In summary
The robustly constructed Nikon Z f features the same 24-megapixel sensor as the Z6 II but has a more up-to-date processor, better autofocusing and IBIS, faster continuous shooting and other improvements.
For those who ‘grew up’ with Nikon’s film SLRs, the Nikon Z f combines a nostalgic look and handling experience with up-to-date technology. It provides a full-frame option to those who those who prefer using adjustable dial controls for the main camera settings.
Full review
Few people were surprised when Nikon unveiled its Z f camera on 20 September 2023 as it had been rumoured for several months previously. The first product images were leaked in mid-August, confirming its ‘retro’ look – and similarity to the DX-format Z fc, which we reviewed in August 2021. The cladding colours for the Z f are different from the Z fc, although the underlying concept is the same: to provide a more personalised choice for potential buyers. You can choose between traditional black and Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Red, Sunset Orange, Moss Green and Stone Grey, although the coloured bodies are by ‘Special Order Only’, which means you’ll have to wait until they have been supplied from Nikon Australia’s warehouse. (Their prices are the same as the black model’s.)
Angled front view of the Nikon Z f (black version) with the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE kit lens. (Source: Nikon.)
We received a Sepia Brown version of the review camera with the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens, which we reviewed in September, 2021. This lens will be offered with the Z f in kit format and our tests showed it to be a good performer for a lightweight, budget-priced lens.
Who’s it For?
The new camera has a similar look and feel to the DX-format Z fc and is targeted at a similar group of photographers: those who prefer using adjustable dial controls for the main camera settings. It’s likely they’re would be mainly an older cohort, which will be familiar to anyone who has attended a CP+ imaging show in Japan (where they are an influential group).
That said, there’s no reason to prevent keen photographers from enjoying the traditional styling of the Z f and it will resonate with anyone who has moved from analog (film) cameras to digital devices over the years. In fact, Fujifilm has capitalised on traditional styling in some of its most popular – and best performing – cameras.
If you’re the owner of a Nikon Z6 camera who is considering an update, the Z f might be a contender – but you won’t gain anything in image resolution. But you will get a more up-to-date processor, better autofocusing and IBIS, pixel-shift recording of 96-megapixel images and 10-bit internal video recording, along with pre-release capture, faster continuous shooting, USB charging in camera and IPTC data embedding in metadata. So if you prefer the traditional dial controls, the Z f is certainly worth a look.
If you like catching others’ attention, the retro design, which Nikon describes as ‘reminiscent of the FM2’ will be eye-catching when you’re out shooting – particularly if you choose one of the colours. And if you’d prefer to set ISO, shooting modes, shutter speeds and exposure compensation with dials, rather than buttons or menu settings you should feel right at home. The bras dials feel solid and the click reassuringly between settings.
If there’s an issue with the ‘retro’ design, it’s that unlike Fujifilm’s lenses, Nikon’s Z-mount lenses don’t have aperture rings. This means you have to set apertures via the control ring, which isn’t marked with aperture settings and doesn’t have click-stops. This may cause problems for some users.
If you’re not a fan of this modus operandi, you’ll find the same sensor in the Nikon Z6 II model – although it has a different processor set-up with dual EXPEED 6 chips. (The Z f boasts the newer EXPEED 7 chip.)
What’s New?
Many of the components used in the Z f – notably the image sensor, EXPEED 7 chip, EVF and eyepiece, articulating monitor mechanism, mechanical shutter mechanism, AF and video systems, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth capabilities and EN-EL15C battery – have already been used in other Nikon cameras. We take no issue with this since these components have proven track records, and the ability to use them in several models should help to constrain costs (and, hopefully, keep pricing within ‘reasonable’ bounds).
One significant new introduction is the re-design of the mounting mechanism for the sensor-shift VR (vibration reduction) system. The camera offers three selectable modes: Normal, Sport and Off. Unless it has been switched completely off, the shake compensation mechanism keeps running for about 10-15 seconds after the camera enters stand-by mode so you can re-shoot quickly from stand-by mode.
The Normal mode is recommended for lenses that support VR and the viewfinder image may ‘jiggle’ in this mode. Sport is recommended for panning and only applies VR correction in one plane (horizontal or vertical). Either setting can be used when the camera is tripod mounted.
The re-designed VR system enables Pixel Shift Shooting to be introduced to the new camera – a significant ‘first’ in a Nikon camera. In this mode, the camera will record a (user-selectable) series of between four and 32 NEF.RAW frames, which can be combined in your computer using NX Studio software to deliver better noise reduction or a single 96-megapixel image.
Users can choose between series and single photo modes and select the number of frames, interval between shots and the delay between when the shutter release is pressed and recording starts. This mode can’t be used with the self-timer, high-speed frame capture, long-exposure noise reduction, VR, bracketing, multiple exposures, time-lapse and focus shift.
While the Z f boasts two card slots – one for SD (UHS II) cards and the other a microSD (UHS I) slot – they’re both tucked into the battery compartment, which means they’re more difficult to access. It’s worth noting users can select where different files are directed in the camera’s menu system.
As a consequence of this design, the grip moulding on the camera body is virtually non-existent, being reduced to a slight bump. It’s a pity this part of the camera body wasn’t better designed since it wouldn’t have added much size or weight to have included a decent-sized grip moulding plus separate cards compartment.
Build and Ergonomics
The body of the Z f is robustly constructed, with magnesium alloy on the front and top covers and dust- and drip-resistant sealing on the exterior cover joints, shutter-release button and vari-angle monitor mechanism. There’s also an electro-conductive coat on the surface to keep it free from dust, along with a fluorine coat that makes cleaning easier.
This illustration shows the magnesium alloy chassis of the Nikon Z f camera. (Source: Nikon.)
Unfortunately, as on the Z fc (and noted above), the grip moulding is uncomfortably small, especially when compared with Nikon’s other interchangeable lens cameras. It’s not an issue with the kit lens but could be problematic if you fit one of the larger and heavier lenses. SmallRig produces an L-shaped grip for the Z f , which sells for around AU$40 as well as a camera cage that includes the grip plus sockets for connecting various accessories at around $80. Both include Arca-Swiss tripod mounts.
Front view of the Sepia Brown version of the Nikon Z f with no lens fitted. (Source: Nikon.)
As shown above, the lens mount dominates the front panel, with the standard lens release button on its left hand side. A programmable Fn (function) button it located low on the opposite side of the lens mount. Its default setting is for white balance adjustments.
As on the Z fc, there’s a partially-embedded sub-command dial just below the shutter release button. An embedded LED on the opposite side close to the top of the panel serves multiple duties as AF-assist light, for red-eye reduction illumination and as a self-timer indicator.
Top view of the Nikon Z f (Sepia Brown version) with the 40mm f/2 kit lens fitted. (Source: Nikon.)
The top panel carries three main dial controls, which are made from brass and painted black. Left of the EVF housing is the ISO dial, which has a central lock/release button. It sits atop a mode selector lever, which is moved in discrete steps from M through A, S and P modes to the green Auto setting.
To the right of the EVF housing is the shutter speed dial, which also has a central locking button. A selector lever below it provides three settings: RAW, Photo and Video. Between this dial and the exposure compensation dial is a ‘control panel’ that displays the aperture setting and certain warning icons.
In front of these two dials – and between them – is the shutter button, which has threading for a cable release and sits atop the off/on power switch. A video-record button, identified with a red dot, sits to the right of the shutter button.
Rear view of the Nikon Z f with the monitor screen reversed. (Source: Nikon.)
The vari-angle touch-screen monitor takes up most of the rear panel, pushing the controls to the slightly indented bar between it and the top of the camera as well as to the right of the screen. A dioptre adjustment wheel is inset into the right hand side of the EVF housing.
It’s worth noting that you can use the touch-screen to move focus points while looking through the EVF – but only if you’ve enabled it in the Focus section of the menu. (This will require use of your left hand and will probably make your handling of the camera a bit less stable so it’s worth being cautious about doing it in dim lighting.)
The area above the monitor is dominated by the circular eyepiece of the EVF housing, which is shaped like the pentaprism housing on a traditional SLR camera. Playback and delete buttons are located to the left of the housing, with the AE/AF lock and rear control dial to the right.
The cluster of controls to the right of the monitor has a prominent ‘i’ button at the top, with a multi-selector wheel below it that is used for navigating menus and has a central OK button. Below that are four buttons that access playback zoom in, display, menu and playback zoom out. There’s no thumb rest on the leatherette cladding beside this panel, and no interface ports on that side of the camera body.
The left side panel has two port compartments with lift-up covers. The top one carries the USB-C connector, while the lower one houses the HDMI port and separate socket for connecting headphone and external microphones.
The battery compartment houses the EN-EL15C rechargeable battery pack with the dual SD/MicroSD card slots squeezed in along the rearwards side. The battery is CIPA rated for approximately 410 shots/charge or approximately 90 minutes of video recording.
Sensor and Image Processing
As stated above, the sensor used in the Z f is the same 35.9 x 23.9 mm backside illumination CMOS sensor as the Z6 and Z6 II. However, the EXPEED 6 processors (one in the Z6 and two in the Z6 II) have been replaced with an EXPEED 7 processor, which is also used in the Z8 (which we haven’t reviewed) and Z9 cameras.
The new processor and improvements to the VR system have enabled Pixel Shift Shooting, as noted above. However, the ISO sensitivity range of the camera is the same as the Z6’s and the other stills functions are unchanged, although the AF system now claims to operate down to -10EV.
On the video front you can choose between 10-bit and 8-bit depths in most recording modes or use H.264 8-bit recording for Full HD at 50p and 25p. Aside from that, you get a 4K/50p recording mode with internal recording of 10-bit 4:2:2 H.265 N-Log in-camera video recording and offers N-Log/HLG recording support. Users can also opt to record in DX format (APS-C/Super35 crop) at 50p or choose oversampled 25p at full frame width.
Unfortunately, some essential ‘pro’ level features are missing. The Z f doesn’t support the Apple ProRes format and can’t output RAW video footage to an external device. All footage is recorded with Long GOP inter-frame compression but Cinema format (17:9) recording is not available.
Playback and Software
Playback settings are much the same as those in other Nikon cameras, as are the wireless connectivity options. As usual, the camera is supplied without a printed user’s manual but you can download a comprehensive (879-page) ‘Reference Guide’ from Nikon’s download centre.
You can also download all the bundled software here, which includes N-Log 3D LUT, NX Studio, NX Tether, Wireless Transmitter Utility, IPTC Preset Manager and Webcam Utility (Windows and Mac OS options). The SnapBridge app is accessed via Google Play and Apple stores for those who want to connect the camera to a smart device.
Performance
Our Imatest tests yielded resolutions somewhat below those we obtained from the Z6 II camera, which is unexpected since both cameras use the same sensor. However, it may be attributable to unit-to-unit variability between the cameras and lenses if this is taken into account.
Resolution for both file types peaked at the ‘native’ ISO 100 setting, after which they declined gradually, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results above, which also reveals the expected differences between JPEG and NEF.RAW resolution are less than we normally see. Colour accuracy was better than we found with the Z6 II, particularly in JPEG files, where saturation was close to the optimal level.
Long exposures at night confirmed our Imatest tests, with noise only becoming visible at ISO 25600. Beyond that point, image quality at the two highest ISO settings was affected by JPEG artefacts, although sharpness was largely retained at both settings and colour fidelity was not compromised.
Like the Z fc the Z f, has three auto white balance settings plus a ‘Natural Light Auto’ mode, which is balanced for natural ambient lighting. Of the auto settings, the default A1 setting ‘keeps the overall atmosphere’, while the A0 setting is designed to keep whites by reducing warm colours and the A2 setting keeps ‘warm lighting colours’.
Both the Natural Light Auto mode and the A0 setting delivered close to neutral colour rendition under fluorescent lighting but failed to remove the warm casts from shots taken under warm-toned LED lighting and incandescent light. The A2 setting recorded warm-tones with fluorescent light and appeared to enhance them under incandescent light and LED lighting.
There’s no white balance pre-set for LED lighting and the presets for fluorescent lighting tended to over-correct. Interestingly, the Tungsten pre-set was able to remove most of the warm cast under incandescent lighting without over-correcting; a good result for this camera. Plenty of in-camera adjustments are available for tweaking colours on-the-fly and they are straightforward to use.
Our shooting and video recording capabilities were limited by the fact that we only had a 40mm f/2 prime lens to use for all our tests. However, once we’d sorted out appropriate AF mode settings and tracking options we had few reasons to complain.
As we found with the Z fc, when shooting stills the camera locked on quickly in most lighting conditions – including indoors under artificial lighting and after dark. Subject identification and tracking was also quite efficient.
When recording video, we found the camera could keep track of subjects as they moved across the frame in most situations. It was also reasonably quick to detect new subjects when they entered the frame, which sometimes made it lose track of the main subject.
Video quality was good enough for amateur/enthusiast use but probably not professional applications, especially since the camera lacks some essential requirements (as outlined above). Soundtracks recorded with the built-in microphones were clear and well up to the requirements of most potential buyers of this camera.
Our timing tests were carried out with a 32GB Lexar Professional SDHC U3 memory card, which claims a data transmission speed of 300 MB/second and has a 2000x speed rating. It took just under a second for the camera to power-up ready for shooting, which is slightly faster than the Z fc we reviewed.
Capture lag averaged 0.21 seconds, when the lens was severely out-of-focus but reduced to less than 0.1 seconds as the focus adjustments were reduced and eliminated by pre-focusing. Processing times were virtually instantaneous, regardless of the file format selected. Shot-to-shot times in the single-shot mode averaged 0.45 seconds, which is as fast as we could keep pressing the shutter button.
The Z f provides three high speed continuous shooting settings, one that can record at up to 10 frames/second with the electronic front-curtain shutter for JPEG and HEIF files or 8.2 fps for NEF.RAW files and another Continuous High (Extended) mode that increases the frame rate to a maximum of 15 fps with focus and exposure locked on the first frame.
There’s also another High-Speed Frame Capture (C30) setting that can record approximately four-second bursts at 30 fps. Users are advised that the burst may include frames captured while the shutter button was pressed half-way (Pre-Release Capture) but you can prevent this by adjusting Custom Setting d3, which can also be used to limit the length of the burst recorded.
In the Continuous High (Extended) mode we recorded 130 Large/Fine JPEG frames in 10.1 seconds without any signs of hesitation, which is close to the specification for this mode. The frame rate slowed slightly when we swapped to 14-bit uncompressed raw file capture, where the camera recorded 107 frames in 10.6 seconds, again close to the specified frame rate. Processing was completed 4.7 seconds after the last frame recorded.
In the High-Speed Frame Capture (C30) mode the camera switches to silent recording. It was able to record 330 Large/Fine JPEG frames in 10.1 seconds which was slightly faster than specified. Processing was completed within a second of the last frame recorded
Conclusion
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SPECS
Image sensor: 35.9 x 23.9 mm BSI CMOS sensor with 26.52 million photosites (24.5 megapixels effective)
Image processor: EXPEED 7
Lens mount: Nikon Z
Image formats: Stills: JPEG, 10-bit HEIF (MPEG-A MIAF), or 14-bit NEF.RAW (lossless and high-efficiency settings), RAW+JPEG, RAW+HEIF; Movies: MOV, MP4, H.264 (8-bit) or H.265 (10-bit); HDMI clean output via connector at 10-bit 4.2.2 format for both HD and 4K, N-Log and HDR (HLG) support
Audio: Linear PCM (48KHz 24-bit for MOV format, 48KHz 16-bit for MP4 movies)
Image Sizes: Stills 4:3 aspect ratio: 6048 x 4032, 4528 x 3024, 3024 x 2016; DX crop (1.5x) 3984 x 2656, 2976 x 1992, 1984 x 1328; Pixel shift high-res: up to 32 frames to produce a 96MP image; Movies (PAL system): [4K] 4096 x 2160 50p/25p full frame (oversampled) or DX crop; [FHD] 1920 x 1080 100p/50p/25p
Aspect ratios: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1
Image Stabilisation: 5-axis VR image stabilization (up to 8 stops CIPA)
Dust removal: Image sensor cleaning & Image Dust Off reference Data (requires NX Studio software)
Shutter (speed range): Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal plane mechanical shutter (4-1/8000 seconds; Electronic front-curtain shutter: 30 to 1/2000 second; plus Bulb, Time (electronic front curtain option) – up to 900 seconds in M mode
Exposure Compensation: Max. +/- 5EV in 1/3EV steps (+/-3EV for movies)
Exposure bracketing: 3, 5, 7 images in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV step, max. +/-3 EV, single/burst
Other bracketing options: Flash, White Balance, ADL
Self-timer: 2, 5, 10 or 20 seconds delay; 1-9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 seconds
Interval recording: Yes, for time-lapse
Focus system: Hybrid 273-point phase detect (covers 96% of the frame) (-10EV to EV19 sensitivity)
AF selection: Pinpoint, single point, dynamic, zone (small, large, custom), automatic, 3D tracking; subject detection: human, animal, vehicles
Focus modes: AFS (Single) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
Exposure metering: TTL metering using the image sensor with Matrix, Centre-weighted average, Spot and Highlight Weighted metering patterns; -4 to +17EV range
Shooting modes: Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual
Picture Control modes: Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Flat Monochrome, Deep Tone Monochrome, Portrait, Rich Tone Portrait, Landscape, Flat, Creative Picture Controls (Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Sombre, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Red, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary, Carbon); selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
Active D-Lighting: Auto, Extra-high, High, Normal, Low, Off
Other settings for stills: Vignette control, diffraction compensation, auto distortion control, skin softening, portrait impression balance, focus shift, pixel shift, multiple exposures with add, average, lighten or darken settings, HDR overlay, photo mode flicker reduction
Colour space options: sRGB and Adobe RGB
ISO range: Auto, ISO 100-64000 (with extensions to ISO 50 and ISO 204800); ISO 100-51200 for video
White balance: Auto (3 types), natural light auto, direct sunlight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent (x3), flash, colour temperature setting (2500-10,000K), pre-set manual (up to 6 values can be stored)
Flash: External flashguns only; hot shoe supports Nikon CLS (i-TTL)
Flash modes: Front-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, slow sync, rear sync flash options; 1/200 second flash sync
Flash exposure adjustment: +/- 3EV in 1/3EV steps
Sequence shooting: Max. 14 shots/sec. with mechanical shutter, 30 fps with electronic shutter pre-capture (JPEG)
Buffer capacity: Max. Large/Fine JPEGs, RAW files
Storage Media: Dual slots for SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (UHS-II UHS compatible) and microSD cards (UHS-I compatible)
Viewfinder: 1.27 cm OLED EVF with 3,690,000 dots, 0.8x magnification, 21mm eye point, -4 to +2m dioptre adjustment
LCD monitor: Articulating 3.2-inch touch-screen LCD with 2,100,000 dots
Weather sealing: Not specified
Interface terminals: USB Type C Super Speed, HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm stereo mini0jacks for microphone/plug-in power and headphones
Wi-Fi function: Built-in Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n); Bluetooth v5.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy)
Power supply: EN-EL15C rechargeable Li-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 410 shots/charge, supports USB charging (MH-34 charger available separately) and USB Power Delivery
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 144 x 103 x 49 mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight: Approx. 710 grams with battery and card
Body colour options: Black, Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Red, Sunset Orange, Moss Green, Stone Grey
Distributor: Nikon Australia
TESTS
Based on JPEGs recorded with the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE lens.
Based on NEF.RAW files recorded simultaneously and converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
All shots taken with Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 SE lens.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting, ambience priority.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting, ambience priority.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting, white priority.
Auto white balance with warm-toned LED lighting, ambience priority.
30-second exposure at ISO 50, f/2.
30-second exposure at ISO 100, f/2.8.
10-second exposure at ISO 800, f/5.
4-second exposure at ISO 6400, f/5.
2-second exposure at ISO 12800, f/5.
1.5-second exposure at ISO 25600, f/7.1.
1-second exposure at ISO 51200, f/9.
1-second exposure at ISO 102400, f/16.
1/2-second exposure at ISO 204800, f/16.
Wide brightness range scene recorded as a JPEG with D-Lighting on Auto: ISO 100, 1/80-second exposure at f/4.5.
Backlighting; ISO 100, 1/50 second at f/11.
Stabilisation test; ISO 100, 1 second at f/16.
Stabilisation test; ISO 100, 0.77 second at f/11.
Stabilisation test; ISO 100, 1 second at f/13.
ISO 100, 1/25 second at f/11.
Close-up; ISO 100, 1/8000 second at f/2.
Close-up; ISO 100, 1/80 second at f/4.5.
Close-up; ISO 100, 1/5000 second at f/2.
ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/5.
ISO 200, 1/50 second at f/3.5.
ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/8.
ISO 100, 1/80 second at f/4.5.
ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/5.6.
ISO 800, 1/80 second at f/7.1.
ISO 400, 1/125 second at f/3.5.
ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/8.
ISO 100, 1/30 second at f/2.8.
ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/7.1.
ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/11.
Still frame from MOV 10-bit H.265 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from MOV 10-bit H.265 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from MOV 10-bit H.265 Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 100p.
Still frame from MOV 10-bit H.265 Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from MOV 10-bit H.265 Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from MP4 8-bit H.264 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from MP4 8-bit H.264 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Still frame from MP4 8-bit H.264 Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 50p.
Still frame from MP4 8-bit H.264 Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video clip recorded at 25p.
Rating
RRP: AU$3499 (body only); $3999 (with Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 kit lens)
- Build: 9.0
- Features: 8.9
- Handling: 8.8
- Autofocusing: 8.9
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.7
- Still image quality RAW: 8.8
- Video quality: 8.8
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