Caught in the Middle: Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 or Nikon Z6 and Z7?

This is a story I shouldn't have to write. It is about how a small mistake made by Nikon USA, the simple omission of a space, has created a problem. One that I shouldn't have to spend any mental energy dealing with.

The name for a completely new series of products is important and sets the stage for future models. When Nikon's first full frame mirrorless cameras were announced, the product information disseminated from Nikon to the media clearly listed the model names as "Z 6" and "Z 7" – with a space between the letter and the number. I immediately thought those were reasonable names, short and simple, yet featuring separate line and model names with room to grow.

The problem came as we began integrating the information for those cameras with the retailer links. Apparently, there was a mistake in the new product information disseminated to retailers – the space between the letter and number was omitted. All retailers listed the cameras as "Z6" and "Z7".

That left us stuck in the middle. The parent should know the baby's name, right? When asked about this problem, Nikon’s official response was:

"“Z” is a letter symbolizing Nikon’s new camera brand. To emphasize this, there is a space between Z and 7/6."

Perfect. Now we know the right answer. The problem is that there are a lot more retailer websites listing the camera names incorrectly than Nikon USA websites with the correct names. To a computer, "Z 6" is different than "Z6", so in many cases, the space does matter. Even Google thinks the retailers must be right with its AI suggesting visitors searching for "Z 6" and "Z 7" instead search for "Z6" and "Z7". Retailers (and Google) have now trained those looking for these cameras to search for the space-less model names at an approximately 40:1 ratio.

Accuracy in a major product name seems important. Thus, we are leaving the space in place ... at least for now. Help spread the word – save the space!