Nikon Z7 underwater camera review is by Backscatter.com (Facebook | Instagram | Youtube):
The Nikon Z7 is the first full-frame mirrorless camera from Nikon, and it’s a high-resolution 46-megapixel beast that produces the best overall image quality seen yet from a mirrorless camera. Team Backscatter set the camera up in a housing and headed down to the Caribbean for a comprehensive underwater field test. Read on and watch the video below to learn what underwater shooters need to know about the Nikon Z7 and why we have affectionately dubbed it the ‘Mini-D850’.
Topic Time Codes00:28 - Image Quality02:25 - Electronic Viewfinder05:07 - Autofocus07:23 - Camera Body & Controls09:35 - How We Shot It11:21 - Video13:26 - ConclusionsThe Best Image Quality That We’ve Seen From A Mirrorless Camera
In the case of the Nikon Z7, we are comparing the image quality against the Nikon D850 - which is the Nikon Z7’s closest relative - and our current pick for best still image quality produced from any camera tested underwater so far.
The Nikon Z7 produces rich images on par quality-wise with it’s bigger brother, the Nikon D850, resulting in shots that are packed with sharp detail and vibrant colors.Nikon Z7 | Nikon 8-15mm @ 15mm | 1/125sec | ƒ11 | ISO 800The Nikon Z7 packs the best imaging sensor found in any current mirrorless camera. Images that the Nikon Z7 captures are packed with sharp detail and vibrant colors and have become the new benchmark by which mirrorless image quality will be judged. The Nikon Z7 is leading the current camera pack when it comes to raw image quality, coming in second only to the Nikon D850. One would have to get down to some really tight pixel-peeping to pick out any significant differences.This school of grunts provides an accurate look at the beautiful color reproduction and sharp image detail that the Nikon Z7 produces straight-out-of-camera.Nikon Z7 | Nikon 8-15mm @ 15mm | 1/125sec | ƒ10 | ISO 100The Nikon Z7 shares the Nikon D850’s native ISO value of 64 for an additional two-thirds of a stop of dynamic range, giving us that phenomenal detail in the highlights and shadows. A good example of this is in wide scenes where the reef in the foreground is dark and the sunball-lit surface is clipping out to pure white.The dynamic range that the Nikon Z7 is capable of, thanks to a native ISO value of 64, allows for super-rich details in both the darkest shadows and brightest highlights, both of which are on full display here in the shadowed reef and bright surface.Nikon Z7 | Nikon 8-15mm @ 15mm | 1/200sec | ƒ9 | ISO 64An Electronic Viewfinder So Good, You’ll Almost Forget It’s Not Optical
One of the biggest things to consider when looking at mirrorless cameras is the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF). The lack of an optical prism and mirror within the camera body is the defining difference between Mirrorless and SLR cameras. Until now, the electronic viewfinder found on most mirrorless cameras has been our biggest turnoff. The problem is that most of them just don’t come close to the dynamic range that an optical viewfinder can display. This leaves underwater photographers to struggle when composing shots because you just can't see what's going on in the often underexposed foreground and overexposed background.
Actual shot of the in-viewfinder electronic image, which has a sharp resolution and good dynamic range.As soon as the Nikon Z7 was in a housing and under the surface, the new and improved electronic quality was immediately apparent. This is absolutely the best electronic viewfinder that we have put our eyes and mask up to yet. It’s so good that you’ll almost think that you’re looking through an optical viewfinder.This shot was easily composed thanks to the improved electronic viewfinder image quality. The edges of the shadowed reef could be lined up and framed properly just as if shooting with an optical viewfinder thanks to the impressive dynamic range and detail of the electronic viewfinder.Nikon Z7 | Nikon 8-15mm @ 15mm | 1/125sec | ƒ10 | ISO 100A New Perspective - Making The Most Of The Electronic Viewfinder
While it is possible to shoot only from the LCD screen and not use the electronic viewfinder at all, it is actually advantageous to use the electronic viewfinder in order to shoot as close as possible to traditional SLR style.
