Nikon Z5

24.3MP CMOS FX Sensor
273-point AF
4.5fps Continuous Shooting
4K/30P UHD Video
ISO 100-51200
Weather-proof

QUICKFACT SHEET

Almost two years ago, Nikon seriously entered the mirrorless market with two expert-level full-frame mirrorless cameras for photography enthusiasts: the Z6 and the Z7. Its third full-frame mirrorless camera is the entry-level Z5, with professional features borrowed from its bigger brother, the Z6. Users will appreciate weather sealing, 3.6M-dot OLED EVF, 5-Axis IBIS, dual SD slots and USB-charging/powering.

The Z5 features 24.3MP, 273 on-sensor AF points (90% coverage) with Face- and Eye-Detection AF for people, cats and dogs, and 5-Axis IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization, or, as Nikon terms it: In-camera VR image stabilization) with up to 5-stops of compensation.

Continuous Shooting is at 4.5 fps with full AF/AE.

It can shoot 4K UHD/30P (with 1.7x crop) or 1080/60P video with In-camera VR image stabilization and electronic VR. There are both mic and headphone sockets.

It has a high resolution 3.6M-dot Quad-VGA OLED EVF, and a 3.2-inch 1.04M-dot Tilt Touch LCD. Note that the LCD does not face forward.

Rare on an entry-level camera is weather-sealing. The new NIKKOR 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens being offered as a kit lens is also dust- and drip- resistant, making it a good combo for the Z5.

Another welcomed feature is that the Z5 can be recharged and powered by an external power bank while the camera is being used. (This is good news for those who like to use the Interval Timer feature.)

The biggest surprise for an entry-level camera is the dual UHS-II SD card slots.

Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Focus Shift Shooting Mode (aka Focus Stacking), and Multiple Exposures.

Unfortunately, the Z5 does not have a built-in flash, but it sports a hot shoe that accepts external flash units.

What Is the Difference Between Interval Timer and Time Lapse?

Time Lapse photography enables us to capture a subject or scene as it changes over time, replayed in a short time-compressed video. So, for example, you could obtain a time lapse of a flower opening up, or even a plant growing up from the ground, of ants eating up a dead insect, of the rotation of the earth (as viewed by the movement of the stars), etc. all happening in a matter of seconds.

To create this speed-up time effect, an Intervalometer or Interval Timer is required. The Intervalometer allows you to capture one shot every so many minutes or even hours (the time inerval) for a number of intervals, starting immediately or at a set time. You’ll end up with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of individual shots. Depending on how long you intend to be capturing individual shots, you may need to be able to power your camera externally.

You would then download these individual shots into your computer and combine them in an appropriate software to create a time lapse video. So, when you read that a camera has an Interval Timer or Intervalometer, that is the feature they are talking about.

However, if you combine these individual shots yourself manually, it can become a laborious process, though many photo editing software now includes a time lapse feature allowing you to simply select the shots you want to include in the time lapse and automatically creating the movie for you. Since you still have all the individual shots, the Intervalometer is a powerful feature that allows you to be quite creative.

Enter in-camera Time Lapse as a feature. This is a simpliified Intervalometer. Like the Intervalometer, it also captures one shot every so many minutes or even hours, but does not save them as individual shots. Instead, it combines them in-camera into one time lapse movie, and saves that movie only. So, you will not have access to the individual shots later. It is a much simpler process and yields an immediate result.

The Nikon Z5 has both an Interval Timer and the in-camera time-lapse movie feature. In addition, it also allows you to select individual shots taken with the Intervalometer and combine them in-camera (you don’t need to download them to a computer) to create a time-lapse movie.

As mentioned above, a new NIKKOR 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens with dust and drip resistance will be offered as a kit lens to the Z5.

The Nikon Z mount accepts new Z Nikkor lenses, and a FTZ adapter allows you to attach the extensive collection of existing high-quality F mount lenses.

The Z5 will be webcam-ready when Nikon releases its Webcam Utility software (beta) in August, just in time for the September school reopening: Just connect it to a PC with the USB-C cord (a separate purchase), and the Z5 can be used as a webcam for live streaming, teleconferencing and gaming. Initially, the Webcam Utility software will only run on Windows 10 PCs; no date has been set for a macOS version. The Z5 could also be used for Vlogging, but since the LCD monitor at the back only tilts up and down and cannot face forward, you’ll have to rely on an external monitor to see what you are filming.

NIKON Z5 SPECS AT A GLANCE (2020)

TYPE:	MIRRORLESS, FULL-FRAME
SENSOR RESOLUTION:	24.3MP	SENSOR TYPE:	FULL-FRAME (35.9 X 23.9 MM)
LENS MOUNT:	NIKON Z	ISO:	100-51,200 + EXTENDED 204,800
VIEWFINDER:	3.69M-DOT OLED 0.8X MAG. 21MM EYEPOINT 100% COVERAGE	LCD:	3.2″ 1.04M-DOT TILT TOUCH
I.S.:	5-AXIS	VIDEO:	4K/30P/25P/24P, 1080/24P/25P/30P/50P/60P
CONTINUOUS SHOOTING:	4.5 FPS	STORAGE MEDIA:	DUAL UHS-II SD CARD SLOTS
OTHER:	WI-FI, BLUETOOTH, 4K TIME-LAPSE, SILENT MODE, USB-C BATTERY CHARGING/POWERING, MULTIPLE EXPOSURES, INTERVAL TIMER, IN-CAMERA TIME LAPSE, FOCUS SHIFT SHOOTING MODE, REMOTE CONTROL SHOOTING, WEATHER-SEALED
DIMENSIONS:	134 X 100.5 X 69.5 MM (5.3 X 4.0 X 2.8 IN.)	WEIGHT:	590 G (20.9 OZ) BODY ONLY
PRICE (BODY ONLY):	US $1,399.95, CAD $2,049.95	BUY:	Nikon Z5 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

The Nikon Z5 (US $1,399.99, CAD $2,049.95) is a feature-packed full-frame mirrorless camera that shoots quality images and provides impressive performance at a reasonable price (wait a couple of months for price drop). It is marketed as an entry-level camera, but the features are all professional. If you are looking for a full-featured mirrorless camera and want to shoot full-frame, the Nikon Z5 should be on your short list.

Other cameras you may want to also look at is the Nikon Z6, the Canon EOS RP, and the Sony A7 III.

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