when to expect Z7 III?

[systemguy]

No announcement or hint from Nikon but when would one expect Nikon to replace the Z7 II? with the Z7 III?

Thanks

 

[Palfango]

There’s an obvious path for Nikon : offer a Zf 45 MP instead of a Z7 III.

This would meet the demand for a 45 MP (same Z7II sensor) with Expeed 7 within a smaller and lighter form factor than the Z8’s.

The Zf type of ergo would be well suited to slow pace work such as landscape/architecture photography and, should action be required, the Expeed 7 would ensure that it’s no slouch.

A Zf 45 MP would nicely round off the vintage product line with the Zf 24 MP and the Zfc and I expect it would fly off the shelves.

 

[Bob A L]

Why should anyone expect to see a Z7 III? Is something wrong with the II? There hasn't been a Z8II or Z9II yet.

 

[SecondTimeAround]

Why should anyone expect to see a Z7 III? Is something wrong with the II? There hasn't been a Z8II or Z9II yet.

Too soon. The Z9 was announced 3 years ago and the Z8 only 1 1/2 years ago.
The Z7II was announced just over 4 years ago.

 

[aufinger]

Are there any clairvoyants in this forum? Hello???

I knew you were going to ask that question.

 

[Karl Huber]

Are there any clairvoyants in this forum? Hello???

I knew you were going to ask that question.

Good one.

 

[jfriend00]

The one thing I would agree with is that a Z7III that is basically the same as a Z6III but with a 45MP sensor doesn't make much sense with the current Z8 sitting there. Once you get over the $3000 price point, does a couple hundred dollars make a difference? Would I buy a Z7III simply to save a couple hundred dollars and a little bit in size and weight? I'd rather have the Z8.

So does a Z8II go upscale to make room for a Z7 upgrade? Or does the Z7 take a fork in the road and abandon the higher MP twin relationship with the Z6?

I think this is the operative question. Because of the Z8, it no longer makes sense for the Z7iii to just be a higher res version of the Z6iii. That would just put it way close to the Z8, particular if the Z7iii advanced its functionality in a number of ways which it would need to.

It does seem like there could be a spot in Nikon's lineup for a 60-80MP sensor at some point for certain types of photography that really want high res images and would rather not go to an even larger sensor. Could the Z7iii become that? I think it could.

As a high res sensor for product or macro photography, it wouldn't have to be a fast readout and wouldn't be for sports or birds as it would primarily be targeted at shooting static subjects (like product photography) or landscapes that want to print high resolution or print large without having to make panos. This wouldn't compete directly with any other product in their line. It wouldn't have to be substantially lower priced than the Z8 so there's more pricing room for it. In fact, it could even be priced similarly to the Z8 where you have 60-80MP but slower readout in the Z7iii and 45MP but faster readout in the Z8 and Z9.

In fact, if you look at the naming in Nikon's product line and asked where would you put a high res sensor that wasn't super fast, the only naming options I see for it are Z7, Z7x, Z8x or Z9x. There is some precedent with the x suffix for a higher resolution with the D3/D3x.

 

[jmccas]

No announcement or hint from Nikon but when would one expect Nikon to replace the Z7 II? with the Z7 III?

Thanks

It is tough to find where the z7iii would fit in the Nikon lineup with the Z8.

If Nikon develops a higher resolution sensor (~60MP), I would presume they would slide that into their flagship Z9ii which might be released end of next year. They would then likely port that to the Z8ii. Perhaps Nikon is working on a sensor with nosebleed type resolution (80MP+) and if so, that would present value in having the Z7iii in the lineup.

One alternative where the Z7iii makes sense: Nikon introduces the Z7iii with a 60MP sensor in early 2025. They capture a lot of sales early in the year and then release the Z9 with the same sensor and Expeed 8 late 2025. Nikon might be able to maximize their sales with this strategy.

The dearth of rumors is not looking like anything is in the pipeline...but, you never know.

I would doubt that both models would be sensor compatible as easily as described here.

A Z9 successor will basically have the same orientation, which is only possible with a fully stacked sensor.

There's definitely no going back and I'm not sure whether we'll see a fully stacked 60+ MP sensor with sufficiently fast read out speed for a Z9II by the end of 2025.

Even if we do, it will be very expensive and will hardly serve as a simultaneous solution for a Z7III, let alone be used in one as the first camera body.

So I don't see any compatibility between the possible sensors for a Z7III and a Z9II at the moment.

A Z9II will not exist without the power of a fully stacked sensor, which is not to be assumed for a possible Z7III, it's the field of the Z8 and Z9.

__

I could even imagine an intermediate step that goes in a similar direction to the competition with the Canon R1, or Sony's A9III.

So a Z9 absolute high-speed version with a sensor that has less data volume than the current 45MP stacked sensor and thus releases the very last handbrake.

Even if the efforts lead to a body with global shutter in the future, we will probably see this for the time being with less high-resolution sensors, as with the A9III.

I don't see 60MP and more, fully stacked and fast enough for a potential Z9II on the horizon.

So I would almost expect a high-speed Z9 version or a sensor solution comparable to the current one, but I doubt whether very high-resolution sensors of 60+ MP will be fast enough for a Z9II in the foreseeable future (end of 2025).

I definitely agree - I should have added a statement that the 60MP or high resolution sensor would have to have the same speed advantage as the 45MP currently found in the Z9/8, which is probably not going to happen. I do think it is perfectly reasonable Nikon keeps the 45MP sensor in place and offers improvements to other areas of the camera.

I still think it is possible (but probably not likely) Nikon introduces a high MP Z7III sensor before the Z9ii is released.

 

[michaeladawson]

Why should anyone expect to see a Z7 III? Is something wrong with the II? There hasn't been a Z8II or Z9II yet.

I don't know. Based on that logic, was there anything wrong with the Z6 II? Why should anyone have expected to see a Z6 III?

 

[jtr27]

Thom's take... came out a few days ago. His "scenario 1" seems more likely to me (just speculation of course).

I'm on record as predicting:

• The Z5 may not get an update. Nikon milked the D600 for 10+ years, and the Z5 still has the D600's image sensor, which keeps costs way down. Alternatively, a Z5II wouldn't appear until a Z4 can take its place as a low-cost entry model.
• The Z7III update is linked with the Z8II update. Both can't be 45mp/EXPEED7 cameras. Scenario #1: Z7III becomes a 61mp+ slow-working landscape/travel camera. Scenario #2: Z7III waits for the Z8II to become fast 61mp+/EXPEED8 camera before it can take over the 45mp/EXPEED7 slot.

The Z Camera Update Timeline | Thom Hogan

How will future Z System cameras evolve?

www.zsystemuser.com

 

[monte12345]

Boosting the AF with an Expeed 7 for the Z7 III would put it into Z8 territory. Nikon being too conservative as it usually is doesn't want to bleed off sales for the Z8 with an improved Z7 III. So it will appear when the top of the line gets Expeed 8 CPU's and higher resolution viewfinders.

BTW, the Expeed 8 will permit much faster data throughput so expect higher speed burst rates and higher frame rates for Video modes. Note more processing capacity might allow the viewfinders to go "live" during burst shooting so you see what you are recording without any lag. One thing I would like to see done with the Z8 and Z9 is much more internal memory, perhaps in the range of 1-3 Tb. That would allow what would be essentially bottomless shot buffers.

 

[mosswings]

Boosting the AF with an Expeed 7 for the Z7 III would put it into Z8 territory. Nikon being too conservative as it usually is doesn't want to bleed off sales for the Z8 with an improved Z7 III. So it will appear when the top of the line gets Expeed 8 CPU's and higher resolution viewfinders.

BTW, the Expeed 8 will permit much faster data throughput so expect higher speed burst rates and higher frame rates for Video modes. Note more processing capacity might allow the viewfinders to go "live" during burst shooting so you see what you are recording without any lag. One thing I would like to see done with the Z8 and Z9 is much more internal memory, perhaps in the range of 1-3 Tb. That would allow what would be essentially bottomless shot buffers.

With Expeed7 the Z7iii would go as fast as the sensor would allow. For it to perform in Z8 territory it would have to have the Z8's sensor, as the Z8 uses dual superfast output channels, one for the AF/EVF, and one for the image file processing. If the Z7iii were to use a single output channel semistacked sensor like the Z6iii, it would perform somewhat slower than the Z6iii because of the higher resolution (more data output). If it were to use a nonstacked sensor like the Zf, it would perform somewhat slower than the Zf.

You can look at the frame rates for the various Z cameras to see the differences. The Z8/9 have a 3.7ms frame time; the Z6iii 14.4ms; the Z50, 24.6ms; the Zf, 50.5ms; the Z7ii, 65.6ms.

Sensor Read-Out Speeds | Thom Hogan

Sensor read-out speeds for Nikon Z System cameras

www.zsystemuser.com

The Z7/8 are 4 times faster than the Z6iii and nearly 18 times faster than the Z7ii. A 45MP semistacked sensor similar to the Z6iii's would likely be on the order of 25-30ms.

I'm also confused by your statement about an Expeed8 processor. The Z8/9 already have no-blackout burst shooting because they use a dedicated output channel for the AF and EVF. Expeed7 does this just fine, no Expeed8 needed. Just superfast dedicated output channels.
To look bottomless, the camera has to offload images to the memory card as fast as it fills up the buffer. A 1-3Tb memory would effectively mean you don't need a memory card. With the fast memory cards as used in the Z8/9 including such a large amount of memory would be wastefully costly.

 

[astirusty]

Why should anyone expect to see a Z7 III? Is something wrong with the II?

Sarcasm ??

 

[astirusty]

No announcement or hint from Nikon but when would one expect Nikon to replace the Z7 II? with the Z7 III?

By now.

With Z6iii already being available, Z7iii is late to game.

Two possibilities come to mind:

1) Nikon found a problem with Z7iii, and had to delay release.

2) Nikon decided to drop Z7iii for whatever reason (cost savings, manufacturing limitations, cutting into Z8 sales, negative feedback from testers, ...)

 

[MercedRiver]

I'd hold out for the Z7 IV. It will be so much better.

 

[Droster]

Thom's take... came out a few days ago. His "scenario 1" seems more likely to me (just speculation of course).

I'm on record as predicting:

• The Z5 may not get an update. Nikon milked the D600 for 10+ years, and the Z5 still has the D600's image sensor, which keeps costs way down. Alternatively, a Z5II wouldn't appear until a Z4 can take its place as a low-cost entry model.
• The Z7III update is linked with the Z8II update. Both can't be 45mp/EXPEED7 cameras. Scenario #1: Z7III becomes a 61mp+ slow-working landscape/travel camera. Scenario #2: Z7III waits for the Z8II to become fast 61mp+/EXPEED8 camera before it can take over the 45mp/EXPEED7 slot.

https://www.zsystemuser.com/nikon-z-system-news-and/the-z-camera-update-timelin.html

And my scenario 3, is a mix between the two. Said this in another thread, for this EXPEED7 generation, I'd like to see them put the now old and slow 45MP sensor in a dumbed down Z5 type body. This way you make it different enough from both the Z8 and the Z6iii. They can use the very same body and swap the sensor and processor out just to update it to keep up with the times.

The Z9, Z8, and Z6iii bodies are the functional workhorses that come with full sized HDMI ports. The Zf, Z5 will be our casual, entry level bodies.

Then they will see the reception of this resolution body. If there are enough people who cares enough about resolution even with a dumbed down body, then they might bring back the Z7iii in some form with EXPEED8, after the Z8ii and before the Z6iv.

 

[mosswings]

And my scenario 3, is a mix between the two. Said this in another thread, for this EXPEED7 generation, I'd like to see them put the now old and slow 45MP sensor in a dumbed down Z5 type body. This way you make it different enough from both the Z8 and the Z6iii. They can use the very same body and swap the sensor and processor out just to update it to keep up with the times.

The Z9, Z8, and Z6iii bodies are the functional workhorses that come with full sized HDMI ports. The Zf, Z5 will be our casual, entry level bodies.

Then they will see the reception of this resolution body. If there are enough people who cares enough about resolution even with a dumbed down body, then they might bring back the Z7iii in some form with EXPEED8, after the Z8ii and before the Z6iv.

Just an aside, but the only thing the Z5 body is really missing is the top deck LCD, CF card support, and a few mm in width compared to a Z6ii/Z7ii body. Oh, and that full size HDMI port. With Expeed7, nothing in the Nikon lineup I'd consider "dumbed down" as was common in the DSLR era, particularly for stills. From Z50 to Z9, the primary features difference between cameras is now just speed and pro video support.

 

[starbase218]

The question is “if” rather than “when”.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

And my scenario 3, is a mix between the two. Said this in another thread, for this EXPEED7 generation, I'd like to see them put the now old and slow 45MP sensor in a dumbed down Z5 type body. This way you make it different enough from both the Z8 and the Z6iii. They can use the very same body and swap the sensor and processor out just to update it to keep up with the times.

The Z9, Z8, and Z6iii bodies are the functional workhorses that come with full sized HDMI ports. The Zf, Z5 will be our casual, entry level bodies.

Then they will see the reception of this resolution body. If there are enough people who cares enough about resolution even with a dumbed down body, then they might bring back the Z7iii in some form with EXPEED8, after the Z8ii and before the Z6iv.

Just an aside, but the only thing the Z5 body is really missing is the top deck LCD, CF card support, and a few mm in width compared to a Z6ii/Z7ii body. Oh, and that full size HDMI port.

Not sure where you're taking this from.

The Z5 and Z6/Z7 have the same width (134mm for both) and they both have the same IO as well (both bodies have a mini HDMI port, neither gets full size HDMI)

The only difference between a Z6II and Z5 body, besides the shape of the EVF housing is the downgraded back panel, lack of top LCD and the CF card slot replaced with a CFXB one.

Otherwise they're identical down to the details.

 

[starbase218]

The sensor is also different, with the Z5 having a slower readout speed and probably a bit more noise as it’s not BSI.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

The sensor is also different, with the Z5 having a slower readout speed and probably a bit more noise as it’s not BSI.

indeed, but that I was talking about the body design here, not the internal specs.