Nikon Z50 Review :: IMPRESSIVE!!!

The Nikon Z50 is the first DX mirrorless camera from Nikon. Its essentially a much smaller and compact version of the Nikon Z6. I've been shooting on this camera for a few weeks now and I'm extremely impressed. I really didn't expect this camera to be this good. The intention was to make a smaller mirrorless body at a lower price point as an alternative to the full frame cameras. Nikon did this but really didn't hold any features back - its VERY good.

Nikon also released 2 lenses - the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR. Both image quality and vibration reduction (image stabilization) are excellent on both of these lenses. At around $300 each they perform way above their class.

This video is sponsored by GearFocus

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Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[RobertNuttmann]

I bought one of these over a month ago with both new lenses. I also have a Z 7. I love this camera. I used it at Thanksgiving and Christmas family events on both stills and video. It is so easy to use I have now switched to using the Z 50 instead of my iPhone 11 Pro all the time. This camera has super ergonomics and holding and using it is just so much better than a big full frame with big full frame glass or a phone with no grip.

This new body performs excellently. The focus is very good for both video and stills. In AFF mode it just kept my 11 month old grand daughter in focus hand held in mid to lower indoor light with the 16-50mm 4K 24. I thought the standard profile looks great and don't care about more advanced picture settings. And I was pretty amazed at how well this camera compensated in that video for bright back lighting automatically. I have taken it out several times shooting landscape with both the 16-50 and 50-250. My results were excellent. The image stabilization with these lenses is great. And for lower light shots this camera puts out very good raw files. When I need higher resolution I can use my Z 7. But I want to emphasize that unless you are a pixel peeper the 20 mega pixels of the Z 50 is plenty. And this sensor seems to make the most of it's pixels.

I want to disagree with you on one of your points. I had a Nikon D5500. It was my favorite digital camera until I bought and used the Z 50. The D5500 had a flippy screen. I liked the flippy screen, but unless you are a vlogger the up down like on the Z 50 and Z 7 are better than the ones that flip out to the side and around like the D5500, in my opinion. For close in video where you have to get low to the ground I love the flip up screen. Flip out, not so much.

Finally, this Nikon works really well with Lightroom. Better than the Sony A7iii or Sony HX99 that I have had until a month ago. And the Nikon Z 50 jpegs right out of camera are, in my opinion, a level up from the Sonys I just had and the Nikon D750 & D5500 I sold 14 months ago. Perhaps Nikon has improved the way the D5500 and D750 output jpegs, but I only have my files from 14+ months ago to compare. And this improvement goes to the raws too from both the Z 50 and the Z 7. I am getting really good raw files from the get go by using the Nikon raw files with Lightroom Classic. I have upped my raws to full size 14 bit so that may be part of it. The Sony raw files when using uncompressed were so big I stopped using them and went with compressed. The Nikons can give you full 14 bit at a reasonable size so I go with those.

Nice video by the way. Please talk a little bit more about shooting and not always gear, even though I liked this gear video.

[wilteduk]

It's getting harder and harder to find a positive review on youtube on any Nikon camera in this past 2 years. Seemed fashionable to bad mouth them recently. Thanks Ted for the bucking the trend.

[MrYankee]

I received this little gem for Christmas as a little brother to my D7100...I didn't know if I was being fooled or not when I personally thought that it was a great little machine..you have verified that I made the right decision..I listen to both you and Ken Wheeler for honest opinions, and if Ken does not absolutely hate something, it's a good thing..Thanks Ted for putting my mind at ease for picking this over the competitors !

[edwardpadilla]

I've got a Z50. I've shot weddings, 20 photoshoots, low lighting, motion.... It does great. You get more bang for your buck that most if not all cameras. Nikon did excellent here. My upgrade will be the 7 II when it drops in price.

[ronspi]

I love mine! I use the FTZ adapter and the 85mm F1.8 (FF lens) and the images are superb! So far, the FTZ behaves just like my D500 or the D850. Fast auto focus with all the lenses I tried. I'm not into video, so I don't really care for that, but stills, this became the camera I use daily now. Compact, sharp. Had to purchase a second battery - as usual with mirrorless.

[marcoantonioregiltv]

Great review!! I got my Z50 for Christmas and I'm loving it. The Small Rig plate solves the tripod problem with flipping the screen and the microphone quality is awesome. It sounds better on it's own than with a Rode handgun! Highly recommend it. It's not perfect but I love it and I'm using it more than my Z6 and Z7!

[rafaelgonzalezvega]

I have a Sony A7R2 and a Canon 5DM III. I bought this camera for my wife yesterday at Best Buy and I can tell you I am impressed. My wife loves it so far. She plans to take a lot of pictures for our Greece, Italy and France trip with it. Great video!

[parvezanwar]

The Z50 is my first camera and I finally made the purchase based on this video. Excellent review man keep it up

[shmacro]

Ordered one after watching your video. It’s nice to hear an unbiased not paid for review. I have two z6 bodies and absolutely love them. I’ve shot with Nikon DSLRs for 10 years and the transition was extremely easy. These cameras don’t get the credit they deserve.

[JeromeMorada]

Have this camera for a month, the AF is amazing both stills and video. Paired this with Tamron 24-70 2.8 G2, it works great. The eye AF works well on stills and the Auto Focus is very smooth on video. Stabilization on Tamron G2 is amazing as well.

[petersymes]

All Nikkor prime lens have never had VR and Nikon has never had in body stabilization until Z6, Z7. How did I survive for the past 50 years?

[carolyn]

I did the 30-day deal at Nikon and I'm in about two weeks and I am loving it! Thinking I might keep it...it is so light, produces great images so what's not to like? Great review!

[regreg]

I’d like Sony to have a good look at this camera.
There are many things the Sonys still do better but the ergonomics of the Nikon is very appealing.

[VIDEOVISTAVIEW]

that's the most impressive review on the Nikon Z50 that I have seen so far. truly very informative

[ericerickson]

Bought one used as a backup to my Z8 and now love it. It is a great carry all camera with my phone as a backup. Nice review.

[laurentd]

Hi, very nice review, I bought the Z50 myself and I am really impressed by its perfect ergonomics both in handling and in menus and its wide range of features, it really is a jewel, and leagues ahead of Canon's EOS M50 that I first considered buying instead (and would have bitterly regretted buying, I am glad I carefully made comparative research between these 2 cameras before deciding!!!).
Anyway, just one little inaccurracy at 2:50 in your video: you mention the sensor is a BSI type whereas it really is a FSI sensor. Not that it matters this much on this sensor that already has an impressive dynamic range due to its 'lower-than-average' resolution (compared to competitors') and its lack of low-pass filter, but a BSI type would still deliver better sensitivity and probably better, lower base ISO.
Now, everyone seems to give a lot of importance to IBIS, which I find a bit overrated since any type of stabilization won't be of any help anyway if you don't have a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the subject in any situation other than still landscape with no wind or macro, both scenarios where you might use a tripod anyway... And to me, lens stabilisation is more than enough, and many generations of photographers did away with this just fine before it existed as we all know or experienced ourselves...
Conversely, what I think is actually more of a sore point is the lack of a self-cleaning sensor mechanism like on the Z6 or Z7... Granted, this kind of mechanism isn't perfect, it still generally proves quite efficient in getting rid of static dust particles (but won't of course be able to remove greasy dust).
And lastly, the Z lens range has been really poor after more than 2 years, especially with these mere 2 kit lenses that make the full of the available DX range! Granted there is a 18-140 mm DX lens supposed to come in the first half of 2021, but really the offering is much poorer than Canon's, Fuji's, Sony's or Panasonic's... And as to the FTZ adapter I find it really cumbersome, it adds a lot of weight and bulk to the camera, makes it unbalanced and unstable when you lay it on a flat surface, and adds of course about an inch and a half (3.2 cm) to the length of an AF-S lens... My Sigma 18-200 mm lens that was less than 9 cm in length now is about 12 cm long, and about 150g heavier with the FTZ adapter...

[ThePhotographyHobbyist]

I’ve had mine for a few weeks now and I really can’t believe how good the two kit lenses are (optically, but the VR is great too). Looking at the raw file images at 100% view in Lightroom, the detail and sharpness is outstanding.

[cwf]

I own one with kit and FTZ. Image quality is superb! Really appreciate your video!

[SamChihabi]

I have been using the Z50 for 6 months now and I like the image results, however, I have one question regarding the sensor. I was unable to find if the sensor is BSI or FSI, and in this review, it was mentioned it is BSI. I contacted Nikon to get an answer and they refused to give me an answer as they said it is proprietary information . this is a non sense as far as I can tell as to why would they hide such information any suggestions?

[BILLY-O-]

Thank you for saying good things about this camera. Other YTers keep pushing you onto bigger better cameras and there is no end to it. I’m getting this as a beginner photographer who travels. I think it will be ideal.