In part 2 of my in-depth Z7 review I'll discuss image quality, show you all of the movie features and demo SnapBridge wireless! Order the Z7 from B&H: bhpho.to/2FAGmIX Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's book at Amazon: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Like Cameralabs? Get the T-Shirt: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop My Nikon Z7 review: www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z7-review/
absolutely love your reviews, Gordon, the best in the business! Someone needs to remind Nikon you exist, it's sad there's no cameralabs ZF review - but whenever I need authoritative opinions on a camera, new or old, you're aways my first port of call :)
Superb, concise but comprehensive review both part one and part two - thanks Gordon. I bought the Z7 for landscapes and travel to compliment my D500 which I use for action, it’s the ergonomics and the ability to adapt my DSLR nikon lens selection that enticed me. There's no perfect camera, however most cameras will deliver high quality but it’s up to the photographer to make that happen!
Your review of features is the most straight forward I have seen on the Z7. I had one for a week on loan and it sure would have been to have seen this before trying to figure out all the features. It was easy to move between the Z7 and D850 however, just not knowing which settings were best for the situations until experimenting a lot. I am not an action shooter so did not notice the missed focus like you did in burst mode. I had a hard time putting the camera down, the EVF was so stunning. It seems to focus a lot better than my D800 workhorse but not as sure as the D850 which is excellent. The loan test convinced me to get the Z7 or Z6, probably the 6 because of the lower cost and for my studio work, I think many of its features are going to waste since I already have the D850 and D800 and could sure use a travel and event camera(ballet-silent shutter, fast lenses next year and video), jazz clubs. The 24-70 f/4 really impressed me, it is sharper than my 24-70 2.8G and E in the corners. I look forward to the 85 1.2. The camera felt so solid, and the grip although small for my large hands felt secure and comfortable, unlike my friend's z7III which has poor ergonomics and build quality.
Thanks Stan, you might also enjoy Thomas's review of the lenses at cameralabs.com . PS - if you end up buying one online, please do consider going through my links here or at cameralabs as it really helps keep me in business, thanks!
@@cameralabs Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I have to buy it locally or out of the country because there has been a lot of interrupted sales lately since I am in St Petersburg Russia many of the US stores will not send anything here and the European stores which do, are $800 higher. I seldom go back home to the US where I would normally get it from either B&H or a small good service mom&pop store I have gotten most of my cameras from. It takes me only a couple hours to get to Finland but prices there are higher than here. I got my D850 here, when it was back ordered for many in the US, 4 stores had them sitting on the shelve within walking distance. If I go back to the US next month of January I will use your links. You provide a valuable service that deserves support. I just sent a donation to the coffee fund. Have you considered a Patreon account. Those who would like to support the video production could help fund it monthly
Great review Gordon. As a Nikon user since the mid 1980,s I am seriously considering buying this camera. However, my only grip with the Z7 is that it only supports one memory card. This however I think I can live with as I currently own a Nikon D850 and D4s both of which support XQD cards and I have never had one of these fail on me. The other smart play in buying the Z7 is that I can use all my existing F mount lenses with it via the adaptor. Thanks for the review it was a great help.
Always excellent videos! I’ve been watching yours ever since the era of the Nikon D40 which was my first DSLR. Now I’ve got the D750 and the Z6 which is a nice combo. Keep up the good work.
Gordon Laing it’s VERY similar to the z7. The focusing seems about the same. The buffer seems impossible to fill because the XQD card is so fast. I’m looking forward to the native lenses and perhaps a new version with sophisticated enough AF to replace the DSLR. But the z6/7 is a nice hybrid video/stills camera and I like the build quality, weather sealing, and the ease of use and in camera time lapse.
Awesome pair of videos on the Z7, thank you for putting them together. I am looking forward to getting my Z7 in the next few weeks as it will give me everything I want, great image quality, IBIS, ability to use my range of Nikkor lenses on the new camera, who would have thought that my AIS lenses from the mid 1980's would be useable on a digital camera in 2018 and have some form of stabilisation, its brilliant!! Not planning to use the camera for serious sport photography albeit I am sure the odd sporting occasion (e.g. our dog chasing the ball up the beach) will no doubt be covered as the prime use will be for landscapes and travel photography. The single card slot doesn't worry me, the XQD cards have proven to be very reliable, far more than SD cards and I haven't had a failure on one of those, in addition the move to CFexpress at some point in the future can be accommodated with a simple firmware upgrade. Having had the opportunity to use a Z6 and Z7 I have to say that the cameras are very solid, very well built, they sit well in the hand, and compared to my Nikon FX DSLR the cameras are compact in size and weight. I haven't had the opportunity to try the EOSR but IMHO the Nikon's feel better than Sony others may disagree. One point that no one mentions in their reviews is the lenses, they are bigger than what I expected, Nikon's response was that they have gone for a quality design rather than compromise, although smaller lenses will be launched in due course. Once again a great review, well done.
Thanks Martin, they sound like a good fit for you - and as for lens size, just look at the ones for the Canon EOS R and I think you'll find the Nikon Z ones quite compact! The thing is, they still have to cover a full-frame sensor, so they're not going to be massively different to full-frame DSLR lenses. PS - if you're buying online, please do consider going through my links here or via cameralabs.com, thanks!
Hi Gordon...Excellent review of the Nikon Z7! As a landscape and product STILLS X-T3 shooter (no video), I have been debating on selling my Fuji kit (reluctantly), and moving into FF, specifically the Nikon Z7. Since I shoot 99% tripod-mounted, neither IBIS nor video interests me. So, my question is, for large print output (around 24"x 36" prints), how much of an improvement in terms of image sharpness, detail rendition, dynamic range, base ISO performance, etc., would I see over the already excellent X-T3? Also, how sharp are the new NIkkor S lenses when compared to the known very sharp Sony Zeiss lenses such as the 16-35 f/4, 55 f/1.8, and especially the 90 f/2.8 G OSS Macro? (My Fujinon XF80 f/2.8 Macro is the sharpest lens I've used in 45 years of photography!) And finally, have you experienced a "sensor dust" issue on the Sony a7Rlll? Thanks!
Hi Steve, you really need to download some sample images from the cameras and lenses you're considering and compare them yourself. i can tell you one will do this or that, but only you can tell if something meets or exceeds your expectations. I have sample images pages on each of my reviews at cameralabs.com
In the image comparisons at 3:06 you keep mentioning the Sony A7r III but the titles on the photos say A7r II. A minor quibble as I love your explanations.
Thanks for the review. As a D750 user mainly doing landscapes with some birdlife, there doesn’t appear to be a single best camera. I was thinking of going D500 for birds and keep the D750 for longer, or switch to a Sony A7RIII. The burst mode on Z7 appears a waste of time. Do Tamron and Sigma lenses work with the F mount adapter? Moving to Sony might be cheap for the body but Sony lenses are very expensive. I think if Sony dropped prices on lenses even if they made the body a little more expensive, they’d be converting more of the users of other brands. Nikon haven’t stopped their customers moving to Sony but just slowed down those who were thinking of it and waiting for their version of mirrorless. Some will move now and some will hope v2 catches up and has the two card slots.
Sigma lenses seem to be working on the Z7 but Tamron does not yet. Surely they are working on up date for the firmware for their newer lenses that have the USB port. The best all-rounder still is the D850, with far better build and action AF but not so good video compared to the a7riii. Since some of your work is outdoors in variable conditions the last camera that would be a replacement for yours would be the a7 series of cameras.. They have no weather sealing. The D500 is much better if you can get by with Dx. The D5 and D850 are the kings in Fx focus, IQ and ruggedness. I have a D850, D800 and D7000 currently and I have never used a camera that was more competent than the D850. If you need video, try renting a Z7 for a weekend of birding. It the closest camera in image quality to the D850 but the D850 focuses better in low light.
Thanks Gordon, really enjoyed this review, this camera will now be my next purchase. I read that Nikon are going to address the Focus Tracking issue in Continuous Mode and also add Eye Tracking in a Firmware fix that will be out in May. I intend to upgrade from my D750 to the Nikon Z7 before I head to Morocco in June. Cheers...………….
You're welcome Brendan, hope you watched both parts! It's also nice to see Nikon already releasing firmware updates with greater functionality. PS - if you end up ordering online, please consider going through my links here or at cameralabs.com thanks!
Gordon Laing It does show. They’re very nicely produced. Kudos for that! But for my entertainment’s sake, and your time, I hope we’ll get more Doug in the future 😉.
Hi Gordon, thanks for your videos; i have noticed that some pictures on your website show that the handle is broken or something like that... could you tell me if it's a weakness of the Z6 or just because your camera have been hurt? On this image for exemple. www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z-70-200mm-f2-8-vr-s-review/ I'm really considering investing in nikon Z6 II so i wondered what happened..... Thank you again
Hah! You're the first to notice her! No, I didn't organise it, she was just dancing with the ocean and the elements of her own accord, Brighton is a bit like that!
Does the Z7 have better image quality in video than the Z6? Is the AF in video better on the Z6? If you could only afford to buy one z camera for video, which one would you buy?
I've not tested the Z6 yet so can't comment for certain, but I hear good things about it. I suspect if you don't need the high res of the Z7, then the Z6 is the way to go, but again I can't confirm until I've fully tested it.
Quick question. Other owners are starting to share their experiences with the continuous AF and they're all having much better success with the Dynamic-area AF instead of Auto-area AF. Was your bike test shot using the Auto-area AF? Just curious. I also saw a post by Thom Hogan regarding the AF and he's thinking Nikon may have moved away from 'closest subject priority' in the Auto-area AF on the Z7. I don't know if that's true, but I was curious if that was your experience...more consistent/more shots in focus in AF-C with Dynamic-area AF or even the Wide-area AF [S] or [L] versus the Auto-area AF. Personally, I rarely even use AF-C and bursts of photos, so I'm no expert on the subject...but if I ever do use AF-C, I always use a mode that allows me to target an area (I mean, on any camera I use, just in general). I normally don't let the camera make the decision for me regarding AF.
I switched between dynamic area and the wide-area (small) modes for the bikes, but didn't notice a huge amount of difference in those examples myself. Have you seen part 1 of the video? I discuss AF in there.
It's a bit confusing as three Sonys were used in the comparisons. The noise results were actually the A7r II, so I spoke it incorrectly, BUT the A7r II quality is the same as the A7r III in this respect.
Hello, I watched your video, all of part 2 and most of part 1. Does this camera Z7, and the Z6 have a feature which is in the D850 which is the focus stack feature? For me this is important. Thanks.
In part 2 of my in-depth Z7 review I'll discuss image quality, show you all of the movie features and demo SnapBridge wireless!
Order the Z7 from B&H: bhpho.to/2FAGmIX
Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs
Gordon's book at Amazon: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ
Like Cameralabs? Get the T-Shirt: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop
My Nikon Z7 review: www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z7-review/
absolutely love your reviews, Gordon, the best in the business! Someone needs to remind Nikon you exist, it's sad there's no cameralabs ZF review - but whenever I need authoritative opinions on a camera, new or old, you're aways my first port of call :)
Thanks! No idea why nikon doesn't send me gear to test
Appreciate you plowing through the different features some of which had not been covered at all in any review I saw.
You're very welcome Eric, I love to delve into all the details! Hopefully you've seen both parts of this review...
Great review Gordon
Thanks Paul!
Superb, concise but comprehensive review both part one and part two - thanks Gordon. I bought the Z7 for landscapes and travel to compliment my D500 which I use for action, it’s the ergonomics and the ability to adapt my DSLR nikon lens selection that enticed me. There's no perfect camera, however most cameras will deliver high quality but it’s up to the photographer to make that happen!
Thanks, and glad you saw both parts!
Your review of features is the most straight forward I have seen on the Z7. I had one for a week on loan and it sure would have been to have seen this before trying to figure out all the features. It was easy to move between the Z7 and D850 however, just not knowing which settings were best for the situations until experimenting a lot. I am not an action shooter so did not notice the missed focus like you did in burst mode. I had a hard time putting the camera down, the EVF was so stunning. It seems to focus a lot better than my D800 workhorse but not as sure as the D850 which is excellent. The loan test convinced me to get the Z7 or Z6, probably the 6 because of the lower cost and for my studio work, I think many of its features are going to waste since I already have the D850 and D800 and could sure use a travel and event camera(ballet-silent shutter, fast lenses next year and video), jazz clubs. The 24-70 f/4 really impressed me, it is sharper than my 24-70 2.8G and E in the corners. I look forward to the 85 1.2. The camera felt so solid, and the grip although small for my large hands felt secure and comfortable, unlike my friend's z7III which has poor ergonomics and build quality.
Thanks Stan, you might also enjoy Thomas's review of the lenses at cameralabs.com . PS - if you end up buying one online, please do consider going through my links here or at cameralabs as it really helps keep me in business, thanks!
@@cameralabs Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I have to buy it locally or out of the country because there has been a lot of interrupted sales lately since I am in St Petersburg Russia many of the US stores will not send anything here and the European stores which do, are $800 higher. I seldom go back home to the US where I would normally get it from either B&H or a small good service mom&pop store I have gotten most of my cameras from. It takes me only a couple hours to get to Finland but prices there are higher than here. I got my D850 here, when it was back ordered for many in the US, 4 stores had them sitting on the shelve within walking distance. If I go back to the US next month of January I will use your links.
You provide a valuable service that deserves support. I just sent a donation to the coffee fund. Have you considered a Patreon account. Those who would like to support the video production could help fund it monthly
@@stanspb763 Thank Stan, I received and appreciate your coffee donation! I'll also add a Patreon soon, as I think it could help.
Great review Gordon. As a Nikon user since the mid 1980,s I am seriously considering buying this camera. However, my only grip with the Z7 is that it only supports one memory card. This however I think I can live with as I currently own a Nikon D850 and D4s both of which support XQD cards and I have never had one of these fail on me. The other smart play in buying the Z7 is that I can use all my existing F mount lenses with it via the adaptor. Thanks for the review it was a great help.
You're welcome! If you buy one online, please consider going through my links here or at cameralabs.com thanks!
Thank you for the in-depth review of the camera. I believe the lowest mirrorless ISO camera is the Leica SL at 50.
Thanks!
Always excellent videos! I’ve been watching yours ever since the era of the Nikon D40 which was my first DSLR. Now I’ve got the D750 and the Z6 which is a nice combo. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Cody! What do you think of the Z6, and why did you go for it over the Z7?
Gordon Laing it’s VERY similar to the z7. The focusing seems about the same. The buffer seems impossible to fill because the XQD card is so fast. I’m looking forward to the native lenses and perhaps a new version with sophisticated enough AF to replace the DSLR. But the z6/7 is a nice hybrid video/stills camera and I like the build quality, weather sealing, and the ease of use and in camera time lapse.
I got the 6 over the 7 just for the price and I don’t need the megapixels, although they are nice.
Awesome pair of videos on the Z7, thank you for putting them together.
I am looking forward to getting my Z7 in the next few weeks as it will give me everything I want, great image quality, IBIS, ability to use my range of Nikkor lenses on the new camera, who would have thought that my AIS lenses from the mid 1980's would be useable on a digital camera in 2018 and have some form of stabilisation, its brilliant!!
Not planning to use the camera for serious sport photography albeit I am sure the odd sporting occasion (e.g. our dog chasing the ball up the beach) will no doubt be covered as the prime use will be for landscapes and travel photography.
The single card slot doesn't worry me, the XQD cards have proven to be very reliable, far more than SD cards and I haven't had a failure on one of those, in addition the move to CFexpress at some point in the future can be accommodated with a simple firmware upgrade.
Having had the opportunity to use a Z6 and Z7 I have to say that the cameras are very solid, very well built, they sit well in the hand, and compared to my Nikon FX DSLR the cameras are compact in size and weight. I haven't had the opportunity to try the EOSR but IMHO the Nikon's feel better than Sony others may disagree.
One point that no one mentions in their reviews is the lenses, they are bigger than what I expected, Nikon's response was that they have gone for a quality design rather than compromise, although smaller lenses will be launched in due course.
Once again a great review, well done.
Thanks Martin, they sound like a good fit for you - and as for lens size, just look at the ones for the Canon EOS R and I think you'll find the Nikon Z ones quite compact! The thing is, they still have to cover a full-frame sensor, so they're not going to be massively different to full-frame DSLR lenses. PS - if you're buying online, please do consider going through my links here or via cameralabs.com, thanks!
Hi Gordon...Excellent review of the Nikon Z7! As a landscape and product STILLS X-T3 shooter (no video), I have been debating on selling my Fuji kit (reluctantly), and moving into FF, specifically the Nikon Z7. Since I shoot 99% tripod-mounted, neither IBIS nor video interests me. So, my question is, for large print output (around 24"x 36" prints), how much of an improvement in terms of image sharpness, detail rendition, dynamic range, base ISO performance, etc., would I see over the already excellent X-T3? Also, how sharp are the new NIkkor S lenses when compared to the known very sharp Sony Zeiss lenses such as the 16-35 f/4, 55 f/1.8, and especially the 90 f/2.8 G OSS Macro? (My Fujinon XF80 f/2.8 Macro is the sharpest lens I've used in 45 years of photography!) And finally, have you experienced a "sensor dust" issue on the Sony a7Rlll? Thanks!
Hi Steve, you really need to download some sample images from the cameras and lenses you're considering and compare them yourself. i can tell you one will do this or that, but only you can tell if something meets or exceeds your expectations. I have sample images pages on each of my reviews at cameralabs.com
Great review as usual! Thanks for the long work behind it.
Thanks! I hope you saw part one as well!
@@cameralabs Oh yes !
In the image comparisons at 3:06 you keep mentioning the Sony A7r III but the titles on the photos say A7r II. A minor quibble as I love your explanations.
yep, it was a slip of the tongue. It was the A7r II
Thanks for the review. As a D750 user mainly doing landscapes with some birdlife, there doesn’t appear to be a single best camera. I was thinking of going D500 for birds and keep the D750 for longer, or switch to a Sony A7RIII. The burst mode on Z7 appears a waste of time. Do Tamron and Sigma lenses work with the F mount adapter? Moving to Sony might be cheap for the body but Sony lenses are very expensive. I think if Sony dropped prices on lenses even if they made the body a little more expensive, they’d be converting more of the users of other brands. Nikon haven’t stopped their customers moving to Sony but just slowed down those who were thinking of it and waiting for their version of mirrorless. Some will move now and some will hope v2 catches up and has the two card slots.
Sigma lenses seem to be working on the Z7 but Tamron does not yet. Surely they are working on up date for the firmware for their newer lenses that have the USB port.
The best all-rounder still is the D850, with far better build and action AF but not so good video compared to the a7riii. Since some of your work is outdoors in variable conditions the last camera that would be a replacement for yours would be the a7 series of cameras.. They have no weather sealing. The D500 is much better if you can get by with Dx. The D5 and D850 are the kings in Fx focus, IQ and ruggedness. I have a D850, D800 and D7000 currently and I have never used a camera that was more competent than the D850. If you need video, try renting a Z7 for a weekend of birding. It the closest camera in image quality to the D850 but the D850 focuses better in low light.
Very useful information clearly presented. I find it nicely complements my D4s but is much more usable for travelling work.
A clear succinct and a delightful review👌
Thanks!
Thanks Gordon, really enjoyed this review, this camera will now be my next purchase. I read that Nikon are going to address the Focus Tracking issue in Continuous Mode and also add Eye Tracking in a Firmware fix that will be out in May. I intend to upgrade from my D750 to the Nikon Z7 before I head to Morocco in June. Cheers...………….
You're welcome Brendan, hope you watched both parts! It's also nice to see Nikon already releasing firmware updates with greater functionality. PS - if you end up ordering online, please consider going through my links here or at cameralabs.com thanks!
Thanks for the nice test, would have been nice to get some sample video footage in the sample gallery in 4k, 1080p and 120 fps on the website.
You mean to download? I can and will add some samples for you! Are thre any that I showed in this part 2 that you'd be particularly interested in?
Great stuff as always, Gordon. But I do enjoy the conversation style review as you do with Doug more.
Well a conversation with Doug would have been easier, as these two videos took about 2 weeks to test, film and edit.
Gordon Laing It does show. They’re very nicely produced. Kudos for that! But for my entertainment’s sake, and your time, I hope we’ll get more Doug in the future 😉.
@@jschoonj yes, definitely more Doug soon!
The best review on Z7 thanks
Thanks! I hope you watched both parts!
That person at the end of the pier in the video test was putting on a show.
Hi Gordon, thanks for your videos; i have noticed that some pictures on your website show that the handle is broken or something like that... could you tell me if it's a weakness of the Z6 or just because your camera have been hurt?
On this image for exemple.
www.cameralabs.com/nikon-z-70-200mm-f2-8-vr-s-review/
I'm really considering investing in nikon Z6 II so i wondered what happened.....
Thank you again
Gorgeous Gordon - so cool he's the Deadpool amongst TH-cam camera reviwers, take that Mr & Mrs T 😎😎😎!!
Hah! Perhaps the PG-rated Deadpool...
Who was that dancing woman on the pier? Was that random or did you arrange for that?
5:48
Hah! You're the first to notice her! No, I didn't organise it, she was just dancing with the ocean and the elements of her own accord, Brighton is a bit like that!
Does the Z7 have better image quality in video than the Z6? Is the AF in video better on the Z6? If you could only afford to buy one z camera for video, which one would you buy?
I've not tested the Z6 yet so can't comment for certain, but I hear good things about it. I suspect if you don't need the high res of the Z7, then the Z6 is the way to go, but again I can't confirm until I've fully tested it.
An excellent review by a superlative photographer/videographer! Thanks! I would have liked to buy it, but the price is outside my budget.
Thanks! The Z6 is lower-priced and has a similar feature-set... just not the resolution.
Thanks Gordon - do you have any plans to review the Z6.
Yes, but not quite yet - this one's taken me several weeks to complete...
Gordon Laing your effort is appreciated for sure
Quick question. Other owners are starting to share their experiences with the continuous AF and they're all having much better success with the Dynamic-area AF instead of Auto-area AF. Was your bike test shot using the Auto-area AF? Just curious. I also saw a post by Thom Hogan regarding the AF and he's thinking Nikon may have moved away from 'closest subject priority' in the Auto-area AF on the Z7. I don't know if that's true, but I was curious if that was your experience...more consistent/more shots in focus in AF-C with Dynamic-area AF or even the Wide-area AF [S] or [L] versus the Auto-area AF. Personally, I rarely even use AF-C and bursts of photos, so I'm no expert on the subject...but if I ever do use AF-C, I always use a mode that allows me to target an area (I mean, on any camera I use, just in general). I normally don't let the camera make the decision for me regarding AF.
I switched between dynamic area and the wide-area (small) modes for the bikes, but didn't notice a huge amount of difference in those examples myself. Have you seen part 1 of the video? I discuss AF in there.
Gordon Laing ok. Thanks
Hi Gordon....I guess there is a mistypo....it's A7R3 not R2, right?
It's a bit confusing as three Sonys were used in the comparisons. The noise results were actually the A7r II, so I spoke it incorrectly, BUT the A7r II quality is the same as the A7r III in this respect.
Brilliant review
Thanks Jonny, did you watch both parts?
I did - really liked your reviewing style. Conscientious and thorough.
Gone for the z6, because I don't think I could do the z7 justice. Seems to be a well-balanced package, both z6 and 7
Thx learned a lot.
Hello, I watched your video, all of part 2 and most of part 1. Does this camera Z7, and the Z6 have a feature which is in the D850 which is the focus stack feature? For me this is important. Thanks.
I show it in the video.
Great review !!! Z6 Next plzzzzzzz
Thanks! I will review the Z6, but this took me a couple of weeks, so it'll be a while yet.
the video images seem oversharpened