Nikon Z6/7 mirrorless system

[Hugh_3170]

Perhaps it is because they don't use cameras to make photographs as such - maybe they just see the Z6/7 as something to make you-tube grumble sessions about?

(Just my 0.02c worth.  )

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I've no idea why those you-tubers are tumbling over each other to burn the Z's to the ground.
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[jpgrahn]

Oh, please start to sell you Dfs! 
There is hardly ever any body for sale here (Sweden).
Last time I saw one the asking price was 12000 SEK.

[Jack Dahlgren]

I was looking at used prices for the DF yesterday after using the Z6 with manual lenses earlier in the day. While in some ways the DF is still superior in some ways (battery life is great, can see what aperture I used with old lenses, simplicity of interface) the Z6 viewfinder with focus peaking and magnification, articulated screen, silent mode, focus shift, and video which I’ve hardly explored yet, is turning out to be a wonderful camera.

But what is really putting it over the top is IBIS which gives very stable shots at twice focal length reciprocal (100mm at 1/50th second). My eyes are not as sharp and my hands are not as steady as they were in the 1980’s so it almost feels like cheating to use a camera like this.

Prices are already pretty low for the DF (~1250 US) so I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to sell it before price drops (it already has), but if the Z is reliable over the next few months I will probably be looking to sell the DF to finance purchase of the 14-30 S line lens.

[Airy]

Oh, please start to sell you Dfs! 
There is hardly ever any body for sale here (Sweden).
Last time I saw one the asking price was 12000 SEK.

Significantly, it has disappeared from the catalogue of "Le cirque" (one of the big Paris shops), whilst the Z6 and Z7 are there of course.
Still hugging mine; Z6 will come when it passes away.

[tommiejeep]

Significantly, it has disappeared from the catalogue of "Le cirque" (one of the big Paris shops), whilst the Z6 and Z7 are there of course.
Still hugging mine; Z6 will come when it passes away.

Airy, Nikon India still lists the Df, at approx. $2500, but none of my dealers can get one.
Thanks all, selling the Df is a last resort.  For me the silent shooting, with all of the provisos, is very important.  The Sony a7rii, a7iii and Olympus EM1/Pen F have it but would love to get back to Nikon UI.
I figure I could get the funds together by selling tons of misc. gear (bags, filters, L-brackets , etc) to save the Df  .  Neither of my dealers of choice have the Z6 kit so have some time.   May just get the body, zoom and adapter and then see what happens  .   The 35 1.8Z maybe since I've sold my AF 35mm's.
Cheers,
Tom

[Frank Fremerey]

I guess as soon as the production is ramped up and the holiday season over the price and availability should be better.

[golunvolo]

I have been trying the z6 for the last 3 days. I´m definitely keeping her.
   Have never done this before but I´m going to try to summarize my experience so far and how is going to fit with my work. From the beginning hig iso performance, auto-focus and specially silent shooting were my primary concerns. It delivers in everyone of them.

   ISO: better than the d750. Shooting at 1600-3200 is better in my eyes and it has at least equal and I thing more latitude in post. I´m using Capture NX-D for it and maybe it helps too. Images sooc look better anyway.
   Here a singer at 3200 iso + 2.14 ev in post

   

[CS]

I have been trying the z6 for the last 3 days. I´m definitely keeping her.
   Have never done this before but I´m going to try to summarize my experience so far and how is going to fit with my work. From the beginning hig iso performance, auto-focus and specially silent shooting were my primary concerns. It delivers in everyone of them.

   ISO: better than the d750. Shooting at 1600-3200 is better in my eyes and it has at least equal and I thing more latitude in post. I´m using Capture NX-D for it and maybe it helps too. Images sooc look better anyway.
   Here a singer at 3200 iso + 2.14 ev in post

 

Good one, Paco!

[golunvolo]

Focus is working with moving dancers. They are faster than singers but slower than birds... The jury is still out for moving targets as I´m spoiled by the d500. After all, I was not expecting the z6 to be that good ad sports-like but pintpoint focus is very very accurate. I have specially seen difference at extremes of the 58mm 1.4 wide open, 200-400 at distant subjects, etc... That´s before even talking about manual lenses. Focus peaking and 1:1 magnification on the viewfinder (plus ibis) makes using all the manual focus so easy it feels like cheating. 105mm 2.5 is nuts, rodenstock easier to get something in focus if that what you want, El-nikkor! Just have been playing with them but you get the idea. I thought it will be like this but it really is.
   All out with face detection enable has focused on the eye so far. I know is not the general impression so I hold my criteria, just playing

   Surprised eye, 105mm 1.4 @1.4, 3200 iso +1.5ev in post, 1/125th handheld.
   Nikon textures with 105 f4 @ f11 I think  on tripod. Wireless flash.

[golunvolo]

    Silent shutter is a godsend for theater. Picture of guitarrist playing coming. No one was disturbed during the taking of such image. I have to get use to it. I´m not sure yet I took one
 I have managed to get weird forms in cars going at high speed opposite me but as it is not my intended use, I´ll "clank" away if it comes to that. Even the sound is very low compared to other bodies I have been using until now.
   I still have to get banding. Have tried to provoke it with florescence light at various speeds. I want to get to know what to avoid, as I did with the movement. Any advice welcome.
   On top of that, I have managed to get a sharp image with the 200-400 at 1/20th of a second. Finally. Distant subject. The focus point is in the car.

   

[golunvolo]

VR-IBIS works. I have been able to shot stage images with the 105mm 1.4. It was challenging to do so handheld before because shutter speed goes aorund 160th-200th of a second a lot of times and it is not good enough. At that same speed I can get sharper images now.

   I have added silent shooting and VR on to the "I" menú to be able to change it without taking the eye from the viewfinder. Af modes are in one of the function buttons on the front, focus peaking in the other; non cpu lenses pressing the joystick and 1:1 magnification in the record one. I´ll keep it like this until something better comes along.
   A few handhold with the 105 1.4. Mostly at 2.8, mostly at 1600-3200 Iso

  Last one is full of detail in the clothes and hair.

[golunvolo]

I still have to play with the video. One try that same night shows again that the ISO performance is excellent, the vr works much better than I thought and using the viewfinder is more discrete in a dark place. I´m ready to record in 10 bit with external recorder and n-log. The bottleneck will be my skill. I´m a bit concerned about how much I can record with one battery in one go. I hope it covers at leas 90-120 min to be able to get a whole show in one take.
   

  A few perks and questions:

    Biggest one so far: the viewfinder shows a brighter image than is recorded in dark environments, not so much with bright light. Histogram helps but not so much and it is distracting. I have tried to bring the brightness down a couple of points but is still confusing. One of the reasons to push pp so much to star with. I´ll get use to it but any idea in that regard will be appreciated.
    Highlight mettering works better than in the d500 too but still not perfect. Manual is the way to go.

  I can´t get a clean image in the screen. There is always something over. It bothers me. I´ll make it an option too.

 14 vs 12 bits? It speeds it up. 12 fps is nuts. I can live with 9 fps without problems but I can´t decide if it is worth the extra space. All my cameras has been shooting in 14 bit when possible until now. Ideas?

   The manual lenses with cpu all work like a D, locking it at the smallest apperture and controlling it from the dials.
Non cpu AI and AIS do not record the apperture even if the correct info is in the memory back and, weird, the 80-200 ed does not work. It ask for the lens to be stopped down and lock even if it already is. That led to a little experiment: it works in the d200, d700, d500, and d750; it does no in Z6, d5300 and it does not work in the d80 ir (Lola) but it did before  I don´t know why.

   Overall I´m very happy with her. I hope this gives useful information


   

   

[Bent Hjarbo]

Paco with those nice pictures you deserve it 

[Akira]

Great examples, Paco!

I have a question to Paco and other Z owners who have shot in the dark situations like at night or in the theater:

Was the pitch black frame of EVF screen easily descernible in the very dark situations?  I've often struggled with the framing with EVF and missed the center of the image frame when something pitch black things comes to the borders of the screen.  That also happenes when I shoot with my iPhone SE.  Panasonic GH5, the only mirrorless camera I've used that shares the latest 3.69MP OLED, suffered with the problem much less than the older ones, but the problem still persisted somewhat.

[golunvolo]

I haven´t paid attention until you asked. It means is not difficult. As long as there is a bit of light the deep black lines on top and bottom are very clear. Even if there is no light, information icons in white, also top and bottom, go to the four corners and that, I realize just now looking, helps with framing in the dark.
   There is always turning on the grid (item menu d9). It is made of white lines. It can be distracting but it works if needed.