Nikon Z7

Nikon Z7
	Z7
Overview
Maker	Nikon
Type	Full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
Released	September 27, 2018; 6 years ago
Lens
Lens mount	Nikon Z-mount
Sensor/medium
Sensor type	Back-illuminated CMOS sensor; (Nikon FX format)
Sensor size	35.9 mm × 23.9 mm Full-frame
Sensor maker	Sony
Maximum resolution	8256 × 5504; (45.75 effective megapixels)
Film speed	ISO 64–25600 (standard); ISO 32-102400 (expandable)
Recording medium	XQD card
Focusing
Focus	Hybrid AF
Focus areas	493 points
Exposure/metering
Exposure	TTL exposure metering
Exposure modes	Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]
Exposure metering	TTL exposure metering
Flash
Flash	no
Shutter
Shutter	Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter, Electronic front-curtain shutter
Shutter speeds	30s - 1/8000s
Continuous shooting	5.5fps / 9fps (expand)
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Quad-VGA EVF (1280x960 pixels, 3690000 'dots')
Image processing
Image processor	EXPEED 6
General
Video recording	4K UHD at 30p/25p/24p, Full HD
LCD screen	3.2-inch tilting TFT LCD with touchscreen, 1024x682 pixel resolution (2.10 million 'dots')
Battery	EN-EL15b
AV Port(s)	USB Type-C, HDMI Type-C
Data Port(s)	IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac/Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy
Body features	In-Body Image Stabilization
Dimensions	134×100.5×67.5 mm (5.28×3.96×2.66 in)
Weight	585g (body only)
Made in	Japan
Chronology
Successor	Nikon Z 7II

The Z7 logo

The Nikon Z7 is a 45.7 megapixel full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera produced by Nikon.^[2] The camera was officially announced on August 23, 2018, for release in September 2018.^[1] It was the first camera to use Nikon's new Z-mount system; the second model, released in November 2018, was the 24.5 megapixel Nikon Z 6.

Three Z-mount lenses were available by December 2018, the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S FX AF, the 35mm f/1.8 S FX AF and the 50mm f/1.8 S FX AF. The F-to-Z mount adapter accessory allows for using Nikon lenses from the digital SLR series with full compatibility.^[3]

In late 2018, Nikon also published a "roadmap" of lenses to be released between 2019 and 2021. A total of nine products were included in that list.^[4]

The Nikon Z7 was succeeded by the Nikon Z 7II in October 2020.

Features

45.7 megapixel Back-illuminated sensor (BSI) CMOS sensor.
Native ISO range of 64–25,600.
Expeed 6 image processor.
Nikon Z mount featuring a 55 mm throat diameter for a less divergent optical path between lens exit pupil and image sensor.
16 mm flange distance.
Nikon F-mount lenses will be able to be used through the Nikon FTZ lens adapter.
493-point autofocus system that can automatically switch between phase detect auto-focus and contrast detect auto-focus. The focus points cover 90% of the viewfinder area.
5-stop in-body image stabilization.
Up to 9 fps continuous shooting that is also compatible with F-mount lenses when mounted with the FTZ lens adapter.
An electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a 3.7 million dot display with a 0.8x magnification and a 37° viewing angle.
The rear display is a 3.2" tiltable touchscreen with 2.1 million dots.
It can record 1080p video at up to 120 fps, and 4K video at up to 30 fps. Video can be output over an HDMI connection in 10-bit N-Log for advanced external recording devices.
The camera comes with an EN-EL15b battery, and is compatible with EN-EL15a batteries and EN-EL15 batteries.^[5]

Battery grip MB-N10
Battery grip MB-N10

Update history

The Z6 and Z7 share firmware updates with only minor differences due to the different sensors.

Reception

After completing their test of the new camera, the Digital Photography Review web site provided this conclusion: "The Nikon Z7 ... is also its most well-rounded camera for stills and video, and an exciting indicator for what's to come from the 101 year-old company. But first generation products are rarely perfect, and the Nikon Z7 is no exception". The overall score was 89%.

The positive specifics were briefly stated: "the camera feels, handles, and operates like a smaller, lighter full-frame Nikon DSLR - from button placement to menu layout, to the robustness of the build quality and the comfort of the grip. But there are some small differences, namely in the way the AF system operates. It is also the first Nikon full-framer with a truly useful silent shutter and mechanical in-body stabilization. On the cinema side it offers a wide variety of 4K video capture options that should satisfy both home-movie-makers and advanced videographers alike, but possibly not established professionals".

The site provided this summary of the less positive aspects: "the Z7 technically offers the same calculated Raw dynamic range as the D850, on sensor AF points lead to banding/striping which limits usable DR [dynamic range]. Autofocus, while reliable in good light, hunts more than we'd like as light levels drop. And AF tracking as a whole lags behind the competition, as well as Nikon's own full-frame DSLRs, both in terms of reliability and usability".^[6] (All of these issues were dealt with in subsequent firmware updates. The autofocus became far more reliable and the banding issue was dealt with. It might be important to mention that all digital cameras suffer to some degree from this phenomenon caused by amplification of the signal. If the data isn't decoded correctly, the amplification artifacts can and do happen.)

In 2018, when the Z7 was released, there were some real issues in the photographic community regarding incorrect information or outright defamation. The Z7 was certainly a victim of this trend. Though a touch behind the overall market on level of technological advancement the Z7 was a strong contender and an excellent first build of a mirrorless camera by Nikon. Most of the initial issues with the camera were dealt with either entirely or almost entirely with consequential firmware updates.

This camera would prove to be the pivotal move for Nikon to enter the mirrorless camera market and the beginning of their mirrorless journey culminating in the current era Z8 and Z9 cameras which are some of the highest performing mirrorless cameras available on the market today (2024).