Nikon has unveiled its newest full-frame digicam, the 24.5-megapixel Zf with retro model and know-how borrowed from the corporate’s high-end Z8 and Z9 cameras. With a brand new sensor and processor, it guarantees highly effective options like 14-fps max taking pictures speeds, superior AI autofocus and 4K 60p video. On the similar time, it is a extremely guide digicam with numerous old-school touches and a number of colorways, all designed to the touch that vintage-loving nerve.
The physique and dealing with emphasizes guide controls, with at least 5 dials on prime to manage taking pictures mode, video/picture/B&W, aperture, shutter velocity and publicity compensation. It additionally has a pair of taking pictures dials back and front and a D-pad model controller, however no joystick. The “grip” is only a small ridge. With all that, the Zf actually does appear like a an old-fashioned Nikon movie digicam — proper right down to the chrome-plated shutter launch button.
The Zf’s magnesium-alloy physique is smallish, however not very gentle at 710 grams (Sony’s A7 IV is 659 grams). It does provide “excessive dust- and drip-resistance” although, Nikon says.
The high-resolution 2.1-million-dot vari-angle contact show absolutely articulates for vlogging and selfies, whereas permitting contact operate controls and focus level choice. For astro shooters, it has a “Starlight view mode” that reinforces show brightness in darkish scenes. In the meantime, the OLED viewfinder has an honest 3.68-million dot decision and 0.8 instances magnification.
It has two card slots, however with a critical caveat. One is a high-speed UHS-II card slot, however the different is a UHS-I microSD slot — the one mannequin with that combo so far as I do know. The battery is a weak level, providing solely 380 photographs on a cost, in comparison with 580 for the Sony A7 IV. Different options embody a USB 3.2 Gen1 port with charging assist, mic/headphone ports and a micro HDMI connector.
Inside, it has a backside-illuminated (BSI) 24.5-megapixel sensor and Expeed 7 processor borrowed from the high-end Z fashions. That offers it autofocus powers inline with the Z8, together with Nikon’s 3-D monitoring plus AI-powered topic detection that may discover individuals, canine, cats, birds, vehicles, bikes, bicycles, trains and planes. It’s going to even detect far-away faces that take up as little as 3 % of the body’s longest aspect.
As for picture high quality, the usual ISO vary of 100 to 64,000 guarantees good low-light functionality, and it has a pixel shifting mode that reinforces decision as much as 96-megapixels for static scenes. In keeping with the retro styling, Nikon has a devoted black & white mode (with its personal dial setting), that permits a number of monochromatic settings starting from flat to high-contrast “Deep Tone Monochrome.”
It may well hit 11fps taking pictures speeds in RAW mode (14fps with JPEGs) in digital shutter mode (Nikon would not listing specs for mechanical shutter) and affords a reduced-quality 30fps JPEG-only mode with a pre-burst choice to make sure you will not miss a shot. The five-axis IBS (or vibration discount, as Nikon calls it) reduces shake by as much as 8 stops with a supported lens. Stabilization may be linked to the main target level, moderately than simply the middle of the picture as with most methods.
On the video aspect, the Zf can report full-frame 4K at 30p from a supersampled 6K picture, or 4K60p with a DX (1.5 instances) crop, together with 1080p/120p. Video may be captured with 10-bit H.265 recording, which is able to give customers higher shade constancy and extra choices in submit. Nonetheless, H.265 recordsdata require a robust laptop, which means you might need to transform them to a different format for enhancing.
Primarily based on the specs, the Nikon Zf appears to be like like a strong digicam that may compete in opposition to fashions like Panasonic’s S5 II and Sony’s A7 IV. Nonetheless, it units itself other than these fashions based mostly on its retro styling and guide controls, which ought to attraction to a sure phase of patrons. The Nikon Zf arrives in October 2023 at a aggressive $2,000 value for the physique solely, or $2,240 with the retro-styled Nikkor Z40 f/2.0 SE lens. If you would like one of many different colours (Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Pink, Sundown Orange, Moss Inexperienced, StoneGray), you may pay $2,100 for the physique solely.
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