Nikon ZF - farsamkeit

The new Nikon Zf with 40mm f/2.0 Special Edition

The full-frame retro camera is here: the Nikon Zf

Nikon has announced the ZF as of today. And yes, it looks gorgeous.

Edit: And it feels that part, too! Having handled the Zf in the meantime I have to say there’s nothing cheap about it. It feels solid and dense, the brass dials click wonderfully in place.

But what does it have to offer apart from the looks? Let’s take a look.

The same 24mp sensor?

It seems the same sensor as in the z6/z6II is being used, perhaps slightly modified. Video specs are about the same, and so seems image quality.

Update: The Nikon Zf has been added to DPreviews studio comparison tool and it indeed performs very similar to the Nikon z6II. Check it out here.

That’s not a bad thing in my book. From iso6400 and onward it still is the best performing sensor out there. Personally I prefer that over the slight increase in Pixels as in the Sony a7 IV, which starts to fall behind at high iso. To sum it up the Zf brings the same solid performance to the table as the z6II.

It not only feels solid but is weather sealed to Nikon standards as well.

Anything new in this retro body?

Yes, of course. There’s Expeed 7 inside and with it the whole new AF system already known from the z8/z9. Some people will find some differences here, but to me it’s overall in the same ballpark after handling both cameras recently. The viewfinder experience is much improved over the z6II as well but it still is somewhat laggy at fastest FPS. All in all the performance is much better than the previous generation.

Then there is improved IBIS and pixel shift high resolution modi, a first for Nikon. There are several options, some will reduce noise in images, some will reduce noise and increase resolution to 96mp. The images must be combined on a computer, Nikon’s free NX Studio software allows to do this.

Two card slots are available, in the form of an SD card slot and – a first for a grown up Nikon – a micro SD slot. Some people will loathe this decision by Nikon, as those tiny cards can be fiddly. Based on my experience with my little Nikon, the j5, I think it’s a good move to save some space. In the Zf I would use it like an in-build backup memory, using the SD card in slot 1 to transfer images to the PC.

Swivel screen for content creators – or hide it entirely for the full retro experience!

Monochrome mode

Being a retro camera the Zf sports a new monochrome mode. With the flick of a switch the camera goes over to B&W. However, only JPEG images are in B&W, the underlying RAW files remain in color. There are new B&W picture profiles to go with the monochrome mode as well.

And of course – the dials!

It’s already the biggest debate on the net – the dials and the handling of the Nikon Zf. It’s possible to use the Nikon Zf like any other Nikon, via front and rear dials. If used this way the pretty dials – and yes, they beautifully click step by step – are just decoration. Of course you can then decide if you want to use one, two, or all three dials (ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation.) Aperture typically stays at the front dial, with a small window on the top plate showing the dialed in f-stop.

Of course there are those who want lenses with clickable aperture rings. If you point them to the beautifully crafted Voigtländer lenses made for the Z system, they will complain about those being manual focus only. Yes, of course you can find your niche, why a Nikon ZF doesn’t work for you.

The same goes for the ISO dial and PSAM switch. Nikon’s dials function differently from those from Fujifilm and if you expect it to be the same you will be disappointed. The PSAM switch works the same as it did on my Nikon FA form the 80ies, so no problems for me. The same goes for the ISO dial, it’s not the same as on a Fujifilm. To switch from autoISO to manual you have to go into the menu (make it the top item of ‘My Menu’ to have it handy) or program a button (video recording for example) as a toggle.

What the ISO dial does in autoISO mode is simply rising your minimum ISO setting. That’s an interesting and useful function when for example in aperture priority mode. C in this case is full autoISO (as you’ve set it in the menu). If you then change the ISO dial it changes/raises your minimum ISO. Let’s say your lens is wide open, your minimum speed set in autoISO is 1/15sec, and that’s what you end up with. However, suddenly there are people in your image, you want a faster shutter speed. Instead of going into another mode you can simply up the ISO dial, with the shutter speed getting faster as a result. Done. This can be very useful if you actually can wrap your head around it.

Which lenses for the Zf?

Another complaint is that there aren’t really any suitable lenses for the Nikon Zf. They are either too big, don’t have an aperture ring, or don’t look the part. As usual I disagree. In my opinion the Zf isn’t made for those who plan to use large lenses in photo sessions lasting for many hours. It’s more for those who take some images, carry it on the strap or in a bag, take some more images, carry again. If you do like a grip there’s one (edit: several in the meantime) available and it looks like it has always been there if mounted. Apart from that all but the biggest lenses (super teles, 1.2 primes, big S class f/2.8 zooms) are a great match for the Nikon Zf. Contrary to many other’s opinion I think the modern, minimalist look of the Z lenses suits the Zf very well – see the sample below, with the 17-28mm f/2.8 lens attached. Add to that the 1.8 S series prime lenses and you already have a wide choice of lenses. That said I wouldn’t be surprised if Nikon comes up with a limited set of retro lenses with aperture ring – let’s say a 35/58/85mm f/1.4 trio at about US$1500 each.

Nikon’s minimalist Z lenses go well with the retro body – ZF with 17-28mm f/2.8

How about manual focus?

The manual Voigtländer lenses were mentioned above, but of course you can adapt about every manual lens to the Nikon Zf using various adapters. The cool thing about manual focus on the Zf is that it works with all the modern AF tech. You will get face and eye detection for your manual lenses. Simply zoom in by a single button push, focus, and take the image. Accurate focus full manual, easy and fast.

No film simulations

Over at Fujifilm-land many users rave about the film simulations available. Nikon doesn’t offer film simulations – likely for copyright reasons – but calls it ‘creative picture controls’ with names such as ‘Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Red, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary, Carbon’. Personally I prefer the standard setting and apply style during post processing, but for those who wish there are plenty of choices. Those are ‘burned in’ if you use JPEG format for your images. However, using NEF these profiles might not show in anything Adobe (or other software) and you would have to use Nikon NX Studio to have them display correctly with your NEF files. You can modify such styles or even create your own in Nikon’s Picture Control Utility.

Color options

Six colours – available exclusively at Nikon stores only.

Last but not least the Nikon Zf comes in six different colours in addition to the standard black. Usually, those have to be ordered through Nikon and it might take a while until you get yours. If I ever get a Zf for myself, then I sure would want one of those gorgeous colours. There are more subtle brown or grey options available, real classy looking, but I would likely go for the blue or even the crimson red one. It’s eye-catching, definitely a beauty!