Nikon’s new mirrorless system, coming in ... late September 2018

[Ray]

Throughout all the years I've been involved in photography, the major issues for me regarding choice of equipment have been cost, image quality, and weight.

Making a decision to purchase a new camera has largely been a balancing act involving these three variables. In other words, is the increase in image quality justified by the increase in price and the increase in weight, or, is the reduction of image quality justified by the lower price and/or the lower weight?

By image quality, I mean technical image quality, which must also involve the quality and weight of available lenses, accuracy of autofocus, and so on.

A few years ago, whilst taking photos on a beach in Thailand, I foolishly slipped when trying to jump over a stream flowing into the sea, and my Nikon D800E got drowned. It was the only camera I was carrying on that trip, so in order to continue taking photos I went to the local camera shop, hoping to buy the newly released Nikon D7200.

Unfortunately, the shop didn't have one in stock so I settled for a D5300 with Nikkor DX 18-140/F3.5-5.6 walk-around zoom. In Full-Frame terms the lens is equivalent to a 27-210mm zoom. Ever since, I've been torn between the trade-off of image quality, and the weight benefits of the system, including the convenience of the wide ranging zoom which frees me from the hassle of frequently changing lenses and/or carrying additional lenses.

After returning to Australia I've often considered upgrading my D5300 to the D7200, but cannot justify spending $1,000 for the marginal improvement in image quality. Both cameras have a 24 mp sensor without AA filter. However, if Nikon were to produce a significantly improved 18-140 DX lens, sharp from edge to edge, and sharp at maximum zoom, with no increase in weight, I'd willingly pay $1,000.

Perhaps when Nikon eventually produces a mirrorless DX format, they will also offer such a lens.
The D5300 with attached 18-140 zoom weighs a mere 1.1kg. It's so light I can hardly feel any burden at all when the camera is slung around my neck. I'm surprised that the new Nikon Z7, with 24-70/F4 zoom attached weighs no more. That makes it a very attractive option for me.

The downside is that a 70mm shot with the Z7, cropped to the same angle of view as the 140mm lens on the D5300, is unlikely to match the image quality of the DX 140mm lens. If my maths is correct, one would be comparing 24mp with 5mp.

Nevertheless, since I already own an AF-S Nikon 80-400, the Z7 with the 24-70/F4 will give me a range from 24mm to 600mm (including its DX mode), so that should suit my purposes, provided the adapter is fully functional.

By the way, I've noticed much criticism on the forums regarding Nikon's decision to include just one card slot in the Z7. I can understand that those who have experienced a card failure and have lost images as a result, could be very concerned about this issue. However, if it is true that the new XQD cards are more reliable, those concerns should be allayed.

When I ruined my D800E by completely submerging it in salty water, about 3 years ago, the images recorded on the 128GB 'SanDisk Extreme' card I was using, were intact. Not only that, I've continued to use the card with my current Nikon D810, and 3 years later I've experienced no problems.

[Bernard ODonovan]

This guy sums up card issues and tips beautifully. He appears to be responding to V loggers. One had made inappropriate comments about how social media could put single card slot photographers out of business despite that same photographer previously using single card slot cameras in the same line of business. I am sure he would have seen that vid as he posted a link to his video on that channel after as the subject was raised again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC-ncGkAbrY
"Single Card Slot Workflow & Tips"

[KLaban]

I'm not fond of aubergine and I do like gigantes so that's an easy one for me.

Kali orexi!!

Efharisto poli.

[KLaban]

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2018/09/best-comment-ever.html

-Dave-

Brilliant.

Efharisto poli!

[kers]

On nikon rumours some remarks from Marsel van Oosten - he made some of the advertising photos with the Z7.

https://nikonrumors.com/

[Ray]

On nikon rumours some remarks from Marsel van Oosten - he made some of the advertising photos with the Z7.

https://nikonrumors.com/

Excellent article, but I'm a bit confused about the performance of F-mount lenses when used with the FTZ-adapter. Marsel shows an image taken with the 14-24/F2.8 and writes, "The image above is probably one of the best examples of what this camera is capable of: edge to edge sharpness with tons of detail."

He then later writes, under the heading 'Image Quality', "From my limited experience with this camera and the large variety of lenses I have used, I can say that the image quality is superb. All my F-mount lenses performed just as good as on my DSLRs, and some of them got VR as a bonus via the FTZ-adapter (AF-S 14-24/2.8 VR!)."

I understand that the new S-lenses designed for the Z7 camera have the advantage of better resolution at the edges and corners because of the wider mount, but does this also apply to F-mount lenses when used with an adapter?

The fact that Marsel has used an F-mount 14-24mm zoom to demonstrate the 'edge to edge sharpness with tons of detail', implies that F-mount lenses also benefit from additional edge sharpness. However, if that's the case, why write, "All my F-mount lenses performed just as good as on my DSLRs". Was that an oversight? If the images are sharper at the edges, then surely those F-mount lenses will perform better than they do on a DSLR.

[BJL]

Excellent article, but I'm a bit confused about the performance of F-mount lenses when used with the FTZ-adapter. Marsel shows an image taken with the 14-24/F2.8 and writes, "The image above is probably one of the best examples of what this camera is capable of: edge to edge sharpness with tons of detail."

Maybe he is referring to having IBIS available with that lens: the exposure time for that photo is 1 second, and it was taken "perched on top of one of those nasty limestone needles, pointing my 14-24 straight down into the abyss", so probably hand-held. But if so, he does not make the point very clearly.

That is indeed one of the things I love about IBIS; it has let me take low-light, widish shots at indoor locations where neither tripods nor flash are allowed (and I try to avoid those two anyway) and the sort of lenses used for that often lack in-lens IS, for perceived lack of need. For example, none of Canon's 24-70/2.7 EF, 16-35/2.8 or the new 28-70/2 R have IS; only slower and/or longer EF and R lenses do.

[Ray]

Maybe he is referring to having IBIS available with that lens: the exposure time for that photo is 1 second, and it was taken "perched on top of one of those nasty limestone needles, pointing my 14-24 straight down into the abyss", so probably hand-held. But if so, he does not make the point very clearly.

That is indeed one of the things I love about IBIS; it has let me take low-light, widish shots at indoor locations where neither tripods nor flash are allowed (and I try to avoid those two anyway) and the sort of lenses used for that often lack in-lens IS, for perceived lack of need. For example, none of Canon's 24-70/2.7 EF, 16-35/2.8 or the new 28-70/2 R have IS; only slower and/or longer EF and R lenses do.

Yes. You have a point. If the shot was hand-held at 1 sec exposure and is considered to be the best example of edge to edge sharpness and detail, then that's a remarkable demonstration of the effectiveness of IBIS.

I own a Nikkor 14-24/F2.8, and I would consider the Z7 to be a significant advantage if it allowed me to use that lens at 1 sec exposure, hand-held, and get a sharp image. With that lens I usually use a minimum shutter speed of 2x1/focal length, ie. 1/30th sec at 14mm, and 1/50th at 24mm

I wonder how much that adapter weighs. 

[alan_b]

I understand that the new S-lenses designed for the Z7 camera have the advantage of better resolution at the edges and corners because of the wider mount, but does this also apply to F-mount lenses when used with an adapter?

The adapter would have no impact on image sharpness, assuming correct dimensioning.

I can speculate that changes in microlens design could show better results than earlier DSLRs, but have seen no information about this one way or another.

Differences with in-camera processing could show better results in JPEGs, and I can imagine that producing some initial wow-factor.

[BJL]

@Ray, the FTZ weighs 135g, so Z7+FTZ weighs 810g; c. f. 1005g for the D850 and 980g for the D810.

I see anticipate Nikon and Canon having success with transitional use of SLR lenses on their EVF bodies, but maybe more so for Nikon until Canon adds “all of the above” to its stabilisation options.

[D Fuller]

@Ray, the FTZ weighs 135g, so Z7+FTZ weighs 810g; c. f. 1005g for the D850 and 980g for the D810.

I see Nikon and Canon having success with transitional use of SLR lenses on their EVF bodies, but maybe more so for Nikon until Canon adds “all of the above” to its stabilisation options.

For those of us who own (and favor) F-mount lenses, another plus in the Z-Nikon column is the lack of smart adapters for emoting or other systems. It seems that the fact that Nikon’s mount specs are not open has made it very difficult to get the electronics right, so having such an effective adapter available a big thing in the Nikon world.

[Telecaster]

Brilliant.

Efharisto poli!

בבקשה

-Dave-

[Ray]

@Ray, the FTZ weighs 135g, so Z7+FTZ weighs 810g; c. f. 1005g for the D850 and 980g for the D810.

I see anticipate Nikon and Canon having success with transitional use of SLR lenses on their EVF bodies, but maybe more so for Nikon until Canon adds “all of the above” to its stabilisation options.

BJL,
Thanks for the weight info. It's a bit disappointing that the weight reduction of the Z7 with adapter is only 170 gms, compared with my D810. However, the greater pixel count of the Z7, plus the benefits of IBIS, the lower requirement, or perhaps no requirement, for AF fine tuning, and the potential for the design of better quality and lighter lenses, is a game changer.

According to the road map, in 2019 there will be a 14-30/F4 lens, which should be much lighter than the current 14-24/F2.8, and probably sharper, certainly towards the edges. I'll be very willing to sacrifice that additional stop at the wide end for the benefits of a longer focal length and lighter weight, even if the image quality is no better than my current 14-24. But that's unlikely to be the case. My current 14-24 does have noticeable softness in the corners and close to the edges, so I would expect an improvement with the new S lens.

I'm sure glad I resisted upgrading to a D850. If I had done that, I would be unable to justify the additional cost of the game-changing Z7, but I'm not sure if I should place my order now, or wait until more thorough reviews are available after the camera has been released. 

[tintoreto]

I played yesterday with the Z7 at a local dealer and Nikon stuff. Well not everything worked fine like the green focus display, it should be some kind of software. Suprising for me is that there is only one qxd-slot and no sd-card solt or a second slot. I was able to make some photos but if you have no pc you can not really see if the new lens is better than the old one's. There was also an adapter for the old lenses. The old lens make still a better impression than the new one. There was an new 24-70 lens. The new lens feels cheap.

[SrMi]

BJL,
Thanks for the weight info. It's a bit disappointing that the weight reduction of the Z7 with adapter is only 170 gms, compared with my D810. However, the greater pixel count of the Z7, plus the benefits of IBIS, the lower requirement, or perhaps no requirement, for AF fine tuning, and the potential for the design of better quality and lighter lenses, is a game changer.

According to the road map, in 2019 there will be a 14-30/F4 lens, which should be much lighter than the current 14-24/F2.8, and probably sharper, certainly towards the edges. I'll be very willing to sacrifice that additional stop at the wide end for the benefits of a longer focal length and lighter weight, even if the image quality is no better than my current 14-24. But that's unlikely to be the case. My current 14-24 does have noticeable softness in the corners and close to the edges, so I would expect an improvement with the new S lens.

I'm sure glad I resisted upgrading to a D850. If I had done that, I would be unable to justify the additional cost of the game-changing Z7, but I'm not sure if I should place my order now, or wait until more thorough reviews are available after the camera has been released. 

The weight savings are anyway mostly in the lenses, not in the body (see m43 and APS-C formats).
If you compare Z7 with 24-70 f4, vs Nikon D850 with 24-70 f2.8 (the lenses should be of comparable high quality), the weight difference is significant. I also expect the 14-30/F4 to be lighter but do not expect the announced 70-200/2.8 to be much lighter than the F-mount one.

[armand]

The weight savings are anyway mostly in the lenses, not in the body (see m43 and APS-C formats).
If you compare Z7 with 24-70 f4, vs Nikon D850 with 24-70 f2.8 (the lenses should be of comparable high quality), the weight difference is significant. I also expect the 14-30/F4 to be lighter but do not expect the announced 70-200/2.8 to be much lighter than the F-mount one.

Unfortunately for larger aperture zooms or telephoto the difference is not that big. Hopefully the new 24-70 F4S is really a better lens than the 24-120 F4 which is the lens with which it should be compared with, I think only 200g heavier but with a much longer range.

And the body should be compared with the D750, I think it's closer in capability. Yes the sensor is not high resolution but that was Nikon's choice, they could have for a D850 sensor in there.

[RobSaecker]

And the body should be compared with the D750, I think it's closer in capability. Yes the sensor is not high resolution but that was Nikon's choice, they could have for a D850 sensor in there.

That would be the Z6, not the Z7.

[armand]

That would be the Z6, not the Z7.

Probably true but I was talking about the weight difference which stays the same.

[jeremyrh]

Probably true but I was talking about the weight difference which stays the same.

Eh?

[armand]

Eh?

I tend to be brief when typing from a phone.

I think Z7 is closer to a D750 than a D850 in what it can do, regardless of the Nikon marketing.
Either way, the fact that the Nikon D750 doesn't have a 45MP sensor is only a business decision and Nikon could have most of the capability of D850 in a D750 body size, or most of the Z7.
This being said when you talk about the weight losses that are be made by going mirrorless one can start from the D750 body weight as a point of reference and not artificially make it look better by starting at the D850 size.