I Changed My Mind and Bought the Nikon Z50II - APS-C Lenses I'll Use & What I'm Selling

Thank you to Viltrox for sponsoring a portion of this video! You can find the 35mm f/1.7 Air lens and my Z50II review at the links below!

I participate in a few affiliate/ambassador programs for companies I use personally. You get the same (or better!) prices and you're helping the channel!
*exclusions apply, expires September 30, 2024

#nikonz50ii #nikon #viltrox #viltrox35air #carrylesscapturemore

Hi! We're Leigh and Raymond - the team behind "TheSnapChick." Our channel is about photography as an art form and as a lifestyle, with a healthy dose of technology thrown in. Here’s what you’ll see… adventures, techniques, creativity, the photography process, photo shoots from concept to finished product, photography gear reviews, gadget reviews, art topics, photography basics, modeling and general fun! We post new videos every month so subscribe here on YouTube, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, and join in on the conversation!

If this video includes any product links, they may be affiliate links. I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Epidemic Sound Affiliate Program, which allows me to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to those sites. You pay the same price for the item, I get to share the things I enjoy, and I can earn money to support my site when you purchase! My thoughts and opinions are ALWAYS all my own!

[craigcarlson]

Congrats on your new Z50ii. I’ve had my Z50 for 4+ years, a full set of lenses for it, and bought a Z30 recently. But i share Raymund’s frustration with the Z30’s lack of evf…the problem is that even when the lcd’s brightness is turned to it’s maximum it is still not bright enough to see in sunlight. I do have the 18-140 and love it for travel, and then carry the 12-28 for wide shots. I will take the z30 along with the 12-28 on it (and 18-140 on z50) to cut down on lens changing.

[RJW]

We're photographers, we can talk ourselves into buying virtually anything camera related. From first world issues, like the screen doesn't flip quite right, to ooh, I haven't tried a Canon camera colour science. Personally, the last one ain't gonna happen anytime soon. Factor in wine and online shopping and we will always have a house full of gear! Note: virtually all current cameras give amazing image quality.

[jasoneldridgephotography]

Always great to see your videos and congrats on the new camera. Happy New Year!

[DeanAllman]

This is very cool. I watched your review of the Z50II about a week after I bought mine. You hit all the good points in the review, but I was surprised to see you were hanging on your the Z30. I had sold mine to help pay for the Z50II, as I decided the new camera could do everything the Z30 did plus it has an EVF which has become a mandatory feature for me with my aging eyesight. So I had to smile when I watched this today.

And to add to the serendipity here, I also have the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 on order. I got the Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 at the same time the Z50II came in, and was blown away with the image quality. So the 35mm was a no brainer. Have fun and enjoy this terrific little camera. It’s a lot of fun.

[CloverPhotoandVideo]

It's a great little camera. I especially enjoy using Bird Detection and the Pre-Capture feature is very useful and works well.

[andyh]

Welcome to the Z50 II owners club! Had all the Z DX bodies, and this is the absolutely the best!

[lstrunk]

My Z50ii is turning out to be a magnet for small fast primes for me. I'm looking at the viltrox 35, I just need to decide how it fits, since I have the Nikon 28 f2.8. I 've also looked at the Viltrox 16mm, but wish it was smaller.
I can't imagine getting rid of my 16-50. It's a fair weather lens for sure, it needs a LOT of light. But its size and quality make it a keeper. I was shocked at the quality I got from it during a Utah NP tour a couple years ago.

[JB-vcxj]

Hello, I am also interested in the Z50 II but this camera does not have IBIS which is still holding me back from buying it. Also the Viltrox lenses do not have image stabilisation. Is this a problem if you use these with the unstabilised Z50 II? 🤔

[brads.]

Bought the Z50ii earlier today and will use it almost exclusively with the wonderfully sublime Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7. The new Z50ii will complement the Zfc and for me, the Z50ii will certainly not replace my Z30. I just love the little Z30, I don't think I'll ever sell it. I carry it with me everywhere all the time. Sure, it lacks a finder but it is so FUN! (and small and light weight). Just turn it on, point it at something and press the button...it is liberating to not be so serious all the time. Thanks for all of your vids. I really enjoy the personal thoughts you share (about your gear)...also like seeing the outdoors around Flagstaff. Thanks.

[helvti]

I use mine with the Nikkor Z DX 24/1.7. These days I prefer the 35mm look over the 50mm look.

[stanobert]

I completely agree with Raymond. No viewfinders is a no-go for me! I also agree with you about Sony cameras. I am not crazy about their colors. I shoot Nikon and Fuji instead. I like both of their colors for different reasons.

[swamig]

Thanks for your review, I've recently purchased the Z52 and I'm really happy. The one thing that is a concern is that there's no IBIS with the Z52 ( which I;m ok with ) . Do you think that's a problem with no VR on many lenses, ie. the 35mm 1.7 Viltrox and longer ones?

[ricknicholson]

Thought I would warn your viewers. No one in the States seems to be conscious of the fact that tariffs are going to hurt your photography purchasing power. For example (think Viltrox, Godox, Sirui and other brands) a 35 % tariff is to be imposed on Chinese goods shipped into the states so all Viltrox and other Chinese brands are going up very soon once the tariffs are put in place, weeks away. So if you are considering any photo purchases made out of country, and just about all of them are imports, the prices are going up. And obviously the larger the dollar amount of the purchase, the more it is going to cost. So if you are thinking fairly seriously about a photography purchase such as Viltrox lenses and money isn't an issue right now - buy now.

[randallbrander]

I agree with Raymond with the lack of a viewfinder on the Z30 & ZV1. Sold Z30 because of overheating to early for my needs in video recording and the ZV1 for video record time limit. For my Nikon APSC needs I own the Z50II & Zfc. Cheers!

[HeideMason]

I shoot the Z8 with big lenses most of the time. But carrying it is a drag and requires dedication. I watched your review of the Z50ii and contacted the manager of my preferred camera store (Allen's Camera in Penn.) and asked her opinion. We discussed it at length and I ordered the two lens kit with the 16-50 and the 50-250. Nikon is offering a discount if you order an additional lens, so I ordered the 18-140, based in part on your review, as well as others. My last lens will be the Viltrox prime. I'm also trying to get ahead of the tariffs. This is a sweet little camera. Easy in the hands and takes great photos.

I don't understand the people who take the time to attack people online. If you disagree, fine. Disagree, we're still allowed to do that. Just don't be so darn nasty about it.

[gvz]

Fantastic video Leigh & Raymond!! And great rationale for buying / selling. And I have two of the Viltrox lenses on my to-be-purchased list: the 75mm f/1.2 and the 13mm f/1.4, both in XF mount. The 35mm f/1.7 is quite a bit lighter than the Fujifilm 33mm f/1.4 (and a nice price), although I already have the Zeiss 32mm f/1.8 which easily supports the Fuji 40MP. Lastly the Z50 II sounds like a great body to those of us that love Nikon and viewfinders 🙂

[chrisplu]

I grabbed this as a backup/Broll this week. I have a Tamron aps-c 18-400 f mount that I had for the d500. I kept it because the stabilization and quiet focus was so surprising. Slapped it in the z50ii with the ftz today and was EXTREMELY happy. I've also started collecting the viltrox lenses. The pro lenses look great with it and the 135 was really nice. Crops to what, ~200 though

[heinrichkolb]

I also bought this camera. It complements my Z8 and my Z9 ideally. The Z50ii is a sharp weapon shaped like a squirt gun. I can always have them with me.
All of my heavy lenses perform excellently, but I will still use small kit lenses.
When I bought the camera I asked my dealer for an irresistible offer for an 18-140mm and I got the DX 24mm 1.7 and the 50-250mm as used bargains.
I'm shocked at how well the little telephoto lens captures lively garden birds and squirrels.
With the little 24s I was able to capture the magic of the Christmas markets, that you can smell the gingerbread and the mulled wine.
What more could you want? At this price?
With this awesome camera and three lenses, I have redundant second photography equipment in my pocket. Brilliant!
Of course I could use all of my existing lenses, but that would make this little treasure lose its charm.
Please excuse my bad English.

[PhilThach]

You'll love the 600 6.3 PF, I bought mine while it was on sale for $800 off recently. The first day I took it out on the Z50 II. It worked great. I do prefer to use it on my Z8 but it's certainly a lighter packed on the Z50 II.

[luissalazar]

You got me thinking about Nikon, specially the z8. I always learning about the photography. Thank you for sharing. Happy new year