It’s felt like perpetually in the past since we first heard phrase that Nikon was lastly growing a full body mirrorless digital camera. And after months of hypothesis, hearsay and leaks, it’s lastly official. At present, Nikon has launched the brand new Z mirrorless collection with two Z6 & Z7 cameras, three new 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8 & 24-70mm f/4 lenses, and an FTZ lens mount adapter.
Nikon’s new Z mirrorless system brings with it a brand new Z mount. With an enormous 55mm internal diameter and 16mm flange distance, Nikon says that this big lens mount, which is 17% wider than the F Mount, permits extra gentle and larger lens/digital camera connectivity. Nikon says that the brand new Z mount is “absolutely appropriate with over 90 F Mount Nikkor lenses”.
However let’s check out these cameras. The Nikon Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras appear equivalent in some ways, and from the surface they’re indistinguishable apart from the quantity printed on them. However let’s get the variations out of the best way first.
Nikon’s new flagship full-frame mirrorless digital camera, the Nikon Z7, encompasses a 45.7 Megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor with a local ISO vary of 64-25,600. It incorporates the brand new Expeed 6 processor permitting for as much as 9 frames per second capturing. The Z7 additionally incorporates a brand new autofocus system boasting 493 autofocus factors that cowl 90% of the picture.
The Z6 is the lesser of the 2 fashions, however it’s in no way a slouch. It incorporates a decrease decision 24.5MP sensor, with 273 on-sensor part detection autofocus factors. Because of the decrease pixel density, The Z6 presents a better ISO vary of 100-51,200 and shoots at as much as 12 frames per second.
Apart from the decision, the variety of AF factors, ISO vary, and steady capturing, each cameras are primarily the identical.
Designed to up in opposition to each their very own vary of DSLRs in addition to the competitors, they each home some pretty spectacular options. However they each even have one or two points which will develop into dealbreakers for some customers. However there are additionally many positives to assist assist the transition for Nikon DSLR customers seeking to make the leap to mirrorless.
We’ll get the largest destructive out of the best way first.
There’s solely a single XQD card slot
The Nikon Z mirrorless cameras each utilise XQD playing cards, which can be up to date sooner or later to be appropriate with the approaching CFexpress format. The issue is, each cameras solely comprise considered one of these slots. Now, reminiscence playing cards have undoubtedly develop into extra secure and dependable as time has gone on, however to not be capable to create backups as you go shall be a dealbreaker for a lot of skilled shooters, particularly those that shoot weddings or different unrepeatable occasions.
Personally, I feel at the very least for the Z6, I’d have been completely completely happy to have had a few UHS-II slots as an alternative of XQD.
However there’s undoubtedly quite a lot of good.
They’re appropriate with a bunch of pre-existing DSLR equipment.
The Z6 & Z7 utilise the identical EN-EL15 batteries we’ve been utilizing because the Nikon D7000. Particularly, they arrive with a EN-EL15b battery, however are mentioned to be appropriate with each the unique EN-EL15 and EN-EL15a. This shall be a pleasant bonus for anyone coming from a D7x00, D500, D8x0 or different physique that makes use of EN-EL15 batteries.
They’re additionally appropriate with Nikon’s present AWL/CLS flash system. That’s the one which’s been round because the Nikon F6 and D2h collection our bodies. So, it ought to work with each Nikon speedlight from the SB-800 & SB-600 onwards, and likewise the entire present appropriate third get together lights that supply HSS & TTL capabilities.
The Nikon WT-7/A/B/C Wi-fi Transmitters are additionally supported by the 2 our bodies, providing distant management and wi-fi file switch. Whereas most individuals received’t have a use for these, this shall be helpful for occasion shooters, or those that wish to get across the single XQD card slot and nonetheless make backups whereas they shoot (albeit a bit gradual).
Each our bodies supply 5-axis in-body picture stabilisation
IBIS was clearly going to be an enormous cope with Nikon mirrorless cameras. They’ve delay together with it of their DSLRs, would they implement it of their Z line of mirrorless cameras? They didn’t do it with the Nikon 1 collection, in spite of everything. However Nikon truly got here by way of.
The IBIS system presents 5 stops of compensation, and better of all, it’s appropriate with F Mount lenses mounted to the FTZ lens mount adapter. Whether or not or not it is going to nonetheless utilise F mount lens VR together with the sensor stabilisation appears to be unclear in the intervening time – I’ve seen conflicting experiences with no stable affirmation. However, there’s at the very least some type of stabilisation within the digital camera with F Mount lenses.
3.2″ 2.1m dot tilting touchscreen LCD
Nikon have caught with the D850 model tilting touchscreen LCD. Personally, I’m somewhat disillusioned with this. Possibly it’s simply me, however the place are the cameras with the flippy out LCDs? The Canon 6D Mark II has develop into fairly a preferred vlogging digital camera since its launch because of being the one full body digital camera on the market with a flippy out LCD. Many individuals use Panasonic GH5 for a similar motive.
Positive, Nikon isn’t greatest recognized for his or her video, though it doesn’t look too dangerous in these cameras. I do want they’d give us one thing extra succesful than the D5x00 collection with a flippy out LCD fairly than a tilting one for capturing video. However which may simply be me.
3.69m dot EVF with 100% protection
I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of digital viewfinders, however they’ve began to develop on me. It actually presents its benefits over the optical viewfinder of a DSLR. you get to see precisely what you’re capturing (except you’re utilizing flash), and also you get options like focus peaking for when manually focusing. However for me, I nonetheless choose an optical viewfinder, so I’m going to order judgement on this till I get to strive one in particular person.
4K UHD video with 10Bit uncompressed HDMI output
Video is the one space the place Nikon appears to have persistently failed. Each time individuals ask “Which digital camera ought to I purchase for video?”, Nikon is the least more likely to be beneficial apart from particular use circumstances (like maybe the D5x00 collection, for vlogging). But it surely seems to be like Nikon may need truly realized a couple of classes with the video on these cameras.
Each cameras supply 4K UKD at 24/25/30fps in addition to 1080p FHD at as much as 120 frames per second. Just like the Sony fashions, that is 8Bit footage. So we don’t get 4:2:2 10Bit like we do from the GH5. However, one benefit the Nikons do maintain over the Sony A7 collection is that the Z6/7 HDMI output is 10Bit uncompressed N-Log. We’ll must see how this compares in the actual world vs the Sony’s 8Bit output.
The remainder of the stuff
As one would count on, the Nikon Z6 & Z7 mirrorless cameras function all of the climate & mud sealing we’d count on from a brand new digital camera right this moment. And that is one space the place Nikon has actually excelled for the final decade or so. It’s additionally an space the place Sony appears to have persistently failed with their A7 collection cameras. This may very well be one thing which sways many shooters to stay with the darkish aspect.
All of them have a bunch of image kinds for once you’re capturing video (assuming you’re not utilizing N-Log) or jpg. Every of those image kinds options adjustable ranges from 0-100.
One other big function contained inside each cameras, that appears to have been omitted from the Sony A7III is a built-in intervalometer. After all, Nikon’s DSLRs have had a built-in intervalometer ever since at the very least 2005 with the Nikon D200 (this was the primary Nikon DSLR I owned that featured it). So, it’s probably not a shock that it’s included within the two new mirrorless our bodies. Lack of a built-in intervalometer has been a critical challenge with quite a lot of Sony shooters hoping to do timelapse, although, particularly when earlier fashions allowed you to at the very least set up an app so as to add this functionality.
Worth & Availability
The Nikon Z6 & Z7 mirrorless cameras can be found to pre-order now for $1,966.95 and $3,396.95 respectively. The Z7 is predicted to ship on September twenty seventh, with the Z6 coming in late November.
And don’t fear, we haven’t forgotten concerning the new 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8 & 24-70mm f/4 lenses or the FTZ lens mount adapter. You possibly can examine these right here.
