Digital Camera World - UK (2021-03)

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com MARCH 2021 DIGITAL CAMERA^115

You do need to read the small print,
though, as this speed is achievable
only if you’re shooting 12-bit raw files
and using a single AF point. The extra
processing power delivers a much
deeper shooting buffer, with the Z 7II
now having up to 3.3 times the buffer
capacity of the original model.
The Z 7II’s video offering has also
been enhanced, with the new camera
now capable of shooting 60p 4K
footage. This is up from 30p on the Z 7,
but this higher frame rate sees a slight
1.08x crop applied to the footage to
achieve it, with the Z 7II using 93%
of the width of the sensor. If you’re
planning to send footage to an external
recorder, the Z 7II can output ready-
to-view Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG)
footage for viewing on HDR TV sets,
while the Z 7II’s ‘hot charging’ USB-C
support means you’ll be able to power
the camera while it’s in use, enabling
you to shoot for as long as you want.

Speaking of power, the Z 7II gets a

new, uprated battery. While the Z 7’s

battery life was officially rated at an

underwhelming 330 shots, the Z 7II

uses a higher-capacity version of the

battery, with the new EN-EL15c now

able to deliver 420 shots per charge

with the LCD, and 360 shots through

the viewfinder. It’s a welcome

improvement, but it still lags behind

rivals like Sony’s A7R IV, which can

muster up to 670 shots on a charge.

One area that was often singled

out on the original Z 7 was

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The 3,690k-dot OLED

EVF offers 100%

coverage and 0.8x

magnification; it’s

good, but not the best.

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The tilting rear screen

is useful for waist-level

shooting and video,

but is not much help

for vertical shots.

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Round the back, there

is both a focus lever

and a four-way

controller, plus

an AF-On button.

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In a change from the

Z 7, the Z 7II now has

twin card slots: one

for SD UHS-II cards,

one for CFexpress

Ty p e B/ XQ D.

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Compact as it is, the

Z 7II still has space

on the top plate for

a status panel.

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This rear control dial

is complemented by

another at the front,

inset into the top

of the grip.

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Nikon Z 7II Mirrorless

The autofocus is fast and precise and the rear focus lever

makes it easy to choose the focus point. For fast-moving

subjects, though, Nikon’s D6 or D850 DSLRs have an edge.

The Z 7II’s image quality and dynamic range make it great

for black-and-white photography as well as colour. There

is a monochrome in-camera mode, but raw files are better.

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“ Nikon has looked

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weaknesses of

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