Nikon Z5II

The Z5II pairs a 24.5MP full-frame sensor with Nikon's Z mount, which is the same lens mount used across Nikon's mirrorless line. That matters most to buyers who already own Z glass, or who plan to build a system over years rather than buy one lens.

At $1,696.95 at launch, it sits in the middle of the full-frame field. The sensor is listed as partially-stacked CMOS, a design that generally helps readout speed, though Nikon does not publish a readout time for this body.

Mechanically the Z5II reaches 7.8 fps, and electronically it climbs to 30 fps. That second number is the one that changes what you can bring home: it opens up birds in flight, sprinting dogs and fast ball sports that a 7.8 fps body would miss.

There is a catch worth knowing. Silent electronic bursts at that rate can show rolling-shutter distortion on fast horizontal motion, and Nikon has not published a pre-burst duration, so anyone relying on capturing the instant before the shutter press should treat that as unconfirmed. Subject detection covers people, animals, birds, cars, trains, airplanes and motorcycles.

Internal recording tops out at 4K, with 60 fps available, though full-width 4K is limited to 30 fps. Codecs include H.264, HEVC and N-RAW, and raw video is recorded internally in 10-bit with log support. That combination suits shooters who want grading latitude without an external recorder.

Stabilization is rated at 7.5 stops in-body, which is the kind of figure that lets you handhold in dim light at shutter speeds you would otherwise need a tripod for. Dynamic range in log is not published, so video shooters comparing against rivals will have to test it themselves.

The body weighs 700 g and measures 134 x 100.5 x 72 mm, with dust and drip resistance and a 0 °C minimum operating temperature. Battery life is rated at 350 shots, which is modest for a full day of events; USB charging and power delivery help, but a second battery is a sensible purchase.

There are two card slots, useful for backup or for splitting stills and video. The viewfinder is 3.69M dots at 0.8x, the rear screen is 3.2 in and 2.1M dots and fully articulated, and there is a headphone port plus a micro HDMI output. The high-resolution pixel-shift mode reaches 96MP, but only when images are combined in NX Studio on a computer.