Who has moved to the Nikon ZF?

CameraQuest

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Two of my customers sold extensive Leica SL2 outfits and moved very happily to the Nikon ZF and Voigtlander manual focus lenses.

Who else has made the move? Or is contemplating it ?
 
I did. Sold off all the Fuji gear and bought the Zf and the two small primes, 28 and 40. Haven’t made many images yet; just finishing up setting up camera features to my liking.
 
I got a Z7 a couple years ago but not to replace any particular camera. I wanted the megapixels for Landscapes. I tried using my M mount lenses and my feeble eyes just don't do manual focus on the Mirrorless arrangement. I wish I did better but the time it takes me to feel I have focus is aggravating, my patience is even worse than my eyesight I guess. All that said the results from the camera are very impressive. I'm saving to buy a digital back for my Hasselblad, that will replace the Nikon.
 
I switched from Fuji to a Z6 and only use manual focus. The manual focus features of the Zf are impressive...
 
I rented the Voigtländer 40/1.2 in Z-mount over the weekend to test it with my Z7II, got some nice results and liked the manual focus and aperture rings a lot. That lens paired with the ZF could be my FF dream set-up, replacing my Fujifilm cameras (XPRO3/XT3), that I like for their manual controls.
 
If anything expensive breaks on either of my D810 or my M type 240? Then, I'll be deciding between an ZF or a Z6 and a handful of lens adapters (for M, LTM, F & S mounts)

Honestly, though, not unless that happens. I'm happy with what I have and I can't afford a Z &/or native lenses to play with considering my (lack of) budget and what I have invested in legacy glass already.
 
If there was ever a non-Leica digital camera made for the RFF who likes manual focus lenses, this has to be it. However, it just doesn't look right to e with the majority of the Nikon Z lenses. I’m sticking with Fuji, but I get its popularity here.
 
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A VM 40mm Nokton has been glued to my Z7 since the end of 2018. A 28mm f/2 Ultron II (edging out the F/1.9 Ultron slightly) and the 40mm f/2.8 Heliar make for a nice small kit on the Z7. No need for a Zf, but I fully understand the attraction.
 
If there was ever a non-Leica digital camera made for the RFF who likes manual focus lenses, this has to be it. However, it just doesn't look right to e with the majority of the Nikon Z lenses. I’m sticking with Fuji, but I get its popularity here.
Do you mean that to you the Zf camera doesn't look right with the Z lenses?
 
Do you mean that to you the Zf camera doesn't look right with the Z lenses?
Yes, that’s exactly how I feel. Outside of the SE versions, the rest totally look like (and were obviously) designed with the PSAM Z bodies in mind. They just look wrong on the Zf. That said, the Voigtlander lenses look wonderful.

I get that these things don’t matter to some, but it does to me… and I use my cameras daily and take photography seriously. I’m not really a gear head but I like a fully designed system that looks and feels right in my hands. Also, I like AF over MF.
 
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I never "move" to a new camera/system, just assimilate more of them like the Borg.
Last year I picked up a Z5, and am amazed by the ease of use with manual focus lenses.
This year- I'll add a Zf to have a two-body system to handle a couple hundred manual focus lenses. I bought most of the required adapters already.
I might even get the "kit" with the 40/2, it's cheap. Will be my retirement present to myself.
 
Yes, that’s exactly how I feel. Outside of the SE versions, the rest totally look like (and were obviously) designed with the PSAM Z bodies in mind. They just look wrong on the Zf. That said, the Voigtlander lenses look wonderful.

I get that these things don’t matter to some, but it does to me… and I use my cameras daily and take photography seriously. I’m not really a gear head but I like a fully designed system that looks and feels right in my hands. Also, I like AF over MF.
It would be great if Sigma expanded their Z mount lenses to the I series lenses. Full metal bodies, metal control rungs, metal lens hoods, aperture control, nice sized, great optics, AF (or MF) and reasonable cost. They would likely look/feel great on the Zf. On my PASM S1R they make it act more like how I used my Fuji's. I leave the camera in A mode and then I adjust the aperture on the lens. If I want to shoot full auto I just set the lens to A.
 
Can anyone comment on image quality of Leica M-mount lenses on the Zf? How is the off-axis quality? Does the Zf sensor have micro-lenses to improve off-axis image quality?
 
It would be great if Sigma expanded their Z mount lenses to the I series lenses. Full metal bodies, metal control rungs, metal lens hoods, aperture control, nice sized, great optics, AF (or MF) and reasonable cost. They would likely look/feel great on the Zf. On my PASM S1R they make it act more like how I used my Fuji's. I leave the camera in A mode and then I adjust the aperture on the lens. If I want to shoot full auto I just set the lens to A.
I think they will and that would be great. I love the 65mm f2 myself.
 
Can anyone comment on image quality of Leica M-mount lenses on the Zf? How is the off-axis quality? Does the Zf sensor have micro-lenses to improve off-axis image quality?
It will be nice to see ..

In the meantime:
While Nikon's sensors come from Sony and adapted wide lenses often work poorly in the corners on Sony, I get pretty good results with just about every wide lens on my Z7. I'll presume Nikon is using a different microlens design that lets it work well with my 1958 LEICA 21mm f/4, and even works with my impossible original version of the Voigtländer 12mm f/5.6! Yes, with the insane 12mm lens there is some color shift at the sides, but it's still pretty usable and my 21mm rangefinder lenses work great on my Z7, while my 21mm lenses work very poorly on Sony.
 
If there was ever a non-Leica digital camera made for the RFF who likes manual focus lenses, this has to be it. However, it just doesn't look right to e with the majority of the Nikon Z lenses. I’m sticking with Fuji, but I get its popularity here.
Yep same here. Lenses from other companies seem to get the "Nikon aesthetics" & manual controls better than Nikon 🤦‍♂️:



While it would be nice to have the "Ferrari" version, I doubt it's going to happen.

My main issues are with the colors and EVF quality. The Nikon custom profiles is getting there but still doesn't get near the colors that you can get with custom lookup tables as you can with the new Panasonic S5ii. For now, I find the Fuji colors better than what Nikon can achieve. The EVF should have been the one from the Z8. Maybe 100-300$ extra but would have been totally worth it.

Sticking with my X-Pro3 until they at least open up a bit their custom profiles to allow for 3DLUTs.
 
Can anyone comment on image quality of Leica M-mount lenses on the Zf? How is the off-axis quality? Does the Zf sensor have micro-lenses to improve off-axis image quality?

It's excellent. I have seen results from even the contax G biogon which is problematic on most digital sensors and it wasn't an issue. I've tried a bunch down to 28mm and no issues.
 
My main issues are with the colors and EVF quality. The Nikon custom profiles is getting there but still doesn't get near the colors that you can get with custom lookup tables as you can with the new Panasonic S5ii. For now, I find the Fuji colors better than what Nikon can achieve. The EVF should have been the one from the Z8. .
Correction: I found out that most of the complains were because they didn't turn off the energy saving mode.

Was really trying to find faults with Zf so I don't end up with yet one more camera..
 
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