Nikon z50 is the new APS-C mirrorless from the Japanese manufacturer, a model much discussed in the past weeks and of which something was already known. I went to try this camera in preview in Milan, during a dedicated event, to understand if it is actually a model with good characteristics or not. Here are the details.
Nikon Z50 preview: quality features for body and sensor
Nikon Z50 is in effect a machine washed version of the Z6 and Z7 already well known on the market. In fact, with the Z series, about a year ago Nikon entered the market by offering quality solutions with important features (although not without defects, God forbid). Nikon Z50 retains an important feature presented to the public with the first Z series: the large bayonet. The Z Mount, as it is defined in technical jargon, is an attachment reserved for this Mirrorless series that has the advantage of having a much larger diameter than its competitors (55 mm bayonet) which, among other advantages, allows greater entry. of light in the sensor in order to have a better quality in terms of lenses produced and, consequently, of photos taken.
The same bayonet is therefore present on the Z50, a feature that allows it to mount optics intended for the full-frame "sisters" of the higher range (with relative crop) and vice versa: the DX optics (therefore APS-C) can be easily mounted on full frame Z mount (therefore Z6 and Z7) . In the same way, compatibility with the optional adapter dedicated to Nikkor lenses with F / AF-S attachment remains unchanged: if you have a fleet of lenses of your "old" Nikon reflex camera, you can also use them on this camera while maintaining any automatisms present (eg: AF, electronic aperture management, and so on). The body is made of magnesium alloy with ABS finishes and has partial weather resistance (ergo, you can rest easy in a light rain but you certainly won't be able to immerse it in water). The overall weight of the body alone is around 405 grams.
As for the technical characteristics, we find very respectable specifications, starting from a 20,9 megapixel sensor (I remind you in APS-C format), an image processor EXPEED 6 which guarantees an 11fps burst and performance ISO from 100 to 51200 and the ability to record video up to resolution 4K @ 30 fps without crop.
As for the autofocus sector, it boasts of 209 points and it is a hybrid AF able to cover 90% of the sensor with intelligent mode EYE AF to focus on a person's eye in a few nanoseconds.
There are also some features that are always comfortable and appreciable, such as the adjustable touch display, which can also be moved completely towards the front and thus guarantee the rapid capture of self-portraits (complete with dedicated mode), various filters applicable in real time to the photos, a flat-like color profile for videos, WiFi and Bluetooth. Thanks to the new version of Snapbridge it is now possible to wirelessly send images in RAW format to your smartphone or tablet, which can then be read with programs such as Adobe Lightroom CC Mobile and post-produced in their entirety.
Nikon Z50 preview: first impressions of use
Holding and using Nikon Z50 was quite pleasant: the grip is extremely comfortable and offers excellent ergonomics even for those like me who have big hands and the shooting quality is very good. The material chosen for the camera body is the classic magnesium alloy, which offers the usual and known strengths and weaknesses found on most cameras.
It is therefore not fair to say that this product is "cheap" as rumored on the net these days because, in my opinion, the value for money of this product is very good (and we will see it shortly). Good shutter speed, excellent burst that also allows you to hazard a minimum of sports photography, interesting the completely new battery and now with 1120 mAh which should (theoretically) guarantee between 300 and 400 shots. I appreciated the presence of the microphone input on the camera body as it allows the effective use of higher quality external equipment as well as the presence of the HDMI output that allows you to use external monitors (even recorders such as the ATOMOS). The particularity of having the tilting touch display also allows photographers to manage the type of shot at will, always having the scene under control, whether with the camera above you or below you.
Speaking of final impressions and overall satisfaction, despite a few points to fix (such as the AF in the videos, excessively slow and inaccurate), I think this product is a pleasant surprise in the type of price range in which it positions itself. It can be a great start for those who already want to start in the right way, a second body for a professional who already uses Nikon full frame or an interesting step-up for those who started from an entry level and would like something more advanced.
Nikon Z50 preview: price and availability
Nikon Z50 will be available from mid-November at a starting price of 1119€ for the basic kit which includes camera body, DX 16-50 F3.5 / 6.3 lens and 64GB Lexar SD card.
