In a camera industry that largely operates as a copycat market where most brands boast cameras with similar specs and designs, having some distinguishing feature or spec associated with your brand can go a long way.
For a long time it was Canon’s color science, or Sony’s sharp image. And while both those still might (arguably) be true, we have to shout out Nikon for doing such a great job of cementing itself as one of the classiest, and sleekest, design camera manufacturers in the business.
And with no camera is that more prominently displayed than this new Nikon Zf. With a retro look and classic design, this new full frame mirrorless camera really blends old world and new world technologies — all powered by a sensor on par with the brand’s latest camera counterparts like the Nikon Z6 II (a refresh itself, worth considering).
So let’s take a look at this sleek and sexy Nikon Zf and see how its video specs and features might make it a classy choice for any interested filmmakers or videographers.
Introducing the Nikon Zf
Designed for the modern-day content creators (albeit with a heavy photography-focus, at least judging from the initial marketing push), the Nikon ZF is a full frame mirrorless camera which aims to deliver high image quality and beautiful UHD 4K video recording.
With its aforementioned classic-looking and retro-styled camera body, the Zf is still able to pack pretty much all of the specs, features, bells and whistles which you’d expect to find in a modern digital photo/video camera that retails at around the $2,000 price point. (Or, if we’re being honest, we could have seen this starting at point significantly higher.)
Offering exceptional low-light imaging performance, fast and capable autofocus and an advanced 8-stop 5-axis vibration reduction system, the Nikon Zf should give content creators plenty of control options in-camera and with the 3.2” vari-angle touchscreen.
How Does the Nikon Zf Stack Up For Video?
That’s the big question here. As we mentioned, if you were to see any ads about the Nikon Zf here at launch, chances are they’re going to be focused on the photography aspects of this camera. And, truthbetold, that’s really where the Zf might shine — at least initially.
However, with a 24.5MP BSI CMOS sensor and using the same processing engine used in both the Nikon Z9 and Z8, the Nikon Zf will make use of oversampled 6K video recording to offer UHD 4K at full pixel readout up to 30p, plus Full HD 1080p recording up to 120p for slow motion playback.
On top of that, Nikon has designed the Zf to provide internal recording up to 125 minutes directly to a memory card with 10-bit H.265 in SDR/HLG/N-log tone modes, along with overall fluid video performance and quick all-around handling.
There’s also some newly enhanced deep learning technology at work here which features an auto mode that can analyze your shooting situations and automatically adjust aperture, ISO and shutter speed to match your intentions. A great photo tool for now, but we’ll see where that goes for video in the future as well.
A close up of the Nikon Zf classic design.
Nikon
Price and Availability
So, before we get to specs and pricing below, we do have to consider where this camera stacks up against the market. It certainly feels like Nikon is going for a sweet spot here between their higher-end Nikon Z9 and still a step below the Z7. This camera is indeed quite similar to the Z6 II, but with its classic design and slightly different marketing, it appears that Nikon wants this to be more of a hybrid, aesthetic purchase.
And, if that’s your thing, then go for it — because the Zf certainly looks cool and should shoot beautifully.
If you are interested though, the $2,000 price point for cameras is still insanely competitive right now, so there are plenty of other options which can provide 4K/30p video just fine. But they might not be as sexy.
- 24.5MP FX-Format BSI CMOS Sensor
- EXPEED 7 Image Processor
- UHD 4K 30p Video and Full HD 120p Video
- AF Subject Recognition with 3D Tracking
- 5-Axis In-Body Vibration Reduction
- Focus-Point Stabilization
- 3.2″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen
- 96MP High-Res Mode
The Nikon Zf will be available in mid-October 2023.
Nikon Zf Mirrorless Camera
Designed for modern-day content creators, the Nikon Zf Mirrorless Camera delivers full-frame image quality and UHD 4K video recording in a classic-looking retro-styled camera body.
