September 2023: Nikon announced the release of the Nikon Z f derived directly from the acclaimed Z 8 and flagship Z 9. At first glance, the Z f is a definitive statement in functional design that ignites the desire to craft an image. Looking closer, it’s a veritable powerhouse of modern performance fueled by the EXPEED 7 processing engine that enables an enhanced AF system, impressive speed, and astounding low-light capability. The new processing power also adds incredible new features such as pixel-shift shooting, the most advanced in-body stabilization of any Z series camera, plus the addition of a dedicated monochrome mode.
“It’s exciting to see the leaps in innovation that propelled the Z 9 trickling down, making the latest technology and features more accessible than ever before inside the Z f, a camera which is a beautiful marriage of form and function,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “The Z f is more than a means to simply capturing an image; using the camera is an experience unto itself, one which not only sparks creativity but also elevates the user’s intent with its advanced performance and feature set.”
Technology Forward
The Z f is equipped with the EXPEED 7 image-processing engine, enhancing response time, burst speed, and AF performance, while adding new features to create an entirely new category of Z series full-frame mirrorless. The 24.5-megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor effortlessly captures stunning colors and incredible definition with minimal noise and stellar dynamic range, even in challenging light. This well-balanced sensor is paired with an AF system that offers 3-D Tracking plus subject detection developed with Deep Learning technology, detecting and locking on to 9 different types of subjects. Similar to the Nikon Z 8, the camera finds people, dogs, cats, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains, and planes. It can even detect the world’s smallest size of a face in the frame — approx. 3% of the frame’s longest side. The AF system uses 299 AF points in Auto Area AF, covering 96% of the horizontal axis of the frame, making it easy to lock on and track a subject, even near the edge of the viewfinder. When the inspiration hits to go fully manual, the Z f uses Eye/Face-Detection in MF mode, recognizing the eye and allowing users to magnify the area on the screen to nail critical focus.
With the additional processing power, the Z f achieves 5-axis in-camera vibration reduction (VR) image stabilization equivalent to an 8.0-stop increase in shutter speed, the best among Nikon Z series cameras. The Z f is also the world’s first camera to support focus-point VR, which minimizes blurring at the focus point rather than the center of the frame, even when the subject is positioned near the edge of the viewfinder. The camera is also capable of high-speed continuous shooting at approx. 14 frames per second, or up to 30 frames per second, when High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C30) is set. To ensure no shot is missed, the camera is also capable of using the Pre-Release function to start recording before the shutter is fully pressed. What’s more, the additional processing power in combination with the BSI sensor improves low-light performance, raising the standard ISO range from 100 to 64,000. In challenging light, even fine details and textures come out sharp and clear with rich saturation, while mid-tones, where noise tends to increase, come out much cleaner than before.
For those who want the ultimate in fidelity while reducing moiré, false colors, and noise for immersive depth, the Z f is the first Nikon camera capable of pixel-shift shooting to create images up to 96 megapixels. Ideal for landscape, architecture, and commercial artists, the system works by subtly shifting the image sensor position when capturing between 4, 8, 16, or 32 RAW (NEF) files, acquiring more accurate color information and massive resolution.
Forever Iconic
The heart of the Z f is “fusion”- an idea embedded in the name while paying homage to important models through Nikon’s history. It represents the fusion of past, present, and future. With an iconic exterior design reminiscent of the FM2, the Z f links Nikon’s heritage of innovation and precision craftsmanship. The magnesium alloy body is durable and features a glossy finish, which is adorned with a classic Nikon logo. The characters on the mechanical dials for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation are all etched, and provide the user with a satisfying tactile response, while the feel of the shutter-release button was given meticulous consideration.
Black and white capture is an ageless medium, one that lets the user see a different perspective and explore the principles of light in new ways. The Z f includes a physical switch to engage a dedicated B&W photo mode, which enables multiple monochromatic Picture Controls. In addition to the sharp, dynamic, and higher-contrast “Monochrome” mode in Picture Control, the new “Flat Monochrome” mode reproduces tones with a smooth gradation from shadow to light, rich in mid-tones for a warm, soft impression. The new “Deep Tone Monochrome” mode expresses high contrast and highlights by bringing more emphasis to dark tones, keeping mid-tones dark and with fewer blocked shadows.
In addition to the basic black body, the Z f lets users express their own style through six different color options. These premium exteriors render the embossed artificial leather sections of the camera — covering the grip and all around to the rear of the folding camera monitor — in three rich, expressive standard colors (Indigo Blue, Sepia Brown, Bordeaux Red) and three deep, warm natural colors (Sunset Orange, Moss Green, Stone Gray), rendered with individually matching surface textures. These colors will be sold in limited quantities and will be sold exclusively through the Nikon Store.
