Is the retro Nikon Z fc still a relevant mirrorless camera in 2025? Or has it become a matter of style over substance?

I always think of the Nikon Z fc as kickstarting a bit of a miniature retro camera revolution. Before its release in 2021, no other manufacturer had produced such a faithful representation of a Seventies or Eighties film SLR. The Fujifilm X-T4 and Fujifilm X-T30 were close, but modern appointments such as grips betrayed the authenticity of the vintage aesthetic (not necessarily a bad thing).

Even Nikon’s own attempt at a film-inspired DSLR, the Nikon Df, ended up looking like a vintage-modern crossbreed, with its deep grip and bulbous form factor.

The Nikon Z fc, then, threw caution to the wind and made a bold move. It took full advantage of its absent reflex mirror and dispensed with a grip altogether, achieving a super-slim depth of just 44mm. Nikon said it was modelled after 1982’s legendary Nikon FM2 and, boy, did it look the part.

In February 2023, the Nikon Z fc Black was released, a stealthy all-black take on the original camera’s silver appointments. Then came the Nikon Zf in October that year, a natural full-frame continuation of the Z fc’s faithfully vintage formula.

And most recently, the folks at OM System came out with the absolutely gorgeous OM-3. Another gripless, retro wonder – and one that I cannot help but ponder, might have looked slightly different if the Nikon Z fc hadn’t paved the way for that faithful SLR aesthetic.

But in 2025, the Nikon Z fc is in an odd position. This month marks its fourth birthday, but its tech is actually nearing the six-year mark. That’s because under that charming retro hood is a Nikon Z50; a camera that was released way back in October 2019.

What’s more, the release of the Nikon Z50 II earlier this year has only perpetuated the Z fc’s technical shortcomings. And you have to wonder if Nikon will follow a similar tack by bringing out a Nikon Z fc II in late 2026 or early 2027.

So the ailing Z fc is kaput, then? Not necessarily. I’m in the market for an everyday camera and I’ve at least been pondering the possibility of a Z fc. It’s regularly discounted, can be found very reasonably on the used market and the years have done nothing to curb its good looks.

As is often the case with older cameras, if you’re coming at it from a video perspective, you’ve better choices elsewhere. But if all you want is a stills camera that will implore you to pick it up every day – and I promise you it most certainly will – there’s life in the Z fc yet.

What really disappointed me about the Nikon Z50 II (lack of IBIS aside) was that it uses the same old 20.9MP BSI APS-C sensor as the last-gen Z-Series crop-sensor cameras. I was really hoping Nikon would hike it up to 24 or 26MP.

So, from a stills perspective, the Z50 II presents a jump in speed and performance, but not image quality. And by speed, I mean notably better autofocus and burst shooting, all made possible by the latest generation Expeed processor.

But here’s the thing. The Nikon Z fc is never going to be the preserve of wildlife or sports photographers. Its whole MO is about slowing things down and enjoying the retro ride provided by the awkward form factor and physical dials.

And while lenses that complemented it were few and far between upon the camera’s launch, a wealth of cheap Z-mount lenses – some with aperture rings – from the likes of TTArtisan, 7Artisans and Viltrox have made the Z fc a great little lens platform.

If all you want is a stills camera with a retro aesthetic that’ll take great-quality images, and you’re not hellbent on waiting for a hypothetical Z fc II, I think the good ol’ Nikon Z fc is still worth it in 2025. But only if you can get a cracking deal – and they’re out there. Check out the best Nikon Z fc deals!

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Check out our Nikon Zf vs Z fc comparison to see which is Nikon's best retro camera. To see what else is up the Big N's sleeve, take a look at the best Nikon cameras, along with the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs and the best Nikon Z lenses for mirrorless.