In an expansion of its mirrorless lineup, Nikon has just announced its latest mirrorless camera: the Nikon Z 50. Recently, I had a pleasure to try the new Nikon Z 50 mirrorless camera. In the past several years, I’ve been shooting with an older camera — the Nikon D600 — which is bulkier and doesn’t have all the new technologies of the modern cameras. But the new Z 50 felt like a big — but light — upgrade for me.
My first impression of the new Z 50 was that it’s extremely lightweight and compact, even compared to other mirrorless cameras. It’s very comfortable to hold in the hands, especially in small ones like mine. For a petite person such as myself, this is a big advantage. But don’t let the small size fool you. Although the new Nikon is so tiny, it’s very powerful. It has a 20.9-megapixel DX sensor, an EXPEED 6 engine, and includes the Z mount, which is good for working in lowlight.
Key Features:
- Smallest interchangeable lens DX-format camera ever
- 20.9MP DX CMOS sensor
- EXPEED 6 engine
- Built-in wide Z mount
- 4K Ultra HD and time-lapse, 120fps slow motion, 1080p Full HD
- Able to edit videos, right on your phone
- Flippable LCD screen
- 20 creative picture controls and 10 special effects
- Silent photography mode
- Compatible with NIKKOR Z lenses, and DSLR lenses (with mount adapter FTZ)
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Compatible with Nikon’s SnapBridge app
Nikon Z 50 has many new technologies but is so simple to use and navigate, and has very intuitive ergonomics. I especially loved using the touchscreen because it was so quick and easy to change between settings; I didn’t have to go into the menu but could actually do everything on the screen. It was a big plus when you’re getting used to a new camera.
I’ve been shooting with DSLR cameras for most of my career, and I used to always shoot through the viewfinder. But this time, I found myself using the screen much more often. The best part is that it shows you exactly what you are going to get in the frame.
Another very fascinating feature of Nikon Z 50 is the new IAF autofocus. It can focus on your subject’s eyes and you don’t need to worry about them being out of focus on the photograph. You can see a little yellow square on the screen tracking the eyes and I love how quickly it was able to do the focusing. So I just relaxed, forgot about changing focusing points and making sure I hit the right spot, and concentrated instead on more important things like composition, mood, and image story.
Two new DX crop sensor lenses are being introduced with this camera: the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 and the Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3. They cover pretty much the entire shooting range starting from landscape photography to sport, fashion, and even wildlife.
The new Nikon Z 50 also allows you to transfer content via WiFi and Bluetooth. This applies not only to still photographs, but also video, which you can send directly to your smart device using Nikon’s Snap Bridge app. That is perfect feature for those who are active on social media and are producing content for immediate sharing. You can post Instagram Stories or any other social content right away after the shot was captured.
The camera also has a built-in flip screen, which can be turned into selfie mode and you can take a selfie but with much higher quality. And because it’s so lightweight when paired with the new tiny 16-50mm lens, I was able to take a selfie photo using just one hand, just as I would do with my phone. It’s also great for things like vlogging, behind the scenes, and other video content.
Though my regular work doesn’t always include video, I was able to test Z 50 video performance. It shoots beautiful 4K video, 11 FPS, and allows you to shoot in slow motion in HD.
The Nikon Z 50 is available for preorder now for at Adorama.
For a closer look, here are some addition photos taken by Anya Anti using the Nikon Z 50:
Nikon Z 50 Camera firmware update as of April 6th, 2022: Nikon has fixed an issue occurring after the camera firmware was updated to version 2.10 that sometimes amplified the sounds generated by the aperture mechanisms when zoom or focus rings were rotated on certain F mount lenses connected via an FTZ mount adapter.
