Nikon Zf

background

I shot Nikon film and digital cameras for 30 years, starting with the EM in 1982 to the D300s in 2009. I switched to Canon in 2010, then to Lumix in 2020. The Zf is the only Nikon that intrigued me enough to buy it. All the Nikon DSLRs were inferior to Canon in my opinion. Canon was the first to recognize the importance of video with Nikon lagging far behind. The first generation of Z mirrorless cameras didn’t impress me that much, the single XQD card decision was really unfortunate. The Zf had no peer really and reminded me of old Nikon film cameras. I also bought the 20mm f2.8 Viltrox, Nikon 28mm f2.8 pancake, Nikon 40mm f2.0, 75mm f/2.0 TT Artisans. These aren’t my usual favorite focal lengths of 24mm, 35mm, and 85mm, 70-200mm, but this is what was available.

impressions

My impressions of this camera are mixed. I really like smaller cameras like my Lumix S9 and Canon M6II compared to larger cameras like the S5 or Zf. I don’t like the counter clockwise twist to attach a lens which is the opposite of both Canon and Lumix and human nature. Don’t we always rotate clockwise to tighten? Though I don’t have a zoom lens, Nikon zooms also zoom the opposite direction of Canon and Sigma lenses.

Nikon menus are much better than Sony’s but I’m used to Canon and Lumix menus. It took me a while to figure out how to change the ISO.

Doesn’t seem as fast or accurate as a Canon. I couldn’t change the focal point with the touchscreen so I guess I should read the manual.

This is expected, but still, I did not like holding this camera in my hands shooting. On a tripod it’s fine, but not hand holding. Every time I held the camera, my finger would always press the function button. I had to deactivate it. Nikon should have placed it somewhere else. An aftermarket grip seems like the best solution.

I tried the Neewer Zf grip. A good idea, but poorly executed. The front dial was difficult to work with the grip attached. There are other brand grips. I would try them all to get the right fit. The JJC Soft Release Button is helpful, but came off during a shoot, I almost lost it! Maybe some Loctite or something similar would be a good idea.

jpegs SOOC are fine, but I like Canon’s better. I didn’t check RAW files before I sold it.

My first experience with Nikon Z and third party lenses from Viltrox and TT Artisan. Nikon will sell many more bodies due to this 3rd party manufacturers. I like plastic mounts, smoother and quieter to mount and detach, lighter lenses. There are some lenses I like, but Sigma has better L mount lenses and Canon has more lenses I actually use and have bought. If Nikon and the 3rd party manufacturers have the lenses you want, great. I felt I had to compromise here since Nikon didn’t have the focal lengths, fstops, and prices that I was looking for. I then went to 3rd parties like Viltrox and TT Artisan. I didn’t test out adequately before I sold, but they seemed high quality enough.

There is no wired remote, so you have to use a ML-L7 Bluetooth Remote Control. It’s not as simple as selecting the drive mode to remote. You have to pair the ML-L7 to the camera to use it. Once it’s paired, that mode is always engaged until you unpair it. I’d rather just attach a MC-30 type of wired remote, but that’s the only remote available as of January 2025.

Conclusion

I ended up selling my Zf in January 2025 with 500 shutter actuations. I lost some money, but I look at it as a 2 month rental. I am considering getting a Nikon Z30 at some point so I can use the Z mount lenses I’ve already bought. I was hoping they would upgrade the sensor though since I assume it’s the same one that came on the D500 from 2016! 20mp APS-C sensor in 2025 seems low. 24-32mp seems standard, so Nikon seems to be lagging here. Canon has had 24mp APS-C sensored cameras since 2015 with the M3 and 80D in 2016. The 32mp APS-C sensored cameras since 2019 with the 90D and M6II

Who is this camera for? A former Nikon film shooter like me, or someone who plans to adapt lenses they already own. I do like the look and feature set of the camera, but I’ll stick to shooting with my Lumix S5, S9, and Canon M6II. My next camera will probably be a Nikon Z30 and maybe a used Leica SL-2s or SL-3s.