Using the Nikon Z7 in New York City
by Caesar Lima
A few weeks ago I received my new Nikon Z7 body which I ordered with the 24-70mm f4and the FTZ adapter.
I was very impressed with the size and it felt pretty good in my hands, but I could use a grip so that my pinky wouldn’t stay under the camera. The Z7 has a very similar interface (I own a D850) I went through the menus without a problem, normally I only shoot with primes but this 24-70 lens is very compact and very sharp, great definition but I wish it was a f2.8.
I programed a couple of user set ups, one for black and white and another time exposure in color and left for a 7 days trip to New York. I walked everyday 4 to 5 hours around Manhattan and It was a pleasure working with this new body. It’s not too heavy and never had to change a battery in the middle of the day. I took 3 batteries but only used one per day.
For the first time I didn’t take my laptop on a trip, instead I took the new iPad Pro 12.9″ and it was an amazing experience. When you plug the memory card in the iPad and you go to the Photos app and click on import you’ll see all the of thumbnails of your shots. If you slowly enlarge one of them you’ll end up with a full frame super sharp preview of your image. This is the best and fastest way to review what you shot (without importing the actual files) and you can go through the images quickly, the screen redraws super fast and there’s no buffering or pixelated preview.
I always shoot raw + jpgs. In the iPad I worked with the jpgs on PS Express and I was surprised how fast the app worked, those 46 MP images felt like small preview files. When I got home I took the best images and worked with the raw files, even better less grain/noise and sharper than the jpgs.
I took a small tripod and tried some time exposures and I was super pleased with the results. It was very simple to go from stills to video and it handles full-frame 4K video surprisingly well.
I’m planning another trip right after Christmas and this is the camera set up I’ll be taking. Very “portable”and with the FTZ adapter I was able to take a couple of my Nikon stock lenses the 85mm f1.4 and the 20mm f1.8 felt like they were in the D850 body, accurate and quick autofocus.
Now I just need some new and faster glass. Come on Nikon where’s that f0.95 prime?
Caesar Lima
Personal work
Awesome pics and NY is so interesting! Just a quick question on your workflow: with no laptop, did you use the iPad or something else to back up your photos? When reviewing ur photos on the iPad, did you delete the ones that were “off”? Good stuff!
Baeutiful photos Cesar, thanks for sharing
The camera is just a simple tool. Cesar’s eye is what makes all the difference in the world. He could go out with an old film Kodak Brownie and come back with stunning results!
Excellent pictures. I like your style a lot, the colors and the moderate post-processing makes the pictures enjoyable to look at. Especially the color ones i like but the b/w ones have a classic look for themselves.
I wonder why you bought the Z7. I mean is there a special reason for buying it? You have the D850, undoubtedly one of the best cameras Nikon offers. With a near endless choice of lenses. The Z7, while maybe as good as the D850, is not better and the AF is slower and less dependable as the one in the D850. The choice of lenses in the Z-Mount is very small by now and so will be in the coming years. The D850 is state-of-the-art. For me it would make more sense if i had an old model like the D700 or any model that i need a successor for. Than i would decide what route to go, a D850 or a Z7. But owning both comparable cameras?
I‘ve just Seen your Website. Ok, Photographers on that Level allways use a bunch of cameras. So yes, using mirrorless is a new experience. Even if the quality is not better, it is for sure a new experience.
I enjoyed yor website a lot and it is well worth visiting many times more.
Thank you Ingo
Any camera that I use professionally I need to have 2 bodies, just in case one fails in the middle of a job.
The Z7 became the backup for my D850 I used to have a D800 as the 2nd body
Also the Z7 is much smaller, perfect for street photography.
These photos are wonderful! Thank you for taking me to NYC through your eyes and lenses!
It’s early days, to really review and comment!
A high priced rig shot in legs with adork memory card, that unreal in cost..
Slow lenses? maybe focus problem?
A lot of glowing views, typical Nikon Nikkor look!
Sharp, strong contrasts, vivid colors. what is not too like.
Truth tell, images look sharper than earlier review of Hasselblad..
Lovely photos
….amazing pics, amazing product, hope Nikon will continue for this mirrorless path…
Having such a versatile camera in hand opens each day to unlimited photo opportunities.
Great Shots
Stuart
Fantastic pictures. Beautiful colors, and the B&W shots are amazing. It sure looks like Nikon did an excellent job with their first full-frame mirrorless system – and you’ve been able to extract the most out of the camera.
Great pictures! Just love the B&W ones! *–*
great photos! Thanks for sharing Cae!!
Ahh you gotta love the Nikon colors at least I do. I recently purchased the Z7 as well and love it. The compactness of the glass is what sold me. You have done an amazing job with taking beautiful pictures. Did you use the 24-70 F4 for all the pictures or are some of them with the 85 1.4 or 20 1.8? I am trying to decide what glass to get next. The 35MM Z lens or get Nikon ‘stock’ lenses as I also have the D500 with limited ‘stock’ glass. Anyway brilliant pictures and thanks for sharing.
Thanks David
These images on the post I shot with the 24-70 but I’ve been using the 85mm f1.4 with models and it works very well.
Wow!
That dynamic range!!!!!
Very cool images, I love it
Walked Manhattan myself for three days in 2016. What a wonderful subject it is! You’ve got some really nice ones here, and I love the look the camera is giving you. Understand the need for speed too!