Call me superficial but I wish the Nikon Zfc had this one physical attribute that every self-respecting retro camera needs

Nikon Zfc product image — (Image credit: Nikon)

Forgive the double negative, but I cannot believe that Nikon isn’t at least planning a Nikon Zfc II. I love the Nikon Zfc, it’s quietly become one of my favorite Nikon cameras. Sure, the aging autofocus and image processor make it feel a bit sluggish, but it’s a camera that’s got mojo and that’s not something you can say about every camera in 2026.

It’s also very competitively priced in comparison to other retro cameras such as the OM System OM-3 and Fujifilm X-E5. Although admittedly, they do boast more modern specs. And of course, it’s still one of the best-looking cameras on the market. It’s not a modern take on a retro camera like a Fujifilm X-T30 III, it’s modelled to look exactly like a film SLR from Nikon’s past, such as the Nikon FM2.

And that’s part of the camera’s charm. It’s not very ergonomic, what with its thin, boxy shape, chunky dials and no grip. It can feel a little like driving a classic car, the ride’s a little bumpy but it’s so full of charm you’ll take it out for a Sunday afternoon’s drive, just because.

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So, we know a Nikon Zfc II would need a big internal upgrade from the tech that it borrows almost entirely from 2019’s Nikon Z50. But what about new physical attributes? Surely I’m talking about replacing that plasticky bottom plate and toy-like battery door, right? Wrong. I mean, I’d love Nikon to fix that, but what I really, really want (zig-a-zig-ah) is a thread on the shutter button so I can add a soft shutter release button. That’s it.

Man holding the Nikon Z fc camera up to his face — (Image credit: Future)

It pains me every time I see a little Nikon Zfc. I think to myself, that’s crying out for a bright red soft shutter release button. The folks at Fuji know where it’s at, even the Fujifilm X-M5 and Fujifilm X-T30 III have provision for one! And to be fair, Nikon gets it, too. The Nikon Zf, which was released a couple of years after the Zfc, has a shutter button with a thread.

So, all the evidence points towards a potential Nikon Zfc II allowing you to attach a soft shutter release button, but just in case. Nikon, if you’re ever going to make a Nikon Zfc II, make sure it can accommodate a soft shutter release button! Please and thank you.

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Check out the best Nikon cameras and the best Fujifilm cameras. Plus, 27 miles, two days, and one Nikon Zfc. I pushed this cheap retro camera to its limit on the streets of New York.

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Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...