Nikon Z f Review
A 24.5 MP full-frame body with brass dials: in-body stabilisation rated up to 8 stops, 273 AF points with subject detection, 4K 30p oversampled, and two card slots, one SD and one microSD.
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The Verdict
A 24.5 MP BSI full-frame sensor (35.9 x 23.9 mm) with the EXPEED 7 processor, 273 AF points with detection of people, animals and vehicles, and in-body stabilisation that Nikon rates at up to 8 stops. Owners praise the autofocus and subject tracking, and the stabilisation (see What owners report).
ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation each have their own dial, readable and settable with the camera switched off. Owners enjoy the physical dials; several find the small built-in grip hard to hold, especially with larger lenses, and some find the body heavy (see What owners report).
4K at 30, 25 and 24p is oversampled; 4K 60p is available only in DX crop mode. It has two card slots: one SD (UHS-II) and one microSD (UHS-I).
- Overall
- 8.2/10
- Image quality
- 8.4
- Autofocus
- 8.4
- Video
- 7.6
- Speed
- 7.8
- Handling and build
- 8.5
| 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; 4K UHD 60p in DX crop mode; 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 Stands Out
- In-body stabilisation rated up to 8 stops; owners praise it (see What owners report)
- 273 AF points with detection of people, animals and vehicles; owners praise the autofocus and subject tracking (see What owners report)
- Dedicated ISO, shutter-speed and exposure-compensation dials, readable with the camera off; owners enjoy the physical dials (see What owners report)
- Pixel Shift to 96MP from 32 frames, for static subjects
- Owners say it handles low light well, with little noise at high ISO (see What owners report)
Trade-offs
- Several owners find the small built-in grip hard to hold, especially with larger lenses (see What owners report)
- Some owners find the body heavy (see What owners report)
- Second slot is microSD (UHS-I), not a full-size card
- 4K60 only in DX crop mode — full-width 4K tops out at 30p
- Micro HDMI (Type D), not full-size
- No dedicated AF-area joystick
In Depth
Stabilisation
Nikon rates the in-body system at up to eight stops. The rating is against camera shake; a moving subject still needs a fast enough shutter speed.
Owners praise the in-body image stabilisation (see What owners report).
Autofocus and subject detection
Hybrid phase-detection and contrast AF across 273 points, with the EXPEED 7 processor. Nikon rates AF detection down to −10 EV, and subject detection recognises people, animals and vehicles.
Owners praise the autofocus and subject tracking (see What owners report).
Sensor and low light
A 24.5 MP BSI-CMOS full-frame sensor covering 35.9 x 23.9 mm, producing 6,048 x 4,032 pixel files. Native ISO runs from 100 to 64,000.
Owners say it handles low light well, with little noise at high ISO (see What owners report); for photos other people took with it, see Sample photos.
Burst
Nikon lists 14 fps in the extended high-speed continuous mode and approximately 10 fps with 14-bit raw. C30 is a separate high-speed frame capture mode at approximately 30 fps.
Pixel Shift
Pixel Shift Shooting combines 32 frames into a single image of up to 96 megapixels. It needs a static subject and a tripod, and the frames are merged on a computer rather than in camera.
Video
4K UHD records at 30, 25 and 24p, oversampled from a wider readout, and Full HD runs to 120p. 4K at 60p is available only in DX crop mode. Video goes out over a micro HDMI (Type D) port.
Handling, cards and power
ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation are all readable and settable on their dials with the camera switched off. Owners enjoy the physical dials, and several say the camera makes them want to go out and shoot (see What owners report).
Several owners find the small built-in grip hard to hold, especially with larger lenses; some say they manage without an add-on grip, particularly with small lenses. Some owners find the body heavy (see What owners report).
It has two card slots: one SD (UHS-II) and one microSD (UHS-I). Power is the EN-EL15c, charging over USB-PD, in a 144 × 103 × 49 mm body that weighs 630 g body only and 710 g with battery.
Sample photos from other photographers
Photos that other people took with the Nikon Zf and published on Wikimedia Commons under free licences. We chose them; we did not take them. The settings under each photo come from the file's own metadata.
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.
What owners report
We read 248 public posts and reviews on 24 Oct 2026: reddit.com/r/Nikon (82), bhphotovideo.com (166). Each point below came up from at least two different people; the wording is ours.
Praised repeatedly
- Some owners say they manage without an add-on grip, particularly with small lenses. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners enjoy the physical dials, and several say the camera makes them want to go out and shoot. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners praise the autofocus and subject tracking. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners say it handles low light well, with little noise at high ISO. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners praise the in-body image stabilisation. [1][2][3][4]
Complained about repeatedly
- Several owners find the small built-in grip hard to hold, especially with larger lenses. [1][2][3][4]
- Some owners find the body heavy. [1][2][3][4]
These are public posts. We do not check whether the people who wrote them bought or used this camera.
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 burst
- Handling and build Weight 20% 8.5
8-stop IBIS, dedicated dials, one SD plus one microSD slot
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 at Amazon | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
FAQ
Z f vs Z fc: how do the specs differ?
The Z fc has a 20.9 MP APS-C (DX) sensor and 209 AF points. The Z f has a 24.5 MP full-frame sensor, 273 AF points and in-body stabilisation rated up to 8 stops.
Is the grip a problem?
Several owners find the small built-in grip hard to hold, especially with larger lenses; some say they manage without an add-on grip, particularly with small lenses (see What owners report).
What card slots does the Z f have?
It has two card slots: one SD (UHS-II) and one microSD (UHS-I).
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your Nikon Z f experience:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB
A 128 GB SD card for the Z f's full-size SD slot.
Nikon EN-EL15c
The battery this camera takes.
K&F Concept 25-in-1 (Full-Frame)
A cleaning kit for full-frame cameras, with 24 mm sensor swabs.
Peak Design Slide Lite
A camera strap.
More gear guides: Best TripodsBest Camera BagsBest SD Cards
