Iconic Design Inspiring Elite Performance
The Nikon Zf Mirrorless Camera is the most powerful entry yet in Nikon’s line of digital throwbacks. This full-frame, creator-inspired camera proves once again that good style never goes out of fashion. While its body design evokes the filmic, steel-feel functionality of vintage SLRs, the Zf’s insides are equipped with the latest in Z-series features and capabilities. This modern and tactile shooter uses advanced tech to deliver timeless imagery.
Immersive and Intuitive Design
The Zf draws inspiration from Nikon’s mechanical workhorse of yesteryear, the FM2. Its machined edges, knurled dials, and marbled texture create a sensual experience of operating a beautiful machine. Made from precision-carved brass, the dials for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation feature engraved markings for superior manual control. The mechanical shutter fires with an audible, authoritative click. A dedicated black-and-white mode with two monochrome recipes is also available at the tip of your finger.
This intuitive, haptic-friendly design extends beyond the camera’s retro-style controls. The electronic viewfinder, housed in a prism-shaped housing that is as pleasing to the bony orbit as it is to the eye, can now be manipulated by touching the 3.2” vari-angle rear LCD screen. This allows you to move focus points, select a subject to track, and toggle between display modes while keeping your eye on the viewfinder. The rear screen is also fully articulating and front-facing, making it easy to navigate and operate at various angles.
Other design features include:
- Dual memory card slots for flexible file storage capabilities. One slot is for SD cards, and the other is for microSD cards, allowing for overflow, segregated, and repetitive saving options.
- A robust magnesium alloy chassis is dust and weather-resistant, making it ideal for working in harsh climates and inclement conditions. It’s compatible with the optional MC-N10 Remote Grip and AR-11 Soft Shutter Release.
The 24.5MP FX-format BSI CMOS sensor is used for all-around shooting, providing impressive low-light image quality and fast readout speeds. This is beneficial for continuous shooting, movies, and time-lapse recording. The back-illuminated design of the sensor also offers noticeably clean high-sensitivity output, reducing noise when working at high ISO values. Additionally, the Zf includes a high-resolution photo mode that combines multiple exposures to create a single 96MP file.
The EXPEED 7 Image Processor, utilising the same powerful processing engine used in the Z9 and Z8, works in conjunction with the sensor design to achieve impressively fast AF speeds, burst shooting rates, a high buffer capacity, fluid video performance, and quick all-around handling. Enhanced with Deep Learning technology, the camera’s auto mode analyses your shooting situation and automatically adjusts aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to match your intentions. This setting allows you to automatically capture portraits with beautiful background blur or keep all faces in focus for a group shot.
The camera offers an extremely fast 30 fps burst rate with a silent mechanical shutter and a 14 fps burst rate with a mechanical shutter. Pre-release capture records up to 30 JPEGs a full second before the shutter is released.
Advanced video, autofocus, and stabilisation features include UHD 4K recording and versatile video control. The new shutter-priority exposure mode allows you to record with a fixed shutter speed, enabling smooth adjustments to ISO and aperture to maintain even brightness in your shot.
The Zf camera matches the high-end photo attributes of its predecessors and offers a range of frame rates and resolutions to suit all your video needs. It can record 6K video with full pixel readout up to 30p, and Full HD 1080p video up to 120p for slow motion playback. Internal recording is possible for up to 125 minutes directly to a memory card, with 10-bit H.265 in SDR/HLG/N-log tone modes.
The Zf’s autofocus system, like the Z9 and Z8, recognises a wide range of common subjects, including people, cats, dogs, birds, bicycles, motorbikes, cars, aircraft, and trains. It uses Deep Learning technology to provide precise focus and tracking for each subject.
Eye-Detection AF automatically locks onto the eyes of people, pets, and birds, even when they’re small in the frame. This feature is also available for manual focus lenses, automatically magnifying the area around the eyes so you can quickly confirm sharp focus.
The Zf’s in-body 5-axis sensor-shift Vibration Reduction compensates for up to 8 stops of camera shake when paired with Z-mount lenses. This allows you to slow the shutter speed an amazing 8.0 stops slower than would otherwise be possible without causing image blur. The system also works with adapted F-mount lenses when using the optional FTZ Adaptor, where 3-axis stabilisation is used.
The focus point vibration reduction system applies stabilisation to the area around the active focus point, wherever it is in the frame, providing precise correction right where you need it.
