Z7 hands-on and field test

[Hugh_3170]

Good news Wolfgang - I recall that the Z7 can accomodate up to 30 slots.  Nine was too few in my opinion.

(BTW, the Z7 user manuals are available for download and an online version is available in most languages.)

EDIT:  Twenty (20) slots NOT 30!  My bad!

[MILLIREHM]

Good news Wolfgang - I recall that the Z7 can accomodate up to 30 slots.  Nine was too few in my opinion.

(BTW, the Z7 user manuals are available for download and an online version is available in most languages.)

Thanks Hugh for the good news. Downloaded the manual already but did not study it in all details

(would be fine if Nikon upgrades the SLR line in this respect with the next series of firmware upgrades)

[Hugh_3170]

We can but hope! 

Given that non-Nikon mirrorless cameras are very versatile in what can be attached to them (i.e. read "lens brand agnostic"), it is good that Nikon has tried to make the transition from their DSLRs to the Z series as painless as possible.  Sony may have had an earlier acceptance of their mirrorless cameras had they worlked harder in this respect.

..............................................................
(would be fine if Nikon upgrades the SLR line in this respect with the next series of firmware upgrades)

[arthurking83]

....

nine slots for saving non CPU lens data (which is the standard in SLR bodies since the D300) is somewhat limited. Nikon easily could do more if they wanted to. The Z7/Z6 probably wont break with this tradition i suspect.

If you want more, then you'd want them to free up more firmware space, as that will be the limiting factor.
That is, they could remove some other feature from the cameras firmware to cater for more address space for more of those non CPU data allowances.

[Jack Dahlgren]

If you want more, then you'd want them to free up more firmware space, as that will be the limiting factor.
That is, they could remove some other feature from the cameras firmware to cater for more address space for more of those non CPU data allowances.

Non-cpu data consists of a focal length and an aperture. This can’t be more than a handful of bytes each. It would be really hard to believe that with the huge amount of code for something like face detection or the like that this tiny amount needed would be noticed at all.

[Asle F]

The way it was on D2/D200 worked much better for me, and that could not need more memory than the way it is done later, probably little less.

[Hugh_3170]

Yes, I also liked the way the D200 handled non-CPU lenses.

The way it was on D2/D200 worked much better for me, and that could not need more memory than the way it is done later, probably little less.

[pluton]

The way it was on D2/D200 worked much better for me, and that could not need more memory than the way it is done later, probably little less.

Agree...weren't you able to enter any focal length, digit by digit, instead of having to select from a canned list?

[Hugh_3170]

No unfortunately it was also a "canned" list.

Agree...weren't you able to enter any focal length, digit by digit, instead of having to select from a canned list?

[longzoom]

I tried this camera yesterday. 80-400g worked great, with better stabilization. 24-70g2 was not, but will, not a big deal. So what was a show stopper for me - rain. I got a very small drop exactly at the center of the sensor. Did I  do anything wrong while switching the lenses, or this is normal for this machine to keep sensor open? Sorry, I've no time to read menu. THX in advance!  LZ

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I tried this camera yesterday. 80-400g worked great, with better stabilization. 24-70g2 was not, but will, not a big deal. So what was a show stopper for me - rain. I got a very small drop exactly at the center of the sensor. Did I  do anything wrong while switching the lenses, or this is normal for this machine to keep sensor open? Sorry, I've no time to read menu. THX in advance!  LZ

Right, when you take the lens off, the shutter is open so you can get dirt or raindrops on it. I guess Nikon think the potential damage of touching the shutter is a greater risk than touching or soiling the sensor where it is easier to clean. But I would definitely hold the camera pointing downwards when changing lenses. I do that with DSLRs, too.

[longzoom]

Yeah, that is what I do automatically, Ilkka. But fingers memory was confused by slightly different angle, so, I've turned the camera a little bit up. Was windy, it was enough. Actually, good camera, (There IS reinforcing ring on the back of mount, thanks God!), but, so far, I'll stay with my D810-850. Time and life will tell. Thank you so much!  LZ

[pluton]

My Fujifilm X cameras, and all other mirrorless cameras that I've seen, keep the sensor exposed at all times except just before and just after exposure. Each single firing of the shutter is a cycle composed of <Close, Open, Close, Open>.

[Asle F]

No unfortunately it was also a "canned" list.

It was the same list as in later cameras. But there was no bank of 9 combinations of them, and one could assign a button for navigating through the list. On later cameras, one can assign a button for navigating through the bank of 9 combinations. For navigating through the whole list, one has to use the menue.