Hi Daniel,
Thanks for reading my review.

Maybe you’re aware already of the Nikonpc website, which contains a repository of several recipes for Nikon cameras, some are great.
Adding a new recipe to the Zf is easier than on a Fuji, as you only need to copy the file to the SD card, and from there to the camera.

But with the Zf, my workflow has changed. I thought I wouldn’t go that route, but here I am.
When I used the X-Pro 2, I simply tweaked the film sim to my taste and shot JPG. Of course, there are occasions when there isn’t much one can recover from that type of file.
The Raw file I get from the Zf is only a few megapixels larger than the JPG from the X-Pro, so I tried sticking to Raw for a while.
Then, out of curiosity, I tried NX Studio. Working the Zf Raw files in NX is simply the best solution I could hope for. You can load new recipes, tweak them, create new solutions and save them as your custom simulations to copy to the camera.
You can even layer what they call Creative Picture Control, and tweak the layer intensity over the base profile.

With Fuji film simulations, I realized I was locked into one particular look which was supposed to resemble what originally was meant for a specific use.
This caused problems, as sometimes the color didn’t look right for the situation.
Sure, one can always switch to a different film sim, but unless you change the ones that come with the camera via the functions buttons, picking a customized simulation is not as quick, as you need to go through the Q menu.

But the real deal for me is this: I noticed that I’m not chasing film simulations anymore. The colors are so good that I barely need to do anything in post. I ended up tweaking two of the built-in recipes, one for monochrome, and one for color, and now I use those all the time.

I might prep a basic example of different looks based on the film simulations available, if that helps, only I’m not sure when I can do that due to limited time.

One last thing: I guess high ISO can also be beneficial if you’re shooting indoors. Something I learned to appreciate with a full-frame camera.

P.S. I’m not quite sure to understand your second question, sorry. Could you elaborate?

Makes sense. I can understand the doubts about Nikon’s customer support. A few days ago, I updated the page to add that their responses via email have been great.

In hindsight, I might have overreacted about the sensor cleaning issue, but with a new camera, it’s normal to be protective sometimes.
What I can say is that I’m not going back. The more I use the Zf, the more I find it fun. It’s a very enjoyable experience.

With nowadays technology it’s hard to pick the wrong camera. If you stay with Fuji, you’ll have at your disposal a great system—I still have my X-Pro 2 🙂

Thanks Piero, I found myself rereading your review since it’s coming from the (unsponsored) perspective of a street photographer so I’m able to relate as working photojournalist. I’m having pretty big reservations about moving to the Zf with some of the customer service issues and sensor issues you mention. Thinking now (check back in an hour…ha ha ha) of staying with Fuji and seeing how the Zf ultimately shakes out for these potential problems.

Hi, Matt,

Thanks for taking the time to read the review.
I agree, if zone focusing is not an option, or if one is shooting in low light, manual focusing on the X-Pro 2 isn’t easy.
The Zf is my first Nikon ever, and I see you know the Nikon system better than me, which I guess should make the transition easier for you.

As for your questions, I’ll try to answer the best I can.
First off, about manual focusing, I use zone focusing 99% of the time, therefore, I rarely deal with shallow depth of field.
My lenses of choice are Voigtlander, with the 35mm being the “longest”, and 28mm being the default lens I use now all the time.
As you can imagine, by using wide-angle lenses, especially the 28mm, and working with zone focusing, everything is pretty much in focus, or at least in focus enough for my needs. Plus, the focusing tab helps a lot once one builds some muscle memory.

With that said, I found one feature on the Zf particularly handy to use, which is subject detection. On top of that, I assigned the zoom-in function to the OK button. This setup makes it extremely fast to check the focus.
On the Zf, there’s a default button assigned to check the focus area, but mapping it to the OK button does make it faster (the default button forces you to zoom in twice, which is a waste of time).

The few times I shot wide open I was able to nail focus even with the Voigtlander 35mm at f/1.4. Mind you, this CV I own doesn’t have electronic contacts, which means I’m more limited compared to those who own lenses with electronic contacts. In that case, I read that shooting manually on the Zf is even easier thanks to focus confirmation. I can’t comment on that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.
Then, of course, there’s the focus peaking, but I’ve never been fond of it, so I pretty much keep it off.

As for the weight, this might be a tricky matter, as weight is something that each one perceives differently. Before buying the Zf I heard many YouTubers complaining about how hefty the Zf felt.
Not only for me this is not a problem, but I prefer it this way. I like the feeling of a sturdy camera. More importantly, the dials are more tactical than on the X-Pro 2, which finally gets rid of the accidental shift of the knobs I had on the Fuji every time I was taking the camera out of the bag.
Also, I never carry the camera without my camera bag, so if you’re the type of guy who likes to keep the camera in your pocket, with the Zf that’s not going to work.
But when I’m out shooting, having the camera hanging from my shoulder all day long doesn’t bother me at all.

One caveat though is the grip. Since the CVs I use are tiny, I don’t need a hand grip. With bigger lenses that might be something to consider.

I hope that helps.

My beloved Fuji X-Pro 2 is aging. I absolutely do not want the Pro 3 version and feel that Fuji’s handling of the LCD on that model was ridiculous and poorly executed. So, here I am considering finding a used, low-shutter-count Pro 2 and invest into 8-year-old technology…or…leave the OVF, rangefinder, “Poor Man’s Leica” experience and go with the Zf.

I’m a professional photographer. I’ve been a Nikon shooter since switching from Olympus in the late 80s. I’ve shot everything from my ’67 Ftn to the F4 to the F100. Through all of it the FM2n was truly my favorite for its simplicity, super bright viewfinder and compactness. (well, okay…they each had their own unique, wonderful Nikon feel).

So, the idea of the Zf is particularly appealing. And here’s what’s most appealing that I would love your feedback on please:

• Manual focus of my Fuji lenses is worthless, impossible (as you have noted).
• AF under low light is impossible…especially with the Fuji 56mm f1.2…and let’s face it…that’s kind of a prerequisite of a lens that fast!
I bought the fast glass specifically for the low-light photography I do. It’s impossible to manually focus and simply sucks at trying to acquire AF (single servo mode). When it’s on it’s tack sharp…but too many moments are missed while it struggles to attain focus.

On my Nikon pro bodies (D750) I can much more easily manually focus…old-school like my early photojournalism days. I even recently bought a 55mm f1.2 AI-S lens for this reason. This was never possible on the Fuji X-Pro 2.

What I’d love to hear from you on:

• Is the ability to manually focus the Zf with Voigtländer lenses more likely the experience I am looking for? (I agree that Nikon’s ‘retro’ lenses for this body are quite lame, plasticky, poor excuses for a lens appealing to the hipster market)
• Did you find a big difference in the fact that the Zf is slightly larger than the Pro 2? (I love how small my Pro 2 with the 23mm lens is for every day carry).

Sure hope to hear back from you on these points. Your review suits my style. I’ve never been a tech-head (now pixel peeper) photographer. I’m just a life-long photojournalist who doesn’t suffer from the latest trendy gear syndrome.

Matt in Colorado

Thanks, Bill

Glad to hear that you liked the review.

What you say about Nikon avoiding responsibility for what the customer does makes perfect sense.
I guess I should have done my homework about the Zf’s IBIS. If I had known that the camera needed to be on when cleaning the sensor, it would have made me feel more relaxed afterward. That said, the camera is totally fine, and I’m truly enjoying it 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

But I’ve cleaned foreign matter off the sensor of my Z6 with a sensor cleaning kit successfully, and with no problem, many times when the in-camera cleaning feature and a blower didn’t work. The first time, I was apprehensive, but over time I’ve grown comfortable with doing this, and so far no problems. I haven’t had to clean the sensor of my Zf yet, but when the need arises — and it will arise inevitably — I won’t hesitate to use a sensor cleaning kit.

I’ve been using a Nikon Z6 for 4 1/2 years, and before that I used Fuji, including, for a while, an XPro-2. For the past 1 1/2 months, I’ve been using a Zf.

With regard to sensor cleaning, Nikon’s customer service will never admit that it is possible to clean the sensor other than by using the the automatic sensor cleaning feature in the camera — which doesn’t always work successfully — or by sending the camera in to Nikon. That’s because they don’t want to take responsibility for what their customer might do to the sensor in cleaning it by themselves. But I’ve cleaned foreign matter off the sensor of my Z6 with a sensor cleaning kit successfully, and with no problem, many times when the in-camera cleaning feature and a blower didn’t work. The first time, I was apprehensive, but over time I’ve grown comfortable with doing this, and so far no problems. I haven’t had to clean the sensor of my Zf ye, but when the need arises — and it will arise inevitably — I won’t hesitate to use the sensor cleaning kit.