Just last year, Nikon released its first mirrorless cameras: the Z 7 and the Z 6. Now it is expanding that line with the newly announced Z 5.
The Z 5 is an entry-point mirrorless Z series camera. It takes a few features from the Z 7 and Z 6 with the next generation of Z mount. Additionally, the camera features in-camera vibration reduction and image stabilization. “The Nikon Z 5 offers a lot of power and capabilities at an attractive price, “ Nikon claims in its press release. Let’s take a look at this camera.
Nikon Z 5’s image quality
The Z 5 sports a 25-megapixel full-frame sensor, however, it is not backside-illuminated. Additionally, the camera is likely not the best option out there for 4K video shoot. The reason is it has a 1.7x crop. However, as we said above, it does have various stabilization systems that should keep the image you are shooting steady. The camera is capable of shooting 4K UHD/30p2 or in 1080/60p (full-frame).
Moving on, the camera has an ISO range up to 51,200 and is expandable to 102,400. Also, according to Nikon, the Z 5 is effective at reducing noise and maintaining both high sensitivity and resolution “to excel in low-light situations.”
The Z 5 features dual card slots
The Z 5 is not as feature-rich as the Z 6. For instance, it lacks a status screen and it is built with more plastic than the Z 6. Plus, as we said before, the sensor is not backside-illuminated, making the Z 6 a much more capable 4K camera. However, it still has a 3.69 million-dot OLED viewfinder, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, and an Expeed 6 processor.
There is actually a feature that the camera has that both the Z 6 and 7 lacked. Both cameras sorely lacked dual card slots. Both only had a single card slot and used the uncommon XQD format. The Z 5 comes with two UHS-II SD card slots, surpassing the Z 6 and 7 in that regard.
Pricing and availability
The Nikon Z 5 will be out in August for $1,399 for the body only. In total, it is $600 cheaper than the Z 6. Additionally, you can opt to get the $1,699.95 kit, which includes Nikon’s new 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens. There is also a $2,199.95 option with the 24-200mm f/4-6.3 lens. You can learn more here.
