After weeks of using the Nikon Zf, I think I'm ready to share my final thoughts on the camera. Yay.
Thanks to B&H for the initial loan.
Shop B&H here to support the channel at no cost to you!
bhpho.to/3satYrT
That sensor cleaning video: • My local camera store ...
That Zf ISO instructional video: • How does ISO work on t...
Small rig grip: amzn.to/47mwzOZ
bhpho.to/3MVmznX
First time here? Hi, I'm Omar Gonzalez, a professional portrait and event photographer in the NYC/NJ area. On this channel, we talk about cameras, lenses, and techniques to improve our photography.
My business:
www.omargonzalezphotography.com
Social Follow/Contact me
Instagram: instagram.com/ogonzilla
twitter.com/ogonzilla
***********************************************************************
KZhead Gear
This one filmed ON: bhpho.to/3Va3joa
Mic: bhpho.to/44XqYgZ
Light: bhpho.to/3evKjhO
Tube lights: bhpho.to/3WkwB42
***********************************************************************
#nikonzf #nikon
Start watching Omar because of his humor, stayed because now is a Nikon guy. Just kidding. 😊 Thanks Omar!
Coming from Sony. I'm really enjoying using this camera with my GM and Voigtlander lenses on the Megadap adapter. The aperture rings work perfectly and autofocus is fast enough for casual photography.
Glad that's working for you. The Megadap adaptor sent to me by the company stopped working during a shoot...so I took my review videos down.
The instant BW mode is highly underrated on this camera. Paired with using vintage glass, I didn't think it would make that much of an impact but wow.
You and Camera Conspiracies have a very similar sense of humour.
Love that channel
I'm loving the Z f videos, keep'm coming.
Great Nikon Zf review! I just purchased one too because of all the reasons you made in your excellent review.
I honestly love third party grips. Just having the choice to grip or not is game changing. It's great to have a compact set up some days and chunkier one when you need it. Plus, the Etsy artisans make some nice handmade wood ones too. 😎
Omar, congratulations with your new devoted subscriber (me)! Excellent video, the best IMHO even after I have watched almost everything on this new Nikon camera from famous professional reviewers. I still use my beloved Nikon D5500 and looking for upgrade. I am an amateur and cannot allow myself several cameras for different use cases, so Nikon Zf seems to me good enough as travel, landscape and even wildlife camera. Thank you very much for the video and no, you were not monotonous))))
love my blue Zf - such a piece of art with superb IBIS and lowlight capabilities
THIS WILL BE AN EMOTIONAL PURCHASE!!! I will be selling my Canon R6 kit to purchase this camera! 😂Thank you for your all your hard work and being so informative and entertaining. My favorite channel. 😊👊🏾
I just got the Zf … i am in love 😊
Love the colors!
The Zf is a rockin low light king . I love it 🥰 Thank you for all your amazing videos !!!❤
KZhead did me good today for routed me to your channel. You kill it with this review with great information and kept me watching with your humor haha Such a sexy camera 📷 indeed! I’ve been shooting with the older brother Nikon DF for over 10yrs. Patiently waiting for the younger brother ZF to arrive in the mail 😊
Wow. The audio from the inbuilt mics and that total automatic video segment was excellent.
I thought the very same thing. Impressive.
Loved this video, Omar!
Omar, just so you know : Fujifilm and Nikon use two different ISO standards, that lead to two different exposure values at the same ISO. Fujifilm is using SOS (Standard Output Sentitivity) and Nikon (as well as Canon, Sony and pretty much everyone else) is using REI (Recommended Exposure Index) What that means in practice is that the Fujifilm exposes about 1 stop lower at the same ISO / shutter speed / aperture settings as other cameras. Effectively, Fujifilm is saying that they're using an ISO 1 stop higher compared to if they were using REI. So an X-Pro 2 / X-T2 having an ISO sensitivity range of 200-12800 natively would have a 100-6400 range if it was using REI. That means that if you want to match the exposure, and do an apple to apples comparison with cameras using REI, you need to use an ISO 1 stop higher. So comparing ISO 800 on Nikon with ISO 1600 on Fuji for example.
I'm sure he used manual exposure, yet we saw no visible exposure difference with Fuji at the same ISO value, shutter speed and aperture. So we see no real world proof of your statement. So that means if he would have used one stop higher ISO on the Fuji, the Fuji image would have too bright. On another note, with the Z8, there clearly was a exposure difference - the Z8 image being visibly darker @ 15:32 . So I wonder what went wrong there.
@@caleidooI know where you’re coming from, but the guy who’s comment you are critiquing is actually spot on and it’s well documented in old Fuji iso discussions. Look at old comparisons between Sony Nex and Fuji XF for more intel on the subject. And to avoid triggering anyone here, Fuji are a great brand but they’re marketing bud has always been a bit shady. Fuji GFX II sensor readout fudging, ISO values, Autofocus speed numbers.
@@roscot40 I never said he was wrong about what Fuji uses as ISO standard - everybody knows this because there is always at least one guy that drops this in the comments. I only said that what he claimed ("Fuji's ISO value is actual one stop different compared to others") just doesn't show in the actual images we saw. Everybody can see this: there is no difference in exposure or brightness, when all is equal. Not sure why you ignored that part, it's the core of my comment. And why are you talking about triggering? I shoot Fuji. Nobody needs to feel hurt for reading facts or even opinions about a brand or camera. We're all adults here, no?
@@caleidoo the “triggering” ref was not for you, but for some of the more fanatical Fuji-ites.
While you are right, that probably wouldn’t make much a difference. I have both the Z6 II and the XPro2 and even when shooting both at base ISO the Nikon is a lot cleaner than the Fuji. Which is not really surprising though, considering the Nikon has a much newer BSI sensor and is fullframe at the same resolution, while the Fuji still uses the old FSI sensor
I've been shooting Nikon since 1988 and fell in love with the retro style of this camera. Mine has not arrived yet. I do a lot of night street photography and neon photography. I like how small it is with the lack of grip because I really hope it will still fit in my hoodie pocket. (safety reasons) unlike my Z6ii. And the fully articulating screen will save me some knee issues at low angle. It will replace either the Z6ii or my Fuji XE4.
Thank you Omar! For great content. As usual! Take Care!
I just bought one online yesterday. I was really disappointed to find that there is NO battery charger included.None of the reviews I watched mentioned this vital piece of information. I wasn't warned that there is no charger in the "kit" and without one it's just an expensive paper weight until I manage to get hold of one. You can't do anything with it until you charge the battery..It will be a couple more days until the charger arrives...I'm dying to use my new Zf! Pretty cheap of Nikon in my opinion. Nice review Omar! Actually more than nice. It's one of the best reviews of the Zf that I have seen. Just subscribed.
Love your channel - the quality of the audio is very good.
I bought the Zfc as a walk around camera, the Zf came out right after I made that purchase. I’d love the FF but am really happy with the APC version. I just got back from Utah and the Zfc did great on auto for shots riding around sightseeing. Thanks for the review.
same here .. but .. the ZF is just too good .. I now have both LOL !!
I just bought ZFC for my first time Nikon. need to save up more money for ZF coz its quite pricey for me at this moment. :)
Thanks Omar- great review of the camera
Have it and love it, the 40 and 28 se are fantastic.
Couldn't decide 40/28 but I have the little Ricoh GR which is 28mm....so 40. :)
I was actually thinking about getting those two exact lenses with it and later on get a 24-70 when I can afford it. Are the 28 and 40 sharp?
@@xchumpthey are sharp enough for me. I would suggest trying them out first before purchasing.
The colors look magnificent. Nikon colors are beautiful
I am quickly falling back in love with Nikon b/c of getting this camera.
Thanks Omar, informative & entertaining.
Great review, as always, Omar! I'm a science prof. and recently picked up this camera for my lab. We'll be using it for a variety of projects, including lots of macro imaging work. It is an AWESOME lab camera! The flippy screen allows easy viewing from any angle, the dials are very convenient for setting exposure when the camera is anchored to a lab bench or tripod, and the overall design is super accessible (not as initially overwhelming as modern programmable buttons & wheels) for my undergrads, many of whom are learning about photography for the first time in my lab. 👍
Yay Science!!!!!❤
Pffffff I absolutely don’t need it but the minute I saw it for the first time my mouth was watering 🤤🤤 I lost the battle to GAS long time ago so the heck…I bought the Zf and honestly, what a fantastic camera for the price. You are right, it is uncomfortable to hold, it is heavy BUT the build quality is great and I appreciate a well built camera, and, with the handgrip it improves a lot and becomes less uncomfortable to hold. This is my new all around camera, I like it with the small 28mm and 40mm lenses, and I will also use the Zf with my Voigtlander manual focus lenses from my Nikon F film cameras, with the FTZ II adapter. Great combo.
That noise looks awesome
Omar sure makes entertaining videos. I've owned the Z9 for about a year now and it does a great job taking sports. The Z9 also had memory banks which I can store presets for my favorite settings but it has no internal memory and the shooting banks are stored on the memory card so when I change CF express cards I have to resave the banks each time as they will be lost. It sure would be nice if the Z9 had a micro SD which would give the camera some "built in" memory. I am waiting now for my Zf to arrive from Adorama. Great video Omar, thanks....
Great video bro! Can’t wait to get mine
Aside the easily fixable ergonomics issue VRYthang is PERFECT!
Great review as always, Omar, and the usual Omar-delic fun to watch it. :-) About exchanging lenses - coming from the 35mm SLR days since the 80s (really!), one does *always* exchange lenses with the camera mount pointing down, and never on location, means outside the house...that's what i do for decades. ;o)
I'm excited!
Hoping my pre-order will arrive before the end of the year. This is the camera I've been waiting for and it sounds like Nikon did not disappoint. Originally I would have preferred the Z7 II's 40+ MP sensor, but having used the X-T5 for a while I think 24 MP is better most of the time. Smaller files, faster to edit on the computer, still room to crop. If you get an absolute banger of an image, you can use one of the up-rezzing AI tools to increase the size for prints. So excited for mine to arrive.
Sounds like you ordered a colored one!?
@@ogonzillaNo, I ordered from B&H (body only) and they couldn't tell me when it would be available. I'm hoping maybe they're holding onto them through Black Friday so they can sell as many 24-70 kits as possible, then ship just the bodies. I've seen some rumors that they're backordered until spring 2024. 😳 Excited to use my F lenses (28 f1.4, 105 f1.4, 24-120 f4) and some older vintage lenses with it, whenever it manages to get here.
Hi Omar, love your videos and in particular this one. I have several Fujifilm cameras and love them, but I had the chance to test the Zf for some days and man I loved the handling, beefy body (like my old Nikon analogs), reactivity. But I really love the black and white straight out of cam. I reminded me the original X100 deep blacks that I loved. I missed the joystick and did not like the touch-screen emulation.
It's a superb camera and a joy to use. The dials do not hinder you during most shooting scenarios and the AF is far superior to the Z6ii.....feels like a proper, robust, pro camera....and it's at a great price point! As for the B+W mode....as others have stated, it is a game changer and it means you can take colour and B+W photo's of the same scene to see how you prefer each one....maybe not mind blowing but such an easy and obvious feature that should now be made as standard
Nice to see you are using DxO PhotoLab I use version 6 and than the noise can get even a lot cleaner than 12800 ISO
The TTartisan AF 32mm f2.8 is perfect for the ZF, some Viltrox AF lenses are small too
Hey Omar been following your channel for a while now and just want to say amazing presentation and work as always! I committed to the ZF and loving the tactile feel and this is coming from the XT5. While there is nothing wrong with the XT5 what I find the ZF does is it makes you want to go out and shoot more often. There is something nostalgic about this camera harkening back to the film days!
thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!
The camera did very well in the autofocus mode n will consider getting one.
I have the same problem using the LCD, need the readers. PITA digging them out when I need them. So, I shoot EVF all the time. I think the biggest issue for me is the price. I know it's full frame, but $2K is still a lot of money to me. Wow, crazy how grown up your "little girls" is now. My daughter will be 20 in January. Can't believe it!! Have a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Love your review thanks....
Thanks Omar I enjoyed your review. Emotional purchase yes but I loved my FM2 back then so while this does not have the same experience I am using it as far as possible as I would a film camera. Keep us up to date on your experiences with the Zf.
I'd love to own one for my vintage lenses. Its a NICE looking camera.
This is so crazy! I love this review because it captures just about everything I feel about the ZF as well. And you nailed it with the lack of user settings and the mic port as frustrations that I didn't even touch on but feel entirely the same about. Such a great review!
Zf Reviews on the same day!!! We’re twinsies.
@@ogonzilla 💫💫
I'm almost glad this did not come out 6 months before it did or I might have bought it over the GFX 50S II that I've been wanting forever and finally bought.
I use a Voigtlander 40mm 1.2, sometimes a Z 24-70mm 2.8. I don't shoot weddings... I've never experienced any discomfort or awkwardness from the default grip. /shrug. Also - love your videos. Also your photography! Happy Thanksgiving.
Wow what a good review! I can't hold this camera and the dials are hard to turn, so I got the z6ii, much better. I like that I can save settings on my camera.
Nice video Omar, first time seeing your channel!
Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very nice presentation Omar. Really great colours out of the ZF both vs Z8 and Fuji. The nicer level of detail vs the Fuji is also clear. Z6III might be the camera for every scenarios.
Did you notice any color difference between zf and the z8 files?
@@piyushshaw3969did you watch the video?
Been looking forward to this video! I traded my A7C and Z5 for the Zf. Little bit pricey but I'm so thrilled with it. Works great as a documenting family camera, and I know I can use it for paid gigs when I need to. I'm 30 years old and I only started shooting 5 years ago so the retro element is completely new for me, but I love the tactileness of it and it's so hefty!
Enjoy!! Can definitely be a work camera
does it have 10bit 422 or 420?
I love the idea of a retro style dslr. I would like to hold it first but sounds like thats going to be a few months before its stocked in stores. The dust part does worry me because I have been spoiled with the Canon (DSLRs,R,R6,R6II,R5) anti dust system. My A73 and A74 was a dust magnet and when I didnt have a ND filter with me the videos had at least a few spots no matter how well I cleaned weeks prior. My last Nikon was an Coolpix 995 and Its definitely time to try the Niikon again. Was thinking 2 lenses. 40SE F2 and the 180-600. That should cover me. Thanks for the review.
Held it in the shop and I must admit it felt wonderful. Like a proper bit of kit. Made me review my life (GAS) choices!
I think you missed one feature you used to like it a lot. On Fuji X-T20 there's an auto switch. ZF has it too with the pAsm dial. It's nice to have that in case you need to just switch it to A and don't think about it.
Hi Omar, Thanks for the great review of the ZF. I have a tough decision - Moved from Canon APSC to the Nikon Z5 a couple of years ago and love it. Now wanted to move to the ZF but my only reluctance is the lack of User settings in the ZF- I love that about the Z5/6/7. Are there any work arounds that would help moving from one style of photography to another on a ZF? I mainly do landscapes and want to move to wildlife as well- have a tiger safari booked for Feb 2024 else would have waited for the z6iii. You thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Fun and informative review as always. How does the nikon B/W compare to fuji acros I wonder?
I started off with the XT20. A bit of a emotional purchase and upgrade over my Xpro3. Upgrading into Fujifilm or XT5 never appealed to me. Probably because the older XTrans sensors were satisfying enough. It just made sense upgrading to FF.
Wonderful review and overview. Thank you. I love your style and love the peek into your private life. Are all the images shown taken straight from the camera? If so, which picture control settings do you prefer the most?
Great review, cool camera. I'm waiting for Z7iii 💜. Omar, could you plz share your calibrated Capture One's/Lightroom's camera profiles you've created for Nikon Z? Looks very nice. It would be very helpful. Many thanks in advance! 😊
Well nice review and nice camera too, but I am still amazed to see an Aps-c X-Pro standing next to FF camera! BTW long live to the inventions of Mr Tesla.
Great review, Omar. Your B&W photos really pops. Amazing.
Great review, Omar. Recently purchased it with small rig and 24-70 mm kit lens. I’m yet to learn how to use it since I’m switching over from DSLR - D 500 and D850 - to the mirror lens. I am a casual landscape photographer but a serious amateur bird and butterfly photographer. My only worry is that there is lot of dust where I live, in Punjab, in India. How the sensor exposed to the atmosphere and dust when changing the lenses can be saved from being spoiled by the dust particles. Any suggestions, please. I would highly appreciate any input in this regard.
I was waiting for your review. I have not switch to mirrorless. However, this is an interesting camera. One question I have lots of AIS nikon lenses and would like to know if you you any manual lens? As always top content. Best wishes for the 2024
Great review. Just found it weird this other review on KZhead, a guy mentioned that in studio the colours of the ZF were greenish, and showed a couple of examples that scared me a bit, but found that really odd.
The greens & yellows from the Zf are beautiful. Nikon yellows are French’s while Fuji yellows are almost Grey Poupon. Been shooting Zf side by side with X-T5 for over a week now.
mmm....mustard. :)
@Omar, I wish I could afford your camera collection. Nice balanced review.
Of course we don’t NEED it but boy do we want it. Just wasn’t loving the Xt5 and the Zf walks in the room. Love it, makes me want to go & take photos again, still getting used to it. Keeping older Xt2 & 20 which I enjoy, and Z7II for serious stuff. It’s all about what makes us happy. Great video.
Interesting. What didn't you like about the xt-5 seeing you have the older xt2 and enjoy that one? I have the xt2 myself and have been debating on getting either the xt5 or getting the zf. How would you compare the image quality?
@@xchump I found the buttons on rear of Xt5 different to Xt2. Kept landing on Q menu by accident. Images had bit more noise though probably on par with Xt2. Image quality and low light performance are really good on Zf though it is different user experience to Z7ii as no joystick and that articulated screen. There is no perfect camera, wish it was less expensive to hire for shorter periods so we could really assess what suits best. Have done more research on Xt5 and how the Q menu works and of course there is bird detect which Zf doesn’t have.
Trully enjoy your videos Omar, sometimes they inspire me, sometimes they brighten my day or makes me laugh, but you never fail to bring good emotions, thank you! Best wishes from Lithuania
Thanks for watching! Have a great day. :)
Hi Omar, could you share the parameters of the new BW pictur controls? I wish I could try them on my Z8, thanks! Top videos
Ommmm.... It's good to slo-dowwn: Nikon Zf. 😊
Omar!! Great review. What monitor are you using?
What’s with the red shutter button. That adds a nice touch. How can we get one?😊
I don't know if anybody commented on that, but you don't have to put the ISO dial on C to switch the camera into auto ISO. The dial indicates the lower bound of ISO in Auto-ISO mode.
Sensor cleaning - Unlike other Nikon Z cameras the IBIS mech. is not locked when the camera is turned off. Nikon Australia suggested you never clean the sensor yourself. But if you must the camera should be left in the `On' position
@10:55 and the A9ii b/w jpegs are also really great. But ppl always just talk about other things with the A9, or forget that the 1st and the 2nd versions have different jpegs.
Hey Omar , this is a nice video, but I have a small question. Should I buy Nikon ZF or Sony A7iv for all kind of jobs?!
lol I had pause and lmao. 🤣Needing readers does change/affect how you shoot. Great that you pointed that out . 😂
Thanks for the review. I can’t afford the z8 or z9, however I need to get in to the mirrorless game. Currently have a D850. I’m thinking this could Be my entry in to mirrorless To I can start buying z lenses so when the time comes to go z8 or 9, I have a few lenses ready to go.
The lack of a sensor shield kills this for me. I struggle already to keep the sensor of my Z 7II clean. I don’t want to repeat that experience now that have a Z 9 and have seen the promised land. The Zƒ body is also a bit larger than I’d like. Plus, I know from having owned the Dƒ that I wouldn’t use the analog dials very much at all because I prefer the 1/3 EV precision, speed and continuity with my other Nikon bodies of using the command and sub command dials.
O man, I love the ZF. Thank you, Nikon, for not uping the megapixels and keeping that lovely low-light performance and rich colours.
By default, you can't take photos in video mode, and you can't shoot video in photo mode. This may sound dumb, but I think it's a great feature. I went to a friend's part once, and I was taking photos in video mode on my D850 the whole afternoon and night. I was wondering why my metering was so off while I had my A and S settings exactly the way I wanted them. For people do not spend an hour digging everything option in the menu system, Z f out of box is so friendly. One thing thou, I constantly press WB button when I change menu items, or when I hold the camera in my left hand to show my screen to others.
3:45 the Bank A shot looks incredible, is that SOOC?
Watching this because I'm curious about the Z6iii. If they put a 30 MP stacked sensor, with the Z8 processing, a glasses friendly EVF and a reasonable price...
I hate you now, I watched you from the days of the X-T20, I had one 👌 I’m back to Nikon with the Z6ii for the last 7 months, and now you do the best reviews of the Zf on YT. And I want one..🤨 had the Zfc, didn’t like the DX format but, since watching your videos, I’m gonna be poor….🧐🤣🤣👍👍
Stop listening to me. lol
Almost the same journey for me except I bought a Z6 before Omar did 😂
Hello Omar, I follow you and you are fantastic, just a suggestion to do a test of the Nikon Zf in low light because it is declared as -10EV, which currently no mirrorless camera can do, personally I have not found a single test of whether the Zf in low light really shatters vs z9/z6 etc?! Just a suggestion that you do it for all of us and show what Nikon can do!
Great content Omar!! I always enjoy your videos! I probably wouldn’t buy one myself because I love shooting with my Z8. I also shoot with the Z9, but I mainly use that for studio work.
The most impressive part of this video is the teenage daughter who still hangs with her dad. I'm happy for you, guys. And the camera is... another camera. Better use what you have and if some money are burning a hole in your pocket, buy a cool, expensive lens instead. 😉
she's a good kid. :)
Just switch the video to the Zf, the Sony’s colours are not great. Thanks a lot for this very informative video. I’ve just “downgraded” from X-T3 to X-E4, so I’ve had my GAS fix. I would need a lighter option similar to the A7Cii to switch to Nikon for my use case (enthusiast traveller / city dweller).
I know it's such an annoying nitpick but I wish Nikon would use a better sounding shutter in this camera. It's just so loud and sloppy sounding. This camera seems amazing other wise and definitely seems to avoid that cheap toy feeling that I found the Zfc had. Great review as always.
Hey Nice Review, Please suggest me between Zf and canon R6II.
This camera would look amazing with the Z Mount Voightlander lenses.
I love my 40mm f/2 I use on my z6II Thanks for the comparison on the auto -focus. Can you tell if its so much faster, as a z8?
A lot of people compare the ZF to a Fujifilm XT5 or other XT bodys, for me a camera is only as good as the lens that supports it, now Nikon makes some good Z glass but they come with a price, the 28mm and 40mm get good reviews but the one deal breaker is the plastic lens mount ,so I give the lens nod to Fujifilm, now I know that you can use older Nikon with an adapter but that defeats the purpose of using a compact camera, no joystick and no port for a wired remote that I use when using a tripod. I tried using an old fashioned remote that screws into the top of the shutter button but couldn't get it to work. None of these are a problem because I have other cameras that I use for tripod use.
Finally! Nikon finally released a hipster camera for people who dont like Fuji.
Hi omar As a wedding photographer zf or z8. Compare af is important to me
Excellent review Omar. I am still trying to get my review finished. Hard to argue with your findings for sure.
Omar… if you had to give away either your ZF or Z8 (they’re both capable devices)… which one goes?
Funnily, Ruger ships a couple different size grips in the box with some of their handguns. Ergonomics matter. Would be lovely if camera manufacturers did the same.
I hope they will make bigger grip 🙏
Hi Omar, what Zoom lense do you recommend for this lense. I was hoping the Tamron 35-150mm but I think it would be too unbalanced for time camera due to the external grip size