Too often, I’ve seen cameras that have a lot of hype before their release ending up disappointing. We find ourselves caught in the pre-launch hype, then get disappointed when the product finally hits the shelves. This disappointment can stem from cameras that either offer nothing new and exciting or fail to meet the expectations. Amid these letdowns and missed opportunities, the Nikon Zf emerges as a pleasant surprise. It’s not just a romantic throwback to one of Nikon’s greatest cameras – the Nikon FM2; they’ve also introduced some innovative technology that has impressed many Nikon loyalists. All this while keeping a reasonable price compared to similarly-specced existing models. The Nikon Zf is not just another pretty camera; it’s a solid choice for anyone looking to reignite their passion for photography. It offers more than aesthetics and rekindles the joy of capturing the world through a lens.
“Looks just like Papa’s camera,” said many of my family members, referring to Grandpa’s beloved Nikon FM2. A camera that’s dear to my heart for many reasons. But if you thought only the vintage looks endeared me to the Nikon Zf, you’d be mistaken.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-011-770x512.jpg)
Several new features introduced in this camera make it the best choice for Nikon users looking for a more affordable professional full-frame camera. It’s got the Expeed 7 processor to help with the excitingly refreshing AF tracking of the Nikon Z9 or Z8, something that the Z6/7 series of cameras dearly lacked. A world-first 8 stops of in-camera image stabilization has been introduced. And there are a few more features that we’ll quickly go over in this article.
Table of Contents
Gear Used
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-010-770x512.jpg)
I used a Nikon Zf (green skin) loaned to us by Nikon. This was used with my Nikon Z 50mm f1.8S lens (one of the sharpest I’ve ever used) and a the new Nikon 135mm f1.8 S Plena lens. We also received the SmallRig Grip made specifically for the Nikon Zf.
Tech Specs
Taken from the Nikon USA website:
- 24.5 megapixels
- FX (full-format) format sensor
- SD (Secure Digital), UHS-1 and UHS‑II compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards
- microSD cards (UHS-1 compliant microSDHC and microSDXC memory cards)
- ISO 100 – 64000 native range
- 30s (extendable to 900s) to 1/000s shutter speed range
- 273 auto-focus points
- AF Detection Range: -10 to +19 EV
- X=1/200 sec. to 1/250 sec.; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 sec. or slower; Auto FP High-Speed sync supported
- 2360k-dot (XGA) OLED electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage
- 3.2 inch, 2100 K dots, Vari-angle touchscreen LCD
- Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist
- AF modes: Pinpoint, Single-Point, Wide-area AF (S), Wide-area AF (L), Auto-area AF, Dynamic-area (S), Dynamic-area (M), Dynamic-area (L), 3D-tracking, Subject-tracking AF, Wide-area AF (C1), Wide-area AF (C2)
- Inbuilt Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac
- Bluetooth 5.0 capable
- 22.29 oz( 630 g) body weight
Ergonomics
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-003-770x1028.jpg)
Cameras were styled quite differently around the 70s and 80s. Forty years ago, the Nikon FM2 didn’t come with any kind of noticeable hand grip. It would have been super odd for the Nikon Zf to have a pronounced grip like on the Z6. That would totally have killed the aesthetics of the camera. But unlike the Zfc, which has no hand grip, a very subtle one has been added to the Nikon Zf. Not so noticeable that it takes away from the vintage styling, but enough to allow you to comfortably and safely hold the camera. I wasn’t clutching at the camera for fear of dropping it like I did with the Zfc. The inbuilt grip is a lot like the one on the Nikon F3 SLR.
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A Collaboration With Smallrig
If you’re someone who hangs your camera on your side rather than on your neck, the Smallrig grip (an add-on to the Zf in some countries) would be a welcome addition to the camera body for you. It’s much more pleasant to grab this and swing your camera to your eyes when you want to take a photograph. But otherwise, it’s easy to get used to the slimmer grip that the Nikon Zf sports. For all the images you see in the gallery below, I didn’t use the grip. I genuinely didn’t feel the need to have it on to be able to use the camera. The base of the grip is a thin plate with Arca Swiss quick-release compatibility.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-004-770x512.jpg)
If you’ve used Nikon digital cameras for some time now, you’d know that they almost always reserve the round viewfinder for what they consider professional cameras, not even prosumer ones. This would put the Nikon Zf a notch above the Z6 and Z7 series of cameras.
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The switch that allows you to toggle between video and photo mode has a new addition in the Nikon Zf – a black-and-white mode. You can also choose between Flat Monochrome and Deep Tone Monochrome in addition to the standard Monochrome setting for this mode. It takes a while to get used to using this without looking at it, such as when you have your eye up to the viewfinder and want to switch between monochrome and color mode.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-006-770x512.jpg)
For the first time, full-frame Nikon mirrorless camera users have a fully articulating LCD.
Build Quality
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The black magnesium alloy body has a glossy finish, but nothing too shiny. All the dials on the top, the threaded shutter-release button, and the power switch are made of brass. That’ll give some glorious patina as you continue to use it over the years. Maybe it’s just me, but the shutter release sound has a nostalgic click to it. It seems like the dial and button placement on the top of the camera is an exact copy of what’s on the Zfc.
The Nikon Zf weighs about the same as a Nikon Z6 II, so if you’re using one of these bodies,, you’ll be comfortable handling this camera. The Zf feels like it can take a knock or two, unlike many of the modern mirrorless cameras we see today.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-007-770x512.jpg)
On the whole, it feels a lot more solid than the Zfc. A large part of that has to also do with the base plate, which thankfully isn’t plastic this time.
New Features Introduced
Here’s what you need to know!
Eyes-Af For Manual Lenses
The Nikon Zf will move the focus point over the subject’s eyes when people mode subject recognition is turned on. And it doesn’t stop there. Unlike other cameras that can magnify the center of the frame when using manual lenses, the Nikon Zf will magnify the eyes when it recognizes a face, allowing you to fine-tune your manual focus with precision.
8 Stops Of Stabilization
5-axis in-camera Vibration Reduction (VR), up to 8 stops for the first time
Focus Point Based VR
A world-first focus-point VR that adjusts the stabilization based on what subject(s) the camera detects in the focus point.
Pixel Shift
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-12-at-13.24.44-770x481.png)
The Nikon Zf can help you take 96-megapixel images using its Pixel Shift technology. You’ll need version 1.50 of Nikon’s NX Studio for this, and a tripod to keep it steady while it takes the many images needed for NX Studio to blend together. This method also reduces noise and false color (moire) in the resulting image file.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DSC_0203_01-1-770x513.jpg)
Even though my shooting mode was set to JPEG, the 32 Pixel Shift files were taken in NEF RAW format. Because my macOS (Sonoma 14.0) could not recognize the NEF files from the Zf, I couldn’t see the thumbnail previews in my Finder window on the memory card. I had to open NX Studio to be able to see them. Once I clicked on the Pixel shift merge button at the top, it quickly generated a .NEFX file at a resolution of 12096×8064 pixels. What you see above is the jpeg I first took before the pixel shift sequence. Below is an image comparison of the above 24-megapixel image and the pixel shift 96-megapixel image, both zoomed in 100%:
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-12-at-13.36.05.png)
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-12-at-13.36.37.png)
Focus Point Adjustment Via LCD When Shooting Through The Viewfinder
To offset the lack of a focus-point selection joystick, Nikon came up with a really cool idea. You can swipe your thumb across the LCD to adjust the focus point, even if your eye is all the way up to the viewfinder. You can also configure the LCD to perform at least 4 other functions when shooting this way, one of which is to switch the focus between the subject’s eyes.
Autofocus
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-049-770x513.jpg)
Because of the Expeed 7 processor in this camera, the autofocus tracking and accuracy are miles above that of the Z6 and Z7 series of cameras. It’s so intuitive that you hardly ever find yourself having to place a focus point over a subject that you want to because the camera has correctly determined which one you’re looking for. The inclusion of 3D tracking in this camera made photography so much faster and easier. Even something as simple as focus-recompose is faster than before. Nikon claims that human faces can be detected by the Nikon Zf even if they take up only 3% of the frame.
Image Quality
All the images below are unedited jpegs, taken using the Standard picture profile on the Nikon Zf. All black and white images were taken after activating monochrome mode using the dedicated switch. This monochrome mode is such a delight to use that I didn’t feel the need at all to come back and edit them. Also, I don’t know how to pinpoint the reason for this, but images shot on the Nikon Zf seem to have more natural colors compared to those I’ve shot on my Z6 II over the last couple of years.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Feroz-Khan-The-Phoblographer-Nikon-Zf-Image-048-770x513.jpg)
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First Impressions
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It’s really hard for anyone looking to buy a full-frame Nikon camera today to not consider the Nikon Zf. Especially since it comes in at around the same price point as the Z6 II which is 3 years old now. The ergonomics are probably the only thing that might put someone off from wanting to invest in it. All the new features greatly aid your photography process. It’s a camera that I want to have with me all the time to enjoy the process of photography. And with an enjoyable process comes good results and the satisfaction of creating good images. Stay tuned for our full review coming soon.