Nikon Z50 II

With its fast autofocus and high image quality, the Nikon Z50 II is a very powerful camera in a compact package. I like to take it with me when I go out. The only thing I miss is built-in image stabilization, because I often take photos in the dark.

Fast autofocus I take the Z50 II with me when I go out for an afternoon of photography in the city. Here I capture various subjects, such as the church, the canals, passing cyclists and a flying pigeon. I notice that the autofocus is very fast and accurately recognizes subjects. I capture a cyclist on the market and the autofocus follows him until he disappears from the frame. I use the 3D tracking mode for this. The camera also has no problem recognizing birds. I use the Nikon 16-50mm kit lens myself, but I can imagine that this camera with a telephoto lens is very suitable for bird photography. With the autofocus settings I choose from even more different types of subjects, including cars, planes, bicycles and dogs.

Picture Control On the top of the Z50 II is a Picture Control button. When I press this, an overview of various built-in filters opens. With these filters I can give my photos and videos a special effect with one press of the button. There are a total of 30 filters in the camera, including Monochrome for a black and white effect or Pop for an extra colorful image. I use these filters regularly and find it useful that the camera has a special button for this. Do you want even more filters? Then you can make them yourself or download them via the Nikon Imaging Cloud website. Here you can also find filters that other photographers have made. You can add a maximum of 9 extra filters to the camera.

Razor-sharp videos During my city walk I also make videos of the city. I film the market square and notice that the smallest details look razor-sharp, such as pedestrians on the other side of the market. This is due to the 4K resolution. I prefer to film moving subjects in full HD at 120 frames per second. For example, I film the horse-drawn carriage that passes by and slow down these images afterwards. This way I put more emphasis on this special moment. I also like that the camera has the pre-release capture function. With this, the camera records images one second before I press the shutter button. If I have to quickly grab my camera during a photo moment, I miss the moment less quickly.

Over the past few weeks, I've been able to thoroughly test the Nikon Z50 II and its 16-50mm kit lens. Because the body and lens each have their own characteristics, I'll first discuss them separately and then how they work together. The 16-50mm lens has pleasantly surprised me. Its wide range makes it suitable for a variety of situations: from vlogging and street photography to landscapes and portraits. In every context, the combination of camera and lens delivered consistent and sharp results. The camera body feels solid and well-designed. As with other Nikon models, the buttons are logically placed, making it easy to navigate. The only thing I personally miss is a dedicated zoom button; that would make it even more comfortable to use. Fortunately, the lens is easy to operate manually, so this isn't a major obstacle. All in all, this set is an excellent choice for anyone looking to upgrade from a beginner's camera to a model with more features and quality. Both photographers and vloggers will find this an investment that's worth it.

I'm so happy with this camera. The Z50II is super fast, and 9 out of 10 times you'll get a perfect shot. The camera can detect the subject perfectly and automatically adjusts everything perfectly, so your image is always perfect. Even if you pick up your camera a little too late, there's pre-release capture that captures the image before you even press the button! Really cool!

The video quality is something that absolutely blows me away. In a word: stunning. 4k60fps produces a smooth image, and the white balance is almost always perfect. With a little color grading on your computer, you can easily create professional videos for YouTube or social media. I used to shoot videos with my phone, and that was okay, but compared to this camera, I'll never go back. The detail is just so much better! Just make sure you insert a good SD card for the best quality!

The camera has cloud storage, but honestly, I prefer offline storage. This is much faster, and I have my own server where I upload my files directly. The camera has a good screen and a digital viewfinder. The battery can be charged via USB-C, and the camera feels great in the hand. Unfortunately, older lenses don't work on this camera, but hey, the ones I had were already 16 years old, so I understand that.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with the camera and would definitely recommend it to aspiring photographers or content creators!