Nikon has introduced the long-awaited replace for its first-ever crop-sensor mirrorless. The Nikon Z50 II is to interchange the unique Z50, half a decade after its launch in 2019.
A lot of the headline specs stay unchanged, with the identical 20.9MP picture sensor, 100-51,200 ISO vary and 11fps max taking pictures price – and there is nonetheless no in-body picture stabilizaton. However at its coronary heart is the newest Expeed 7 processor, the identical top-of-the-line chip discovered within the Nikon Z9, Z8, Z6 III and Zf full-frame cameras.
Like placing a Ferrari engine right into a Fiat 500, this turbocharges the up to date digital camera’s efficiency, vastly bettering autofocus, topic monitoring and video, and inheriting a bunch of trick modes from these cameras increased up the vary.
Different headline enhancements are a brighter viewfinder, a bigger rear display screen that flips out (relatively than flips down), improved management structure and a extra snug grip, all of which. However probably the most noticeable seen distinction that units it aside from all different beforehand launched Z-series cameras is that it will get a brand-new button…
Take management
The Image Management button is situated on the highest plate, subsequent to the publicity mode dial. Whereas Nikon cameras have had Image Controls for years – which assign completely different seems to pictures processed in-camera – these have historically been accessed by way of the menu system, and this new direct-access button is aimed toward making use of these distinctive seems to pictures shortly and simply.
It must be famous that Image Controls are solely utilized to JPEGs relatively than RAW recordsdata, though the look shall be carried throughout with the RAW if opened in Nikon’s NX Studio software program.
The way in which that Image Management settings are displayed has modified, too, to make it clearer to see the impact, with a preview taking over the complete rear display screen relatively than simply exhibiting as a small thumbnail (as on the Z50). It’s also possible to restrict which Image Controls can be found, in order that solely your favorites are displayed for faster entry, relatively than having to scroll by means of all of the choices that you could be by no means use.
The perfect digital camera offers, evaluations, product recommendation, and unmissable pictures information, direct to your inbox!
The Z50 II is suitable with the brand new Nikon Cloud service, which allows you to obtain Image Controls created by others, together with these made by Nikon Creators. It joins the Z6 III as the one different digital camera at present suitable with Nikon Cloud and shares the service’s different advantages, too.
It mechanically uploads photos out of your digital camera to cloud providers of your selection when in vary of Wi-Fi networks, in addition to offering automated over-the-air firmware updates straight to the digital camera, relatively than having to undergo the rigmarole of getting to obtain the firmware file to your pc, copying it onto a reminiscence card, and delving by means of the menu system to use the replace.
Bettering the view
The viewfinder has been upgraded to be twice as vivid as within the Z50 (and comparable competitor cameras), with 1000nits of brightness in comparison with its predecessor’s 500nits.
This makes it simpler to compose photos when taking pictures in vivid gentle – and the brightness is mechanically toned down if taking pictures in darker environments, for extra snug viewing. Nonetheless, these hoping for a super-high-res EVF, like within the Z6 III, shall be dissatisfied, because it’s the identical 2.36 million-dot show as discovered within the unique Z50.
The vari-angle touchscreen show now flips out to the facet, relatively than beneath the digital camera as within the Z50 (which made for very awkward selfie-viewing when the digital camera was mounted on a tripod).
All textual content and different overlaid data now rotates to match the orientation of the digital camera, too, so that you don’t need to crane your neck to make sense of your settings when taking pictures vertically.
The three:2 ratio show is bodily bigger than its predecessor, at 3.2 inches relatively than 3 inches, although the decision stays the identical at 1.04 million dots.
Serving to creators create
Nikon has made some huge strides with the Z50 II with regards to video. When taking pictures in commonplace 4K 30p, video is oversampled from 5.6K – so it is uncropped, to breed the connected lens’ native angle of view. It is usually able to recording in a 4K 60p slow-mo mode, though this does apply a 1.5x crop, and there’s a FullHD 120p mode for footage that is 1 / 4 of the velocity of the unique.
There is a 2x digital zoom on supply, however this does not come on the expense of picture element (as is conventional with digital zoom) because the digital camera crops progressively into the world of the sensor so it nonetheless gives FullHD decision.
The pair of operate buttons on the entrance of the digital camera (in addition to different management choices) can be utilized relatively like a rocker change, to easily zoom out and in at 11 completely different speeds for clean transitions. Whereas the digital camera would not function in-body picture stabilization, video could be stabilized electronically – once more by selectively cropping into the picture space of the sensor.
N-Log recording has a full 10-bit codec, to supply better flexibility for capturing shade and tones with out blowing highlights or dropping shadow element, whereas providing better flexibility when shade grading.
Nikon has vloggers firmly in its sights – or viewfinder – including a brand new Product Overview mode that mechanically switches focus between folks and objects.
The digital camera makes use of its AI-based face and eye monitoring to maintain focus educated on the individual however when a brand new object is launched into the body and introduced nearer to the digital camera, the digital camera will deal with that, switching again to the individual when the item disappears from the body.
It’s ideally suited for overview movies, and there are many choices out there for setting the dimensions of the main target space in order that it doesn’t change deal with issues if you don’t need it to.
One other vlogging-friendly function is that you just not have to attach the digital camera by way of Nikon’s Webcam Utility software program. It’s now mechanically acknowledged by computer systems and smartphones as a plug-and-play system when linked by way of USB, enabling direct streaming to platforms equivalent to Twitch, YouTube Stay and Zoom.
Acquainted really feel, flagship chip
As famous, the Nikon Z50 II has the identical 20.9MP sensor as its predecessor – however this time it’s paired with an Expeed 7 processor, relatively than the Expeed 6 of the previous-generation digital camera, which supplies an enormous enhance in efficiency.
Nikon says that the topic detection and autofocus capabilities are basically the identical as present in its flagship cameras, with 9 varieties of topic recognition giving the Z50 II the flexibility to trace folks, animals and birds, in addition to planes, trains and vehicles, all with 3D monitoring.
The Expeed 7 beneath the hood additionally provides enhanced responsiveness to completely different scenes in Auto Publicity mode, and inherits the Z8 and Z9’s Pre-Launch Seize mode, the place the digital camera mechanically takes pictures within the background earlier than the shutter is absolutely depressed, enabling photos to be captured the place it’s possible you’ll in any other case miss the motion.
As much as a second’s price of photos are captured, at full decision as much as a most of 30fps, all with full autofocus and autoexposure, however the caveat being that the pre-release photos shall be JPEGs relatively than RAW recordsdata. The Expeed 7 additionally endows the digital camera with quicker startup occasions, so it’s able to go the moment you flip it on.
The digital camera has a much-improved Auto-switch autofocus (AF-A) mode. Designed to deal with topics whose actions are troublesome to foretell, it basically switches from Single autofocus (AF-S) to Steady autofocus (AF-C) if a nonetheless topic begins to maneuver.
Whereas this has been out there on Nikon cameras for a lot of, a few years (alongside comparable techniques in different producers’ cameras), it has been a bit hit-and-miss in earlier iterations, and reliability has been improved immeasurably, in accordance with Nikon.
Whereas the sensitivity vary stays the identical as within the Z50, topping out at ISO51,200, Nikon says that the resultant high-ISO photos are crisper and exhibit fewer indicators of noise, dramatically bettering the standard of photos taken in low gentle situations.
It retains the pop-up flash of its predecessor (the Z50 line stays Nikon’s solely Z-series digital camera with a built-in flash) and whereas this low-powered system doesn’t supply the total performance of one of many finest flashguns, it’s undeniably helpful when all you want is a blip of fill to assist your topic stand out in harsh gentle.
It additionally works with the Nikon Inventive Mild System, so can act as a Commander unit to distant standalone flashguns.
Along with the top-plate Image Management button, the management structure has been fully revamped in comparison with the Z50 and follows the conventions of cameras increased up the vary. Whereas the Z50 relied on digital ‘tender’ controls on the rear display screen, for capabilities equivalent to zooming or switching show choices, the Z50 II has bodily buttons as a substitute.
Whereas the physique stays compact and light-weight at 127 x 97 x 66.5mm and 465g, a redesigned grip makes it extra snug to carry, whereas the EVF protrudes much less for a extra streamlined look. The eyepiece is not detachable (with out utilizing instruments), avoiding the hazard of it by chance slipping off.
Nikon says that it sees the Z50 II as interesting to a youthful viewers of content material creators, influencers and vloggers, the place video is simply as vital as stills pictures, and is priced to be engaging to the Gen Z market.
As well as, Nikon has launched a brand new wired distant management that works completely with the brand new digital camera. The MC-DC3 uniquely plugs into the headphone socket (because the digital camera doesn’t have a devoted distant port) and options the flexibility to focus with a half-press, in addition to Bulb mode compatibility for lengthy exposures, by protecting the shutter absolutely pressed for so long as the publicity is desired.
The Nikon Z50 II goes on sale on the finish of November and is out there body-only for £849 (roughly $1,095 / AU$1,669), or with the favored 16-50mm equipment lens for £999 ($1,289 / AU$1,960). There’s additionally a double equipment lens possibility, which provides a 50-250mm telephoto zoom, that sells for £1,199 ($1,549 / AU$2,355).
Not made your thoughts up? See our guides to the finest Nikon cameras and finest low cost mirrorless cameras, in addition to the finest cameras for vlogging.