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Home → Reviews → Cameras and Lenses → Nikon Z5 Review

Nikon Z5 Review

By Nasim Mansurov 96 Comments
Last Updated On May 9, 2023

«»

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Camera Construction and Handling
  • Autofocus Performance
  • ISO Comparisons
  • Summary
  • Video Review
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
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96 Comments
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ReneGR
ReneGR
April 23, 2023 1:58 am

Video cropping should be labelled 4K video cropping.

0
Reply
Alvin
Alvin
March 5, 2023 9:42 pm

Hi. Is this camera suitable and capable for weddings? How about for lowlights? Thank you very much,

0
Reply
ReneGR
ReneGR
Reply to  Alvin
April 23, 2023 1:51 am

Probably too late for answering. But I’d consider the Z6 II for professional weddings because of the more capable low light AF. This said, I have been shooting kids with the Z5 with much success indoors. It’s just not 100% keepers.

0
Reply
Neil Mackey
Neil Mackey
October 28, 2022 12:10 pm

I traded in my D7500 and a 18-300 lens APS-C lens for a Z5 body. I BRIEFLY considered a Z50 but it got lost in my big hands and I wanted to move up to full-frame. Did some horsetrading and got a “like new” 24-200 f/4-6.3 lens. Love the IBIS, and after doing some side by side tests (shooting manually vs. using the camera’s software), I really can’t tell much difference when photo stacking. AF has been right on; love the EVF! Dual SD cards and not the fiddly (not to mention expensive) XQD/CFExpress cards. Battery life has been a non-issue for me. Menu is, for the most part, the same as the D7500, with some additional “bells and whistles”.

Took a bit of getting used to but things quickly fell in place. A FTZii adapter soon followed along with an AF-P f/4.5-6.3 70-300 lens. Even shooting in DX format, that last combo gives the ability to reach out to 450mm. Pictures CAN be a bit soft at that length but quite acceptable…I shoot for the love of shooting, not for profit or “snobbery”.

Are there limitations to the Z5/24-200 combo? Of course! Relatively low FPS so not a great action/wildlife camera. Max aperture in the 24-200 arrives by 85mm so some limitations in low(er) light situations. (A friend gave me an AFS 50mm f/1.8 lens and that certainly helps in low light). Z lenses are expensive but having the FTZii adapter allows use of other well-established quality Nikon lens (either crop sensor or full-frame) at half of the price.

My hope is that Nikon will come out with some additional firmware updates to further enhance what the Z5 already offers.

All in all, nice affordable upgrade for me!

6
Reply
Yifei Zheng
Yifei Zheng
Reply to  Neil Mackey
December 1, 2022 12:47 am

Glad to see you enjoying the Z5!

However, it is worth noting that unlike what is stated in this review, the Z5 does NOT have IBIS. Any VR would have to come from the lens, and in your case the 24-200 f/4-6.3 VR.

-12
Reply
Yifei Zheng
Yifei Zheng
Reply to  Yifei Zheng
December 1, 2022 11:15 pm

Correction: it seems that the Z5 does have IBIS, its the Z50 that doesn’t.

4
Reply
Robert John
Robert John
Reply to  Neil Mackey
February 6, 2023 11:27 am

I’m pleased for you.
I traded in a D610 for the Z5 and kept my D7500.
I am so glad that I did.
For me, the D7500 just works. The Z5 however …
Random over-exposure (despite having gone back to Nikon).
Unreliable AF.
Useless at action – even quite slow action.
Buffer fills quickly – I didn’t often hit the buffer even with my old D7100.
The Z5 has advantages over the D610 – mainly ergonomics, the EVF and being able to reduce to 2 lenses for landscapes. But I found the D610 to be the more reliable camera.
But no way ever would I give up the D7500 for the Z5. Heck – I’d switch to Canon first.

-1
Reply
Robert John
Robert John
July 15, 2022 12:52 pm

My Z5 has already had to go back to Nikon – where it took them 2 months to do a warranty ‘repair’.
From the outset, the Z5 would intermittently over-expose. It would only expose correctly when switched off and on again.
Nikon say they’ve changed the ‘main board’, but the camera is still doing the same thing.
I can only assume it’s a design fault.
If so, it’s the only AF camera I’ve had that does this – and my journey started in 1978 with a used Pentax ES-II, which exposed correctly for 14 years till it gave up the ghost. The Z5 is my 12th AF camera in that time.
Added to that, my new D7500 had to be exchanged the day after I bought it in 2018 because its exposure system was completely faulty. 2 faulty cameras out of 12, and they were the last 2 I’ve bought.
Not impressed with Nikon. Or perhaps reliability standards have slipped with increasing sophistication? If so, give me greater reliability.
Now that I have a working D7500, I can’t imaging swapping it for a Z-mount aps-c. And I’m certainly not splashing out big bucks for a Z6II. I wouldn’t rely on having one camera any longer. I’m regretting having sold a D7100 and D610 from that point of view, even if the latter was a bit of a tank.
Shame. Because the 14-30 and 24-200 are lovely lenses.

-1
Reply
ReneGR
ReneGR
Reply to  Robert John
April 23, 2023 1:55 am

I tried to think what could have caused your overexposure problem. My only explanation is that you have set the other dial to exposure correction. This will reset after turning off and on. Actually, a nice feature. Of course, it could also be the lens that misinterprets the cameras aperture commands.

1
Reply
SinNombre
SinNombre
October 29, 2021 12:03 pm

24MP full-frame CMOS sensor (not BSI)…………. :(

1
Reply
ReneGR
ReneGR
Reply to  SinNombre
April 23, 2023 1:56 am

Just means that AF does not do that well in low light.

1
Reply
thkpic
thkpic
October 5, 2021 8:28 pm

I shoot an A7II but am struggling to pony up the cash for the A7C. It’s time to upgrade but I can literally buy the Z5 and the new 40mm f2 and almost the 85mm 1.8 S (used) for slightly more than the A7C. That’s crazy…and as you mentioned, better build, ergo, usable eye AF, EVF and IBIS. So tempting…

1
Reply
Tim Gasper
Tim Gasper
Reply to  thkpic
March 6, 2022 12:00 am

Tempting? For all that at that price…it’s a no-brainer. Just get it. You will absolutely love it. Then again…I don’t know what you’re shooting it for or what your needs are, but it’s a wonderful choice.

3
Reply
Alx
Alx
September 29, 2021 10:51 pm

In the Z5 specs you list it as a BSI sensor, which it is not.

0
Reply
Bill
Bill
September 11, 2021 7:20 am

The A7C is the Sony “budget choice”? It costs 50% more than the RP or Z5. Sony still sells the A72…that is the direct competitor, not the A7C.

2
Reply
Novem
Novem
June 5, 2021 5:42 pm

Z5 does not have an option to lock the central focusing point. And if you are used to take pictures using the center point you will be seriously frustrated because with the slight pressure of your fingers on the 4way selector wheel the focusing point moves to unpredictable direction, and after every shot you need to confirm which focusing point is active. I had to return the camera because of that. Wrote to Nikon CS asking if it can be locked, and received the response that it can not be locked as in D750 or D610.

-2
Reply
Oles
Oles
May 25, 2021 5:39 am

Hi,
Any experience after the latest firmware that should solve the problem with AF in low light?

0
Reply
Chathura
Chathura
Reply to  Oles
July 20, 2021 7:54 am

Nothing solved.
Even my d7200 fast enough for fast tracking even in low light.
Z5 is the worst camera with bad autofocusing ever made by nikon

-16
Reply
debasis mitra
debasis mitra
Reply to  Chathura
November 10, 2021 6:23 am

How is D750 in comparison?

1
Reply
Zed5user
Zed5user
Reply to  Chathura
March 6, 2022 1:21 pm

I took the z5 and versus the d5300 / d7200 / d610 / d750 the autofocus is disastrous, the 3d tracking doesn’t work at all, the low light af is awful, 3 steps back.

-7
Reply
Robert John
Robert John
Reply to  Chathura
June 28, 2022 1:09 am

I agree. It’s poor even on still subjects. I have the AF point on the head of my dog in a field in daylight and it focussed about 4 feet behind. And that’s typical. It’s already gone back to Nikon.
My D50 was better than that.
I think this is a camera for landscape photography only.
Fortunately, that’s what I bought it for.
For everything else I have my D7500.

-9
Reply
ReneGR
ReneGR
Reply to  Robert John
April 23, 2023 1:58 am

Never experienced that misfocussing, sorry. It struggles in very low light, but tells me so.

1
Reply

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