Nikon Z5II Hands-On Experience at Nikon Plaza
Earlier today I managed to try out the new Nikon Z5, which was announced last week (my writeup on the announcement here), at Nikon Plaza in Tokyo.
I made some very interesting observations, and also managed to get some confirmation regarding the specifications from the ground staff at the showroom.
Usually before the actual release date, the demo sets placed in the Nikon showroom usually have a strict policy of prohibiting bringing back the shooting data (be it RAW or JPG) as sometimes the sets are still based on pre-production firmware and they do not want such data to be floating around.
However the Z5II’s demo sets were all unrestricted so to speak - you could bring your own SD card and test it out with the camera, after which you could bring the shooting data back home. Hence I am quite certain the demo sets in the showroom now, even though it is before the official release date, are all on final firmware version (Ver 1.00 when I checked the camera settings).
So to start my little report, I think the Z5II is as what most people expect it to be: very simply put it is a Zf in a modern body.
It comes with the BSI 24.5MP sensor used in the Z6, Z6II, and Zf, and couples it with the EXPEED 7 so it gets all the new autofocus goodies as well as speed enhancements across the board. Compared to the Zf, the performance (autofocus and image quality) of the two bodies are very similar, if not identical, and most of the differences lie with the exterior hardware - the retro design Zf with all the dials, or the modern Z5II with more buttons and a good comfortable grip.
With that in mind, here are some of my observations:
The Z5II’s viewfinder can go really bright - manual settings can be set from -5 to +8, and extended to Hi 1 and Hi 2
Its firmware is practically identical to that of the Z50II, and also that of Zf’s firmware 2.00 - and yes that particular confusing menu item is also now properly labeled as “Record Camera Orientation”
The picture control button at the top is customizable (same as the Z50II)
The camera has put on a little weight since its EXPEED 6 days, but the grip is a bit beefier and more comfortable to hold.
The IBIS locks down in place (similar to the Z5/6/7/6II/7II) when powered off, unlike the Zf which floats around when powered off.
I mentioned in my Z5II’s announcement post here that I noticed how the length of the base was identical to that of the EXPEED 6 siblings, and was curious about whether the older accessories made for the EXPEED 6 bodies could work with it.
The Z-GR1 grip fits perfectly, and does not have any odd angles of protrusions of any sorts. I guess the reason its compatibility has not been officially announced is because of the VP1 extension - the Z-VP1 attaches without issue but will interfere with the full range of motion of the vari-angle screen. I guess there might be a Z-VP2 in the works? Nevertheless, I am really ecstatic that the Z-GR1 fits as I really like this grip.
The fit of the Z-GR1 means that most of the other baseplate accessories for the Z5/Z6/Z7/Z6II/Z7II should have no issues fitting since the base is the same size. However for L brackets, similar to the Z-VP1, do take note that the vari-angle screen may not get full movements when the vertical portion of the L brackets are attached. Just remember that anything not officially announced or supported do run a risk of slight incompatibility, so do test them out at your own risks.
The MB-N10 is a slightly different story - physically it fits, but since it is not officially supported I was not allowed to try to fit the MB-N10 into the demo sets in the showroom. I guess maybe one of the camera stores may be a bit more adventurous once they get their demo sets in….
Also regarding the other issues that I wanted to confirm,
The SD card slots are both UHS-II compliant. However I was not given actual write speeds capable of the camera - perhaps after the camera is released some of the memory card testers would be able to provide data on write speeds of the camera in single card mode and dual-card backup mode.
The sets in Japan are Japanese only, similar to that of the Z50II. However according to the staff there would be an optional paid service upgrade to add additional languages to the camera. While there is still no official word on this, I am definitely glad that this is an option since well, I definitely prefer to run through my settings in English than having to subconsciously translate everything.
I think this is a really highly competitive camera, especially in its price bracket, and in my short time spent with it I am quite confident that it could make a good replacement for my current Z6II workhorse.
Let me ponder over it a while more and decide during the upcoming lull period.