Nikon’s Camera Lineup After Z5II

Now that the Z5II has been announced (post regarding its announcement here), I cannot help but think how the Nikon lineup would shape up to be in the coming years. While it sounds like I am just looking forward to the next new thing (OK I do admit there is a tiny bit of truth in there, but hey I am pretty sure every photographer does have some form of GAS), I do honestly think it is important to look at the lineup from a larger perspective if one is to invest in the ecosystem.

Before I delve any further, I would just like to say these are purely based on my observations and are my own speculations, and hence are by no means a rumor or confirmation of new products.

Let’s start by looking at Nikon’s current lineup of camera bodies. (I will be excluding the RED video-oriented bodies since that is not my specialty and I am unable to speculate anything for those.)

As of writing, for the EXPEED 7 bodies, we have:

• Nikon Z9: Flagship model and the only model with integrated vertical grip body; 45.7MP stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, special AF functions available only to the stacked sensors, dual-axis tilt screen, top LCD, pro controls, dual CFe slots

• Nikon Z8: Mini-Z9 (a.k.a Z9 without the grip); 45.7MP stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, special AF functions available to the stacked sensors, dual-axis tilt screen, top LCD, pro controls, CFe slot + SD slot

• Nikon Z6III: All-rounder body that gives a priority to speed and professional video specs; 24.5MP partially stacked sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, top LCD, “slightly unfinished firmware” (more on this written here in this post), CFe slot + SD slot

• Nikon Zf: All-rounder retro-design body with decent video specs; BSI 24.5MP sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, SD slot + microSD slot

• Nikon Z5II: All-rounder body with modern video specs; BSI 24.5MP sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, dual SD slots

• Nikon Z50II: All-rounder APS-C body with decent video specs; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, single SD slot

And for the EXPEED 6 bodies which have yet to see any replacements, we have:

• Nikon Z7II: High resolution body without stacked sensor, and the only FX line not updated to EXPEED 7; BSI 45.7MP sensor, single-axis tilt screen, top LCD, CFe slot + SD slot

• Nikon Zfc: Retro-design APS-C body; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, vari-angle screen, single SD slot

• Nikon Z30: Compact body without EVF; BSI 20.9MP APS-C sensor, vari-angle screen, single SD slot

So first, let’s deal with the elephant in the room - will there (and should there) be a Z7III?

In my personal opinion, yes. Similar to the Z6II to Z6III upgrade, I highly suspect that the Z7III would come with a new sensor with higher resolution, though not partially-stacked, and definitely not fully-stacked, to keep the Z7-line as the high-resolution line of the Z bodies. Simply put, I think that a theoretical Z7III would be:

• Identical body with Z6III; high resolution BSI sensor (61MP? 80MP?), EXPEED 7, vari-angle screen, top LCD, CFe slot + SD slot, slowish (by modern standards) max burst rates, moderate video specs

This would put the Z7III as the high resolution body to go for if high continuous burst speeds and video specs are not the main priority, which is similar to how the 61MP A7RV is marketed for Sony users. By sharing the same body as Z6III, like how Z6II and Z7II were, manufacturing costs can be reduced and many of the accessories can be shared by the two bodies too.

Next let’s take a look at the APS-C bodies.

• ZfcII: This is quite a tough one to speculate, because on one hand with the Imaging Cloud and Process Recipes, they do make a retro-styled ZfcII appealing for many of the younger target audience, but on the other hand, a ZfcII, which would theoretically cost a bit more than a Z50II, would be close in price to the full-frame Z5II, and with the cashbacks happening, the Zf as well. In the EXPEED 6 era the Zfc being close to the Z5 in pricing (especially during the latter’s promotions and cashbacks) was still justifiable, since the Z5 had a non-BSI sensor and thus lower maximum burst rates and AF calculations/seconds, resulting in the Zfc being the faster and more responsive camera in addition to its retro looks. However in the EXPEED 7 era, the Z5II has gotten all the speed improvements it needed, and the only selling point of a ZfcII would be its retro design.
  
  If I were to pick a side, I would say the ZfcII is unlikely to happen any time soon, and pretty certain not this year at least. It may come should the market react positively to wanting a retro design EXPEED7 APS-C body, but in my opinion the chances are really slim.
  
  Should a ZfcII arrive within this generation, I would suspect it would just be a Zfc body with Z50II internals (that is to say, same 20.9MP sensor with EXPEED 7, single UHS-II card slot)

• Z30II: This is an interesting one. I personally like the Z30 for its size and handling, and its autofocus capabilities were actually on the better side as far as EXPEED 6 bodies go, especially for subject detection (Eye-AF). Although being marketed as a camera for vloggers, I had no issues using it for stills and actually really enjoyed having it around me most of the time. (You can read more about my little review on the Z30 here.)
  
  I do not have exact sales numbers of the Z30, but I have definitely heard mixed opinions on this - seems like the larger general electronics retailers do sell quite a bit of them, but the specialized camera stores do not sell as much. Only Nikon would know whether the Z30 was profitable or not - if it was not profitable, I doubt we would see a successor to the Z30.
  
  I personally do believe that a Z30II would happen, and if so, it would be the next APS-C body to be announced. One particular reason I believe so is that there is an increased demand for compact high performance cameras recently, and I think they would be likely to join the bandwagon, especially since the target audience for this would likely to be casual users without any brand preference or brand loyalty, it would make sense to compete for some market share here.
  
  They just have to give the body some minor updates (say a UHS-II slot?), make some button placement changes, and jam all the Z50II internals in it, and call it a day.
  
  Hence I suspect it would have the same vari-angle screen, the same 20.9MP sensor, EXPEED 7, single UHS-II card slot.

Now that I am done discussing my opinions on the remaining EXPEED 7 updates, please allow me to go on to discuss and speculate how else would the lineup shape up to be.

I need to emphasize again, these are really just my speculations, so please do not go around spreading this like wildfire. (At least at time of writing, there are no concrete evidence or rumors or anything)

I think (that is the keyword, think) there would be 2 more camera lines, and I am just throwing out the names here just because it makes sense.

• Z3: Compact EVF-less version of the Z5II; similar to how the Z30 is to the Z50. Would feature dual SD slots and use EN-EL15c batteries.

• Z80: Think of it as the mini Z8, like how the Z50II is to the Z5II. High speed high performance APS-C camera, featuring 20.9MP APS-C stacked sensor, no mechanical shutter, EXPEED 7, CFe slot + SD slot, uses EN-EL15c batteries. Comes with the pro controls of the Z8.

As for the flagship Z9, I suspect we would see the 45.7MP stacked sensor used for one more generation before it gets a major upgrade, and thus, this is how I think the Z9II (and Z8II for that matter) would look like:

• Z9II: Same 45.7MP stacked sensor without mechanical shutter, either dual EXPEED 7 or new EXPEED 8, upgrades include pre-capture RAW, higher stills FPS for RAW (currently maxed out at 20FPS), wide-gamut brighter EVF from the Z6III, dual CFe 4.0 slots. Depending on how the CPUs are built, it may be possible to maintain the dual-stream technology (for blackout-free EVF) and also increase the amount of AF calculations/second. Video wise it should see modern codecs in built, ability to record N-RAW internally, and ability to record to two cards simultaneously.

• Z8II: Same as above, minus the integrated vertical grip, and uses EN-EL15c batteries instead. Would have 1x Cfe 4.0 slot + 1x SD UHS-II slot, thus making dual video recording not possible for some modes.

And since we know that the current 20.9MP APS-C sensor is based on the FF 45.7MP FX sensor, when the theoretical Z7III arrives, we should see a new APS-C sensor as well, and that should go into the next crop of APS-C bodies (say Z50III or something)

Final disclaimer: this is not a rumors post, but just my speculations, so yeah, let’s definitely revisit this page some time down the line to see if any of these actually materialize!

Where Are the Zf and Z6III Firmware Updates?

After the Z5II’s announcement last week (details of the announcement on this post here), I took a look at some of the videos and articles done by people who have tried out the pre-production units, and realized that the Z5II would come with a firmware very similar to that the Z50II.

That is to say, it would include a lot of the newer customization options that were added to the Z8/Z9 via firmware updates (such as being able to set “Cycle AF-area mode” to a custom key, or being able to set the “Delete” function to a custom key during playback).

When I tried out the Zf loaded with the pre-release FW2.00 at Nikon’s booth in CP+ 2025 earlier this year, on top of the Nikon Imaging Cloud access options, the “f2: Custom Controls (Shooting)” custom settings also saw many new additions to it, bringing the level of customization to that of the Z8/Z9 (and now, the Z50II and Z5II too), as well as fixing the infamous rear-screen bug of the Zf.

And since Nikon did mention themselves that the Zf would see an update to gain access to the Imaging Cloud, it is only a matter of time before the Zf’s firmware update would land.

Which then raises a very interesting question - why does the Z6III’s firmware feel a bit nerfed as compared to the supposedly lower level Z50II and Z5II?

With the exception of the Z6III (and Zf for now), all the EXPEED 7 based bodies, FX or DX, would come equipped with a dedicated Bird AF in its subject detection options. While I know that for the Z6III the animal detection AF would work for birds too, it just feels strange that the Z6III, supposedly being the top-of-the-line hybrid camera, lacks that option, as well as the other customizations available for setting custom functions to the Fn keys. These customizations can be viewed as quality-of-life improvements, and many of which would benefit working photographers. And if the pre-release Zf FW 2.00 were to be a clue, most of the customizations seen in the Z50II/Z5II are just firmware based and can be added via an update.

There might be issues or difficulties that we do not know about regarding implementing the options in Z6III, or perhaps the presence of some other bugs that they would like to iron out, or perhaps there some are extra additions or goodies they would like to include in the major firmware update of the Z6III - all of which only the Nikon engineers would know and I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt. But nevertheless, I personally think as a sign of good faith Nikon should release the major firmware update for Z6III before the Z5II officially ships, so that current owners of Z6III would not feel left out, or in harsher terms, cheated, that a lower level body would have the improved menu options and customizations.

Final note: these are just my personal observations, opinions and speculations, and are by no means rumors or confirmations of any sorts regarding firmware updates coming any time soon.

** Update 8/4/2025: Zf firmware 2.00 officially released. Details are discussed in my post over here.

Nikon Z5II Announcement and Opinions

The Nikon Z5II has just been officially announced, and camera shops in Japan will begin to accept preorders for the camera from 10 April.

The official press release and specifications of the camera can be viewed here:

• Press Release Page (English or Japanese)

• Official Product Page (English or Japanese)

As I had expected and anticipated, the Z5II is pretty much a Z5 body updated with Zf internals (plus some nice surprises here and there).

Here is a brief summary of the major changes of the Z5II over the Z5:

• 24.5MP BSI sensor, ISO 100-64000, similar to that of the Zf

• Expeed 7 CPU

• Faster and more sensitive AF - claimed to be 3 times faster than the Z5 and being able to focus in -10 EV situations

• Subject detection modes similar to that of the other Expeed 7 bodies

• 7.5 stops of IBIS

• Up to 14 FPS RAW with mechanical shutter

• 3.2-inch 2.1 million dots flip screen, similar to that used in the Zf

• 3.69 million dots EVF, with improved 3000 cd/m2 brightness (similar to that of the Z8/Z9)

• Picture control button (similar to that in the Z50II)

• Video improvements include 12-bit N-RAW, FX 4K30p from 6K oversampled video, 4K60p in crop (DX) mode, up to 125minutes of continuous video recording

Some of the features of the Z5 are kept with the Z5II, for better or worse, namely:

• Dual SD card slots (but does seem like both are UHS-II capable)

• No top LCD panel

• No mode dial lock

I think this model is an essential and very important part of Nikon’s Z lineup. On one hand it would be the entry level Expeed 7 FX body, thus attracting new users to the ecosystem with a sleuth of features is a key point in securing these new purchases. On the other hand, for many users (like me) who do not need the high frame rates or video specs, this is essentially the perfect Z6II replacement (although I am a bit sad with the lack of top screen though).

So far on paper it is very much what I expected it to be, and am looking forward to testing it out in the showroom before making a decision to pre-order or not (because you know, the Z8 strap lug fiasco..)

Here are some things that I cannot confirm now, and am planning to check them out when I get to test the camera:

• According to the specs sheet, the base length is identical to that of the Z5 (and Z6/Z7/Z6II/Z7II) - and it lists both the MB-N11 and MB-N14 as compatible accessories. Does this mean that the Z-GR1 is a perfect fit for it too? (P.S. it does not fit the Z6III perfectly due to a change in length of the base plate)

• Is the set in Japan available in Japanese language only (like the Z50II) or does it have English menus too?

• How customizable are the buttons? (Z50II level of customization or the slightly crippled Z6III level?)

• Are both SD card slots able to write at full UHS-II speeds?

• Weather sealing and weather resistance information [Update: Just checked the press material again and seems like it is properly weather sealed]

I am definitely stoked that for now this sounds like a perfect replacement for my Z6II workhorse (minus the top screen, yeah I know I sound like a broken record), especially so if the Z-GR1 is able to fit it perfectly.

And also I guess I need to reconsider my little APS-C plan too.

Evolution of Chinese Lens and Accessories Makers

In recent times there have been plenty of releases of lenses and camera accessories from Chinese manufacturers, and truth be told I am impressed with the rate that they are improving their products and innovating.

I strongly believe that healthy competition would bring about improvements and innovations, so with the rise of Chinese lens manufacturers, I think that us as consumers would benefit as a whole since the entire industry would be competing with each other to bring out more original and interesting products.

There have been several reputable camera accessories brands from China from a while back, such as Godox’s lighting accessories and triggers, Smallrig’s L-brackets and cages, and DJI’s drone systems, just to name a few. However, when we think about lenses, the initial releases of camera lenses from China were, blatantly speaking, clones of older lens designs, and tended to be only manual focus only. Most of the time they were just not up to current standards - usually thought of as cheap lenses to play around with, and could pretty much only take decent images once stopped down to around f/5.6 or so (and even so their performance is still just decent at best).

Fast forward to today, and we can see lenses from several Chinese manufacturers which incorporate modern AF systems tuned for use with mirrorless cameras, and some manufacturers also come up with their original optical designs and innovations (such as incorporating USB ports directly in the lens to facilitate firmware updates) - which is a far cry from the past where they were simply replicating old optical designs. Many of these manufacturers also do tend to cater to a certain niche - some examples include TTArtisan and 7Artisans catering to the general crowd with good price-performance lenses; Laowa (previously Venus Optics) with their probes, high magnification macro lenses and low-distortion ultra wide-angle lenses; Viltrox with product lines catering to compact sizes (Air series) or high performance lenses (Pro and Lab series).

That said, the fast rate of iteration does have certain consequences - namely with so many models flooding the market with similar nomenclatures, it is often quite confusing and difficult to determine if a particular model is the latest design or one from a previous generation, and due to that their resale value do not hold well too since a newer model is always just round the corner. Combined, these make a purchase from a Chinese manufacturer still a sort of a small gamble, even if they are pretty reputable.

However, credit should be given where credit is due, and the fact that they are improving so fast and bringing so much more value to the photography community as a whole is definitely worth commending.

Right now, there are still certain drawbacks from getting lenses from Chinese manufacturers, namely:

• The coatings used on their lenses are still pretty simple and do not always eliminate flares and ghosts, even in simple backlit situations.

• Quality control is not as stringent, and as such there are quite a bit of sample variance (although this has been improved recently according to most users, but still not up to par as the more established lens manufacturers)

• They still do not have a proper track record on their build quality and long-term reliability, especially for the newer offerings with autofocus mechanisms (which is a given since they just entered the autofocus playing field pretty recently).

• AF algorithms are reverse-engineered so firmware updates are required for compatibility with newer bodies. However it is hard to predict when support or firmware development would stop for current products.

• Customer service is pretty much non-existent according to most users; if you buy from a reputable store they might handle the returns/warranty issues for you, but chances are if you need repairs it might take a long turnaround since they do not have regional repair offices.

• Similarly there is no pro-support for their lenses, and thus the risk is too high for working photographers should the lens malfunction.

These drawbacks, especially that on the lack of support, are the main reasons why I have not personally purchased and owned lenses from the Chinese manufacturers, even though some of them are really intriguing to me (like the recently released Viltrox 135/1.8 LAB).

But I think that as these manufacturers grow and improve their reputation, they would start addressing these shortcomings as a way to distinguish themselves from the less reputable brands, and in my opinion that would be the start of a new era of reliable high performance lenses from them.

I have used third party lenses in the past for the F-mount (various lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Samyang), and am still using one now as a workhorse lens on the Z-mount (the Tamron 35-150/2-2.8 Z). It is definitely great to have more options on the table if the lenses from Chinese manufacturers prove to have reliable build quality and start to have proper support for them.

As mentioned earlier in this post, I do believe the rising of the Chinese lens manufacturers would spur healthy competition amongst the other manufacturers too, so I am certainly looking forward to how this industry would shape up in the coming years.

Nikon Z50II Manual Available

The reference guide for the newly announced Z50II can now be downloaded at the official Nikon pages (English or Japanese).

I was snooping around to see if the new Picture Control button can be reprogrammed, and while it can be reprogrammed, the reference manual only included a complete list of custom functions, but did not have an appendix for which functions are available to which buttons, so I am still not sure how flexible that button is if you do not use picture controls much.

That said, I noticed something interesting in the reference manuals too.

Under Custom Controls (Shooting), “Cycle AF-Area Mode” is an option available; and similarly under Custom Controls (Playback), “Delete” is an option available.

I personally use Cycle AF-Area mode very often on my Z8, and was surprised to see Z6III and Zf omitting this option.

Similarly, a good photographer acquaintance of mine uses the “Delete” function mapped to one of the function buttons of the Z8 for quick review and culling through the EVF, and we were both surprised that the Z6III omitted this option too.

It is sure delightful to see it being implemented in the Z50II, and if I were to make a smart guess, I think the Expeed 7 siblings (Z6III and Zf) would have these options enabled in their next firmware update too.