Several times, in different article comments, I’ve written that Nikon needs new naming nomenclature for their DSLR cameras. The only line that still makes sense is the Pro line – now expanded with the new Nikon D6, but more about that later. At some point, about 10 years ago, it all started to look messy and out of logic. Yet, if you think about it, it started messy from the beginning.

Some history

From 1999 to 2007 we had D1 and D2 series as Professional models, then D100 and D200 as Advanced cameras, followed by D70 and D80 – Mid-range. D50 and D60 were forming the Upper-Entry wing, then D40 was the Entry level camera. Till that moment they all were APS-C cameras. Are you confused already… so do I. However, I think this all comes to an end as the DSLR line is slowly fading away and they won’t need any more letters and numbers to continue forward. Simply because they won’t… continue forward.

This article is part two of how YouTubers welcomed the new Nikon Z cameras. I will go in details on August 24th posts, and will link to the later videos, because it would be an endless read for you.

Aug 24, 2018

Tony & Chelsea Northrup, the biggest photography channel on YouTube join the conversation a bit late, but as they said in their video “Nikon Z7 Review: Maybe wait… (pre-production)” they were late because they “were sad, had some criticism, and were scared” and stressed about it. Just from the beginning their video prepares the viewers that they are going to criticize Nikon. They waited for the emotions to fade so they can give an objective thoughts and opinion about the new Z cameras from Nikon.

Tony and Chelsea start with the feel of the camera. They think that the buttons have that”mirrorless feel” that everyone has bashed Sony about, they did not like the single dial on top which doesn’t have a secondary ring used for continues low/high, timer, etc. Tony mentioned the lack of lighted buttons (like in the  D850) and the lack of the left row of buttons. They like both screens, but the EVF they think was over-hyped but in reality it was just OK, as the other cameras from this class. About the ONE MEMORY CARD SLOT – here is their expression when they started to talk about that – no need of further commentary.

It is ten days now since the official announcement of the Nikon Z – Nikon’s first mirrorless cameras. There was (and still is) a huge interest among the entire photography world – internet is full with articles, specification comparisons, details, and pictures. YouTube is on alert as well. Many people are disappointed, many are praising the new cameras. Nothing new under the sun, you’ll say, and you’ll be right. But it is interesting to see what the initial reaction of the photography community was. Did it match the excitement of Nikon managers, ambassadors, sales reps, and pure fanboys?

In this article, which I am going to split to two parts, I’ll go through the most popular commentaries on YouTube, starting the day before the cameras were officially announced but specs were already leaked. In a follow-up, third article, I will share my personal opinion with you, my dear readers. I’ll link to the other articles here, once they are published. Updated: link to part 2:

It is going to be a long one, so get something to eat and drink and happy reading/watching.