The quality of your videos just keeps getting better and better. The music is great, it adds and doesn’t distract. Your video footage looked pro. On a side note, the light in that location and background colors were just phenomenal! I’d probably be going back there to shoot more times than I should lol.
Thank you very much for such an amazing comment!! I have shot there before and love it. The light gets even better there at specific times of the day. We were just a little late…next time!!
Thanks for checking out the video!! I really like the look of my vintage 50mm but as I say in the video, I suck an manual focus so anything that helps is much appreciated.
Don’t know if this helps but I’ve found that manual focusing is easier on longer focal lengths because you’re more zoomed in on longer lenses and shorter ones. I have a 135mm manual focus Zeiss lens, a 85mm and a 50mm. The 135mm lens is by far easier to manual focus than the 50mm. Lens focal length is a preference, so this is just my own observations
Thank you for the vid! Great images. The Voigtlander 40mm 1.2 currently lives on my camera - absolutely love it! Although, even with the terrific manual focus assist, it still takes me a bit to nail focus. Lots more practice needed. I would love to see how you set up your Zf as a companion to your Z9 for shooting sports!
Thanks!! The MF assist helps for sure, but I too need a little extra time to be sure I got the focus when shooting manual. I actually went to a local shop here in Tokyo to buy the Zf today and was told it would be a 6 month wait….ahhhhhh. Maybe have to order one from Nikon Direct.
One other thing I really liked about your video was the list of the four things you wanted to check when using the Zf-that served as a really helpful organizer for the video’s content.
Thanks!! I actually shot a different intro but felt it was waaaaay too long so re shot it. If you look close I look much tiered in that part of the video, hahaha. I had just come back from shooting for 5 days with Red Bull here in Japan.
Question about the ZF manual focus, I really like that it shows the eye and when you punch in it goes right the eye/face! I own a Z9 but I don’t think it has that feature? I would love it if it also did that.
Thanks!! And ya, the MF eye assist would really make me consider keeping my old 50mm 1.4 in my bag more. Very soft lens but for this kind of thing it’s great!
I've only had the Zf for about a week and shot a few times in a few days with just the 40mm f2. But, what I have captured I've been pleasantly surprised by the IQ. The manual focus assist really helps with getting the subject in focus fast. Once I figured out how to consistently connect the camera with SnapBridge and customized my control setup, particularly the Auto ISO, I feel all I need is there and ready to go moving forward. Looking forward to making more great images with this camera and various lenses.
Thanks!! I have not used a Z7 myself yet so can't really say either way. All I know is I really enjoy the Zf and super glad I picked one up when I did.
@@the713studios thanks!! Just the standard profile with minimum edits to the RAW files in post. The light here was so nice it didn’t need much editing. Hope that helps!!
Haven’t seen many videos that allows me to experience a new camera from first persons perspective. Really great stuff. You made me consider this camera although I hate its form factor. Amazing photos and video btw
Hi Jason. Thank you for the great review. I have a similar set up Z9 + Zf with all the good Z lenses. I found the picture quality of the Zf to be much poorer than the Z9, even with the best lenses. I would like your opinion on that. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Kindly advise on picture quality comparing these two cameras.
Well the Z9 is three times the price so you would hope it’s better quality, but I was using both at a recent Red Bull event and some of my fave shots are with the Zf so it’s hard to tell. I love the shots I got for this video as well so…
There's a nice manual focus option called "focus confirmation". If enabled it will turn the color of a focus point to green if the manual focus is correct. That allows to focus manually without having to zoom in.
Ya, I guess I have that turned on on my Z9 but didn’t think to check for that on the Zf. Still, when I’m shooting at 1.4 I’ll probably still punch in to double check here and there so this is still a feature I do appreciate. Thanks for the info though!
Beautiful shots. I am thinking of getting a zf. Is there a picture profile that matches the tone you had in your photos and video? I enjoy mininal post processing and would love to get the colors right as much as possible sooc. Thanks!
@@paulq2305 thank you! The Zf is a great camera for sure. I shoot in RAW then do all my edits in post but the lighting here was nice so just minimal edits to contrast and highlights I think, kept it simple to show what the camera really does. Hope that helps!
Great Video !!! May I know how to record the Nikon ZF photo / video screen live while shooting? Because I did not saw any external video monitor on top of your camera, but just saw a cable connected to your camera. Please let me know.
Thanks!! Happy you liked the video. I had my camera attached to the ACCSOON SEEMO. I have a video going into detail how to use it on my channel here: Easily Record Your Camera's EVF with Accsoon Seemo I Jason Halayko Photography ua-cam.com/video/cF0dRzYVCXA/v-deo.html
After using Zf a few weeks, I’m very happy with it. The auto object detection is easier than Sony A7RV that I have to switch between human and anima… and I have no problem capturing eyes; don’t do sports which may be different. The object tracking with manual focus lens is helpful but not making my focusing better. Maybe it’s up to the lens, VR is off when I put on a manual lens. I shot in a birthday party when they turned out the light for cake, surprised by how well Zf focus in dark and the result. Zf is pretty big and heavy, you will need to buy that grip if you’re a single hand shooter. For the price, it’s a great choice over Sony, only wish more small and light lenses to choose from.
@@KumarPrashant27 You will have to check the website of the device to see if it works with android, but I use it with my Zf all the time. Just make sure you get the proper HDMI cable.
Thanks for loving my work!! Just a quick check of the specs of the D750, I think the Zf will have much better and faster auto focus, plus the face/eye auto focus of the Zf is spot on amazing so if you are taking pictures of people at all that alone is a big big help. Plus the D750 doesn’t seem to have any stabilization but the Zf is quite robust for this so that’s another big plus. The adapter works great, haven’t had any problems with it yet at all!
@@photofervorphotography4997 yes, I have loved shooting portraits with the Zf. For this shoot in particular I did almost no editing as the light was super nice.
I’m curious how long you can handhold ~35mm with this new stabilization? I know the A7RV can reasonably shot handheld for long exposure from 2sec. Could you test this?
Good question. I almost always use AF-C with auto-eye focus when shooting portraits as me and the model will move around a bit and this just makes things flow easier.
Hello Jason, Would you recommend this zf camera over a z6ii at this point? Me personally I would probably wan't that SmallRig grip when using a 70-200 lens. I do love the look of this camera however!
I think I would buy the SmallRig grip as well honestly. If you are using a 70-200 with it you will be holding most of the weight with your left hand anyways though eh. For me I have the z9 so the Zf is a nice break and something that would be fun for sure.
I’m honestly not sure. That comes up when shooting with my vintage 50mm and is the same look as using an film camera. Maybe you can remove it through the setting but I sent the camera back already. Sorry.
All of the example photos in this video look very flat and desaturated. Is that just your editing style or is that the way they come out of the camera?
These people complain too much. So what thst the 4k is cropped? Anyone expecting Z9 video features in a Zf is delusional. Its a decent camera, but not for me.
I appreciate your video, but to me, the images don't look particularly sharp or detailed. So seeing these images would tend to discouraged me from buying the Zf. On the other hand, you may have a preference for rather soft, dreamy images. To me though, even the lowest quality cameras, or even much older second-hand DSLRs, ones you could pick up for as little as $200 can deliver soft, dreamy images, so if I was wanting to capture that kind of effect, there would be little reason to buy the Zf for $2000, and pay another $250 for a F to Z mount adapter. Besides, I find the adapted lenses, protruding as they do, to be awkward, unbalanced, and frankly, quite ugly. I mean it's great that Nikon provides a means of continuing to use your older F-mount lenses. I appreciate that, but you end up with a real mixed bag of awkwardness, in my opinion. Imagine, for example, that they had instead created a new camera with all the nice looks and modern features of the Zf, but built to simply work natively with the F-mount lenses. No need for expensive and awkward adapters, in other words. It could even still be a mirrorless design, with an electronic view finder and an articulating screen, but provide great IBIS, good video specs, high frames per second, state of the art auto focus, good low-light capabilities, et cetera. Nikon didn't have to force us into their Z-mount system. It would have sold like hotcakes. And if they had put a modern, comfortable grip on it, even better. In fact, if they had taken the Nikon D3 body, upgrading all the internals to state of the art specs, added at least a larger, tilting touch screen, but kept the F-mount, I think it would have sold 10x better than the Zf. Nikon would be wise to continue to support the F-mount lenses, by continuing to build natively compatible cameras, but with the latest high-end specs, and stop building Z-mount cameras, using such ugly designs. Photographers are naturally sensitive to the beauty (or the ugliness) of the tools they have to use day in and day out. For example, people with refined tastes are willing to spend large sums of money to get something beautiful to drive, like a Porsche or a Ferrari. Why has it taken Nikon so long to realize that something like the Zf will attract buyers, exactly because of its beautiful design? Why do they continue to make their top tier cameras so damn ugly? Companies like Apple know that excellent industrial designs deeply affect and inspire people, at least as much as high-spec features do, and that such beautiful designs can create so much passion for their product, that people become willing to pay even ridiculously high prices, just to own that beautiful, elegant, yet very functional design.
Best working review yet! I sure wish I could see the Zf in studio with flash before I pull the $2K trigger... Thanks a ton!
Thanks! Much appreciated. That would be good, maybe in the new year.
Great time for us Nikon shooters! Great content and format! 👍🏾
Thanks!! And ya, lots of fun toys for us Nikon shooters coming out!
The quality of your videos just keeps getting better and better. The music is great, it adds and doesn’t distract. Your video footage looked pro. On a side note, the light in that location and background colors were just phenomenal! I’d probably be going back there to shoot more times than I should lol.
Thank you very much for such an amazing comment!! I have shot there before and love it. The light gets even better there at specific times of the day. We were just a little late…next time!!
With the release of the Nikon ZF I am looking forward to the Nikon Z5 Mark 2 hopefully it has a flip out screen like the Nikon ZF and Nikon D5600
Neat venue! The manual focus aids are of great interest to me; thank you for covering them!
Thanks for checking out the video!!
I really like the look of my vintage 50mm but as I say in the video, I suck an manual focus so anything that helps is much appreciated.
Like the 85mm the most. Excellent combo
For sure, I enjoyed using it a lot as well. Thanks for checking out the video!
Amazing content!! Thanks a million for your approach and content!!
Thanks!! Your comment is super appreciated!!
Cool! Definitely watching this... and looking forward to the action one too!
Thanks always Andrew!!
Don’t know if this helps but I’ve found that manual focusing is easier on longer focal lengths because you’re more zoomed in on longer lenses and shorter ones. I have a 135mm manual focus Zeiss lens, a 85mm and a 50mm. The 135mm lens is by far easier to manual focus than the 50mm. Lens focal length is a preference, so this is just my own observations
Cool, thanks a ton for the advice. Always appreciate to hear how other photogs do it.
Pro level capture threre and learned something too. Thanks and keep on shooting!
Thanks!! Much appreciated!
Great videos and confirmation of my decision to buy one 🙏🙏 .
Thanks!!
Thank you for the vid! Great images. The Voigtlander 40mm 1.2 currently lives on my camera - absolutely love it! Although, even with the terrific manual focus assist, it still takes me a bit to nail focus. Lots more practice needed. I would love to see how you set up your Zf as a companion to your Z9 for shooting sports!
Thanks!! The MF assist helps for sure, but I too need a little extra time to be sure I got the focus when shooting manual.
I actually went to a local shop here in Tokyo to buy the Zf today and was told it would be a 6 month wait….ahhhhhh. Maybe have to order one from Nikon Direct.
Beautiful model, beautiful pictures!
Thanks!! She was a treat to work with for sure!
I added her Instagram to the description if you want to follow her.
Absolutely brilliant portraits
Thanks! It was a fun session.
One other thing I really liked about your video was the list of the four things you wanted to check when using the Zf-that served as a really helpful organizer for the video’s content.
Thanks!! I actually shot a different intro but felt it was waaaaay too long so re shot it. If you look close I look much tiered in that part of the video, hahaha. I had just come back from shooting for 5 days with Red Bull here in Japan.
These are stunning. I use mine mainly with the 50mm 1.8 but definitely want to pick up some older glass to try out.
Visiting my parents I just found my great grand mother’s Pentax lenses. Want to get an adapter to try them out.
@@jasonhalaykophotography very very cool
@@michael007ish thanks!!
Question about the ZF manual focus, I really like that it shows the eye and when you punch in it goes right the eye/face! I own a Z9 but I don’t think it has that feature? I would love it if it also did that.
I would appreciate that on my Z9 as well. Maybe with the next firmware update??
Beautiful shots! It's a heck of a camera, the MF eye assist would be so useful to me.
Thanks!! And ya, the MF eye assist would really make me consider keeping my old 50mm 1.4 in my bag more. Very soft lens but for this kind of thing it’s great!
I need to stop watching these ZF videos before i break the bank 😅
Haha, got another one coming soon so stop after watching that one! Haha
Yeah it's broken I ordered it. Look forward to the video 😅
@@MB-dq2gz nice 👍
Too late , I am all in 😂😂
I caved !!!
Just got mine .
I LOVE THE Zf !!!!!!!!
❤❤❤
I've only had the Zf for about a week and shot a few times in a few days with just the 40mm f2. But, what I have captured I've been pleasantly surprised by the IQ. The manual focus assist really helps with getting the subject in focus fast.
Once I figured out how to consistently connect the camera with SnapBridge and customized my control setup, particularly the Auto ISO, I feel all I need is there and ready to go moving forward. Looking forward to making more great images with this camera and various lenses.
Great!! I never use auto ISO but I’m happy hear there are customization options for those who do.
Good luck with your shooting!!
I have a Z7 and your videos are very inspiring and informative. I would assume this camera is a vast improvement over the Z7
Thanks!! I have not used a Z7 myself yet so can't really say either way. All I know is I really enjoy the Zf and super glad I picked one up when I did.
Good review ❤
Thanks!!
What color profile did you use? The colors looked monotone and well balanced. Great work.
@@the713studios thanks!! Just the standard profile with minimum edits to the RAW files in post. The light here was so nice it didn’t need much editing. Hope that helps!!
Super cool !!!
Thanks!!!!
Haven’t seen many videos that allows me to experience a new camera from first persons perspective. Really great stuff. You made me consider this camera although I hate its form factor. Amazing photos and video btw
Awesome! Glad I could be of service!!
Hi Jason. Thank you for the great review. I have a similar set up Z9 + Zf with all the good Z lenses. I found the picture quality of the Zf to be much poorer than the Z9, even with the best lenses. I would like your opinion on that. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Kindly advise on picture quality comparing these two cameras.
Well the Z9 is three times the price so you would hope it’s better quality, but I was using both at a recent Red Bull event and some of my fave shots are with the Zf so it’s hard to tell.
I love the shots I got for this video as well so…
There's a nice manual focus option called "focus confirmation". If enabled it will turn the color of a focus point to green if the manual focus is correct. That allows to focus manually without having to zoom in.
Ya, I guess I have that turned on on my Z9 but didn’t think to check for that on the Zf. Still, when I’m shooting at 1.4 I’ll probably still punch in to double check here and there so this is still a feature I do appreciate.
Thanks for the info though!
Love your style
Thank you very much!
Beautiful shots. I am thinking of getting a zf. Is there a picture profile that matches the tone you had in your photos and video? I enjoy mininal post processing and would love to get the colors right as much as possible sooc. Thanks!
@@paulq2305 thank you! The Zf is a great camera for sure. I shoot in RAW then do all my edits in post but the lighting here was nice so just minimal edits to contrast and highlights I think, kept it simple to show what the camera really does. Hope that helps!
@jasonhalaykophotography thanks great work again.
Great Video !!! May I know how to record the Nikon ZF photo / video screen live while shooting? Because I did not saw any external video monitor on top of your camera, but just saw a cable connected to your camera. Please let me know.
Thanks!! Happy you liked the video.
I had my camera attached to the ACCSOON SEEMO. I have a video going into detail how to use it on my channel here: Easily Record Your Camera's EVF with Accsoon Seemo I Jason Halayko Photography
ua-cam.com/video/cF0dRzYVCXA/v-deo.html
After using Zf a few weeks, I’m very happy with it. The auto object detection is easier than Sony A7RV that I have to switch between human and anima… and I have no problem capturing eyes; don’t do sports which may be different. The object tracking with manual focus lens is helpful but not making my focusing better. Maybe it’s up to the lens, VR is off when I put on a manual lens. I shot in a birthday party when they turned out the light for cake, surprised by how well Zf focus in dark and the result. Zf is pretty big and heavy, you will need to buy that grip if you’re a single hand shooter. For the price, it’s a great choice over Sony, only wish more small and light lenses to choose from.
Sweet! Happy you are happy with it. I have a video where I shoot parkour with it so check that out if you are interested in shooting sports.
Do you like the images coming out of A7RV or Zf better? I am planning to get either of this two. Thanks.
Great video!!
By the way, what is the device you are using to record camera screen?
I use this: ua-cam.com/video/cF0dRzYVCXA/v-deo.html
@@jasonhalaykophotography Awesome!! You made it with FUJI Camera and Iphone, this will work with Nikon Zf and android phone as well right?
@@KumarPrashant27 You will have to check the website of the device to see if it works with android, but I use it with my Zf all the time. Just make sure you get the proper HDMI cable.
@@jasonhalaykophotography Thanks a lot!
@ anytime!
Love ur work! I have 2 D750, is the Zf worth to upgrade?
Also does F mount work without adapter?
Thx Wm
Thanks for loving my work!!
Just a quick check of the specs of the D750, I think the Zf will have much better and faster auto focus, plus the face/eye auto focus of the Zf is spot on amazing so if you are taking pictures of people at all that alone is a big big help. Plus the D750 doesn’t seem to have any stabilization but the Zf is quite robust for this so that’s another big plus.
The adapter works great, haven’t had any problems with it yet at all!
In your opinion were the skin tones accurate?
@@photofervorphotography4997 yes, I have loved shooting portraits with the Zf. For this shoot in particular I did almost no editing as the light was super nice.
I’m curious how long you can handhold ~35mm with this new stabilization? I know the A7RV can reasonably shot handheld for long exposure from 2sec.
Could you test this?
I don’t have the camera at the moment, but if I get the chance I’ll try it out, cheers.
Quick question for your Portrait autofocus, do you yous AF-S or AF-C?
Good question. I almost always use AF-C with auto-eye focus when shooting portraits as me and the model will move around a bit and this just makes things flow easier.
Hello Jason, Would you recommend this zf camera over a z6ii at this point? Me personally I would probably wan't that SmallRig grip when using a 70-200 lens. I do love the look of this camera however!
I think I would buy the SmallRig grip as well honestly. If you are using a 70-200 with it you will be holding most of the weight with your left hand anyways though eh. For me I have the z9 so the Zf is a nice break and something that would be fun for sure.
Hi Jason, @5:39 you have a circle on the screen. How do you get rid of that circle?
I’m honestly not sure. That comes up when shooting with my vintage 50mm and is the same look as using an film camera. Maybe you can remove it through the setting but I sent the camera back already. Sorry.
Thanks for the reply.
I enjoyed the portrait session. I was actually shocked at how good that 85mm 1.8 mm image looks with this camera.
@@highdynamicphotographyfilm2235 I was pretty shocked as well when I was shooting with it! Sooo much value in that little 85mm.
The ZF has the older Z6-II sensor, that is not half stacked. The Z6-III has the new half stacked... Its a grt camera.
@@fastguitars4380 ok, good information to have.
Go for group photos I will appreciate
Which Lance do you use ?
I make it pretty clear in the video what I’m using but I’m case you missed it: Z85/1.8, F105/1.4 and a vintage F50/1.4
All of the example photos in this video look very flat and desaturated. Is that just your editing style or is that the way they come out of the camera?
I didn’t want to push the photos too much when editing. The light was quite nice so just simple edits.
These people complain too much. So what thst the 4k is cropped? Anyone expecting Z9 video features in a Zf is delusional.
Its a decent camera, but not for me.
To each their own, as they say. I’ll probably get it as a second camera.
@@jasonhalaykophotography indeed. good use if light in yurakucho.
I keep scrolling until a see a review that says Zee not Zed! Nikon pronounces it Zee!
Yes yes…well since I’m Canadian I pronounce it “Zed” and personally think “Zee F” just sounds so weird. How do you pronounce Nikon?
Dude! Nobody says Kneekon! Yanks sat Nyekon, Brits say Nickon!
I live in Japan, that's how it's said here.
Z9 is also a flop model
I appreciate your video, but to me, the images don't look particularly sharp or detailed. So seeing these images would tend to discouraged me from buying the Zf. On the other hand, you may have a preference for rather soft, dreamy images. To me though, even the lowest quality cameras, or even much older second-hand DSLRs, ones you could pick up for as little as $200 can deliver soft, dreamy images, so if I was wanting to capture that kind of effect, there would be little reason to buy the Zf for $2000, and pay another $250 for a F to Z mount adapter. Besides, I find the adapted lenses, protruding as they do, to be awkward, unbalanced, and frankly, quite ugly. I mean it's great that Nikon provides a means of continuing to use your older F-mount lenses. I appreciate that, but you end up with a real mixed bag of awkwardness, in my opinion. Imagine, for example, that they had instead created a new camera with all the nice looks and modern features of the Zf, but built to simply work natively with the F-mount lenses. No need for expensive and awkward adapters, in other words. It could even still be a mirrorless design, with an electronic view finder and an articulating screen, but provide great IBIS, good video specs, high frames per second, state of the art auto focus, good low-light capabilities, et cetera. Nikon didn't have to force us into their Z-mount system. It would have sold like hotcakes. And if they had put a modern, comfortable grip on it, even better. In fact, if they had taken the Nikon D3 body, upgrading all the internals to state of the art specs, added at least a larger, tilting touch screen, but kept the F-mount, I think it would have sold 10x better than the Zf. Nikon would be wise to continue to support the F-mount lenses, by continuing to build natively compatible cameras, but with the latest high-end specs, and stop building Z-mount cameras, using such ugly designs. Photographers are naturally sensitive to the beauty (or the ugliness) of the tools they have to use day in and day out. For example, people with refined tastes are willing to spend large sums of money to get something beautiful to drive, like a Porsche or a Ferrari. Why has it taken Nikon so long to realize that something like the Zf will attract buyers, exactly because of its beautiful design? Why do they continue to make their top tier cameras so damn ugly? Companies like Apple know that excellent industrial designs deeply affect and inspire people, at least as much as high-spec features do, and that such beautiful designs can create so much passion for their product, that people become willing to pay even ridiculously high prices, just to own that beautiful, elegant, yet very functional design.
OK