burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I'm guessing that Z1-Z5 were never released because they figured out right BEFORE release that they didn't measure up to the competition.

therwol Loc: USA

Nissan's first Z car was the Datsun 240Z. I guess it took them 239 tries to get it right.

gwilliams6

excellent job, excellent point

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

The easy answer is because you are having a GAS attack.

gching

My motivation would be to decrease the weight and bulk of a DSLR. Most of the weight and bulk resides in the lenses. You're right. Even with a mirrorless body, no significant improvement. Someone should develop better technology of lenses--smaller, lighter with the same or better optics! Until then, guess I'll stick to my D750 and heavy lenses!

Billynikon Loc: Atlanta

As i have said, I have a 850, a D5 and a DF and I don't want a camera with worse AF, that is silent and lighter. I have no problem with the noise level currently and I am strong enough to carry what I want and need.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

You are starting in the wrong place. You should start with “Why do I need a new camera?” and then use your criteria to select the camera that best meets your needs.

Time will tell how many buyers end up at the new Nikon door. I expect quite a few.

I am considering an upgrade to my D800 so will continue to look at the new Z cameras. My main reason to upgrade is that I’ve never been happy with the random button/ unreadable green screen approach of the D800. Both the D850 and the Z’s resolve that for me. I’m staying with Nikon because of my lens inventory and comfort with their menu system.

At the moment I’m leaning towards waiting for refurb D850s. Maybe the Z’s will make that sooner.

I’m not hung up on some of the things people are carping about with this release, e.g. single card. I really like the improved little screen and lighter weight...but would need the new lenses to fully take advantage.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Uh, lenses are the whole point of the new Z system.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

You need to use quote reply if you hope to have anyone understand who you are replying to. Your message goes to the bottom of the list, not below the one you are looking at.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

You are in a similar position to me. I plan to replace my D800. It still works fine, though. So at this point I’m waiting on D850 refurbs.

I also use a D5600 for certain purposes.

ecurb1105

If you have to ask, you don't need one. If you need one, you don't have to ask.

zzzynick Loc: Colorado

What a bunch sissies. It's lighter.
I am 65 years old. Disabled.
And I can still hold my Canon IDs Mark lll, with a 70-200 mm L f/2.8 with a 2x, or my 300 mm L and a 2x extender.
Man up.
If you are not strong enough to hold up a camera,
may I suggest taking up knitting.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Correct!

When I made my migration to mirrorless several years ago, it involved a lot of thought and study.

I dabble in lots of different photographic opportunities — stills and video for training content development, photojournalism, documentary and short filmmaking, slide and negative transfers to digital images, copy work including old photos and flat art, eBay product photography, environmental and studio portraiture, and more. Previously, I had been using a Canon EOS 50D, a Canon EOS 5D, and Canon XL H1 and GL2 camcorders for video. I also had a Nikon D70 for documenting camera equipment. My primary use from 2005 to 2012 was school portrait photographer training program development — and delivery.

After studying what was available in 2014, my criteria were:

Must be small, light, unobtrusive. A simple system should fit under an airline seat.

Must have at least a 16 MP sensor.

Must be capable of acceptable quality at ISO 3200 in low light.

Must be as good at 1080P and 4K video as it is at stills. (My goal was to use ONE type of camera and ONE lens system for everything. I hate camcorders' form factors, save for one thing: power zooms. I was using SLRs long before I used video cameras.)

Must have a really sharp, clear, fast response EVF.

Must have a really bright, fully articulating OLED touch screen for video, macro, low angle, high angle, and copy work.

Must have a silent mode, with electronic shutter.

Must be as good at audio as it is at video. Must have level meters, limiters, level controls, headphone jack, stereo microphone jack, and be compatible with Sennheiser wireless mic receivers.

Must work with studio flash systems (via a locking PC terminal).

Must have a very good JPEG processor, in addition to raw mode.

Must have access to plenty of lens choices, including strategic, image stabilized pro glass (the "holy trinity" of three f/2.8 zooms, plus fast primes and macros).

The Lumix GH4 checked all those boxes, and more. I ordered it with three lenses and I haven't looked back. The thing just works, even in rain and high heat (104°F) when recording video for an hour. Now I want a GH5! My son will have access to one at school in a couple of weeks. I am more than a little envious.

Is it perfect? No. No camera is perfect. I wish it were full frame without being any larger, but the laws of physics prevent that. I wish I had f/1.4 zooms and an f/1.4 macro. But they don't exist, and I couldn't justify the price if they did. I wish I had power zooms for video. I wish it made coffee and cooked breakfast... Oh well!

Life — and photography — is full of little trade-offs. I gave up Canikon to get what I wanted a few years sooner than it was likely to happen. I gave up APS-C and full frame. But I got what I *needed,* and most of what I wanted.

Anyone looking for a new camera should make a list of things they want to do, that they cannot do with their current gear. That has a way of clarifying things. So does actually putting one in your hands and using it for what sort of work or fun YOU do. Borrow or rent, to try before you buy.

Will I *need* what Nikon or Canon release soon? That's unlikely. Could I be persuaded to switch to one of them, or Sony, at some future date? Possibly. But again, it's unlikely. I like my Lumix.

I'm very happy for Nikon and Canon to get more serious about mirrorless gear. I hope they bring some new tricks to the table that we haven't seen before.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

I switched from a Nikon D800E to a Sony A7RII. I was a dedicated DSLR user and I still love a good OVF, but I have become a believer. A good EVF gives you some amazing and important advantages, not the least of which is the ability to see pretty much exactly what you are going to get in terms of exposure. Going back to DSLR would be difficult now, since I am spoiled by being able to use zebras to see exactly what highlights are being blown, and quickly set a perfect exposure (for my purposes, whatever they are for a given image) while looking through the viewfinder--seeing exactly how compensation affects the image. Critical focus means that I can immediately call upa detailed area at 5x or 10x to set focus exactly where I want it. No more disappointments when viewing in PS at 100%. And shooting in low light is a pleasure. These are not trivial considerations.

EVF's aren't perfect, and I still sometimes miss very-critically-timed shots due to a bit of viewfinder lag, but overall a tradeoff that works for me. In normal use I don't notice it at all.

Silent mode means I can take pictures completely silently. That is a huge plus in more situations than you would imagine. Finally in-body optical stabilization is absolutely marvelous up to about 150mm. It has opened up a whole new world of reportage photography for me in low light, and is useful as well is more situations than I expected.

One thing I would be remiss not to mention is the very short flange distance, which means that using manual focus, I can suddenly use thousand upon thousands of vintage lenses of all kinds that simply are not adaptable to a DSLR.

Oh, did I mention that I am a professional videographer who does documentaries, features and news for a living? Video with a mirrorless is an absolute dream, especially with IBIS, and you can film in places that you would never be able to film using a video camera or even a DSLR, since you don't need a viewing hood on the back LCD.

I am 100% sold on mirrorless, but not cheap ones with poor viewfinders and fiddly controls. The Sony A7 series are professional tools (though not perfect). I expect the Nikon Z series to be as good as or better than the Sonys in significant ways, with the added advantage that modern Nikon F lenses will be completely backwards-compatible on the Zs, and will be able to use a whole new generation of lenses that would be impossible to build for a DSLR.

gwilliams6

Ha Ha, great !