I've been waiting over 2 years to invest in the new mirrorless camera technology and last week I finally made the jump. I am the proud new owner of the Nikon z7ii with several new s series lenses. Being married to a tech guy, I have adopted his willingness to embrace new technology advancements but I combine that with a healthy dose of caution. I have no need to be the first one into these technology races, but I absolutely don't want to get left behind in old tech just because it requires change. I almost pulled the trigger 2 years ago on the first edition of the Nikon z7 but after watching the early adopters have really valid feedback for improvements, I decided to wait while the refinements happened. In January of this year I called my local camera store and added my name to the pre order list for the z7ii and last week I finally got the joyful call that my new baby was ready for adoption. In complete honesty, after investing a good amount into all new equipment, everything sat unopened and untouched for 4 days. Finally, on Saturday, from the encouragement of my daughter and her willingness to model for me, I opened the next chapter of camera technology. To sum up my session on Saturday in one sentence, I know how Goldilocks felt when "everything was just right."
Top 5 first impressions of my Nikon z7ii
1- It's just my size!
In 1994 I purchased my first medium format Hasselblad Camera and tripod. The tripod was essential to the camera because I was never tall enough or strong enough to hand hold that machinery. I loved that camera but it was a huge, I'm barely 5 feet tall, and it was a full body workout. Since that Hasselblad, I have owned 3 digital camera: the 6.2 Mb Fuji s2, the 12.3Mb Nikon d300 and the 36.3Mb Nikon D800e. When I finally held the z7ii with 85mm lens in my hand it felt like it was custom built just for me. The mirrorless technology allows for a smaller camera and I wasn't prepared for how good that would feel. Holding and handling the z7ii for this vertically challenged photographer feels like a dream come true. I have always felt overwhelmed by my equipment (in a productive way), but this time it finally feels "Allison sized."
2- Because it's a Nikon, everything is intuitive!
If you are already a Nikon shooter then you know the magic of Nikon. Plain and simple, their cameras make sense. It took me less then 30 minutes to unbox, set the internal clock, change to Raw capture mode, adjust ISO and white balance, dialed in the custom optics, custom program my histogram to show when playing the images, attach my godox triggers and be ready to shoot in the studio. Nikon stays true to their roots and carries forth another camera that feels right in your hand and the buttons work just how you want them too.
3-It's Sharp..... SCARY SHARP
The mirrorless technology is cool because it decreases the distance from the end of the lens to the camera sensor to just millimeters. Besides upgrading to 45.7Mb sized captures, this decreased distance to the sensor also upgrades the image quality. But HOLY COW, I was blown away by the sharpness of the capture. I am almost worried how my clients will react to seeing that much tiny facial detailing captured. After photographing Sasha (almost 14 years old) I picked up some Biore blackhead remover strips at the grocery store. Blackheads never where a problem before but this camera captures those pores in all their glory. On the positive side, her eyes and eyelashes were fantastically captured. I feel so confident about photographing families on location and capturing so many details that technologically i couldn't capture before. However, that also means that retouching is required.
4- The eye detection and follow track focusing is AMAZING
This is the first camera I have owned that has eye detection and follow tracker and it is a true gift to this photographer who doesn't have perfect vision. I am near sighted and have glasses that I wear about 50 percent of the time. The hard part is that I don't need glasses to see the back of the camera. So being able to rely on the smart technology of eye detection really does ease the burden of glasses on/ glasses off during a session. I was experimenting with the 85mm/ 1.8 to see how it would focus on both eyes during a close up and it was remarkably sharp on both eyes even though the nose and hair were out of focus. I hear many others grumble sometimes on this feature, but as a portrait photographer, this is a fantastic tool I am grateful to have.
5- The electronic viewfinder (EVF) feels just like the old viewfinder.
Honestly, I think my greatest worry about going mirrorless was getting use to the electronic viewfinder. In years past, I have tried out other mirrorless camera and the viewfinders felt so clunky, awkward and delayed. I know that the technology to get the EVF right has been a difficult journey. But I'm happy to report that I couldn't even tell that I was looking through an electronic projection of my image rather then the actual image through the mirror. Sometimes it is what you can't tell is different that is the most amazing. When I watch youtube reviews on these mirrorless cameras, everybody shoots by just looking at the LCD on the back of the camera and not using the viewfinder. Only time will tell if I can let go of the viewfinder because I really really like my viewfinder. But the Nikon z7ii viewfinder feels just like you want it to.... no change at all. That's a ton of innovation in order to deliver the same experience I currently have- Thanks Nikon!
You know that instant connection you sometimes feel with people and you have wondered where they have been all your life. Well, my first impression on my z7ii feels like that. This feels like the camera I have been waiting for all my life. Between the smaller size, the intuitive design and the quality of capture it almost feels like a custom designed camera just for me. I have found that most Nikon users feel similar to me about their commitment to the brand. I still love my Nikon D800e. The upgrade doesn't come because of dissatisfaction, it comes because of curiosity and excitement over new technology. As long as all these brands are duking it out for first place, the consumers continue to win. The Z7ii is unquestionably an upgrade from my d800e that is the review I need. Let's do this little z7ii! You and me together are going to make some awesome memories.
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