RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Nikon’

Nikon introduces the Z50, a DX-format mirrorless camera for Z-mount

13 Oct

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_8305856930″,”galleryId”:”8305856930″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Nikon has announced the first DX-format camera to use the Z-mount: the Z50. The Z50 features a 21MP BSI CMOS APS-C sensor (similar to what’s on the D500) with on-sensor phase detection. Unlike the Z6 and Z7, the Z50 does not have in-body image stabilization.

Despite being a smaller and lighter camera than the Z6/Z7, the Z50 doesn’t feel cheap, and is weather-sealed to some degree. It has a downward-tilting 3.2″ touchscreen display, 2.36M-dot OLED EVF and pop-up flash. Its single SD card slot supports high-speed UHS-II media while its Micro USB port allows for in-camera battery charging. The Z50 uses the new EN-EL25 battery, with an estimated battery life of around 300 shots per charge.

The Z50 is capable of shooting bursts at 11 fps with continuous AF. It can capture UHD 4K video at 24p and 30p, and a 120 fps option is available if you drop the resolution to Full HD. While the Z50 has a mic input, it lacks a headphone socket.

The Z50 with its 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR kit lens

Along with the Z50 come two new kit lenses. First is the collapsible Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR, which offers up to 4.5 stops of image stabilization and has a built-in control ring. For longer reach, there’s the Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR, which offers 5 stops of shake reduction and also has a control ring.

The Z50 will be available in November for $ 859 body-only, $ 999 with the 16-50mm lens and $ 1349 with the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses. Both kit lenses will be available separately, with the 16-50 priced at $ 299 and the 50-250 at $ 349.

See all of our Nikon Z50 content


Press Release

A BIGGER MOUNT TO SHARE THE BOLDEST IDEAS: IT’S EASY TO TAKE CREATIVITY FURTHER WITH THE LIGHTWEIGHT NIKON Z 50 MIRRORLESS CAMERA

MELVILLE, NY (October 10, 2019 at 12:01 A.M. EDT) Today, Nikon Inc. announced the next Z series mirrorless camera, the DX-format Nikon Z 50, along with two new companion NIKKOR Z lenses, the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR. The new Nikon Z 50 takes full advantage of Nikon’s larger Z mount, providing creators of all types with the most innovative optical system for superior image and video quality. The compact and lightweight Nikon Z 50 was made for unique individuals seeking a camera that has the speed, portability and style to keep pace and share their creative storytelling and imagination, especially when paired with the new ultra-compact 16-50mm zoom and the slim 50-250mm telephoto zoom lenses.

“The new Nikon Z 50 is a small yet capable camera that brings the best of the Nikon Z series to all kinds of creators to discover, share and engage,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “The new NIKKOR Z DX lenses expands the Nikon Z series to provide new creative tools for those looking to take their photo and video passions to new heights.”

When a sudden case of jet-set wanderlust strikes, or if there’s an idea that just has to be shared in 4K video, the Nikon Z 50 is the unobtrusive companion that promises to help deliver content that truly stands out. This is Nikon’s first DX-format mirrorless camera, delivering a more compact lightweight system to those upgrading to mirrorless or discovering the Nikon Z mount system. The new Z 50 offers an ergonomic design, intuitive operability and the steadfast reliability Nikon is known for, but in a slimmer, lightweight and attainable body. Taking advantage of the Nikon Z mount, the Z 50 produces stunning image quality and provides optimal performance for any type of content creation, from still photography to high-quality 4K video.

SMALL ON SIZE, BIG ON FUN: The easy-to-carry, compact and lightweight 14-oz body of the Nikon Z 50 is designed with intuitive controls and an agile yet durable magnesium alloy frame. It’s effortless to carry while vlogging a vacation, hiking the backcountry or exploring a new part of town. Since it’s mirrorless, users can activate the silent shutter function for truly low-profile shooting in sensitive situations.

TELL YOUR STORY, BEAUTIFULLY: A DX-format 20.9-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers superior image quality, sharpness, color and tones to document it all, even in low light. The EXPEED 6 image-processing engine helps to achieve excellent low-light performance and the highest standard sensitivity in its class1 for still-image shooting – ISO 51,200 – so users can capture high-resolution photos in challenging lighting conditions, like concerts or night street photography.

HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE: The camera quickly locks focus with a 209-point Hybrid AF System that enables broad coverage of approximately 87% of the frame horizontally and 85% vertically. It’s also the first Nikon DX-format camera to employ Eye-Detection AF, which makes portrait photography simple by recognizing and instantly focusing on a subject’s eyes, even if they are moving. What’s more, with fast 11 fps (with AF/AE) continuous shooting, users can keep up with fleeting moments and never miss a moment of the action.

FLIP-DOWN SELFIE SCREEN: The Nikon Z 50 features an easy to use interface with a 3.2-inch flip-down LCD touchscreen that’s ideal for selfies and vlogging. The LCD features familiar soft keys and icons, while intuitive controls make storytelling simple. Selfie Mode automatically disables all but essential controls while the LCD is flipped down, which makes it easy for the photographer to turn the camera on themselves and capture flattering photos and videos without worry of accidentally changing settings.

EPIC VIDEO FEATURES AND NEW CREATIVE OPTIONS: Sharp, vibrant 4K video is just the beginning – Experience built in 120p slow-motion, time-lapse and interval timer as well as in-camera video trimming and 20 Creative Picture Controls. These Creative Picture Controls and Special Effect modes instantly transform an image or video footage, while Scene Modes automatically adjust settings to optimize performance for beginners. For smooth footage, the camera also incorporates additional built in stabilization while shooting Full HD or 4K video.

SHARE BETTER CONTENT, INSTANTLY: Built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth connectivity along with support for the new SnapBridge2 version 2.6 app allows users to seamlessly share still images and videos with friends, families and followers. In addition to automatically sending gorgeous images to one’s phone, users now also have the ability to easily transfer video to their smart device quickly. The latest version of SnapBridge also supports RAW image transfer and advanced remote capture functions.

THE NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR & NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR – NEXT GENERATION DX-FORMAT NIKKOR LENSES

The new NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm standard zoom and the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm telephoto zoom lenses are designed to complement the new Z 50, striking the balance of small size and sharp optics. The NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens is a slim zoom lens that lets users capture a wide variety of scenes, from beautiful landscapes to candid portraits. The compact telephoto NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lens allows anyone to go the extra distance and capture far-away subjects, like city skylines or birds in flight. When paired with the new lenses, Dual Detect Optical VR is enabled on the Z 50 to help control the effects of camera shake when shooting.

Both the new NIKKOR Z DX lenses unleash the potential of the Nikon Z mount, using the superior design flexibility made possible by the large-diameter and the 16mm flange focal distance to deliver outstanding optical performance and sharpness in a deceptively compact form factor.

In addition to achieving incredible image quality, the new NIKKOR Z DX lenses are optimized for video capture when paired with the Z 50, making them must-haves for emerging content creators. Both lenses promise reduced focus breathing, a customizable control ring for smooth control of aperture or exposure compensation, as well as fast and quiet operation. Additionally, the new lenses offer in-lens optical Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to allow for smooth recording, with camera shake compensation equivalent to 4.5 stops3 and 5.0 stops3, respectively.

Beyond these two new lenses, Nikon Z 50 users can enjoy greater variety in imaging expression by mounting any of the current lenses in the NIKKOR Z lineup. A vast selection of traditional F-Mount NIKKOR lenses is also available to shooters via the Mount Adapter FTZ, with many lenses retaining functions such as VR and AF.

Price and Availability

The Nikon Z 50 will be available in November 2019, in several configurations including body-only for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $ 859.95*, a one-lens kit with the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens for a SRP of $ 999.95* or a two-lens kit with both the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lenses for a SRP of $ 1349.95.

For more information on the latest Nikon products, including the new Nikon Z 50, NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR and the full Nikon Z mount system, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

  1. The maximum sensitivity available with movie recording is ISO 25600.
  2. For information regarding smart device compatibility and to download the appropriate app for the Nikon cameras with Wi-Fi capability built-in, NFC capability built-in, and/or Bluetooth capability built-in, please visit nikonsnapbridge.com. Please Note: Nikon cameras having Bluetooth built-in can only be used with a compatible smart device with Bluetooth 4.0 or later (i.e., a smart device that supports Bluetooth Smart Ready/Low Energy).
  3. Measured in accordance with CIPA standards. When a mirrorless camera equipped with an APS-C size image sensor is used. Measured at the maximum telephoto position.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Nikon Z50 specifications

Price
MSRP $ 859 (body), $ 999 (w/16-50mm lens), $ 1349 (w/16-50 and 20-250mm lenses)
Body type
Body type SLR-style mirrorless
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 5568 x 3712
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 21 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 22 megapixels
Sensor size APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm)
Sensor type CMOS
Processor Expeed 6
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 100-51200 (expands to 204,800)
Boosted ISO (maximum) 204800
Custom white balance Yes
Image stabilization No
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Fine, normal, basic
File format
  • JPEG (Exif v2.31)
  • Raw (NEF, 12/14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Phase Detect
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Touch
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 209
Lens mount Nikon Z
Focal length multiplier 1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Tilting
Screen size 3.2
Screen dots 1,040,000
Touch screen Yes
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 1.02× (0.68× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Program
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Scene modes
  • "Autumn Colors
  • Beach / Snow
  • Blossom
  • Candlelight
  • Child
  • Close-up
  • Dusk/Dawn
  • Food
  • Landscape
  • Night Landscape
  • Night Portrait
  • Party/Indoor
  • Pet Portrait
  • Portrait
  • Sports
  • Sunset
  • Special Effect Modes
Built-in flash Yes
Flash range 7.00 m (at ISO 100)
External flash Yes (via hot shoe)
Flash X sync speed 1/200 sec
Drive modes
  • Single
  • Low-speed continuous
  • High-speed continuous
  • Self-timer
Continuous drive 11.0 fps
Self-timer Yes
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Highlight-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
AE Bracketing ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Videography features
Format MPEG-4, H.264
Modes
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 3840 x 2160 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 120p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 100p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
  • 1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-II supported)
Connectivity
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB charging Yes
HDMI Yes (micro HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port No
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11ac + Bluetooth
Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes
Battery Built-in
Battery description EN-EL25 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 320
Weight (inc. batteries) 450 g (0.99 lb / 15.87 oz)
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 60 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.36)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR / 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR specifications

  Nikon Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR Nikon Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR
Principal specifications
Lens type Zoom lens
Max Format size APS-C / DX
Focal length 16–50 mm 50–250 mm
Image stabilization Yes
CIPA Image stabilization rating 4.5 stop(s) 5 stop(s)
Lens mount Nikon Z
Aperture
Maximum aperture F3.5–6.3 F4.5–6.3
Minimum aperture F16
Aperture ring No
Number of diaphragm blades 7
Optics
Elements 9 16
Groups 7 12
Special elements / coatings 1 ED + 4 aspherical elements, Super Integrating Coating 1 ED element, Super Integrated Coating
Focus
Minimum focus 0.20 m (7.87) 0.50 m (19.69)
Maximum magnification 0.2× 0.23×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Stepper motor
Full time manual No
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 135 g (0.30 lb) 405 g (0.89 lb)
Diameter 70 mm (2.76) 74 mm (2.91)
Length 32 mm (1.26) 110 mm (4.33)
Sealing No
Colour Black
Zoom method Rotary (extending)
Filter thread 46 mm 62 mm
Hood supplied No
Tripod collar No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon introduces the Z50, a DX-format mirrorless camera for Z-mount

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon Announces the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, it’s fastest lens ever!

11 Oct

The post Nikon Announces the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, it’s fastest lens ever! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 NoctNikon has just announced its latest Z-mount lens:

The Nikkor Z 58mm S Noct lens, which includes a whopping f/0.95 maximum aperture. The lens is slated to hit the shelves on October 31st, and it will debut with considerable hype, having snagged the designation as the fastest Nikkor lens ever made.

For those of us who have been waiting for Nikon to make good on its claims that the Z-mount’s 55mm diameter allows for the production of better optics, this new lens should give us a hint of what’s to come. But while the f/0.95 maximum aperture is eye-catching, is it actually useful? And will photographers actually be interested in this lens?

Let’s take a closer look.

While lenses with ultra-wide apertures are rarely small, the Nikkor 58mm f/0.95 sits on the other extreme, with a weight of nearly 4.5 lbs (2 kg). This comes from its aperture, the 17 lens elements, and a magnesium alloy construction. Of course, there are real benefits to all these features, such as higher optical quality and increased ruggedness. But is it worth the cost? For many, a huge benefit of mirrorless setups is the decreased size and weight. Yet this lens won’t be at all convenient to carry around. Plus, all that glass takes up a lot of space, which is why it’s packed into a 6-inch (15.3 cm) body.

Note also that an f/0.95 aperture will provide a very small plane of focus. And given that this lens only focuses manually to begin with, you may struggle somewhat to lock onto your subjects with speed.

The lens is primarily designed for astrophotographers and other night shooters (hence the ‘Noct’ designation). And for astrophotographers, the shallow depth of field won’t be a problem, as they rarely need to think about depth of field anyway. But ambitious portrait photographers may find themselves frustrated by the combination of a shallow plane of focus at f/0.95 and a manual focus lens, and anyone who tries to lock on subjects other than the night sky may come away from shoots without much luck.

Now, don’t get me wrong:

The Nikon 58mm f/0.95 is most likely an incredible lens, optically speaking. Nikon is promising amazing sharpness, and I expect this will be borne out in tests. I’m also impressed by the wide aperture, which will allow for unprecedented shooting in low light and at night. Astrophotographers, in particular, will like this lens, regardless of its size.

But at the same time, it’s hard not to wonder whether many other photographers will be interested. Especially because Nikon’s MSRP for this new lens is an incredible $ 7999.95 USD.

So now I’d like to ask you:

What do you think? Would you be interested in this lens? Will anyone buy it? Is there anything you would’ve preferred Nikon scrap or modify?

Let me know in the comments!

The post Nikon Announces the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, it’s fastest lens ever! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Nikon Announces the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, it’s fastest lens ever!

Posted in Photography

 

DPReview TV: Nikon 58mm F0.95 ‘Noct’ lens preview

11 Oct

Nikon’s 58mm F0.95 ‘Noct’ lens could be the most impressive optic yet for Nikon’s Z-series mirrorless cameras. Find out what Chris and Jordan think of this flagship prime lens for Z-mount, and why it may become their new unit of measure.

Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPReview TV: Nikon 58mm F0.95 ‘Noct’ lens preview

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon Z50 pre-production sample gallery

11 Oct

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_0568827096″,”galleryId”:”0568827096″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Nikon’s Z50 is the company’s first Z-mount camera that comes with an APS-C sensor. Though we weren’t allowed to shoot Raw files with our pre-production test model, take a look through our sample gallery of out-of-camera-JPEGs to get an idea of what Nikon’s newest mirrorless camera (and newest mirrorless camera lenses) can do.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon Z50 pre-production sample gallery

Posted in Uncategorized

 

DPReview TV: Nikon Z50 hands-on preview

11 Oct

The Z50 is Nikon’s first Z-mount mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor, and it launches alongside a pair of DX zoom lenses. Chris and Jordan had a chance to use a pre-production model and share their experience in this hands-on preview.

For more detail, see our hands-on photos of the Z50 and new kit lenses.

Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Z-mount DX lenses
  • Design
  • Sensor
  • Displays
  • Battery life
  • Picture effects
  • Autofocus
  • Video capabilities
  • Pop-up flash
  • Low light performance
  • Wrap-up

Sample gallery from this episode

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2079717687″,”galleryId”:”2079717687″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPReview TV: Nikon Z50 hands-on preview

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon Z50 initial review: What’s new, how it compares

11 Oct

The Nikon Z50 is a 20MP mirrorless camera: the first time the company has put an (unstabilized) APS-C sensor behind its new, larger ‘Z’ lens mount. The company says the camera is designed to attract a generation of users who don’t consider themselves to be photographers.

Alongside the camera, Nikon has announced two lenses designed for this sensor size: a 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 collapsible standard zoom and a 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom – both with built-in image stabilization (which Nikon calls Vibration Reduction).

Key specifications

  • 20.7MP CMOS sensor
  • Twin control dial interface
  • Up to 11 fps shooting with AE/AF, 5 fps with live view
  • 4K video at up to 30p
  • 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder
  • Rear touchscreen tilts up by 90° or down by 180°
  • Bluetooth-enabled Wi-Fi (via Snapbridge app)
  • Creative Picture Control effects

Correction: The original version of this article stated the 4K video would be cropped. We are told this won’t be the case on production cameras.

The Z50 will be available for sale from November, with an MSRP of $ 860, body-only. Adding the 16-50mm zoom takes the price to $ 1000 and a two-lens kit with both DX zooms takes the list price to $ 1350.

The Z50 is compatible with the FTZ mount adapter, allowing it to use F-mount DSLR lenses. The adapter is not included in any of the kits announced so far.


What’s new and how it compares

The Z50 is Nikon’s first APS-C mirrorless camera. We take a look at what it offers and how it squares up to its rivals.

Read more

Body and controls

We take a look at the new camera and how it operates.

Read more

First Impressions / Shooting Experience

Reviews editor Carey Rose spent a couple of hours shooting with a near-final Nikon Z50.

Read more

Sample Gallery

We’ve shot a series of images using a pre-production Nikon Z50 with a variety of lenses.

View gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon Z50 initial review: What’s new, how it compares

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon Z50 pre-production sample gallery (DPReview TV)

11 Oct

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2079717687″,”galleryId”:”2079717687″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

This gallery of photos was captured using a pre-production Nikon Z50 while filming this week’s episode of DPReview TV.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon Z50 pre-production sample gallery (DPReview TV)

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Opinion: The Nikon Z50 is a good camera, but that may not be enough

10 Oct
The Z50 is a lot like a mirrorless D5600. Which is no bad thing but probably won’t attract a new audience.

To a great extent, the Nikon Z50 looks like a very good camera. The very good camera in question being the D5600. The mirror has gone, but not a lot else seems to have been changed: most of the specifications and much of the experience has been ported over directly from what is a very capable mid-market camera.

Every aspect of the Z50 has been borrowed from somewhere else: the sensor (now with PDAF toppings) from the D7500, the lens mount and AF system from the Z6 and the concept and price from the D5600. The ingredients seem well blended together but end up tasting familiar, rather than enticing.

There’s little evidence of the Z50 being made any more appealing or accessible than the D5600

Nikon is pretty clear about who it’s targeting with this camera: people who love to share attractive moments from their lives on sites like Instagram, but who don’t necessarily think of themselves as photographers. People who are hitting the limits of what their phone can do, or who want to feel more involved in the photographic process.

That’s solid enough in theory, and the Z50 will undoubtedly take great Instagram-style photos. But it doesn’t feel like Nikon has done much to make this camera any more attractive to them. The retractable kit zoom helps to deliver a reasonably-sized package (despite the camera being built around a lens mount that’s oversized for the full-frame format), but is it really just size that was stopping these people buying D5600s? After all, Nikon had already done a pretty good job of paring down the size of its mass-market models.

Instagramer-friendly? I’m skeptical. Or possibly just squinting into the sun.
Photo: Carey Rose

Beyond size, there’s little evidence of the Z50 being made any more appealing or accessible than its DSLR twin. It gains a second command dial, and that’s definitely something: Nikon has a history of building cameras with well-shaped hand grips and well-positioned dials and the Z50 continues this tradition. But it’s hard to see that bringing non-camera-buyers flooding back to Nikon.

The user interface hasn’t been amended or simplified to be more familiar to an audience whose primary photography experience has been their phone’s camera app

It’s a similar story in terms of operating the camera: Nikon has added its pretty capable Eye-AF system from its big Z cameras, but it’s done nothing to make focus tracking any quicker or easier to operate. The icon-abundant user interface hasn’t been amended or simplified to be more familiar to an audience whose primary photography experience has been their phone’s camera app, rather than a compact camera’s interface.

The Z50’s ‘Creative Picture Control’ options let you shoot (or re-process) images with heavy filters applied.

Perhaps the thing that surprised me most about the Z50 was that it doesn’t let you use the rear screen as a touchpad, when you’ve got the camera to your eye. It’s a feature that’s present in almost every mirrorless camera with a viewfinder and, more significantly, in Nikon’s own D5500 and 5600 models. And yet it’s gone missing from here: leaving you to learn button presses and repeatedly stab at the four-way controller, in much the same way as you had to on the D50, over a decade ago.

For the more experienced user who already knows their way around the interface, the Z50 might be more interesting. Or could be, were there any lenses for it. But a F3.5-6.3 maximum aperture collapsible kit zoom isn’t likely to set enthusiast hearts racing. As always, sharing a mount across sensor format promises cross-compatibility, but it’s hard to look at the current range of full-frame Z-mount lenses or Nikon’s published roadmap and see many with size, price or focal length that make them great pairings on this body.

Nikon doesn’t have a great history of supplying anything other than zooms for its DX DSLRs. This is the sole fast aperture prime introduced in 17 years.

That roadmap only includes a single additional DX lens: an 18-140mm travel zoom that fits with stated ambitions, but is unlikely to enthuse many enthusiasts. Which is a shame, because in many respects the Z50 a rather usable and competitively priced rival to Sony’s a6400 or Canon’s EOS M6 II (only without support from Sigma).

Nikon may think it’s making a camera for people who don’t see themselves as photographers, but seems to have made another solid photographers’ camera by mistake

To an extent, the comparison with the Canon is telling. The Z50 is not conceptually dissimilar to the M6 II: metal bodies, twin dials and so forth. The difference is that Canon isn’t aiming the M6 II at Instagram users; it’s got the M200 for that. Which just adds further weight to the impression that Nikon may think it’s making a camera for people who don’t see themselves as photographers, but seems to have made another solid photographers’ camera by mistake.

As things stand, it’s not clear what the Z50 does to attract a new audience. And a: ‘build it and they will come,’ approach seems optimistic, to say the least.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Opinion: The Nikon Z50 is a good camera, but that may not be enough

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Hands-on with the Nikon Z50 and new DX Z-mount lenses

10 Oct

Hands-on with the new Nikon Z50 and kit lenses

The much-rumored Z50 is here. Nikon’s latest Z-series camera, the third in the lineup, features an APS-C sensor and is being launched alongside two DX-format kit zooms. Reminiscent in many ways of a downsized Z6, the Z50 should (Nikon hopes) open up the Z-mount to more enthusiast and entry-level photographers.

As you can see in this image, the Z50 is a small camera, with a relatively sparse top-plate, but generously-sized grip. Lacking the upper status screen included on the Z6 and Z7, the biggest control on the top of the Z50 is a large, non-locking exposure mode dial. A simple lever allows for quick switching between still and movie capture modes.

21MP sensor

The 20.9MP sensor inside the Z50 is based on the familiar BSI-CMOS sensor inside the D500. ISO sensitivity spans 100-51,200, and based on our initial (JPEG) shooting, it’s capable of excellent image quality. One major change compared to the Z6 and Z7 though – the sensor in the Z50 is not stabilized.

This shot shows the Fn1 and Fn2 buttons at the 8 o’clock position on the large Z-mount. These are the same buttons – in the same place – as the Z6 and Z7, and fall naturally under your fingers when the camera is held in a shooting position.

No IBIS

It remains to be seen whether future DX-format Z-series cameras will offer in-body stabilization, but for now, Z50 owners will have to rely on the VR built into the two new kit lenses: the Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR and the Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR. More on these lenses later.

209-point PDAF system

While the Z50’s sensor might be closely related to that found inside the D500, there is one major difference, which is the addition of on-sensor phase-detection autofocus pixels. The Z50 offers a 209-point autofocus system covering approximately 87% of the frame horizontally and 85% vertically, which operates in essentially the same way as the equivalent systems on the full-frame Z6 and Z7.

As such, autofocus performance is generally very good, with a decent amount of control, and includes useful face/eye-detection features. We continue to miss the speed and ease with which the company’s DSLRs can initiate AF tracking but, although we can’t draw any definitive conclusions, autofocus speed when the Z50 is paired with its new DX lenses seems responsive.

Weather-sealed magnesium-alloy body

The Z50 is positioned as a midrange ILC, but build quality appears excellent, with a magnesium alloy body and extensive weather-sealing around the major potential points of dust and moisture ingress. Nikon is at pains to point out however that buyers of the Z50 should not expect quite the same level of environmental sealing as the Z6 and Z7, because unlike those cameras, the Z50 features a pop-up flash.

Speaking of the flash, some enthusiasts might be disappointed to note that while handy for fill light or social snaps, unlike higher-end Nikon DSLRs, the built-in flash on the Z50 cannot be used as a ‘commander’ to control the company’s off-camera strobes.

3.2in tilting touch-sensitive LCD

The 1.04M-dot LCD screen on the rear of the Z50 is touch-sensitive, and can be tilted up for waist-level shooting. The experience of using the Z50’s screen is essentially the same as the Z6 and Z7. It’s easy to position your desired autofocus point by touch, and swiping between images, and tapping to zoom in / out is fast and intuitive. You don’t get quite as much resolution as you do on the Z6/7, though, which offer 2.1M-dots on their screens.

A tilting screen like this isn’t as versatile as a fully articulated design (especially when composing images vertically) but it’s fine for waist-level shooting, video, and for composing images from awkward low angles. It can also flip downward 180 degrees, below the base of the camera, for selfies or vlogging.

2.36 million-dot OLED viewfinder

The Z50’s 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder is very nice. Crisp and contrasty, it’s up there with the best in its class, while (understandably) falling short of the 3.69M-dot resolution of its full-frame Z6 and Z7 cousins. This shot also gives you a view of the permanent touch-sensitive magnification and ‘DISP’ labels just outside of the main screen area on the rear of the camera.

Hidden in this shot is the top control dial, which falls naturally under your thumb when the camera is held in a shooting position. The control logic of the Z50 is extremely similar to that of the Z6 and Z7, which in turn were natural evolutions of established Nikon ergonomics going back several generations. In fact, if you imagine a Z6 crossed with a D5600, that’s pretty much the Z50.

Card slot and battery

The single UHS-II card slot is accessed via the battery door in the base of the Z50’s grip. The battery itself is a new type: EN-EL25, which Nikon claims is rated for around 300 shots (per CIPA). As always, we’d expect most people’s normal use to yield many more shots than this figure. The bad news for some existing Nikon users is that (for now) the Z50 is the only camera that uses this battery.

Continuous shooting rate

The Z50 is a snappy little camera, offering a maximum framerate of 11 fps with autofocus. This places it among the fastest cameras in its class, and we’re keen to test how well the PDAF system performs while shooting fast action once we get hold of a reviewable camera.

Video

No surprise the Z50 offers 4K video shooting (we’d be more surprised at this point if an enthusiast-focused ILC didn’t) and its feature set is reasonably solid, given the Z50’s market positioning. 4K/24p is offered, which will keep cinephiles happy, but there’s a fairly heavy 1.5X crop and while there is a microphone input, Nikon has not found room for a headphone audio monitoring socket.

While probably not an everyday shooting mode, Full HD at 120 fps is nice to have, and offers a lot of fun creative possibilities.

Creative filters and in-camera editing

Nikon has been offering Picture Control modes for a very long time, and the Z50 offers a wide range of profiles and picture effects, to help you get that little bit closer to the Instagram experience, right in the camera. For Raw shooters, it is also possible to edit NEF files in-camera, and save edited JPEGs directly to your memory card.

Connectivity

The Z50 is equipped with built-in WiFi + Bluetooth, and can be controlled via Nikon’s Snapbridge app. This shot also shows the physical ports, which are (from top to bottom) 3.5mm audio in, USB (2.0) and HDMI. The Z50 can be charged via USB, but cannot be powered over this port. And don’t worry – there’s a proper battery charger included in the box.

Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR kit lens

The Z50 is being launched alongside two ‘DX’ APS-C lenses. This is the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR, which is a very compact 24-75mm equivalent standard zoom. Like several of Nikon’s zoom lenses, the 16-50mm is collapsible, and in its ‘locked’ position (shown here) it barely protrudes further than the Z50’s grip, making the camera genuinely pocketable, assuming you’re wearing a jacket.

Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 VR kit lens

Here’s the 16-50mm in its unlocked state. Zooming is mechanical, and the other ring is customizable, and can be used for direct control over focus, aperture or exposure compensation (etc.). Optical construction comprises nine elements in seven groups including one extra low dispersion element and four aspherical elements.

According to Nikon, the lens’ Vibration Reduction system is effective up to 4.5EV.

DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR kit lens

The second lens released alongside the Z50 is the DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR, which covers an equivalent focal length range of 75-375mm. Optically it is comprised of 16 elements in 12 groups, including one extra low dispersion element. Nikon claims that its built-in VR system is effective up to 5 stops.

The Nikon Z50 will be available soon for $ 859 body only, $ 999 with the 16-50mm zoom or
$ 1349 for the dual lens kit, with the 16-50mm and 50-250mm. What do you make of it? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Hands-on with the Nikon Z50 and new DX Z-mount lenses

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon announces Z-mount lens roadmap

10 Oct

Nikon has announced a roadmap for its Z-mount mirrorless system. All of the lenses are full-frame, with one zoom being the exception.

The roadmap adds a 20mm F1.8, 50mm F1.2 and 105mm ‘Micro’ lens to the high-end ‘S-Line’ of lenses. There will also be a 28 and 40mm lens as part of what Nikon calls a ‘Compact Prime’ series and a non-S 60mm Micro close-up lens.

Nikon’s Z-mount lens roadmap gives a good indication of the company’s plans for the system.

S-line zooms

The ‘S’ line will also gain a 14-24mm F2.8 zoom and a 70-200mm F2.8 for sports and photojournalism. These will be accompanied by a 24-105mm S-line zoom and, while no aperture range has been specified, this is grouped with the existing F4 zooms, An S-line 100-400mm lens is also listed.

Other zooms

A non-S 24-200mm travel zoom and 200-600mm zoom complete the full-frame offerings, giving a pretty comprehensive picture of what Nikon has planned for the Z-mount.

On the APS-C side of things, there will be a 18-140mm (equivalent to 27-210mm), as with the compact primes, no maximum aperture is specified.

No timescales are given for fulfilling the lenses on the roadmap and, as is normal, a footnote indicates that the plans may change without notice.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon announces Z-mount lens roadmap

Posted in Uncategorized