Nikon Announces New Z5IIC

Nikon has announced the Z5IIC, a smaller, viewfinder-less version of its Z5II full frame mirrorless camera built around the rear screen, available for preorder now at $1,399.95 body only and shipping in mid-October.

Now, based on the name, you can probably guess that the Z5IIC is, in fact, based on Nikon’s entry-level full frame camera, the Nikon Z5II. Because I already own the Nikon Z9, I’ll admit that I’ve never gotten a chance to own the Z5II. But, having gotten a brief chance to use it a few months back, it’s one of those cameras that I feel like deserves more attention in the market for its value proposition. While understandably scaled back versus its more expensive siblings, the internals deliver more than most photographers and filmmakers will need and represent strong value.

The Z5IIC looks to continue that tradition. It has:

• A 24.5-megapixel full frame backside-illuminated sensor
• The EXPEED 7 processor shared with its siblings, including Nikon’s flagship bodies
• Five-axis in-body stabilization rated at up to 7.5 stops at the center of the frame and 6 stops at the edges
• Subject detection for people, dogs, cats, birds, vehicles, aircraft, and fish
• A 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen that turns around for selfies and vlogging
• A magnesium alloy body with dust and drip resistance
• A weight of just 620 grams

It shares the same battery as the rest of the Nikon mirrorless line (sub Z9) and, like the Z5II, it can record N-RAW video internally to an SD card, along with H.265 10-bit and N-Log. Video tops out at 4K UHD at 60p, though 60p crops the frame to DX, with Full HD at 120p and in-camera slow motion at 4x and 5x. In stills mode, it shoots at up to about 14 fps, or 15 to 30 fps in High-Speed Frame Capture+, which records JPEGs only. In that mode, Nikon’s Pre-Release Capture can save up to one second of frames from before you fully press the shutter. All of this is captured to a single SD card slot.

Where the Z5IIC diverges is in body design. They’ve chopped off the EVF to make it smaller and lighter, leaving a flat top plate. As someone who has waxed poetic about EVFs in the past, this isn’t my favorite omission. But Nikon is no doubt aiming this camera at screen-first users, possibly those acquiring their first full frame camera. For them, Nikon has added 15 Scene Modes, the first time the company has put Scene Modes in a full frame mirrorless camera, covering portraits, pets, and food through night landscapes and twilight. There’s also a full AUTO mode, a dedicated button for Imaging Recipes, the color looks Nikon and its ambassadors publish through Nikon Imaging Cloud, and a Film Grain function with adjustable grain size and intensity.

The camera also features a tally light and a red frame around the monitor to more easily recognize when filming is underway. For creators, Product Review Mode shifts focus to an object held up to the lens, and UVC and UAC support lets the camera work as a webcam for live streaming over a single USB cable to a computer.

One thing I do like is that the camera will be available in two styles: an all-black version and a two-tone silver and black model. I’ll admit, I am a sucker for good-looking camera bodies, so I appreciate Nikon’s willingness to shake up the aesthetic of the camera itself.

Nikon says the C stands for “casual,” a low-fuss body with a feature set designed with more casual users in mind. The Nikon Z5IIC is available for preorder now and ships in mid-October at an inviting $1,399.95 for the body only, or $1,699.95 in a kit with the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3. Retailers will also sell bundles with the NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake and the NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2.