Nikon Z7 Features Overview
I was lucky to be among the six dozen journalists who were the first in the world to see the new full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z system. Her presentation was held on August 23 in Tokyo. We had the opportunity to ask questions to various representatives of the company, from executives to developers, to observe the assembly of the Nikon Z7 at the Sendai plant, and also to spend a whole shooting day with a novelty in hand. Get a quote Nikon Z7 Read about all this in our exclusive review. The editors are already preparing a big test of the new Z7, as well as Nikon Z 6, the start of sales of which is scheduled for November 2018.NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 220, F8, 1/60 s, 29.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
The emergence of a full-frame mirrorless Nikon system was no secret to anyone. The question was one: when? Now Nikon Z (read as “zed” for the European and as “zi” for the American market) is a fait accompli that immediately posed the second question: what next?
Part of the answer to it was the announcement of the top-end telephoto for SLRs AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f / 5.6E PF ED VR. It’s not just some “fifty dollars” there, it’s the most complicated top-end TV set, for the development and production of which the company spent a lot of resources. So, nobody is going to forget about SLR cameras yet: almost 60-year-old Nikon F mount and young Nikon Z will coexist together. In all interviews, the Japanese spoke directly about this.
An interesting question is with the compatibility of optics. Naturally, the Nikon FTZ adapter was introduced with the camera. It allows you to use Nikon F optics on a Nikon Z mount without any problems. Autofocus for AF-S lenses will be carried out automatically, aperture control and stabilization are also fully supported. Indeed, today it is the trump card of the Japanese manufacturer, which the company will play in the coming year.
Frame shot on Nikon 105mm f / 2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor
NIKON Z 7 Installations: ISO 400, F4, 1/800 s, 105.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
Frame shot on Nikon 105mm f / 2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor
NIKON Z 7 Installations: ISO 400, F5.6, 1/500 s, 105.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 720, F4, 1/60 s, 28.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
Focusing with all lenses - F and Z - is carried out according to the hybrid principle, phase detection sensors are located directly on the matrix. Nikon Z 6 has 273, and Nikon Z7 has 493. Hybrid autofocus may have been the limiting factor that prevented new products from entering the market earlier. Recall that in the Nikon D850 there was a matrix very similar to the Z7, but in the Live View mode the SLR was not focused very confidently.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 1600, F4, 1/60 s, 27.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
From the press there were a lot of questions about autofocus on the eyes. He is not in the cell. Representatives of the company say that such a function may appear later: in new products or new firmware - not reported.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 450, F4, 1/80 s, 70.0 mm equiv.
There is autofocus on faces, and his work did not cause any complaints. Face detection accuracy and sharpness accuracy are high. On dynamic subjects, he also copes well with the task.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 3600, F4, 1/50 s, 24.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
The camera shutter is clearly borrowed from DSLRs: the sound is well known to the Nikonists. Plus, a perfectly working silent mode was added. I did not have the opportunity to shoot dynamics in it, so let's leave the Rolling Shutter test for a big test. The shutter lag is not sensed. The minimum shutter speed is 1/8000 s, the sync speed is 1/200 s.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 8000, F4, 1/60 s, 30.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
Who is the supplier of sensors for new cameras is not officially reported. Both models use back-illuminated matrices. The Nikon Z 6 is 24.5-megapixel, the Nikon Z7 is 45.7-megapixel. The ISO range is from 64 to 25,600 with the traditional possibility of expanding to ISO 31-102,400. In my opinion, in reality, operating values ??extend up to about 8000 units.
The frame was taken with hands at a slow shutter speed with the stabilizer turned on.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 100, F7.1, 1/5 s, 32.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 7200, F4, 1/60 s, 29.0 mm equiv.Download RAW
The stabilization system will also work when using lenses from DSLRs through an adapter, including unstabilized ones.
Optics with aperture f / 0.95 is not just in the company's plans, a prototype of the first lens has already been shown to the press.
DMC-GF7 Installations: ISO 200, F5.6, 1/100 s, 64.0 mm equiv.
Recalling how, at one time, the cropped E-mount suddenly became full-frame, I specifically asked the company representatives the question: is it possible to place a larger matrix behind the Z-mount? The answer was this: the company does not consider such an opportunity. However, I still allowed myself a small field experiment.
Both mirrorless cameras became a serious step forward for the company in the field of video shooting. Both shoot 4K at up to 30 frames / s, Full HD up to 120 frames / s. There is a microphone input and headphone output. All new lenses are calculated taking into account the needs of videographers: silent autofocus as a given, lack of a "breathing effect" during refocusing, smooth tracking autofocus.
There was an option to write to N-Log - this is the company profile of the gamma curve with a depth of 10 bits! There is, however, one “but”: recording should be performed on an external recorder with an HDMI output. This recording is not possible on the memory card.
Memory cards in both cameras of the XQD format: no compromise in speed, no SD. One slot. For better or worse, time will tell. But during the test shooting, I already experienced discomfort, when 32 gigabytes of free space quickly filled up with 45-megapixel RAW files. In my collection there are many carriers - from exotic C-Fast 2.0 to a whole handful of SD, but I have not had time to get expensive XQDs yet. When asked developers why it was expensive and yet rare XQDs that were chosen, we got the expected answer: they are faster. Well, the speed of the Nikon Z7 really can’t be faulted ...
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/1000 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/1000 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/1000 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/1000 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 25600, F4, 1/1000 s, 24.0 mm equiv.
NIKON Z 7 / NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f / 4 S Settings: ISO 100, F8, 1/200 s, 70.0 mm equiv.
The interface does not freeze or lag anywhere. The main sensation, which did not let go even for a second, was that not in the hands of a raw pre-production product, but a thoughtful and rolled-in system. The creators of the camera made the interface very similar to that of DSLRs. Not only the general appearance, but also the menu structure is preserved. The location of the buttons, compared with the DSLRs, is slightly different, but does not cause discomfort.
The screen in both cameras is touchable, inclined, bright and clear - 2.1 million points. There really is nothing more to add: take and take! The same can be said for the OLED viewfinder. I have not heard criticism of him even from photographers in the years that they spent their whole lives with a DSLR. As befits a 2018 camera, there is no delay in the viewfinder, no noise is visible, the image is bright and detailed - 3,690,000 pixels.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to answer the question so exciting for everyone: what is the battery life. During testing, I did not allow the battery to completely discharge, so as not to be without pictures at a crucial moment. Four hundred frames and several minutes of 4K video can drain the battery by about half. But you need to consider: in our hands there were pre-production cameras, and the shooting was carried out in extreme heat (+35 ° C).
