I think it's safe to say at this point that the Nikon Z7 is taking the world by storm.
And it should, too - Nikon's first mirrorless camera (along with the Z6) is exciting news. Not only that, it's a darn good camera that has the features to back up all the hype.
Looking at the Z7 and considering the excitement around its release, I have to say that even if I shot exclusively with Canon, Sony, or another brand, I'd still be impressed with the Z7.
So, that got me thinking - if the Z7 is so awesome, I should outline the reasons why I need one, and why you need one too.
The Nikon Z7 Has Impressive Specs
Check out these incredible features and tell me that this isn't one impressive camera:
- Backside-illuminated 45.7-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor
- EXPEED 6 image processing
- 9fps continuous shooting speed
- ISO range of 64-25600; expandable to 32-102400
- 493-point autofocus system
- 5-axis sensor-based image stabilization
- 3.2-inch tilting, touch-enabled LCD with 2.1 million dots
- OLED electronic viewfinder with 3.69 million dots and 0.80x magnification
Impressed yet?
For me, there's two things that stand out among the primary features of the Z7...
What Caught My Eye About the Z7
First, that sensor is something else. I shoot with a Nikon D850, so I know firsthand how good Nikon's recent high-megapixel backside-illuminated sensors are.
The second thing that jumps out at me about the Z7 is its incredible autofocus performance.
For starters, Nikon upped its game in the AF point department, giving the Z7 a ludicrous 493-point system. My D850 has "only" 153 points.
Not only that, the Z7's autofocus system has 90 percent coverage of the viewfinder. It can also acquire subjects as soon as they enter the frame and track them throughout, even when they move to the edges.
As if that's not impressive enough, consider this - the Z7's autofocusing algorithm enables it to switch between focal-plane phase-detect autofocus and contrast-detect autofocus automatically. That means it will help you get the sharpest images possible no matter the situation.
Why I Need a Z7 (and Why You Need One Too)
I'm not going to buy a Z7 to replace my D850, but what I will do it buy a Z7 to give my D850 some company in my camera bag.
And for those of you that think having both of these cameras in my bag is crazy, let me convince you otherwise.
For starters, there's times when a bigger, chunkier DSLR is better suited to what I'm doing, and times when I want something smaller and lighterweight.
When I shoot at the beach, for example, and have a 100-yard walk to the shoot location, my D850 is my go-to. But when I'm driving to Joshua Tree to do a little night photography and have to hike all over the place in the middle of the night, having a smaller, lighter camera is preferable.
Additionally, though the D850 and Z7 have similar video capabilities, when I shoot video, I prefer the smaller body of a mirrorless camera to do so.
I would also love to have a Z7 in my bag simply for that crazy-good autofocus system I outlined earlier.
I can just imagine taking photos of my son playing soccer in the park with 493-points of autofocus goodness. I visit my fair share of air shows, too, so believe me when I say that I'm salivating at the chance of firing up the Z7 for some aviation photography.
The fact that Nikon has a group of dedicated lenses for their mirrorless systems (with more on the way) and the fact that you can use older Nikon lenses with the Z7 (with an adapter) is a big selling point as well.
Of course, another big reason why you and I need a Z7 is because mirrorless is the wave of the future.
Though I'm not giving up my D850 anytime soon, I see the writing on the wall. In my opinion, there will be a time when DSLRs are viewed as a quaint relic of photography's past.
If mirrorless is where we're headed, I might as well get used to it now!
Pre-order your very own Nikon Z7