Friday May 3, 2024: Steve Simon's NIKON ZF MASTERY ONLINE BOOTCAMP

The NikonZF: Everything You Need to Know. Transformational Strategies To Simplify Your Process And Let Creativity Soar with Steve Simon

The Nikon ZF Bootcamp will go live in February, and now that the Nikon ZF is out in circulation, I thought it was the perfect time for my bootcamp to comprehensively cover this beautiful retro camera in this 5-hour marathon online workshop.

Nikon's Zf is a full-frame mirrorless camera with classic brass, tactile dials reminiscent of the classic Nikon FM2 film camera which I owned back in the day, but incorporating Nikon’s latest technology. 

It’s an irresistible combination for many and has made the ZF a very popular camera in the Nikon line-up. Built around a 24MP BSI CMOS sensor, it incorporates the latest Expeed 7 processing engine like in the Z8/Z9 cameras and matches their incredible AF performance with its 9-type subject recognition and 3-D tracking. The camera’s touchscreen is fully articulating, which is nice and it allows a mode which lets you drag your finger on the screen to select a focus point while shooting, something new which I’m excited to experiment with. 

It also uses the same battery, charger and adapter as the Z8 which make it a convenient second camera for Z8 owners. 

The lower resolution sensor of the ZF deliver’s a higher quality high ISO image and the ZF lets you select up to 64k ISO before venturing into the expanded HI modes which reach effectively 204,800 ISO.Frame rates are not quite as high as the Z8/Z9 but reach 11fps in RAW and up to 30 full frame JPEGS and include the pre-burst option. 

The cost of this workshop covers tuition and the Nikon ZF Street & Travel set-up card, a detailed 600+ slide-deck pdf handout and assorted NIKON ZF reference pdfs. You also get the ZF "bin" file which lets you populate your camera's entire menu system in less than a second using the camera's Save/Load settings function. This means your camera will be all set up and ready for you to follow along in the class.

All settings are based on the latest firmware versions.

Image stabilization reaches 8 stops of VR and the camera incorporates a new Focus Point Vibration Reduction which links VR with a chosen AF point that Nikon claims to deliver even sharper results at lower shutter speeds. 

For those that love black and white, you can set your picture control to B&W using the dial switch and there are two new monochrome picture controls, flat and deep tone which as with all picture controls can also be used when recording video. For video shooters, know that the ZF is a very capable movie camera shooting 4k/60 in DX mode (cropped sensor) or 4k up to 30p with the full frame. 

The ZF is the first Nikon body to incorporate a pixel shift feature which moves the sensor by precise degrees which allow you to combine up to 32 RAW frames in post to create a 96MP high resolution image. (works best with static subjects and a tripod).

The ZF has two card slots, a SD one and a second MicroSD type which I leave in the camera set to overflow but essentially use the SD as my primary and main card. 

The ZF is build with the accumulation of more than 100 years of Nikon history and innovation. They are the most advanced and capable cameras Nikon has ever produced incorporating a hybrid mix of groundbreaking new technologies and advanced features.  

The main bootcamp class is 5 hours and we will schedule a follow up class to discuss implementation of the camera settings and how things are working out at a later date (1.5 hours) TBA. If you take one class you can attend the next one for free. As the camera evolves with firmware updates and our experience with the camera progresses each subsequent class will be given a firmware update of sorts, getting better with each successive offering.

The bootcamp will be recorded and if participants can't make a class "live", they will have access to view the class at their convenience. There will be new bootcamps monthly as long as there is demand which I expect to be for a very long time because the ZF will be a popular camera. 

The Z mirrorless cameras are amazing. But the ZF has made it possible to get images I never could before with any other camera and I like it for very low light work. 

Master This Camera

The core of the Zf's most important features will be covered. This will be a 5-Hour Online Course. We will take a short lunch break. Students will have access to a recording of the class so they can go back on their own time and review. The Nikon ZF joins the Z8 & Z9 cameras to set a new standard in state of the art mirrorless cameras.

The ZF joins the Z8/Z9 cameras as the first mirrorless bodies to include 3D Tracking AF, something DSLR shooters have been asking for. The cameras' 273 point AF system covers some 90 per cent of the frame.  

This bootcamp will cover everything from shooting modes to Auto ISO, white balance, metering choices, histograms, exposure compensation, file formats, image review and other shortcuts to customizing your Nikon Z Mount mirrorless cameras to your own unique shooting style.

You will learn Steve’s “Big Eight” transformational technical strategies and learn his minimalist philosophy when it comes to Nikon gear. This masterclass is designed to let you take control of your camera and speed up your response time so you don’t miss a moment.

(Photo: Van Tsciclas)

Steve will dive deep into autofocus and personalizing your ZF by customizing buttons & dials to program function button including back-button AF. 

Steve wants to insure you fully understand these concepts and the  positive impact they will have on your shooting process moving forward. You will learn about programming the very useful My Menu screen.

Students can download Steve’s Menu Settings for Street & Travel, Landscape Photography and Point & Shoot.

What to have at your side for our online class: 

• Your Nikon ZF mirrorless body and at least one lens
• 2 Fully charged Nikon ZF camera batteries 
• SD Card
  
• A strong desire to learn the best ways to configure this amazing camera! 

 “I just spent the last two days with Steve Simon, what a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, he cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days.”    Oscar Piñeyro

(Photo: Walt Custer)