Nikon Z f Review
Most retro cameras are a shell around ordinary parts. The Z f is the opposite: the dials are real brass, and underneath sits the subject detection and stabilisation Nikon put in bodies costing twice as much.
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The Verdict
The Z f is the rare retro body where the modern parts are the reason to buy it. Eight stops of stabilisation is the highest Nikon has shipped, and the subject detection is the same deep-learning system as the Z8 — it finds and holds birds, dogs and cars, not just faces.
The dials cut both ways. Setting ISO and shutter by feel without waking the camera is genuinely faster. But the grip is shallow, the card slot is a single SD next to a microSD, and a 70-200mm on the front makes the whole thing front-heavy. This is a camera for primes and for people who like the process.
| Announced | 27 October 2023 |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 24.5MP BSI-CMOS, full frame / Nikon FX (35.9 × 23.9 mm) |
| Resolution | 6,048 × 4,032 |
| Processor | EXPEED 7 |
| Mount | Nikon Z |
| Stabilisation | In-body, up to 8 stops |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase-detection and contrast, 273 points; detection to −10 EV |
| Burst | 14 fps high-speed continuous (extended); approx. 10 fps in 14-bit raw; C30 frame capture at approx. 30 fps |
| Pixel Shift | Up to 96MP from 32 frames |
| Shutter speeds | 1/8000s to 30s on the command dial, 1/8000s to 4s on the shutter-speed dial; bulb, time |
| Video | 4K UHD at 30/25/24p; Full HD up to 120p |
| ISO | 100–64,000, expandable to 204,800 |
| Viewfinder | 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, 3.69M dots |
| Rear screen | 3.2-inch vari-angle TFT touchscreen, 2.10M dots |
| Card slots | 1 × SD UHS-II and 1 × microSD UHS-I |
| Battery | EN-EL15c, charges over USB-PD (EN-EL15a/b work, with less life) |
| Connections | USB-C, HDMI Type-D, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone jacks |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/a/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 144 × 103 × 49 mm |
| Weight | 630 g body only; 710 g with battery |
Maker-published figures, with source and date: Numbers & Sources below.
What We Like
- Eight stops of IBIS, the most in any Nikon body
- Z8-level subject detection for animals and vehicles
- Real brass dials that work with the camera off
- Pixel Shift to 96MP for static subjects
Trade-offs
- Shallow grip is uncomfortable with heavy zooms
- Second slot is microSD, not a full-size card
- No 4K60 mode — 4K tops out at 30p
- No dedicated AF-area joystick
In Depth
Stabilisation
Nikon rates the in-body system at up to eight stops. That is the highest figure the company has published for any of its bodies, and it is the specification that changes what the camera is for: at 1/4s handheld on a 40mm lens, a shot that used to need a tripod becomes an ordinary frame. The gain is against camera shake only — a moving subject still needs shutter speed, and eight stops will not fix that.
Autofocus and subject detection
Hybrid phase-detection and contrast across 273 points, running the same EXPEED 7 processor as the Z8 and Z9. Nikon rates detection down to −10 EV — darker than most rooms ever get — and the deep-learning subject detection recognises people, animals and vehicles rather than only faces. On a body styled after a 1980s film camera, this is the part that has nothing to do with nostalgia.
Burst, read honestly
The headline is 14 fps in the extended high-speed continuous mode. Ask for 14-bit raw — the files you would actually keep — and the camera settles to approximately 10 fps. Separately there is C30, a high-speed frame capture mode at around 30 fps. Those are three different numbers for three different jobs; only the 10 fps figure describes full-quality raw shooting.
Pixel Shift
The Z f was the first Nikon body to offer Pixel Shift Shooting: 32 frames combined into a single image of up to 96 megapixels. It needs a static subject and a tripod, and the merge happens on the computer rather than in camera. For architecture, repro and product work it turns a 24.5MP body into something else entirely; for anything that moves it is irrelevant.
Video
4K UHD records at 30, 25 and 24p, oversampled from a wider readout, and Full HD runs to 120p for slow motion. There is no 4K60 mode — worth stating plainly, because the rest of the specification looks modern enough that you might assume it. If 60p in 4K is part of the job, this is the wrong body in the range.
Handling, cards and power
The dials are the point: ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation are all readable and settable with the camera switched off, which is faster than any menu and is the reason people buy this body over a Z6 III. The costs are a shallow grip that fights a heavy zoom, and a second card slot that is microSD rather than full size. Power is the EN-EL15c, charging over USB-PD, in a 144 × 103 × 49 mm body that weighs 710 g ready to shoot.
The numbers, and where they come from
Published by the maker
| Sensor size (maker's figure) | 35.9 x 23.9 mm |
|---|---|
| Effective pixels | 24.5 MP |
| Native ISO range | ISO 100–64,000 |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3.69 million dots |
Maker figures checked on 25 Sept 2026 — maker's spec sheet
Computed from those figures
| Sensor area | 858 mm² |
|---|---|
| Format factor | 1x |
| Light gathered vs 35mm | the same |
Computed from the figures above. Pixel pitch = sensor width / pixel count across. Light gathered = log2 of the area ratio to 36 x 24 mm. Diffraction limit = the aperture at which the Airy disc diameter (2.44 x lambda x N, lambda = 550 nm) reaches two pixel pitches. Other calculators use other thresholds and so quote other numbers.
How this score is put together
8.2 out of 10
- Image quality Weight 25% 8.4
24.5MP full frame
- Autofocus Weight 20% 8.4
273-point AF with subject detection
- Video Weight 20% 7.6
4K30 oversampled, 4K60 cropped
- Speed Weight 15% 7.8
14 fps, respectable for a retro body
- Handling and build Weight 20% 8.5
8-stop IBIS and dedicated dials, but one SD plus one microSD
Scored against full-frame interchangeable-lens cameras. The overall figure is the weighted mean of the rows above — it is computed, not set by hand.
How It Compares
| Spec | Nikon Z f | Nikon Z6 III | Sony A7C II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 24.5MP FF | 24.5MP FF | 33MP FF |
| Video | 4K30 oversampled | 6K N-RAW | 4K60 (S35) |
| AF Points | 273 points | 299 points | 759 points |
| Burst | 14 fps | 20 fps | 10 fps |
| IBIS | 8 stops | 8 stops | 7 stops |
| Buy | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your Nikon Z f experience:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB
UHS-II speed for 4K and burst buffer clearing.
Nikon EN-EL15c
The Z f uses the same pack as the Z6 and Z8.
K&F Concept 25-in-1 (Full-Frame)
Correct 24mm swabs for the Z f sensor.
Peak Design Slide Lite
Light strap that suits a compact retro body.
More gear guides: Best TripodsBest Camera BagsBest SD Cards
FAQ
Z f or Z fc?
The Z fc is APS-C and much cheaper. The Z f is full-frame with 8-stop IBIS and Z8 autofocus. They look similar and are not close in capability.
Is the grip really a problem?
With a 40mm or 28mm prime, no. With a 24-70 f/2.8 or anything longer, most people add the optional grip.
Does the microSD slot matter?
For backup stills, no. For video or fast burst it is slow enough that you will treat the camera as single-slot.
