Nikon’s original Z5 was the best entry-level mirrorless camera you could buy, and the sequel, introduced last month, is equally as good, with everything you need in a full-frame camera. Disappointingly, the price has gone up.
The Z5II is an improvement over its predecessor, with more advanced video features, autofocus subject detection from Nikon's higher-end cameras (yes, the Z5II can now detect birds), and other nice extras like prerelease capture and support for the HEIF image format. It all adds up to a very impressive, still not terribly expensive, mirrorless camera.
Entry Level
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
I've always thought of the term "entry level" as code for “a camera without the useless stuff," versus high-end cameras with the most impressive spec sheets, which are really only useful to sports and wildlife photographers. If you're one of the latter, then yes, you do need as many frames per second as you can get. But I have never in my entire 40 years of photography needed to shoot more than a few frames per second. Why should I pay for a camera that has features I don't need? Thankfully, there is the Nikon Z5II.
The updated Z5II has stepped up its specs a bit from the original Z5, which, unfortunately, has driven the price up $500 (even after factoring in tariffs on both models), but in the end you get a great camera.
Let's start with what's new. The big one is the sensor. It's still 24 megapixels, but it's a newer sensor, the same used by the Nikon Zf (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and the Z6 II. (The Z6 III moved to a more advanced 24-MP. partially stacked sensor.) It's not new tech by any means, but it's a very capable sensor and the source of most of the Z5II's newfound video capabilities.