Verdict

NIKON has become a major player in the full-frame mirrorless market since entering it in 2018. The Z 6 and Z 7 scooped many accolades from its critics and have gone down a storm with users worldwide so it’s not surprising to see Nikon taking the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t x it’ approach to its third camera in the Z-series.

Touted as an entry-level model, the Z 5 is much more advanced than this basic classi cation suggests. It’s alike the Z 6 in terms of its build quality and handling, but by making a few alterations such as equipping it with a conventional CMOS sensor, removing the top plate display and employing a lower-resolution screen, Nikon has been able to make it cheaper. Other things like the fact it accepts a pair of SD cards rather than a single costly XQD card and that it’s available with a 24-50mm kit lens will appeal to photographers who feel like they’re ready to step up to full-frame.

The bigger question though is its price. With the sensational Z 6 costing just £100 more if purchased body only, or £269 more if bought with the 24-50mm kit lens, it does make the Z 5 feel rather expensive. By spending more on the Nikon Z 6, you get a camera that shoots 7.5fps faster, provides a superior video speci cation with no crop when shooting 4K and delivers an even better noise response at high ISO.

If it was my money on the line and I had to decide between buying the Z 5 and Z 6, which would I choose? It’s a tough call, but I’d be sorely tempted to spend the extra on the Z 6, which I feel would serve as a better long term buy, especially for action and low-light photography. Don’t let this put you off the Z 5 though. It’s a remarkably capable and reliable full-frame camera; it’s just a touch expensive at this current time.