Stop overpaying for Nostalgia: The Nikon Z fc beats the Nikon Df at its own game

I’ve always had a soft spot for cameras that look like they’ve stepped out of a contact sheet from the seventies, which is why the Nikon Z fc keeps catching my eye. In the States, it’s now only $956.95 at B&H, and in the UK it’s an incredible £534.65 - frankly a bargain for a high-tech, retro-inspired body that still feels properly “Nikon” in the hand.

In a world where everything is chasing the same black-box aesthetic, the Z fc gives you knurled dials, engraved markings, and that throwback silhouette without making you suffer for it on the spec sheet.

For years, I’ve toyed with buying a Nikon Df purely for its looks - and for the romance of that full-frame sensor borrowed from the workhorse Nikon D4. But the market refuses to make sense; decent Df bodies are still fetching around $1,100 / £850 on the second-hand market on eBay. At that point, you have to ask the awkward question: Why pay above the odds for a decade-old DSLR when you can “upgrade” to modern mirrorless for less money and far fewer compromises? Nostalgia is lovely; overpaying for it is not.

Let’s be clear: it’s not an upgrade in format. The Z fc is DX, not full-frame, and if your life revolves around wafer-thin depth of field at ISO-less-than-nothing, you’ll already know why that matters to you. But take the spec-sheet one-upmanship out of the equation and you’re left with a camera that makes images you’ll be proud to print, share, and stand behind - today, not just in a wistful “remember when” way. The colour, the detail, the reliability of modern autofocus - it all adds up to more keepers and fewer excuses.

And here’s where it gets fun. If you’re anything like me, there’s a drawer somewhere with old Nikon F-mount glass that you can’t bear to part with. In my case, a 1960s Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 that renders with a glow I can spot across a room. Attach a simple FTZ II adapter to the Z fc, and suddenly, you’ve combined modern sensor technology with vintage optics. It’s a blend that gives your files character straight out of the camera - no faux film recipes, no endless LUTs - just honest, beautiful glass drawing on a clean, contemporary sensor.

Operationally, the Z fc is the camera the Df wanted to be in day-to-day use. You get the tactility of physical controls without the lag of an ageing DSLR pipeline. 4K video means your family clips, behind-the-scenes reels, and quick product demos don’t look like yesterday’s leftovers. USB-C convenience, eye-detect AF that actually locks, and a featherweight body you’ll throw in a bag instead of talking yourself out of it - these are modern perks you feel every single time you head out.

Will it replace my also “vintage” Leica M-E from 2012? Of course not - the M-E remains my sentimental favourite for personal work. But in pure technical terms, the Nikon runs rings around it, and that matters when you’re capturing fast-moving moments or switching to video without having to reshuffle your life. 

The Z fc is the sort of camera that quietly expands what you can do; not by shouting about specs, but by being easy, fast, and dependable under real-world pressure.

So is the Nikon Z fc the sleeper buy of 2025? At $956.95 or £534.65, it’s very hard to argue otherwise. You’re getting a compact powerhouse in a retro shell for decidedly non-powerhouse money. 

Pair it with a classic F-mount fifty and you’ve got something truly special: modern performance with old-school soul. And yes - we all like cheap. We like it even more when cheap looks this good and works this well!

Shop the Nikon Z fc