I've seen several folks out of curiosity or serious interest inquire about what differentiates the Z system for other Nikon DSLR's. I thought it might be useful to have a separate post that just neutrally discusses the pros and cons. No complaining. No whining. No "should have's." No multi-product-cross-comparison-but-dxo-says . . . Let's just stick to helping folks decide whether the Z system is a good match for their needs.
And for God's sake no link to U-tubers (except maybe Hugh Brownstone for those folks needing a photo-oriented Jeff Goldblum doppelgänger fix . . .)
So . . . Advantages (in no particular order):
Truly silent shutter (with the caveats - see below)
Compact and generally lighter bodies and (some) lens combinations
In-camera battery charging
Histogram (such as it is) available in display.
Viewfinder magnified view and focus peaking
EVF is as close to OVF experience as any MILC on the market.
WYSIWYG for exposure although for me the histogram is a better guide.
No lens calibration as focus is derived directly on the sensor plane.
IBIS (currently on Z6 and Z7)
Face/eye tracking (I know, I know)
Reasonably good sensor resolution and dynamic range (probably on a par with D750 and D850)
THE LENSES - this is for me the big one:
24-70 f4 is just a cracker of a kit lens.
24-70 f2.8S is generally considered the best 24-70 Nikon has produced
50 1.8S is achingly close to Otus level IQ
14-30 is relatively sharp, relatively compact, and takes filters.
The 24, 35 and 85 are all praiseworthy and generally considered better than their non-S equivalents
FTZ give access to a wide catalog of Nikon lenses.
Very 'Nikon-like' in handling and menu structure
The Disadvantages (again in no particular order):
Cost - Z system will probably end up costing you more than an equivalent OVF Nikon
Silent shutter can be prone to banding under artificial light and distortions of fast moving objects in your images
Battery life is certainly not bad but like any mirrorless system, not as good as DSLR's
Currently somewhat limited native lens selection.
Subject tracking is probably not up to the best DSLR's (I'm looking at you D5, D500, and by some reports the D850)
Image black-out during continuous shooting can be disconcerting and/or problematic when tracking
It's not a perfect system - but really none are.
I can't speak to video because I rarely use it.
Please add your additions and corrections.
And for God's sake no link to U-tubers (except maybe Hugh Brownstone for those folks needing a photo-oriented Jeff Goldblum doppelgänger fix . . .)
So . . . Advantages (in no particular order):
Truly silent shutter (with the caveats - see below)
Compact and generally lighter bodies and (some) lens combinations
In-camera battery charging
Histogram (such as it is) available in display.
Viewfinder magnified view and focus peaking
EVF is as close to OVF experience as any MILC on the market.
WYSIWYG for exposure although for me the histogram is a better guide.
No lens calibration as focus is derived directly on the sensor plane.
IBIS (currently on Z6 and Z7)
Face/eye tracking (I know, I know)
Reasonably good sensor resolution and dynamic range (probably on a par with D750 and D850)
THE LENSES - this is for me the big one:
24-70 f4 is just a cracker of a kit lens.
24-70 f2.8S is generally considered the best 24-70 Nikon has produced
50 1.8S is achingly close to Otus level IQ
14-30 is relatively sharp, relatively compact, and takes filters.
The 24, 35 and 85 are all praiseworthy and generally considered better than their non-S equivalents
FTZ give access to a wide catalog of Nikon lenses.
Very 'Nikon-like' in handling and menu structure
The Disadvantages (again in no particular order):
Cost - Z system will probably end up costing you more than an equivalent OVF Nikon
Silent shutter can be prone to banding under artificial light and distortions of fast moving objects in your images
Battery life is certainly not bad but like any mirrorless system, not as good as DSLR's
Currently somewhat limited native lens selection.
Subject tracking is probably not up to the best DSLR's (I'm looking at you D5, D500, and by some reports the D850)
Image black-out during continuous shooting can be disconcerting and/or problematic when tracking
It's not a perfect system - but really none are.
I can't speak to video because I rarely use it.
Please add your additions and corrections.