Nikon Z7 II Review — Zach Nichols Photography

Landscape photographer, Zach Nichols carrying the Nikon Z7 II

Introduction

When Nikon first released the Nikon Z7 II, it was heralded as the replacement for the Nikon D850. At the time, the only other mirrorless full-frame options Nikon had were the Z6 II and Z5. I personally have owned the Z6 and Z6 II and when the Z7 II was released I decided to buy it so that I could have a better camera for landscape photography. After hearing it being compared to the D850, I had high hopes because the D850 was (at the time of its release) an amazing camera and I absolutely loved it. However, did the Z7 II live up to the reputation? And how does it compare to other options now available? In this article, I plan to give my review of the Nikon Z7 II and go through its main selling points and shortcomings.

Nikon Z7 II Specs

Before we get into the review, lets take a look at the Z7 II’s most noteworthy specs:

QUICK SPECS

45.7MP FX CMOS sensor
Up to 10 fps shooting RAW
4K/60p max video resolution and speed
3.68M dot electronic viewfinder
2.1M dot 3.2 inch LCD touch tilt-screen
One CFexpress Type B and One UHS II SD card slot
1 lb 6 oz. weight

Ergonomics

The Nikon Z7 II has the exact same body as the Z6 II. It is a slightly smaller feel in medium sized hands but is still comfortable on longer days of use and is an easy walking camera as far as weight goes. I have owned a Z6 II, Z7II, and Z8 and prefer the feel of the Z8 personally as it fits my hands better as it is a bit larger. As far as buttons go, the layout is very familiar and intuitive.

Autofocus

The autofocus on the Z7 II is identical to the Z6 II; which is to say that it is great and hardly misses focus. The only thing I have noticed and can complain about is that it does struggle with eye tracking when a subject turns around momentarily or turns to the side. It will often times get stuck on the background and need correcting. However, when you get used to this happening, it is easy enough to work around and never really miss very many shots because of it. However, compare the Z7 IIs autofocus to the more modern Z8 and it reminds me of the difference between the old D850 and upgrading to a mirrorless camera... The Z8 nails focus every time and tracks the subject well as it turns and moves around. It also tends to get lost on the background much less overall and rediscovers the subject quickly on its own.

Another thing to note is that the Z7 II does not have good animal eye tracking and absolutely no bird eye tracking. Not the end of the world for most people; but if you plan to photograph a lot of birds and animals, I’d strongly consider upgrading to the Nikon Z8 which has these features. I assume the Z7 III when it is released will have this kind of tracking but who knows how long that will take to be released. There are almost no rumors of it yet which means it is likely over a year or more away.

Image Quality

The Z7 II has a very moderately sized 45.7 MP sensor which is great for anything you may need it for. You have a good amount of cropping space when needed and prints as large as is needed without issue. The noise handling is great; especially when combined with AI denoising software on higher ISO photos.

Video Quality

I have always said that any modern camera needs to have at least 4K/60 capabilities and this camera checks that box. It is nothing crazy in terms of video but certainly works just fine when needed. Most people do not choose this camera for its video capabilities since the Z9 and now the Nikon Z8 has been released (which is the best video camera Nikon has to offer).

My Thoughts… Is The Nikon Z7 II Worth It?

I personally bought a Z7 II after owning a Z6 II for about a year and almost returned the Z7 II after a couple weeks of use. Why? Because I didn’t feel like it was worth the extra cost for what it does. And that was BEFORE the Z8 was released. It is essentially just a sensor resolution upgrade from the Z6 II and nothing more. The Z7 II was supposed to replace the D850 but I never really felt that same sense of upgrade like I did when I upgraded from the D750 to D850 back in the DSLR days. If you do not crop in a lot (which I do not) then the Z6 II has enough resolution to print on any size you may need with very little issue.

Six months ago I purchased the Nikon Z8 which is now regarded as the true upgrade to the D850 and I can attest to that. To be completely honest, I feel like the Z7 II has been rendered completely obsolete since the release of the Z8 and that most all photographers will decide between the Z6 II or the Z8 when considering their options. While the Z8 is currently $1,200 more than the Z7 II, I would say it is worth every penny. This is especially true if you photograph wildlife of any kind or want to use your camera to capture stunning video (the Z8 is capable of 4K/120p or 8K/60p). If you do not capture a lot of landscapes or need to crop in a much then I would 100% recommend the Nikon Z6 II (or the Z6 III when it is released later this year). I truly feel like the Z7 II is meant for a very small niche of photographers at this point and I struggle to even say that if I am being honest with myself. I am curious to see how Nikon gets itself out of this situation with the next iteration.

Conclusion

While the Nikon Z7 II was a pretty decent upgrade for landscape photographers when it was first released, times have definitely changed and I feel it has lost the edge it once had. As mentioned, most people would be best served by either going with the Nikon Z6 II or the new Nikon Z8 in this current market. If you would like to read my detailed review of both cameras, be sure to check out my Nikon Z8 Review and Nikon Z6 II Review for Wedding Photography. If you are looking for a camera for Wildlife photography, be sure to read my article, The Best Cameras For Wildlife Photography In 2024. As always, thank you for reading along and supporting my passion.

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