Modern technology in classical style!

Nikon Zf ₹176,995 (body only)

- Ashok Kandimalla

Nikon introduced two premium MLCs, Z9 and Z8 in the recent past, but there was a delay in the introduction of a mid-range camera leading to a lot of clamoring among the Nikon aficionados. Finally, the answer has arrived with a bang as the Zf. So, what is a Zf? Simply put, Nikon reached out to its existing parts bin (parts include software modules too) and then added some goodies hitherto not found in any Nikon. Finally, they stripped off the trendy T-shirt plus jeans clothing and dressed up the new camera in an elegant bespoke suit, thus conjuring up the Zf! So, did Nikon succeed in achieving a gestalt result where the whole is better than the sum of the parts? Read on to know our verdict.

Design & Build Quality

The most obvious point is that Zf employs a design language that harks back to the days of the legendary Nikon FM/FE series of 35 mm SLRs. It is beautifully made with a superlative fit and finish. This is Nikon's second attempt to make a retro camera, the first being the DX sensor based Zfc. Hence, it is no surprise that these two bear a very strong family resemblance, with the Zf being a scaled up, full-frame version. The top deck layout is virtually identical to the one you see on a Zfc with three dials (this time in machined brass) one each for ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation along with a small LCD window to show the aperture. The two minor changes are the lever switch under the shutter speed dial now has a B&W position to instantly switch the camera to the monochrome mode (but the color information is still available in the raw file) and the shutter release button has a threaded socket for an inexpensive cable release. Well done, Nikon!