Experiences shooting B&W with the Nikon Zf

[Timmyjoe]

I'm wondering what folks here have experienced when shooting B&W with the Nikon Zf camera. How do the images compare to dedicated B&W cameras like the Leica Monochroms?

Would love to see some B&W images shot with the Nikon Zf, and would be interested in hearing what software you're using the process the images.

Thanks in advance.

Best,
-Tim

 

[gavinlg]

It's a really nice bw camera. I prefer the inbuilt monochrome profiles to the fuji ones in my old x-pro3. I haven't used the M-mono camera's.
Below is from a walk today with an OM zuiko 50mm f1.4, straight out of camera with a slight contrast reduction.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Thanks for the response Gavin. I really like the tones you got with those images. So that is "right out of the camera" jpeg images?

And I'm assuming you've got an Olympus OM to Nikon Z adapter for using that lens on the Nikon Zf?

Best,
-Tim

 

[JohnWolf]

Hi Tim. I owned the MM and M246 for a long time and had a Zf for a short time. I looked through my archive but don't have photos that I feel demonstrate a fair comparison - different lenses, lighting, etc. Plus, I had the kit Zf with the 40 and found that lens disappointing, especially its veiling flare. So not a good evaluation. That said, I loved the BW rendering of my 90 Voightlander Lanthar on the Zf.

I shoot BW almost exclusively and have owned many digital cameras, and my experience is that nothing compares to the Monochroms for BW image quality. I don't have the technical language to explain it, but what wows me especially is the range of rich gray tones and the smooth transition between them.

But it seems to me less a question of comparison than asking, is the BW rendering of this or that camera pleasing to me? Seems to me the only want to find out is to try one on your subject matter with your lenses.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Thanks John, that's good information and what I was hoping to find out.

Best,
-Tim

 

[PatrickT]

Having the B&W switch on the camera is a game changer for me. I love just being able to pop the switch and head right into black and white mode.

I've used the Zf with the default black and white profile and I'm really liking it. These images are raws that were run through lightroom, with the same default Zf black and white profile applied, and some subtle tweaks to the exposure, along with adding grain. Great B&W camera in my mind.

 

[maddoc]

I haven't used my Zf a lot recently, enjoy processing film and printing in my makeshift darkroom much more. The only example photo, I have put online to my Flickr taken with the Zf in BW is the photo of the resting crows. Taken with
Nikon Zf
Nikon FTZ II
REFLEX-NIKKOR C 500mm f/8.0
GITZO 2941
SOOC

Resting crows by Gabor Samjeske, on Flickr

I can't say anything about processing software because I have never in my life used any other software features than resizing, and possibly exposure. With the Zf, I use Lightroom Classic because it provides a convenient workflow saving photos and with the help of my Z7II and tethered control I can easily scan my BW films.

 

[gavinlg]

Thanks for the response Gavin. I really like the tones you got with those images. So that is "right out of the camera" jpeg images?

And I'm assuming you've got an Olympus OM to Nikon Z adapter for using that lens on the Nikon Zf?

Best,
-Tim

That's right Tim, it's just a cheap OM to Z adapter which works well.
Those ones were shot in RAW but in Lightroom so it maintains the exact JPEG profile which is 'camera monochrome'. There's very little if any difference between straight out of camera JPEGS and the raws with the profile in lightroom.

 

[Richard G]

I found my Fuji X100 black and white underwhelming. The Monochrom M gives the huge range of midtones as John Wolf states. But after the Monochrom came out, a thread was started here on the M9 black and white jpegs. They are very very good. I shot an event under colored lights and needed jpeg black and white and raw so I could have some hope of seeing on the camera’s screen what I’d got. For some of these jpegs I tried enulating the picture in black and white with the raw file in Lightroom but I couldn’t quite get the same look. Good to know the Zf does well too.