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This is my most detailed review to date - Make sure you watch through to the end for my full findings & PLS let me know your thoughts! Check out the Z7 at Lensprotogo and rent it for yourself to test it out: geni.us/lptgZ7 and use code Gearout15 for 15% off. Get Capture One Pro 11 at: geni.us/CaptureOne11 and get 10% off with code MattG Finally if you do want to order the Z7, you can see the best prices: B&H: bhpho.to/2A71stD Amazon Worldwide: geni.us/vu1mR FTZ Adapter - bhpho.to/2OagXcc geni.us/NikonFTZ
I bought a Z7, and I feel largely the same as you do. It's an amazing camera... with flaws. It's not good for sports/action, the one card slot sucks.. but honestly other than that, the camera is great. If I were building out a new kit, this doesn't top Sony.. but if you're already 5-10 thousand dollars deep into F-Mount glass, this is the best mirrorless option. Fully and wholly acceptable in all its flaws. Also given that I don't think anyone would buy this without already being into the Nikon ecosystem, the camera's shortcomings are even more forgivable for me at least, bc I already have a D500 that will do action for me. The Z7 stands as a better high end body for me to get into, over the D850. The things the D850 offers me that my D500 doesn't, also come with the Z7, while not all of the things the Z7 offers me above my D500, come with the D850. IBIS and high quality video mean more to me than a second card slot, or a large buffer and great action autofocus that I already have in my D500. I didn't know about the USB-C shortcomings. That's upsetting... A quick note about FTZ.. I find it to be great, and with my Sigma lenses (18-35, 50-100, which are great for video, considering the Z7 puts out higher quality video in DX mode much like the A7RIII.. as well as my 85 and 105 1.4s work flawlessly via FTZ. I know some of the lenses are hit and miss, but these lenses seem to work great).
What I actually love is u are a actual photographer. You have a lot of tech guys reviewing gear and don’t have the background to even comment on photography equipment
Matt ...of all the reviewers banging or harping on the Z7 shortcoming or benefits....Yours is the most straight forward , believable and honest review...you neither fell on your sword supporting it as the best, nor tore it apart on its (few) flaws or less desirables. That is why you are one of the most trusted reviewers and go to people on RU-vid about cameras. This review and the one on the lenses testing with the FTZ are excellent...more people should strive to meet you at the top of your game , rather than sinking themselves into the mud of bashing or fanboying whatever they review. You are to me a verbal , intelligent RU-vid version of Consumer Reports --- a written source I've trusted for years....Your work on the Z7 and the lenses has me disconnecting from some other RU-vidrs...simply because I only need one trusted source ...and you are it ....Oh yeah....GREAT REVIEW
I still prefer Matt's review even that he doesn't have ""Nikon" tattooed on his knuckle. Somehow I tend to believe people that actually use the gear they've been talking about, and have photos to show. And Matt is one of those few credible folks. Regarding the Z7, just my 2 cents, If I were a pro- photographer, I would probably go with the Z6 if the weight and compactness were important, or stayed for a while with the d850 as cheaper and the best DSLR ever. But as a hobbyist, I'm still happy with my old but trusty d5200. There's nothing around me, that I could't take a picture of with that humble camera. It's just perfect for what I do, so maybe one day I will upgrade it with something like Z6MkIII, or maybe not.
Thanks Matt. I was on the fence and pulled the trigger and purchased another D850, for a backup. Your review on the D850 helped on the choice of purchasing it. I couldn't be happier!
For me the Z7 is perfect. Fantastic image quality. Perfect size and ergonomics. Fast accurate AF for landscapes and portraits. Tough weatherized build. Super awesome EVF and LCD. I don’t shoot sports or events and I am not a Vlogger so no need for dual card slots and I hate the Flippy screens so this one is perfect.
Matt Granger I was trying to say I am not a Vlogger so I have no need for a Flippy screen. In fact for what I do it slows me down. I was also saying I do not need dual card slots. I don’t shoot events or anything that I needs immediate back up. Keep up the good work love your channel.
Anon Fox my little Olympus has pixel shift and it is amazing but also limited because it needs to be on a tripod and nothing in the scene can be moving.
I've never owned a Nikon camera in my life but I bought a Z7 and have fallen in love with its usability and customizability. I've been a long-time Sony user and currently own both an A9 and an A7R but I will be selling them despite their advantages in autofocus, eyeAF, native lens selection, etc. I must be in the minority (switching from a more mature system to a 1st gen product) but this camera is just plain fun to use
Matt, thanks for doing such a detailed field test and review of the Z7. Also, kudos for photographing the engagement of the young couple. You're a good man. Your comments on the Z7's flaws that are "by design" really struck a cord with me. I've not seen other reviews frame the camera's issues in that manner. While it appears Nikon has designed and executed a camera with great ergonomics, excellent image quality, a really nice EVF and other solid qualities, they've left in some vulnerabilities, as if by intention. Your comments about the single card slot are spot on and I agree Nikon made the right choice by making it an XQD slot. As a photography enthusiast, I wouldn't give this "issue" a second thought. Even as a professional photographer who primarily shoots personal projects, I could accept it as a very minimal risk. But for the professional who earns a living shooting client sessions and events, is it good practice to rely on a single slot? Regardless of the reliability of the format? And does the ease with which the card door can be opened (and exposed to the elements) make that single slot a deal-breaker for the pro who shoots client sessions and events? Probably not all but, I would think, a good number. I am hopeful Nikon will adopt Sony's strategy of short intervals between the release of new iterations. It would be great to see a Z7II released a year from now, especially if it addresses at least the most critical flaws you and many others have identified. That would send a great signal that Nikon is serious about quickly evolving the Zs to become world class on all fronts. They might even persuade you to part with the magnificent D850 ;)
More reviews should give crap about artificial limitations and shortcomings on cameras made on them just to not cannibalize their other cameras in the lineup. It's so frustrating. If I want to buy a camera that costs around 1000-2000€, but this one doesn't have that one feature (dual card slots for example) that the 3499€ camera has, so do I buy that one instead? NO! And would I buy that 1000-2000€ camera instead of the 3499€ camera because the cheaper one has dual card slots too, but not everything the more expensive one has? Probably not. What will I buy? The competitor's product that has everything your artificially grade-lowered camera doesn't. And the fact that these people are prosumers, they probably don’t own tens of thousands worth of lenses for the system so it’s much easier to jump to another system. They try not to cannibalize their own lineup but in the end they really end up turning their existing customers to look at their competitor. The cameras should not be so close in features that they are basically the more expensive camera for less money. A camera aimed at prosumers shouldn't be a competitor to a pro camera. It's idiotic. Why do manufacturers do that? They create too many product lines and then in the end, it's worse for the consumer, because then they have to start doing this, and it's disgusting. The difference between price ranges and product lines should be based on real reasons for cutting down the price of the camera, like worse sensor, less features etc. But NEVER take away the ability to be able to use that for paid work where you absolutely need to be sure that you don't end up losing the photos because it has one card slot. The D7500 is not an upgrade to the D7200. The D7500 doesn't make the D7200 obsolete, because it doesn't replace it. It can't be considered to be in the same category. It stops being a prosumer camera at that point. Maybe it makes great photos with that D500 sensor, but what good does that do when your single card corrupts and there go your nice photos.
@@mavfan1 A 2-year cycle would roughly match the A7R series. There was a 20-month interval between the announcement of the A7R and A7RII, and a 28-month interval between the A7RII and A7RIII. However, the Sony A7 was announced in October 2013 with the A7II announced 13 months later in November 2014. That's about as short an interval as Nikon is likely to adopt. That or a 2-year product cycle would be a radical departure for Nikon from the cycles they've observed the last 11+ years. Their flagship D3, D4 and D5 bodies (2007-2016) have had roughly 4-year cycles with mid-cycle refreshes for the D3 and D4. Other full-frame bodies have ranged from 2-3 year cycles (D8xx) to no refreshes or upgrades (D700, D750 and Df) to the odd case of the D600. The D600 was refreshed a year after introduction in an attempt to put the "oil splatter" issue to rest. There has not been a refresh or upgrade to the D610. Nikon's mid-cycle refreshes aren't really the same as e accelerated product cycle strategy Sony deployed during the first two generations of the A7, A7R and A7S. From October 2013 to September 2015, we saw 6 full-frame bodies announced with the gen II products all addressing serious issues with the predecessors. If Nikon is serious about catching up to our overtaking Sony in market share of full-frame mirrorless, I believe they need to adopt a similar aggressive product cycle for the gen II announcements. If we don't see a Z7II or Z6II in the next 12-18 months, Nikon's in trouble. If we don't see a gen II of either within the next 2 years, Nikon's flirting with disaster.
Cute but not accurate analogy, you are forgetting XQD is not just a faster SD, but the only card and interface system designed from day one to be pro grade with a published Mean Time Between Failure spec orders of magnitude longer than consumer grade SD. The way the cards work, the bus differences, the dynamic cell mapping, the contact type, the physical robustness of the socket, and card all add up to be the only serious contender for a high-end camera. Without question, 1 XQD is more reliable than 2 SD regardless of brand. The bonuses are many for example for pros, swapping cards is like swapping 5.25 in floppy disks. There is no reason to have to and it was just a temporary need until the alteratives matured. Are you not going to buy a new laptop because it does not have two floppy disks? How could you possibly transfer data without sneaker-net? But we have no problem transferring data more reliably and never having to swap medium. Nikon was expecting pros to be thinking more clearly about their objectives than RU-vid gurus who are drumbeating about the lack of floppy drives. For studio work, pros and many hobbyists have been tethering for years and Nikon knows having connection to the storage system is not going to be flimsy cards much longer so they built the WT-7 adaptor that transmits data faster than any card, to networks or computers up to 660 feet away at 1gigabit per second. Or 3, or 5 or however many storage devices wanted at the same time. Nikon knows that is the future and might phase out any removable card. Placing internal memory next to the processor without having to slow it down for a external card interface everything gets faster, smaller, cheaper and more reliable. For those who only want to transfer large JPGs, the Z7 built in WiFi can do that quick enough but is slower than a card transfering 70mb raw files.
Matt, All I want to say is, you are the master of this business, what a great video, and review! You just won my subscription, this kind of video takes a lot. I got tired of armchair reviewers, who didn't even bother to learn how to use that camera, but they know all about it. Thank You!
Great review Matt, reflects many of my experiences with the Z7. Really love the camera but it has a few flaws. One correction though - the Z7 definitely will charge off of a portable battery pack; it doesn't require mains power. I tried it with two separate Mophie portable battery packs and it charged. Of course, it won't shoot while charging as you pointed out, which is a disappointment.
Stumbled across your Z7 review whilst researching. You've earned my sub! Don't normally watch videos like this all the way through without skipping however as a very long standing Nikon user I felt compelled to check out all the very thorough details you put forward in your review. You are exactly right when suggesting that we (as Nikon users with lots of Nikon glass already) have been waiting for their offering without jumping ship too soon to Sony, fuji etc. Thanks for the testing and great examples that you captured with it!
Thanks for the comprehensive review with plus and minuses. I’ve got one Z7 and is in process of testing. So far I love it but still see it as a complement to my D850. Thanks for sharing.
I tested charging my Nikon Z7 with an Anker PowerCore Power Bank 20100, the one I use for my hiking trips, and it charged the camera absolutely fine. Perhaps lower power USB chargers that don't deliver enough current cannot charge the Z7. I agree that charging while in use should the default, but it does charge with a reasonable battery pack when off. Perhaps you should look for a better battery pack and/or cable. I did use a cable that is suitable for powering my MacBook Pro from an iPad/iPhone charger and perhaps the use of that makes the difference. Having said that, your review was, at least for me, fair and unbiased. The Nikon Z7 has its flaws but if you can look past those, or if maybe they don't matter in your style of shooting, a pretty good camera.
I have not had the issue of opening the memory card compartment accidentally despite using it for 5 years now. I did have to get used to the single memory slot but it works great and the shorter battery life as compared to a DSLR in general but i use the EV screen as well so more power consumption. Autofocus is not the best but gets the job done. I love it. The Z lenses are now class leading.
I absolutely love how objective this review is Matt - to consider all the comparisons both new and old provides great perspective for people with different situations in terms of both gear and usage. Also highlighting the huge oversight in fully utilising USB C is crucial!
Excellent review! Hope Nikon can solve two of the problems you mentionned on the Z6 before its launch, like the card door problem, adding something to block it so that is doesn't open accidentally, as well as the USB-C issue so that you keep on shooting while charging your camera through the USB-C port! This will be small nice pluses!
I wouldn't count on a battery door fix. USB-C issue could be fixed via firmware update for both cameras, but Z6 final build is assuredly set in stone at this point.
@@TizOnly1 I've just had my hands on the Z7 and the door doesn't open that easily as Matt reported. You really have to push to open it. Maybe Matt had a "faulty" one.
Superb review Matt. Thank you! Discovered you by accident when looking for feedback on the new mirrorless Nikon Z7 to draw a comparison to my D850. You provided all the answers.and now have another follower. I will now settle on a Z6 as a go between my D800e and D850. The engaged couple will certainly have a memory to treasure. Wonderful!
Matt thanks for this review. 1) I am so glad you added your voice confirming the CIPA rating for the Z7 is just wrong and battery life on this camera is not an issue. 2) Backing up why XQD was the right media card choice. It gets me when people buy expensive cameras and then buy cheap media cards. SD historically is much more failure prone and as you correctly pointed out XQD is not that much more expensive than a good UHS II SD card. Besides the XQD slot will be able to be upgraded through firmware to CFExpress which is the future media card format.
What an amazing video of the Northern sky. You can see all the beautiful and even faint constellations. The brightest star Vega (Lyra) is in the center. *It's an amazing capture of the constellations Lyra, Delphinus and Cygnus.* And you can see even fainter constellations like Equuleus here. And, of course, the auroras look stunning. Superb video and a very constructive critique of the new Nikon mirrorless in my opinion.
Thanks for a good review of Z7 Matt. Unlike specification reviewers posted tons of videos, yours is different and very realistic. Good to know what are good with this camera and what are limitations. This helps Nikon owners to make informed choice. All in all a good field review of all those seen so far.
Very good, in fact, great, review with very nice production values and editing. Thanks for Lensprotogo and CaptureOne for sponsoring your visit to Iceland. I have been there once but sure did not get the variety of images you did and that was before the arrival of camera drones. I was loaned a Z7 with FTZ and 24-70 S 24-70 f/4 to try for a week by the only store here which has received any yet. Its release promotion is scheduled for Oct 27, a week from now. I agree with all the comments about the handling and rugged feel, if picking it up blindfolded, it would still be recognized as a Nikon even though the grip is shorter. For my shooting, that does not include sports but does include theater and ballet performances I did find the AF less assured in low light but otherwise fast and accurate. By using more pixels for the focus points low light worked better. For portraits, using a single point and simply targetting the nearest eye, no shots were off, every one nailed it. Possibly for video eye focus might be handy but I am at a loss to understand why so many people want to turn over such important parts of composition to a camera to decide what show be the focal plane. Maybe selfie shooters or spray and pray shooting but I don't do either. One thing that has been missed in other reviews, the buffer clears VERY fast so by the time you lift off and recompose the buffer is clear and ready for another burst. I was hoping you would have covered the silent mode shooting. I didn't try it but curious because theater or ballet would mean shooting live performances instead of just dress rehearsals. I was most impressed with the 24-70 f/4, it was the sharpest zoom have ever seen and beat out some pretty highly regarded fast primes. If all the S lenses are that sharp corner to corner, that alone should be enough to get a lot of owners of other brands to change. The 85 1.2 should be a killer of the reputation of a lot of current top glass. For IQ, color, DR it is a D850 which means it is at the top of the growing pile of FF cameras on the market. Regarding the card, I am happy that it has the XQD over 2 SD slots, reliability and transfer speed, buffer clearing are all enhanced over SD which is never to be relied on. Few reviewers mention the XQD is the only pro-grade card available and far superior to consumer grade SD. By the volume of "deal breaker " cries heard and read when it was first released I had to assume 90% of early reviewers have no clue about the technology, or any tech and surely are not pro photographers. I unsubscribed to a number of them who revealed they had no understanding of what they were talking about. Apparently knowing some buzzwords is enough to be called a guru nowadays if one has a RU-vid channel in the post-fact world of social media.
Well said and with much aplomb. I will be getting 2 Zeiss Milvus lenses: f/2 135mm and the f/1.4 50mm in the Nikon mount. This is because I am definitely leaning towards getting this camera. Well, "getting it" that is after the cost falls a little. From what I've read so far, I think it'll suite my needs.
+1 Respect. I see all these canon people dry humping the EOS R like its something special while completely ignoring any of the issues or trying to sell you on how its issues will make you "a better photographer/ videographer" Its nice to see no fanboyism in this and actually calling out the issues
I think you are right about the memorycard situation. Yeah it's just one slot. That really sucks. I've had cards die on me while shooting... It blows. However: The card I used that died was from a cheaper manufacturer *and* I have no experience with XQD cards. So if they really are very reliable... Then I am ok with it. At that price they better be reliable by the way... XD Then there all the advantages of XQDs. It was a reasonable decision and people are blowing it out of proportion. Now the D7500 with just one SD slot on the other hand... THAT is upsetting. There IS enough space for two cards in there! All other cameras in the D7000 line had that feature. There was no reason to remove it other than pushing people towards the D500 or keeping people from buying the D7500 as a "cheap D500"...
My XQD Card on the D4 has never an Issue also not the CF Cards, but bought a Sony A7R3 with good cards and had 3 times an issue on my last trip. I believe that the problem might be an issue for Sony users.
2 CORRECTIONS. - The Z7 will not run off a standard USB Battery pack as it needs higher voltage - but it will run off this kind: geni.us/thebest - The Sony Tough 128gb SD is not $580 - that was a dodgy listing, it is *only $280, still more than XQD: geni.us/Tough128 Check out the Z7 at Lensprotogo and rent it for yourself to test it out: geni.us/lptgZ7 and use code Gearout15 for 15% off. Get Capture One Pro 11 at: geni.us/CaptureOne11 and get 10% off with code MattG Finally if you do want to order the Z7, you can see the best prices: B&H: bhpho.to/2A71stD Amazon Worldwide: geni.us/vu1mR FTZ Adapter - bhpho.to/2OagXcc geni.us/NikonFTZ
I used the Nikon provided adaptor off a Paul Buff Vagabond, so, in addition to the power pack you mention, there are more USB options. No a big deal. Perhaps this and other points are places where the Z7 is not quite the best in some regard, but I'd hardly call mine flawed. I am certainly glad to trade the Z7's better ergonomics and real weather sealing for Sony's bigger buffer.(I've used them both) I also seemed to notice you mentioning how you got around 2K exposures using the Z7's intervalometer. Oops, Sony doesn't have that feature, does it? As to the one card slot, using Sony's UHS-1 second slot as a raw backup severely slows down buffer emptying. Using it for JPEG isn't a complete backup, and using it for overflow, the way most people do doesn't really increase reliability. I'm missing the advantage here. A working pro always has extra cards and can replace a malfunctioning one quickly and miss maybe one or two shots. Oh, and try syncing three Sony cameras to the second. I couldn't figure that one out. There's also the Nikon lighting system, which is more sophisticated than Sony's. Yes, and Sony's lack of focus stacking is certainly a "flaw." Win some. Lose some. By your thinking all cameras are "flawed". I'm not knocking Sony. They produce excellent products, which are just as flawed as Canon's or Nikon's. Ya, pays yer money and makes yer choice.
Thanks for the link on the charger - been looking for a good USB-C charger for my MacBook and Google Pixel 2. Really handy if it'll charge my Z6 as well.
This is why I've been a long time sub, you are fair and unbiased. I'm going to start saving for the Z6 if the 7 is performing this well then I feel like the 6 will be just as strong of a contender. Same stuff just less MP.
Love the cinematography in this episode Matt! Definitely a step up from your normal videos! Awesome. Even the stills, if taken with the Z7 are definitely selling it. Since this is a review could you write which ones are with the Z7?
Matt, your real world reviews truly are the best. Nothing better than spending some actual time with the camera, for shots that haven't been staged, and represent what a pro would actually use the camera for. This is why I really enjoy your videos, along with the quality editing. Thanks for this, and I really look forward to your future videos. Maybe one day joining you on a photo tour somewhere (Scottish highlands and Faroe Islands?). Also, REALLY looking forward to seeing the future f2.8 lenses and, of course, that f/0.95 NOCT lens. Lets hope it lives up to the hype.
I hope you can review the Nikon Z6 and I hope that it's better low light focusing than the Nikon Z7 in low light, particularly in video compared to the Sony A7iii.
Thank you Matt, great, honest heartfelt video. I share your frustrations! I’ll stick with the d850 AND today I’ve ordered the Fuji GFX 50Sfor mirrorless! LOL. THANK YOU. great job.
Matt, this drives it all home for me. I was shooting yesterday with my D500. On a burst of some flying scoter ducks, my battery died (battery meter lied to me), and because the camera shut off, it bricked the XQD card. I had to format it again, and if not for the backup SD card, I would have lost all my shots. So maybe in the past, people dealt with a single slot, but any camera without a dual slot is off my list. Until yesterday, I was in the camp of "get over it" with people complaining about dual slots.
I'll have to try it next time. fortunately I didn't have any super important stuff. But I still like dual card. I think Nikon did great heres, and the next generation is going to be awesome. I'd rather have Nikon know how for image quality than jump ship to another system. @@mattgranger
Great review. Got all the details that I needed to make a decision. I have been shooting with SLRs and DSLRs my whole life and was considering switching over to this format. I believe that mirrorless is going to be the future, but I also believe that it has a little more to go to reach the same status as a DSLR, albeit, not much more. This video has convinced me that I should wait until they close the gap. Until then, I will be purchasing the D850. And like others mentioned below, very thoughtful of you to take photos for the couple!! Cheers!
Superbly reviewed and in depth. love the working with Capture One files so we see the effects. I think it will sell well, its like the NIKON F of 1959. Not the home run it evolved into over 25 plus years but it will evolve into a spectacular system. I think Photographs in this day and age have become nit pickers and no willingness to see things evolve. case in point, iPhone 3 was so basic compared to the X of 2017. yet it evolved into an amazing phone. I have been shooting for 35+ years and love Nikon ergonomics and build quality. never truly warmed to can, and though I loved the Sony A900 full frame, hated the mirrorless user interface. The Nikon system has a great understandable interface, and over time this Z7 will evolve onto a spectacular camera system. Great Review.
The only best thing which I like in the video is capture one pro 11 that’s an amazing software for picture editing 100 times better than Adobe light room.
I just came back from Iceland and I already miss it. Man that's an awesome place. You were so lucky to see the aurora, I wasn't that lucky cause I found cloudy skies all nights. But I'll be back there :) Anyway, I brought there my new 6D mark II and I soaked it more than a few times next to the waterfalls and when I was shooting landscape in the rain, and boy it survived well coupled with the 17-40 f/4L. Anyway, the thing that still makes me kind of hate mirrorless is how easy it is to have dirt on the sensor. I mean, I changed lenses in the field, with 30km/h wind and I don't have a single spot of dust on the sensor, and I don't understand why every manufacturer doesn't protect the sensor with the shutter just like Canon did with the EOS R.
Hi Mat, for me the most significant flaws are the small buffer and the card door. Can’t shoot on misty days or action with those flaws. You could always tape the door shut but shouldn’t have to. All the flaws together are why it would be a great second camera and D850 the primary camera. For me the primary problem iI have with the D850 is that it’s much to noisy at and above 6400 and that I often have to compensate by adding between 1/3 to one whole stop to get exposure right in camera. Maybe my D850 is flawed?
I think z7 is a "slow" camera. It's ergonomics, weather sealing and compactness suits well with landscape shooters working and hiking in tough weather conditions. It is also good for shooting stills. But it is not good for fast work like shooting moving objects because of the AF performance. I am interested to see if z6 has better AF and can be used as a fast camera, if so then Nikon has a competitive duo. I preordered z6 the day after announcement. But after I rented a sony a7 iii for two days I was blown away by its performance and my bar for z6 definitely raised a lot higher.
I am quite interested to see what Canon releases in probably the second half of 2019 as their flagship mirror-less camera since, as you mentioned, the EOS R is Canon's mid-level mirror-less camera.
Very thorough review, great job. I already have a D850 with a D800 backup, so I'm waiting for the Z6 to use as a B camera for video. Please review and compare the Z6.
Good job, what you said about this camera is true and many Nikon shooters would probably pick one up. As you tested in Icelandic weather condition, this camera is well suited for the landscape and nature photographers. I think there is one other design flaw on purpose that you didn't mention, neither the Z7 or Z6 can use a battery grip. Think there is a battery brick coming out for it.
Why not, one is announced with 2 batteries? It has no control contacts on the bottom but every control is possible through Bluetooth so there will be many options for grips
Thanks Matt, great video. This video has for me confirmed that the Z7 is right for me, just can't wait to get one now. I've a D810 that I'll keep but the IBIS, video quality, touch screen and even having XQD card is fine for me - had a pro SD card literally fall apart this week. You didn't mention Snapbridge or what did you make off it - is it a viable backup solution to say your phone while you shoot?
Thanks Matt! Good video, good input ... I think you are right ... and I hope some of the flaws are firmware-updatable (and hope Nikon will give it to us) ... like the USB charging. Still I am looking forward to test the camera myself next week. :)
Excellent review, very comprehensive and the camera's clearly been put through its paces well. One thing, in C1 Pro, I'd avoid the basic tab of the Colour Editor entirely. Even the official screencasts recommend you don't use it, the advanced tool is superior in every way.
A very good 'real world' review. My thinking is that this mirrorless vs dslr comparison is flawed in that each design concept has it's own strengths and weakness', and that transfers onto which job one would take each camera.
Great Vid, i think its a good start from Nikon, but i think it was aimed at the a7II and a7rII. The Nikons would have been in production when the a7rIII and a7III came out, so they would not have know sony was going to go with 2 cards, bigger battery and such...
Great video as ever, Matt. I wonder how many people, shooting with XQD cards, have ever had a card fail? If the card never fails, then why worry about having a 2nd card slot? I have had many Nikons, my last being a D750. I had that camera for two years. I had one SD card fail in all that time. If you don't have the cards set up so that your 2nd card is a backup to the first, you lose photo's if one card fails. I think far too much is made of the one-card-slot issue, especially if it never fails.
Just watching this, and yeah I agree. The Z7 II should have really been the first gen camera should have been. And I think Nikon did a huge disservice to themselves by not having a true vertical grip from day one like Canon did. I shoot NIkon and have the Z7 and Z7 II and am pleased at what Nikon has done, but they need something that will compete more with the Alpha a1, R5 and others. They really need a killer Z camera that's geared more towards sports/wildlife shooters, and I think they'd be set (for now). Add in a few fast primes, and maybe some DX lenses for the APS-C crowd and they'd be good and have a nice Z platform that people can grow into. But I will say that I am impressed at how far Nikon has come in just a little over 2 years with the Z system. Could have been much worse.. could have been somewhat of a failure like the 1, but they handled it very well. Got IBIS right out the door (For the most part, minus the recalls on some of the bodies where during assembly, some things weren't assembled correctly) but on the whole, could have been much worse, but they pulled it off. I do like how you have shot pretty much all brands (I believe... at least Sony, Nikon and Canon) and can speak from experience, and don't come across overly pushy as a fan boy as some people do, even though they deny it. It's good to be able to find the positives and negatives in all cameras, and be open to the idea that your camera brand of choice may not be the best at everything, and that each camera system has its strengths and weaknesses, and that the perfect camera doesn't exist (that or I haven't found it yet). ONe might do landscapes and people photographyer very well but may be sluggish for sports/wildlife. Yet another might be great for sports and wildlife, but maybe doesn't have the color or DR for landscape, etc. On the whole I've been pleased with my Z cameras (Although I am going to need to buy a DSLR for the time being to accompany them for wildlife purposes) but I do appreciate the reviews you give. You actaully show first hand shooting and samples, whereas some people just talk and talk and maybe show a few processed images, but you actaully show us the shooting aspect in many videos which I like.
Good review as always I'll likely skip the Z7 as I have a pair of D850's - really interested to see how the Z6 performs and highly likely i'll get one ordered ASAP. AF speed hopefully a bit better and the buffer should cope better given the smaller file sizes
I didn't understand the whole mains power section. There is no way the camera runs on mains power(which is AC). USB-C provides DC power and that is it. The camera has no information whether that DC is produced from the AC mains or it comes from a power pack or whatever. The only thing I can think of for not working with power banks, aside from not providing enough amps at 5V, is that the camera requires some protocol to be implemented such as Quick Charge or something similar.
