It’s all too easy to get caught up in negativity online, particularly when it centres around Nikon’s first camera in nearly a year. And especially when said camera arrives and appears to be, mostly, a downgraded version of what was already available.
So, when specifications for the Nikon Z5IIC were published, my initial reaction was a shrug of indifference, followed by outright irritation. Nikon has removed the eye-level viewfinder… what the hell, Nikon?!
While my response was a personal one, I was acutely aware that my opinion didn’t really matter this time around, because the camera isn’t made for me.
Its target audience is closer to that of my teenage niece studying photography, someone who has grown up with parents and siblings shooting exclusively on a smartphone. She doesn’t care about an eye-level viewfinder to shut out distractions as a frame is composed. She’s never used one.
Of course, with familiarity, a viewfinder, may well in time become an appreciated creative asset. Taking and reviewing pictures in strong sunlight using only a screen can be tricky, but yes, we do manage to do just that with our phones.
As for me, well, if truly I like the cut of this camera’s gib, I can opt for the earlier Nikon Z5II from a year-and-a-half ago. That did include an eyelevel viewfinder. And two SD card slots, whereas this newer model makes do with one. So, there are options. There are always options.
While I can understand that, after a year-long release drought, Nikon announcing a ‘new’ camera that appears to simply be a lower spec version of what’s already available has left it open to accusations of sheer laziness, to the uninitiated it’s still the most budget-friendly full frame Nikon mirrorless out there.
We’ll leave aside the fact that it seems odd to expand your full frame range, when that specific market segment, along with Nikon itself, is experiencing a dip in sales.
So it remains to be seen whether the Nikon Z5IIc will play its part in turning things around for the wider photo industry and Nikon itself. But more options is always a good thing, right? And if something isn’t for us, then no worries, the next thing to come along might well be – and blow our minds.
