Feature image shot with the Nikon Z7 | 400 ISO | f4 | 1/200s

Back in 2003, I was shooting weddings on a Nikon D2H that cost me $3,999. It was amazing and I thought How could this get any better? After shooting film for almost 10 years with Hasselblad and Nikon F5S, this was a dream camera.

I used the D2H for almost 3 years before adding a D3, and that’s when everything about digital changed. It worked—It was amazing and, in most ways, much better than film. After the D3 I sold all my film gear and never looked back.

Just as a reference, you can get a “like new” D2H today (October 19, 2018—15 years later) for just under $500.

As you might recall from my last post, I recently got my hands on Nikon’s new flagship camera, the Z7 mirrorless, when it arrived at Samy’s Camera with my name on it. The camera and lens kit totaled $3,999. I’ll mention now that this isn’t a Z7 review—there are a lot of those already out there. I will say, though, that this is the best camera I have ever used. Sure, it has its shortcomings (and all gear does), but as a complete package, the Z7 is truly a pleasure to shoot.

Why mention those two cameras?

Well, I decided to take them both out and do a shoot to compare what 15 years of camera evolution has really given me. And I say “me” because I can’t speak for anyone else’s use. No review can tell you how a camera will perform in your hands and react to your photographic demands. If you really want a true review, get your hands on one.

The first thing I noticed is the size and weight. Man, those mirrorless cameras have a lot to love when it comes to wear and tear on the body.
Looking through the viewfinder was another striking difference. The D2H is dark and small and the Z7 was large and bright. It didn’t feel like I was looking through a piece of equipment at all. I love when gear gets out of your way and the Z7 does that amazingly well.

I digress—Not (really) a Z7 review.

The real point of my sharing this is to highlight a question I think we need to ask ourselves: How much camera do we really need? If you’re shooting for an Instagram post and don’t plan on printing much over an 11″x14″, a D2H could be an amazing camera for you. On the other hand, if you make your living shooting images that will regularly be cropped, edited, and printed large, the D2H may not be your best choice.

All things considered, it’s just cool to look back at what gear was like and what I used to make a living with. I regularly printed 30” prints from the D2h and they looked amazing. I wouldn’t trade in my Z7 for a D2H, but a D2H could certainly perform in the right environment.

The results

Looks at these specs. WOW, what a huge difference.

D2H Native image size

8.2” x 5.4” at 300dpi 4mp 1.5 cropped sensor

Z7 Native image size

27.5” x 18.3” at 300dpi 45.7 full frame sensor

Full images

Nikon D2H Full Image

Nikon Z7 Full Image

Images at 100%

Nikon D2H at 100%

Nikon Z7 at 100%

Featured image shot with the Nikon Z7 | 8,000 ISO | f4 | 0.5s

While driving home from celebrating my daughter’s birthday over dinner this past Sunday, one of her friends noticed a brilliant pattern of colors exploding in the night sky.

That was the moment when my brain screamed: “Where’s my camera?!”. After calmly driving down the streets of our neighborhood and finally reaching our driveway, I ran into the house to grab a camera. I have three to choose from: the Nikon D5, D850, or the new Nikon Z7. Having already played with the new Z7 for a week or so and experiencing how amazing the image stabilization is, I quickly made my choice. With the 20-70  f4 lens attached, I was out the door shooting all handheld.

Initially, I considered shooting video but knew that I would screw it up—I rarely shoot video and I knew the spectacle wouldn’t last much longer, so I went with what I knew.  I immediately dialed the ISO up to 8,000 and started firing off frames as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket raced through the sky. I was pleased that the Z7 was grabbing focus just as I would have expected my D5 or D850 to do. As the light show was beginning to die down, I grabbed my Sigma 85 1.4 Art Series and continued shooting, keeping my eyes fixed onto the camera as I followed the light all the way to the horizon and out of sight. When I did drop the camera, I was amazed at how much light the Z7 was able to make out despite the sky having dimmed so rapidly.

Although I don’t consider the images I captured to be the most spectacular, this spontaneous moment proved to me that the Z7 has now risen as a strong contender.

Nikon Z7 | 20,000 ISO | f4 | 1/6s

Nikon Z7 | 10,000 ISO | f1.4 | 1/50s

Final thoughts

To give you a little background, I have a Sony A7Rm2, A7m2, A7r, and a large collection of glass. Needless to say, I love Sony gear—I really do (except for how it focuses in low, soft light).  I mostly use my Sony gear for my personal work of abstracts and fine art, while the D5 and D850 perform as my workhorses for my wedding work. Despite the fact that I think the Sony gear is some of the finest our industry has ever seen, it just doesn’t compete with the functionality of my big Nikon gear.

So as a full-time professional photographer for 25+ years who loves different types of gear, this “experiment” left me extremely impressed with the Z7. It really is one of the big boys. It “feels Nikon”, the lenses go on the same way, the lens release button is on the same side, and of course, I can use all of my current Nikon glass—A huge plus! All in all, it’s not that the Z7 is necessarily hands-down better than the Sony. It’s just different. But in my hands, the hands of a 25+ year Nikon shooter, it makes all the difference.

I’ll simply end by saying that there is often a lot of chatter about how Nikon missed the mark, could have done better… blah blah blah. In the case of the Z7, I think they designed exactly what they meant to—An amazing companion (rather than a replacement) to the D5 and D850.