This Friday, I set my alarm for the early hours to catch the height of hen exercise. I’ll admit, I used to be additionally very curious to see how the most recent member of the Nikon cameras household – the Z5 II – would carry out within the subject. I nonetheless want to check quite a lot of issues extra completely earlier than I can supply a completely goal opinion, however that can take a bit extra time. On this article, I’d wish to share my contemporary first impressions of the Nikon Z5 II.
Because of Nikon’s Czech workplace, I had the chance to check out the Nikon Z5 II the very first day it arrived to Czechia. Though I initially went to the workplace for the Z5 II, I ended up leaving with the Z6 II in my backpack as properly. Only for comparability. That’s as a result of the Z5 II is likely to be nearer to the retro-styled Zf by way of specs, however feels far more just like the Z6 III by way of ergonomics. However will the Z5 II’s efficiency be adequate for speed-oriented genres, just like the Z6 III certainly is? Let’s take a more in-depth look.
Focus Efficiency
The primary vital function I wished to check: autofocus. The unique Z5 from 2020 was beginning to really feel a bit dated in that division, and I wouldn’t have advisable it for wildlife photographers. Photographing birds particularly with that first-gen AF system was extra an train in frustration than images. (For the worth, the Z50 II would have gotten my wildlife suggestion as an alternative.)
I’m joyful to report that autofocus is one space the place the second era has seen a dramatic transformation. The Nikon Z5 II can detect all the same old suspects: individuals, automobiles, airplanes. However what I discovered particularly pleasing is that inside the digital camera’s Topic Detection choices, there’s the choice to decide on between feathered creatures and others – birds and animals.
For comparability, the Z6 III tosses all creatures into one large basket. It doesn’t distinguish within the digital camera’s menu whether or not you’re aiming for a deer or a wren. Thankfully, it nonetheless manages to inform them aside very properly in apply. However the extra degree of management permits me to pick “birds” and know that the digital camera and I are on the identical web page, even when the hen made an uncommon pose.
And certainly, I had hen detection enabled the entire morning for the Z5 II, and the digital camera carried out very properly. The Z9 nonetheless feels barely forward on this space, however let’s not evaluate apples to oranges. If we stick to only the topic detection talents of the Z5 II and Z6 III, I’d say each cameras carry out very equally. And regardless that the Z5 II is simply on its first firmware model, the AF factors had sufficient “glue” proper from the start. Even in a quick collection, it didn’t fall off the attention of the hen I used to be photographing. (It’s possible you’ll keep in mind that I didn’t really feel the identical approach in my first impressions of the Nikon Z6 III, though Nikon fortunately mounted this with their early firmware updates.)
General, AF on the Nikon Z5 II felt snappy and responsive, and in a side-by-side comparability with the Z6 III, I couldn’t detect a pace distinction. That stated, I’ll nonetheless want to check it extra on birds in flight, so keep tuned for our full assessment.
Buffer Take a look at
One other key metric for speed-oriented cameras is buffer depth. So, I ran the traditional buffer check: I dropped a rock and counted the seconds till I heard the splash. Okay, not likely. I used a high-quality Sony UHS-II SD card within the Nikon Z5 II. I mounted the digital camera on a tripod, set the shutter pace to 1/1000s at f/4, turned off stabilization, and set AF to AF-S. I shot in lossless compressed RAW. I examined each the Steady Excessive-Velocity and Steady Excessive-Velocity (Prolonged) modes.
The utmost variety of pictures per burst may be set to 200 on the Nikon Z5 II, whereas the Z6 III has no such cap. In apply, this restrict is unlikely to trouble anybody – until you’re particularly testing buffer depth or card write speeds. I saved the Z6 III settings the identical for my comparability.
So, how did the cameras do?
The outcomes had been truly fairly attention-grabbing:
- Nikon Z5 II, Steady Excessive-Velocity: 200 pictures in 28.5 seconds (representing 7 FPS). No slowdowns seen.
- Nikon Z6 III, Steady Excessive-Velocity: 200 pictures in 24.5 seconds (representing 8.2 FPS). No slowdowns seen.
- Nikon Z5 II, Steady Excessive-Velocity (Prolonged): 145 pictures in 13 seconds (representing 11.2 FPS) earlier than slowdown begins.
- Nikon Z6 III, Steady Excessive-Velocity (Prolonged) with SD card: 110 pictures in 7 seconds (representing 15.7 FPS) earlier than slowdown begins.
- Nikon Z6 III, Steady Excessive-Velocity (Prolonged) with CFE card: 15.7 FPS sustained indefinitely.
Briefly, the Nikon Z5 II and Nikon Z6 III are each able to lengthy bursts at excessive speeds. With both digital camera in Steady Excessive-Velocity mode, you could possibly shoot a 200-meter dash from begin to end, even with expressions of pleasure when crossing the end line. The buffer on the Nikon Z5 II does fill somewhat sooner than the Nikon Z6 III, although, primarily as a result of CFExpress card on the Nikon Z6 III. If solely a UHS-II SD card is utilized in each cameras, they carry out extra equally.
Different Options
Birds dwell life at a really completely different tempo from us. Their actions are sometimes so fast that ready for the traditional “decisive second” earlier than urgent the shutter will probably go away you upset. That’s why wildlife photographers pay a lot consideration to steady capturing charges. The primary-generation Z5 wasn’t precisely a sprinter in that regard. Its 4.5 FPS is likely to be fantastic for capturing a snoozing nightjar, however you’d in all probability miss a starling feeding its chicks.
Nikon clearly acknowledged this weak spot, and the Z5 II’s burst pace has been dramatically boosted. With a mechanical shutter, it now shoots at 11 FPS – which is actually on par with the Nikon D500, a digital camera I’ve at all times thought-about very quick. The Z5 II additionally will get a bump with its digital shutter (15 FPS), however I’d be cautious utilizing that for fast-moving topics. The readout pace on the Z5 II appears typical for a non-stacked sensor (placing it round 1/20 second, pending additional exams). The end result may be undesirable warping from rolling shutter results in case your topic is transferring very quick.
In the meantime, the Z6 III squeezes out a bit extra with its mechanical shutter (14 FPS) and digital shutter (20 FPS). Because of its partially stacked sensor, the Z6 III additionally has a quicker readout pace of 1/70 second, which is sufficient to reduce rolling shutter more often than not. Though, it’s nonetheless not as quick because the stacked sensors on the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 which are able to a 1/270 second readout pace.
One factor that made me particularly proud of the Nikon Z5 II was the power to customise buttons similar to on my Nikon Z9. Gone are the times when entry-level cameras lacked significant button customization. Except for a couple of minor variations, I used to be in a position to program the Z5 II’s buttons to match the muscle reminiscence I’ve developed on my top-tier Nikon.
Identical to the lately introduced Z50 II, the Nikon Z5 II additionally has a devoted Image Management button. In the event you shoot RAW, you’ll in all probability reassign it to one thing else, perhaps Save Focus Place or My Menu. There are many choices: fifty-four, to be precise. Simply decide your favourite.
Past ergonomics, one other essential facet for me is how good the viewfinder appears. Nikon’s digital viewfinders have by no means set information on paper, and the three.69-million-dot decision actually received’t make jaws drop. However numbers are one factor, what issues is what you truly see. And within the case of the Z5 II, the EVF appears superb. It’s shiny, large, and clear. In a direct comparability with the Z6 III, which at the moment has Nikon’s finest viewfinder, I couldn’t even see a noticeable distinction. Bear in mind the claustrophobically tiny viewfinders on entry-level DSLRs? These days are gone.
I’m additionally joyful that Nikon wasn’t stingy with including their latest options to the Nikon Z5 II. Take picture stabilization, for instance. The Z5 II delivers a really spectacular 7.5 stops of IBIS and affords focus level precedence, which even beats the present flagship Z9. I’ll go away a sensible stabilization check for a future, extra detailed assessment. Identical goes for picture high quality. Sadly, the software program I usually use for RAW enhancing doesn’t but acknowledge the Z5 II. However as soon as I’m in a position to course of RAW information the same old approach, I don’t anticipate to be upset – it appears simply pretty much as good because the Nikon Zf’s picture high quality, which might make it best-in-class amongst at present’s 24 megapixel sensors.
General, from what I’ve seen to date, the Nikon Z5 II strikes me as a really succesful digital camera with a superb price-to-performance ratio. In reality, the extra I give it some thought, Nikon doesn’t actually have an entry-level full-frame digital camera proper now, as a result of the Z5 II positively doesn’t really feel like one.