The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Nikon Z50 Photos and Discussions

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
I am not sure how much interest there is on GetDPI about the Z50, but just in case, here is a thread for it :)

I wasn't planning to buy it initially, but I got bored waiting for the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S... :D
Moreover, I had a small camera bag and a 46mm B+W Redhancer filter left from my Olympus E-PL1 days, and the Z50 + the Z DX 16-55mm were a perfect fit. I really wanted to put that filter to use again...

Long story short, the Z50 + the 16-50mm is the competent compact camera I've been waiting for. The grip is excellent for my hand, and since the rest of the body and the kit lens are so small, the grip feels even more reassuring in my hand. So much so, that I put back the neck strap which comes with the camera in the box, and I am using instead a thin wrist strap designed for compact P&S cameras with full confidence. The camera seems to be as compact as it could possible be, given the Z mount and the size of the battery - one thing I've never seen in any of my other cameras is that the SD card is so close to the battery that its slot is partially open towards the battery (there is no wall at the top), so putting the card in and taking it out requires a bit more care.

The small body has the disadvantage that the buttons are crammed in the available space, and some are in positions where my fingers do not find them instinctively, like on the Z6 (for example, the ISO and Exposure Compensation buttons). Also, at the beginning I had a small issue with the touch buttons on the right side of the LCD - in portrait orientation, when I tried to reach the multi selector with my thumb to change the focus point (after using the AF-ON button to focus), I kept touching the “zoom in” button, which completely broke my workflow. I am more careful now with the movement, and the issue seldom occurs.

The kit lens is very small, and requires unlocking before use (just like the Z 24-70mm f/4 S), but there are consequences for that beyond the f/6.3 max aperture at 50mm... I discovered that I cannot use the mechanical shutter with it, and sure enough, the camera manual states that the mechanical shutter may not be available with certain lenses. If I am not mistaken, even when used on the Z7/Z6 after the 2.10 firmware update, this lens disables the mechanical shutter. The distortion correction cannot be turned off in camera and in some of the RAW processing software (for example ViewNX-i and Capture NX-D), just like with the Z 24-70mm f/4 S. Other that that it is a very sharp and nice lens, even though it is not an S.

The image quality is very good, probably at least as good as the D500 (which I've never used). The AF speed is good enough for my needs - but does not seem better that the Z6 (in my usage).

I will add more comments as I use the camera.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
I can't seem to stop photographing these 2 trees and their roots :D
This is the last time in 2019, I promise...




Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 50mm (75mm equiv.), 1/60sec, f/6.3, ISO 100
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
The Henry House, Manassas National Battlefield Park:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 27.5mm (41mm equiv.), 1/640sec, f/4.5, ISO 100
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Christmas window in Alexandria's Old Town:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 30.5mm (46mm equiv.), 1/60sec, f/4.8, ISO 400
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Late afternoon in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 50mm (75mm equiv.), 1/160sec, f/6.3, ISO 100
 

pegelli

Well-known member
I am not sure how much interest there is on GetDPI about the Z50, but just in case, here is a thread for it :)
I think there's always interest in what cameras (especially new ones) can do. I like the shots, in particular what looks like the late evening sun on the Henry House.

It's a pity we live so far apart, but I could see us going out and compare your Z50 + 16-50 with my A6000 + 16-50. Could be an interesting exercise but probably we can only do that "virtually" via the forum. :|
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
I think there's always interest in what cameras (especially new ones) can do.
Thank you very much for your comments.

Unfortunately, as the camera marked declines, so does the interest in new cameras, particularly those at the consumer level.
I remember a comment someone made about the attendance at Scott Kelby's seminars, which I was able to confirm last month at the "Nature Visions" Photo Expo in Manassas, Virginia: all the visitors I saw talking to the various camera reps present at the show were in their upper 40s and older...

I expect that the camera companies that survive will focus mostly on serving the professionals with high end cameras, more expensive and with longer time intervals between releases. For me photography is the main hobby, so I will not be able to play the game past a certain level. Luckily I have enough cameras now to last for a very long time - I just need a couple more lenses which I plan to buy in 2020, if Nikon's roadmap doesn't change yet again.

I like the shots, in particular what looks like the late evening sun on the Henry House.
Thank you. That is indeed a late sunset. I've photographed this historic house several times in the past few months, with different cameras/lenses, at different times during the day, and in different kinds of weather. This one is my favorite so far.

It's a pity we live so far apart, but I could see us going out and compare your Z50 + 16-50 with my A6000 + 16-50. Could be an interesting exercise but probably we can only do that "virtually" via the forum. :|
Yes! I wanted to visit Bruges for a long time :) Unfortunately, work and family do not let me venture too far from home. Most of the photos I post here were taken during weekends, fairly close to home.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Roasting marshmallows at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens' Winter Walk of Lights:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 50mm (75mm equiv.), 1/13sec, f/6.3, ISO 200, -2.0 EC
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Cherry Blossom, an authentic split sternwheeler modeled after a 19th century Victorian riverboat, at the Alexandria, VA marina:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 30.5mm (46mm equiv.), 1/1250sec, f/5, ISO 100, +0.7 EC
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Also at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens' Winter Walk of Lights:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 37mm (55.5mm equiv.), 1/40sec, f/5.3, ISO 100, -1.0 EC
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Seems to be an interesting camera and the results are quite good.

Having said that this is definitely not a camera (APSC system) for me with a body without IBIS (simply a no go today for me) and only 2 native lenses, even if they are interesting.

Have fun anyway!
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Seems to be an interesting camera and the results are quite good.

Having said that this is definitely not a camera (APSC system) for me with a body without IBIS (simply a no go today for me) and only 2 native lenses, even if they are interesting.

Have fun anyway!
Thank you for your comments.

I also would not choose the Z50 as my main camera at this time (a D810 and a Z6 currently share this role for me).
But I find it a great companion to the other cameras I have, and a solid choice for casual photography with very small footprint.

Another reason for me was to build some sort of redundancy for the Nikon 1 J5 + 70-300mm CX. I have an AF-P 70-300mm E that I want to try on the Z50. It would "only" get to 450mm equivalent (compared to 810mm for the J5), but the image quality will be better, and it will still be reasonably small/lightweight.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
On the Stone Bridge Loop trail, Manassas National Battlefield Park:



Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 38mm (57mm equiv.), 1/400sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, -0.7 EC
 

pegelli

Well-known member
I also would not choose the Z50 as my main camera at this time (a D810 and a Z6 currently share this role for me).
But I find it a great companion to the other cameras I have, and a solid choice for casual photography with very small footprint.
I think this is exactly why I keep my Sony A6000 in addition to the A7 models I use. Both Nikon and Sony (and Leica) now have the tremendous advantage that they share the same mount across APS-C and FF, so having one smaller body gives you lots of flexibility without having to invest in many overlapping lenses.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
"Now" means what? Did I miss the APS-C F-mount?^^
Sorry I should have added "mirrorless" to my original statement. Had forgotten to mention that, allthough it's probably implied in a thread about the Z50.
 
Last edited:

foveon

Member
Sorry I should have added "mirrorless" to my original statement. Had forgotten to mention that, allthough it's probably implied in a thread about the Z50.
Doesn´t give any sense either, before they had F for both formats, now F and Z, so your message says Nikon now has Z mount.^^
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Doesn´t give any sense either, before they had F for both formats, now F and Z, so your message says Nikon now has Z mount.^^
I'm only talking about mirrorless, as far as I know they never had F-mount for mirrorless, so I think my statement makes perfect sense for mirrorless systems. Or do you know other brands than Sony, Nikon and Leica that have the same mount for different sensor size mirrorless cameras?
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I'm only talking about mirrorless, as far as I know they never had F-mount for mirrorless, so I think my statement makes perfect sense for mirrorless systems. Or do you know other brands than Sony, Nikon and Leica that have the same mount for different sensor size mirrorless cameras?
It's a good point actually, and I would love to see Nikon utilise that by placing an FX sensor in the Z50 body, a small, very basic travel camera with fantastic image quality. Z3 anyone?
 
Top