UPS delivered the Nikon Zf camera kit, with bundled f/4 40mm lens, and separately two others, on December 16, 2024. But, being busy bustling about other responsibilities, I didn’t break out the camera until last night. I want to share some quick first impressions.
The Zf is hefty in the hand, and the small hand grip makes for questionable balance—and I won’t assess that characteristic until spending more with the thing in the field (I was supposed to also receive, for free, the Zf-GR1 Extension Grip, but it’s backordered). For that reason, I initially mounted the smallish kit lens—Zf 40mm (SE).
I also purchased two other Z-mount lenses: NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S (for focal length, low-light capability, macro shooting, and portraits) and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR (as general walk-around lens; yes, I considered the 24-70, but there is plenty of wildlife hereabouts, because of the canyons and ocean). What, there’s no aperture ring around the lenses? That’s typical Nikon?
I paid Nikon USA less for the Zf bundle and two additional lenses than what I made selling Leica Q2 Monochrom. The Zf hangs from the Hard Graft Atelier Hang Camera Strap that I purchased for Christmas 2015. The thing will last longer than me.
The aesthetics are appealing and then some. NIkon Zf looks and handles like an old film camera. Flipped inward, the back screen punctuates the feeling. You carry what a passersby could mistake as a film camera.
Having used Fujifilm and Leica cameras that straightforwardly present tactile dials, I expected something similar from the Zf—and didn’t get it. Nikon chose a kind of hybrid approach that retains the PASM dial. The ergonomics are nowhere near approachable as any of the Q series.
But there are niceties that matter, like the fully articulating screen, which can be flipped and parked face in. I love it! I don’t usually use the screen, so putting aside the thing is great. Black and white shooting, enabled by flicking a switch around the shutter speed dial, is super convenient.
I am good with 26-megapixel files. Smaller size means less storage used on Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge and it’s puny 1GB SSD. I prefer DNG for RAW shots, which is the default for Leica cameras. I have to trust Nikon’s less versatile NEF. Besides JPEG, HEIF is another available non-RAW format.
The camera will accompany me every time I leave the apartment, until I feel more comfortable using it. Leica Q series required no break-in period. The controls were immediately intuitive, and the menu system rarely needed. We will see about the Zf stacks up.
I used Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to shoot the Featured Image and companion. Vitals for both: f/2.2, ISO 1250, 1/60 sec, 13mm (film equivalent); 10:14 a.m. PST, yesterday.