The Nikon Zf was great and why I returned it

[@soenkefischhoefer6299]

Do not worry. It is a nice camera. Why not start with a mechanical analogue with a better grip like the Nikon F 100? It is from the interim between the old FM Nikon and the new mirror less. You can have autofocus or manual lenses from Nikon for a reasonable price.

[@ekofotoz8260]

Great shots with that lens! I love my ZF.

[@MadefromJava]

@@ekofotoz8260 thank you! Zf is a great camera, enjoy!

[@Fat-totoro-cat]

Good stuff - keep learning and having fun.

[@seba3233]

Nice video. for outdoor walks, street and portraits of my little daughter, what do you recommend on Nikon Z f? tamron 28-75mm f2.8 di iii vxd g2 or Nikkor z 24-120 f4 s

[@MadefromJava]

Thank you! I would probably go with the Tamron because of the f2.8. Since I no longer have the Nikon, I would check out @BokehTherapy or @wespellum . They would be much more helpful than I would.

[@seba3233]

@@MadefromJava thanks

[@MadefromJava]

@@seba3233 you’re welcome

[@bryanbrew5159]

You have a great personality on camera, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@MadefromJava]

@@bryanbrew5159 thank you and thanks for watching!

[@mubarakt167]

Hey iam planning to buy this for wedding photography what do you say about this or suggest me a better than this in the same price range.

[@MadefromJava]

At this price point there are plenty of options, all of them are pretty good. You just need to find what is comfortable for you. Sony a7iv, Lumix S5ii or S5iiX, Canon R6 ii, Nikon Zf , I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those. I’m more in favor of Sony because that’s what I’m used to.

[@VizionZine]

I've had my Zf since mid October of last year. I like it overall. It's my first Nikon. Secondary system for me. Something just to play around with for a more retro feel and vibe. I have a couple AF lenses but mostly use it with the Voigtlander 50mm f1 and have liked the results overall. Really great manual focus assists on this camera. Video is decent but still prefer the video out of the Lumix S1. I agree with you on ergonomics and weight also the camera is bit bigger then I personally would have liked. Plus there are a few Nikon quirks that I'm not a fan of. I don't like the flimsy battery door either. Not really into flip out screens but not a deal breaker. I'm curious to see what the other companies come out with since retro styled cameras are becoming popular.

[@MadefromJava]

What kind of lens adapter are you using for the Voigtlander? I picked up some Voigt glass recently and it’s been fun to shoot with and help me slow down with my shots.

[@VizionZine]

@@MadefromJava I got the native Z mount of the Voigtlander. It has the cpu contacts so the Zf gives you the focus confirmation which I love.

[@Bigcookfilms]

Great video😂😂😂

[@MadefromJava]

@@Bigcookfilms Thanks 😅

[@Βόρειο_Σέλας]

My first SLR was a Nikon FE which I bought in 1981 and later the FM, and up until now I bought several Nikons which I initially used for wedding photography, now only use as hobby. I got used to using the FE/FM for many years and they were simple and great cameras. The DF is a modern interpretation of those and I borrowed one from my sons friend for a week and I thought it was great. I couldn't fault it other than the rear screen, that I think it should have been articulated for more flexibility. The images out of the camera are just stunning. Yes the lenses are still evolving so no issue there. Cheers

[@MarcAdesso]

I thought the sound was good- what mic did you use, and where did you place it?

[@MadefromJava]

I was using the Sennheiser MKE600 and it was placed on a C stand. Thanks for watching!

[@raymondbowers5851]

Good stuff brother. Had to come show support from the twitter world

[@MadefromJava]

I appreciate fam 💯 now you see more of my auction behavior lol

[@quite1enough]

try Lumix S5II or S5iix (depends on your needs) not a retro looking camera but ergos are pretty good, and it has nice grip

[@MadefromJava]

I’ve been intrigued by it, especially with the deals they have recently, and open gate. But I already have a Sony a9iii and I feel the overall experience might be too similar. I’m actually waiting to see what’s next in their S1 line.

[@quite1enough]

@@MadefromJava oh wow nice!

[@vikas7726]

Except the ergonomics.the picture quality I’m getting with Nikon zf with 20mm f1.8s is stunning.also good camera for night photography What I don’t like in zf 1. Shutter release button 2. Only small aperture display on top 3. Pseudo leather like pattern around the zf body will come out after some time(couple of my friend’s zf also) Highly appreciated for the efforts,love ❤ from india

[@MadefromJava]

@@vikas7726 indeed, it is a great camera!

[@shira_yone]

I've always been more interested in the Zfc than the Zf. I don't really care about full frame sensors since image quality mostly falls to the lens and megapixel nowadays, and most importantly they are heavy which aren't suitable for any sort of modern-retro designed camera with compromised ergonomics. Fuji got it right when they go all out to make modern-retro cameras with APS-C sensors, which make their cameras light and compact so the less adequate ergonomic of a retro design won't fatigue your hand with prolonged use; like why even get a retro camera if you're going to ruin it's look with additional grip, just get a real perfectly capable modern camera with modern ergonomic grips. This is partly why full frame retro camera just doesn't make much sense to me.

[@thejohnringo]

I really like your car photographs.

[@MadefromJava]

@@thejohnringo thank you!

[@justo_photography]

Ah man! Sucks you didn’t like the camera. I have the Zf and love my experience with it so far except the weight when carrying for a long time and the autofocus can be iffy at times. Otherwise love the images and the BnW switch. Also great images! PS I end up shooting videos multiple times too lol. Sound is great.

[@MadefromJava]

Thank you! I liked the camera, just couldn’t get over the ergonomics issues I had. But I can see myself going back to it, maybe sooner if I see a sale.

[@jjmarz1001]

Your reasons for returning it are certainly valid.

[@MadefromJava]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@wesleystreetshots]

I ended up selling mine too brother. It was too dense to put on a gimbal and I had too many cameras after I picked up the Fuji X100VI. Right now rocking the X-H2 for video and I brought the X-T5 to Italy with me where I am now. But like you, I keep catching GAS, lol. We'll see what I get next. Thanks for the shoutout!!!

[@MadefromJava]

Wow, I’m surprised you sold it. Did you mention it in one of your videos, I might of missed it. Looking forward to your Italy video. Too bad there’s no “medication” for this type of GAS lol

[@wesleystreetshots]

@@MadefromJava maybe I didn't. I probably should. It's a great camera but the ergonomics and weight hold it back. Nikon lenses are next level. Love Nikon, it's just GAS got to me. And the more I get into video the more I lean towards video centric brands like Fuji. But I'm editing my wedding photos from a Canon (told my wedding photographer not to even try lol) I may look to pick up one of those. Lol.

[@natedagreat90]

You cant go out in the rain and complain about getting wet

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

Everytime I see these kind of videos, it makes me feel better about my decision of keeping my Fuji X-T2 even though I upgraded to a Nikon Z6 late last year. The Z6 is a tremendous camera, but clearly it needs that large grip to be comfortable. The Zf was much closer to my X-T2, but at the same time it was so much heavier that it made the whole process simply... painful to go through. The lack of grip forces you to pinch a 700g camera, that's simply not comfortable at all. Also I think that as far as retro looking camera goes, Fujifilm just nailed the top retro dials experience. Just retro enough so that it feels great using, but not so retro that it actually hurts the shooting experience. Nikon went full akward "don't know where I stand" mode with dials that are really workong the same way they were on a film camera on one side, but a full articulating screen, PSAM dial, and command dials on the other. Complete schizophrenic approach to camera controls in my opinion, that was already what kinda prevented me from getting the Zfc. One thing for sure, I'm not getting rid of my X-T2. Great camera and really cheap to get used theses days.

[@RobertFalconer1967]

"Built like a camera back from the '80s and '90s." More like the '70s and first half of the '80s.

[@MadefromJava]

My apologies, I’m an 80’s baby, so my childhood memories are limited to the 80’s and 90’s. But I do believe the Nikon FM2 was in production from 1982 - 2001

[@RobertFalconer1967]

@@MadefromJava No worries. The original FM and FE arrived in 1977 and 1978, respectively.

[@Ascare]

I still dont understand why you have returned it😅 Ergonomics? What about them? The dials? No proper grip? Great pics though. Nice color correction 😀

[@MadefromJava]

It was because of the ergonomics combined with the weight, which caused hand cramping and fatigue in my forearms on long shooting days. If there was a beefier grip that I could attach to it compared to what’s available at the moment, that would help. Thanks for watching!

[@Ascare]

@@MadefromJava I think Zf is aimed at professional photographers, but in a different sense😅 "I used to have my hard working photography days, now I just want to have fun and take photos for myself, using this stylish retro body". That sort of sense, if you catch my meaning. Otherwise, for professional work I'd buy Z6, Z8, Z9 even, depending on what I do. I used to work on a D750, it never failed me, I was shooting portraits, events, that sort of stuff.

[@hanns1401]

My experience with the Zf was similar. To be blunt: the ergonomics are terrible for my hands, even with the SmallRig grip. It's heavy, but it felt heavier on the non-grip side which was very annoying. It lacks a thumb rest on the back, so I found it difficult to hold comfortably with one hand since it always wanted to pull down on the non-grip side. No joystick and no button functions on the command wheels are missed opportunities. The buttons felt mushy and the D pad felt too stiff. Going back to the lighter, more balanced, X-T5 with its thumb rest, joystick, and frankly better control setup really put the issues in stark contrast for me, and the Zf went back.

[@Ascare]

@@hanns1401 I am about to get my Nikon ZF, so I can't judge yet. Like I said, I am not going to shoot long sessions with it. About the Fujifilm, it's a cropped sensor, right? You don't mind that?

[@hanns1401]

@@Ascare It's APS-C. FF vs APS-C is a big topic with a lot of misunderstanding around it, but for me the bottom line is I wish it had better high ISO noise performance. That's why I tried a Zf, which has amazing low light ability. However in exchange for that, I have to deal with a much heavier, less ergonomic camera with bigger/heavier/more expensive lenses. I didn't feel the tradeoff was worth it specifically for the Zf, but maybe some other camera will change my mind.

[@fincrattanaka4633]

good choice,use sony is the right.

[@boulderdash2000]

awful looking pictures with a strange bokeh and bad color cast from this astrhori 50mm f2. Looks like the bokeh is extra sharpened up with harsh contrasts and clarity

[@MadefromJava]

Thanks for the critique, have a good day!

[@boulderdash2000]

@@MadefromJava - nice day, too