- No FTZ-S (screw-drive focus support. Since Nikon spent lots of time "fixing" user complaints with the original models—fixing is in quotes because I've been of the belief that most of those original complaints were excuses not to buy, not true operational complaints—but didn't pick up on the big one: so many legacy lenses got left in the dust by not supporting screw drive autofocus. I keep hearing from long-time Nikon users who say "no Z for me until they fix this." Like the complaints that were just addressed, this isn't so much a true operational complaint. Once you've used a few Z (and even current F) lenses, you aren't putting your 28-105mm D lens on the camera.
- Crop 4K/60P (and not until next year with a firmware update on the Z6 II). This complaint mostly comes from Sony fans, who, ironically, if they bought a Sony body at the same price would also not get full frame 4K/60P ;~). To me this is a faux complaint until such time as Nikon really decides that they're in the video game (see also next).
- No internal 10-bit video recording (or internal raw video option). Given that these are primarily cameras for still photography that do really well as video cameras, plus the fact that we do have 10-bit N-Log HDR ProResRAW (and soon Blackmagic RAW) via the HDMI port, I'm not particularly concerned about this. If Nikon started making clear video-specific lenses, then I might change my mind on this, but I'm fine with the way things are. It's also curious that the folk complaining about 4K/60P crop and no internal 10-bit aren't also complaining about the 30-minute limit on video recorded internally. This is one way that disinformation and trolling shows up on the Internet: it picks up on a talking point it wants to promote but doesn't actually have a full world view of the issue and its related bits. If you want a camera to be "all in" with video, it's more than one or two bullets that need to be addressed.
- Europe is once again complaining about pricing (particularly Scandinavian countries). The US prices—without VAT or sales tax—are more reasonable than most folk expected, but in Europe we once again see a trend Nikon has been using for awhile, which is to set a high price (with VAT included) and then let the market (dealers) eventually discount that down to what moves product. So much micromanaging. And I'm not sure it actually produces maximum results.
- Lenses. No matter how fast Nikon moves, they're going to be dealing with this complaint for a couple more years, as going from a 60+ lens lineup to a 16 lens lineup (now; 24 by end of next year) is still restrictive, particularly when the mount isn't open to third party developers. I was astonished at how many of you wanted a 70-200mm f/4 S lens, and I think Nikon would be, too. The 70-200mm f/4G lens wasn't a top seller. But I think the issue here is that if you commit to the Z mount, you don't want to spend US$7000 right away picking up f/2.8 zooms. You need more budget-friendly options initially. So, the 14-30mm f/4, 24-70mm f/4, and 70-200mm f/4 would entice more users to switch from DSLR to mirrorless.
And I have a few of my own:
- Nikon redesigned the WT-10 (now WT-11b for the Z's), and still didn't get it right. With the WT-11b plugged in, access to the HDMI port is still blocked. Seriously, Nikon, whoever's in charge of accessories really needs to be permanently given an office with a view and you need to talk to customers more about the accessories.
- The MB-N11 appears to be a redesigned MB-N10. Better, but... Nikon makes the claim "...has a built-in USB-C port...[which] will come in handy when you want to use one port to provide constant power to the camera and the other port to communicate with software or other equipment." A situation that was described to me was tethered shooting. No, I don't want two cables plugged into my camera for tethered shooting. Moreover, clearly USB Power Delivery works while streaming video via the same cable (e.g. Webcam use), so exactly why do I want two cables again?
- I don't like setting-dependent performance issues. The Z6 II does 14 fps, but only with Single Point AF set. The other AF Area modes apparently will drop you to 12 fps.
- "Rapidly expanding ecosystem." This was a bullet point in Nikon's press releases and other materials. It's hyperbole. Moreover, two of the things they pointed to as "expansion"—the vertical grip and the radio transmitter—are fixes, not additions. I'll believe "rapidly expanding" when I see it. What I see right now is steady progression.
