Finally Had Time To Take Out My Nikon Z7 And Lenses

One of my favorite "photo" places in the area.  I like the decades old oyster processing plant and deadrise work boat
in contrast to the roof of the Virginia Air and Space Museum as well as the modern architecture of the hotel.
Nikon Z7; 24-70mm f/4 S lens @ 70mm; 1/160th sec. @ f/8; ISO 180 (click to enlarge)

August has been a pretty much lost month, photographically, for me.  Other than copying 35mm slides for my summer project (3624 copied so far), I was not able to get out and photograph much at all.

Between doctor's appointments leading up to and after my eye surgery, the same leading up to and after my wife's cataract surgery, preparing for visitors (family, then friends), those visitors coming for a total of 8 days, buying two glass-door bookcases and a cabinet (Ikea), assembling them (harder and more time consuming than I remember) then renovating my home office plus all of the other things that seem to pop up, I was only able to get out twice all month to photograph.  That being said, August and its heat and humidity is not one of my favorite months to photograph anyway.  Everything outside looks tired, worn out, worse for summer wear and nature looks like it is ready for the fresh cool breath of Autumn.  So there's that.  If I could choose a month to lose, it would be August.

Other than my aforementioned slide copying project, with the exception of some testing, I have not really used my Nikon gear since I purchased it a few months ago.  The other day, a typical dreary, hot, humid August morning, I did have the opportunity to take it out and, at least, see how the camera and lenses I purchased handled and performed for one of the kinds of photography I practice.  I went out and wandered around the regional urban areas and waterfront just to see what I could find that might be interesting.  The images posted here today are nothing to write home about.  This post will give you my impressions of the experience and results.  I'm mainly posting them as illustrations.

My intention when considering buying the Nikon Z7 was to utilize it to copy my extensive slide and negative archives, then sell it.  I still may do that.  The slide copying project is going well.  I will probably start on the negatives during the dead of winter.  I was hesitant to buy the camera ($$$), however, but when Nikon put the camera and lens (24-70mm f/4 S) on sale, added the FTZ adapter for free and also offered a $200 rebate on any "working" camera traded in, I took the bait.  I think the total savings at the time was about $800 US.  I have no regrets, despite what some pundits initially said about the camera having only one card slot and being sluggish with continuous focus tracking and eye tracking.  Nikon has since issued a firmware update which, according to those who have extensively tested it, are very pleased with how the camera's focusing now performs.  I have no issues with the camera or its focusing capabilities, either with the native S lenses or F-mount lenses using the FTZ adapter.  The focus is fast and sure.  The camera feels perfect in my hand is really, really well thought out and engineered.  I would recommend it to anyone with a need for a full frame digital camera.  How about only one card slot?  I'm not worried at all as there are many other points of failure beside a card going bad.

To me, the bottom line for this camera, now that I've configured it to my liking, made thousands of slide copies, tested it and taken it out, is that the image quality is astounding.  The image quality is the best I've ever seen in a camera I've used.  Before this, the best image quality I had seen was in my Nikon D810, a 36mp camera with about 14.7 stops of dynamic range.  This camera has a 45mp sensor and I would guess about the same dynamic range.  Of course, the camera body is only half the story.  The lenses are the other half.

He told me he was doing a lot of fishing and very little catching! (click to enlarge)
Nikon Z7; 24-70mm f/4 lens @ 35mm; 1/80th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200

100% crop from the image above.  Remarkable detail is available with this camera/lens combination. (click to enlarge)

What about the lenses?

For the slide/negative project, I purchased a used Nikon 60mm f/2.8 G Micro Nikkor lens from KEH Camera during a sale.  I also purchased the Nikon ES-2 Digitizing adapter that attaches to that lens and comes with a holder for slides and a holder for 35mm negatives.  The lens is sharp.  I found this lens sharpest at f/8 and f/11 but I am quibbling about it.  It is sharp throughout its range.  It is a flat field lens which ensures sharpness from edge to edge.  Typically, macro lenses are flat field (referring to the plane of focus) as opposed to a curved field lens whose focusing plane is more or less concave.  Lenses other than macro lenses typically focus deeper into the subject in the center than they do on the edges.  (When lens testers test lenses on flat walls, focus in the center and find the edges not as sharp—duh!—the lens is not a flat field lens and the edges will never be as sharp on a flat plane.  Edge sharpness improves as you stop down, however, but never be quite as good as in the center.  That is how they are designed.  If you want to see how sharp the edges are, focus on the edges not the center.  But then the center will not be as sharp.  Again, that is how they are designed.)

In a related note, I came into some very good fortune recently.  A close friend, who recently bought a Nikon D850, gave me his Nikon D810.  Yes, incredible!  He was having an issue with the D810 focusing accurately with his main wildlife lens, a Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 lens (his copy is extraordinarily sharp!), and sent it to Nikon twice for service.  Nikon indicated that they could find nothing wrong with the focusing system when used with Nikon lenses.  Of course, they weren't going to test it with off-brand lenses.  Since he was no longer able to use it with his primary lens, one day he stopped by my house and gave me the camera body!  What an unexpected surprise!  I have to admit I vehemently tried to refuse and I am very uneasy accepting such a gift from a good friend or anyone.  He insisted.  I finally, but still hesitantly, accepted.  I reset the camera, configured it to my liking (as I mentioned I owned a D810 when they first were released and found it an amazing 36mp beast of a camera!) and then went out to test it with some older Nikon lenses that I had in a drawer.  Every test seemed to indicate the camera focused fine with Nikon lenses.  Soon, I plan on sending it to Nikon once again to have a thorough clean, lube and adjust—just to be sure all is well with all aspects of the camera's operation.  I remain a grateful and thankful person.

This and the image below just serves as an illustration of how well the inexpensive Nikon AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E lens really is.  This is the full image frame.  The image below is a 200% crop of the worker in the red shirt. (click to enlarge)
Nikon Z7; 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens @ 300mm; 1/640th sec. @ f/8; ISO 2200.  Yes 2200!

I find it remarkable that a 45mp camera with an inexpensive lens at a relatively high ISO can produce this kind of
image quality, especially at 200%!.

Now because I have two full frame Nikon cameras, it seems I am back in the Nikon photography game once more.  Because of that, I thought I would acquire a telephoto zoom lens to round out the lens selection.  I wanted a telephoto zoom that could be used on either the D810 or the Z7.  I did some research and, previously owning a Nikon 70-200mm f/4 VR lens, I thought that would be a nice, relatively lightweight and compact choice.  It has excellent image quality.  I started looking for a good used one to purchase.

However, being a fan of Thom Hogan (bythom.com), who I consider the expert for almost all things Nikon, Thom's recommendation for the Z7 was a different lens.  He recommends the AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR lens.  I hadn't considered that lens as it is relatively inexpensive and, I thought probably wouldn't do justice to the 45mp sensor on the Z7.  How good can it be?  He said it is a sleeper lens and performs way above its class.  So, I picked up a copy for very little money when Nikon had a sale on refurbished gear.

Now that I have a "standard" zoom which, at f/4, is relatively small and lightweight as well as a telephoto zoom, also relatively lightweight, I thought I would round out the kit by acquiring a wide angle zoom as well.  (See how photography can easily become a slippery slope?) I then picked up the Nikon 14-30mm f/4 S lens, which is also relatively small and lightweight.  

Notice I use the word "relatively" when describing this gear.  It is relatively light and small as compared to traditional full frame gear with f/2.8 maximum apertures, but still a bit larger than my Fujifilm gear, which is a bit larger than my Olympus gear.  But not so much so that I wouldn't want to carry it all day if I was out or traveling.

When going out to photograph, I can honestly said that the lens selection I have is superb for my kinds of photography.  The 24-70mm f/4 S lens is excellent from wide open to f/11 as is the 14-30mm f/4 S lens.  (I have read that there is some product variation with the 14-30? My copy is excellent).  What really surprised me was the image quality from the roughly $500 US refurbished 70-300mm lens!  It is outstanding.  I was apprehensive about buying this lens over the 70-200mm f/4 but no longer.  I am totally pleased with its performance at all focal lengths—from its fast and accurate focusing as well as its image quality.

The bottom line now for me is this.  I could use the Nikon gear as a fully operational kit with backup for any photography I practice.  I would also feel comfortable traveling with only the Nikon gear.  How so?  The primary camera would be the Z7 with the 14-30, 24-70 and 70-300.  If I used the Z7 in DX mode (or I cropped that massive 45mp file), I still could make a 20mp image at 450mm full frame field of view equivalent!  Throw in the 60mm f/2.8 macro lens and I have all of the close-up capabilities covered.

What if the Z7 malfunctions while traveling?  Covered.  The D810 cannot be used with the S lenses, but can be used with the 60mm lens and the 70-300mm lens.  They are both F-mount.  And...I have in my gear storage drawer two Nikon AF lenses, the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 AF-D and a Nikkor 35mm f/2 AF-D lenses.  If the Z7 breaks down, the D810 comes into play with prime lenses of 24mm, 35mm, 60mm then add the 70-300mm.  That provides coverage from 24mm to, again, 450mm~e, all autofocus and excellent glass.  I can't complain.  If I need a shot wider than 24mm, I can easily do a two or three shot pano to get the wider angle.

My wife and I have our annual fall road trip planned.  My biggest problem is which gear to take!  I know, I know, a first world problem.  I'm in a position that no matter which gear I choose, I'm pretty much covered.  I truly can't decide.  I want to travel light and small so I can carry around a lightweight kit while we walk around various places we visit.  I will have to decide before we leave.

Oh, after all of this can I make a good case for full frame over APS-C or M4/3?  Not really.  At least not for the kinds of photography I practice.  YMMV.  Full frame image quality, as I said is astounding, but I rarely need astounding.  Excellent is good enough for me and my other gear fills that role nicely.

If you have or have used a Nikon Z camera, please comment and let the rest of us know your thoughts and experiences.  It can only be enlightening and useful, either good or bad.  Either way, it provides value to the conversation.

Join me over at Instagram @dennisamook or my website, www.dennismook.com. 

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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