Nikon Z50

Nikon Z50 Review

The Nikon Z50 is the first-generation Z-mount DX mirrorless camera with a 20.9 megapixels APS-C sensor.

The camera attracts a generation of new photographers and beginners for its friendly budget level.

Together with two compact DX lenses for this camera, it packs many attractive features, putting it above entry-level DSLRs like Nikon D3500 and D5600

Its sensor accommodates two types of lenses: a 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 collapsible standard zoom and a 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom - both with built-in image stabilization.

With its price point of $860 MSRP, it competes head-to-head with other mirrorless options on the market such as the Sony A6400, Fuji X-T30, and Canon EOS M6 Mark II. It is at the high end both in technical and price terms.

The camera has a lightweight construction with a great body build and ergonomics.

It stands out from the previous Z6 and Z7 for a lighter weight, easier body to handle, and a longer battery life that allows up to 320 shots.

Construction features of Nikon Z50

The Z50 is positively dinky, particularly with the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR kit lens attached. There is also a new Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR telephoto zoom.

The camera is physically smaller and lighter than full-frame Z models and it uses a similar deep grip that is comfortable to hold. Ideally, the feeling of grabbing a Z50 is pleasant.

The ergonomics are great, with fewer buttons than the Z6 and Z7, but touch icons next to the touchscreen replace some of the functionality of the physical buttons.

It has both rear and front-mounted scroll wheels that enable aperture and shutter speed to change quickly.

It is roughly on par with the Nikon D7500 and perhaps the Nikon D500 as an enthusiast APS-C camera.

The Nikon Z50 is slightly less bulky in terms of size in comparison to Z6 and Z7: it measures 126.5 × 93.5 × 60 mm (5.0 × 3.7 × 2.4 in)

Therefore, such a measure immediately suggests the circumstances in which to use an entry-level camera, it is perfect for any type of travel or street photography.

In comparison to Z6 and Z7, Nikon Z50 is lighter and weighs 395g excluding the battery and the memory card.

However, like all cameras in this category, the Nikon Z50’s weather sealing is a standout in this class. This implies that it cannot withstand extreme climatic situations, dust, rain.

Photos experience and shooting experience

The 20.9 MP DX-format sensor borrows the fast, wide Hybrid-AF (autofocus) system from Nikon's full-frame 'Z' cameras, with 209 AF points covering 90 percent of the sensor width and height.

Thanks to the lack of an optical low-pass filter, one can take full advantage of the resolving power of the exceptionally sharp Z-mount lenses.

Its 11fps continuous shooting range matches the Z 6 and exceeds the Z 7, and certainly puts it up amongst the fastest shooters around, matching many pro-level DSLRs.

Nikon Z50 is a great low light performer too, with a native ISO range of ISO100-51,200 at up to -4EV.

The Z50 is wonderful at recovering both highlight and shadow detail when shooting complex high-contrast scenes, and it is able to preserve color information accurately.

The Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR is absolutely a fantastic lens especially in shooting at shorter focal lengths. For more reach, Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lens gives a long zoom range.

It is very sharp from 50mm to 200mm and gets noticeably softer at 250mm. Similar to the 16-50mm VR, the optical vibration reduction on the lens is excellent for stills and video shooting. Just at $350, the lens is a steal.

It is capable of shooting 4K without any cropping at up to 30 FPS, which is impressive. It shoots across the full sensor width, rather than a cropped version that some rivals have employed. It allows for the creation of the 4K time-lapse sequences in it while shooting in Full HD adds additional slow-motion footage mode.

However, it is limited to an 8-bit video and the camera does not have a headphone jack for sound monitoring, but a microphone port is available for recording external sound.

The Z50 is a good video camera that produces good-looking footage. It can shoot 4K UHD footage at up to 30p or 1080 video at up to 120p.

Advantageously, the camera's video AF interface is pleasantly consistent with the way things work in stills mode. It provides a choice of Single point, Wide (S), Wide (L), and Auto-area, with Face or Tracking mode accessible in the Auto-area mode.

Prices and kits for sale

The basic kit of the Nikon Z50 is the classic with Nikkor Z DX 16-50 f/3.5-6.3 VR lens. Very convenient economically as it goes for $1000.

The Z50 with an MSRP is around $850 for the body only.

Besides, a two-lens kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm DX zooms takes the list price to $1350.

The investment in the Z50 has the economic value but isn’t nearly as much as a decent full-frame setup. It has a solid value including all the features a photographer would want at such a price point.

My opinion on Nikon Z50

The Z50 is a really impressive addition to the mid-price camera sector.

It brings a lot of Nikon D7500-level capability to a camera with a price more like a D5600, immediately making it a credible contender in one of the most hotly-contested parts of the market.

The ergonomics and user interface are generally very good, making it an engaging and enjoyable camera to shoot with.

Its video capability is also very good, with the option to have video settings that match or diverge from one’s stills settings, depending on how a person wants to shoot.

Battery life is on the low side but USB charging makes it easy to stay topped-up, so it's not too much of an issue.

The 20.9 MP sensor has excellent high-ISO and dynamic range performance for an APS-C size sensor.

Coupled with a fast EXPEED 6 processor, 11 FPS continuous shooting speed, a decent-sized image buffer, and solid AF performance, the Z50 is a versatile choice for doing many different types of photography, including action.