Nikon unveils the Z50 II – a modest update to its hobbyist mirrorless camera with an identity crisis
Nikon has updated its four-year-old Z50 with the Z50 II. The mini-DSLR-style successor comes with the same 20.9MP APS-C sensor, but features Nikon’s latest Expeed 7 processor, which delivers a host of performance improvements.
Nikon says the Z50 II has the same subject detection autofocus options as its professional Z8 and Z9 mirrorless cameras, with nine subject types to choose from, 3D tracking, custom autofocus areas, plus a smarter AF-A (autofocus auto) option . It also introduces a Product Review mode, which easily switches focus between people and objects, much like Sony’s Product Showcase autofocus mode.
Burst recording now comes with one second of pre-recording for a High-speed Frame Capture+ mode of 15fps or 30fps (JPEG only), while 4K video up to 30fps is now oversampled from 5.6K, meaning it should be nice and sharp.
After the Z6 III, the Z50 II is Nikon’s second camera that works with Nikon Cloud. In addition to online image upload and storage services, users can upload custom color profiles directly to the Z50 II from the Nikon Cloud community (Nikon calls them Picture Profiles), in a similar manner to the new Panasonic Lumix S9, complete with a new Picture Profile Profile button for quick access. Neat.
Then there are the Z50 II’s handling improvements. It has an updated EVF with twice the brightness of the Z50, a larger 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen with a new hinge for pan and swivel gestures, a larger handgrip, while being part of Nikon’s only range of mirrorless cameras with a built-in flash .
The Z50 II costs £849 body alone, £999 with the 16-50mm lens, or £1,199 for a dual lens kit that adds the 50-250mm lens (US and Australian prices to follow). Sales start at the end of November.
The Z50 II looks like a decent entry-level mirrorless camera for photographers, but Nikon charges the camera to content creators, so is this a bull’s-eye for them?
A camera with an identity crisis?
Nikon is marketing its new Z50 II heavily to content creators, but in my book it’s the least obvious model of all its APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras for such purposes.
For photographers, the Z50 II looks like a nice camera to shoot with, thanks to its mini-DSLR form factor with improved grip and brighter viewfinder. But for content creators who value the look of a camera and rely on its video flexibility? The cheaper Z30 or the retro-styled Z fc make more sense, as do rival models like the Fujifilm X-M5 and Sony ZV-E10 II.
That doesn’t take anything away from the Z50 II. It will be Nikon’s most capable mirrorless camera with APS-C sensor because it uses Nikon’s latest processor, which delivers faster performance overall, including a faster boot time, Nikon says.
It also has improved video features, such as 4K 10-bit video up to 30 fps from oversampled 5.6K, plus Nikon’s N-Log color profile. It’s also Nikon’s first camera that can stream live via USB-C, without the need for Nikon’s Webcam Utility software.
However, there are no vertical video modes for social media like those of the used. That camera feels more purpose-built for content creators; it’s smaller, looks good and has Fujifilm’s film simulation modes.
It looks like Nikon has created a very capable hobby camera with the Z50 II – one that we’ll be doing an in-depth review of soon. I just don’t think it’s the content creator’s camera as Nikon’s marketing suggests. A successor to the Z30 feels like a more obvious fit.
