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Nikon Z7 II Comparison Review

The Nikon Z7 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in October 2020 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 45.4 megapixel.

camera

Is the Nikon Z7 II a good camera? The Z7 II has a Camera Elo of 3020. This very strong rating puts it among the elite group of camera grand masters. The Z7 II ranks among the top 10 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the Z7 II ranks among the top 20 percent.

Headline Specifications
Nikon Z7 II
Mirrorless system camera
Nikon Z mount lenses
45.4 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/60p Video
ISO 64 - 25 600 (32 - 102 400)
Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.2 LCD, 2100k dots
Tilting touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
420 shots per battery charge
134 x 101 x 70 mm, 705 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Nikon Z7 II vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Nikon Z7 II vs credit card front
Z7 II versus credit card top view
Z7 II and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon Z7 II alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon Z7 II 134 mm 101 mm 70 mm 705 g 420 Y Oct 2020 2,999 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon R5 138 mm 98 mm 88 mm 738 g 320 Y Jul 2020 3,899 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon R6 138 mm 98 mm 88 mm 680 g 360 Y Jul 2020 2,499 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon Z9 149 mm 150 mm 91 mm 1340 g 740 Y Oct 2021 5,499 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon Z6 II 134 mm 101 mm 70 mm 705 g 410 Y Oct 2020 1,999 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon Z6 134 mm 101 mm 67 mm 675 g 310 Y Aug 2018 1,999ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon Z7 134 mm 101 mm 67 mm 675 g 330 Y Aug 2018 3,399ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7R IIIA 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 650 Y Apr 2021 3,199 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A7R IV 129 mm 96 mm 78 mm 665 g 670 Y Jul 2019 3,499ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A7R III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 650 Y Oct 2017 3,199ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A7R II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 625 g 290 Y Jun 2015 3,199ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon Z7 II was launched in the US market at a price of $2,999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Check Z7 II price at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Nikon Z7 II features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon Z7 II among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Nikon Z7 II sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon Z7 II Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/60p26.314.72841100
2.
 
Canon R5 Full Frame 44.8 8192 54648K/30p25.314.6304295
3.
 
Canon R6 Full Frame 20.0 5472 36484k/60p24.214.3339490
4.
 
Nikon Z9 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55048K/30p26.314.4245198
5.
 
Nikon Z6 II Full Frame 24.3 6048 40244K/60p25.014.4330394
6.
 
Nikon Z6 Full Frame 24.3 6048 40244K/30p25.314.3329995
7.
 
Nikon Z7 Full Frame 45.4 8256 55044K/30p26.314.6266899
8.
 
Sony A7R IIIA Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.014.73523100
9.
 
Sony A7R IV Full Frame 60.2 9504 63364K/30p26.014.8334499
10.
 
Sony A7R III Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.014.73523100
11.
 
Sony A7R II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.013.9343498
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The Z7 II indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Z7 II can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the Z7 II has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 3690k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.80x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Nikon Z7 II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Nikon Z7 II3690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
2.
 
Canon R55760 Y3.2 / 2100 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
3.
 
Canon R63690 n3.0 / 1620 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
4.
 
Nikon Z93690 Y3.2 / 2089 full-flex Y 1/32000s 30.0/s n Y
5.
 
Nikon Z6 II3690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 14.0/s n Y
6.
 
Nikon Z63690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
7.
 
Nikon Z73690 Y3.2 / 2100 tilting Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n Y
8.
 
Sony A7R IIIA3686 n3.0 / 2340 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
9.
 
Sony A7R IV5760 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
10.
 
Sony A7R III3686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
11.
 
Sony A7R II2400 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Nikon Z7 II is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the Z7 II

One useful feature of the Z7 II is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Z7 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon Z7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
2.
 
Canon R5Ymono / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
3.
 
Canon R6Ymono / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
4.
 
Nikon Z9Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
5.
 
Nikon Z6 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
6.
 
Nikon Z6Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.1Y-Y
7.
 
Nikon Z7Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.1Y-Y
8.
 
Sony A7R IIIAYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2YYY
9.
 
Sony A7R IVYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
10.
 
Sony A7R IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
11.
 
Sony A7R IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
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It is notable that the Z7 II has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the Z7 II can be found in the free online Nikon Z7 II Manual or on the Nikon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the Z7 II in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon Z7 II4.5/5..4.5/5..4.5/54.5/5 Oct 2020 2,999 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon R54.5/5+4/591/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2020 3,899 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon R65/5+ +4/590/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2020 2,499 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon Z95/5..4.5/594/1005/55/5 Oct 2021 5,499 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon Z6 II4.5/5..4/589/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2020 1,999 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon Z65/5..5/589/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2018 1,999ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon Z75/5+4.8/589/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2018 3,399ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7R IIIA..+ +4/590/1004.5/55/5 Apr 2021 3,199 amazon.com
9.
 
Sony A7R IV5/5+4.5/591/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2019 3,499ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A7R III..+ +4/590/1004.5/55/5 Oct 2017 3,199ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A7R II5/5+ +5/590/1005/55/5 Jun 2015 3,199ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Check Z7 II price at
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Nikon Z7 II FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the Z7 II.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Nikon Z7 II based on?

The camera has a BSI-CMOS (Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Nikon Z7 II to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Nikon equipped the Z7 II with the DUAL EXPEED 6 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Nikon Z7 II?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 64 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 32-102400.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Nikon Z7 II?

Nikon mentions a shutter rating of 200 000 actuations for the Z7 II. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the Z7 II over, say, three years, one would have to take about 200 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Nikon Z7 II?

Nikon embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your Z7 II has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Nikon Z7 II?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Nikon Z7 II?

No, the Nikon Z7 II has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Nikon Z7 II?

The Z7 II offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Nikon Z7 II feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Nikon Z7 II for flash photography?

The Z7 II's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Does the Nikon Z7 II support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards (data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s).

Which battery does the Nikon Z7 II use?

The camera gets its power from the EN-EL15c (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Nikon Z7 II?

Yes, Nikon offers the MB-N11 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Where can I find the best deals for the Nikon Z7 II?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Nikon.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Nikon Z7 II
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Nikon Z mount lenses
    Launch Date October 2020
    Launch Price USD 2 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 35.9 x 23.9 mm
    Sensor Area 858 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.1 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 45.4 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 8 256 x 5 504 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.35 μm
    Pixel Density 5.30 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 4K/60p Video
    ISO Setting 64 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 32 - 102 400 ISO
    Image Processor DUAL EXPEED 6
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 100
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 26.3
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 14.7
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 2841
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.80x
    Viewfinder Resolution 3690k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 2100k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 10 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy200 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium CFexB or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 3.2
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type EN-EL15c power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)420 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 134 x 101 x 70 mm
    (5.3 x 4.0 x 2.8 in)
    Camera Weight 705 g (24.9 oz)

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