NIKON Z FC
No, you haven’t just been teleported back to the early 1980s… Nikon’s newest mirrorless camera is channelling the FM2 35mm SLR in its classical styling, but it’s very much of the present on the inside.
Cameras are as much about the emotional as the technical, and Nikon is really tugging on the heart strings with its retro-styled Z fc croppedsensor mirrorless camera. It looks gorgeous and, for a while at least, there’s a choice of different coloured inserts, including the pretty mint green worn by our test camera.
Way back in the July 1982 issue of this magazine – then called Camera Craft – the Nikon FM2 was only the second camera I’d ever reviewed. It replaced the
FM which, in 1977, introduced a new generation of enthusiastlevel 35mm SLRs to replace the venerable Nikkormats. These cameras and the FM/FM2 built Nikon’s reputation among amateur photographers for robust ruggedness and reliability, filtering down from the pro-level F, F2 and F3. Mind you, the FM series cameras were also widely used by working photographers, such were their toughness and durability.
Even in 1982, the FM2 was distinctly old school – an all-metal construction and fully mechanical manual operation, with the only concession to modernity being built-in TTL metering that stepped up to the more sensitive silicon photo diodes (SPDs) in this model… still only centre-weighted average measurements though (multi-zone metering was still a few years away). The big deal, however, was a top shutter speed of 1/4000 second with flash sync
up to 1/200 second – both world firsts. The company called it “the perfectionist’s Nikon”.
Like its predecessor, the FM2 was massively over-engineered in key areas such as the film transport and the reflex mirror mechanism, as were the FE and FE2, but purists frowned at the electronically-actuated shutter that enabled aperture-priority auto exposure control. Auto exposure control was for wimps. If you’re thinking of buying a 35mm SLR today, the FM2 is a sound choice with even well-used examples likely to be functioning as well as they were nearly 40 years ago.
CLASSICAL COOL
It’s not surprising then, that it’s the FM2 that Nikon is referencing for another trip down memory lane, similar to the Df full-frame DSLR that was introduced in late 2013. This time the platform is a Z-mount mirrorless camera with Nikon opting for the APS-C format Z 50 in order to come up with a retrostyled body that’s very similar in size to FM/FE series 35mm SLRs that have inspired it.
In comparison, the Df was pretty chunky by Nikon 35mm SLR standards, except probably for the motordrive-equipped F5. As Fujifilm has already convincingly proven with its X-mount cameras, getting the proportions right is just as important as the classical styling if you don’t want to end up with something that just looks a bit contrived. Even just a quick glance at the Z fc shows you that Nikon is right on the money here – it looks gorgeous and very much classically cool. Of course, if you’ve had any experience of the FM/FE film cameras then you’re going to be smitten, but interestingly Nikon is targeting a much younger demographic who are styleconscious, looking for something that’s a bit different with much more character. These are variously described as “confident gogetters” and “trendsetters”, but you’ll be pleased to know that Nikon also says that the camera is designed to “support photography lovers”, so that covers the rest of us. Phew!
They say looks aren’t everything, but in the case of the Z fc, they’re going to help
Nikon sell a lot of cameras… on the outside, at least, it’s pretty irresistible. A silver body with black leather-look inserts is the standard model and more traditionally in keeping with the originals, but there’s also a range of colours available in limited numbers following the Z fc’s launch. Our test camera came with the Mint Green coverings that give you a bit of a shock when you first get it out of the box, but surprisingly soon begin to grow on you and actually look quite attractive.
Still, it wouldn’t be our choice of colour – Amber Brown, for example, is more complimentary overall – but it’s easy to see many of the initial buyers opting for something other than the basic black. If you’re wondering about the model designation... as with the Df, the ‘f’ stands for the fusion between, to quote Nikon, “tactile precision mechanics and high image quality”, although obviously it’s also a reference to the ‘F’ prefix that Nikon used on virtually all its 35mm SLRs from start to finish. The ‘c’ stands for ‘casually’ which, apparently, is how Nikon sees this camera being used, although something may have been a bit lost in translation here. We suspect by “casually” Nikon means that this is a camera designed to be readily accessible for anything at any time without undue fuss or formalities.
WHAT LENS?
While opting for the APS-C sensor size allows Nikon to get the aesthetics of the Z fc absolutely spot on, ‘DX Nikkor Z’ is still very much a subset of the main game in full-frame mirrorless, so there’s currently only a small number of dedicated lenses. These comprise the 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 kit zoom (equivalent to 24-75mm) – in a silver finish for packaging with the Z fc – and the 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR (75-375mm) that were launched with the Z 50. A welcome recent addition is the 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR (effectively 27-210mm), and Nikon is also packaging the Z fc with the new retro-style 28mm f/2.8 SE, but this is actually a fullframe lens and so equivalent to a 42mm on the APS-C sensor.
Compare this with what’s available in the Fujifilm X-mount system – the X-T30 II being the logical close competitor – and you can see why Nikon is banking on the heritage side of the Z fc’s story – as well its sheer visual appeal – to help make it a more attractive proposition. Of course, you can fit all the Nikkor Z lenses and F-mount lenses via the FTZ adapter, but obviously there are no size or weight savings to be had and, of course, the wide-angles won’t be quite so wide in practice.
Talking of weight, the Z fc feels deceptively light thanks to the development of much more advanced metal alloys since the days of FM/FE… and, of course, the absence of a mirror box and
THEY SAY
LOOKS AREN’T EVERYTHING, BUT IN THE CASE OF THE Z FC, THEY’RE GOING TO HELP NIKON SELL A LOT OF CAMERAS.
NIKON IS BANKING ON THE HERITAGE SIDE OF THE Z FC’S STORY – AS WELL ITS SHEER VISUAL APPEAL – TO
HELP MAKE IT A MORE ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION.
pentaprism viewfinder.
For the record, the FM2 body weighed in at 540g since it was essentially one lump of metal and glass, while the Z fc tips the scales at 390g. The latter’s metal bits are magnesium alloy compared to the FM2’s copper-silumin-aluminium mix for the main body – which was never thinner anywhere than 1.4mm and was 2.0mm thick at the lens mount – with brass for the top and bottom plates. Nevertheless, the Z fc still feels pretty strong and it gets basic weather protection, which is something the FM2 didn’t have (although, in reality, it didn’t really need it given the very limited number of control junction points).
Not surprisingly, the Z fc’s control layout is much more complex, but at its heart is still the simple functionality of dials, although it has three versus the FM2’s one. As was common at the time – and has been adopted with Fujifilm’s X-Pro3 – the shutter speed dial and film speed selector were combined whereas the Z fc has separate controls for shutter and sensitivity, plus one for exposure compensation (which, being a manual camera, the FM2 didn’t need). These are all milled from solid billets of aluminium and complimented by the classic late1970s style ‘Nikon’ faceplate along with a leather-look insert set into the EVF housing. Nikon introduced the latter design element right from start in 1959 with the prism finder and metering heads for the original F pro camera, and it was carried on when the Nikkormat line was launched in 1965 with the FT. It was very distinctive visually and made a Nikon 35mm SLR instantly recognisable through the 1960s, ’70s and into the ’80s. Incidentally, the last model to have it was the FM3A – essentially an FM2 with aperture-priority auto exposure control added – which was introduced in 2001 and remained in production until 2006.
INNER WORKINGS
On the inside, the Z fc is essentially the Z 50, which isn’t a bad thing as it’s a very capable camera that’s been hidden in the shadows of its full-frame cousins. Nikon’s priorities here are understandable, but there are definitely opportunities to make an impression in the APS-C mirrorless camera sector despite high-calibre rivals in Fujifilm and Sony.
The sensor is a CMOS with an image area of 23.5x15.7 mm and an effective resolution of 20.9MP. It’s mated with Nikon’s Expeed 6 processor, and has native sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 100 to 51,200 with extensions up to ISO 102,400 and 204,800. JPEGs are captured in one of three image sizes – the largest being 5568x3712 pixels – and three compression levels which, as usual, Nikon specifies in the ratios of 1:4, 1:8 or 1:16. There’s also a choice of three aspect ratios at 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1. RAW files are captured as losslessly compressed NEF files with the choice of either 12-bit or 14-bit RGB colour. With both JPEGs and 12-bit RAWs, the Z fc has a continuous shooting
speed of 11fps with full AF and AE adjustment, and it only drops to 9fps with 14-bit RAW capture. However, the higher speeds are only achievable with the electronic shutter, otherwise 5fps is the max. The buffer is good for over 80 shots with JPEG/large/fine capture, and files are stored on the single SD card that shares a compartment in the camera’s base along with the battery. There’s only
UHS-I speed support, but this is unlikely to bother stills shooters. As with the Z 50, there’s no inbody image stabilisation, but the 16-50mm kit zoom has optical stabilisation, as do both the longer
DX format lenses. Incidentally, though, there’s no active sensor cleaning.
The Z fc has the same extensive suite of in-camera image processing functions as
its full-frame cousins, including a selection of 20 Creative Picture Controls that supplement the eight standard Picture Control presets. The former are essentially all special effects, but with the same choice of adjustment parameters as the standard presets plus, additionally, a total of 10 effect levels. Picture Control adjustment parameters comprise Sharpening, Mid-Range Sharpening, Clarity, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation and Hue. For both convenience and speed, there’s a Quick Sharp setting to simultaneously adjust Sharpening, Mid-Range Sharpening and Clarity.
You can also tick the boxes for Active D-Lighting (ADL) processing to expand dynamic range, noise reduction processing for long exposures and high ISO settings, dual-shot HDR capture with either manual or automatic exposure adjustment, and edge smoothing to correct for any slight subject movement. A Focus Shift Shooting function can capture up to 300 frames, adjusting the focus in each via a predetermined step from one (narrow) to 10 (wide). It’s also possible to vary the interval between shots, lock the exposure to the first frame or engage silent shooting. Multiple exposures of up to 10 shots can be created and there’s a choice of four exposure corrections – Add, Average, Light or Dark. An intervalometer can record up to 9,999 frames in a sequence, and the camera’s selftimer is programmable for the delay time, the number of shots and the interval time.
The manual lens corrections available in-camera are for vignetting, distortion and diffraction (which counters the softening that occurs when shooting at smaller apertures like f/16 or f/22). Corrections for both lateral chromatic and spherical aberrations are performed automatically behind the scenes.
Auto bracketing modes are available for exposure, flash, ADL and white balance. For exposure, flash and white balance, the bracketing sequence can be set to three, five, seven or nine frames. For ADL, the choice is two through to five frames.
STAYING ON TRACK
Autofocusing is via a hybrid contrast/phase-difference system that employs 209 measuring points for roughly 87% frame coverage vertically and 85% horizontally. Low-light sensitivity extends down to -3.0 EV (at ISO 100 and f/1.8), but drops to -4.5 EV with the camera’s Low Light AF function.
The Z fc gains some extra capabilities over the Z 50, mostly in keeping with those introduced with the Mark II Z 6 and Z 7 models. Consequently, face- and eye-detection are available when using the Wide Area Large mode rather than only in the Auto Area mode. This is handy because you can specify the location of the Wide Area focusing zone within the image frame, allowing for the more selective application of eye/ face detection which, additionally, can be switched between people and animals. There’s now a choice of 10 AF area modes that range from Pinpoint to the Wide Area Large setting in size. In the Dynamic Area mode the focusing point is automatically shifted to any of the surrounding ones if the subject moves. Focus tracking can be fine-tuned over five settings from Quick to Delayed, which varies the response to an interruption so the camera will either refocus immediately or stayed locked onto the subject.
The touchscreen functionality for focusing allows you to select a focus point or zone by tapping, with the options of autofocusing and auto shutter release, but there’s no dragging option for moving it around… and there’s no ‘touch pad’ either.
The assists provided for manual focusing comprise a magnified image, a distance scale or a focus peaking display with a choice of four colours – red, white, yellow or blue – with three intensity levels.
Exposure control is based on metering at the sensor, with the choice of multi-zone, centreweighted average, full average, highlight-weighted and spot measurements. Spot metering can be linked to the active focus point/zone. Given its classical aspirations, the Z fc goes without the Z 50’s subject/scene modes and instead just has the traditional PASM exposure control settings. It also doesn’t have the Z 50’s set of special effects. However, in the full auto point-and-shoot mode, automatic scene recognition operates to identify the main
DON’T EXPECT THE SAME SUBSTANTIAL HEFT AS THE FM/ FM2 WHEN YOU FIRST PICK UP
THE Z FC, BUT IT STILL FEELS SOLIDLY SCREWED TOGETHER.”
subjects types and lighting conditions such as portraits, closeups, landscapes and night scenes.
In terms of setting exposures, Nikon is doing things a little differently to Fujifilm, so there’s a main mode selector which, in the case of the progam and aperturepriority auto modes, overrides the shutter speed dial setting. And, as no Z-mount lens has an aperture collar, there’s a very small digital read-out of f-stop settings on the camera’s top plate. There’s a limit to how many settings can be crammed onto a dial so – this time just like Fujifilm – Nikon provides a position for accessing the rest of the ranges. The shutter speed dial runs out of slow settings at four seconds, so setting it to the ‘1/3 STEP’ position allows you to continue on to down to 30 seconds in the auto exposure modes and 900 seconds (that’s 15 minutes) in the manual mode… and it also allows for the full speed range to be traversed in 1/3-stop increments. The exposure compensation dial is marked to +/3.0 EV, and is set to its ‘C’ position to extend the correction range to +/-5.0 EV.
The top shutter speed is 1/4000 second, with flash sync up to 1/200 second – two of the few specifications actually shared with the FM2 (although the later FM2n bumped the latter up to 1/250 second).
The mechanical shutter is rated to 100,000 cycles. The speed range remains the same whether using the mechanical or electronic shutters, but obviously the latter reduces both noise and vibrations. There’s the option of using the hybrid electronic first curtain shutter – which uses the sensor to make the exposure, but finishes it with the physical shutter’s second set of blades. This will also help to reduce vibration compared to using the mechanical shutter alone, but also allows for the use of electronic flash. There’s a shutter delay timer which can be set to 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 seconds to ensure any vibrations have completely died away, primarily when using the camera on a tripod.
The retro-look styling applied to the EVF’s housing means that the Z fc goes without a built-in flash, and external units sync via a hotshoe with support for Nikon’s i-TTL auto flash exposure control and the Creative Lighting System functions.
For white balance control there’s a choice of four auto correction modes with the standard mode supplemented by ‘Keep White’, ‘Keep Overall Atmosphere’ and ‘Keep
Warm’ alternatives. These are supplemented by eight lighting presets and provisions for creating up to six custom settings. Additionally, there’s fine-tuning, manual colour temperature control – settable over a range of 2500 to 10,000 Kelvin – and the alreadymentioned auto WB bracketing.
IN THE HAND
As we’ve already noted, don’t expect the same substantial heft as the FM/FM2 when you first pick up the Z fc, but it still feels solidly screwed together. The chassis is magnesium alloy and so is the top plate, but the bottom plate appears to be GRP. There’s no handgrip, but for a camera of this size and weight, it really isn’t an issue.
It still feels comfortable to hold and handle.
In addition to being machined from solid aluminium, the dials also have etched – rather than screenprinted – markings, which really is paying attention to detail. Both the dials for shutter speed and
ISO have locks, but the former still moves freely between all the timed settings (i.e. it only locks on ‘B’, ‘T’, ‘X’ and ‘1/3 STEP’) which is a much more convenient arrangement in operational terms.
The trio of dials is accompanied by front and rear input wheels – Nikon calls them “command dials” – while on the back panel is a conventional multi-directional controller, which is the main navigational tool since the Z fc goes without the now popular joystick. Everything else is also fairly conventional and the use of dials means the scope for control customisation isn’t extensive. There’s only one dedicated ‘Fn’ button and pretty much everything else is more about personalising the control operation rather
than customising the functions. However, the DX Z lenses still have the multi-function control ring that can be set to manual focus, manual aperture control or applying exposure compensation (as an alternative to the dial). Additionally, some of the full-frame Z lenses also have one or two multi-function buttons on the barrel.
The monitor-based i-Menu is customisable and provides a total of 12 function tiles with the convenience of tap-and-go. There’s also the customisable My Menu which, in reality, is going to be as much as many users need or want. You don’t get any camera setup memories (the Z 50 has two), but it’s unlikely to be an issue here.
Touch control extends to the main menus, which maintain the standard Nikon layout that’s been used for many years now. This includes a pretty extensive Custom Setting Menu divided into functionrelated chapters (i.e. autofocusing, metering/exposure, etc.), and it’s where you go to delve deeper into an aspect of the camera’s setup and operation. The monitor itself is a 3-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 1.04 million dots and, for the first time on a Nikon Z-mount body, it’s adjustable for both tilt and swing. The display is adjustable for both brightness and colour balance, as is the EVF which is unchanged from the Z
50, so it’s a 1cm OLED panel with 2.36 million dots resolution and a magnification of 0.68x (35mm equivalent). The eyepiece is round in keeping with the classical styling based on the FM/FE cameras.
The live view display can be configured with basic capture settings, a real-time histogram, a dual-axis level display and a guide grid (now with the choice of either 3x3 or 4x4). The ‘i-menu’ tiles can be overlaid on the live view image or displayed in a main info screen which also shows all the exposurerelated settings and is switchable between black-on-white and whiteon-black.
Review images can be displayed full-frame with basic capture details and the option of a highlight warning and the active focusing point/zone. Additionally, you can cycle through four pages of detailed capture data which includes the lens settings. Thumbnail images are accompanied by a either a brightness histogram and the main capture-related info or a full set of histograms (i.e. brightness plus the RGB channels). The replay options include pages of four, nine or 72 thumbnails; zooming and a slide show with adjustable frame intervals.
As is the case on all Nikon’s DSLRs and Z mount cameras, there’s a ‘Retouch Menu’ which provides a selection of in-camera editing functions including RAWto-JPEG conversion, ‘D-Lighting’ (for dealing with contrast issues post-capture), Distortion Control, Perspective Control, Straighten, Resize and Image Overlay.
The Z fc has WiFi and Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity, the latter using the latest version 2.8 of Nikon’s SnapBridge app for image transfer, remote viewfinding and remote camera control. This now also allows for firmware upgrades to be made via your smartphone.
Not surprisingly, the Z fc uses the same compact EN-EL25 battery pack as the Z 50 with both in-camera charging and powering available via its USB-C port (but the camera is supplied with a separate battery charger). Nikon says the battery is good for around 300 shots per charge.
SPEED AND PERFORMANCE
Loaded with a Sony 64GB SDXC UHS-I Video Speed 3 memory card and using the Continuous High Extended mode (which sets the electronic shutter), the Z fc captured a burst of 98 JPEG/large/ fine frames in 9.025 seconds. This represents a continuous shooting speed of 10.85fps, as close to the quoted 11fps as makes no difference. The test files averaged 9.9MB in size. Incidentally, even with the electronic shutter, the
Z fc makes some pretty satisfying shutter noises, so perhaps there’s an aural element to its classical design as well.
The autofocusing performance is definitely from the present though. It’s extremely responsive – which is maintained in low light/contrast situations – and it’s fast, snapping onto objects in an instant. Face/eye detection is very accurate, delivering reliable tracking even with quite small subjects and erratic movements. After you’ve identified your subject – by tapping on it and then hitting ‘OK’ – the tracking stays pretty resolutely locked on as it moves around the frame.
Nikon’s colour science is on a par with Fujifilm’s and it shows in the out-of-the-camera JPEGs, which are pleasingly saturated without overdoing things. You can, of course, use the Picture Control presets to get the colour you want, from the more subdued tones of the Flat setting to the punchier look of Vivid. Around
21 to 24 megapixels looks to be the sweet spot for an APS-C size sensor, balancing crisp detailing and definition with a good dynamic range and manageable noise levels at the higher ISO settings. As you’d expect, the two expansion settings are little more than wishful thinking in terms of their useability as the noise reduction processing
reduces a great many details to mush. However, across its native ISO range the Z fc delivers creditable results; up to ISO
12,800 – and even at 25,600 – both the colour saturation and definition hold up very well indeed. The ISO 51,200 setting is still useable too, but with some softening of the finer details, which will ultimately limit how big you can make a print. The dynamic range is reasonably wide without resorting to using the ADL processing, so in all but the contrastiest lighting conditions, tonality is maintained in both the brighter highlights and darker shadows. There’s a good amount of exposure latitude too, should you need to underexpose to help preserve more detail in the brightest highlights… especially with the extra information in the 14-bit RAW files.
THE VERDICT
Cameras are products that you’re much more likely to buy with your heart than your head – it’s a key element of brand loyalty for starters – and Nikon has traded heavily on this with the Z fc’s retro styling. Even if you don’t remember the FM/FE series
35mm SLRs – or have never used one – the Z fc exudes classic camera chic and, put simply, looks brilliant. There’s a good reason why dials are popular again on cameras – like the steering wheel, they work pretty effectively, but they also mean that driving the
Z fc is much more of an involving experience.
The good news is that the Z fc’s beauty is definitely more than skin deep. It’s a very capable camera on every level, but whether this will still be enough to entice the enthusiast-level shooter from buying into the full-frame Nikon Z system is debatable. More DX lenses would make a difference here, but you get the impression Nikon thinks that the three zooms it’ll be offering shortly will cover the requirements of a great many potential users of both the Z fc and Z 50 for the time being. And, if you do want something more specialised – such as a macro – using an FX format Z-mount lens is quite viable. On the other hand, you could buy the Z fc because of the way it looks and works, and just shoot with the standard kit zoom which is equivalent to a pretty handy 24-75mm… in other words, back to the tradition of one camera and one lens. In the end, buying this camera is going to be a purely emotional decision and, more than likely, any of the usual reasoning just won’t apply. However, regardless of why you buy the Z fc, you won’t be disappointed.