Nikon waited five years to update its full-frame Z5 camera to the Z5 II, but today it announced a new variant of last year’s upgrade that removes features instead of introducing improvements in order to make it more affordable for novice photographers. While the Nikon Z5 II starts at $1,849.95, the new Nikon Z5 IIC is $450 cheaper at $1,399.95 with a refreshed design and all of the original’s best core features.
The Nikon Z5 IIC carries forward the Z5 II’s 24.5-megapixel backside illuminated full-frame sensor using the same EXPEED 7 image processing engine found in the company’s higher-end shooters with in-body image stabilization. It can capture JPEG images at up to 30 fps using its electronic shutter with the option to capture images for up to a full second before the shutter button is pressed. It also features a mechanical shutter that can shoot up to 15 fps in JPEG mode, which is a feature you won’t find on the new $1,899 full-frame Canon EOS R8 Mark II.
To get the price down, the Z5 IIC loses the Z5 II’s electronic viewfinder while the resolution of its 3.2-inch articulated touchscreen has been significantly reduced from 2.1 million to 1.04 million dots. The Z5 IIC also includes just a single UHS-II SD card slot so there’s no redundancy for captured images and videos, and it lacks a joystick requiring you to instead adjust autofocus points and navigate menus using its multi-directional controller.