The Nikon Z7 II has the same great ergonomics as its predecessor, but has more processing power, dual card slots, 4K/60p video, improved autofocus and more. Chris and Jordan tell us why it's a solid choice for many shooters.
I sure wish Chris would cover more of the Low-Light capabilities! On All cameras! How does it compare to the Z6-Z6II in low light and Noise for Astrophotography? More detail on the High ISO Performance, in regards to sensors! Please!
I use a D-850 and love it. The smaller Z7II sure sounds interesting. When I'm out shooting, will the size and weight be that significant for me? Big question. Looking through my D850 viewfinder which is nice and bright and clear is great. How will viewing through the Z711 look? Big question. I use several other cameras as well, but not as often now that I've been using the D-850. I have a D-800 and a D-750. I intend to trade in both of these cameras for the Z7II once this damn Pandemic is over. Judging from past performance, I'm pretty sure that I'll use both the D-850 and the Z711. I just hoping that I'll be content with the Z7ii viewfinder. Otherwise, I do like the camera's review.
I have a Z6 after having owned a D600, so my viewfinder was just a bit tinier than yours. Going to the Z6 didn't make much of a difference. The viewfinder is super fast and BIG. If anything it's a real plus to be able to see the effect of your settings directly (at least to me, as an amateur).
I held off mirrorless cameras for the exact reason that the viewfinders were poor. Then I tried a Leica SL and that completely changed my mind. I bought a Nikon Z7 and the viewfinder is great. - Large x0.8 magnification so bigger than my D750. - Brighter than a DSLR, and can be set to ‘what you see is what you get’ in terms of exposure etc, or constant level for studio use on darkness - focus peaking in viewfinder works well with my AI-S and ZF.2 lenses (which was a previous concern for me). - decent eye relief for glasses use/stops your nose touching the LCD - refresh rate is very good/very smooth to my eye, and I am critical - manual focus perhaps lacks the contrast of a SLR’s focus screen, however focus peaking is better, and you are not as limited by the SLR’s f2.8 brightness/depth of field limit, so focusing fast manual lenses is easier, especially with 100% viewfinder crop at the touch of a button. - for casual family photos, eye focus on kids is great
Most of the time I use the rear lcd to be honest, and I came from the d750. I don't like to squint my eyes any more. Only use the evf if it is sunny, or sport action.
I've had my Z7ll for a week now (after being on backorder seemingly forever) so I'll just mention a few first impressions. First of all, it's about the size and weight of my old film cameras. I have an D810 which now feels like a bowling ball. The controls are also much easier to use with a smaller reach. The viewfinder image looks a bit crude so I guess I'll try to also shoot using the rear screen, which I had resisted up to now. One related item: the FTZ adapter is a real disappointment because it lacks a focus motor. I can only hope that someday someone makes an adapter with one.
Nothing could be better than my D850, which is great at virtually everything and handles beautifully. It's nearly flawless. After two weeks with the Z7II....the D850 is boxed up and ready to be sold. And the Z glass is stunning as well.
Love the D850, but the lenses are getting old in a lot of cases and there won't be any new ones I fear. Look at the 35mm f/1.4 for example. The new Sony GM makes it look like a kit lens.
Think the downer on the EVF is over the top. When Z6/Z7 debuted people said how stellar the EVF was, not just due to the resolution but due to the optics. It's still stellar. Increasing resolution is nice (usually) but in this case it's marginal. The refresh rate of 60 is still good, even if the competition is faster (some of the time). Bottom line; the quality of the EVF is good. Most people who migrate from DSLRs will be happy with it.
Interesting, the video was 11:36 before, and you could see the new Sony 1.4/35mm GM @11:12. Now the video is 11:09. I think what is missing is the part announcing a comparsion between the hi-res cameras from CaNiSoPa, that i'm looking forward to almost as much as for the 35GM ;-).
Yup, clearly the slip up with the incomplete blur over the 35 GM was just a goof and they didn't wanna skirt their NDA by mistake (some people are already spinning conspiracy theories that it was intentional etc.).
We debated this, but the fastest burst rate is limited to 12 bit raw files, so that's what we used for our buffer test, as high speed shooting is when a large buffer is most important.
Hi, thanks for the nice test. I just saw the sample fotos and compared them, with the samples from the original Z6 (not MKII!). Sorry, but I cannot see an improvement of the eye AF. In some fotos of both cameras the focus is on the eye ball, on others on the eyebrow etc. No reason for me to upgrade from Z6 to Z6II. Have a nice and funny time Best regards Bernd
The two comments above have made my day. Honestly, if you ever want to explain a photography forum to someone who doesn't know what it might be (I believe there might be such people in existence), all you'd have to do is show them these two statements - hilarious! (Yeah, ok, I'm a bit on edge and you have to make some allowances for lockdown hysteria, but still.)
You got a lot of Likes from people that have no idea what they are talking about.
Fanaticism really is taking over facts. More than before.
The more educated a society is, the more scientifically tempered they should be. We are going backwards somehow.
As Caleido says, You are wrong to compare a frame grab from video to a still shot. With nothing being standardized.
And factually, Nikon colour is no where near as accurate as Canon. Factually. 3.45 vs 6 average de. Subjectively you can prefer whatever you want. But it is completely inappropriate to compare what you are comparing.
As a natural portrait photographer, and scientist, my love of Nikon bodies could not out weigh how inaccurate Nikon skin tones are. Especially Asian type skin.
My tests confirm the above.
I really dont feel like doing a huge spiel. Please own both and test this yourselves. Same conclusion incoming. But I am excited to hear your results.
ps. I really wish Nikon was more accurate. I do prefer their bodies.
edit: Make sure you have calibrated IPS monitors and passed a couple hue tests first.
I shoot jewelry and color accuracy is key for my clients. We've had gear supplied and also use the Nikon D850. Canon colors can be made accurate, but they are less accurate SOOC. The Z7II has some of the best color accuracy I've ever seen, but frankly, I could easily use Canon, Sony or Fuji just as well. Anyone who can't use ANY of the modern cameras for pro work is simply lacking skills. Given how level the quality is these days, it's always funny to listen to brand-fans still looking for a leg-up. Those days are gone. Use the camera with ergonomics and lenses you like and have fun or make money or both!
My advice always is to choose the camera which has the colours we prefer ooc if shooting people.
Now that each brand has a model pretty much equal to the others, its an easier choice.
Most people dont notice or couldnt tell the difference if they tried, for colour. But, a person that does notice, is going to spend a lot of time pulling their hair out if they dont like the colours. It is not trivial to PP skin tones.
I agree, and BTW, I also have a Fuji X100v. I prefer the SOOC skin tones from the fuji over Nikon or Canon, but again, I can get what I need out of any good system. IQ is just not a thing anymore, at least not for someone who has experience. Ergonomics are now the main thing I look for and this is where Nikon has truly knocked it out of the park, at least for now.
Yes, the reason it is so great that Nikon and Canon have caught Sony on sensor and AF tech is because we can choose by ergos and colour now.
I think the D850/500 are basically perfect cameras. In every way. Except for ooc skin tones. For me thats most important though. It is just too difficult to match a Nikon to a Canon. And i notice it, I cant trick myself sadly.
So, fortunately I will be happy with the R5/6 when moving from 5Dm2 and 7Dm2.
The best handling, best colours and most satisfying FF camera to use .Well done Nikon! And we haven't even started talking about the fast growing razor sharp range lens range.
Remember after years and multiple generations and models of FF cameras from Sony and one from Canon, Nikon introduced their first the Z7, and Roger Cicala at lens rentals tore it down and said it was the best built FF mirrorless camera EVER. You might call it ugly and others might say it looks the best. We just know it’s the best built.
I have no doubt regarding its build quality. Nikon knows how to build a durable product. I am merely remarking on the design of the product and how dearly I wish they hired or came up with a better looking product.
I owned the original Z7 really had to work to convince myself that it was an appealing tool to hold and use. People talk about how great the grip is but tbh it felt worse than my A7rIV. It was well built for sure and under the right circumstances took amazing images, but if something doesn't feel good it's a dealbreaker. Their lenses are pretty ugly too. Really wish they'd follow canon's lead and design a system that feels familiar but fresh.
That's outdated. They later disassembled a Canon R5 and now say this is the best build camera. They also never disassembled a Sony Gen 4 body, or a Panasonic body. So of the current 4 FF bodies, they disassembled two and the Nikon is second place of those two
I think the Z series is the best looking of the current crop of mirrorless cameras. In any event, its such a personal thing, promoting the personal to the general is foolhardy
Quote: "When we took these pieces apart, you feel the suction when they disengage. That’s not something we’ve seen in other cameras. The thing about weather sealing is it only takes one weak place to leak, but this sealing seems to be a step up from anything we’ve seen before."
Step up from anything seen before sounds to me like best sealed camera
You suddenly switched the term you use from 'best built camera' to 'best sealed camera' and hope nobody notice it. That's quite irresponsible because obviously these are two different things. What you quoted just proves that you were exaggerating.
@evaeva0705 No, because that's what always comes up when we talk about "build quality" on Dpreview. Weather sealing is synonymous with build quality and pretty much what people mean by better built. The times where cameras were falling apart are past us. The one last leftover from that era is grip rubber quality and just search Z7 rubber to find how the Z7 stacks up there.
Lensrentals cannot evaluate "build quality" in a general sense. They have not the equipment to judge drop resistance, they cannot evaluate internal camera body stiffness or paint scratch resistance. The best they can do is give an educated guess of the sealing and that's what most people interests anyway. If you just want a "robust" camera ever held an S1 in your hand?
There is no real source out there for drop resistance, vibration resistance, ESD resistance, abrasion resistance etc... You can claim anything there and nobody can prove you wrong
Yes, Panther Fan and reading comprehension do not go hand in hand. Nowhere did Roger Cicala claim that the R5 was/is the he best built camera like he DID SAY regarding the Z7. Then when pressed he tries to play with a he quays and adding meaning that is not there. Again, Panther Fan, why is it in a relatively positive and benign comment about the build quality of the Z 7, do you have to interject negative and false info? Sounds very insecure on your part.
I think most people would agree that 'weather sealing is synonymous with build quality' is an overstretched statement. So I would gently disengage from this discussion and leave this for other people to decide by themselves. I just want to make sure that people won't be misled by your personal opinion and think a credible source like Lensrentals have claimed "EOS R5 has the best build quality among all others". This is simply not true and you have also admitted it. While being positive, the statement they made is quite humble and with some reservation, unlike yours.
@panther fan: build quality is not the same as weather sealing... Absolutely nothing in common... Build quality is about how easy it is to fix, how durable the systems are, how well arrange the connections are, how the buttons work, etc. You can have a camera with great build quality that isn't weather sealed.
How relevant is 90% of the build quality to most users? That's a different story...
How many cameras have been described as not having a very good build quality because the buttons are not as soft or the SD card door is a little flimsy? And at the end of the day, they work just as well as any other camera!
Ok then just leave it at the official quotes. Z7 teardown:
"This is not marketing department weather resistance. This is engineering department weather resistance. Anything that can be sealed has been sealed. I’m impressed, and I will say for future cut-and-paste blurbs: this is as robustly weather sealed a camera as we’ve ever disassembled."
"I’m just here to say this is a damn well-built camera, the best built mirrorless full-frame camera we’ve taken apart."
The later following R5 review: "this sealing seems to be a step up from anything we’ve seen before." -no other selective comment about build quality as heat flow was the main discussion in the article
The Panasonic lineup: No teardown The Leica SL / SL2: No teardown The Sony 4th gen body: No teardown
I can see how you can technically claim the best build quality. But the second place in weather sealing is pretty clear. And I don't know how much weight you can put on that without review of the competing products
Well, that was exactly my point. "There is no real source out there for drop resistance, vibration resistance, ESD resistance, abrasion resistance". And without manufacturers publishing failure rates we have no chance of assessing durability. If you equate build quality with durability there are simply zero sources on that
I don’t know if the R5 or Z7ii is built better. I just know Lenses rentals said recently while Sony has some good sealing the bottom part has none. And it’s amazing that after years of Sony attempts, bothers Nikon and Canon were able to surpass them quickly both build quality and IBIS on their first or second try.
@PeterFinch They said that about a third-gen Sony body. Sony is now on the 5th gen (A7S III) and they haven't even tested a 4th gen body. If you look at other teardowns they show very well that Sony fixed the "bottom sealing" in their 4th gen.
I mean it is nice that the Z7 II is better sealed than the A7R III, but it is competing against the A7R IV and probably the A7R V in its lifecycle
True but that is the best we have got. Yes, we have zero tests on durability. And on weather sealing, we have only the opinion of a man that hasn't even taken apart half of the recent cameras.
But that's still enough to make some people claim product xyz is the best-built camera ever. I just wanted to put that into perspective. It might well be the most durable camera ever, but it could also be that some other camera is better. We have zero source to claim either way
I looked for Cicala’s teardown of the R5, and while he does say complimentary things about the R5, he doesn’t say it’s the best (AFAICT), and concludes that he doesn’t understand how it disperses heat.
In any event, given the fact that the R5’s weather-sealing is at the cost of functionality, it’s a tough argument to make objectively.
" No one ever looked at my camera and told that it's a beautiful/ugly camera. I must be missing something. " -Rajeshb
I've actually been told some of my cameras looked cool or cute by non-photogs (friends and strangers alike) on multiple occasions, which tbh I find kinda distracting because I'm not trying to draw attention with them (quite the opposite) and I bought those in spite of the retro styling (have also been asked if it's a film camera, you can probably guess which ones in my gear list I'm talking about).
Probably partially my fault for buying silver/black variants and some silver/grey lenses, couldn't help myself, I'm kinda glad I've lost that choice on a lot of recent purchases haha. Still, all black errrythang can get kinda boring!
Anyway, build quality is such an ambiguous term that arguing over it is just arguing over semantics. For a lot of people it involves weather sealing, for others it's squarely about the kinda reliance that can only be proven in the field, for many it's about the subjective feel (oo metal, feels so heavy/dense, etc.) which is a slippery slope but whatever...
We *could* have a lot more data to go on here rather than anecdotal evidence, heck we could demand independent certification like other consumer good markets, but we just don't. So we cling to stuff like Roger's teardowns and Imaging Resource's old systemic weather sealing tests (still the only such tests AFAIK?), and the manufacturers get away with making whatever claims they want.
Not sure there's an easy solution other than supporting the few insightful sources we do have and asking for more of that, or demanding it from others.
""When we took these pieces apart, you feel the suction when they disengage. That’s not something we’ve seen in other cameras. The thing about weather sealing is it only takes one weak place to leak, but this sealing seems to be a step up from anything we’ve seen before."" Note that CR has carefully worded this statement, because it's merely an opinion on how the sealing looks, and feels. No camera made is anything close to weatherproof, and none are scientifically tested for this quality.
I know, it's a token gesture on their part, and it'd been buried in their older manuals for a while but somehow DPR and other reviewers picked up on it with the latest bodies (dunno if Oly made a point of mentioning it in their PR)... I'd love to see other manufacturers put their money where their marketing is but I'm not holding my breath, maybe if DPR started putting it in their review's con list they might pick up on it. :P
"IP54 is a pretty solid spec, " "Protected against dust limited ingress, no harmful deposits." "Protected against water splashed from all directions, limited ingress permitted." Plenty of CYA wiggle-room, if you ask me. I repeat: "No camera made is anything close to weatherproof,"
@gerardjan....that's not because FE is beautiful, it looks exactly same as any camera of its era. They said it because it looks different than the cameras available now.
"No one ever looked at my camera and told that it's a beautiful/ugly camera. I must be missing something." --- Once I got a new Oly Pen, and the box showed a tall female fashion model with a tiny Oly somewhere. Are they marketing this ugly, but useful cam to Vogue-reading ladies, I wondered?
Then a lady who never said 1 word about all the cams I'm using and has no interest in photography or technology spotted the Oly and bursted out: "Oh, that's a pretty camera."
So there's 1 person commenting on camera-looks. Then add the millions commenting camera looks here on DPR.
Olympus officially tests their high end cameras for weather resistance, the E-M1X is IPX1 rated. Their marketing materials include sponsored (?) video of the guy literally taking his Oly camera in the shower and not just getting it wet, but scrubbing it down with soapy water and a brush. That's pretty brave, because soapy water finds its way into things that regular water spray won't.
That's engineering department weatherproof, as Roger Cicala would say.
That's a good question. I read somewhere that Olympus had never been tasked with repairing one of their high end bodies due to water ingress, and I wish I'd bookmarked it so I could quote it.
What I can verify however, is that my Olympus bodies have been stellar in the WR and durability departments. They also happen to take pretty good pictures :-D
As an aside, my Fuji X-H1 is by all accounts a very sturdy camera. I've also gotten it pretty wet a time or two, but I don't know if I would dare to soap it down in a shower to clean it!
If I was in the market to buy a 36MP camera, it would be difficult make up my mind between Z7II and A7RIV... waiting meanwhile the release of the Fujifilm GFX100S, considering the leaks that put its price around 5000$... maybe now the medium format would be accessible not only for dimensions but even for the cost.
I have used dozens of SD cards for many years, often under very bad conditions (ranging from dust to sea water). Never had a single one fail. I do use dual slot cameras, exclusively, just in case.
I haven’t got any failures on XQD or Compact Express cards so far either (knock on wood), but some cameras struggles with certain high speed SD cards (including my Nikon D500, but fortunately that was fixed in a firmware update).
The old style CF cards on the other hand were very vulnerable, both the cards themselves as well as the pins of the CF slots.
At least for my eyes, there is a material improvement in EVF detail and clarity between the Sony A7R IV 5.76mp EVF and the Z7 II 3.69mp. I checked both out just recently. The higher resolution EVF was much better.
@Revenant : "The Sony only uses the full resolution for image playback, though, so live view shouldn't really appear more detailed than the Nikon."
This is NOT the case if the user selects in the yellow tab of Setup: Display Quality: High. See page 75 of the Instruction Manual. However, note:
* When [High] is selected, the battery is consumed more quickly. * When the temperature of the camera is high, [Display Quality] may be locked to [Standard].
Once you are over 3mp and high refresh rate, it hardly makes a difference. In fact, the only way you can tell, is to compare them directly to one another.
By the way, EVF resolution is measured in dots, not in pixels. The 5.76 million dot EVF in the A7RIV (and other cameras) has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels which measures up as 1.92 megapixels. The 3.69 million dot EVF is 1.23 MP in comparison.
This is not the case. I have actually both cameras and my A7RIV has display quality set to high as you've suggested. Despite this A7RIV in fact uses lower resolution for focusing and higher resolution for playback.
When using same focal length lens on both cameras, there seem to no resolution difference while focusing. The details on both seem similarly sharp.
For some reason, information text overlays on Sony look much more pixelated compared to Nikon, which has sharper and more readable font. Also the layout is IMO better. Sony's playback mode with information display is more cluttered with texts all over the place.
We know the human eye well enough. You'll notice resolution at those kinds of field of views all the way out to over 8mp if your eyesight is decent (or correct with glasses). And as stated, these are "dots", not pixels, so unless this is a 24 million dot viewfinder at 90+fps we're not "makes no diffrence" yet.
And even then, much higher framerates would be needed when the camera is tilting or panning quickly nor does that address the "total lag" between reality and the panel rendering which is not solely about framerate.
Personally I think there is only room for one other APS-C camera from Nikon and it would be a D500 replacement.... if at all. This, considering the fact that if it would then cost the same as let's say an X-T4 it would be overpriced to what A7III, Z6II and the Canon R6 have to offer.
APS-C is on its way out following the same route as MFT has gone through. Give it 5-7 years. There will just be two formats left FF and Small Medium Format.
The need for APS-C is diminishing now we have very fast high resolution cameras like the R5. And even Z7II will do. You can easily crop into them and still be left with the same pixelcount as current APS-C cameras or sometimes even go beyond.
Coming to a review of a reasonably priced high resolution Nikon camera out of pure curiosity and what do I see, the usual suspect *couldn't resist* to predict the demise of APS-C, of course non-sequitur based on systems that are in a completely different price range. No wonder I see people here suspecting each other of being paid to write nonsense to influence others' purchasing decisions.
A pretty fair and balanced review, I think it is worth pointing out that the AF system is very good and useful, certainly not class-leading in terms of speed and accuracy, but still very useful and far better than what we all used until only a few years ago.
While Nikon is not stealing the headlines these days in terms of winning camera of the year, yada, yada, yada, I think they are the sleeper at this point. The Z native lens lineup is finally good enough, the color science and flexibility of the files are great, and the UI/handling is second to none. I think many of us happy enthusiasts/amateurs will take a look at this current offering and realize that it delivers pretty much everything we need.
And the Nikon Z7 II, according to the tests carried out so far, has not improved significantly in both areas: the focus system is the same as that of the Nikon Z6 II: "But there are rivals that are that bit more dependable and that make the whole process simpler"(source Dpreview).
Dpreview is still pending to offer a complete review of the Nikon Z7 II and not an advertising video like the present.
LDLS17 the D850 is a fantastic camera, and if you are happy with that keep it. If you like optical viewer finders and 1000s of shot battery length, then no mirrorless will complete. However the Z7 ii has superior AF, not to mention the many focus points to the end of screen. There are no rivals that are more dependable. There are rivals with different UIs, and you have to choose what you like. Banding was almost eliminated with later firmwares on the Z6 and Z7, and has not been spotted on the Z6ii and Z7ii. Note that all sensors with PAF have banding, especially BSI sensors. Its nothing to do with Nikon.
Z6II and Z7II have eliminated banding as seen on previous models.
My reasons for switching from D850 to Z7II: With Z7II you get more accuratey focusing in many situations, and eye focus. D850 can struggle with fast lenses like 105/1.4ED when shot wide open.
And of course there is IBIS, which means much less motion blur than with D850 with non-stabilized lenses. Compared to DSRL, possibility to maginify focus point, and you can also playback images through viewfinder. This can be major benefit in some situations.
@DarkShift, I have no problem with the 105 F1.4 on my D850, mostly all keepers, even shot wide open F1.4. Speaking of the 105 F1.4, with FTZ adaptor doesn't balance too well on the Z7, nose heavy for prolonged photo shoots. You will need optional battery grip to help. The D850 still has better autofocus for tracking fast moving sports. Some love the EVF, I don't, I prefer not messing with my vision and using a real optical viewfinder, and the far better battery life and less lag. Those LED's are not good for your vision on EVF with prolonged use. Short use is ok.
And it may seen like a minor theme to some, but the addition of FTZ adapter increases the total length of the Nikon Z7+FTZ+lens set, when compared to, v.gr., the Nikon D850+lens.
Moreover, as has already been said, and for sports and BIF, tracking autofocus and EVF blackout is behind the Nikon D850 and, let's face it, behind the references in mirrorless according to the serious tests carried out: the Sony a9II and Canon R5.
As a Nikon user I fervently hope that Nikon, sooner than later, will reach and improve them in these two areas.
In short, I'm looking forward to having reason to switch to the Nikon Z system, but unfortunately, I still have no reason for the change for the moment. And that is bad for Nikon sales.
With a Z7II, you will get more keepers because the focusing is in general more accurate. With DSRL, depending on subject, migh introduce slight back or front focus much more often. Especially if the focuspoint is not in the center, but towards the edges.
And it balances just allright, as most hold the lens with their left hand, and the total weight to hold is less with the Z7II.
@DarkShift, I shoot most portraits, sports and weddings. I have never really had a problem with my D850 (same autofocus module as D5) not getting the shot. Rarely happens, same with my now older D4. As for balancing, I disagree, especially when I've done photo shoots for many hours. I tested it in the camera store. Z's are nose heavy, unbalanced to me with pro glass attached, esp. FTZ adapter and F glass.. Main reason I use battery grip on D8XX and D7XX series cameras is to properly balance it with heavier pro glass and portrait orientation shutter, alot less fatigue. One thing I like is that Nikon now offers the battery grip for the Z7ii, extra battery length and better balancing with the big primes and fast zooms. If I'm forced down the road to switch, the battery grip is a must have for me.
I never said anyone should switch from a D850. We all have different shooting envelopes, needs, preferences or economic circumstances. Personally, I much prefer a mirrorless setup at this point. To me, the D850 is a bit like the latest Toyota Land Cruiser - it is the best V8 petrol-fueled 4x4 the industry can produce, but it arrives just as the rest of the world is switching to electric cars. And yes, after next year, the Land Cruiser will no longer be sold on the US market...
Fine Video, but the mocking about the Z7 II EVF, seriously DPR - you should have much more (!) blamed Sony last October, for a mediocre 2.36 MP EVF on a 2K EUR (yes!) A7C with also abysmal Magnification Ratio (x0.59 - for Starters) here, and for Glasses Wearers, that smallish, cheapskate Eyecup we do have here is a bad Joke, and that Bad Boy came out at the End of 2020, just few months ago.
As Info: the A7C costs currently 2100 EUR into Germany, and the Nikon Z5 just 1200 (!)
Interesting to see here, you Guys shoot just the 24-70 F4 S Lens, which is fine, but i thought it would being the 24-70 F2.8 Z Lens, which is a little better, albeit comes at a way high Pricetag.
The original A7 III is 2 1/2 Years old, but sports basically the same old 2.36 MP EVF, than i've had already on my 2013 original A7, with subtle differences.
Okay, Nikon could up'ed the 3.68 MP EVF for 120 Hz/fps, but they've spoken from reduced Lag here, vs. the Original Z6/Z7.
The A7C got all kinds of crap for its poor viewfinder, as it should have. Some quotes from the review:
"It's a more like the kind of finder we'd expect in a high-end compact, rather than a full-frame mirrorless camera."
"It's a significantly smaller and lower-resolution panel than we've become used to on modern cameras."
"Viewfinder is very small with no real eye-cup."
"The tiny, compact camera-like viewfinder is another obvious trade-off."
It's also true that the R5, A7RIV, and S1R all have 5.76mdot viewfinders as compared to the Z7II's 2.36mdot. Also, some (all? too lazy to look up) of them offer 120fps viewing, which the Z7II doesn't. I think that's worth pointing out.
Nikon Z6/Z7II has 3.68MP viewfinder, not 2.36mdot.
Also important thing to note, that the A7RIV uses higher resolution ONLY during playback (when looking through EVF). During focusing it seems to use lower resolution (maybe around 3.68MP), and the EVF looks actually WORSE than Nikon Z7 in real use. Smaller maginification, and also the overlay texts seems to be more pixelated, while Nikon has definitely sharper texts.
I have both cameras so can shoot them side by side.
My bad, 3.68 is definitely better than 2.36. I watched the video, I promise! :-D And for what it's worth I agree that the A7R IV could also use a better EVF, although I haven't shot one so I don't have your personal experience to go by. The next A7R will surely get the 9.44mdot EVF from the A7S III, which will be very nice.
Darkshift, have you tried setting the Display Quality on the A7RIV to "High?" Another commenter mentioned that doing so will cause the camera to use full resolution in the viewfinder at all times, at the cost of some battery life. Sounds like one of the first settings I would change in any camera.
Maybe that is the case with the A7RIV. Its an example of sony making changes in order to deal with the presence of competitors in a segment that it had to itself till recently.
Everything else before the most recent sony cameras however did not have this option to change the EVF setting to perform differently. When I had the A7III it would be immediately obvious. While shooting you see moire quite often due to the fact the camera wasn't using its full resolution, compared to no moire in the images reviewed.
Yes, yes understandably the A7III was not release this year or the last, but it is the camera sony currently has available in that segment, and thus people will compare it to the R6, Z6II and S1. Just fact of life.
I am curious to see what will happen in the future. One reason for Sony's battery performance is power management. The lower EVF operation is a major contributor.
Like would people be ok if canon, nikon and the rest also implemented something like a. lower Rez EVF experience in order to boast battery life? Or at least perhaps to have the option to do so? That is if it is possible to implement such a thing via FW after the fact.
A7RIV - that camera was mentioned in the review regarding EVF
I have yet to see review that fully examines this limitation, nor I think it is mentioned in the Sony manual. It is a bit misleading to copy spec sheet data without testing if that is the case irl.
@Halftrack The A7RIV already has display quality set to high. Focusing mode seems less sharp than playback mode.
Can't say there's much difference in sharpness between Z7II and A7RIV while focusing - but the Z7II overlay texts are much more readable and sharper for some reason.
Lucky guys having been able to play with a Z7II over christmas! I think it's not only interesting as upgrade for D600/D750, but also for DX DSLR owners due to a high pixel density in the DX crop and an EVF zooming to full size in DX mode. The Z7II looks like a perfect complement for an action oriented D500, for instance.
The Z7II would be a greater camera if they hadnt made the D850. D850 is so good, almost perfect. The AF is so good on that camera that there are no benefits going to the Z7II.
Canon users however have an R5 which is quite a lot better than the 5D4.
Right. The D850 is awesome. But it's too late to migrate to FX. The fact that even the Z7II is not up to the D850 yet makes it quite hard for Nikon to sell anything ...
It is lighter and smaller. Many other preferential/subjective opinions as well for either.
Its AF capability and sensor is not better than the D850. If no one used AF, then that wouldnt be what makes a camera a camera. But AF and the sensor is what a camera is.
Thats what makes the D850 better than a 5Dm4. Colour, shape, size, etc are all preferences.
One big caveat with Z cameras: they don’t work with Nikon AfD lenses. These lenses are still actively manufactured and available new. AfD user community is huge.
Coming from D850 I would say that overall the Z7II is better camera. It has very effective IBIS, sensor focusing & eye focus which makes it more accurate with fast apertures.
Z85 1.8S and Z50 1.8S have much better image quality wide open than the F-mount AF-S versions.
Its very close of course. Its a backwards step for tracking though.(This is what I meant by D850 being better is because they went backwards on something) IBIS makes up for that depending on usage.
For my street portraits and F1 races, I wouldnt trade the AF tracking and OVF.
It is an easier decision for us Canon users. Even if we prefer OVF, the R5 is a much better camera than the 5Dm4. In every way.
Cameea reviews are full of scenarios to pressure test the AF that never apply in real life. That's why I prefer the reviews of working pros, thoigh Chris and Jordan are far and away the best of the YouTube style reviewers.
This kind of test is relevant in sports and action, where a running subject may disappear and reappear. However, I think that fine tuning AF responsiveness will reduce or eliminate the issue demonstrated in the video.
@stratman1976 - it is technical the same. A camera that change the orientation or angle result in the same issue like a moving person. And especially for you: In portrait photography don't exist frozen people. People are always moving, walking and changing their position of their head. A camera that tracks perfectly an object is very helpful. This don't necessary belongs to sports. Even a wedding couple move in a way that an old Sony A7 iii can't follow for 2...3 seconds. Only by heading their face to each other. In this case an old A7iii looses focus at all, but a newer A6400, A7c, ... can keep up perfectly. A test scenario with a tree is a good test in case of portrait photography. The camera should find the body and face in a short time without fault!
add: And if you got a camera that don't track a person perfectly in every situation, then you have to switch off AF-C and tracking at all. You will lost reliable white balance and even constant automatic exposure. You fall back to old AF-S and single point AF. Falling back to 10...20 years old methods are the only way to solve the problem with bad face-tracking
Disappointing for Canon shooters who want to switch to Nikon, perhaps. But for Nikon shooters who aren't a fan of Canon's heavily magenta tinged colour, it's great. Odds are there are more Nikon shooters looking to upgrade to the Z7II than Canon shooters, so not a bad choice on Nikon's part.
Baddd...i was referring to the fact the vid was shot on a canon R6 as chris sort of looks yellow and which canon has a magenta cast ??? as different canon bodys have different colour
The Z7ii is really good value for money camera that excel for fine art and portraiture but works for anything. The AF is totally sufficient now and the image quality I think is unmatched. The R5 has somewhat better specs but is also a lot more expensive. I think it’s a winner.
This assessment of EVF performance based on spec sheet data is not what I expect from a review. We know that cameras with higher resolution EVFs or higher refresh rates have specific problems such as low live view resolution in Sony A7S III, EVF stutter under some conditions in Canon R5/R6, EVF-AF wobble with Panasonic S1/S1R. I would have liked from Chris to explain what is the exact fault with Z7 II's EVF, saying something like "this Z7 II EVF looks pixelated or slowly refreshing or jittery when panning compared to the EVF in this competing camera", not just tell us that the EVF panel has a lower maximal resolution or refresh rate than other EVFs. This I can read myself in the specs sheets. I want the hands-on impressions on the EVF experience even if it may be subjective, but that's what I want from reviews.
Can you link me to the R5 / R6 stutter? never heard of it, I am interested
Also the "low live view resolution" generally is only in the fast refresh modes. At least on the Sonys and Panasonic you have the choice between 60p full res and 120p lower res. Since the Z7 is only 60p it only really makes sense to compare it to other 60p modes, which do actually make use of the 5.76Mdot the EVF
And the A7S III is the real unknown outlier. I haven't tested one and I have seen no tests at by other people just descriptions. Not run at full res when you have a 9.44 Mdot EVF could mean 8mdot, 5mdot, or 3 mdot. The fact that the EVF does run at full res in 4k recording however indicates that it is more of a power saving/ refresh thing. After all 9.44Mdot basically means full sensor readout in this camera
Do you have any sources with more details? I would be really curious
Regarding the A7S III EVF, Chris and Jordan mentioned the perceivable difference between live view and playback EVF resolution. I also didn't try one yet but it shows that nowadays the limits of EVF live view display quality are on the sensor/processing side more than on the EVF panel side.
@iso rivolta I believe the low refresh every in the R6 (haven’t seen the R5 in person) is a power saving method until the user engages autofocus. You don’t see stuttering with the usual tracking mode because the camera is always focusing. But, if you go into single point, the refresh rate dips until you engage the AF. I too think this is a pretty weird way to go about things but, I would just advise using the tracking method as it is really good.
Also, the S1/R viewfinder fault you claim has no relation to the evf. That’s just the autofocus system. The viewfinder in the S1R is really damn nice.
@Handsome90 As far as I know the firmware hasn't eliminated the R5 EVF stutter when shooting stills. @gameshoes3003 To my eyes the R5 was stuttering badly in Zone AF with the finger on the shutter button. I think the stuttering might be dependent on the light level and your eyesight. For me it was unacceptable in not very low light.
@Impulses & gameshoes3003 Of course that the S1/S1R wobble is due to contrast detection AF, not to the EVF itself. But it still degrades the EVF experience, at least with AF(-C).
@iso rivolta I mean, I had the 24-70 and the 70-200 on the S1R (sold for Hasselblad X1D). The wobble caused by focus breathing isn't really there if you have good lenses. The wobble was just super apparent on the m4/3 bodies because of the cheaper lenses that focus breathed a lot. This might also become the case as the L-mount gets more affordable options that choose to compromise with focus breathing.
Also, I did use continuous autofocus on the S1R, and it's fine. There's really nothing wrong with it from a stills photo perspective.
As a Z6 owner, if I had the coin, I would spring for this camera in a heartbeat, and use both of them. I'm not sure which one I would consider my "A" camera. I do time-lapses and find myself wishing that I had a second body to keep shooting with while a time-lapse is under way. Maybe in the future.
As usual, I appreciate the low-fat, high substance videos. And the cinematography just keeps getting better and better.
Nice photo gallery. Seems like a very capable camera. I think I would have gone with a higher resolution EVF if I was trying to move Nikon DSLR users over to the platform. I would not have bought the R5 had Canon not included a high quality EVF. Even the very best EVF's available are still a long way from a good OVF IMO.
The higher res EVF (Leica SL quality) might come with the Z8 or Z9. This one is already pretty good, compared to its competitors. Adequate resolution, almost no lag.
I think there is a difference in the way EVF's are perceived by photographers who learned their craft using EVF's and those who learned using ground glass images. If I were trying to attract DSLR users I would have made every possible effort to try to replicate the image quality of a ground glass viewfinder. I think we all understand the benefits of EVF's, But we want those benefits with as little cost to the image we see in the viewfinder as the technology permits.
It's not a brand thing. The R5 is acceptable but it's far from ideal and I don't know that I'll still consider it acceptable a few years from now if viewfinder technology improves significantly.
LowPass: I've tried several EVF's in my local shop (full of tl lights and glittering chrome vitrines) and outside the shop on the street, and they were universally horrible, particularly when panning the camera.
Until the Leica SL and more recently the Z series, which were acceptable, but still leave me longeing for a big bright ovf, RTSIII and D850 category.
@Michiel953. Yes I Agree. Sounds like we've taken different paths but come to a similar conclusion. I can't speak directly to the Z7 II because I haven't used it.
It's a little hard to explain but IMO an OVF shows the "quality" of the light wheras an EVF primarily just provides information about the "quantity" of light.
LowPass: That sums it up. With an EVF I'm not looking at the scene anymore (and I should), but at a digital approximation of that scene, probably not anywhere close to where the final image will be, looking at my carefully calibrated screen. With a little bit of informed practice no one needs a histogram in the viewfinder.
Oh, and I come from a Werra, Zenit-E, Yeshica TL Electro, FM2n... The RTSIII came later, but had one of the best viewfinders I've ever used.
I am primarily a landscape and macro shooter, so the dynamic range of this camera and ISO64 are the main reasons I bought a Z7. There really is no comparison to the Z7's DR and ISO performance in the full frame mirrorless market.
Absolutely beautiful gallery! One of the better galleries I have seen on DPReview in a long time. Beautiful colors along with great portraits and landscapes! Well done!
If was looking for a high resolution and stabilised mirrorless camera, I’d have no reason to pay an extra 1000$ for the R5. Although I prefer a fully articulated screen for the reason mentioned, that is shooting at low angle in portrait orientation, I don’t believe one would shell out 1000$ only for that. I wonder wether it is easy to shoot with those high resolution cameras without introducing blur at slower shutter speeds. Wonder wether the ibis really helps. I’ve used a 5DsR and that made me completely change the way I shoot and find new standards to abide to.
Some people have suggested 1/FL isn't as safe a rule when shooting with high MP bodies, so if the IBIS is somewhat effective it would at least let you stay at or closer to 1/FL as a guide rather than having to go up in SS from there... I'm still experimenting. :>
Bolton, we've already had this exchange about 200 times, but I don't want "pretty good" emulated adapted performance, with say 1 in 100 shots being weird. Or to worry if future lenses will be emulated properly. I've read the E-to-Z threads here and it's clear that there are quirks and issues.
You will respond by saying that some Sony users who are not me pushed adapted glass like 5 years ago.
I will respond that I don't care what other people told you and to go seek those people out to argue with them.
My response was and is that the adapter simply exists and you can use it, thus it provides an option where there was none before. An option with a few quirks is better than no option at all, right? Ohhh, right.. Sony fan boy. So, nope.
So they're most likely good enough for whatever it is you'd like to shoot. (This isn't my work, we have nothing like this kind of weather around here these days)..
That's an amusing bit of subscription bait, I bet you'll hit your goal this time. I know it worked on me!
How about shooting on an MVC-CD1000? They did take video… well, technically. 15 seconds is longer than the average cut on YouTube these days, right?
Anyway, looks like a solid camera with great image quality, just like the Z7. I could see myself really enjoying that dynamic range, since I always seem to find myself attracted to difficult lighting situations. Nikon does have a much better lens lineup than they did when the Z7 was released, and that makes a big difference too.
The Z5 is already best in Class, i mean, for nowadays (9th Jan, 2021 into germany) 1200 EUR, what else could you want? A great 3.68 MP EVF with decent Optics in front, 24 MP, a weathersealed Body, to the same Level as the Z/II Bodies, and partially Alu-Mag alloy Body, way good enough IQ - you get very subtle better IQ with the Z6/II Series, neglible, but the Z5 is now a full 800 EUR being cheaper, than the Z6 II for instance, which is a awful lot of Money.
Needless to say, the Z6 II is into 2021 the better A7 III, but into Fall, this might change with the Sony A7 Mark IV, as it is being rumored, but even then, expect a marginal better DSLM here, for at least 500+ EUR more. So it's really Horses for Courses - the Sensors into Nikon/Pana/Pentax are Sony anyway, and only Canon creates it's own Sensors, as they had ever since. So the Body choice nowadays really comes down to only one Thing, the Lenses, which are the System anyway, not the Body, which would being replaced all couple Years.
I’m considering it as an affordable stabilised full frame camera. But I see online mention of very noisy evf and focus slowness in low light. As well as other minor things in regard to cutting costs here and there. I hope Canon release a more modest R camera than the R6 with ibis this year.
Besides a higher pixel count (something that doesn't matter for 99 percent of photographers) and more magnesium in the body, how is the Z7 II quite different than the Z5? Do you mean AF? I can attest that the Z6 II's isn't astounding, so akin to the Z5's. Have not tried the Z7 II yet, but that won't have better AF than the Z6 II.
Though of course the Z6 II is a significantly better higher ISO body than the Z5 and Z7 II, so that quality difference does rise to the level of "quite".
Maybe if you've a closer look at the way sensors are produced you change the opinion about all being equal or just "Sony" just because they are produced by this manufacturer's electronics division... by the way, not their image division.
And a camera's body is far from being just the sensor or offering only a couple of years capability to satisfy most users real needs.
It's always been largely about the lenses for me when choosing a system, body variety to some extent too but bodies come and go... Right now I like the Z & E catalogs (the latter largely thanks to 3rd party options) better than RF & L, but that's a subjective preference.
I'm an enthusiast that shoots wide more than teles and primes more than zooms so that plays into it, tho I like Nikon's neat collapsible f4 zooms (and Canon's collapsible 70-200 f4). I'm not sure the advantages of the wider Z throat has really materialized in their primes tho...
@io_bg: Are there any solid rumors on A7 IV pricing? $2,500 would place it awfully close to the A7R IV (often on sale at $3,000 or just under that)... If that's really the case I think it might be a while longer until it's out, ie closer to the eventual A7R V.
Sure, I wish the EVF was improved but I appreciate the note that unlike the rivals the EVF resolution doesn't change. I wish the refresh rate was better too but my Z6 doesn't bother me.
I have never used tracking AF for anything, I simply don't trust it, so that difference versus its rivals doesn't bother me either.
I'm looking forward to buying my Z7II this quarter and then having it for years, just like my D850.
"I have never used tracking AF for anything, I simply don't trust it, "
Don't you see the problem here? You don't trust it because it is not reliable. That is exactly the problem. Reliable tracking is the superior focus method
Actually, I have two Z6's for about 2 years now. For a lot of that time I used dynamic AF-C which tracks quite incredibly. In the last few months I have switched to eye/face tracking and that too works great. To the point where i winder why i didnt use it more often before. I think much of the negativity towards how Nikon does it is just in the implementation. It sounds like Sony and Canon have it enabled by default where as Nikon requires an extra button step. (But not really a big deal). But I find it quite reliable.
The D850 sensor is great but it does not reach its full potential in a mirrorless camera due to the banding (and striping) caused by the on-sensor PDAF pixels.
If one really wants the best possible dynamic range, the D850 should be the better choice.
Numerous reviews point out that to get the most of the 45mp Sensor, the D850 is superior. The Z's exhibit a pattern of “banding,” or line pattern noise, when recovering shadows too much. As long as you. don't have to recover shadows or shoot fast moving sports you are fine on a Z. Until than, D850 is superior.
I have never seen banding that some say is so prevalent in the A9 too. Not doubting it can show up. And for sure if you look online you can find examples. But this claim of banding affects so few images it’s basically not worth talking about. It’s an obscure phenomena that’s amplified by 1000x in forums like these.
@fullframer You are talking about ancient history... The banding you are referring to was with the original Z 7 and Z 6, and that cropped up very, very rarely as can be attested by the many Nikon Z users that never had it show up. With the new Z 6II and Z 7II this has been corrected and do not exhibit this very rare phenomena. Lastly, now that that issue has been resolved in the new models, what you are left with is the superior optics of the Nikon Z line which surpasses pretty much every other brand when comparing like for like optics. So the Z 7II at the moment is the best landscape camera that Nikon offers, bar none, and may be the best landscape camera on the market period.
Fullframer, While it is true that this is a defect with all mirrorless, except Panasonic, the reality is that 99% will never experience it except when rescuing bad images or very high iso. And btw this has been fixed by all manufacturers (except Fuji in the gfx100) in firmware.
It seems about as common as the purple X-Trans fringing in Fuji cameras. Out of over 50,000 images that I've shot on Fujis from the X-E1 to X-H1 I might have had maybe a half a dozen images that coulda had it, and one or two that I'm pretty sure did.
@20thCentury, Not even close.. the best landscape camera on the market is the 102mp Fuji GFX 100 medium format. As for Nikon's best landscape camera, D850 in real world prints will match the Z7 ii unless you are one of those that really pixel peep on your monitor. The Z7 ii isn't as well rounded a camera, it can't do sports/fast moving subjects as well as the D850, (D6 is best for that) and has far less battery life. I don't like EVF viewfinders for my all day photo shoots, not good for your eyes either, lights the LED emits. Don't forget Z7ii and the holy trinity F2.8 zoom Lens (14-200mm coverage)in Z System costs alot more $$ that the F mount/D850 with Nikons sale that ended 12/31? Nearly $3k less for body and 3 lens. Big diff.
@FullFramer Well, that is either a misguided or a completely disingenuous post. 1st, we are talking about Full Frame not medium format. Why not bring in Large Format for that matter.
2nd, stating that the Z 7II is the same image quality vs. D850 is absolutely false and spoken like a person that has not owned or shot both (I have). But the mere fact that you state unless you “pixel peep” means that it is indeed better.
3rd, you say that you don’t like the Z 7II because it uses an EVF, yet offer up the GFX 100 which has an EVF as the best landscape camera, shows that you are just arguing for the sake of arguing and don’t have good puns to stand on.
4th, mentioning that hat the D850 is better for sports has nothing to do with Landscape Photography.
Your comments read like the typical DSLR user that has never bothered shooting the Z 7II and is trying to argue with folks that have used both extensively (me).
Oh yeah I suppose, I kinda forgot about the a7R II which is basically what I asked for I guess, but I was kinda wishing a modern AF system came with the sensor. Not sure if the a7R III is that cheap yet, but knowing Sony maybe it's only a matter of a year or two.
@onlyfreeman I am not saying the A7R II Af is great, but it kinda started the whole modern Eye-AF game with Eye-tracking in AF-C it is pretty decent for portraits and landscapes if you are not into sports and action.
That said yes the A7R III is the better all-rounder. In Europe, the A7R III goes grey market for about 1700€ and second hand for less. So it probably takes another year or two for the Z7 and RIII to hit 1000$
People are nowadays being too concerned about DR and other things, fact is, the Gear from the last 10+ Years is being more than capable, than the Photographer, the Person which is using it, for being "technical limited" by the Gear.
I'm still completely fine with -just- my A7 into IQ terms, that i do use from time to time, same goes with the 5D...and for other things, i shoot Film. ;-)
I'm curious to see if the upgrade cycles and market moves in the same direction they've been going the last few years and that really leaves us with Z7 & AR7 III bodies going for <$1,500 in a couple of years... The newer but lower end lower MP bodies (never mind smaller formats) are gonna have to offer a lot of advancements beyond AF to stay relevant at that point, or the whole high MP lineup moved on to 61-90MP I guess.
The Zii cameras are just great value for money. The AF "issues" are overblown and on all other relevant metrics they are on par or ahead of the competition and in relation to what really matters - image quality - they are unbeatable at the price.
Overblown is such a harsh word. You cannot say the AF is overblown and then claim tiny differences in IQ matter
The Z7 II has basically the same DR at ISO 64 as the A7RIII and IV have at ISO 100 (11.6 vs 11.62 and 11.64 stops) source (photons to photos) It is not class-leading in resolution or high ISO performance. So where is the IQ superior?
I could understand if someone argues the GFX 100 might have worse AF but the better IQ is worth it. But the Nikon simply has exactly the same IQ as the Sonys.
(Sadly we cannot evaluate the Panasonic and Canon as the both use NR at ISO 100)
What use is image quality if the focus is off because it was too slow or lost the subject? Honestly if anything is overblown then it is the DR debate where every tenth EV matters for people.
The only people who have kind of rated that are lensrentals. And they rate the Z7 not above the R5 which according to them "this sealing seems to be a step up from anything we’ve seen before", and haven't tested a 4th gen Sony or Panasonic camera yet. The Panasonics have the image of a brick for a reason and the 4th gen Sonys are also pretty well sealed.
Besides anecdotes, there is really no solid data on build quality for any camera brand.
@predator have you used a Z7II? Or even Z7? I agree about the DR comment.... people are measuring minutia that doesn't really matter. Fact is the Z's have excellent AF. And what is true is the level of commentary by people, who have little to no experience, speaking with authority based on something they haven't used.
As with the AF in real life, I think DR etc on most modern offerings are on a level to make differences minute. That does not make one camera worse than the other, just some more suited eg for landscape. And they all are workable options.
@panther fan Do you take umbrage with any positive post for Nikon in a Nikon article? It seems you have an awful lot to say about a product you don’t use and have never used. To be honest your constant posting and arguing is tiresome and reeks of insecurity.
I have posted a lot of positive and negative stuff about a lot of cameras. Feel free to look up my profile. Having a profile that is not even two months old and just accusing other people without bringing any arguments to the table doesn't give a great look. Maybe try to add some arguments to your post next time
PS: I have barely posted over the last two months. So if you know my posts so well that sounds like a second or third account. What was the banning reason?
It’s true Pantherfan. I’ve been here since 2009 (if that helps qualify me to comment). There are few members that I always expect to read negative posts regarding Nikon and you’re one of them. Doesn’t matter if the cameras crapped out gold bricks, you would say the gold isn’t polished properly. There is always something.
@m_black I disagree. I praised the Z5 as the best camera in its class and I would argue my comments in this thread are so far not really unjustifiable negative. Claiming another camera has exactly the same IQ is a very mild form of negativity ;)
The key words are , “great value “ . The autofocus seems pretty solid especially coming from a dslr. It’s not there with the likes of Canon and Sony. I have seen tests where in some situations the Nikon af was preferred but not overall. The sensor is a Sony and has always slightly evermost slightly behind the Sony’s in dynamic range. Where I think people think it out performs the Canon and Sony is in the Nikon characteristics. Nikons sensors have a different color science and they seem to render more organically I believe. It’s a little more natural,to me, in its rendering. I use Nikon dslrs for professional video just for this reason. I shoot live music shows mostly and we have 1 canon, 1 Sony and 1 Panasonic. The Sony has the closest color . The Sony image is “hard” edge very video looking. The Canon is the softest looking but not in a natural way . It’s an older model so it’s partially do to that .
Panther - having owned Sonys and Nikons, I can say that the Nikon Images are more pleasing than the Sonys in every way. For photography that kinda matters. And since I don't take photos of Youtubers running wildly flapping their hands in front of their face, I havent found I have missed any shots. On the contrary I found the famed Sony AF to be really inconsistent and while the overlay looked good the image was OOF.
I'm gonna have to watch the review later, but the gallery looks promising - some nicer, "warmer" images this time, and a nice Christmas-y touch. Those shadow pushes show that the Z7M2 is well capable of pushing them beyond what you need - these already look unnatural to me, and as such I'd tone them down a bit.
The auto white balance settings can be configured in detail - I found I liked a different one than the default more. INteresting features btw. Take a look if you can.
I am really looking forward to this body as soon as it is available. I held out for a body for portraits and landscape.. and this sounds exactly right.
My local brick and mortar camera store didn't have the Z6II, but they had finally gotten some R5s in, as they were backordered for several months.
The latest firmware original Z6 seemed to have really nice face/eye tracking AF right out of the box. I didn't have to do anything, it just worked. Quite impressive. The Canon R6 was in the same league, but seemed to go about its business in a different way.. if you've shot both then you would understand.
I own the original Z6 and it's a solid camera and a great bargain atm. That said I held out for a higher res body to go with that... let's see when it comes in stock. Still waiting for my teleconverter, too
I have used A7r i, II and III, Canon and Leica.. The mechanism of the Nikon z7 is so impressive - solid, quiet and - it just feels like something luxurious to use. HOw it paints OOC is just a pleasure for me. I loved the Sonys ( until my R III was stolen) and then tried the Nikon and have not looked back.
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What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.
Most modern cameras will shoot video to one degree or another, but these are the ones we’d look at if you plan to shoot some video alongside your photos. We’ve chosen cameras that can take great photos and make it easy to get great looking video, rather than being the ones you’d choose as a committed videographer.
Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we've chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.
The winners and finalists for the 10th annual Ocean Art Underwater competition have been announced. This gallery showcases the best imagery from thousands of entries from more than 80 countries.
Is there something special about the depth-of-field offered by medium format? Chris and Jordan look closely at the effect of format size on depth-of-field to find out.
In anticipation of the National Football League's Pro Bowl 2022, drone pilot Johnny FPV and the NFL recently collaborated on a video clip that takes you on a whirlwind trip through the Las Vegas strip.
Hubble has observed a black hole at the center of a dwarf galaxy that is fueling the creation of new stars rather than destroying or preventing their formation. The black hole may hold the key to understanding the origin of black holes in the early Universe.
In a statement shared on Ricoh Imaging Co's website, company President Noboru Akahane said the company is looking to 'renew its manufacturing and sales structure in Japan on April 1, 2022' and will connect 'with customers using "digital" methods and "studio-style" manufacturing.'
In his latest essay on 35mmc, film photographer Matthew Wright breaks down whether or not it's worth it to bulk-load and self-develop rolls of cinema film for 35mm stills shooting in the midst of rising film stock prices and supply chain constraints.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, is looking at ways to allow its users to create and sell NFTs on its platforms. No timeline is clear for when Meta would plan to implement the support on Facebook and Instagram, but it seems it's only a matter of time.
Vision Research has announced the Phantom S991 high-speed camera. While not its fastest camera, the S991 offers a unique blend of speed and resolution thanks to a new and improved fiber cable technology.
In this photo gallery we're taking a visual tour of the M11, and comparing it against two classic M-mount rangefinders, the M4-P from the 1980s, and the M7 – Leica's first true electronic multi-mode rangefinder, from the early 2000s.
After reports Canon was going to partially shutter its Zhuhai factory, DPReview has confirmed with Canon Inc. that it will shut down its Zhuhai factory in south China, which is responsible for the production of compact cameras and some video equipment.
Jordan from DPReview TV was pretty stoked to learn about the EOS R5C, a Cinema EOS motion picture camera and an EOS R5 stills camera all in one. Find out what he thinks of this new hybrid model based on what we know so far.
The Canon EOS R5C looks a lot like an EOS R5 with a fan mounted on the back. Its greatest weakness stems from the degree to which this is true but so, perhaps, does its greatest strength.
Canon has announced the EOS R5C, the newest member of both its EOS line of still cameras and its Cinema EOS motion picture system. It effectively combines an EOS R5 mirrorless camera with a pro-level Cinema EOS camera, all in a single body, and provides use case-specific operation right down to the menu system.
Nikon has officially announced the Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S – a professional telephoto prime lens for the mirrorless Z mount. Click through for more information.
Sunshine, showers, fog and a civil rights march - it must be January in Seattle. Since it was launched last week we've been out and about with the Leica M11, and we've prepared a gallery of samples from our pre-production camera. Click through to check them out.
Capture One has announced that it is no longer selling brand-specific versions of Capture One. The company has also revealed plans to offer existing customers the latest version of Capture One Pro.
Sony and the World Photography Organization have announced the shortlist for their Student & Youth awards. We've rounded up some of the shortlisted photos into a gallery.
Japanese photo site Digital Camera Life (DC Life) has discovered the sensor inside Sony's flagship a1 camera is the IMX610, a full-frame backside-illuminated sensor that appears to be exclusive to Sony.
What took 12 hours of training two years ago can now be achieved using a single off-the-shelf NVIDIA RTX GPU in roughly five seconds. NVIDIA researchers have demonstrated near-instant training of neural graphics primitives using an adaptable multiresolution hash encoding method.
Director and photographer Simon Meyer has taken to TikTok to show off how he creates his unusual collection of DIY 'lenses' made from various household objects, including potatoes, toilet paper rolls, shoes and even an Elmo stuffed animal.
Etsy seller CameraTins' is selling a full-sized Nikon F replica made entirely from wood. The kit includes the camera body as well as a replica Nikkor 55mm F1.2 lens.
The Leica M11 is a great platform for M-mount lenses, but arguably, its modern capabilities bring into question the future of a camera that builds so much on heritage.
The M11 is the latest in the Leica's series of rangefinder cameras, which date back to the early years of the 20th century. While it may look like Leicas of the past, it offers technology that 20th Century film photographers could never have imagined.
Can you get a great lens for $125? We tested the 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 to find out. How does this budget friendly lens compare to the medium- and high-end lenses we usually review?
This week our team at DPReview TV tested the 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 Mark II, a budget APS-C lens. Check out their sample gallery to see how how it performs.
The Canon Tsuzuri Project, started in 2007, uses Canon's products and technology to create highly-detailed, accurate facsimiles of important Japanese masterpieces.
Let's be honest—these aren't going to have the best image quality. But for only $75 for the 10mm F8 fisheye and $60 for the 27mm F2.8 prime lens, Rockstar is driving a hard bargain for both of the compact prime lenses.
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