Quality Control on Z line

stephens7

I am thinking Nikon's QC is not what it was on the newest Z stuff. My 70-200's tripod mount got loose on a shoot this week. I had only used it a few times. Lens was wiggling around, very disconcerting...4 little screws hold it on. Does not seem solid like the F versions were. The plastic plug popped off of the know too :<
On my new grip, the little battery door keeps popping off and it's hard to reattach , seems less well made too, kind of the cheaper feel of the Chinese knock-off versions of previous grips I have seen, I'm worrying this could be the future as Nikon is moving all of it's production offshore.

PB_PM

I’ve been saying this for a while now, everyone said I was crazy and the gear was better made than ever. This is the price users pay when companies cost cut and slash jobs. It’s more profitable for the company, but bad for consumers. We are paying more than ever before for the gear and the quality is getting worse. Not on everything mind you, it’s the small stuff, at least for now anyway.

snakebunk

Bad quality could be a show stopper for me since I shoot quite a lot and always outdoors. Does anyone else have any input about how similar Z mount gear compares to F mount? For example Z7 compared to D850.

photobunny

The 70-200 Z seems way better built than the F version I tried and my older Canon L equivalents. Less metal in the build, but it is solid and keeps working. The Z6 was happy in a blizzard even when ice was freezing to it, and it is just as happy in the rain. Other wildlife photographers I know are quite happy to take their Z systems into the wild in the same places the D5/D6/D500/D850 were taken and use the exact same method of shoving them on a dehumidifier bag after. There is also a perception that there little to no sample variation in the Z line that was present in the F line.

mhedges

I can only compare Z6 to D7200. Overall I think they feel similar, with a slight edge to the Z6, but I did like the way the control wheels on the D7200 were rubberized.

As far as lenses I like the feel of the Z lenses better than any of the lower end F mount lenses I used.

spraynpray

Maybe it is because film camera models weren't replaced every 5 minutes like digital cameras are now. That carried across to the D700 generation of DSLR's and has been ebbing way ever since. I baby my gear so hopefully I won't have a problem but if the Z gear is that flimsy, I'll stick with the D850 until it breaks irreparably and then jump to smaller format Olympus.

NSXTypeR

spraynpray said:

Maybe it is because film camera models weren't replaced every 5 minutes like digital cameras are now. That carried across to the D700 generation of DSLR's and has been ebbing way ever since. I baby my gear so hopefully I won't have a problem but if the Z gear is that flimsy, I'll stick with the D850 until it breaks irreparably and then jump to smaller format Olympus.

You sure you want to jump to Olympus? They've just sold the imaging division to some sort of retainer and aren't really independent anymore.

I'm in no rush to buy cameras, I'll stick with my D7000 for now. I'll see what Nikon has in store and if I like it I'll get it.

spraynpray

NSXTypeR said:

You sure you want to jump to Olympus? They've just sold the imaging division to some sort of retainer and aren't really independent anymore.

I hadn't heard that, I'll watch to see what is going on nearer the time (hopefully 10 years).

mhedges

I don't see how one can say the Z's are flimsy. They are very well built I think

PB_PM

The early Z cameras were made in Japan, now they are made in Thailand. Nothing wrong with the camera bodies I've bought recently (Z6 and D850 last year).

It tends to be the little things, like the OP mentioned, lens hoods not attaching well, lens foots not staying attached properly (500 PF), and my own experience is that battery grips aren't as well made and constantly have connection issues. The D750 with grip was terrible, it was always draining, and the green light on the body was constantly flickering (yes it was a Nikon grip). Lets not even start on all the recalls on the D750, I think there were at least three. D800 focus issue (early production). The D600 fiasco is also a memory that stands out. SB-900 overheating issue. Nikon has had a somewhat spotty record in the last 5-10 years.

NSXTypeR

spraynpray said:

NSXTypeR said:

You sure you want to jump to Olympus? They've just sold the imaging division to some sort of retainer and aren't really independent anymore.

I hadn't heard that, I'll watch to see what is going on nearer the time (hopefully 10 years).

https://www.dpreview.com/news/0412395347/olympus-finalizes-deal-with-jip-to-sell-its-imaging-business

I really don't know what the long term implications are for the photography division, but I guess "real" Olympus is the medical imaging division.

I actually think M4/3 isn't really viable anymore as Panasonic kind of went full frame. With Olympus gone, there might be very little new development on M4/3.