Why I Bought a Nikon Zf

For quite some time now, I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a full-frame digital camera with interchangeable lenses. I already own a Sony RX1R with a full-frame sensor, but I’m limited to the fixed 35mm lens on it. Also, the RX1R has no viewfinder, which has started to bother me quite a lot lately. Over the past few years, I’ve repeatedly done research, looked at different cameras and studied countless reviews, but in the end I never actually bought a new full-frame camera.

So how did I end up with the Nikon Zf? A few weeks ago I once again felt the urge to check out all kinds of cameras and was initially overwhelmed by the sheer number of models and concepts. That’s when I had the idea of using an AI to help me find my dream camera. So I simply used Google Gemini as a sparring partner. I explained to Gemini what type of cameras I particularly like, which cameras I currently shoot with, and what I mainly want to do with my full-frame camera: above all, use all my manual M42 vintage lenses and do more deliberate, slower photography. A dream camera in this regard would be the Leica M EV1 (or similar), but Leica is way too expensive for me – the body plus just one lens would easily cost well over €10,000. Maybe one day I’ll treat myself to a Leica, but right now it would completely blow my planned budget for my photography hobby.

Gemini suggested several cameras to me, and ranked at number 1 with the highest match was the Nikon Zf – a camera that hadn’t even been on my radar at all. I looked up the Zf and my first impression was: “wow”! This is exactly the kind of camera I had imagined. It perfectly fit my “prey pattern”, I was instantly thrilled by the retro design, it’s weather-sealed (dust- and splash-resistant), and it has a very good sensor with a sufficiently high resolution of 24 MP that also enables in-body image stabilization for manual lenses. I watched numerous YouTube reviews and read many blog articles about the Zf. The more I learned about the camera, the more I liked it. I slept on it for another night or two – and then I pulled the trigger! I bought the Nikon Zf and what can I say – I’m absolutely thrilled! And yes, I know it’s no longer the newest model and there are sensors with significantly higher resolution out there – higher, faster, further is always possible.

With the Zf and manual vintage lenses I want to return to more mindful, slower photography. Choosing a prime lens, manual focusing, thinking carefully about aperture, ISO and shutter speed – somehow I had really missed all of that. In recent years I’ve become a bit too comfortable with my photography. With my Fujifilm X-T3 (also an excellent camera), I usually set ISO and often aperture too, but with my Fujinon XF 18-135 zoom lens I almost always just conveniently zoomed in on the subject. Most of the time I relied on the fast and accurate autofocus; I rarely focused manually.

The prime lenses I now use on the Zf force me again to “walk” more for my compositions – the convenient zooming to the perfect framing is no longer possible with fixed focal lengths. I’m thinking much more – and differently – about image composition again. It challenges me more and I hope it will help me become even more creative in my photography.

I also plan to shoot a lot more black-and-white images again. The black-and-white mode on the Zf is very helpful for this. Most other cameras can do it too, of course, but on the Zf you can switch to B&W mode very easily with a dedicated dial – I love that! No need to dive into menus or assign a custom button. In B&W mode you immediately get a good impression of how the monochrome shot will look later.

Speaking of custom buttons: for focusing I’ve assigned the front button on the camera to the 100% zoom function. When I want to focus manually, I just press the button once and get a 100% magnified view – exactly the area where I placed the Zf’s focus point. Brilliant! Pressing the button again returns to the full view.

I’ve only had the Zf for two weeks and have been on just three “photo walks” with it so far. But one thing I can already say: the Zf is exactly the camera I wanted and imagined. The handling feels fantastic, the thoughtful features and the simple operation make it incredibly enjoyable to use!

I immediately ordered an additional SmallRig grip for it – without the grip the Zf doesn’t sit quite as comfortably in the hand. Almost all reviewers point this out, and I can highly recommend the extra grip as well.

I’m really looking forward to many wonderful photo sessions with my new Nikon Zf!