Nikon Z fc Review: Retro goodness
Verdict
While it's not the only retro-inspired mirrorless camera out there, the Nikon Z fc'due south personality and portability brand it a not bad pick for a walkabout or travel photographic camera. Largely based on the 18-calendar month-old Z50, its internals aren't the most advanced or fastest around, but overall performance is solid and new convenient touches like the articulated screen and USB-C ability supply are welcome.
Pros
- Gorgeous Atomic number 26-inspired retro styling
- Lightweight build
- Fast, accurate AF
- Vlogger friendly features
Cons
- No in-body stabilisation
- No headphone input
Availability
- Britain RRP: £899
- The states RRP: $960
- Europe unavailable
- Canada unavailable
- Australia unavailable
Fundamental Features
- Style Retro-styled camera with various physical dials and switches
- Video skills Records 4K at up to 30fps, 1080p up to 120fps
- Flexible display Fully articulating 3-inch touchscreen
Introduction
We commonly strive for objectivity here at Trusted Reviews, only it's impossible to become away from the fact that one's relationship with a camera (or any like tech product, actually) starts on an emotional level.
That'southward why styling is considered a vital part of the industrial design process, and why Nikon has harked back to its 1970s and 80s heyday with the new Z fc – a camera that shares nigh of its innards with the Z50 only clads them in a gorgeous old-school black-and-silver shell.
Very much inspired by the firm'south love Iron 35mm camera, the Z fc'south handsome retro looks are clearly engineered to concenter style-witting photographers and videographers seeking a modern-twenty-four hours camera with real personality – but is there more going for it than its fetching looks?
Design and handling
- The photographic camera has a distinctly retro design, despite featuring modern internals
- The inclusion of an articulated screen and USB-C power supply are welcome additions that brand it easier to use
- The controls are inspired past former-school 35mm cameras, with manual dials for adjusting ISO and shutter speed located on height
The Z fc is a practiced-looking photographic camera, every bit I have said – and it's well-constructed also.
The magnesium alloy frame is both sturdy and lightweight, so while it may look like a forty-year old camera it won't put near as much strain on your neck. It's not weatherproofed, and the exterior is metal-wait plastic rather than actual metal, but at that place'due south a sense of solidity here that suggests the Z fc will last you for years.
The controls are also inspired by sometime-school 35mm cameras, with manual dials for adjusting ISO and shutter speed located on pinnacle. This isn't a new concept for mirrorless cameras (Fujifilm has been doing it for years with its retro-influenced X serial models), but it'south a refreshing new management for Nikon, and the dials feel suitably weighty and clicky when twisted.
Besides on top y'all'll find a split dial for exposure compensation and two switches that sit down underneath the ISO and shutter speed dials respectively. The former allows you to instantly toggle between video and photo capture modes; the latter between the standard Auto, P, A, S and M shooting modes.
In that location'due south a defended button to terminate/start video recording and a tiny LCD screen that displays the current f-stop setting too – a curious addition that feels a little redundant given that all settings can be shown on the back screen and in the viewfinder.
The sometime-school design isn't as purely ergonomic equally some modern-twenty-four hours camera shapes. There's no big grip for your right manus to wrap around, for starters.
That's not to say the Z fc isn't pleasing or comfy to hold: its textured leather-effect body does provide something to grip onto, and the controls (including front- and back-mounted adjustment dials) are all located in the correct places for your fingers to observe.
To prove that it's not doing everything by the retro playbook, the Z fc includes a decent OLED electronic viewfinder and an excellent 3-inch rear touchscreen.
The screen is especially impressive. It'due south fully articulated and can be flipped to one side of the photographic camera body to face forwards – a boon for vloggers and anyone else trying to adapt themselves in a shot. It'south a major improvement over the Nikon Z50's flip-down screen which, when facing forward, got blocked by vlogging handles, tripods and anything else attached to the bottom of the photographic camera.
Features and operation
- It has very like controls to Nikon's older Z50, which means it isn't the most technologically avant-garde camera at this cost.
- At that place is no headphone or mic jack, which impedes its appeal for vloggers.
The DNA of the Z50, Nikon's start mirrorless camera, comes through strongly in the Z fc's internals.
The cameras share a sensor, processor and many features, and in some means this is a positive thing: despite the Z50's historic period, its 209-indicate hybrid autofocus system is fast and accurate, with effective real-time tracking for man and animate being optics, and that translates into the Z fc'due south AF setup. Both cameras tin shoot stills continuously at upward to 11fps, which is a respectable speed for a camera in this toll range.
There's no in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) here, only the Z fc can gain optical stabilisation with compatible lenses. The xvi-50mm kit lens I reviewed the camera with supports it for case, but it would have been nice to have IBIS available and any Z mount lens given the benefit of Nikon's Vibration Reduction tech. I for the company's adjacent retro photographic camera, perhaps?
The bombardment is rated to provide around 300 shots on a total accuse, with a USB-C port allowing for both internal charging and a constant ability supply (something yous won't detect on the Z50, incidentally). This will prove really handy for anyone using the Z fc as a webcam or streaming photographic camera (at that place's a free Nikon Webcam Utility app for Windows and Mac). A separate Air conditioning battery charger is too supplied in the box.
Connectivity is a mixed bag, though. While generally fine – at that place'southward Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the wireless front, a micro HDMI for video output, a mic input and the aforementioned USB-C port – the lack of a headphone socket for monitoring audio is a glaring omission, especially given the generally vlogger-friendly characteristic loadout.
Epitome quality
- Potent performance fifty-fifty in low light, with the right lenses attached
- Decent 4K video recording, though you lot'll need stabilisation
The 20.9MP APS-C sensor used hither is a undecayed workhorse that delivers stiff results in a range of lighting weather condition. Similar the Z50, the Z fc has an extended ISO range of 100 to 51200 and can perform capably in low-calorie-free conditions – although the small aperture of the kit lens on our review sample did limit its capabilities in this regard, and nosotros'd be interested to run into how a not-stabilised but larger aperture lens like the new Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 might perform in similar circumstances.
JPEGs from the camera are sharp with rich colours, and while you might not get the sheer dynamic range and depression-light ability that a total-frame sensor would bring nosotros recall it'due south a skillful trade-off given the Z fc's compact size. If desired, you can shoot stills in fourteen-bit RAW format, which should requite yous more wiggle room when editing.
The camera has a prissy range of video options too, with 4K at up to 30fps and 1080p at up to 120fps (for slow motion playback). The 4K footage exhibits a nice level of detail, even if the lack of a true "apartment" picture profile limits its filmmaker ambitions somewhat. For vloggers however, there'southward real appeal in the Z fc'due south combination of skilful quality footage, lightweight build, front-facing screen and effective real-time heart-tracking autofocus.
You might similar…
Best Offers
Should you buy it?
Y'all desire a portable photographic camera with personality: The Z fc'due south erstwhile-schoolhouse styling and control set-up arrive stand out from the mirrorless pack, and its portability makes it suited to travel and street photography as well equally vlogging.
You're looking for cut edge performance: The lack of in-trunk stabilisation isn't unusual in a camera in this price range, but its inclusion would accept brought the Z fc's performance upward a level.
Final Thoughts
To view it dispassionately, the Nikon Z fc isn't much more than a Z50 with a more versatile screen, improved USB port, reworked controls and retro look. Just that isn't how information technology works, and that retro look gives the Z fc a personality and charm that makes it a far more than desirable camera than the Z50 ever was.
The compact size and low weight add actress appeal, and this a camera that feels like more than the sum of its parts. Engineering-wise, it's nothing ground-breaking – but the overall parcel adds up to Nikon's most characterful mirrorless model so far.
How we examination
We thoroughly exam every camera we review. We'll always tell you what nosotros notice and we never, ever, take coin to review a product.
FAQs
How does the Nikon Z fc charge?
You can charge it via a USB C cablevision or the included battery charger
Is it weatherproofed?
No, at that place is no weatherproofing here
Is there a viewfinder?
There's an OLED viewfinder on the photographic camera
Specs
‹
Great britain RRP
U.s.a. RRP
EU RRP
CA RRP
AUD RRP
Manufacturer
Video Recording
Release Date
›
Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/nikon-z-fc
Posted by: hernandezconsis.blogspot.com
0 Response to "Nikon Z fc Review: Retro goodness"
Post a Comment