SHOOTOUT: Nikon Z7 + Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S vs Sony A7R III + Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 (Lower Lundy Beaver Pond)
Related: beaver pond, Castor canadensis, Eastern Sierra, Lundy Canyon area, Nikon, Nikon Lenses, Nikon mirrorless, Nikon NIKKOR Z, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S, Nikon Z7, peak bagging, Sony, Sony A7R, Sony A7R II, Sony A7R III, Sony mirrorless, Zeiss, Zeiss Biogon, Zeiss Lenses, Zeiss Loxia, Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon, Zeiss mirrorless lenses
See my Nikon mirrorless wishlist and Sony mirrorless wishlist.
A few people might be wondering whether to jump ship from Sony mirrorless to the Nikon Z7. In terms of ergonomics and EVF that’s a no-brainer IMO. But the Nikon Z7 has no native lenses above consumer grade (as of Oct 2018) and unless that changes in various ways or one is willing to adapt lenses, it is a problematic situation.
This shootout addresses the lens aspect directly—
The Nikon Z7 is a brand-new camera (late 2018) offering a large-diameter lens mount which eliminates most all obstacles to an optimal lens design for the brand-new and clean-sheet Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S.
The Sony A7R III is a year-old camera (2017). The Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon is a venerable but old lens rangefinder design for photographic film, never designed for mirrorless or even sensor cover glass, but is an optical design that was adapted/tweaked by Zeiss for Sony mirrorless.
A higher-megapixel camera with an all-new lens design ought to trounce its older competitor, right? Well...
Includes images up to full camera resolution from f/2 through f/11 along with crops and commentary.
Sony A7R III + Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon
ENV: Lundy Canyon, altitude 8000 ft / 2438 m, 50°F / 10°C
RAW: LACA corrected
[low-res image for bot]
