A Photographer's Notes | Nikon Z f Review 33,000 Photos Later

If you have been following me on social media for this last year or so, you may know that I have been using the Nikon Z f heavily, if not exclusively, when doing street photography here in Japan. 

Over this year, I have taken roughly 33,000 images with the Nikon Z f (and a lot of video as well). So I thought I would take a minute to share what I have come to love about this camera, a couple of things people were worried about that in the end were no issue, as well as something I would like to see Nikon improve upon in the future. 

The first thing I would like to talk about is the unique retro design style of the Nikon Z f. It harkens back to Nikon's film cameras and is quite visually appealing to me and many other photographers. You know, it just looks cool! 

The Retro Design

But saying that, compared to many "modern cameras", the retro design of the Z f can make taking pictures a little more difficult and slow at times. When I use my Nikon Z 9 I can change my settings without the need to look at the camera, so I can adjust quickly on the fly when taking pictures in a high-paced environment like a Red Bull event for example.

With the Nikon Z f, I personally need to stop and look at the dials as I change my settings, which slows me down considerably, to be honest. 

But is this a bad thing? Actually no, not at all. When I am out using the Nikon Z f, I am forced to slow down and be more precise with my settings. I shoot aperture priority for the most part in the street so I don't need to adjust things too often on the fly. But when I do, this forces me to slow down and make sure I am making the proper adjustments. 

And let's be honest — making adjustments with the dials on the top of the Nikon Z f just feels cool as well, much better than on the Nikon Z9. Something about the tactile feel of these dials just makes me feel like I am working to get the best picture I can.

The Grip

Now, one gripe I hear about the Nikon Z f design is the handle, or lack thereof, on the camera. Nikon decided to keep the handle of the Nikon Z f very sleek, and almost non-existent. Just a little tiny bump. Now I have gotten more used to this and don't find it cumbersome at all at this point, it's really not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be. 

And if you really hate it, you can always get an attachment handle. But I personally don't want to add any size or weight to the camera so I never did get one of those. So If you do pick up a Nikon Z f, I suggest you give yourself a few weeks of work before getting an attachment handle, just to see if you really need it. 

The Flippable LCD

And lastly, on the note of design, the Z f has a great little LCD that can be flipped out for shooting photos and video. I honestly love this LCD, and it helps me get different angles with ease. It cuts down on my need to squat so much as I can hold the camera low and use the LCD screen to shoot with. 

When shooting in the street, this can help keep people from noticing you. Also, it's not as easy to tell that I am taking a picture when I have the camera at my hip versus if I have it held up to my face or eye. 

What's also super nice with this design is that I can just flip the screen and put it away if I know I will be using the viewfinder for shooting. This not only makes the camera look even sleeker but also helps protect the camera's LCD from unwanted scratches when walking in the street or carrying the camera in your bag. 

It's not the most perfect design in the world, but even after a year of heavy use I still love how it looks and how it feels to be out shooting with this camera! 

Image Quality

I think the next major talking point about this camera is its image quality. Again, even after a year of heavy use, I am super happy with the images I get out of this camera. The colors are great, super clean images, and great dynamic range when editing the RAWs. Of course, Nikon lenses are excellent so that helps a lot in the end as well, but the Nikon Z f images just look amazing every time I use it. 

Although the sensor used in the Nikon Z f is "only" a 24mp sensor, which is much smaller that the 45mp of my Nikon Z 9, for my personal work this size has never been a problem. The images look just as nice as my Nikon Z9 in the long run. So if the Nikon Z f having a relatively smaller sensor is keeping you from trying one, I wouldn't worry about that at all. 

Video Capabilities

The aspect of the Nikon Z f that surprised me the most has to be its video capabilities. I didn't buy the Z f with the intention of using it for video work, but as I tried getting B-rolls for my YouTube, and a bunch of videos of my family, I really liked how the picture was coming out, much better than I expected straight out of camera. 

Because of this, for several shoots I did in 2024, the Nikon Z f ended up being my main video camera, over my Nikon Z 9. The smaller size of the body, and lighter weight, also helped when I had the Nikon Z f on a gimbal all day shooting the Spartan Races in Japan. And honestly, I love how the footage all came out. AF was bang on during all the shoots and in the end, my client was super happy with the edits I was able to provide. 

And I know that when shooting 50fps/60fps at 4K, you are still forced to enter DX mode (digitally cropping the image to a smaller size), but once you get used to this it's really not a super issue at all. Of course, Hollywood probably won't be shooting the next blockbuster on a Nikon Z f, but for my level of shooting it is a great little camera! 

Vlogging with the Nikon Z f

Connected to the video features, after buying the Zf I thought I might want it to replace my GoPros for vlog-style shooting. With the flip-out screen, I thought it would be super simple. I even picked up the 28mm and a little tripod specifically for this reason. But after a couple of tries, the weight of the camera, set-up time, and the need for an additional mic for proper audio quickly got me away from doing this. 

I'm quite lazy at times and anything that makes my job harder I tend to avoid in the end. Plus, even the 28mm isn't quite wide enough for my taste. So if you are getting the Z f as a vlogging camera, I think there are much better options out there. In the end, I recently picked up an OSMO pocket 3 and will be trying that for my talking head shots in the future. 

Film Simulations

Now, one aspect of this camera where I feel Nikon has really missed an opportunity has been the film presets that come with the Nikon Z f. As a retro-designed camera, I would have expected Nikon to put more effort into adding great film simulations. 

However, I find the ones they have added with the camera to be quite simple and uninspiring. This is quite unfortunate as Fujifilm and Ricoh are both known for their film simulations and are quite popular because of this. 

If Nikon could create official film simulations on par with Fujifilm and Ricoh, it would be a great opportunity for new photographers to join the Nikon family. It would also give current Nikon users like myself a chance to experiment with something other photographers have enjoyed for years.

In the end, after more than a year and 33,000 plus photos later, I am super happy I took the chance and picked up a Nikon Z f when I did. More than anything, this camera has brought a new level of fun to my street photography that I had forgotten over the years. It is not a perfect camera, but I hope to be able to enjoy mine for years to come. 

RELATED:

• The Nikon Z f: A Retro-Style Powerhouse
• Testing the New Nikon Z f for Shooting Action Sports
• First Impressions of the Nikon Z9 (spoiler, I LOVE It!)

Author: Jason Halayko

Jason Halayko is a professional photographer specializing in action sports and portrait photography. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.