This is my full review about the Nikon Zf after about a full year of use. When Nikon introduced the Zf in 2023 and I saw the first photo’s I knew this was going to cost me a lot of money. I have been a long time Nikon shooter only to completely switch over to the dark side (Sony) 4 years before. Up until that point I had been using both Sony (A7) and Nikon. Because I loved the convenience of a mirrorless camera. But on the other hand I just coudn’t get myself to sell my beloved Nikon Df (review here). Never had I loved a camera like my Df. But the call of more megapixel, blazing fast AF and a great EVF persuaded me to exchange it. I sold my Df and bought a Sony A7RIII. And that was subsequently replaced with my Nikon Zf.
With the introduction of the Nikon Zf they have corrected a few errors from the past. The first was that, while I loved my Nikon Df, it wasn’t perfect by any means. It was an expensive camera with a fantastic retro styled body. But some of the specs like the AF system and shutter mechanisme didn’t fit the high price tag. And a few years ago Nikon tried again with the Nikon Zf C. Which certainly looks the part but it is a lower priced APS-C sensor camera with a simpler build quality. That left people yearning for more. The Zf is that something more.
Nikon Zf specs and Highlights
The Zf is in some ways a mix of the Nikon Z6II and the newer Z8. It has the well regarded 24 megapixel sensor from the Z6II. And it adds the all new Nikon Expeed 7 processor that was introduced in the Z9 and Z8. This gives the camera improved auto focus capability over the Z6II. And it adds some AI-driven smart functionality. Things like better subject recognition for both auto focus and manual focus. And even some stuff the Z9 and Z8 don’t have like a smarter system for image stabilisation.
Here are some key specs for the Zf:
- 24 Megapixel full frame sensor
- Nikon Z mount
- 2x card slot (1x SD and 1x Micro SD)
- Electronic viewfinder with 3,69 megapixel OLED screen and 0.8x magnification
- Shutter speed up to 1/8000th of a second
- Af possible up to -10EV light
- 273 focus points
- In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS): CIPA rated up to 8 stops of stabilisation
- Longest shutter speed in M mode up to 900 seconds (15 minutes)
- Flash sync speed up to 1/200th of a second
- Up to 14 frames per second in RAW and 30 frames per second in JPEG
- ISO sensitivity from ISO100-64000 (expandable to ISO204000)
- 710 grams with battery and SD card
Oh and, unlike the Nikon Df, it will also do video. Also not just as an after thought but full 4K up to 60 fps (with APS-crop) or 30 fps from the full sensor over sampled from 6K. Lastly it will also do 120 fps fullHD recording for slow motion shots. And you can record the video on the SD card with H.265 compression (10 or 8 bit).
Nikon Zf’s looks… Oh the looks!
If you are thinking about buying a Nikon Zf, that is probably because you like the way it looks. Or perhaps because you were waiting for a Z6III but Nikon chose to do this first. I know it caught my eye with the stunning looks, and I was happy to find out it was not just a pretty face.
The Zf is styled to look like a Nikon FM2 from the eighties. And they have succeeded in my opinion. The Zf is a little bigger than the old FM2 was, but they managed to keep the proportions. That was a complaint about the old Df, that was much bugger and bulkier than the classic SLR’s were. An advantage of going mirrorless I guess.
Things you will notice are the black leatherette, that is also available in different colours. This was a standard on old cameras and has since then been replaced with cheaper feeling but more grippy rubberised coatings. The leatherette on the Zf feels… okay-ish. It isn’t as nice as it was on real old cameras, but it does feel durable.
Body and controls
On the top of the camera you have the pointy pentaprism housing (housing noting but the EVF in this case) that gives it that classic look. Besides it there are a few control wheels for setting ISO, shutter speed and Exposure compensation. These don’t just to look like classic dials, but truly are. They are brass just like in the old days. And therefore they will also develop some beautiful patina over time. One thing that doesn’t fit in with the classic look on top is the movie-record button. The tiny LCD display that shows your aperture setting compensates for that. And the shutter button has a thread. Unfortunately not to use a classic wire release cable. But at least you can screw in a nice soft release button for that classic feeling.
The back is a mix of classic lines and modern practicality. Of course you get a screen, but you have the option to rotate it inwards for that old school feeling. Unfortunately they didn’t include room to store a part of your films box so you don’t forget which ASA-type you are using. The buttons are placed wel, but are all to the right of the screen. That is because the screen can be flipped out to the right and rotated in all directions. You could even use it for selfies (oh the horror).
The SD-card slots are located in the battery compartiment. Not the most practical solution, but it doesn’t bother me that much. Getting the regular SD card out of the camera is easy. The MicroSD card is more of a problem if you have big hands and lack long nails. I had to remove the battery to get it out. I like that the camera has 2 SD-cards, but 2 full size ones would have been more practical. But on the other hand when I have to choose between making the whole camera bigger or this I choose the SD/MicroSD solution.
Handling the Nikon Zf
The classic body of the Nikon Zf comes with drawbacks, most notably the ergonomics. To keep the classic styling Nikon left out the beefy grip you get on the other Nikon models. In cooperation with SmallGrip they’ve introduced a small bottom plate with grip to solve this problem. This gives you the option to increase the size of the grip and I think it is a must have when heavier lenses. I have big hands, but I couldn’t even hold the camera for more than ten minutes with the small 40mm prime without it. Instant cramps.
The comfort with the SmallRig grip is okay(ish). Even with the grip the camera feels nowhere as good as an Z6II/III or Z8. When using my 24-120mm f/4 S lens for longer periods it still wasn’t perfect. For me the 24-120 was the biggest lens I would choose to use on the Zf. But as with the taste, this is a very subjective thing. What works for me might not work for you. If you are in doubt I’d say: try to feel the camera in a store.
Sensor
For the Zf Nikon went with the well-known 24 megapixel sensor that is also in the Z6II and many other cameras. That means it is an older sensor, but by no means a bad choice. This sensor offers very good high ISO performance and all round performance. I love the output of the Zf, whether it is in good or bad light. I’ve set my auto-ISO to go all the way up to ISO25600. Images come out perfectly usable, of course there is noise above ISO6400 but the little noise you get can be easily cleaned up in post processing (for instance by using PureRAW by DXO).
The sensor does have some drawbacks. The readout speed is not top notch. For taking photo’s that might not be a problem if you use the mechanical shutter, but with the electronic shutter you have to be careful of fast movement in your image. It might cause warping of the image. It can also show in video in some circumstances. The other drawback is that with the electronic shutter you can get banding from LED lights in some cases. On my Sony A7RIII I’ve never noticed that when using the electronic shutter. No unsolvable problem, just switch to the mechanical shutter.
IBIS
The Nikon Zf is the first Nikon that couples the IBIS system to the focus point. This should make the image stabilisation even more accurate and robust. In CIPA testing it should offer about 8 stops of stabilisation, which is quite impressive for a full frame camera. In practice the Zf’s stabilisation is very good and reliable. I don’t know if it is noticeably better than my Sony. But I’ve got very sharp images up to 1/10th of a second at 120mm, which impressed me. It is one of those functions you quickly forget but that improve the usability in everyday use.
The IBIS also has a high-res function, also a first for Nikon if I’m not mistaken. Using a tripod and a stationary subject you can make images up to 96 MP. I’ve never had any real use cases for this, but when you need high resolution it is good to have the option on board.
Autofocus of the Nikon Zf
With the first and second generation of Nikon Z cameras the autofocus was clearly behind Sony and others. But with the introduction of the Expeed 7 series cameras Nikon has minimised the gap. Comparing the Zf to my previous Sony A7RIII I think the difference is minimal. In some cases the Sony was a little better and in other cases the Nikon has the upper hand. So, what’s the difference?
Nikon’s 3D tracking is so good and simple to use that this was my standard focus mode. Just put the yellow box over your subject and it will follow. This also makes it very easy to do focus and recompose. You have many options to set the speed and stickiness of the tracking, so you can adjust it to your needs. This functionality is better than I’ve ever seen in any other camera, Sony included. You can also use the AI-inspired subject recognition for even higher hit-rates, but to be honest: you don’t even need it. The basic 3D tracking is already very good and reliable. Plus you can combine it with subject recognition so when the camera detects a human it would automatically switch to face and eye-detect.
When we’re talking about the eye-AF I think Sony still has the upper hand. Nikon’s system is good and has a simple interface that makes it easy to use. But the accuracy of the Zf in eye-AF isn’t as good as the Sony’s. With my Sony I think I had about 90-95% of the eyes perfectly in focus when using eye-AF. The Zf lags a bit behind because it seems to favour the eye-lashes in stead of the eyeball in some cases. I think my overall hit-rate for having perfectly in focus images is about 80-85%. The positive is that most of the missed focus images ar off by so little they can still be used. You only see the problem when you are pixel-peeping. I do believe that Nikon should be able to increase the accuracy with future firmware updates since the hardware seems good enough.
Daily use
Using the Nikon Zf is a pleasurable experience. The body looks good and feels good. With the SmallRig grip the comfort for small to medium sized lenses is good. I appreciate the Nikon-feel of the camera, menu’s and settings. For people that have used Nikon DSLR’s in the past it feels like coming home. Nikon has managed to add all the new functionality without making things complicated.
The AF of the Zf is good enough for almost all situations. This is a camera you can bring to a wedding, to a portrait shoot, an occasional sports-event, day trip or just to take pictures of your kids running around. It will not let you down and will deliver almost every time. The top notch image quality coming out of the older 24 MP sensor will satisfy almost every photographer. I never felt going back from my 42 MP Sony to the Nikon I missed anything, 24 MP is more than enough. The colours are great and the low light high ISO performance is top notch.
Combine that with the fantastic looks of the camera and you have a winner. This is one of the best all-round cameras you can buy. A real jack of all trades.
But this isn’t the perfect camera for using with big and heavy lenses, even with the grip. When you plan to use 750g+ lenses all the time I think the new Nikon Z6III is a better fit for you. I think the Nikon Zf is best used with smaller primes like the Nikon 28mm and 40mm SE lenses, those also look the part.
So buy? YES, unless you plan to use it with big lenses all the time the Zf is one of the best cameras you can buy at this price point. And it is one of the prettiest ones. Thats important too! And if you have the chance, get the kit with the Nikon 40mm f/2 SE lens. It’s a lovely little lens that, while not the sharpest or most optically perfect, takes fantastic images. Because of the low number of elements the images have a kind of classic feeling with high micro contrast and full colours . I loved it.
Bye Bye Zf
Huh, bye bye? After I’ve just been ranting about how good the Zf is? Yes, that is right. After about a year of using the Zf with a lot of pleasure I’ve sold it and moved on. There are a few reasons for that, but only one lies in the Zf itself. The only small reason I could think of to explain to myself why it was a good idea to sell the Zf is the grip. With big hands and big lenses the combination just isn’t perfect.
The other reason is that I’m more of a gear-head than a photographer. So after a year I need a new hit to fix my GAS, and since I have a 1 main-camera rule to protect myself the Zf had to go. I’ve fulfilled my long time wish to once own a Leica and bought a Leica SL2-S. A camera that is in many ways a downgrade from the powerhouse the Zf is. But it was an itch that needed scratching. I’ll tell you about my experience with the Leica in a year or so.
I share your love for the Df, but unlike you, I will not be moving on. In fact. I did not even buy my first Df until 2021. I just thought them too expensive when introduced, so I spent seven years in the Fujifilm world, specifically the X100 series. But when used Dfs could be had for about half the new price, I jumped in. Just recently I bought a Df that had been IR converted, making three bodies now in my stable. Apparently no one else wanted that one, so I snagged it for $700. When I got it in my hands, the shutter count was less than 2500!
For a while I flirted with the idea of switching to Z fc and Zf, but thankfully came to my senses. I remembered that what I really liked about the X100 series was the hybrid viewfinder, which I used in optical mode most of the time, except conditions when EV mode was really needed. As someone has quipped, a mirror is a feature, and one that I prefer, most of the time. With the Df, there is always LiveView when necessary. Looking backward, if I had been in charge of the world, I would have insisted Nikon fill in the gap between DSLRs and Z-mount mirrorless, with an F-mount mirrorless, instead of investing all the R&D and production that went into the Nikon 1 system.
I have only four AF-D lenses. Most of my shooting is done with classic AiS lenses. I am in my seventies, so I think I can stick with Df / AiS for the remainder of my photographic life without concerning myself with technological advancement. I am perfectly happy with 16 MP. After all , I shot Nikkormats and F2s for 40 years!
Due to the digitally era, I lost a bit of joy when taking pictures. Then I met the Df and the memories and looks & feelings of the F2 came back in a modern style. I still use the Df today next to the Zf but the Df makes me smile more.