See_the_shot Loc: Bluffton, SC

Great shot of the hawk.

Bill_de Loc: US

UHH is a funny place. When someone asks for facts, they get 14 pages of opinions. But when someone asks for an opinion, mum's the word.






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BebuLamar

All Z7's were made in Japan. Z7 II are made in Thailand. None of the Nikon current D's or Z's are made in China.

martin muller

perhaps this helps........
Tony Northrup on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31n0NJiFcvM

User ID

Wouldn’t refuse the gift of a Z7 myself !

User ID

Yup, funny. If you’re here for the entertainment, you always get your money’s worth.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

About a year ago I was ready to pull the trigger on a D850 when I saw I could get the Z7 with the FTZ adapter for less. I had been using a Panasonic G9 so I was familiar with the advantages of mirrorless and I decided on the Z7. I am very happy with it. My D500 with the 200-500 is still my go to for wildlife but the Z7 has become the camera I grab for everything else. If I was buying today I would get the Z7II but if you don’t need the increased focus tracking ability then you can save a nice chunk going with the Z7. Even the Z7’s tracking was much improved after a firmware update, but my D500 still edges it out.

neillaubenthal

Spoken like one who has definitely drunk the koolaid...saying that anyone using a DSLR is 99% dependent on luck to get a good image is simply delusional. While mirrorless are better in some settings...the DSLR is better in other settings...and gear is far behind user skill, technique, and even location in getting good photos.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Yes. I have several thoughts on the Nikon Z7. I have less to say about the Z7 II, because I have not looked at it to the same depth that I have looked at the original Z7. You should know that I currently shoot a D850 (2.5 years), D810 (3.5 years), and D500 (x2, for 2+ years) after using a D200 (which I still have and use) for 14 years and a D300. After looking intently at a Z7, I chose not to buy one, although I believe that they are fine cameras. But even though they are the last purchased, the D500s are my most used cameras right now.

You have received several replies which show very serious confusion between the Z7 and Z7 II. These are very different cameras with very different internal architectures. They probably should be considered different models instead of a single model with an upgrade. I'm going to reply separately to Ron's posted comparison, which as written contains several significant errors. So be sure which model you are looking at and read carefully about whichever one you are choosing.

While a number of folks have replied with the implication that the Z7 is the "perfect" camera, it hasn't been that long since the same people were calling the D850 the perfect camera, and before that, the D500. So I'm sure that in a couple of years, neither the Z7 not the Z7 II will be the perfect camera either.

OK...here are a couple of specifics to which I can speak definitively. First...I still do not like electronic viewfinders. Clearly, that it is a minority opinion, but you have asked for opinions here. I find it very fatiguing to use an EVF for any prolonged period of time. I also do a lot of night sky photography and would never use the Z7 for that, because the EVF is too costly to night vision. While it can be convenient, the cost of requiring as much as 30 minutes for my right eye to recover full sensitivity is simply not worth it. I can use Live View to accomplish the same benefits (usually around focusing) with little or no loss of night vision sensitivity.

If you are really looking at a Z7 instead of a Z7 II, be aware that there is no battery grip available and no connector interface to add one even if one becomes available from a third party. This is kind of a big deal (at least to me) when using a camera for which battery life is one of the big negatives compared to other available models.

There is nothing about the Z7 that is likely to "fix" anything about your photography. Some claim that the WYSIWYG capability of the EVF will solve a lot of problems. I guess it might be a help, but keep in mind that the EVF is in no way in the same league as a calibrated monitor, and the image is not large enough to support making really informed critical decisions. I find (and still believe) that the claims made for the EVF, while not totally without merit, are seriously exaggerated. There are other ways to improve your exposure performance without spending $3,000. As far as image stabilization goes, there is also likely some merit to the claims as well, although the claim of 5 stops of stability doesn't wash with me in any real life scenario.

In the end, it doesn't matter to me what camera you buy and shoot, as long as you are happy with it. Hey...I shot a D200 for 11 years...even after a number of newer and "better" choices became available. I still like its CCD sensor when I am in an intense color situation, like a Dale Chihuly glass exhibit. It's just not very good when the light starts to fade.

It's not clear from your question whether you are considering a purchase or just thinking about the camera. Either way...have fun.

davesit Loc: Lansing, New York

I wish once and for all folks would stop bashing anything that is made in China or Thailand or whichever other country. If these people had the opportunity to visit some of these factories, they would see many of them are state-of-the-arts ISO 9001-certified facilities capable of manufacturing top notch products.

We did the same thing regarding Japanese products in the decades after WWII. Look what that has gotten us?

Have people complained about the quality of iPhones? Or solar panels? Almost of them are made in China.

Yes, there are plenty of little factories in China making cheap t-shirts and other low-tech products. But if we think China, Thailand, Vietnam or Taiwan (Taiwan has been producing hi-tech equipment for decades before mainland China) are not capable of making world class equipment, we'll soon have no manufacturing left in this country.

DJCard Loc: Northern Kentucky

Very nice shot!

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

I can remember in the 1950s when "made in Japan" was a common pejorative. Look where that got us.

Within a couple of decades we found that some major corporations had relied on that sentiment to hold their market share while they remained asleep at the switch.

It's time to drop the xenophobia and stand on our own feet.

davesit Loc: Lansing, New York

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

This comparison seems to either conflagrate the Z7 II with the Z7, or else is calling the Z7 II a Z7. These are really two very different cameras with very different architectures. As written and implied, some corrections are needed, especially since both 'versions' continue to be considered to be current models.

First...the D850 has a BSI CMOS sensor just like the Z7, not the old, standard CMOS sensor like he D810.
Second...the Z7 does not have dual processors. (The Z7 II does.)
Third...the Z7 does not do 10 fps. It does 9 fps. (So does the D850, with optional battery setup. The Z7 II does 10.)
Fourth...the D850 does use CFExpress cards with the latest firmware update. (Although the benefits are still to be determined.)

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...use the "quote reply" button so we know who you're responding to.