Nikon Z FC assessment: style over focus

Taking images with my 1967 35mm Nikkormat FTN makes me really feel highly effective. Its all-metal physique with mechanical springs, gears, and levers create a loud, satisfying “clunk” with each shutter press and deep “zip” when advancing the movie. Its silver steel physique with black faux-leather accents has confirmed to be not solely timeless and attention-grabbing however, extra importantly, extremely sturdy. And the aperture, shutter velocity, and ISO settings being positioned across the barrel of the lens make it extremely fast to regulate as soon as your muscle reminiscence has been established.

Outdoors of the nice photos this digital camera can seize, utilizing the FTN is an extremely enjoyable and satisfying expertise. And the Nikon Z FC, Nikon’s newest entry-level mirrorless digital camera, led me to imagine that I would, in the end, have a near-exact digital duplicate of a digital camera I like a lot. Sadly, the Z FC wasn’t meant to digitally replicate a traditional however, as an alternative, encourage a brand new era to hold a digital camera exterior of their telephones.

The Nikon Z FC is a compact APS-C, 20.9-megapixel digital camera. The physique prices $959.95; the $1,096.95 equipment I used to be in a position to check included a Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens that retracts when not in use for a slim silhouette. 

It’s a retro rebrand of Nikon’s entry-level mirrorless digital camera, the Nikon Z50, with a number of added options, resembling full-time eye autofocus whereas taking pictures video, the power to simply accept firmware updates through an app, a sooner USB-C port for charging and information switch, and a completely articulating LCD display. In contrast to Nikon’s earlier Df, which took a DSLR and stripped out options within the title of its retro rebuild, the FC isn’t hampered in any respect — it will possibly shoot full-resolution stills as much as 11 frames per second and 4K 30fps video for as much as half-hour at a time.

Pictures from the Z FC with the 16-50mm equipment lens are sharp with a really clean and pleasing focus fall-off. The RAW recordsdata present a number of room for brightening shadows or bringing down the highlights. And I used to be very impressed with how the Z FC dealt with grain in low-light conditions. As a substitute of a multitude of colour blotches and pixelation, the low-light grain has a film-esque, even texture to it that, when displayed on a small display, resembling a telephone, isn’t distracting.

The Achilles heel of the Z FC is its gradual auto-focus system. Usually the digital camera can’t discover any specific object to concentrate on and can do a good quantity of looking as soon as a degree is locked in. There’s focus monitoring, in each photograph and video modes, that works properly in excellent mild, however in low mild, the digital camera struggles to carry onto a single level. Additionally, the inexperienced focus help mild is extremely shiny and attracts a number of consideration to itself. Pair that with an auto-focus system that usually misses the mark, and also you would possibly as properly be a flashing Christmas tree out trying to take images at the hours of darkness. The gradual equipment lens doesn’t assist this example, both; you might need higher success with a brighter lens, however I used to be not in a position to check that.

In video, the lens’ autofocus is audible when enjoying again footage and does a number of looking, even on faces in shiny mild. I shot in 4K 24FPS whereas testing this digital camera, and whereas it can not shoot within the log, the MOV recordsdata are crisp and oddly secure in excellent mild. I say oddly as a result of the Z FC has no inside stabilization, although the equipment lens can present optical vibration discount (VR) with a little bit of a crop to your body. The digital camera’s mild weight is a large assist in protecting a shot regular, however I turned off the VR setting and was nonetheless stunned at how secure my pictures appeared. Under is a few pattern video that I filmed fully handheld with the VR setting off. 

However now to the elephant within the room and the most important distinction between the Z FC and the Z50: the look of the {hardware}.

The Z FC is a plastic tackle Nikon’s 35mm F cameras. It shares the identical retro look with the long-lasting silver physique, a faux-leather wrap-around design, and dials on high. Once I noticed it earlier this yr, I used to be immediately excited as a result of it has lengthy been a dream of mine to have a digital model of my Nikkormat FTN, which, though produced by the Japanese firm Nippon Kogaku Okay. Okay., shares the identical design as Nikon’s F cameras. However the second I held the FC, I knew this wasn’t for movie fans on the lookout for the identical guide taking pictures expertise in a digital physique.

Light-weight cameras with plastic elements really feel like toys regardless of how good the internals is perhaps. The high-pitched click on of pulling out the articulating display or battery compartment and the slippery really feel of the plastic physique make me query the digital camera’s sturdiness as properly. And though many people shall be proud of this digital camera’s output, the expertise of utilizing it leaves lots to be desired for an individual who has develop into so used to the sounds and really feel of extra premium methods. I recorded each sound the Z FC makes within the video beneath.

All of that’s to say this digital camera just isn’t made for folk coming from all-metal, well-constructed 35mm cameras resembling myself. It’s designed to look good from afar and be mild sufficient to take anyplace, however utilizing it seems like enjoying skilled somewhat than truly being skilled. And Nikon has performed into the style first method with six colour choices.

The Nikon Z FC is a superb entry-level digital camera for fashion-forward people who shall be motivated to hold this digital camera in all places due to its retro design. With most controls being set to dials on the highest of the digital camera, the system is simple to make use of, and the standard of the photographs and video is superb. 

Fujifilm and Leica cameras stay the closest expertise to taking pictures with all-metal classic digital camera our bodies due to their many guide management wheels and stable development. As for the Z FC, it’s a fantastic digital camera for $959.95, nevertheless it doesn’t present the identical expertise of the cameras Nikon designed it to appear to be. Its seems to be are as an alternative meant to draw an viewers that wishes to look the a part of a photographer with out having to hold the heavy gear that was as soon as wanted to be one.

Pictures by Becca Farsace / The Verge