▷Nikon Z7 Review: the new queen of mirrorless cameras? 🥇

Tell me the truth, how long have you been waiting for this moment? Well I've been for a long, long time. At the presentation of Nikon z7 e Nikon z6 I wanted to learn as much as possible about these news in order to bring you a detailed review suitable for everyone, as I always try to do. Well that day has finally come and I'm ready to tell you what I liked about this new queen of Nikon mirrorless cameras.

Nikon Z7 video review

Nikon Z7 review: technical characteristics and specifications

Nikon Z7 Monta un sensore 45,7 megapixel backlit BSI, the same megapixels of Nikon D850 on a sensor but a little different and revised specifically for this model. We then find one integrated 5-axis stabilizer, for an AF with 493 phase detection focusing points covering 90% of the frame, ISO range from 64 to 25.600 expandable up to 102400, a burst of 9fps albeit limited to JPEG and 12-bit RAW (therefore not for 14-bit RAW), a 3.69 million dot OLED viewfinder, a rear 2.1 million dot LCD display that can be “tilted” up or down and a third display, this time superior but still OLED, very useful to provide you with the various shooting data in use on the fly. There is also the possibility of recording 4K footage up to 30fps, a 10-bit 4: 2: 2 HDMI output with support for N-LOG, internal video recording up to 100mbps and, of course, the presence of SnapBridge with WiFi and Bluetooth chip to transfer photos and videos to smartphones, tablets and PCs. One of the most talked about features of this mirrorless is definitely the presence of only one slot for XQD type memories, but later I'll tell you better what I think later.

Nikon Z7 review: design and materials

The biggest news is certainly the type of attack, which now measures 55mm in diameter (against the 44mm of Nikon SLRs), that is the 25% larger than Nikon's current F mount. This allows first of all a greater entry of light and the development of completely new lenses with great potential. For example, Nikon is already working on an f / 0.95 lens which, of course, will cost a lot but will guarantee an almost unique brightness.

Taking a small digression, the sensor, as I wrote above, is very similar to that of Nikon D850 but now offers some better features, such as support for ISO 64 (as on Nikon D850) but with a phase detection directly on the sensor. This brings improvements from the AF point of view, as there are now well 493 points, but some problem about the operation according to the light conditions. Nikon claims -1EV operation with an F2 lens, and in fact I noticed this: I had big problems with the AF in low light (but not poor) conditions using the AF-S mode with a 70-200 f / 2.8 lens.

Other than that, the buffer is very limited for a camera of this type: only 25 jpeg files, 23 raw 12-bit and 18 raw 14-bit. Sure, you'll be using XQD memory, so saving and clearing the buffer is very quick, but you will notice a significant slowdown if you do a lot of sports or dynamic photography.

The body is very compact but at the same time incredibly ergonomic: I am absolutely sure in saying that Nikon Z7 is the most comfortable and ergonomic professional mirrorless camera I've ever tried. This is thanks to the new elongated grip that I have not found so far in any other mirrorless, although I'm sure if you play it a lot with the new Panasonic S1 (which I haven't tried yet). I want to point this out to you because I have a big hand and it's one of the first things I look at in a camera. The construction is resistant and tropicalized, the buttons are comfortable and well located. We find two main dials to manage times and apertures and the ISO button which, with a long press, allows us to quickly vary the ISO sensitivity using one of the two dials present in the upper part.

The OLED viewfinder is comfortable, well defined and with a large refresh rate, although on this point I have to point out one thing: I felt as if the firmware of this Nikon Z7 was still in beta because often the proximity detector of the viewfinder works all too well, keeping both display and viewfinder off or turning the viewfinder on unnecessarily even if the camera is distant. In short, it has happened to me too many times that I have to take a photo from below and want to take advantage of the adjustable monitor without being able to do so because the viewfinder remained active. And you will say: well, deactivate the proximity detector and make the switch automatically, right? Quite right, too bad that the item is very difficult to find in the menu and leads to total surrender, especially in dynamic and fast situations. However, compared to the competition I find this detector really too sensitive and with a distance standard too high for my taste.

As for the other buttons, this Z7 is a miniature professional Nikon SLR, and I really appreciated this thing coming from decades of experience with Nikon bodies for business purposes. I immediately found myself with the keys and, although the placement of some dials is different, it's easy to get used to everything. The "mode" button is missing as in Nikon's Pro and there is a dial for the modes, a feature not exactly top of the range but I appreciated the presence of the U1, U2 and U3 functions to create quick recall settings.

One thing I particularly liked is the presence of the classic EN-EL15 battery, the same as found in my Nikon D800 and my Nikon D850, as well as other high-end Nikon SLR cameras. I immediately thought “wow, I can use the thousands of batteries I already have for my Nikons and therefore have infinite autonomy”. Wonderful dream but shattered the moment I found out it's true, I can use my batteries, but I cannot recharge them via the built-in USB port because it is a feature reserved only for the new EN-EL15b.

Nikon this is a bit of an Apple thing though huh.

One thing that I did not appreciate at all concerns the kit optics, a 24-70 f / 4 with which there are no great sparks but which overall remains an excellent all-rounder. The problem lies precisely in the fact that this lens has a position called "rest", a small snap before reaching the focal length of 24mm that blocks the lens for whatever reason. I am used to seeing this feature in very low-end mirrorless cameras and it is not a welcome thing especially if I think of a target of photographers who often find themselves in dynamic “point and shoot, go!” Situations.

The small secondary display at the top is excellent, also OLED, which allows you to have all the camera functions under control and is a feast for the eyes in low-light shooting situations ... it's a pity that AF takes care of it there. to spoil everything.

The weight of this body is equal to 585 grams (for the body only) while the measurements are 134 x 101 x 68, I am satisfied with these characteristics.

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Nikon Z7 review: performance

Nikon Z7 has a 45.7 megapixel sensor. The review of the performance part could almost end here, because after trying the D850 and its sensor I expected the same "treatment" also in this mirrorless, even if, according to my experience, it was not quite so. The photographic quality is very high, nothing to say. I was amazed above all by the dynamic range, which in terms of photography I believe is unbeatable on Nikon bodies. I managed to make some crazy recoveries in the shadows until the final shot almost looked like HDR.

In any case, I absolutely have to go against the trend: the various photographers I spoke to and who tried the Z7 spoke well to the management of noise at high ISO thanks above all to the new processor. EXPEED 6. I, personally, disagree. First of all, I judge the performance in this field lower than Sony A7RIII, but above all, lower than Nikon D850 too. I took a lot of low light photos during a performance at the theater and I was disappointed to notice that already at ISO 5000 the grain was extremely visible, far too much. It looked like there were balloons in the photos and I was amazed, because in the meantime Nikon D850 doesn't behave like that at all.

The point I am touching now is clearly related to specific needs, so it may not be the case for you, but it seemed only fair to report my experience. But I'm sure the ISO performance is better in Nikon Z6, especially as regards a sensor of the same size but with fewer megapixels and less "workload".

On the video side I can tell you that it is a type of camera that I would not buy for major productions. In short, this camera body is dedicated to photography and it is something that is done very well with extraordinary results exactly as I expected. For video, eventually, there is Nikon Z6, right?

I am not convinced by the autofocus of this camera, as I said at the beginning: beyond the difficult management in low light situations, it seems slow and imprecise. I tried all the modes both with kit lens and with other various Nikkor F lenses adapted via the optional adapter, nothing to do, it doesn't convince me.

For heaven's sake, it works, it's pretty fast, but I wouldn't feel like entrusting this AF with a race on the track or a dynamic video where I'm not behind the camera watching.

I mentioned earlier the presence of a adapter that allows you to connect Nikkor F lenses to this camera: the big advantage is that you can still take advantage of it integrated 5-axis stabilizer without any problem whatsoever with any Nikon F lens. Great news I would say. For heaven's sake, the adapter for reflex to mirrorless lenses is not new to Nikon, absolutely, but I feel that in this purely personal case it is a more appreciated thing. Let me explain: I have many Nikkor lenses in my kit and consequently it is easier for me to take advantage of what I have for use with the Z7 in reverse instead of what I can do with my Sony A7III: even by buying a Metabones adapter or similar. however the performance would not be the same. The speech is the same for Canonists who have a large EF-S kit and buy a Canon EOS R. However, the same speech cannot be done with Sony users because, alas, Sony's reflex cameras have not made a great success. , although they were innovative with their electronic viewfinder which was ahead of its time considerably.

Nikon Z7 review: photo gallery

Nikon Z7 review: my conclusions

In Nikon Z7 I loved the spectacular ergonomics, certainly the best ever for a mirrorless, the excellent image quality, the sublime dynamic range and the excellent EVF viewfinder. On the other hand, however, I didn't like the AF decidedly slow and not always precise, excessive electronic noise and the presence of a single memory slot, and on this point I would like to add a detail: I consider this a counter in half, in the sense that it is right in the middle between Pro and Against. If Nikon had only put one memory slot in choosing an SD format then it would have been a full counter, but the XQD is a format that costs a lot but guarantees safety, reliability and performance. It's like having an SSD in the camera, and that's only good. As I see it, the double slot did not come due to a matter of space and current technology, as well as an important faith in the type of technology. It is certain that matrimonialists will continue to want a double slot and perhaps avoid the risk of problems or loss of work, but this, alas, is an extremely subjective opinion, which is why I would like to put this point in the middle.