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Home → Reviews → Cameras and Lenses → Nikon Z7 Review

Nikon Z7 Review

By Nasim Mansurov 159 Comments
Last Updated On January 20, 2022

«»

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Camera Construction and Handling
  • Autofocus Performance and Buffer
  • Nikon FTZ Adapter and Z Lenses
  • Image Sensor
  • Focus Stacking
  • ISO Performance and Camera Comparisons
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
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159 Comments
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steve
steve
December 7, 2023 9:29 am

I have to say it, I have had a d70 d700 d750 d850 and now z711.
three top lenses. I can’t buy a good photo from the thing. yes its sharp as a tack.
the images are flat ,lifeless next to any of these. look on Flickr. zoomed in they fall apart.
I don’t get it. just rent before you buy and look at gallery’s , no pop at all.

1
Reply
Robert John
Robert John
January 27, 2022 6:46 am

I’ve just bought an ‘as new’ ftz. My 70-200/f4 has worked faultlessly on my D7100, D7500 and D610. Not so on the Z5. Autofocus is unenthusiastic and it has completely overexposed images. My 24-200 has worked fine on the Z5 (although I haven’t had it long) so I assume this is the ftz.

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Vitalis Vasylius
Vitalis Vasylius
April 23, 2021 12:29 pm

The review states that using an FTZ adapter does not degrade quality. That’s what Nikon writes. In fact, with all wide-angle lenses (14-24mm), the image quality at the edges deteriorates, and with the aperture open, it is completely unsuitable for use. I did a lot of testing comparing shots with the Z6 and D750, to f2.8. I tested the lenses Nikkor 14-24mm, Sigma 14mm 1.8, Sigma 14-24mm, Sigma 28mm 1.4. They all show poor quality at the edges using the Z6 + FTZ. I wrote about this many times to Nikon, bringing the camera to a Nikon service center, but half a year later, Nikon admitted that there was such a problem and wide-angle lenses were not compatible with the FTZ. However, it did not correct the information on its website. Since I’m doing astrophotography and shooting with f2-2.8, I had to sell all of the aforementioned F lenses because they work poorly with FTZ.

0
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Kaj E
Kaj E
Reply to  Vitalis Vasylius
May 8, 2021 1:55 pm

However the Z 14-24 f/2.8 S is superior to the 14-24 f/G. See reviews on this site.
The new Z-lens is as perfect as i could ever wish on my Z 7 II (only the corners at 24mm could be slightly improved, still now perfect when printed at 19x22in).

0
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VITALIS VASYLIUS
VITALIS VASYLIUS
Reply to  Kaj E
July 30, 2021 9:05 am

I have no doubt that the Z lens is better, but I say that they don’t write about it in the photograph life test. Many people have wide-angle lenses and cannot be used with FTZ.

1
Reply
Alex. Gubariu
Alex. Gubariu
January 19, 2021 6:40 am

Hi! For which lens families does the FTZ adapter save the lens metadata for postprocessing lens distortions corrections?

0
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Rainer Kulartz
Rainer Kulartz
October 7, 2020 6:33 am

Most users of the Nikon Z7 do not see any banding in the photos they take. After two years I know why. When Active D-Lighting is off, there is very seldom banding. But I’ve been using Active D-Lighting for many years with the Extra High setting (in earlier years on the D850 or the D750). Then it happens again and again with the Nikon Z7 (and probably most other mirrorless ones) that the unsightly stripes appear in large dark areas. This happens particularly quickly with high contrasts in the image. The sky in the backlight, the black hull of a ship in the foreground – and there is a lot of banding in the black. So in the future I use Active D-Lighting more in an automatic series of exposures with the levels off and extra high. Then more beneficial image material should be available.

0
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Bart
Bart
August 27, 2020 7:18 am

Hello Mr Nasim.
Is it still interesting to buy the Z7 in 2020? Do you think i should wait?
Is the AF much better then when the cam “debuted”?
Greetings!

0
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George
George
August 26, 2020 3:12 pm

I agree with Nigel that the single card slot is not an acceptable risk if you are a professional. I am speaking as someone who owns and uses both a D850 and and a Z7 and have used both extensively since the Z7 came out.
On the upside, if you are not depending on your camera for income, I would consider the Z7 nearly on par with, or better than the D850 for most shooting. Yes, that includes moving objects where all the naysayers think they are scoring points. Nikon has continued to update the Z since it was released and the latest firmware update produced a camera very similar to the Sony A9 I have used.
Nigel’s comments below also mention quality and design. I would contend that the Sony cameras are junky feeling and less durable than Nikon. Their lenses are amazing for sure.
In summary, the Nikon Z camera(s) are very close in capability to the D850 on moving objects, are better for landscape and video, and are better built than Sony. On the downside, the single card slot and limited Z native lenses available are negatives.
I also hope the Z8 includes 2 card slots. This simple move, along with some time will result in a camera that is better than most others.
I encourage anyone who is considering the Z cameras to find someone who has actually used both cameras more than for a quick evaluation shoot. Many of the reviewers are simply wrong about these cameras. Just saying.

4
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Rainer Kulartz
Rainer Kulartz
May 24, 2020 1:08 am

The banding on the Nikon Z 7 is a problem when taking close-up pictures with a very blurred background. Banding is very common in the semi-dark and very dark areas. – The only disadvantage, but i will never go back to a DSLR.

0
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GS
GS
April 1, 2020 9:15 am

Getting a good deal on Z7 – $1700; it’s a grey market set from a reliable dealer; is Z7 worth at that price range?
Any views / thoughts are welcome.

-1
Reply
GS
GS
April 1, 2020 9:14 am

Getting a good deal on Z7 – $1700; it’s a grey market set from a reliable dealer; is Z7 worth at that price range?
Any views.

-3
Reply

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