Stephan Wiesner is a German Youtuber with close to 100k subscribers, who is reviewing photography gear on his channel. He's also writing reviews on his blog, and publishing photography magazines in German language. He's also a landscape photographer, and is using Sony A7ii, Sony A6000 as well as Nikon D750. He likes all those three cameras for different reasons. Nikon Germany has recently approach him to review the new Nikon Z7 mirrorless full frame camera. He published several videos, from unboxing to real-life usage. Since the videos are in German, I will be translating some of his conclusions into English for you for a better understanding.
One big difference between Stephan Wiesner and most American Youtube gear reviewers (like Tony Northrup) is that there's a full disclosure in the video - watermarked! On the left side it says "Unterstützt von Nikon" - "Supported by Nikon". That is referring to the fact, that he has not bought the camera, but got it on loan from Nikon. On the right it says "Werbesendung" - "Commercial spot". The irony however is that Stephan's videos don't look like commercials at all (unlike Tony Northrup, who claims to be unbiased), his reviews are very straightforward and measured, speaking from experience, and from the perspective of personal preference. It's very refreshing to watch reviews by a normal human being, who is not trying to sell you a product, or make you click and watch a video with basically no content, but just a headline (like the Angry Photographer for example).
Stephan Wiesner's Nikon Z videos
1) Nikon Z7 Unboxing, German (without showing the box)
He's filming with the Nikon Z7 with the 24-70 f/4 at 70mm and f/4.5 in flat profile, the first recording.
Key points:
- He's not able to hear the sound when he's recording (maybe doesn't know how to set it)
- Nikon D850 sound is not so good compared to Sony and Panasonic
- He thinks the camera and system looks really good for him as a landscape photographer
- After 20 min of 4K video the battery was at 90%
- Nikon called him and asked him if he wanted to test the camera
- They sent the camera without XQD card (so he had to buy himself, 200 EUR)
- On the 1 card slot he says it's not a problem for him. If it is a problem for people, then just don't buy this camera. This is no reason to be upset about it.
- He said he made some 300,000 photos in his life, he never had an SD card fail
- He says he had his cameras stolen before, and to have 2 SD cards inside is worse than 1 that case
- He says when he's on holiday he rotates 3 SD cards, in case his camera gets stolen
- Autofocus is snappy, no problems, but has not tested the camera extensively
- Has better grip than Sony A7ii, but he hopes it would be a bit bigger grip (like the D750)
- The scroll wheels are firm, unlike Sony, which is better
- The face detection during video is top even when he's moving his hands
- Joystick is great
2) Nikon Z7 camera for landscape photography (first impressions, German)
He's testing the Nikon Z7 with the 24-70 f/4 for landscape photography. He says the camera is great, nothing is in the way of the photography.
Key points:
- First major complaint is fastening the camera on the tripod, the bottom part of the camera is slippery
- The level indicator and the histogram don't display at the same time (other cameras also have same issue)
- He hopes he can see both at the same time (very useful for landscape photography)
- A minor annoyance is 2 second shutter delay setting always disappears every time the camera switches off
- Viewfinder is excellent, top quality
- The buttons are excellent and top quality, never have any issues (unlike with another brand, he is talking about Sony)
- He hoped the play button would be placed on the right side
- Top display is very legible, even in bright sun
- Best feature Nikon has: You can get a histogram of a zoomed in part of the image.
- Focus peaking is great, he can manually focus very well
- Autofocus indication is red, with Sony it's the issue to see focus areas in the bright sun
- The 24-70 f/4 is excellent: There is no flare!
- No autofocus issues like some others reported
3) Nikon Z7 camera for action photography - autofocus with adapter
He's testing the camera in the forest with his biking friends.
Key points:
- The 70-200 f/4 camera with FTZ adapter works great
- He missed focus initially because he did not set it to "continuous auto focus" (he set it on single)
- Manual mode with auto ISO worked great
- One thing he noticed is noise: The lens motor is loud when camera works
- At the end a video test with the 35mm f/1.8S - it works great
- Talking about the battery life: He used the camera for hours, and still has 66% of battery left
- He feels the battery life is excellent, and easily lasts all day
4) Nikon Z7 Camera - Buffer Card Writing Test
Key points:
- The XQD memory card is very fast
- The huge files fill up the buffer fast, but the camera stays fully responsive and the buffer clears within seconds
- Sony cameras have many issues when buffer is clearing, can't be used
5) Nikon Z7 weather sealing test
Stephan used his Facebook to do an extreme weather sealing test by pouring water over the camera. The camera obviously survived, and is weather sealed as promised. That's quite an advantage over the competition such as Sony.
6) Nikon Z7 tested in extreme conditions
A photo shoot in the Swiss mountains with the Nikon Z7 shooting an AcroYoga session at an altitude above 3000m (Eiger-Nordwand). He says the back LCD is excellent, but he had some issues with the video (he will make a separate video about that).
7) Nikon Z7 compared to the Fuji X-T3
Stephan had the chance to check out the new Fuji X-T3 which his Swiss friend got on loan for testing. These are some of his impressions in comparison with the Nikon Z7, which he has been testing:
- The viewfinder as well as LCD screen of the Nikon Z7 are noticeably better than the Fuji X-T3, especially the LCD shows more detail due to higher resolution (great for reviewing images in detail)
- When zooming in images to review them on the LCD, there is a lag in the Fuji, while the Nikon has no lag, it’s like an iPhone
- The lack of IBIS is an issue for him for video, here again Nikon is ahead, as Fuji X-T3 has no IBIS
You can watch the video here.
Conclusion
Stephan Wiesner shows that the Nikon Z7 is an amazing camera that works solidly and reliably in still photography and video. There was no major issues. Adapted lenses work great, autofocus is top, the ergonomics are almost perfect. The above videos are just "first impressions", a full in-depth review will follow in 2 weeks (I will post it here). Compare that to the likes of Tony Northrup, who went on a Sony sponsored trip to Las Vegas and "reviewed" the Sony A7 iii. This just shows that the US photography YouTubers are sell-outs and crooks, not to be trusted. I hope these real-world reviews will paint a better image of the camera than those dumb "1 card slot videos" by various American armchair pundits, that have nothing to do with photography.
Interesting comment on Stephan's videos
Here's a comment in German, that echoes my sentiment about online reviewers, who are drumming negativity towards Nikon for bogus reasons. Here is an English translation of the same comment:
I never really write comments, but here I just have to give you big compliments.
You have approached this thing objectively with all your professional experience.
You do not read any spec sheets and have any other cameras laying in front of you on the table to create an appearance that you look important. You're not talking bad about a product without first thoroughly testing it.
You are a doer, and you don't beat around the bush.
The nonsense your YouTube colleagues are spewing about this camera cannot be trumped anymore. They judge a product without even having seen it live once, let alone holding it in the hand. And certainly not testing it under real conditions.
How can you talk bad about a product just because it does not have great video features, or because you can not rotate the display? These people are forgetting that 90% of buyers buy a camera to take photos. None of my acquaintances and friends make videos. This is important for those who work with the camera. And that's maybe only 10% of the people who buy such a camera. And even if, what do they want with even better video functions? For 90% of all people who buy such a camera, the video quality is by far sufficient. They complain that the camera cannot make even better videos, where 99% of people would not even see the difference, and then they complain that you can not use SD cards...
I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry. They want to have a camera of the future and complain about XQD cards.
Honestly, those YouTubers are so busy to trash something they did not even hold in their hands, that they forget the most important thing that at least 90% of the people are even interested in...
How is the sensor and what AMAZING photos the camera can shoot.
Thank you for feeding us with what we are really interested in and taking your time to review this, so that all of us can form an objective judgment about it.
Thank you thank you thank you
One big difference between Stephan Wiesner and most American Youtube gear reviewers (like Tony Northrup) is that there's a full disclosure in the video - watermarked! On the left side it says "Unterstützt von Nikon" - "Supported by Nikon". That is referring to the fact, that he has not bought the camera, but got it on loan from Nikon. On the right it says "Werbesendung" - "Commercial spot". The irony however is that Stephan's videos don't look like commercials at all (unlike Tony Northrup, who claims to be unbiased), his reviews are very straightforward and measured, speaking from experience, and from the perspective of personal preference. It's very refreshing to watch reviews by a normal human being, who is not trying to sell you a product, or make you click and watch a video with basically no content, but just a headline (like the Angry Photographer for example).
Stephan Wiesner's Nikon Z videos
1) Nikon Z7 Unboxing, German (without showing the box)
He's filming with the Nikon Z7 with the 24-70 f/4 at 70mm and f/4.5 in flat profile, the first recording.
Key points:
- He's not able to hear the sound when he's recording (maybe doesn't know how to set it)
- Nikon D850 sound is not so good compared to Sony and Panasonic
- He thinks the camera and system looks really good for him as a landscape photographer
- After 20 min of 4K video the battery was at 90%
- Nikon called him and asked him if he wanted to test the camera
- They sent the camera without XQD card (so he had to buy himself, 200 EUR)
- On the 1 card slot he says it's not a problem for him. If it is a problem for people, then just don't buy this camera. This is no reason to be upset about it.
- He said he made some 300,000 photos in his life, he never had an SD card fail
- He says he had his cameras stolen before, and to have 2 SD cards inside is worse than 1 that case
- He says when he's on holiday he rotates 3 SD cards, in case his camera gets stolen
- Autofocus is snappy, no problems, but has not tested the camera extensively
- Has better grip than Sony A7ii, but he hopes it would be a bit bigger grip (like the D750)
- The scroll wheels are firm, unlike Sony, which is better
- The face detection during video is top even when he's moving his hands
- Joystick is great
2) Nikon Z7 camera for landscape photography (first impressions, German)
He's testing the Nikon Z7 with the 24-70 f/4 for landscape photography. He says the camera is great, nothing is in the way of the photography.
Key points:
- First major complaint is fastening the camera on the tripod, the bottom part of the camera is slippery
- The level indicator and the histogram don't display at the same time (other cameras also have same issue)
- He hopes he can see both at the same time (very useful for landscape photography)
- A minor annoyance is 2 second shutter delay setting always disappears every time the camera switches off
- Viewfinder is excellent, top quality
- The buttons are excellent and top quality, never have any issues (unlike with another brand, he is talking about Sony)
- He hoped the play button would be placed on the right side
- Top display is very legible, even in bright sun
- Best feature Nikon has: You can get a histogram of a zoomed in part of the image.
- Focus peaking is great, he can manually focus very well
- Autofocus indication is red, with Sony it's the issue to see focus areas in the bright sun
- The 24-70 f/4 is excellent: There is no flare!
- No autofocus issues like some others reported
3) Nikon Z7 camera for action photography - autofocus with adapter
He's testing the camera in the forest with his biking friends.
Key points:
- The 70-200 f/4 camera with FTZ adapter works great
- He missed focus initially because he did not set it to "continuous auto focus" (he set it on single)
- Manual mode with auto ISO worked great
- One thing he noticed is noise: The lens motor is loud when camera works
- At the end a video test with the 35mm f/1.8S - it works great
- Talking about the battery life: He used the camera for hours, and still has 66% of battery left
- He feels the battery life is excellent, and easily lasts all day
4) Nikon Z7 Camera - Buffer Card Writing Test
Key points:
- The XQD memory card is very fast
- The huge files fill up the buffer fast, but the camera stays fully responsive and the buffer clears within seconds
- Sony cameras have many issues when buffer is clearing, can't be used
5) Nikon Z7 weather sealing test
Stephan used his Facebook to do an extreme weather sealing test by pouring water over the camera. The camera obviously survived, and is weather sealed as promised. That's quite an advantage over the competition such as Sony.
6) Nikon Z7 tested in extreme conditions
A photo shoot in the Swiss mountains with the Nikon Z7 shooting an AcroYoga session at an altitude above 3000m (Eiger-Nordwand). He says the back LCD is excellent, but he had some issues with the video (he will make a separate video about that).
7) Nikon Z7 compared to the Fuji X-T3
Stephan had the chance to check out the new Fuji X-T3 which his Swiss friend got on loan for testing. These are some of his impressions in comparison with the Nikon Z7, which he has been testing:
- The viewfinder as well as LCD screen of the Nikon Z7 are noticeably better than the Fuji X-T3, especially the LCD shows more detail due to higher resolution (great for reviewing images in detail)
- When zooming in images to review them on the LCD, there is a lag in the Fuji, while the Nikon has no lag, it’s like an iPhone
- The lack of IBIS is an issue for him for video, here again Nikon is ahead, as Fuji X-T3 has no IBIS
You can watch the video here.
Conclusion
Stephan Wiesner shows that the Nikon Z7 is an amazing camera that works solidly and reliably in still photography and video. There was no major issues. Adapted lenses work great, autofocus is top, the ergonomics are almost perfect. The above videos are just "first impressions", a full in-depth review will follow in 2 weeks (I will post it here). Compare that to the likes of Tony Northrup, who went on a Sony sponsored trip to Las Vegas and "reviewed" the Sony A7 iii. This just shows that the US photography YouTubers are sell-outs and crooks, not to be trusted. I hope these real-world reviews will paint a better image of the camera than those dumb "1 card slot videos" by various American armchair pundits, that have nothing to do with photography.
Interesting comment on Stephan's videos
Here's a comment in German, that echoes my sentiment about online reviewers, who are drumming negativity towards Nikon for bogus reasons. Here is an English translation of the same comment:
I never really write comments, but here I just have to give you big compliments.
You have approached this thing objectively with all your professional experience.
You do not read any spec sheets and have any other cameras laying in front of you on the table to create an appearance that you look important. You're not talking bad about a product without first thoroughly testing it.
You are a doer, and you don't beat around the bush.
The nonsense your YouTube colleagues are spewing about this camera cannot be trumped anymore. They judge a product without even having seen it live once, let alone holding it in the hand. And certainly not testing it under real conditions.
How can you talk bad about a product just because it does not have great video features, or because you can not rotate the display? These people are forgetting that 90% of buyers buy a camera to take photos. None of my acquaintances and friends make videos. This is important for those who work with the camera. And that's maybe only 10% of the people who buy such a camera. And even if, what do they want with even better video functions? For 90% of all people who buy such a camera, the video quality is by far sufficient. They complain that the camera cannot make even better videos, where 99% of people would not even see the difference, and then they complain that you can not use SD cards...
I'm not sure whether I should laugh or cry. They want to have a camera of the future and complain about XQD cards.
Honestly, those YouTubers are so busy to trash something they did not even hold in their hands, that they forget the most important thing that at least 90% of the people are even interested in...
How is the sensor and what AMAZING photos the camera can shoot.
Thank you for feeding us with what we are really interested in and taking your time to review this, so that all of us can form an objective judgment about it.
Thank you thank you thank you
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