Last year Nikon released its first full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z7 and Z6, and now the range is expanding to a lower price with the announcement of the Z5. Unlike the Z50, which used the same Z mount but had a smaller APS-C sensor, the Z5 uses a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor.
You lose a few features compared to the Z6, but the Z5 still looks like a capable camera. There’s no status screen, there’s more plastic used in the build, and the sensor isn’t backside-illuminated; it’s also not ideal for 4K video due to a 1.7x crop. But elements like the 3.69 million-dot OLED viewfinder, the 3.2-inch touchscreen, the Expeed 6 processor, and in-body image stabilization are all present.
The Z5 even fixes one of the Z6 and Z7’s biggest flaws, which was that not only did they ship with a single card slot, it used the uncommon XQD format. Having to buy expensive new cards is an annoyance, but the single slot is a dealbreaker for many photographers who need the ability to save backups in the field. The Z5, however, has two UHS-II SD card slots.
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Nikon is also announcing a new lens for the Z series, and it’s the smallest full-frame Z-mount lens to date. It’s a 24-50mm f/4-6.3 zoom that’s less than three inches long when not extended, making for a compact and versatile package with the reasonably small Z-series bodies.
Nikon says the Z5 will be available in August for $1,399.95 body-only, which makes it $600 cheaper than the Z6. There’s a $1,699.95 kit with the new 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens and a $2,199.95 option with the 24-200mm f/4-6.3 lens. The company is also planning to release a Windows 10 utility next month that’ll allow many DSLRs and Z-series cameras, including the Z5, to work as webcams.
