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Sony a1 initial review

11 Feb

Introduction

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The Sony a1 is the company’s flagship interchangeable lens camera, with a 50MP sensor that can capture bursts of images at 30 frames per second and records 8K video. That sensor also helps power the a1’s capable autofocus system, which comes with updated machine learning derived algorithms for detecting human faces and eyes, as well as the eyes of many types of animals and birds.

Sony is billing the Alpha 1 as, well, the one camera that can do just about anything you’d need it to do, whether you’re shooting fast action, landscapes, or high-end video. It’s also in a reasonably sized body, so wouldn’t be out of place for use in reportage or travel photography, and its Ethernet and high-speed USB-C ports speak to its ambitions as a pro-sports machine.

Jump to:

What’s new and how it compares

Body, handling and controls

Initial impressions and sample galleries

Full specifications

Key specifications:

  • 50MP ‘stacked’ full-frame CMOS sensor
  • 30 fps burst shooting with electronic shutter (lossy compressed Raw/JPEG only)
  • 8K/30p video recording with Log and 4K Raw video out over HDMI
  • 1/400 sec flash sync with mechanical shutter (1/200 sec with electronic shutter)
  • 9.44M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.9x magnification
  • 3.0″ tilting touchscreen with 1.44M-dot resolution
  • Full-size HDMI port, headphone / mic ports, USB-C port with 10 Gb/s transfer speeds, ethernet port
  • Dual UHS-II / CFexpress Type A card slots
  • CIPA rated to 530 shots with rear LCD (430 through the viewfinder)
  • Weather-sealed body
  • 737g (1.62 lb)
Not just a speed demon: The Sony a1’s 50MP sensor provides plenty of detail for studio shooting, too. Click or tap through for the full image (beware: it’s 43 Megabytes).
Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 200 | 1/160 sec | F11 | Sigma 105mm F2.8 Macro Art

From the flash sync speeds to the huge and high-res electronic viewfinder, it really looks like Sony’s thrown just about everything possible into the a1, and the result is a hugely impressive camera for all types of uses. And of course, given the high price of entry, it should be. So let’s get started, first with a look at all the new tech that the a1’s got inside it.

The Sony a1 will be available in March 2021 for a suggested price of around $ 6500 / €7,300 / £6,500.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm GFX 100S initial review

27 Jan

Introduction

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GFX100S product photography by Dan Bracaglia & Richard Butler

The Fujifilm GFX 100S is the logical next step in the development of the company’s medium format lineup: a 100MP sensor in a single-grip DSLR styled body. But don’t mistake predictability for complacency: the GFX 100S is an awful lot of camera.

Inside its comparatively compact body, the GFX 100S carries the 102MP BSI CMOS sensor from the original GFX 100 mounted within a smaller, more powerful image stabilization mechanism. By blending technology from the GFX 100 with components from the APS-C sensor X-T4, Fujifilm has created a very powerful camera at a comparatively affordable price.

What’s new | How it compares | Body & controls | Initial impressions
Sample Gallery | Specifications

Key specifications

  • 102MP BSI-CMOS 44 x 33mm medium format sensor
  • Image stabilization system rated at up to 6EV
  • Continuous shooting at up to 5 fps with C-AF
  • 4K video at up to 30p with HDMI output of 10-bit 4:2:2 or 12-bit Raw footage
  • Multi-shot 400MP mode for static subjects
  • 2.36M-dot rear touchscreen with two-axis tilt
  • Fixed 3.69M-dot OLED EVF with 0.77x equiv. magnification
  • Lossy, lossless or uncompressed Raw in 16 or 14-bit
  • Twin UHS-II SD card slots
  • NP-W235 battery, rated at 460 shots
Out-of-camera JPEG using the Provia film simulation.
ISO 6400 | 1/100 sec | F11 | GF 120mm F4 Macro
Photo by Carey Rose

Despite offering most of the capability of the twin-grip GFX 100, the smaller camera is significantly less expensive. It should be available around March with a recommended price of $ 5,999.

What’s new

More compact body

The use of a smaller battery and fixed viewfinder have helped significantly slim-down the GFX100S (left), relative to the original 50MP GFX 50S (right).

Fujifilm says the addition of the image stabilization system meant that it was more practical to make the GFX 100S into a DSLR-shaped camera, rather than the more rangefinder-like layout of the GFX 50R. But a lot of the downsizing efforts that went into the 50R have been applied here, resulting in a camera that’s appreciably smaller than the original GFX 50S.

The GFX 100S has a control layout very similar to that of the original, dual-grip GFX 100, with a large LCD top plate display and a comparable number of custom buttons. A conventional mode dial and movie/stills switch replace the button-within-a-dial arrangement on the camera’s left shoulder.

Image stabilization

Core to the GFX 100S is the inclusion of in-body image stabilization. Just as Fujifilm has been able to continue to miniaturize the IS systems used in its X-H1, X-T4 and X-S10 models, it’s also been able to reduce the size of the mechanism from the original GFX 100 to allow it to fit in a smaller body.

Despite the size reduction, the new mechanism is more effective than the one that precedes it: rated to correct up to 6EV of shake. This is half a stop more than the GFX 100’s rating and is achieved with more lenses, giving a rated 1EV improvement with most combinations. On top of this, the new system can synchronize with OIS lenses to maintain this level of correction even with longer focal lengths. This Sync IS system uses both lens and body IS to correct pitch and yaw, just as Panasonic, Olympus and Canon systems do.

Fujifilm has managed to create an IS mechanism for the GFX 100S that is both smaller and more effective than the one in the original GFX 100.

As usual, we find CIPA ratings (which only asses pitch and yaw correction) tend to over-state the benefit somewhat, but a 6EV rating should make it much easier to obtain the full benefit of the GFX 100S’s resolution. You can see the effect of this in our sample gallery, where we’re consistently getting high levels of resolution, even at relatively slow shutter speeds.

The image stabilization mechanism is also used to provide an eight-shot high-resolution mode. This moves the sensor between each shot, first to ensure that a red, green and blue pixel has been captured for each location, then to do the same again at a slight offset. This both boosts the chroma resolution and the overall pixel count of the image. However, in our experience with the GFX 100, we found that the lack of any motion correction means it really only works for completely static subjects, such as artwork reproduction.

Eight-direction control nub

The eight-way rubber control nub sits within easy reach of your thumb as you grip the camera.

The four-direction joystick that’s featured on previous GFX cameras has been replaced by a wider, flatter textured nub, that allows diagonal control as well as vertical and horizontal.

Its lower profile makes it easy to nudge the AF point around or navigate menus without too much risk of accidentally pressing it inwards which, as before, resets the AF point or accepts the current menu setting.

Additional Film Simulation mode

The GFX 100S gains a 13th Film Simulation mode: Nostalgic Neg. Fujifilm says this is based on the distinctive look achieved by American color film photographer Stephen Shore.

Out-of-camera JPEGs.
ISO 100 | 1/500 sec | F4 | GF 120mm F4 Macro
Photo by Carey Rose

‘Nostalgic Neg’ aims to offer slightly amber-tinted highlights, cyan-ish skies and saturated reds along with deep shadows to provide another option for retro-looking images. As usual, the effect is relatively subtle, giving an attractive option without spilling into overly intense ‘Instagram-filter’ territory.

Battery

The GFX100S uses the smaller NP-W235 battery from the X-T4 but still boasts a decent battery life rating.

The move to the smaller body format also sees the GFX 100S make use of a smaller battery, compared to the GFX 100. It uses the same W235 battery first introduced with the X-T4. It’s a fair bit smaller than NP-T125 used in the previous GFX bodies. Despite the reduction in physical size and electrical capacity, the GFX 100S is rated at a pretty reasonable 460 shots per charge using the LCD, per CIPA standard tests.

As always with CIPA ratings, the number reflects very demanding use, and we’ve found we regularly get more than twice the stated number of shots from most cameras. However, the numbers are broadly comparable between mirrorless cameras, so it’s reasonable to expect you’ll get more than 1/2 as many shots out of the GFX 100S as you would from the 800-shot-per-charge rated twin-battery GFX 100. This is likely to be enough for a lot of situations, though wedding photographers are likely to find themselves wanting to pocket a spare. A two-battery charger is available for such users.

The X100S will recharge over its USB-C socket but there are no electrical contacts to allow a vertical grip option to enhance the battery life or provide a more substantial portrait grip: there’s the GFX 100 for that.

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How it compares

Beyond this, much of what the GFX 100S offers is a match for its larger sibling: 102MP Raw files in 14 or 16 bit with a choice of lossy, lossless or no compression, DCI or UHD 4K video at up to 30p and up to 400Mbps, with the option to output uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 or a 12-bit Raw stream over HDMI. Impressively, for a camera with a 100MP sensor, the GFX 100S can shoot at up to 5.0 fps with continuous autofocus, despite the continued use of UHS-II SD card slots.

As always, the key consideration is that the GFX has a sensor that’s 68% larger than a full-frame sensor, which means it receives around 2/3EV more light when shot at the same exposure values as a full frame camera. The ISO system means those images appear the same brightness, but the additional light provides better quality.

Fujifilm GFX 100S Fujifilm GFX 100 Hasselblad
X1D II 50C		 Sony a7R IV
MSRP $ 5999 $ 9999 $ 5750 $ 3500
Sensor size 44x33mm
(1452 mm2)		 44x33mm
(1452 mm2)		 44x33mm
(1452 mm2)		 36x24mm
(864 mm2)
Pixel count 102 MP 102 MP 51MP 60MP
Image stabilization Yes (up to 6EV, and lens sync) Yes (up to 5.5EV) No Yes (up to 5.5EV)
Continuous shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps 2.7 fps 10.0 fps
Viewfinder size/res 3.69M dot OLED / 0.77x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.86x 3.69M dot OLED / 0.87x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.78x
Rear screen Two axis tilt 3.0″ 2.36M-dot touchscreen Two axis tilt 3.2″ 2.36M-dot touchscreen Fixed 3.6″ 2.36M-dot touchscreen Tilting 3.0″ 1.44M-dot touchscreen
Max shutter speed 1/4000 sec 1/4000 sec 1/2000 sec (leaf shutter) 1/8000 sec
Video 4K/30p up to 400 Mbps 4K/30p up to 400 Mbps 2.7K/30p 4K/30p up to 100 Mbps
Battery life
(LCD)		 460 800 Unspecified 670
Weight 900 g 1320g 766g 665g
Dimensions 150 x 104 x 92mm 156 x 164 x 103mm 148 x 97 x 70mm 129 x 96 x 78 mm

Although the GFX 100S’s maximum shutter speed, durability rating and 1/125 sec sync speed all match the GFX 100, Fujifilm says the new mechanism reduces shutter lag from 0.09 sec to 0.07 sec.

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Body and controls

The camera is primarily controlled by two clickable command dials, front and rear. You get a decent level of control over which dial accesses which function and, of course, you can directly control the aperture using the ring on the lens, if you prefer.

The GFX 100S uses a similar control approach to that of previous GFX cameras, primarily relying on its twin command dials for most control, and using an exposure compensation button rather than a dedicated dial (though, with a bit of work, you should be able to assign it as an option when you press the rear dial).

The GFX 100S fits nicely in the hand, with a thin layer of dense rubber providing a good amount of traction to a well-shaped hand grip, though photographers with larger hands may find the middle-finger indentation a little too small and close to the front of the camera. The solid grip is important because although the camera is smaller than the likes of a Nikon D850, it can start to get quite heavy once you’ve mounted something like the GF 110mm F2 lens on the front.

The top display panel can be set to show shooting information, a graphic representing shutter speed and ISO dials or a histogram. The camera maintains separate settings for stills and video, and can show black on white if you find it clearer than white on black. A small ‘lamp’ button on the side of the viewfinder illuminates the panel.

Viewfinder

The GFX 100S, unlike the GFX 100 or GFX 50S, has a fixed built-in viewfinder. It’s a 3.69M-dot OLED panel with 0.77x magnification (with a 50mm equivalent lens mounted). This is a pretty big display with pretty decent resolution. ‘Boost’ modes in the camera’s power settings let you increase either the refresh rate or the resolution.

Interface

The rest of the interface is very similar to that of recent Fujifilm models. Buttons can be customized by holding down the ‘Disp/Back’ button, and the ‘Q’ menu can be modified without the need to delve into the full menus. Menu options let you decide whether the Q menu is displayed on a grey background or overlaid on top of the camera’s live view. Different contrast levels for the interface and menus are available, including a night vision preserving red and black color scheme for working in extreme low light conditions where it’s easy to get dazzled.

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Initial impressions

The GFX100S (left) is a significantly smaller camera than the original GFX 50S (right), and it gives up the shutter speed and ISO dial to help with this downsizing. In return you get a significantly larger, customizable, top-panel display.

We’ve been impressed with what Fujifilm has achieved with the GFX system so far: most of the lenses are superb and the cameras bring a level of mass-market polish and usability that hasn’t always been a feature of medium format cameras (Pentax’s digital ‘645’ models being the notable exception). But the GFX’s have almost risked being a victim of their own success, in that this level of usability has invited comparisons with more mainstream cameras.

In testing we found that the 50MP sensor of previous GFX cameras didn’t offer a major image quality benefit over the best full-frame cameras of the time, but the move to a 100MP chip changed that. In use, we’ve found the smaller size and more powerful IS of the GFX 100S means it offers nearly all the capabilities of the original GFX 100 in a package that’s more accessible and more usable.

Out of camera JPEG using the Nostalgic Neg film simulation.
ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F4 | Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8
Photo by Carey Rose

It’s still not cheap, of course. Larger sensors are harder (and thus more expensive) to produce, they require larger, more expensive lenses, and the consequent lower sales volumes just serve to push up the unit price in what risks becoming a vicious cycle. But our experience of the GFX 100S is that you do gain something recognizable for that extra expenditure.

Getting the GFX 100S down in size (and price) does mean you lose out in a couple of respects, compared with the full-sized GFX 100, but none that are overly detrimental. For instance, the battery is significantly smaller than the ones the larger camera uses, though the battery life rating appears pretty solid and doesn’t appear to be achieved by being over-keen to drop into battery saving mode, or anything else sneaky that might undermine performance or user experience.

The viewfinder is perhaps the other significant step down in spec, compared to the GFX 100. A total of 3.69M dots is fewer than in the finders of the cameras such as the Panasonic S1R and Sony a7R IV, but it’s the same as the 50MP GFXs had, but Fujifilm appears to make good use of that resolution, rather than only using the full resolution in playback mode, as some cameras do.

While the GFX 100S won’t match full-frame cameras for autofocus responsiveness, it’s autofocus can be very accurate, especially with portraiture and eye-detection.
ISO 320 | 1/60 sec | F3.2 | GF 80mm F1.7
Photo by Richard Butler

Fujifilm’s lenses, while optically impressive, aren’t always the fastest to focus (though there’s some variability within the range). So, despite the inclusion of on-sensor phase detection, the GFX 100S won’t offer the levels of AF responsiveness you’d get from a Canon EOS R5, and Sony A7R IV or Nikon Z7 II, for portraiture, for instance.

But the fact that the GFX 100S offers only a slight reduction in responsiveness compared to mainstream full-frame cameras, and outputs not just usable but excellent out-of-cameras JPEGs is another major step forward for medium format usability. Add in image stabilization that means you don’t have to obsess about stability to realize the camera’s full resolution potential, and you have a camera that can be used in a wider range of circumstances than has previously seemed possible for medium format.

In-body stabilization that syncs with lens IS means you can get 100MP worth of detail without a tripod, without stopping to control your breathing or having to agonize over a steadiness/detail loss trade-off of using a higher shutter speed.

We’ve seen plenty of posts questioning whether cameras such as the Nikon Z7 II or Sony a7R IV will offer an appreciable upgrade over last-generation high-res DSLRs such as the Nikon D850 or Canon EOS 5DS R. In general that’s a difficult question to answer, because while there are benefits to the newer cameras – they tend to be are smaller, provide access to the latest lenses (and manufacturers’ future lens developments), offer better video and include features such as eye AF – we don’t usually see major IQ benefit from the cameras themselves. The GFX 100S appear to provide that image quality benefit, as well as all those other things that the latest mirrorless cameras offer.

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Sample Gallery

Photos are from a pre-production camera. At Fujifilm’s request, original Raw files are not available for download.

Please do not reproduce any of these images without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review).

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z6 II initial review updated

01 Dec

As we continue to test Nikon’s update of its multimedia full-framer, we’ve added more of our findings so far on image quality, dynamic range and video quality. Take a look.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss ZX1 initial review

19 Nov

Introduction

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Studio product photography by Dan Bracaglia

The Zeiss ZX1 is the first-ever digital camera to come with Adobe Lightroom Mobile built-in, encouraging you to shoot, edit and upload images from a single device. It has a 37.4MP full-frame sensor, a fixed 35mm F2 lens and the largest screen we’ve ever seen on a modern digital camera at 4.34″ (11cm) diagonal.

It’s also a camera that I wondered if I’d ever see; it was announced way back in 2018, and there was a stretch of more than a year and a half where we heard no news and published no developments on it. Some cried ‘vaporware,’ and we’d just about given up hope until we received a cheery e-mail that one was available, asking if we wanted to try it out. Uh, yes please! Here it is.

Jump to:

What’s new and comparisons | Body and handling | Editing and sharing | Impressions | Sample gallery

Look out, world, the Zeiss ZX1 has landed.
Out-of-camera JPEG | ISO 100 | 1/683 sec | F2

Key specifications:

  • 37.4MP full-frame sensor
  • Fixed 35mm F2 lens with Zeiss T* coatings
  • 4.3″ ‘angled’ LCD with 2.76M dots
  • 0.74x magnification electronic viewfinder with 6.22M dots
  • Maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec (flash sync up to 1/1000 sec)
  • Contrast and phase-detection AF
  • 3 fps max burst speed
  • 4K/30p, 1080/60p video capture
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • 512GB internal SSD, external storage using USB-C
  • Single USB-C port, supporting USB Power Delivery and HDMI alt mode

In addition to having Lightroom installed, the ZX1 is unconventional in that it includes an especially minimal set of physical controls – ostensibly, to encourage a ‘back-to-basics’ way of shooting – while also requiring you to use that big touchscreen in a way that you don’t need to on most other high-end cameras.

So, how well does ‘back-to-basics’ work when combined with a modern, smartphone-esque interface? Read on to find out. (Or you can, of course, just skip to our impressions).

The Zeiss ZX1 is available now at a suggested price of $ 6,000 USD.

What’s new and how the Zeiss ZX1 compares

That fancy angle on the screen actually separates a slate of controls from the main screen in live view and playback.

The ZX1 isn’t the first attempt we’ve seen at marrying a smart device with more traditional camera hardware. The likes of the Panasonic DMC-CM1 and Samsung Galaxy NX both benefitted from better sensor and/or lens technology than smartphones of the time as well as Raw image processing, but today’s phones use computational techniques that will have largely closed the image quality gap with those devices.

So Zeiss needed to do something a little different; instead of being mostly a phone that has some extra camera bits on it, the ZX1 is perhaps best thought of as a camera with some phone bits built in (like another old-timer, the Nikon S800c).

At the heart of the camera is a 37.4MP full-frame sensor we’ve not seen before. Formal testing is still to come, but so far we’ve found that the sensor offers great resolution, but perhaps not the most flexible Raw files. The 35mm F2 lens offers impressive sharpness and pleasing out-of-focus areas.

We haven’t fully tested the ZX1 yet, but so far, we’re quite taken with its 35mm F2 lens.

The 4.3″ touchscreen is among the largest we’ve seen on a digital camera, and is a delightful way to frame up your images (same goes with the high-res viewfinder). The snazzy angle/curve on the screen isn’t just for show; it usefully separates the main screen from the touch-controls that you’ll be operating with your right thumb while shooting or in playback.

The inclusion of Adobe Lightroom Mobile is an interesting move. To use it, you must sign in with an Adobe account. I found I was able to edit Raw files with an Adobe account that wasn’t currently subscribed to Creative Cloud, but there was an ever-present warning reminding me that unless I subscribed, I wouldn’t be able to edit Raw files. It’s a little confusing.

Lightroom Mobile on the ZX1 is very familiar for anyone who’s used it on another smart device. Also, that yellow ‘!’ symbol up top is telling me that I can’t edit the Raw file I’m currently editing unless I subscribe to Creative Cloud. …We’ll reach out to Zeiss for clarification.

Many other cameras also allow for in-camera editing of Raw and JPEG files, but not to the degree nor with the polished interface offered by Lightroom. Since there’s a lot to delve into, we’ll go into more depth on how the editing and sharing process works on the ZX1 later on in the review.

Compared to…

The Zeiss ZX1 joins a relatively small club of large-sensor, fixed-lens compact cameras, but they all differ greatly in terms of size, capability, controls, and more. All of the other cameras require greater reliance on physical controls and far less on their touchscreens than the ZX1 (and the Sony has no touchscreen at all). The ZX1 is the largest camera here by a wider margin than you might guess from the official product photos.

Zeiss ZX1 Leica Q2 Sony RX1R II Fujifilm X100V
MSRP
(at launch)		 $ 6000 $ 4995 $ 3299* $ 1399
Sensor 37MP full-frame 47M full-frame

42MP full-frame

 26MP APS-C
Lens 35mm F2 28mm F1.7 35mm F2 23mm F2 (equiv. to 35mm field of view)
Viewfinder resolution 6.22M dots 3.68M dots 2.36M dots 3.69M dots + optical
LCD 4.34″ fixed;
2.76M dots		 3″ fixed;
1.04M dots		 3″ tilting;
1.23M dots		 3″ tilting;
1.62M dots
Touch-screen Yes Yes No Yes
Built-in flash No No No Yes
Weather-sealing No Yes, IP52 rated No Yes*
Max. burst 3 fps 20 fps 5 fps 20 fps (elec. shutter)
Max. shutter, mech | electronic 1/2000 | N/A 1/4000 | N/A 1/2000 | N/A 1/4000 | 1/32000
Wireless connectivity 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi + NFC 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
Video 4K/30p, 1080/60p 4K/30p, 1080/120p 1080/60p 4K/30p, 1080/120p
Battery life (CIPA) Not rated 350 shots 220 shots 420 shots
Dimensions 142 x 93 x 46 mm 130 x 80 x 92 mm 113 x 65 x 72 mm 128 x 75 x 53 mm
Weight 800 g 734 g 507 g 478 g
*X100V comes with claims of weather sealing when the AR-X100 adapter ring and a 49mm filter are attached to the lens.

One other camera to consider here is Ricoh’s GR III. It’s an incredibly compact and relatively affordable camera with an APS-C sensor like the X100V but with a 28mm (equivalent) F2.8 lens, so it has the same field of view as the Leica Q2. It also relies heavily on physical controls, is very customizable and has in-body image stabilization.

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Body, controls and handling

I do wish that ISO dial was a generic control dial or an exposure compensation dial. Because I just leave it on ‘A’ myself.

The Zeiss ZX1 has a minimalist design; there are a total of only seven physical control points. The basics include an aperture ring, shutter speed dial and ISO dial. Other than that, there’s a manual focus ring, an AF/MF switch on the lens, the on/off/sleep/video mode toggle, and a customizable button on the rear of the camera. Doesn’t get much simpler than that.

The grip is supremely comfortable, and while you’re shooting, there’s an array of controls running down the portion of the screen to the right of the angle/curve. Those include exposure compensation, drive modes, white balance, and so on. You tap these tabs and then drag a slider up and down to adjust it, and while this can be done with your eye to the finder, it can be difficult to be precise with your adjustments.

The ZX1’s touch controls on the righthand side of the screen include exposure compensation, drive mode, white balance, metering, an AF touch pad, AF area size, AF-S or AF-C, where you want your files stored, and ‘helpers’ like the grid lines and histogram.

And frankly, we’d take an exposure compensation dial over an ISO dial since we tend to use Auto ISO almost all of the time, and use exposure compensation to adjust image brightness as necessary. Alas, you’re stuck using the touchscreen for that, or making use of ‘exposure lock’ on the custom button. But when reaching for that button, it’s too easy to swipe the Exposure Comp touch control and accidentally dial it up to +3; it’s annoying.

More positively, the overall touchscreen interface is pretty responsive. From live view / shooting mode, swipe up for settings and swipe down to go to playback, and then down again to go to the camera’s Android home screen (at the time of this writing, you cannot download additional apps).

The rubberized manual focus ring is nice and smooth, and the aperture ring moves in 1/3-stop detents as you turn it.

On the topic of the Android OS, you won’t want to be powering down and powering up the camera all the time, as the process takes 10-20 seconds just like a smartphone. But once powered on, a flick of the power toggle will put the camera into sleep mode, just like ‘locking’ your phone. Another flick and the camera is back and ready to shoot in less than a second, and if you keep the camera ‘locked’ between shots, a full day of shooting on a single charge is easy.

If you’re done for the day, it’s best to fully shut the ZX1 down as sleep mode does consume battery power if left alone for hours. You can also set the camera to fully shut down after a specified period of time asleep.

With the ZX1, it’s best to get used to putting it to sleep when you’re not about to use it – just like a smartphone.

In terms of storage, power and ports, the ZX1 comes with a built-in 512GB SSD (though some of that is taken up by the operating system) and a replaceable battery pack with 22.9Wh of juice (Zeiss doesn’t give CIPA ratings, and it’d be hard for them to make sense of a half-camera, half-phone type of product anyway). In terms of ports, you only get a USB type-C connector that supports USB 3.2 speeds. It’s good for charging the camera, transferring files to your computer or to an SSD, or adapting to an HDMI output signal.

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Editing on, and sharing from the ZX1

Same Lightroom, different platform; as you’d expect, the ZX1 produces identical results to what you’d get on a desktop machine. You can see and download the unedited JPEG and DNG file here.

Lightroom serves as the only way (at the time of this writing) to really fine-tune your output on the ZX1. Most other manufacturers offer color profiles, or the ability to tweak JPEG output in terms of sharpening, tone curve, and so on. On the ZX1, you have no such options; you must pull a file into Lightroom to make any tweaks at all. The tradeoff for the extra effort is, of course, the degree to which Lightroom allows you to make edits.

The Lightroom editing experience is fairly responsive and is no different than the Lightroom mobile experience on Android or iOS. We will say though that exporting edited DNGs took anywhere from 30-50% longer on the ZX1 than a Pixel 3a smartphone (a midrange 2019 model that isn’t especially powerful or expensive), with the same file and identical adjustments.

While it’s nice to have the flexibility of Lightroom on the ZX1, you don’t always need it. I wasn’t always blown away by the ZX1’s JPEGs, but I thought this one was nice, bright and contrasty, and the white balance nailed the warm sunset light.
Out-of-camera JPEG | ISO 100 | 1/242 sec | F8

When it comes time to share your images, you must first dive into the camera’s settings, connecting to a Wi-Fi signal and log in to Facebook or cloud services Flickr, DropBox or OneDrive. Once you’ve done that, you can share them directly from the camera’s playback mode. Testing with a OneDrive account, only a couple of taps were required, and the camera created a ‘ZX1’ folder and uploaded a full DNG file with no hiccups.

You may find that you’re having to log in to similar accounts in different places, though, which is a little bit confusing. You can share directly to Instagram from playback, but you have to log in from the playback screen; there’s no option to log into Instagram from the main menus where you can log in to a Facebook account.

Logging into an account isn’t always the most streamlined affair.

There’s also the option to share directly from Lightroom Mobile, but the app itself handles all of those logins, so you’d need to set up your accounts there, too. In other words, login settings you’ve entered in the camera’s menus aren’t carried over into Lightroom automatically.

After you’ve gone through several rounds of logging-in, though, uploading photos to a variety of services is pretty straightforward, and unless you’re switching accounts, you won’t need to log in again.

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Impressions

The question we started out with was, “how well does ‘back-to-basics’ work when combined with a modern, smartphone-esque interface?'”

As it turns out, fairly well. The Zeiss ZX1 doesn’t come off as though it’s having an identity crisis, nor as an electronic gadget with novelty that starts to wear off on the packaging you remove it from. It comes off, simply, as a camera – albeit one that has its fair share of quirks – but so far the ZX1’s fun factor has outweighed the frustration factor. But only just.

The direct dials and big displays go a long way towards allowing you to just focus on photographing what’s in front of you. It’s a camera that is pretty well-suited to being your daily photographic companion, capturing the ins and outs of daily life and allowing you to share those moments from wherever you happen to be.

This was one of my favorite images from a quick backyard photo shoot, but even with the AF area over my subject’s face, the image ended up slightly back-focused ? That bokeh, though…
Tap or click through for the full image.
Adjusted in Camera Raw 13 | ISO 100 | 1/271 sec | F2

But the quirks do irk. The ZX1’s autofocus system is, to put it kindly, basic. There’s no subject tracking nor face detection, and I ended up with more mis-focused shots of static subjects than I’m used to on modern cameras. (I wouldn’t even try to photograph animated children or pets with the ZX1.) Also, that ISO dial should really be an exposure compensation dial or at least a multi-purpose dial with exposure compensation as an option: using the touchscreen takes my focus away from my image as I try to dial in +2/3 EV instead of +1 2/3 EV.

And then there’s the ZX1’s raison d’être; the inclusion of Lightroom Mobile. Thankfully, you don’t need an Adobe subscription to use the camera itself, but foregoing the editing power Lightroom offers leaves you with basic JPEGs that you can’t fine-tune to your liking. Plus, the Lightroom export process is much slower than a midrange Android phone, and its integration with the main camera’s settings needs to be improved.

This photo could be many things. A real-estate company’s annual report cover? A weary traveler’s reminder of a neighborhood? Just some camera reviewer’s weird take on Pioneer Square in Seattle? You decide.
Out-of-camera JPEG | ISO 100 | 1/304 sec | F5.6

Overall, I’m glad the Zeiss ZX1 exists. It’s refreshing to see a manufacturer do something truly different from the competition. The design is striking, and there are probably well-off photographers out there who want as simple a shooting experience as possible, but still want to be able to fine-tune their images in post. It’s an interesting proposition for world travelers as well (once such things are feasible again). For these folks, the ZX1 means you get everything you need in one device.

But what of the rest of us? After all, this is a $ 6000 camera, or fully one thousand dollars more than the already premium-priced Leica Q2. That buys a lot of gear, plus, frankly, a lot of smartphone. So speaking personally, I’m leaning towards sticking with the smartphone in my pocket and a ‘dumb’ camera around my neck… for now.

Stay tuned for studio testing in our full review, coming soon.

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Sample gallery

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Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x initial sample gallery

17 Nov

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Olympus’ new 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x is one seriously-impressive piece of kit. Offering 1000mm equiv. of reach when using the built-in teleconverter, it’s a great option for wildlife photography. Handling-wise, we found it a bit lighter and smaller than its massive focal range suggests and the perfect companion for the twin-grip OM-D E-M1X.

This is an initial sample gallery; we’ll update it again soon when we get a break from the pervasive Pacific Northwest rain. In the meantime, these should at least give you some idea of this lens’ potential.

See our Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x initial sample gallery

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Leica Q2 Monochrom initial review

10 Nov

Introduction

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Product shots: Dan Bracaglia

The Leica Q2 Monochrom is Leica’s latest dedicated black-and-white camera, joining the M Monochrom and the M10 Monochrom manual-focus rangefinders. The Q2 Monochrom has a 47MP sensor that only produces black and white images, a fixed 28mm F1.7 ASPH lens with 17cm (6.7 in) macro mode and a claim of better dynamic range and noise performance compared to the color Q2. The Q2 Monochrom certainly won’t be for everyone, but for dedicated black-and-white shooters there is a lot to love about this camera.

Jump to:

What’s new | Body and handling | First impressions | Sample gallery

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 6400 | 1/30 sec | F9
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Key Specifications

  • 47.3 MP CMOS Monochrome Sensor
  • 3.68MP OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.76x magnification
  • 3″ touchscreen with 1.04 million dots
  • 60s – 1/2000s (mechanical); 1s – 1/40,000s (electronic)
  • 28 mm F1.7 ASPH lens with 11 elements, 3 aspherical
  • Splash and dust resistant body up to IP52
  • ISO range of 100 – 100000
  • Up to 4K/30p, 1080/120p video capture
  • Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities with Leica Fotos app
  • Additional toning settings (sepia, blue, selenium)

What’s new and how it compares

The one significant difference between the Q2 and Q2 Monochrom cameras is, as you’d expect, the ‘specially designed’ 47MP sensor that comes without a color filter array (CFA). On color digital cameras, the CFA filters incoming light so that each photosite captures information on either red, green or blue light, and the camera’s processor interpolates that data to produce a full-color image.

On the Q2 Monochrom, there’s no CFA, so each photosite captures a single ‘true’ tone, with no loss of resolution through interpolation. And, because CFAs absorb some incoming light, the lack of one means the ISO sensitivity of the Q2 Monochrom gets a boost when compared to the color Leica Q2.

From an aesthetics standpoint the Q2 Monochrom has a more discreet design when compared to its color counterpart and a slightly simplified menu interface.

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 800 | 1/500 sec | F2.8
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Compared to the M10 Monochrom, the Q2 Monochrom is a much simpler and easier camera to operate, thanks primarily to its electronic viewfinder and reliable autofocus. The downside is that you’re stuck with the 28mm lens on the Q2 Monochrom (though there are some crop modes we’ll discuss a bit later). The price points of these two black-and-white cameras are… well, high. The M10 Monochrom costs $ 8295 USD for only the body, whereas the Q2 Monochrom comes in at $ 5995 USD.

Compared to…

Leica Q2 Monochrom Leica M10 Monochrom Fujifilm X100V
MSRP (body) $ 5995 $ 8295 $ 1399
Sensor 47MP full-frame monochromatic 41MP full-frame monochromatic

26MP APS-C
full color
Type Fixed-lens Rangefinder interchangeable lens Fixed-lens
ISO range (native) 100-100000 160-100000 100-25600
Viewfinder type 3.69M-dot OLED electronic Rangefinder optical 3.69M-dot OLED electronic / optical
LCD 3” fixed 3″ fixed 3″ tilting
Touch-screen Yes Yes Yes
Included flash No No Built-in
Weather-sealing Yes, IP52 rated No No
Max. burst 20fps (elec. shutter) 4.5 fps 20 fps (elec. shutter)
Max. shutter, mech | electronic 1/2000 | 1/40000 1/4000 | N/A 1/4000 | 1/32000
Video 4K/30p, 1080/120p N/A 4K/30p, 1080/120p
Battery life (CIPA) 350 shots ~210 shots (based on color M10) 420 shots
Dimensions 130 x 80 x 92 mm 139 x 39 x 80 mm 128 x 75 x 53 mm
Weight 734 g 660 g 478 g

But if price is a blocker, the Fujifilm X100V is a camera that is conceptually similar, but much more affordable. The X100V shoots in color, but thanks to Fujifilm’s film simulation modes you can set it to see the world in monochrome (albeit not at the same resolution possible with a dedicated mono sensor). The X100V has a fixed 35mm (equivalent) F2 lens instead of the 28mm lens F1.7 lens and a smaller APS-C sensor, but it also only costs $ 1399 (MSRP).

It’s also worth mentioning the $ 899 (MSRP) Ricoh GR III, which also offers an APS-C sensor, but it has a 28mm-equivalent lens that matches the field of view of the Leica. It’s a great pocket camera, but be aware that it doesn’t include a viewfinder (an optical finder is available but there’s no provision for an EVF) and battery life is on the short side.

Body and handling

The command dial on the right has a center button that can be customized with a variety of functions.

The Leica Q2 Monochrom has a discreet subtle black and neutral gray body to match the monochromatic images that it captures and is wrapped in a classic grained leatherette. Leica has removed the iconic ‘red dot’ Leica badge and the engraved script on the top of the camera. Inscriptions on the lens and the shutter speed dial are all gray and white-on-black, and the camera’s name is engraved around the hot shoe.

The ergonomics and button layout are identical to the Leica Q2. On the top of the camera you’ll find the power switch and shutter button, a shutter speed dial for selecting full stop shutter speeds and a command dial for selecting third-stop shutter speeds. On the back of the camera you’ll find a four-way controller, a 3″ fixed touchscreen, and the Play, Menu and Function buttons.

The controls on the Q2 Monochrom are pared back and basic, but in a refreshing way.

The Function button is customizable, and can be quickly reassigned to another function with a ‘long press.’ During my time with the Q2 Monochrom I kept this button set to swap between the EVF and the LCD screen (the eye sensor to auto-switch was pretty sensitive, even with the sensitivity set to ‘low’). Above the LCD you will find the camera’s diopter, which can be pressed in to prevent accidental adjustments, and a rear button that sits directly below the shutter speed dial.

By default this button is set to activate digital crops within the camera, but can be customized to be an exposure or focus lock as well. The in-camera crops can be made at 35mm, 50mm and 75mm, but retains the full image when shooting in Raw. A rangefinder-style frame appears within the EVF to show you what will be included in the cropped frame (but those crops can’t fill the EVF). The Q2 Monochrom features the same subtle indent on the right hand side as the color Q2, which ends up being a very comfortable place to rest your thumb while shooting.

On the bottom of the camera you will find a single SD card slot and the battery door. The Q2 Monochrom uses the BP-SCL4 battery found in the Leica SL and is CIPA rated to 350 shots per charge. In use, you can expect far more shots than that, though lots of playback and Wi-Fi use are big battery drains. In our experience (which includes switching the camera off between shots), we found the battery would easily last a couple of days of moderate shooting.

The Leica Q2 Monochrom’s fixed 28mm F1.7 lens has 11 elements including three aspherical ones, which is a pretty complex optical formula. The lens can be clicked into macro mode to shoot closeup photos as close as 17cm (6.7in). The updated 3.68M dot OLED is incredibly bright and gives you an accurate live view of the black-and-white images without having to remove the camera from your eye. However, there’s not much in the way of an eyecup on the Q2 Monochrome, so glasses-wearers might struggle a bit with it.

Overall the camera feels very good when it’s slung over your shoulder, wrapped around your wrist or up to your eye making pictures.

First impressions

The Q2 Monochrom is lightweight, easy to use, and since the lens is fixed to the camera there’s no fretting about what camera gear you’re bringing when you leave the house. It has a quiet shutter and the understated body design makes it great for shooting in public without having to have a conversation about your Leica.

In a different era, I would love to see what this camera could do at a low-light rock show

Overall, the Q2 Monochrom has an excellent design, an easy to navigate menu system and dependable autofocus. As soon as I popped a memory card into the Q2 Monochrom I couldn’t wait to start shooting.

But why limit yourself to black and white images?

Of course, a camera like the Fujifilm X100V set to the Acros film simulation will give you a similar shooting experience for a fraction of the price (so long as you like the 35mm equivalent focal length), and with that camera you still have the option to process your Raw files in color. So why wouldn’t you stick with that? Why get a monochromatic camera at all?

Out-of-camera JPEG in 75mm crop mode.
ISO 200 | 1/250 sec | F1.7
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Well, the Q2 Monochrom offers full-frame image quality, and a significant increase in pixel-level resolution, thanks to how the sensor and processing work. From a purely creative perspective, I’ve found that eliminating color as an option altogether has a positive impact on me creatively, too. Put simply, this is a camera that allows photographers to focus on the basics: how light, shadow, and action interact to create an image.

Simple handling

The three customizable buttons on the Q2 Monochrom are a smart design choice and offer a lot of flexibility depending on a photographer’s needs. The fact that the Q2 Monochrom has weather and dust-sealing is also a selling-point. Fall weather in New York City is known to be unpredictable, and it was reassuring to know that the Q2 could stand up to a little bit of moisture when the skies inevitably opened up. The autofocus makes it faster and easier to use than the manual-focus M10 Monochrom and creates a shooting experience that is more approachable for all levels of photographers.

Image quality impressions

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 640 | 1/125 sec | F4
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

I loved the subtle tonality shifts in the images that I shot with the Leica Q2 Monochrom. The camera’s noise characteristics at high ISO paired with that fast lens make this a great choice for shooting late at night. I used Auto ISO, meaning the camera picks the ISO value and I picked the aperture and shutter speed settings.

Even letting the camera select the ISO for me, it rarely veered into the highest ISO range, but images shot at ISO 12500 don’t exhibit that much noise or grain. In a different era, when it was safe to gather inside poorly lit and ventilated spaces, I would have loved to see what this camera could do in a low-light setting of a rock show.

The flexibility of the Raw files is outstanding

The level of detail found in every file is impressive, and although these images are all straight out of camera, the flexibility of the Raw files once you’ve dropped them into Adobe Lightroom is outstanding. The in-camera crop ended up being handy while shooting with the Q2 Monochrom, though I also appreciated that I had the option to uncrop the Raw images once imported them into Lightroom.

The Q2 Monochrom’s Raw images are super flexible.
ISO 1000 | F8 | 1/50 sec | -2 EV to preserve highlights
Photo by Carey Rose

Pairing the Q2 Monochrom with the Leica SF 60 flash makes it a nice choice for capturing high-contrast black-and-white images. Although using a camera with a 28mm lens for shooting portraits might seem counterintuitive, the in-camera crops actually worked quite well. If you use the flash with Leica’s remote control flash unit you can easily create beautiful black-and-white portraits with the Q2 Monochrom with a very small kit.

Wrapping up

It might initially seem like it would be limiting to use a digital camera that only shoots black-and-white images, but in the end I found it to be quite freeing. I really enjoyed that the Q2 Monochrom’s excellent EVF only allows you to see the world in monochrome, which I found helpful for paying attention to patterns, textures and light quality within a scene, especially in comparison to something like an M10 Monochrom with its optical (and therefore, full-color) viewfinder.

Do you need color photos? Even in black and white, it’s clear that this is a photograph of a humanoid hot dog.
ISO 250 | F4 | 1/125 sec
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Is the Q2 Monochrom for everybody? Of course not. Leica has never been known for the affordability of its cameras and, arguably, their exclusivity is part of their appeal.

The Q2 Monochrom is certainly a niche camera, but for a shooter who prefers to see the world in black-and-white it ends up being surprisingly versatile and usable. While we’ve still got to do our full testing with a production model, I found that shooting with it is simply a joyful experience, and ultimately, that’s what photography should be about.

Sample gallery

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Panasonic Lumix S 85mm F1.8 initial sample gallery

05 Nov

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Panasonic’s latest lens addition to its full-frame lineup is the S 85mm F1.8. It’s weather resistant and weighs in at just 355g (12.5oz), and will sell for $ 600 in early 2021. We’ve been able to shoot with a pre-production version of the lens, just in time for some socially distanced fall portraits of friends – including the furry kind.

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Fujifilm X-S10 initial review

15 Oct

Introduction

When you first catch a glimpse of the Fujifilm X-S10, your first thought might be ‘this is a Fujifilm?’ With a deep grip, more pronounced viewfinder ‘hump’ and a big dial that adjusts your shooting mode rather than the shutter speed, the X-S10 is something of a departure in design from previous midrange and high-end X-series cameras.

The company describes the X-S10 as a cross between the X-T30 and the X-H1: You get the guts from the former and the design and in-body image stabilization feature (in a new miniaturized form) from the latter. The camera is targeted toward users who may have Canon Rebels or lower-end Nikon DSLRs who want something a little more ‘familiar’ than a typical Fujifilm camera. And, with a price of $ 999 for the body – $ 100 more than the X-T30 – it’s not necessarily out of reach for that audience.

Key specifications

  • 26MP X-Trans BSI-CMOS sensor
  • 5-axis in-body image stabilization
  • On-sensor phase detection
  • 3″, 1.04M-dot fully articulating touchscreen
  • 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
  • 30 fps burst shooting with crop (up to 20 fps without)
  • DCI and UHD 4K capture at up to 30p with F-Log support
  • External mic and headphone sockets
  • 325 shots per charge using LCD
  • USB Power Delivery support
  • Single UHS-I card slot
  • Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
Photo taken with a pre-production X-S10.
ISO 160 | 1/800 sec | F5.6 | XF 16-80mm F4 @ 19mm (28.5mm equiv.)

The X-S10 is very much a blend of the X-T30 and X-T4 in terms of specs. You get the same sensor, processor and performance of the X-T4, but with things like the EVF resolution and single, slower SD card slot on par with the X-T30.

You’ll be able to buy the X-S10 in three kits:

  • Body only: $ 999
  • Body + XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS lens: $ 1399
  • Body + XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR lens: $ 1499

Unlike most other Fujifilm cameras, the X-S10 only comes in black.

  • What’s new and how it compares
  • Body, handling and controls
  • Video
  • Initial impressions
  • Sample gallery
  • Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Most of the features on the X-S10 are well-established at this point, so in this section we’re going to focus on a few things on this camera that you won’t find on other Fujifilm models.

New IBIS unit

Being a smaller camera, it’s no surprise that the X-T4’s IBIS unit wasn’t going to fit into the X-S10. So, the company designed a new one that is 30% smaller and lighter than the X-T4’s. A new motion sensor makes the unit more efficient, and the X-S10 has a redesigned circuit board that reduces power consumption.

There’s a very small difference in stabilization performance on the X-S10 versus the X-T4: just half a stop. It offers 6 stops of shake reduction on all unstabilized Fujifilm lenses save for the XF 16-55mm F2.8, which weighs in at 5.5 stops. All stabilized Fujifilm lenses vary from 5.5 to 6 stops, save for the XF 80mm macro, which offers 5 stops.

Refined auto and scene modes

Those who stick to auto and scene modes will gain a few new features. The X-S10 now has an ‘auto’ Film Simulation mode which will select between Provia (Standard), Velvia (Vivid) and Astia (Soft) depending on the scene. (Users can still manually select any of the Film Simulation modes offered.)

Photograph taken on a pre-production camera.
ISO 160 | 1/320 sec | F5.6 | XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 @ 55mm (82.5mm equiv.)

You can now use any AF area mode in Auto or Scene modes, from spot to zone to wide/tracking. Previous cameras were locked in the ‘wide’ mode.

Lastly, Raw shooting is now available in these modes, rather than being ‘stuck’ with JPEGs.

New joystick functionality

The joystick (officially known as the focus lever) works a bit differently on the X-S10 than on other Fujifilm models. Now, when you press it inward, it ‘punches in’ to the selected focus point. The clickable rear dials on other Fujifilm models operated this way by default. Simply nudging the stick in any direction allows you to select both the focus point, and you can also use the dials to select the focus mode (single-point, zone, wide/tracking).

You can change the functions of the joystick to a limited extent. Pushing inward can edit the focus area instead of punching in (or you can assign it to do nothing), while nudging it in a direction direction can only adjust the focus point (rather than also allowing you to change the focus mode with the dials). It can also be assigned to switch between detected faces if face detection is enabled.

Updated Film Simulation mode interface

Now, when you switch Film Sim modes, which you can do using the top-left dial or the menus, you can press the Q button to see a description of what each mode does, along with an image resembling a classic film box from the old days.

Compared to…

The closest competitors to the X-S10 in our opinion are the Nikon Z50, Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Sony a6600. The Nikon is a bit cheaper, though it lacks the in-body image stabilization of the X-S10, E-M5 III and a6600. It’s also worth pointing out that the Olympus and Sony cost a few hundred dollars more than the Fujifilm. (Sony offers the a6400 for less, although again it doesn’t have stabilization.)

Fujifilm X-S10 Nikon Z50 Olympus E-M5 III Sony a6600
MSRP (body) $ 999 $ 859 $ 1199 $ 1399
Sensor res. 26MP X-Trans 21MP 20MP 24MP
Sensor size APS-C APS-C Micro 4/3 APS-C
Image stab. In-body Lens only In-body In-body
LCD type Fully articulating Tilting Fully articulating Tilting
LCD size/res 3.0″ / 1.04M-dot 3.2″ / 1.04M-dot 3.0″ / 1.04M-dot 3.0″ / 921k-dot
EVF res / mag
(equiv.)		 2.36M-dot
0.62x		 2.36M-dot
0.68x		 2.36M-dot
0.68x		 2.36M-dot
0.71x
Built-in flash Yes Yes No Yes
Burst w/AF 20 fps 11 fps 10 fps 11 fps
Video res. 4K/30p 4K/30p 4K/30p 4K/30p
(1.23x crop)
Log F-Log
(8-bit internal, 10-bit over HDMI)		 No OM-Log
(8-bit)		 S-Log
(8-bit)
Mic / headphone socket Yes / Yes (with adapter) Yes / No Yes / No Yes / Yes
SD card speed UHS-I UHS-I UHS-II UHS-I
Battery life (LCD) 325 shots 320 shots 310 shots 810 shots
Weight 465g (16.4oz) 450g (16.9oz) 414g (14.6oz) 503g (17.8oz)

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Body, controls and handling

As mentioned earlier, the overall design of the X-S10 is different than the majority of Fujifilm cameras, though it does resemble the much larger X-H1 from the front, and has similarities with the X-T200 to the left of the grip. Its DSLR-shaped body has a prominent EVF ‘hump’, on which you’ll find the built-in flash, along with a large handgrip.

The X-S10’s build quality is very solid, to the point where we wondered if it was weather-sealed (it’s not). The only parts that feel plasticky are the two unlabeled dials on the top plate and the door that covers the HDMI and USB ports. The handgrip is deep and well-designed, and gives you easy access to the front dial and nearby buttons. Controls on the rear plate are fairly sparse, but it feels like the right amount for the camera’s target audience.

Perhaps the most notable thing that differentiates the X-S10 from the X-T30 and X-T4 is that, instead of having dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, there’s a traditional mode dial. While Fujifilm traditionalists may scream in horror, the switch to a mode dial is part of the company’s outreach to beginners and upgraders from DSLRs who seek something more familiar. Fujifilm hasn’t left more experienced users out in the cold: there are still plenty of dials and menus that can be customized.

The LCD and electronic viewfinder specs are unremarkable for this class. The former is 3″ in size and has a resolution of 1.04 million dots. The usual touchscreen features are here: you can tap to focus, change menu options and swipe through photos you’ve taken. The OLED viewfinder has 2.36 million dots, a magnification of 0.62x and a refresh rate of 100 fps: the same as on the X-T30.

The camera doesn’t have the clever ‘slider’ interface when you’re browsing through Film Simulation modes, and there aren’t any selfie modes like you’ll find on lower-end models like the X-T200.

The X-S10 uses the same NP-126S battery as the X-T30, and not the higher capacity NP-W235 pack found on the X-T4. The official CIPA battery life is 325 shots per charge when using the LCD (battery life numbers for the EVF were not available at time of publication). Unless you’re using Wi-Fi a lot, you’ll likely do quite a bit better. The camera can be charged and operated over its USB Type-C connector, though to do the latter you’ll need a USB PD compatible power source.

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Video

The X-S10’s video features are essentially the same as the X-T30’s, but they’re still worth a quick mention.

The camera captures oversampled DCI and UHD 4K video, at frame rates of 24p and 30p, respectively. Fujifilm estimates that you can record up to 30 minutes of 4K video, thanks in part to a new heat dispersion system that uses the magnesium alloy front plate as a heat sink. The X-S10 can also capture high speed Full HD video at up to 240 fps.

The magnesium alloy front plate is used as a heat sink to allow longer recording times

As in stills mode, the X-S10 can take advantage of its capable on-sensor phase detection system for face and eye tracking. The camera allows you to quickly switch between faces using the joystick. The in-body image stabilization system is along along for the ride, and shake can be reduced further with electronic IS (which adds a 1.1x crop).

The camera supports flat F-Log recording for preserving the option to color-grade later, but only captures 8-bit 4:2:0 video internally. For more flexible 10-bit 4:2:2 output, you’ll need an external recorder. When F-Log is in use, you can turn on the View Assist feature, which gives you a feel for what the footage will look like when graded. The X-S10 also features the Eterna profile, a favorite of video shooters.

One new feature that video shooters may appreciate is that the camera now counts up from zero seconds when recording, rather than counting down from whatever the capacity of the memory card is.

The X-S10 has 3.5mm mic socket, and adds a headphone connector if you attach the included USB dongle. Audio levels can be adjusted, and both wind and low cut filters are available.

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Initial impressions

I’m long been a fan of Fujifilm cameras and, if I wasn’t already invested in an older Canon system that admittedly gets a dwindling amount of use, I would consider switching over. I’ve always been happy with Fujifilm’s out-of-camera JPEGs and extensive lens collection, and it recent years the company has made great strides in terms of autofocus and video performance.

I’m also one of those people who still likes shooting with a DSLR. I like my optical viewfinder and the large grip that helps my somewhat shaky hands get a better hold on the camera. With the exception of the aging X-H1, Fujifilm’s X-series cameras just aren’t very ‘grippy’. And while many people like having the shutter speed dial on the top plate, I use it so rarely that I’d gladly trade it for a mode dial.

ISO 160 | 1/110 sec | F4.5 | Fujifilm 18-55 F2.8-4 @ 51mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

The X-S10 gives me what I’ve been waiting to see on a Fujifilm camera. I’ve got my large grip, a mode dial, in-body stabilization and many of the features from the X-T4, packed into a solid, portable body. I can get to both dials and the joystick without moving my hand, and the latter is in a better location (and feels better-built) than on the X-T30. Yes, a larger, higher resolution EVF would’ve been nice, but the 2.36M-dot panel on the X-S10 is typical for this class.

While I had only had a few days with the X-S10, a lot of how it will perform is a known quantity. The sensor, processor and AF system are the same as on the X-T4, which means great image quality and very respectable autofocus. The X-S10’s video specs surprised me given its price, and I can’t imagine that too many potential buyers of a $ 1000 camera want or need the additional capabilities of the more expensive X-T4.

ISO 160 | 1/480 sec | F4.5 | Fujifilm 18-55 F2.8-4 @ 83mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

While some Fujifilm traditionalists may scoff at the idea of a more ‘conventional’ X-series camera, I’m glad to see that the company broke the mold on the X-S10. For those folks (myself included) who want the shape and controls of a DSLR – and I believe there are many – it’s a really nice option to have.

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Sample gallery

Photos are from a pre-production camera. Fujifilm has requested that Raw images not be made available for download.

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Fujifilm X-S10 Specifications

Price
MSRP $ 999 (body only), $ 1399 (w/18-55mm lens), $ 1499 (w/16-80mm lens)
Body type
Body type SLR-style mirrorless
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 6240 x 4160
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 26 megapixels
Sensor size APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor type BSI-CMOS
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array X-Trans
Image
ISO Auto, 160-12800 (expands to 80-51200)
Boosted ISO (minimum) 80
Boosted ISO (maximum) 51200
White balance presets 7
Custom white balance Yes (3 slots)
Image stabilization Sensor-shift
Image stabilization notes Up to 6 stops with select stabilized lenses. 5-5.5 stops with other lenses.
CIPA image stabilization rating 6 stop(s)
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Fine, normal
File format
  • JPEG (Exif v2.3)
  • Raw (Fujifilm RAF, 14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Digital zoom Yes
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 425
Lens mount Fujifilm X
Focal length multiplier 1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Fully articulated
Screen size 3″
Screen dots 1,040,000
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.93× (0.62× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 900 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic) 1/32000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Built-in flash Yes
Flash range 7.00 m (at ISO 200)
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash X sync speed 1/180 sec
Continuous drive 20.0 fps
Self-timer Yes
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Average
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, H.264
Modes
  • 4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 4096 x 2160 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 240p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC slot (UHS-I supported)
Connectivity
USB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI Yes (micro-HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port No
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth
Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed No
Battery Battery Pack
Battery Life (CIPA) 325
Weight (inc. batteries) 465 g (1.03 lb / 16.40 oz)
Dimensions 126 x 85 x 65 mm (4.96 x 3.35 x 2.56″)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

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Nikon Z6 II initial review

14 Oct

The Nikon Z6 II is an updated version of the company’s 24MP multimedia full frame mirrorless camera. It gains more processing power to add improved autofocus and a few other tweaks to an already well-rounded feature set.

Key specifications

  • 24MP full frame BSI CMOS sensor
  • Continuous shooting at up to 14 fps (in 12-bit Raw with single AF point)
  • Full-sensor UHD 4K video at up to 30p
  • UHD 60p from an APS-C crop promised in future firmware update
  • Two card slots (1x CFexpress/XQD, 1x UHS-II SD)
  • 3.69M-dot EVF with improved blackout times
  • Tilting 2.1M dot read touchscreen
  • USB-C socket for recharging or powering the camera
  • Battery rating of 410 (LCD) and 340 (EVF) shots per charge
  • Connectors to allow battery grip with portrait orientation controls

The Z6 II launches at the same price as its predecessor, with a recommended selling price of $ 1999 body-only or $ 2599 with the Z 24-70mm F4 S lens. It will be available from November 2020.

  • What’s new and how it compares
  • Body and handling
  • Initial impressions
  • Nikon official sample images
  • Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

The addition of a second card slot will be a hugely welcomed change for some photographers.

The Z6 II is a subtle refresh of the existing Z6, extending the capabilities a little, but offering a mostly similar, well-rounded stills and video feature set. In terms of hardware, the main difference is that the Mark II gains a second Expeed 6 processor, with most of the performance and feature improvements stemming from this additional processing power.

Autofocus

Nikon says the autofocus performance has been incrementally improved over the original Z6, but the most notable feature change is the addition of face and eye detection (both human and animal) to the wide area AF mode. Previously these features were only available in ‘Auto’ area AF, meaning the camera decided where to focus. By adding them to wide area, you are able to narrow-down the region in which that camera hunts for faces, giving you a way of pre-selecting the face you wish to focus on.

The variants of Wide Area AF with human and animal face/eye AF have been added to the list of AF modes accessible from the ‘i‘ quick menu, meaning you don’t have to separately engage those functions.

Nikon says the focusing system now works in light as low as –4.5EV (a one stop improvement), when using an F2.0 lens (or faster). And that’s without using the slower low light AF mode, which extends a further two stops.

Shooting rate

The Z6 II’s maximum burst speed increases to an impressive 14 frames per second, but only if you use a single AF point and you’re willing to take the slight dynamic range hit of shooting 12-bit Raws. If you want the camera to choose an AF point or track a subject, it shoots at a still very respectable 12 frames per second.

Video

The (paid) Raw upgrade will allow an output that an Atomos recorder can encode as ProRes RAW or, after February 2021, a Blackmagic Video Assist to encode as Blackmagic Raw.

The Z6 II builds on the Z6’s already pretty strong video feature set, with the promise of UHD 4K 60p in a free firmware update due in February 2021. This higher rate footage will come from an APS-C crop of the sensor, and will only be available for internal capture.

In addition, the camera’s video output options have increased, with the Mark II able to output 10-bit HLG HDR footage, in addition to N-Log, to an external recorder. An optional paid upgrade enables a 12-bit line-skipped 4K Raw stream can be sent to an external recorder to be encoded as ProRes Raw or, after a February 2021 firmware update, as Blackmagic Raw.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder in the Z6 II is the same 3.68M dot OLED as in the original model. Nikon points out that the optics and coatings are of its own design and says it’s decreased both the refresh lag and the blackout time between shots. However, the company hasn’t put a number on either improvement.

Compared to…

Despite being a relatively subtle update, the Z6 II remains broadly competitive with the other cameras with launch prices around $ 2000. The Canon EOS R6 is the outlier: priced at a higher level but offering better specifications (though it can’t always deliver the full promise of its video capabilities).

We haven’t included the Sony a7C here, since it seems more focused on compactness than being an enthusiast’s main camera, but its specs are similar to the a7 III’s, just without the AF joystick.

Nikon Z6 Canon EOS R6 Panasonic S5 Sony a7 III
MSRP (body) $ 1999 $ 2499 $ 1999 $ 1999
Pixel count 24MP 20MP 24MP 24MP
Sensor tech BSI-CMOS CMOS CMOS BSI-CMOS
AF system On-sensor PDAF

Dual Pixel
(On-sensor PDAF)

 Depth from Defocus
(Contrast Detection-based)		 On-sensor PDAF
Image stabilization 5-axis 5-axis + sync with lens IS 5-axis + sync with lens IS 5-axis
CIPA rating Up to 5EV Up to 8EV Up to 6.5EV Up to 5EV
Maximum frame rate 12 fps
(14 fps*)		 12 fps mech shutter
20 fps electronic

7 fps (AF-S)
5 fps (AF-C)

 10 fps
Flash Sync speed 1/200 sec 1/250 sec** 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
High Res mode No No Yes No
Viewfinder
res / mag		 3.68M dots
/ 0.80x		 3.68M dots
/ 0.76x		 2.36M dots / 0.74x 2.36M dots / 0.78x
Rear screen 2.1M-dot tilting touchscreen 1.62M-dot fully articulated touchscreen 1.84M-dot fully articulated touchscreen 921k-dot tilting touchscreen
AF joystick Yes Yes Yes Yes
Top-plate settings display Yes No No No
Video capture UHD 4K 30p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 60p
(1.5x Crop)***		 UHD 4K 60p
(1.05x crop)

 UHD 4K 30p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 60p
(1.5x Crop)		 UHD 4K 24p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 30p
(1.2x Crop)
Log/HDR modes

N-Log
HLG
10-bit (HDMI)

C-Log
HDR PQ
10-bit Internal

 V-Log/V-Gamut
HLG
10-bit Internal		 S-Log2 / 3 / HLG
8-bit Internal
Memory cards 1x CFexpress B
1x SD (UHS-II)		 Dual UHS-II SD Dual UHS-II SD 1x UHS-II SD
1x UHS-I SD
Battery life (CIPA) LCD/EVF 410 / 340 510 / 380 440 / 470 710 / 610
USB-charging Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dimensions 134 x 101 x 68 mm 138 x 98 x 88 mm 133 x 97 x 82 mm 127 x 96 x 74 mm
Weight (CIPA) 675 g 680 g 714 g 650 g

* When shooting 12-bit Raw using a single AF point
** In electronic first-curtain mode: 1/200th with mechanical shutter
*** Promised in Feb 2021 f/w update

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Body and handling

The camera’s ergonomics are essentially the same as the original Z6, which is a good thing.

The body and handling of the Z6 II is basically the same as its predecessor, which means it remains a solidly-built camera with a comfortable grip. The body is primarily constructed from magnesium alloy, providing a good balance of weight and solidity.

The grip itself is comfortable and the front and rear dials very well positioned so that they are readily accessible when you’re holding the camera. There are two customizable Fn buttons next to the lens mount, which can be configured independently or set to perform paired functions (such as aperture open and close during video capture).

Viewfinder and screens

Although the spec of the Z6 II’s viewfinder isn’t particularly stellar by 2020 standards, the camera does at least use it to its full potential (there are rival cameras with high dot-count finders that then drive the screen at lower resolutions). We’ve not had a chance to test the effects of lag and improved blackout with fast-moving subjects but will do so as soon as we can.

The rear screen is also unchanged, meaning it has a decent resolution but only a tilt up/down design. We find we prefer the two-axis screens used by the likes of the Fujifilm X-T3 for stills or a fully articulated screen for video.

Menus and interface

The camera’s menus are consistent with most Nikon cameras made over the last decade or so. This means the menus are quite dense with options but the key ‘Customs Settings’ section is well arranged and color-coded, which makes it easy to navigate. A My Menu tab can be configured with either your preferred options or a list of your most recently used options.

In terms of the user interface, the main change is the addition of Wide Area + face detect and Wide Area + animal detect to the ‘i‘ quick menu, meaning that you can more quickly engage human face or animal face detection as part of your AF mode selection.

Battery

The Z6 Mark II comes with the latest EN-EL15c battery. It’s 20% higher-capacity version of the 15b that came with the previous model. The camera is compatible with earlier EN-EL15 batteries but will perform much better with the more recent versions. USB-charging is only available with the type b and c units.

The camera is rated as delivering 410 shots per charge if you use the rear LCD and 340 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder. As always, these ratings are based on very challenging usage, and it’s not uncommon to get at least twice as many shots per charge in practice, depending on how you use the camera. We tend to find a rating of around 400 is sufficient for a day’s committed shooting or a weekend of fairly active photography, but not enough for something as photographically intense as a wedding.

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Initial impressions

My initial impression of the Nikon Z6 II is of a credible but not terribly far-reaching update to the original camera. That’s no bad thing: the latest updates to the Mark I have meant it remains competitive, so even a small step forward is valuable, but it might leave the Mark II with a fairly short shelf life.

What’s interesting is (on the face of it) how little the application of dual processors brings to the camera: the extra power has allowed Nikon to significantly improve the buffer clearing rate, boosting the number of shots in a burst, and it’s opened-up the possibility of 60p capture, but there’s not much more to show for that added grunt. The top burst rate has increased a little but only with 12-bit output and with a single AF point, which doesn’t exactly tell a tale of abundant processing resource.

The extra power has allowed Nikon to significantly improve the buffer clearing rate, boosting the number of shots in a burst

Overall, I wonder whether it’s simply too challenging to wring much more out of the IMX410 sensor that the Z6 II (and the majority of its rivals) appears to be using. The APS-C crop is the largest region that sensor can produce 60p 4K from, so there’s not much Nikon can do on that front. Capturing 10-bit video internally and outputting 60p over HDMI should be possible, though: Panasonic’s S5 manages both.

Personally I wonder whether Nikon concluded there was only so far it could push the current sensor and decided to focus R&D resources on what might be possible with a next-gen chip in a future model (hence the use of two existing processors, rather than the development of a new one for this camera). That’s speculation, of course, but other than the video improvements, it’s hard to see what more Nikon could do with the current sensor.

It’s only really the Canon EOS R6 that pushes beyond what the Z6 II offers, and that’s a significantly more expensive camera

Other than a handful of pros and power users who really need the reliability that a vertical control battery grip or redundancy of twin card slots bring, it’s hard to see much motivation for existing Z6 owners to upgrade, but the improved AF behavior, operation under USB power, grip option and twin slots should make it pretty appealing for buyers just moving to Z. To be clear, it’s only really the Canon EOS R6 that pushes beyond what the Z6 II offers, and the R6 is a significantly more expensive camera, and one that – in some respects – struggles to deliver all it promises.

My main hope is that Nikon continues to develop the Mark II throughout its lifetime, as it did with the original, and that we see more ways of exploiting its added processing power over the coming months and years.

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Official sample images

All sample images provided by Nikon

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Specifications

Price
MSRP $ 1995 (body only), $ 2599 (w/24-70 F4 lens)
Body type
Body type SLR-style mirrorless
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 6048 x 4024
Other resolutions 3936 x 2624 (DX crop), 4016 x 4016 (1:1), 6048 x 3400 (16:9)
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 25 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 25 megapixels
Sensor size Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)
Sensor type BSI-CMOS
Processor Dual Expeed 6
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 100-51200 (expands to 50-204800)
Boosted ISO (minimum) 50
Boosted ISO (maximum) 204800
White balance presets 12
Custom white balance Yes (6 slots)
Image stabilization Sensor-shift
Image stabilization notes 5-axis
CIPA image stabilization rating 5 stop(s)
Uncompressed format RAW + TIFF
JPEG quality levels Fine, normal, basic
File format
  • JPEG
  • Raw (NEF, 12 or 14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Digital zoom No
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 273
Lens mount Nikon Z
Focal length multiplier 1×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Tilting
Screen size 3.2″
Screen dots 2,100,000
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.8×
Viewfinder resolution 3,690,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 900 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Built-in flash No
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash modes Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, off
Flash X sync speed 1/200 sec
Continuous drive 14.0 fps
Self-timer Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 secs)
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Highlight-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, H.264
Modes
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 56 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 56 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types CFexpress Type B / XQD
Connectivity
USB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI Yes (micro HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port Yes
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11ac + Bluetooth
Remote control Yes (via MC-DC2 or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description EN-EL15c lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 410
Weight (inc. batteries) 705 g (1.55 lb / 24.87 oz)
Dimensions 134 x 101 x 70 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.76″)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

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Nikon Z7 II initial review

14 Oct

Introduction

Nikon has just announced the Z7 II, the second iteration of its high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera. As the name implies, this is a refinement rather than a reimagining; so while the updates may not knock your socks off, we really enjoyed the original Z7 and this new model builds on an already successful formula.

The Z7 II still has a 45.7MP full-frame BSI sensor, but it’s now backed up by dual processors compared to the single processor in its predecessor. The exterior of the camera is largely unchanged, which is fine by us – Nikon’s Z-series cameras have some of our favorite ergonomics on the mirrorless camera market. Blessedly, though (especially for those of us that moderate online comment sections), Nikon has included dual card slots in the Z7 II for users that need immediate backup or want to easily separate their still images and video clips. See? Something good has come out of 2020 after all.

Key specifications:

  • 45.7MP BSI sensor with native ISO 64
  • 4K/60p video with 93% coverage of the sensor, or a ~1.08x crop
  • 5-axis in-body stabilization (3-axis with adapted F-mount lenses)
  • 10fps burst shooting with single-point AF
  • 3.69M-dot EVF, 3.2″ 2.1k-dot rear screen
  • -3EV focusing with F2.0 lens
  • 1 CFExpress / XQD card slot, 1 UHS-II SD card slot
  • New EN-EL15c battery, CIPA rated to 420 shots (LCD), 360 shots (EVF)
  • Compatible with new MB-N11 battery grip with vertical controls

The Z7 II, being the high-resolution model in Nikon’s mirrorless lineup, is all about outright image quality. It remains one of the only cameras on the market that provides a low native ISO of 64 – this helps maximize dynamic range for high-contrast scenes like sunset or sunrise landscapes.

The Z7 II will be available in December 2020 for $ 2999 body-only, or $ 3599 with a 24-70mm F4 lens. The new MB-N11 battery grip with duplicate vertical controls will be available in November 2020 for $ 399.

  • What’s new and how it compares
  • Body and handling
  • Initial impressions
  • Nikon official sample images
  • Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Ask, and ye shall (sometimes) receive: The Z7 II now has one SD card slot and one CFExpress / XQD card slot. All control points shown are identical to those on the original Z7.

The big story in the Z7 II (if you don’t count the new card slot) is its dual Expeed 6 processors – so what exactly do those get you?

To start with, the Z7 II is a more credible action camera than its predecessor. Its burst speed tops out at 10fps with continuous autofocus instead of 9fps (albeit with a single AF area, and not subject tracking), and the buffer is up to three times deeper, giving you a total of 77 12-bit Raw images before slowing down. Helping you follow the action is a claimed reduction in blackout in the viewfinder, which is welcome, though we would have liked to see a boost in EVF resolution as well. Maybe next time.

Autofocus

New AF modes have been added and are accessible in the main and ‘i‘ menus. They include the addition of face / eye detection in the ‘Wide area AF’ mode instead of just ‘Auto Area AF’; this means you can place an AF box over a person’s face to tell the camera to focus on that particular person’s eyes, which is especially handy if there are multiple people in a scene. An equivalent mode is available that prioritizes animals.

The new processors also allow the camera to focus in light as low as -3EV with a lens at F2 (and you can still push this even lower for static subjects by enabling the ‘Low Light AF’ feature).

Video and other updates

The new MB-N11 battery grip will double your battery life and also (yes!) includes controls for portrait-orientation shooting.

For video, the Z7 II is rather more competent than its predecessor, and now includes 4K/60p capture with a slight (1.08x) crop. It will also output 10-bit N-Log or HDR (HLG) footage to a compatible external recorder, and you can output Raw video in 1080p if you’re using the full sensor and 4K if you’re using a cropped APS-C sized region. We’d expect good video quality, but hardcore video shooters should set their sights on the Z6 II and its oversampled 4K video which should offer much better fine detail.

And of course, there’s those dual card slots. One supports CFExpress (Type B) and XQD cards, and the other is a UHS-II compatible SD slot. The Z7 II also includes a new EN-EL15c battery, with boosts battery life to a CIPA-rated 420 shots using the rear LCD with energy saving modes disabled. In response to customer feedback, the Z7 II is compatible with a new MB-N11 battery grip, which has portrait-orientation controls built-in, and you can now power the camera over its USB-C port.

Lastly, we’re pleased to see that Nikon has added support for firmware updates over Wi-Fi through its Snapbridge app. This will make it easier for everyday users to get the most out of their cameras, as Nikon has been diligent about updating its camera in the past with new functionality and features.

Compared to…

Let’s take a look at how the Nikon Z7 II stacks up against some other stabilized, full-frame cameras on the market. Of particular note is just how competitive the Z7 II’s MSRP is right at launch.

Nikon Z7 II Canon EOS R5 Sony a7R IV Panasonic Lumix S1R
MSRP (body) $ 2999 $ 3899 $ 3500 $ 3699
Sensor res. 45.6MP 45MP 61MP 47MP
Image stab. 5 stops 8 stops 5.5 stops 6 stops
LCD type Tilting Fully articulating Tilting Two-way tilting
LCD size/res 3.2″ / 2.1M-dot 3.2″ / 2.1M-dot 3″ 1.44M-dot 3.2″ 2.1M-dot
EVF res / mag
(equiv.)		 3.69M-dot
0.8x		 5.76M-dot
0.76x		 5.76M-dot
0.78x		 5.76M-dot
0.78x
Burst w/AF 10 fps (single AF area only) 12fps / 20fps mech/
e-shutter		 10 fps 6 fps
Video res. 4K/60p
(1.08x crop)		 8K/30p 4K/30p 4K/60p
(1.09x crop)
Mic / headphone socket Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Yes / Yes
Battery life (rear LCD) 420/360 shots 320/220 shots 670/530 shots 380/360 shots
Weight 675g (23.81oz) 738g (26.03oz) 665g (23.46oz) 898g (31.68oz)

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Body and handling

Put the Z7 II next to the original Z7 and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them. Indeed, the only differences of any consequence are the slightly taller memory card door to accommodate the dual slots and the small ‘II’ on the front plate.

But we’re not going to complain too much, because we really didn’t find much fault with how the original camera handled. And you can expect the same experience from the Z7 II: a deep, very comfortable grip, well-placed buttons and control dials, an easily readable top display and a satisfyingly clicky mode dial.

Okay, but we’re going to nitpick a bit just because we can. Being the high-res, stills-focused camera in the range, the Z7 II wouldn’t necessarily benefit from a fully-articulating mechanism that video shooters prefer, but perhaps a ‘two-way tilting’ design from the Fujifilm X-T3 or Panasonic S1R would have been welcome. And though the front two function buttons are well-placed, some of us on staff find them a bit ‘mushy’.

Other than that, though, the Z7 II feels incredibly solid in the hand and is a supremely comfortable camera to hold and use for extended periods of time. The touchscreen interface is responsive, and it’s easy to switch between stills and video quickly. The arrival of a new battery grip with duplicate controls (!) will make for a more comfortable experience for use with larger lenses, like the Z 70-200mm F2.8.

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Initial impressions

Well, has the Z7 II knocked your socks off? Personally, my socks (or at least, my house slippers… covid times, after all) are still firmly on my feet, but that doesn’t mean that the Z7 II isn’t an excellent camera. Take another look at that comparison table earlier and you’ll find that in almost every respect, the Z7 II is not just a credible contender to the other options there, but it’s the cheapest by a good margin. Not too shabby.

On the face of it (pending testing), that makes the Z7 II an easy camera to recommend, though with the caveat that we still have yet to fully analyze its image quality and autofocus performance. The former should be familiar, while Nikon promises that AF should be improved compared to the previous model.

The Z7 II could be what DSLR users from Nikon and other systems have been waiting for

Could Nikon have gone further with this update? It certainly addressed a couple of the big items from our wish list, but something like a new, higher-resolution or better-performing sensor would never be a bad thing. Truth be told, though, the real-world difference between 45.7MP and, say, 61MP isn’t likely to be a deal-breaker; the extra dynamic range from the Nikon’s ISO 64 mode, though, may be. And what is perhaps our most significant request – that Nikon separates autofocus subject tracking into its own mode, rather than as a layer on top of the ‘Auto Area’ mode – remains unaddressed, but is still conceivably fixable through a firmware update.

In the end, should Z7 users upgrade to the Z7 II? I would wager that only a small population of pros that really need dual card slots or a battery grip might consider it. But those very updates might also be what users of Nikon’s high-end D850 DSLR, or users from other DSLR systems thinking about making the switch to mirrorless, have been waiting for.

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Nikon official sample images

All sample images provided by Nikon.

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Nikon Z7 II Specifications

Price
MSRP $ 3399 (body only), $ 3999 (w/24-70 F4 lens)
Body type
Body type SLR-style mirrorless
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 8256 x 5504
Other resolutions 5408 x 3600 (DX crop), 6880 x 5504 (5:4), 5504 x 5504 (1:1), 8256 x 4640 (16:9)
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 46 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 47 megapixels
Sensor size Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)
Sensor type CMOS
Processor Dual Expeed 6
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 64-25600 (expands to 32-102400)
Boosted ISO (minimum) 32
Boosted ISO (maximum) 102400
White balance presets 12
Custom white balance Yes (6 slots)
Image stabilization Sensor-shift
Image stabilization notes 5-axis
CIPA image stabilization rating 5 stop(s)
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Fine, normal, basic
File format
  • JPEG
  • Raw (NEF, 12 or 14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 493
Lens mount Nikon Z
Focal length multiplier 1×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Tilting
Screen size 3.2″
Screen dots 2,100,000
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.8×
Viewfinder resolution 3,690,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Built-in flash No
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash modes Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, off
Flash X sync speed 1/200 sec
Continuous drive 10.0 fps
Self-timer Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 secs)
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Highlight-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, H.264
Modes
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 56 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 56 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 28 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types CFexpress (Type B), XQD, SD (UHS-II)
Connectivity
USB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI Yes (micro HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port Yes
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11ac + Bluetooth
Remote control Yes (via MC-DC2 or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description EN-EL15c lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 420
Weight (inc. batteries) 705 g (1.55 lb / 24.87 oz)
Dimensions 134 x 101 x 70 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.76″)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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