Nikon has added another mirrorless camera to its growing line of Z-mount models. The retro-gorgeous Z fc DX-format mirrorless camera shares much of its feature set with the Z 50 model, but with a few useful additions.
The Z 50 launched as Nikon's first DX-format (APS-C) Z-mount camera back in 2019, and rocked a kind of plain-but-functional aesthetic. Though technically similar, the Z fc is far from drab, wearing appealing retro charm inspired by the look of Nikon film cameras like the FM2 SLR.
Enclosed within a dust- and water-resistant magnesium alloy frame, the new model keeps the same 20.9-MP (15.7 x 23.5-mm) CMOS image sensor and Expeed 6 processing engine pairing as the Z 50, which means that users can expect 11 frames per second continuous shooting at full resolution and light sensitivity of ISO100 to 51,200 (expandable up to 204,800).
The 209-point hybrid phase-detection/contrast autofocus offers a frame coverage of around 87 percent of the horizontal and 85 percent vertical, and eye detection can zero in on animals as well as people, even when they're on the move. Eye-detection AF is also available in wide-area AF, and when recording video.
Video chops shape up as 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) at up to 30 frames per second, and dropping down to Full HD makes 120 fps available for slow-motion footage. There's an integrated stereo microphone, along with the option to mount an external mic, and an included interval timer makes for 4K timelapse movies.
The new camera has dimensions of 5.3 x 3.7 x 1.8 in (134.5 x 93.5 x 43.5 mm), tips the scales at 14 oz (390 g), and comes with a USB-C port for charging, but also for direct power so that creators can continue streaming or timelapsing for longer than battery power alone would allow.
The Z fs rocks a bunch of analog controls up top to set exposure, ISO and shutter speed – the idea being to offer users a more satisfying and involved photo-taking experience than just tapping a touchscreen, though the 3-inch vari-angle LCD monitor is touch-enabled for those times when you simply must swipe and pinch.
Elsewhere, a 2,360k-dot OLED viewfinder sits above the rear display, with color balance and 100 percent frame coverage, there's Bluetooth and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for wireless data transfer and remote control, and Nikon's SnapBridge app is also able to facilitate updates to the camera's firmware.
And it's compatible with a growing arsenal of Z mount lenses, which allow more light across the frame for "more sharpness, contrast, accurate focus, low light performance and image quality."
The "compact and lightweight everyday companion" will initially be available from late July in black or silver for a body only price of US$959.95, with a NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens for $1,099.95 or a special edition NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 lens for $1,199.95. Six extra camera colors will be added as limited options, too.
Product page: Z fc
