The Retro Mirrorless Camera

But not for any game-changing features, but rather I wanted one based purely on it's looks. I would find myself every couple of months going to the Nikon website and just look at the Zf.

That window shopping lasted about 6 months as I ended up finally selling my Z7 and buying the Zf in June of 2025. Since I rarely shoot commercial ad images or portraiture any more, I didn't see any cramp in my shooting style happening. Theoretically I will be shooting primarily my art scenes for use in works I display at Art Festivals.

It wasn't so much the style difference than it was the drop from 45.7MP down to 24.5MP that would concern me the most. In fact the main reason that had kept me from buying a Zf was the loss in image size since I use a lot of images I shoot as pieces in composite final images. Once I finally accepted the fact of only having 24MP, I dropped the hammer and ordered a Zf. To feel better about it, I can look back at 20x30 prints made from my D2x that was just 12MP so I really wasn't going to "lose" much base image since I was quite happy with the images from the D2x which was also a crop frame sensor.

From the pictures online of the Zf, it definitely looked so very much like a FM/FM2 from the 80's which made the desire that much greater since my daily camera for many years in the 80's was a Nikon FE that I still have.

The biggest thing I never liked at all about a DSLR was the computer button feel to the shutter button. Although after a couple decades of shooting digital cameras, it has become the normal feel for the modern camera. It just becomes the industry standard in shutter buttons because thats how manufacturers decided they would be.

Naturally one of the most favored differences in the Zf is the shutter release feel, as it was so very much like the 80's and earlier Nikons. The Zf also has a feature from the past, as with the threaded center for the cable release to attach to the camera.

A super welcome feature is the shutter speed up to 1/8000 on the Zf. I recall back in the days when having a camera go to a 1/2000 shutter speed was tops. And with ISO settings that can reach over 100,000 you can have about any particular exposure value that you could ever wish for. But...

The lack of the aperture ring is one of the most missed features, but that has been removed well before the mirrorless cameras arrived and its way too far in the game to try and reintroduce aperture rings again. But on the positive side, I really like the prism and general look is so very much like the FE. Although there is a little tiny bit of grip on the shutter side, its not like the standard grip that we have come to expect.

The Zf does feel and handle far different than the current camera such as the Z7. Although there is no aperture ring, the Zf does feel a lot like the FE in handling in some ways. The basic things I want from my camera is Shutter Speed, Light Sensitivity and Aperture control and obviously the Zf can deliver. I also primarily shoot in total manual to achieve the Exposure Value I want although it may very well not be what the meter thinks I should do.

After looking at the images from the very first captures, I was hooked. The exposure was exactly what I wanted to see and the dynamic range was spot on for my liking. handling of the Zf in the flower garden was smooth and no noticeable hiccups came up. So far I notice the amazing feel of the shutter quite like the 80's cameras.

After the initial shooting session of botanicals I wanted to see what imagery I can get from the Hummingbird feeders that are also in the yard. Although I only had a 24-200mm as my longest lens, I still manged to get some Hummer photos that I was pleased with. Not the best or what I dream to make but very acceptable for a first run at Hummers.

I was so pleased with the Hummer images and wanting to step up my fun, that I sold the 24-200mm and acquired the 28-400mm plus a Macbook to work on images right on the back deck instead of going inside and firing up my main desktop computer.
Hopefully the Hummers will be back like they were last year when they were at the Hummer Bar all day long. Although to get the ideal color, I really need to use flash; for now I will be quite content with the images I'm getting and hopefully get enough visits this year to break out the flash fill.

Since the Hummer sessions find the camera is on the tripod and sometimes even operated remotely with the phone and snapbridge, I couldn't really see any workflow differences in the Retro feel Zf and the previous Z7 I would have used capturing hummers. Using the flash wont alter the feel or performance of the camera so for now I can know how it handles with Hummers.

The big test was coming up... Southeast Gassers were coming to the Knoxville Drag Strip and I haven't ever taken an opportunity to photograph drag racing. I did run into some issues that day but it wasn't because of the camera so much as it was my foolishness. I have 3 batteries for the Zf but for some reason only brought 1 extra with me. I also wasn't shooting with the hand grip that makes it feel similar to every other digital camera.

Since I was shooting at a medium continuous shutter of 7 FPS, I managed to burned up 600 shots before I realized it and hadn't even been there an hour. Since I shoot in RAW, this meant I had to be a little more picky about when I was gonna shoot and to not double-shoot the same car. I might have had plenty of space on memory cards but next time I will definitely take every battery I have to any multi-hour events.

After getting the images onto the computer, I can say I was definitely pleased with the results. I was just as satisfied with how it handled compared to shooting at Road Atlanta with the D810 and previous Nikon bodies. I don't think I really noticed not having the hand grip built in and once I chose a shutter speed I liked, it was just a matter of point and shoot also at a higher ISO to try and get the smallest aperture I could. But all those aspects would be the same on any camera I have owned.

It's been about a year since I got the Zf and have had plenty of walk abouts and specific shoots and haven't really had a session happen where I felt another camera would have suited me better. But if you never shot with old film cameras of the 80s and earlier, then you probably will not like the Zf with the shutter button not being atop a built-in hand grip and the shutter speed control is not a thumb wheel embedded in the camera.

Is it like shooting with a vintage Nikon...
For the most part, Not really... At the same time it is a lot different than the typical digital camera with no hand grip & different style shutter speed control are enough to make it certainly not handle the same. As for the Vintage aspects, its mostly visual. Although the camera is bigger and heavier than a Nikon FE it does feel similar in your hands and the shutter button is so very close to the vintage camera feel.

While I miss not having an aperture ring, the overall look, old style shutter speed control, similar control for ISO and the vintage style shutter butter seal the deal for me. There are no functions or game changing features that would make a person buy a Zf over a similarly priced Nikon. But it sure looks pretty dam cool...

With "The Last Roll" project I took the grip off the Zf to make it as close to the FE as possible. The subject of Humming Birds can't really compare since I only have a 35-70mm lens for the FE to shoot with but I wanted to capture some shots with a flash and the 28-400mm lens in comparison to my previous shots without flash and a 24-200mm lens.

It happens to be quite busy with Hummingbird activity at our feeders currently, so I will take note of what it would have been like if I had tried to shoot hummers back in the days of film for me. There are so many factors with digital that compared to film, it makes shooting hummers to be an almost impossible task to capture an eye-popping magazine quality shot.

As soon as you get started you discover the first major limitation...
36 exposures on a roll or countless images on a SD Card. As I already know from the experience of todays shoot that I shot 96 images and narrowed them down to 65 and then ended up with 3 I was fairly happy with. But I may blow through a dozen shots easily, if the hummer hangs out long enough.

Another major advantage of digital is not only the extremely high ASA/ISO speeds that produce images of better sharpness than any film that was pushed a few stops. Coupled with todays anti-noise software, you can make a very clean image at extreme ISO settings.

But even greater advantage is the fact you can see the results of the exposures on the monitor or in the viewfinder right after the shot. Thus allowing you to alter the Exposure Values to perfect the image to your liking for the following shots.

Although the monitor is nice to review exposure, I did find it harder to follow the movements of shooting the hummers as compared to shooting using the viewfinder. I have started using the monitor as the viewfinder every now and then but it's not ideal for me and following birds in this situation.

To be an accurate comparison, all the "digital" features need to be disregarded. Looking at the Zf and FE strictly for how it feels and responds while shooting. Both cameras without any grip or motor drive feel very similar and with an almost identical shutter button and shutter speed dial selector.

Nikons Z lens mount means bigger lens construction and the bulkiness is noticeable compared to the FE and a long lens. The Z line of lens's is bigger in about any focal length and the Zf body is a little biger as well. Combined with not having an aperture ring on the lens and the action of winding the film after shots... Makes the Zf and the FE, not even a comparison between retro new camera and actual vintage film camera other than visual.

There is very little other than the shutter button that gives you the retro feel. The lure of the retro digital camera is purely looks, other than that you wont really be shooting like you are in some flashback. The retro cameras look so friggon cool visually and stir memories but thats where the similarities end.