Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

The Nikon Z 5 doubles down on SD card slots despite its entry-level price

Hillary K. Grigonis
By

After making a full-frame mirrorless camera for the pros, Nikon wants to bring the power of a larger sensor to the masses. The Nikon Z 5 is a new entry-level mirrorless camera that combines both simple, beginner-friendly features and more advanced options, all for a few hundred dollars less than the Z 6 and its DSLR counterpart, the D610.

While the Z 5 may be an entry-level option, the camera also takes feedback from the launch of the Z 6 and Z 7, including dual SD card slots. That makes the camera a hybrid blend of pared-down budget features and advanced options not part of the Z 6 and Z 7.

Related Videos

The Nikon Z 5 uses a 24.3-megapixel, full-frame sensor — about a megapixel less than the Z 6 — and the same processor as the more advanced model, the Expeed 6. Despite housing the same computing power, the Z 5 only shoots at up to 4.5 frames per second (fps) compared to the Z 6’s 12 fps.

Related

Shutter speed wasn’t truncated to hit the lower price point, however, and it still reaches a maximum of 1/8000, which is needed for working with the brighter Z lenses in sunlight. Autofocus also remains similar to the 273-point system on the Z 6, covering 90 percent of the sensor. Human and animal eye autofocus is included. Like both the Z 6 and Z 7, the Z 5 is equipped with 5-axis image stabilization with Z-Mount lenses, and 3-axis stabilization with the FTZ adapter and an F-Mount DSLR lens.

Video also sees some notable differences compared to the Z 6 and Z 7. The Z 5 sports 4Kp30 video, but at a 1.7x crop — which means quality and frame of view will be similar to shooting with an APS-C sensor. The full width of the sensor is used for 1080p at 60 fps which is nice to see, however the Z 5 is also missing out on advanced features like 120 fps slow motion, ProRes, and N-Log.

A curious choice

Upon the launch of the Z 6 and Z 7, Nikon said dual slots were not included in order to keep the bodies compact with that built-in stabilization. The Z 5, however, manages to fit two UHS-II compatible SD card slots in the camera, a likely result of feedback from photographers on the earlier models. Putting dual SD card slots in a slower camera that’s not made for the pros is a bit of an odd move — the Z 5 shoots fewer, smaller files that are less likely to cause an overflow, and it isn’t made for the audience that considers the ability to create backups in-camera a must-have.

But the Z 5 proves that two cards can indeed fit into the small body, and suggests updates to the Z 6 and Z 7 could also sport the feature. That said, it is still unclear if that same size body could house dual slots with compatibility for the XQD card type, a much higher-performing card that likely contributes to the Z 6 and Z 7’s ability to achieve a faster burst.

Despite the two card slots, the Z 5 is the same size and weight as its big siblings. The secondary LCD at the top is missing — unsurprising considering entry-level Nikon DSLRs don’t have one either — and the mode dial has moved to the right side of the body for one-handed mode switches. The Z 5 is also only partially made from magnesium alloy, and while weather-sealed, it isn’t as protected as the pricier options. The Z 5 houses a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen and a 3.2 million dot EVF.

Not just for photographers

Nikon says the Z 5 is for all creatives — not necessarily specifically photographers — and includes a few simple features made for vloggers and influencers. The Z 5 has a handful of expanded post-processing effects possible in-camera, including more multiple exposure options and an interval timer mode that assembles a time-lapse in-camera while simultaneously saving the individual images. A focus shift mode for focus stacking techniques is also included but requires post-processing outside the camera. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both included for wireless transfers to a smart device and remote shooting.

The Z 5 uses a new battery that offers at least 470 shots per charge with the monitor and 390 with the viewfinder. Unlike the Z 6 and Z 7, the Z 5 can also recharge through USB while still shooting (another much-requested feature left out of the more expensive cameras), and is also compatible with Nikon’s mirrorless battery grip.

Along with the Z 5, Nikon also announced two new teleconverters, the TC-1.4x and TC-2.0x, that are compatible with the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. Nikon says the teleconverters work with a “minimal decrease” in autofocus accuracy and speed. The teleconverters don’t affect the lens’ minimum focusing distance, allowing the lens to get in even closer. As with all teleconverters, there’s some light lost — one stop with the 1.4x and two stops with the 2.0x. The teleconverters are also weather-sealed.

The Nikon Z 5 and new teleconverters will be available at the end of August, along with the previously delayed Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8. The Z 5 will retail for $1,399 for the body only, $200 less than the current price of the company’s entry-level full-frame DSLR, the aging D610. The camera will also be available in a kit for $1,699 that includes a new compact 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens, or for $2,199 with the 24-200mm kit lens.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
GoPro Hero 10 Black vs DJI Action 2 vs. Insta360 One RS: Clash of the action cameras
The Insta360 One RS with the 360 lens mod, DJI Action 2, and GoPro Hero 10 Black in a snow bank.

Some circumstances call for a camera that can survive whatever the world can throw at it, and for such situations, the clear choice is an action camera. While a DSLR or smartphone may shatter when dropped, or fizzle out and die when dunked in the briny deep, an action camera will endure all but the most extreme catastrophes. GoPro is by far the best known and most established action camera company -- so much so that you most likely identify action cameras as "GoPros."

However, there are more options available to consumers, with DJI and Insta360 throwing their hats in the ring with cameras that rival GoPro for the action camera crown. It’s a shockingly even match, and more a matter of which is right for you than which is best. I've spent the past year extensively testing the GoPro Hero 10 Black, DJI Action 2, and Insta360 One RS so that I can help you pick the ideal action camera.
Usability
With action cameras, an important factor to consider is how easy they are to use in the field. It’s important to be able to start and stop recording quickly and easily in adverse conditions. In this regard, the Hero 10 Black is the clear winner for a couple of reasons. Primarily, that great big record button on top is by far the easiest to find by feel, even with thick ski gloves on. The other two are fine in this regard, but I was never as sure of whether I had actually activated or ended recording with them.

Read more
Nikon’s new 800mm lens for Z-mount cameras lightens the load
nikons new 800mm lens for z mount cameras nikon 800m

Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens aimed primarily at sports and wildlife photographers,

At 5.3 pounds and 15.2 inches, the lens is notable for being half the weight and 16% shorter than the equivalent 800mm f/5.6 lens for Nikon's long-established F-mount SLR cameras, making it much easier to lug around, and also to shoot with if you’re working sans tripod.

Read more
How 5G is changing journalism
best series finales the newsroom finale

There's little doubt that 5G is starting to touch every area of our lives -- from online classrooms to 5G-powered bots supplying medication to remote citizens. It’s no surprise then that 5G is also changing the way our newsrooms work. 
Once widely available, 5G tools and the faster speeds they deliver will help journalists in at least three ways, professor John Pavlik of Rutgers University. First, he says, “5G can enable journalists working in the field to report more effectively from their digital devices, particularly with regard to high-bandwidth news gathering, such as photogrammetry, and other immersive applications for augmented reality and virtual reality (e.g., volumetric video capture), as well as high-resolution video from mobile devices.”
Second, 5G can enable news organizations to operate effectively without relying on a central, physical newsroom by supporting high-speed internet file sharing. Finally, 5G can help improve newsrooms by supporting better engagement with the public.
The best example of how 5G has made journalism more effective can be seen with the latest collaboration between The New York Times and Verizon. In 2019, the two companies came together to build a 5G Journalism Lab. Tools born out of this collaboration include environmental photogrammetry, Beam, and Eclipse.
Environmental photogrammetry
“Environmental photogrammetry involves taking thousands of still photographs and stitching them together as one large 3D model, giving readers the ability to immersively navigate the space as if they were actually there,” explains Sebastian Tomich, senior vice president and global head of advertising and marketing solutions for The New York Times.
This technology was first used in a 2020 story that toured the Los Angeles mansion where gamer conglomerate FaZe Clan lived and worked. “An article that employs environmental photogrammetry uses as much data as streaming an hourlong television show,” Marc Lavallee, head of research and development for the Times, said in a press release. “Making this kind of reading experience seamless for our readers requires cutting-edge networks like 5G.”
Beam and Eclipse 

Talking about their first proprietary photography app, Beam, Tomich said it allows Times journalists working in the field to capture and automatically upload high-resolution images to the newsroom with nothing but their smartphone and camera. 
Building upon the advances of Beam, the Eclipse app leverages Verizon 5G to expand video journalism. Eclipse can use 5G to transmit professional video files that meet The Times’s quality standards at a speed that competes with uploads of mobile phone videos, which have file sizes roughly 14 times smaller, Tomich said. It allows video journalists to get material into their editors’ hands in close to real time, rather than hours later.
“This "always on" connection facilitated by Beam and Eclipse enables deeper coordination between the newsroom and photo and video journalists in the field,” he said. “With the ability to review footage in near real time, editors can now request additional photos or videos while the journalist is still on the scene.”
Real-life applications
These tools developed by the 5G lab aren’t just ideas inside four walls. The team has already started implementing them to improve the speed and quality of journalism. 
For instance, when the team went to cover the 2020 Oscars red carpet arrivals, Verizon set up a 5G network at the event. Using Beam, a Times photographer roamed the red carpet freely, without interruption or regard for file transfer limits. “He ended up sending eight times more photos than the previous year’s photographer, with an average upload time of 2.1 seconds,” Tomich said. “With Beam, shooting IS filing.”
However, creating powerful tools isn’t always enough for effective real-world practices. Factors like awareness, availability, and access to resources play a huge role in shaping journalism. As newsrooms and 5G providers are waking up to the transformational power of 5G-powered, Pavlik suggests three ideas to better capitalize on the 5G tools available on the market.
He advises newsrooms to: 

Read more