowed the Z’s to shoot at the higher frame rates whilst still seeing a real time view in the EVF, or are you still limited to 5/5.5fps if you want to view in real time?
 
I'm eagerly watching the Amazon prices of the Z6 come down before i jump in. £2139 for the body and lens now. Hopefully the greys will follow suit.
 
RichardMills said:
I'm eagerly watching the Amazon prices of the Z6 come down before i jump in. £2139 for the body and lens now. Hopefully the greys will follow suit.
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£1995 with FTZ adapter and 24-70mm f4 at Panamoz, £1905 body and lens.
 
Its hardly a manicure problem lol :p
But has anyone actually tried contacting nikon instead of complaining on forums?
I imagine they'd fix it.
 
snerkler said:
£1995 with FTZ adapter and 24-70mm f4 at Panamoz, £1905 body and lens.
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Just checking e-infin they are £1799 body and lens. £1929 inc ftz. Shame you cant find the ftz on offer anywhere.

Just thinking if i would even buy from Amazon if they came down to the same price as panamoz considering panamoz offer the 3 year warranty.
 
Cheese Scientist said:
Er, yes... They've got my Z6 and have lent me a Z6 with 24-70 f4 while I'm waiting.
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Let us know when it comes back Amanda... and if they've incorporated any kind of fix to stop it happening again (if you can tell whether or not the material is more durable I guess). I've got a couple of trips coming up in May and June so I'll probably hang onto mine until I get back from those.
 
Yep - I think I said earlier in this discussion that I'll let you all know.
Nikon have had my camera for a week and I've heard nothing yet.
Interestingly, I bought my camera from Amazon US not UK but they've not said that this is an issue.
Nikon UK claimed to have heard nothing about the issue before I contacted them so I sent them links to convos on forums.
 
I've been deciding whether to post my opinions and thoughts on the Z6 and how I acquired it...decided to do it, in case it helped anyone in their own decision. I've been with Nikon for a few years now, been a Pentax user before I started with a D7100, added the D600, traded them both for a D750 and now bought the Z6. The Z6 is my only camera at the moment...

I only have F mount lenses, no Z mount lenses at the moment. All of my lenses function well with the Z6, no complaints there.
I thought long about what would be my upgrade path and was saving up for the D850 and after seeing the announcements of the Z cameras, I was even more certain about getting the D850 But after reading more and more about the Z6 (Z7 didn't interest me due to better high ISO and better FPS from Z6) I was getting curious about it. I got the chance to use it for a weekend in a National Park nearby...and afterwards was certain it would be the right choice for me. After going back to the D750 it felt dinosaurish
A few things swayed me to purchase the Z6....the biggest being no need to AF Fine Tune :). It was great seeing all of my lenses hit the target without needing to tune them for hours. The ergonomics felt great as well. Focus points covering 90% of the sensor is another biggie that felt awesome...and it was fast.
I was a bit worrisome about AF-C though....I did get a few chances to test it over that weekend but not enough....and I was using a Nikon 200-500mm; not the fastest lens out there
I still decided to buy it; I've had it for a few weeks now and am thrilled about it. Battery life is of course worse than the D750, it only has one card slot (expensive)...but those are not deal breakers...

AF-C Section

I also managed to test AF-C a bit more...this time using the 70-200G VR2. AF-C is quite capable, different to the DSLR, but still capable. I would say it easily beats my D750 in AF-C. Not as good as the D5/D500 I'm sure, but more than capable to handle any but the toughest situations. I had the most luck with BBF, AF-C in Dynamic Area (WIDE-S works good too), H+ and AF Lock On set to 1 or 2.
Since I'm sure you want to see some proof, here's a series of 28 photos taken of my dog running full speed at me. Covering a distance of about 25 meters in 1,5 seconds. Are all the photos in perfect focus? No, but most of them are...in the end she was closer than MFD to me (last two shots). Definitely an improvement over my D750. I'm also quite confident in using this combination for such action shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/luftwalk/albums/72157706365176231

Disclaimer:
I'm not trying to force my opinion on anyone, just wanting to help anyone in the same dilemma as me...to what do I move on from my D750?
 
Luftwalk said:
I've been deciding whether to post my opinions and thoughts on the Z6 and how I acquired it...decided to do it, in case it helped anyone in their own decision. I've been with Nikon for a few years now, been a Pentax user before I started with a D7100, added the D600, traded them both for a D750 and now bought the Z6. The Z6 is my only camera at the moment...

I only have F mount lenses, no Z mount lenses at the moment. All of my lenses function well with the Z6, no complaints there.
I thought long about what would be my upgrade path and was saving up for the D850 and after seeing the announcements of the Z cameras, I was even more certain about getting the D850 But after reading more and more about the Z6 (Z7 didn't interest me due to better high ISO and better FPS from Z6) I was getting curious about it. I got the chance to use it for a weekend in a National Park nearby...and afterwards was certain it would be the right choice for me. After going back to the D750 it felt dinosaurish
A few things swayed me to purchase the Z6....the biggest being no need to AF Fine Tune :). It was great seeing all of my lenses hit the target without needing to tune them for hours. The ergonomics felt great as well. Focus points covering 90% of the sensor is another biggie that felt awesome...and it was fast.
I was a bit worrisome about AF-C though....I did get a few chances to test it over that weekend but not enough....and I was using a Nikon 200-500mm; not the fastest lens out there
I still decided to buy it; I've had it for a few weeks now and am thrilled about it. Battery life is of course worse than the D750, it only has one card slot (expensive)...but those are not deal breakers...

AF-C Section

I also managed to test AF-C a bit more...this time using the 70-200G VR2. AF-C is quite capable, different to the DSLR, but still capable. I would say it easily beats my D750 in AF-C. Not as good as the D5/D500 I'm sure, but more than capable to handle any but the toughest situations. I had the most luck with BBF, AF-C in Dynamic Area (WIDE-S works good too), H+ and AF Lock On set to 1 or 2.
Since I'm sure you want to see some proof, here's a series of 28 photos taken of my dog running full speed at me. Covering a distance of about 25 meters in 1,5 seconds. Are all the photos in perfect focus? No, but most of them are...in the end she was closer than MFD to me (last two shots). Definitely an improvement over my D750. I'm also quite confident in using this combination for such action shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/luftwalk/albums/72157706365176231

Disclaimer:
I'm not trying to force my opinion on anyone, just wanting to help anyone in the same dilemma as me...to what do I move on from my D750?
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Interesting, I’m surprised you find it better than the D750, I wasn’t expecting that. What frame rate did you use, if it was the higher ones how do you find it not seeing the image in real time through the EVF?
 
I did use the H* mode....meaning 12 FPS if you shoot 12 bit RAW. The "slideshow" in the EVF takes some getting used to at first, but I have no issues with it now. The only time where I now notice the delay is if I have a subject occupying more than half of the viewfinder moving laterally. In this case, I try to predict the movement :)

I was very dismissive of the Z6 at first, but was fortunate enough to get a loaner for a weekend in the National Bavarian Park in Germany. My kit at the time was a D750 + Sigma 120-300/2.8 Sport with both TCs. I had with me (on loan) a Z6 with the FTZ and Nikon 200-500mm and a Sigma 60-600mm. After coming home, I put the D750 and the Sigma up for sale and bought the Z6 and Nikon 200-500mm :). The Sigma by itself is a phenomenal lens, but I was not spending enough time at 300/2.8 to justify having it. When used with TCs, the 200-500 was better.

A link to the album from Germany: https://www.flickr.com/photos/luftwalk/albums/72157707355029485
Most of the photos are with a Z6.
 
@Luftwalk

Thanks for the write up. Some really good stuff in your Flickr album.
 
Another reason why I love the Z6 is pinpoint AF. It's great for birds hiding behind birches and leaves...taken in my back yard :)
Go to download, all sizes and then choose original size. You can see focus right on the eye

Z6 - pinpoint AF by luftwalk, on Flickr
 
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