Nikon Z5 offers full-frame mirrorless photography for $1399

Nikon has launched a new mirrorless camera called the Nikon Z5, an entry-level full frame camera that aims to provide the high image quality of its Nikon Z7 and Z6 stablemates but at a wallet-friendly price.

Surfacing the same month as Canon's EOS R5 and EOS R6 launches, the Nikon Z5 is pitched as a way for its users to get started with full-frame photography using a mirrorless camera, but without the large outlay. Housing an FX-format sensor, the Z5 offers a resolution of 24.3 megapixels, with a maximum resolution for images of 6,016 by 4,016 pixels.

As a budget-conscious offering, the Z5 does make some compromises, but still offers a lot of potential. Its use of the EXPEED 6 image processing engine enables it to have a maximum standard sensitivity of ISO 51,200, as well as a hybrid autofocus system with 273 focus points covering 90% of the horizontal and vertical image area, eye-detection autofocus, and animal-detection autofocus.

The included in-camera vibration reduction system is claimed to provide a camera-shake compensation equivalent to a 5.0-stop increase in shutter speed. A dedicated electronic VR function is also available for movie recordings, helping to cut down shakes for anyone deciding to film or vlog from the device.

For videographers, the camera can capture 4K video at 30 frames per second, albeit with a 1.7x crop, but it does use a 3.69 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder and a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen. While its new battery is capable of taking up to 470 photographs on a single charge, the camera is also able to support USB power delivery while turned on, enabling it to be powered externally for longer recording times.

An unexpected inclusion in the camera is dual memory card slots supporting UHS-II SD cards, a first for Nikon's mirrorless camera line. Other features include a silent photography mode, focus-shift shooting for focus stacking images, active D-Lighting and focus peaking while recording 4K movies, and a quick-to-access settings menu.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is available, allowing it to connect to the SnapBridge app for photo and video transfers to an iPhone or iPad.

The Nikon Z5 is priced at $1,399 for the body alone, or bundled with a 24-50mm F4-6.3 kit lens for $1,699, and will start shipping in August. It is available to preorder now from both Adorama and B&H Photo.

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5 Comments

Scot1 126 comments · 7 Years

About 4 years ago

Looked good until I saw 4K at 30 frames per second. I’ll need 60 frames per second to jump back into the market

bageljoey 1997 comments · 18 Years

Scot1 said:

Looked good until I saw 4K at 30 frames per second. I’ll need 60 frames per second to jump back into the market

The Canon R6 being released around the same time does 4K at 60 FPS.
It costs a little more, but it looks like a solid offering unless all you look at is pixel count...

chasm 3620 comments · 10 Years

I agree that for 4K, shooting at 60fps is important. I'm surprised Nikon would overlook something like that, but this is a "cheap" camera for this level. The Canon EOS R6 is $1,100 more (MSRP anyway), and I have to wonder if (other than the 60FPS) it's really $1,100 better.

bobolicious 1177 comments · 10 Years

If this is entry level pricing, does it explain why camera sales have lagged iPhonography? How good will a $300 f4+ zoom be for image quality? Does lens quality matter vs features ? In the days of film we used prime lens that cost almost as as much (each) as the all metal mechanical bodies. Of course 4K video wasn't an option.

To quote Ken Rockwell:

"This is why every time higher-resolution film scanners came out back before amateurs could afford DSLRs, we saw more details where we though we wouldn't see any."

"you'd need a digital camera of about 175 MP to see every last detail that makes onto film." www.kenrockwell.com/tech/film-resolution.htm

fastasleep 6451 comments · 14 Years

bobolicious said:

If this is entry level pricing, does it explain why camera sales have lagged iPhonography? How good will a $300 f4+ zoom be for image quality? Does lens quality matter vs features ? In the days of film we used prime lens that cost almost as as much (each) as the all metal mechanical bodies. Of course 4K video wasn't an option.

To quote Ken Rockwell:
"This is why every time higher-resolution film scanners came out back before amateurs could afford DSLRs, we saw more details where we though we wouldn't see any."
"you'd need a digital camera of about 175 MP to see every last detail that makes onto film." www.kenrockwell.com/tech/film-resolution.htm

... what?

It's entry level pricing for full frame cameras, but obviously there are a ton of point-and-shoot cameras with fixed lenses at all price points. Everyone shoots with iPhones because they already have it on them (ie. the "best camera").

Of course the cheap kit lens is probably not great, which is why you can buy the body alone and throw a Zeiss lens that costs as much as or more than the body if you want. That's what I did with my Sony mirrorless years ago.

Film... okay, sure.