![\"Nikon](\"https:\/\/vaughtons.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Z-fc-1-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/a>However, it’s readily apparent that Nikon’s primary market and where most of their R&D budget goes, is the full frame arena. \u00a0After an initial batch of four zoom lenses and a single prime for their DX\/APS-C sensor \u00a0Z cameras, every other release from Nikon themselves has been for their full frame FX brethren, though a few third-party DX lenses have started to appear. \u00a0Yes, you can fit an FX lens to a DX body and it will produce exceptionally good results, as you’re using not much more than the centre portion of the full image, off what is usually the sharpest part of the lens. \u00a0But the penalty is you’re effectively paying for capability you can’t use, let alone a distinct increase in weight over \u00a0DX lens in the process. \u00a0On the actual camera bodies themselves, none of the range has IBIS, In Body Image Stabilisation, which reduces the level at which camera shake can blur your images so allowing hand held shots at lower shutter speeds, usually in low light. \u00a0It’s also why all the DX lenses, bar the single 24mm \u00a0prime, \u00a0have VR, vibration reduction, built in which offers similar benefits, but generally to a lesser extent.<\/p>\n
Despite releasing a second edition Z50 in the last few months, \u00a0Nikon still didn’t add IBIS, and the sensor is the same, though at least the latest Expeed 7 processor has been updated, which does add some new functions. \u00a0But it shows Nikon is still reluctant to add too much to the DX line, \u00a0probably for fear of taking sales from the FX range. With only \u00a370 or so between Z50 II body and \u00a0cheapest FX body which is the Z5, it’s hardly surprising. \u00a0Even adding their equivalent kit lens to the bill and the gap only widens to closer to \u00a3250. \u00a0 Having used both sensor sizes, unless you want a lightweight kit, personally I’d pay the extra and get full frame.<\/p>\n
Consequently, after handling a Nikon Zf in my local camera store when Nikon’s reps were doing demos, the idea of replacing the Z fc plus it’s DX lenses and the Z5, whilst keeping the rather good 24-70 f4 lens I bought for it, \u00a0with a single full frame camera, i.e a Zf, seemed like a sensible thing to do. \u00a0Hence, as my latest blog post mentions, the Z fc and lenses have gone, the Z5 is packed and awaiting despatch to a buyer as I write this..<\/p>\n
Front view, with the FM3 derived ancestry very obvious. \u00a0Note the very modest hand grip \u00a0on the left.<\/p>\n Mounting what could be regarded as a modest 24.5 MP full-frame backlit sensor which Nikon state is “partially-stacked” and coming with the newest Expeed 7 processor first seen in the top end Z8 and Z9, the Zf actually share much in common with the Z6 III, expect body style, but arrived to market around 12 months earlier than it’s sibling. \u00a0 \u00a0 That year has allowed used models to get into the system which offer a considerable saving over the original new price, some with ridiculously low shutter actuations and recently we’ve seen something of a softening in new prices too. It’s possible Nikon users aren’t that enamoured of the retro style as other photographers. Or, after comparing the Zf and either Z6 II or Z6 III, they have come to the conclusion that the more modern styling works better ergonomically with long lenses. \u00a0Having been able to compare my Z5 with the Zf, even with the Small-Rig grip fitted, there’s no doubt the Z5 with anything longer or heavier than the 24-70 f4 S I already have, it would be much easier to handle than the Zf.<\/p>\n Sensor wise, the advantage of the Zf over the Z5 is that the former is back-lit, as opposed to front-lit, which allows more light to reach the sensing pixels and hence produce a better image. \u00a0The sensor itself also sits on a different IBIS sled to the one in the Z5, one that isn’t locked when the power is off, which can be a little disconcerting at first as it can make an odd noise when you pull the camera out of your gadget bag or rotate the camera, but I’m assured it’s normal.<\/p>\n The big difference between Z5, Z6 II and the Zf and Z6 III, \u00a0is the adoption of the Expeed 7 processor as this greatly improves the autofocus and focus tracking abilities. \u00a0The new 5-axis \u00a0IBIS sled also gives 8 stops of stabilisation, over the 5 stops of the Z5, which after using the Z fc last year that has no IBIS at all and is reliant on VR (Vibration Reduction) in the lens where available, its a definite bonus for low light photos (though I won’t be using that as an excuse to go back to Disney’s “Galaxy’s Edge” for some better night shots). \u00a0 Expeed 7 and the IBIS sled also gives the Zf access to what’s now common amongst mirrorless cameras, pixel shift photography. \u00a0 Here a series of shots are taken, with the processor moving the sensor \u00a0a few pixels at a time in all directions, with each extra image used to build up a single composite image. In the case of the Zf, this can be up to 32 shots, resulting in a 96MP image, but all these individual pixel shift images generated \u00a0have to be processed off camera using Nikon Studio NX software (Watch out for a blog post once I’ve tried this). \u00a0As with all implementations, this technology only works with motionless subjects to reduce the chances of blur and if you’re doing 96 shots, I’d say a tripod is pretty much mandatory. \u00a0Some later Olympus\/OM Systems models are supposed to be able to do hand held pixel shift images, but there you’re only moving a sensor thats half the size of full frame!<\/p>\n Videography is well catered for, apparently, having output options for 4K \/ 60p with crop and 4K \/30P without, plus it supports 10-bit N-log recording. \u00a0As you might guess, I’m no film maker! \u00a0I understand what the 4K bit is, but after that, I’m lost, just not my thing. \u00a0I can’t remember the last time I used any of my “proper” cameras to take a video; \u00a0GoPro or iPhone, \u00a0yes. \u00a0So with a face ideal for radio and a voice with too much of a Yorkshire accent, I’ll stick to stills and the written word.<\/p>\n Construction wise, the magnesium alloy body has a distinct heft to it, coming in a fraction, 30g, heavier than the Z5, but 240g more than the Z fc, \u00a0which now feels utterly featherweight in comparison. \u00a0It also makes the Z fc feel somewhat toy like with the 18-50 kit lens attached, despite both actually being pretty robust. \u00a0The control dials on the Zf are painted brass as opposed to aluminium on the Z fc and as a result, you can expect classic signs of aging over the years; exposed brass, as the painted finish wears. \u00a0The mode selection switch on the Zf is one that I will definitely find useful, as apart from photo and video, there’s a dedicated position to take B&W photos and this also sets the EVF to mono. \u00a0It takes a lot of experience to be able to visualise a scene in B&W, \u00a0so if you want to shoot in mono, this feature is great and the RAW file still preserves the colour image data should you change your mind.<\/p>\n Initial UK stocks of the Zf were black bodies with black leatherette, whilst the Z fc came in the usual two tone silver and black. \u00a0However, since then, the Z fc has been offered in additional colours, (as well as some rather lurid limited edition designer wraps in Japan at least), whilst the Zf can now be ordered in six additional colorways to go with the stock black body, including a rather loud orange, which looks stunning. \u00a0Nikon Zf Homepage<\/a> Around the back of the Zf, you have a similar multi-pose LCD as the Z fc, but at a higher resolution and this is common to the Z6 III as well, \u00a0while the actual EVF is a vastly better higher resolution LCD than both the Z fc and the Z5. \u00a0The rest of the controls are fairly standard, but the Zf lacks the popular focus point control joystick of the Z5 and above, forcing you to use the control-pad or if you have it exposed, the touch screen. \u00a0Allowing you to use the camera with the touch screen hidden, again promotes retro eye-piece only operation as \u00a0well as camera the improve look, whilst also offering some protection for the LCD itself, though I doubt an impact on the covered side still wouldn’t do a deal of good.<\/p>\n Controls and their customisation seems to be a thorny subject with Nikon users, especially the implementation of Auto-iSO, which does appear…. peculiar! \u00a0You ‘d think that with an actual dial to set the film speed, \u00a0the C setting on there would just set Auto-ISO and the camera would do the rest? No, that simply enables the menu entry you have set for maximum sensitivity, so should you want to alter that, you have to delve back into the menus to do so. \u00a0The rest of the time, if you’ve set Auto ISO from the menu and the dial isn’t on C, then the ISO dial actually indicates the lowest ISO value available to the Auto ISO function; it takes some getting used to shall we say. \u00a0 The Z fc was the same and unlike the Z5 and more modern style bodies, there’s no dedicated Auto-ISO button on either camera. \u00a0As you can’t assign that function to the rather limited number of customisable buttons on the body, it usually ends up on the quick access i<\/em> menu. \u00a0Pushing the ISO to some of the values a full frame sensor is capable of seems somewhat alien after coming from using m4\/3 for ten years, where I was keen to keep it under ISO 6400 to avoid too much grain off the 16MP sensor. \u00a0Consequently, I personally don’t tend to use Auto ISO and judging by some comments on the web regarding strange decisions with shutter speeds or ISO settings if you do, \u00a0I’m liable to stay a non-user.<\/p>\n The other design decision that doesn’t really make sense is the choice of memory card types. \u00a0All the DX bodies have a single UHS-I SD card, (UHS-II on the new Z50 II). \u00a0The FX bodies start with a pair of UHS-II SD slots on the Z5, \u00a0and a mix of SD plus CFExpress \/ QXD slots on the rest. \u00a0As for the Zf, there’s a UHS-II SD slot (which is fine as it makes for cheaper memory prices compared to CFExpress), but this is paired with a UHS-I micro SD slot; eh? \u00a0So yes, you can set image type to be RAW plus JPEG and save each file to a different slot, so 25Mb RAW file to the faster slot and 11Mb JPEG to the slower micro SD, maybe. But if one card is UHS-II and the other UHS-I, should you set image quality to RAW only and save the same file to both as a backup, then shoot a fast sequence, the buffer will slow down trying to write to the micro SD slot. \u00a0 Two identical slots would have been nice, \u00a0and doubtless the micro SD slot was chosen to reduce body thickness. Personally, I can see the micro SD option being set to overflow and it staying empty.<\/p>\n As I mentioned in my main blog post, I wasn’t 100% sure the Zf would stick around and I might actually keep my Z5 instead. \u00a0After taking it out a few times and using it, especially with the 40mm f2 lens you see in the photo above, \u00a0it’s nicer to use than first thought. \u00a0That the 40mm (and similarly styled 28mm) SE lenses lack an aperture adjustment ring is beside the point, but definitely a trick missed. \u00a0Using the longer, but crucially much heaver 24-70 f4 S lens is a different matter, it upsets the balance somewhat. \u00a0Once they’re back in stock, an alternative grip to the Small-Rig I currently have, \u00a0one which also has a thumb rest might have to be bought, whilst a Peak Designs Clutch hand strap is also an option I may also take. (The hand strap supplied with the original Olympus E-M5 battery pack and grip was exceptionally comfy in use, and made the camera feel like an extension of the hand, if you see what I mean? So I’m hoping for the same)<\/p>\n Overall, the Zf is growing on me. \u00a0The original spec and the styling wooed me in and successfully disposing of my DX kit allowed me to buy a used body. \u00a0I’ve been lucky to be able to keep the Z5 body around for a while to compare the Zf with, but that too is departing and I’ll be back to one body to rule them all, which was the original plan. \u00a0Just got to get out and take more photos now.<\/p>\n Pros:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThe battery is the standard EN-EL15 sized battery introduced by Nikon in 2011, \u00a0but only the A, B & C versions are compatible with the Zf, which is also able to charge it via the USB C port. \u00a0No charger is supplied with the camera however, just a USB C cable, which seems a bit mean on a near \u00a32000 camera.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>\n
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