swimweb1 Loc: Webster, NY

The specs for the Nikon ZF indicate the IOS range is to 64000. This sounds impressive. Do people that have used the Nikon ZF find that low light photos at high ISOs such as 32000 or 64000 really work, re not too much noise.

I have a Fujifilm X-T3 which tops out at 12800 and even at that level there is quite a bit of noise. This fall I will have grandchildren playing night soccer under high school lights.

Is the ZF that much better? Even other Nikon models do not list that high of an ISO.

Thanks for any information.

My current plan is to upgrade to the Fujifilm X-T5 and pair it with the Fujifilm XF 50-140 f2.8 lens. As an APSC model I know that the 50-140 is equivalent in focal length to 75-200 full frame. I also know that typically they say full frame is one stop of light better, so 12800 would equate to what I could expect for 25,200 full frame, But 64000 is another 1.x stops better. Before investing I am trying to better understand what Nikon is offering with the ZF.

User ID

Is the Zf imaging system any different from a Z6II ? If its essentially the same then yes, 64K should be actually useful. I dont take my Z6II above 51K, but a half stop more shouldnt be a problem. If its really a problem, then just drop down to 51K.

The images are sharp, the "grain" is neat and tight, but acoarst there will be some stray color effects in the darker neutral toned areas.

There are three ISO steps above 51K, labeled HI 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. I suppose HI 0.5 is 64K. Theyre all greyed out due to my other settings (probably silent shutter) but I figger anything labeled "HI" instead of an ISO number is none of my bidnez anywho.

User ID

I just compared results of HI 0.5 to ISO 51K. Absolutely NOT worth it for the half stop of speed. Stray color increased very visibly and was not limited to the darker neutral tones.

Now I can turn my silent mode back on and forever ignore the "HI" range. And again this is with a Z6II. Maybe the Zf is a bit better ... or not. But FWIW, B&Hs spec sheets show both cameras topping out the same, at ISO 204K in the "extended" range, both with the same pixel count and also same burst speed. To me it seems like the same camera inside.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Where have you been? 150 64000 is not particularly high these days My Z fc has native ISO to 51600 and extended ISO of 204000. Of course that doesn't mean that the results at very high ISO will be stellar. That differs from camera to camera. The maximum ISO of 12800 of your X-T3 is actually pretty low by todays standards.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

My Nikon Z7 will set an ISO of 102400 (they call it Hi2). Here's a sample reduced 50% and with the NEF file processed through DXO PL7 Deep Prime (default setting) noise reduction.

(Download)

User ID

Excellent PP cleanup. And that reminds me of something that I neglected to mention. When I compared the 51K ISO and HI 0.5 "ISO" of the Z6II, the images I compared were made from their raw files with zero noise reduction (NR OFF). I did allow some sharpening, equal for both ISO speeds, so that the noise "grain" would be a bit more visible.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Being able to shoot at sky high ISOs has become more useful with the advance of noise reduction in post. I spent the weekend at a granddaughter's water polo tournament. A long lens and fast action required high shutter speeds. The best option was to set the highest ISO the camera allowed. A tripod would have been useless. All the images have a lot of noise, but with current noise reduction tools the images are good.

(Her team, the University of Washington Huskies, won the Pacific Northwest Championship. Go Dawgs!)

tcthome Loc: NJ

ZF has the newer processor that is the same as the Z8/9 have from what I have heard. Iso is probably usable up to 12,800-20,000. One popular you tuber claims up to 20,000 is usable. Me myself don't have any of these cameras & would probably not want to go over 6,400 if possible.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

FF is hard to beat, especially when it comes to low light.

photoman43

I shoot mostly nature and wildlife. My mirrorless camera is a Z9. My practice is to never limit ISO--I want the max ISO available so I can use fast shutter speeds (if needed) in low light situations. Needed shutter speeds are the priority for me and not noise. If I get too much noise, I fix it during post processing.

When I am shooting landscapes, I do try and limit ISO, if I am shooting on a tripod. The limit is accomplished through my shutter speed selection--a low shutter speed.

The camera is always in Auto ISO.

rangel28

I have found that today's Nikon mirrorless cameras (and to an extent the newer DSLR cameras) handle higher ISOs much better than they did in years past. It all depends on what you think is too much noise, but I have used ISOs of 20,000 with very acceptable results.

FrankN Loc: Maryland, USA

Get Topaz DeNoise AI to handle the noise.