Nikon Zf - Preview
A Preview of the New Retro-Styled Nikon Zf
Many of us have been wishing for a camera like the Nikon Zf for quite some time. Who doesn’t remember the introduction of the Nikon Df with the guy walking through the forest? It seems so long ago. Maybe because it is 10 years ago come November.
We have had to wait a while for a full-frame retro-styled Nikon and so much has happened since then. Cameras have gone mirrorless and gone through cycles of making cameras smaller and then larger again (ie. Nikon Z7, Z9, and Z8)
As an avid film photographer, I love the styling of this new Nikon Zf. Drawing inspiration from the Nikon FE and FM series of the late seventies and eighties it looks to me that Nikon finally got it right with a digital version of the older film cameras. Let’s dig a bit deeper below.
Nikon Zf Features
(Information from the Nikon USA website)
Nikon headlines the Nikon Zf as having full-frame image quality, depth, and dynamic range, autofocus built from deep learning technology, and astounding low-light performance and image stabilization.
It comes in six different colors and I would most certainly pick the black version for a true retro look.
The camera comes with the new Expeed 7 processor, also found in the Nikon Z8 and Z9 and Nikon states it is 10x faster than previous generations of Expeed image processing.
Subject Recognition with 3D Tracking
Like the Z9 and Z8, the Nikon Zf’s autofocus system recognizes a wide range of common subjects; people, cats, dogs, birds, bicycles, motorbikes, cars, aircraft, and trains and uses deep learning technology to provide exactly the right focus and tracking for each.
The Nikon Zf automatically locks onto the eyes of people, pets, and birds, even when they are extremely small in the frame. For the first time, the feature is also available for manual focus lenses, automatically magnifying the area around the eyes so you can quickly confirm sharp focus.
I use manual focus lenses extensively and this last paragraph sounds enticing to me and I look forward to testing it.
Up to 30 Frames Per Second
The Nikon Zf can capture up to 14 fps. (mechanical shutter), which has been tested to 200,000 cycles, up to 30 fps. using the silent electronic shutter.
The Nikon Zf, top view, ISO dial, shutter speed dial, PSAM selector, exposure compensation button, f/stop display
Nikon Zf Specs
24.5MP FX-Format BSI CMOS Sensor
EXPEED 7 Image Processor
ISO range: 100-64,000
5-Axis In-Body Vibration Reduction, 8 stops
Up to 14 fps, mechanical, 30 fps electronic shutter
UHD 4K 30p Video and Full HD 120p Video
96MP High-Res Mode
Memory: Slot 1: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)
Slot 2: microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC
Battery: EN-EL15c Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
3.69m-Dot EVF
3.2" Vari-Angle Touchscreen
Weight: 22.2 oz / 630 g (Body only)
Price: $1,996.95
Check price and availability at B&H Photo:
Pre Release Capture
Record the moments before you actually press the shutter release button, up to 30 fps, saving shots that would otherwise have been missed.
Widest ISO Range of Any Nikon Z Series Camera
ISO 100-64,000 for stills with low noise across the entire range. ISO 100-51,200 for video. The Z8 that I just tried over the weekend went to 64 ISO on the low end. It appears the Zf may be a stronger contender with a lower megapixel count and ISO up to 64,000.
Dedicated BW Mode
With the flick of a switch, express composition, patterns, light, and shadows in their purest form. New Flat and Deep Tone Monochrome Picture Controls give you flexible control for video and stills. I assume these are for JPEGs only but nonetheless a pretty cool feature and easy to access.
Nikon Zf with the Z 17-28mm f/2.8
96 Megapixel Stills
Activate Pixel Shift Shooting and create the highest resolution, lowest noise, and lowest false color (moiré) still images ever produced in a Nikon camera. (Requires NX Studio to combine a 32-image sequence into one 96MP image.)
Video
4K / 30p Oversampled from 6K
Capture ultra-sharp detail from the sensor’s 6K image data for footage that exceeds the resolution of normal 4K UHD.
Internal 10-Bit H.265 in SDR/N-Log/HLG
A wide range of options makes it easy to render beautiful colors directly from the camera or through grading in post-production.
4K / 60p and 1080 / 120p Slow Motion
Add a high-end touch to your videos with smooth slow-motion sequences. 4K/60p is available in DX-Crop Mode.
Over 2 Hours of Continuous Recording
Record continuous clips up to 125 minutes long directly to the memory card, no external capture device is required.
The Nikon Zf in six different colors
Nikon Zf Wrap-Up
There is quite a buzz on the web this morning after the Nikon Zf release and I can see why. As a long-time Nikon user of classic film cameras, such as the Nikon FE2, Nikon FM2n, Nikon FM3a, Nikon F3, and Nikon F3 HP, the styling of the Nikon Zf is very appealing to me.
But it goes deeper than this. I have been a Fujifilm user for years as I favor the tactile feeling of the cameras and the easy way to adjust your most crucial settings.
The Nikon Zf blends retro design with modern features such as 3D tracking and aids to help people who prefer to use manual lenses.
I have made inquiries this morning as I am eager to get my hands on the Nikon Zf as soon as possible. Please stay tuned for more to come on the Nikon Zf.
Update: October 24, 2023
I have now had a chance to try the Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE and you can check my reviews via these links:
Magnesium alloy on the front and top covers of the Nikon Zf, for maximum durability with minimal weight
