Nikon Makes A Serious Move Into Mirrorless; My $0.02 Worth

Nikon Z6 mirrorless with 24-70mm f/4 lens attached

I have owned Nikon cameras since 1974.  I always loved the way Nikons handled and the images they produced for me.  When the digital age arrived, I found Nikon's menu system easy and intuitive.  I've always had at least one Nikon camera around, still do.  As you know from reading this blog, I have a huge interest in mirrorless cameras.  Less of an interest, but still an interest in full frame cameras.  Nikon, with the introduction of the new Z6 and Z7 full frame mirrorless cameras, seems to have taken its first step into "serious" mirrorless camera territory.  

Yesterday, Nikon introduced several new products.  Most are related to the new mirrorless system, one not.  I'm sure if you have seen all of the press and websites covering this that you now know Nikon introduced a Z6, with a 24mp sensor, and a Z7, with at 45mp sensor, both having 5-stop IBIS with the newly introduced lens line.  Both are backside illuminated sensors (better low light performance) with on-sensor phase detect and contrast detect autofocus points.  They also introduced a trio of lenses for these two cameras.  Nikon introduced a 35mm f/1.8 lens, a 50mm f/1.8 lens and a 24-70mm f/4 lens.  Finally, they introduced an adapter so those who purchase the new cameras can use 93 of the existing F-mount lenses on the new Z-mount cameras.  

The announcement which is not related to the mirrorless cameras is the new 500mm f/5.6 E PF lens.  Shorter, lighter and extremely high quality.  

The two cameras look identical and are about the same size as the Olympus E-M1 Mark II and the Fujifilm X-T2.  A little bigger than the Sonys, but I think that is a very good thing from just about every complaint I've read about the Sonys—just a bit too small.  I won't go into more detail as you can find specifications everywhere on the web.

Since, I have interest in full frame mirrorless and Nikon these two camera are of personal interest to me.  Briefly, here is my take on these two new cameras from the little we have seen and read about them.

I won't say Nikon jumped into the water with these cameras, but more or less waded in.  These are two solid cameras and Nikon probably wants to see how well they are accepted and how well they sell before bringing out more professional models as well as lower end models.  Nikon is a very old, conservative and traditional Japanese camera company and the wheels of change move very slowly in that culture.  However, I certainly applaud Nikon for making this initial effort.  From the two best videos I've seen so far, from Imaging Resource and DPReview, as well as the best neutral writings I've read at www.bythom.com (Thom Hogen is a long time Nikon expert), both cameras seem to hit the mark pretty well.  There are a lot more positive things being said about these cameras so far than negative.  The more I see and read, the more I like them.  I'm a bit surprised because my expectations were and are very high for Nikon.

A couple of big things for me.  If the lens adapter works as well as Nikon says it will (for 93 existing Nikon lenses, but it won't work on the older AI, AI-S or D lenses), with no loss in AF speed or quality, I think they will have hit pretty much a home run.  If it doesn't, then sales will be marginal.  Those millions of F-mount Nikkor lenses out there as well as the the independent manufacturers' lenses will certainly be put to use with this new system and I predict lots of photographers will buy into the Z system if that adapter works well.  No reason to wait for additional native lenses.

Second, the EVF seems to be excellent.  Better than all others with the exception of Leica's.  However, I haven't seen anything about refresh rates, etc.  That is important for high speed photography, which is a specific strong point for mirrorless cameras.

Third, the battery is a slight variation of the same battery as is used in most all of the other high end Nikon DSLRs.  That is smart.  The variation is that the new En-EL15B battery can be charged in the Z7 itself, through a USB connection.  Although the older batteries work fine, they cannot be charged in the camera itself, but in chargers.  The initial reports on battery life doesn't sound promising, but real life testing needs to occur to find out definitively.  Battery life also depends upon how the camera is configured.  Something to keep in mind if you are interested.

Fourth, IBIS.  This feature is important to me.  I've stated in the past that I probably won't buy another camera body without it (although some situation may occur that could change my mind) and this IBIS is rated at 5 stops with these new lenses.  Less stabilization with adapted lenses.

Fifth, high speed photography.  I'm reading that, although the Z7 is publicized at 9fps and it will refocus between each frame at that speed, the exposure locks on the first image and there is mirror blackout and major lag in the EVF.  That doesn't bode well.

Sixth, one card slot.  Meh.  Only until the past few years did cameras have more than one card slot.  It was never an issue before but now, evidently, cameras are no good if they don't have two.  My understanding is that the XQD card, which this camera uses, is extremely reliable and has no problem with failures.  We'll see.

An interesting thing I heard from a UK Nikon rep was the lens' focusing ring is programmable to perform other functions.  It can act as an exposure compensation ring, an aperture ring, etc.  That is inventive.  I like that thinking although I probably wouldn't change it from its focusing function.  I've got too many years of muscle memory and instinctive behavior to change something as basic as that.

I still haven't read or seen anything definitive on the speed and accuracy of the AF system (there have been some short demos with pre-production models), and if that is as good or better than the D850, again, Nikon will have a hit on their hands.

Enough for now.  Here is what I want you to do if you are interested.  Read the reviews and watch the You Tube videos.  Make up your own mind.  However, I will caution you that some Canon, Sony, Fuji and other manufacturers' fanboys will be immediately writing and posting words and videos knocking Nikon and these two cameras without even laying a finger on one or certainly not using one.  Same in the opposite direction with the Nikon fanboys.  Disregard them all.  They have an agenda.  In the same vein, many of Nikon's Ambassadors probably have had these cameras in hand for a few weeks and, of course, they will rave about it.  Take that with a grain of salt as well.  They, too, have an agenda.  In fact, disregard anyone who, within a few days or a week of now, writes or speaks definitively about these two cameras as no one has had a production model in his or her hands long enough to give an honest, unbiased opinion.  I find these early critics disingenuous.  They get out there for "clicks" to make money, not look out for you.  But many people believe everything they hear and read on the Web.

What I find interesting about these so called "reviewers" or "experts" is that each will complain about something or many things when a new camera is introduced.  It doesn't have this or that is too slow or why didn't they do this?  This camera is crap because it can't perform this function fast enough.  The company is run by a bunch of idiots because the camera  doesn't have this feature.  You've heard them.  For example, I already heard one person comment that Nikon has had an "epic fail" by only having one memory card (XQD) slot and not two on these cameras.  (The Nikon rep I listened to said directly that they could only fit one XQD card slot in the camera due to wanting the fastest read/write memory cards available [45+ mp of data in each exposure] coupled with the small size of the camera—in other words, everything is a compromise of some sort).  There have been almost no failures of XQD cards to my knowledge.  Do you really need two slots?  Some do.  Most don't, in my opinion.  What percentage of photographers need two slots?  Pick your poison.  Pick your compromises.

What I hear from these individuals is that they want Nikon (and other camera manufacturers) to do is to make a camera that meets their specifications otherwise it is no good.  If that were the case, how many hundreds of different variations of a single camera would a manufacturer have to make to satisfy each individual's wants, needs or opinions as to how a good camera should be designed?  See my point?  Take these criticisms with a grain of salt as well and most of us realize that the market for any particular camera body is wide and enormous and has to serve people of all kinds who do all kinds of photography, with all levels of skill sets, with large differences in disposable income levels, needs and uses in mind.  Camera companies build for the masses as do most all other manufacturers of products.  No one is going to build something just for you unless you are willing to pay for a "one off" product.  Be realistic here.

As for me, the more I read and see about these two cameras the more I like them.  I don't think I'll be buying one of these early models, however.  

There are a couple of things I had on my wish list for this introduction.  I would have liked Nikon to include the adapter free of charge instead of charging just under $250 US ($100 if you buy it with the camera initially).  I think the initial sacrifice of losing a small amount of income when introducing these cameras would be well worthwhile in generating massively more adoptions of this new system.  Do it for 12 months, at least, then charge.  

Second, I wish Nikon would have released more lenses and slightly different lens configurations with the introduction. I would have like to have that 24-70mm f/4 lens be f/2.8.  That would be much more popular and useful to more photographers.  I would also like to have seen them introduce a short telephoto prime, such as an 85mm f/1.8 to complement the other two primes.  However, Nikon did publish a lens "road map," which is a first for them.  We can see and anticipate what's coming next year and in 2020.  My two cents worth.

I hope Nikon succeeds.  If they do, they make Sony more creative and may force a reduction in what Sony over charges for their lenses, which benefits Sony users.  They will also force Canon's hand in bringing out just as good or even better mirrorless products.  Olympus, Fuji, Panasonic will also have to step up their games to keep the customers they have and prevent them from switching to full frame as the differences in cost has become less and less.  (Funny how that works?) All that said, in the end, we win!

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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