For many years, Nikon has lagged behind its rivals when it comes to video recording – it just wasn’t the outfit’s area of focus back then. Nowadays, that’s all changed, with the outfit beefing up the video capture tech in most of their recent releases. That same idea holds true with the Nikon Z5 II, a more affordable addition to the outfit’s mirrorless camera line.
As with its predecessor from five years ago, the mirrorless camera is positioned as a more economical alternative to its professional counterparts in the Z8 and Z9, reprising some elements from those premium models while being so much more accessible. While it is entry-level, it does bring quite a bit more features for what you’d expect an entry-level camera to have, making it an attractive pick for hybrid users and video professionals looking for a reasonably-priced camera option.
The Nikon Z5 II houses a 24.5MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor and the same EXPEED 7 image processing engine found in the Z8 and Z9. This combo allows the camera to shoot RAW images in 11 fps using the mechanical shutter and up to 15 fps using the electronic shutter, as well as JPEGs in 14 fps and 30 fps, respectively. It has a prerelease capture mode that stores a full second’s worth of images before pressing the shutter to ensure you don’t miss those fleeting moments, as well as a pixel shift mode that moves the sensor during shoots to capture larger images up to 96 megapixels. Do note, you’ll to use Nikon’s Studio NX software to process those images in post-production, so you won’t have immediate access to them in the camera.
Like its predecessor, video is limited to 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 60 fps with a crop, as well as 1080p at up to 120 fps. This time around, it can capture those formats internally using 12-bit N-RAW with N-log, along with 10-bit H.265 and 8-bit H.264 formats. Do note, it doesn’t have a CFExpress slots, so you’re relegated to recording those in the dual SDXC UHS-II card slots, which means the footage is going to be highly compressed.
The Nikon Z5 II is equipped with the same 3D tracking autofocus system found in their more expensive mirrorless models. That means, it can now lock onto subjects quicker, while keeping them in focus even while they move quickly in erratic patterns. It does a particularly great job of focusing on eyes, faces, and bodies, while working in lower light down to -10 EV compared to the -3 EV from its predecessor. The system can detect and prioritize nine types of subjects for both stills and videos, namely people, dogs, cats, birds, card, motorcycles, bicycles, planes, and trains. It also features the outfit’s AF-A autofocus mode, which automatically switches between AF-S and AF0C in response to subject behavior. Other details include a dedicated Picture Control button for access to 31 color presets, a 3,000-nit electronic viewfinder, a 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, and 7.5 stops of in-body stabilization.
The Nikon Z5 II comes out this April, priced starting at $1,699.95.
