Reviewing the Nikon z7ii Camera: Why I Switched to Mirrorless
When mirrorless started making its entrance into the SLR camera space many years ago, I was reluctant! Sony was the only brand that was really doing mirrorless at the time and I’m a Nikon girl. I’ve always have had Nikon cameras and I certainly didn’t want to switch. I already had so many lenses in flashes that were compatible with Nikon, so I looked the other way even though many photographer friends of mine were switching over to Sony. I began the long wait of trying to be patient when I heard rumors that Nikon was going to be releasing a mirrorless camera.
A few years ago, when Nikon officially released their first mirrorless camera, the Z5 and the Z6, I went to a camera store in New York City to check it out. It was cool, modern and a lot lighter than what I currently was shooting on my Nikon D4S. Although those features intrigued me, the price point was very high. I didn’t feel like it was right for me at the time. I waited one more year while they made some changes, releasing another version of the D6, and it started to peak my interest again. I went to a different camera store in the city and ended up buying the D6. Although I did buy it a bit reluctantly - one thing that didn’t sit well with me was that there was only one memory card slot. As a wedding photographer, photographing moments that can never be redone, having only one memory card slot was very alarming to me. Nonetheless, I was very eager to make the switch as I had heard some good things.
After using the camera for one photoshoot, I already knew that the switch to mirrorless was not for me. I couldn’t get the one memory card slot factor out of my head. Things felt so different, so many settings were off ,and I was having trouble getting everything tax sharp and in focus. Granted, it was my first time using it - no one taught me how to use this specific camera so I chalk a lot of my dislike up to user error. I decided to return the camera and continue one more year with my faithful, but heavy, Nikon D4s.
When Nikon made the announcement that they were coming out with the D7ii, and that this new model would have two memory card slots, I had a feeling that this was my moment to finally switch to mirrorless. I ended up renting this camera first just to be 100% sure that I would make the switch. Much to my surprise, I ended up loving it! Yes, there was a bit of a learning curve and some differences from my previous camera, but in using the adapter with my sigma 35 mm 1.4 lens, I was very happy with the results of my images! I slept well at night knowing that there were two memory card slots and my neck felt a lot better because the camera is much lighter than what I was a custom to. Also being able to see my settings showing on the miniature screen inside of the viewing Port was an absolute game changer.
I’m still able to use my old lenses while using the adapter that comes with the Nikon ZII. Although as I’ve heard on the Internet, photos taken with this combination are not always as sharp as if you make the splurge and buy the mirrorless lenses that might come put out. I waited a while before investing in mirrorless lenses, but when I did, goodness, it was the best decision I ever made. My photos were instantly sharper, my camera set up was a lot lighter without an adapter, and although new lenses are very expensive, I was able to sell all my old stuff to Adorama in New York City and broke even.
So what are my top three favorite things are about my new camera after owning it for almost a year? (I’ll be making a separate blog post about my least favorite things about this camera as well.)
1. Hands-down my favorite thing about the Nikon Z7ii is that I can use the screen to shoot. With all of my previous Nikon cameras, I wasn’t able to use live view on my screen and take pictures very well. It always had a little bit of lag and it didn’t feel like the right way to shoot. But now with this new camera, I can utilize the touchscreen, click on my clients face, and it will focus. I can see exactly what my final result will be with my manual settings on the screen. I also don’t always have to put my eye up to the view finder, which relieves pressure from my neck and helps my posture!
2. The second thing that I’m absolutely obsessed with with my new camera is how light it is. Since I shoot clients out and about in New York City, and carry my own gear in a backpack every single day, carrying heavy equipment is the absolute worst. When I used to shoot with a Nikon D4S, it was extremely heavy. Having to carry that along with my Godox speedlight, and potentially another lens, water bottle, lunch, and anything else I needed, caused a lot of back pain for me. This might sound dramatic but you have to feel it to believe it. This new camera is seriously so much lighter than what I’m used to - sometimes I think my backpack is missing an item because of how light it is! Honestly, one of the biggest reasons people make the switch to mirrorless cameras is because of their weight. It wasn’t my main reason, but it certainly is a blessing! Also, as I mentioned above, if you invest in the mirrorless Nikon lenses, your whole entire set up will be so much lighter, less weight on your camera strap on your shoulders, and your arms probably won’t be sore at the end of a wedding or a long shooting day!
3. My third and final favorite thing about this new camera sounds kind of obvious, but frankly, it’s the fact that it is literally mirrorless. I do a lot of studio photography, and with my previous cameras that had physical mirrors and shutter mechanisms on the inside, I struggled a lot with dust getting inside the sensor and mirror. In traditional SLR cameras, there are about three different mirror/sensor areas that have to be cleaned in order to get a perfectly dust free image. But now that I have a mirrorless camera, there is only one sensor on the inside that I can quickly use some compressed air, blow off of the dust, and my photos are come out a lot clearer in the studio. This leads to a lot less photoshopping! On the same note, another benefit of it physically being mirrorless, is it’s actually so much quieter than my other cameras! I always felt like I was firing a gun during quiet ceremonies with my old cameras, but this time I feel a lot more discrete. And even this new camera has a silent mode! It will take a photo and be 100% silent. This comes in handy a lot when I am shooting alongside my videographer who is filming audio and I still need to take some photos.
If you have any questions about this camera, please do not hesitate to reach out! I am a huge fan and love talking camera stuff… Obviously! Stay tuned for a blog post about my least favorite things about making the switch to the Nikon Zii.