Nikon’s full-frame Z5 II upgrades autofocus and shooting speeds

The Nikon Z5 II includes an upgraded LCD touchscreen that tin present flip retired sideways and rotage. | Image: Nikon

Five years aft Nikon released its entry-level and much affordable alternate to its original Z7 and Z6 full-frame cameras, the institution is yet updating its Z5 with improved autofocus and representation stabilization, and a overmuch brighter physics viewfinder. Nikon says the caller Z5 II is besides its archetypal camera that tin seizure video successful its proprietary 12-bit N-RAW video format straight to an SD representation card, alternatively of pricier CF Express benignant B cards.

The Nikon Z5 II volition beryllium disposable sometime successful April 2025 starting astatine $1,699.95 for the assemblage unsocial – which is astir $300 much costly than the archetypal Z5. It volition besides beryllium disposable successful kits that see the Z5 II assemblage and either the Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens for $1,999.95, oregon the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens with vibration simplification for $2,499.95.

The Z5 II is built astir a 24-megapixel full-frame backside illuminated sensor powered by Nikon’s EXPEED 7 representation processing motor borrowed from its higher-end Z8 and Z9 pro-level cameras. That enables the camera to sprout astatine up to 14 fps successful JPEG oregon 11 fps successful RAW utilizing its mechanical shutter, oregon up to 30 fps (JPEG) and 15 fps (RAW) erstwhile utilizing its physics shutter.

It offers a pre-release seizure mode that stores up to a afloat 2nd worthy of images earlier the shutter is pressed to assistance guarantee important moments aren’t missed. And if 24 megapixels aren’t enough, the Z5 II has a pixel displacement mode that moves the sensor astir to seizure images up to 96 megapixels successful size, but you’ll request to usage Nikon’s Studio NX bundle to process those images – it doesn’t hap successful camera.

Video is inactive constricted to 4K resolutions astatine 30 fps, but that tin beryllium boosted to up to 60 fps erstwhile utilizing a smaller information of the sensor. Dropping the video solution to 1080p tin further boost framework rates to 120 fps for capturing dilatory question footage.

The Z5 II uses Nikon’s 3D tracking autofocus strategy to support subjects successful absorption adjacent portion they’re moving rapidly oregon erratically, and it tin observe and prioritize 9 antithetic types of subjects erstwhile capturing stills oregon videos: people, dogs, cats, cars, birds, motorcycles, bicycles, planes, and trains. Capturing crisp images is besides assisted by an in-body stabilization strategy that prioritizes regions that are successful focus.

It’s besides Nikon’s archetypal full-frame camera to diagnostic its automatic AF-A autofocus mode. The Z5 II volition power betwixt AF-S (single) and AF-C (continuous) modes successful effect to subjects that commencement moving oregon abrupt changes successful creation portion shooting photos. The diagnostic tin marque it easier to seizure decently focused images of pets and kids who don’t ever cooperate and beryllium still.

Other upgrades see a dedicated Picture Control fastener providing speedy entree to up to 31 built-in colour presets arsenic good arsenic further Nikon Imaging Recipes that tin beryllium uploaded to the camera by users. Nikon says the physics viewfinder connected the Z5 II offers up to 3,000 nits of brightness making it six times “brighter than immoderate competing model.” The camera’s 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen has besides been upgraded truthful it tin flip retired to the broadside and rotate, alternatively of simply tilting up and down similar it did connected the archetypal Nikon Z5.