STEP BY STEP / It’s all done without mirrors…
1 Size and weight
The first thing you’ll notice is that mirrorless cameras are much smaller and lighter than DSLRS, due largely to the removal of the mirror assembly and pentaprism.
Its smaller build means it’s a bit less tiring on your shoulders when stashed in a bag, but thankfully the large contoured grip still feels comfortable in the hand.
2 Lenses
The new range of S lenses designed for the Z system cameras are small and light too; the 24-70mm f/4 S feels really dinky compared to the 24-70mm f/2.8 that we had attached to our D850 (it’s a stop slower, but still is less than half the size and weight). There are no stabilization switches either as VR is built into the camera body itself.
3 Controls
The smaller body means there is less space for camera controls. In particular, there’s no dedicated dial for selecting between single-shot, continuous or timer shutter release modes – this has to be done by pressing a button and navigating on-screen. It’s a bit more fiddly to change some settings than we’re used to.
4 The viewfinder
Raising your eye to the electronic viewfinder automatically activates it, and there’s no clear pixelation and barely any ‘lag’ as you swivel the camera. It’s actually easier to shoot in dark areas, as the display simulates the exposure settings and brightens the image accordingly, which also alerts you to under- or overexposure.
5 Focusing
The D850’s 11x5 array of 55 focus points are dwarfed by the Z7’s 493 points, based on 29x17 grid spread evenly over the entire sensor area, rather than clustered around the centre of the viewfinder. It’s fast and easy to navigate with the thumb-operated joystick, so you can select the exact focus point pretty much anywhere you want.
6 Your existing Nikon kit
You can use existing Nikon F-mount lenses with the FTZ adaptor, which is basically a hollow tube with electronic connectors that spaces the older lenses at the correct distance to focus on the sensor. Also, because image stabilization is built into the camera sensor, it effectively adds Vibration Reduction to non-stabilized lenses.