Nikon Z7 & Nikon Z6 One Year Later: It has been well over a year since I acquire and began using the Nikon Z camera system. My initial reaction: I was truly impressed with the solid build quality and weather resistance of the camera bodies and being a Nikon user all menus and button layout were pretty much right where I expected them. My second reaction was just how much customization one could do with these cameras with multiple user profiles both for still images and video shooters.
Coming from the world of the Nikon DSLR I was spoiled with the performance of both the D500 and D850, two camera bodies I had relied on for a few years before acquiring the Z cameras so my expectations were high.
Transitioning to Nikon Mirrorless has not been without its pain points - like the initial lack of S lenses other than the two kit S lens. This meant I had to rely on the FTZ adapter which worked very well with my newer Nikon glass but some of my Tamron lenses were a no-go and In the field switching between the F mount Nikon lenses and native S, Lenses meant I had to juggle swapping the FTZ between lenses which is a pain in the rear at times - especially on tripods. FAST forward one year later and things look brighter now that Nikon has released a number of S lenses that have addressed my initial needs but, Nikon still has a way to go yet in order to match their F mount offerings they have for the DSLRs.
Up to this point, I felt comfortable enough to sell both my D500 and D850 though, in hindsight, I should have retained my D500 for my bird/wildlife needs for my 400/500 & 600mm lenses due to the D500s superior lag-free real-time optical viewfinder and focus performance at least until the next Z camera is released. The Nikon first iteration of the Z cameras are not quite up to the sports/action shooting performance the D500 was capable of, but the Nikon Z cameras can in a pinch capture the images you need, all with a little bit of frustration thrown in.
Both the Nikon Z6 & Z7 have performed very well indeed and exceed in almost all situations the capabilities of the D850/D500 less the focus performance for fast-moving objects which I mentioned. In fact, after just a few outings with the Z cameras, I knew the end to my DSLRs had arrived and was only a matter of time before I said goodbye to my trusty Nikon mirror boxes. In most everyday shooting situations, the Nikon Z cameras are a pleasure to use with their very informative EVF, customization, superior video, and compact size I found both Z cameras a compelling reason to move to the new Z system.
For my photography requirements, the Z cameras provide 90% of what I need so, I have decided to fully invest in the Nikon Z system, I look forward to the next year and the fulfillment of what Nikon will bring to the mirrorless market in both Z mount optics and newer Z camera bodies with improved features and performance.
I have no regrets buying into the Z system just like I had no regrets moving from film SLRs to my first DSLR, I said goodbye to film years ago and I have said goodbye to DSLRs this year. With that said I can recommend the Nikon Z system to any serious photography/video enthusiast.