Z5? What’s the verdict.

I am getting a Z5 tomorrow.

Just picked up the Z5 with the 24-200 f4-6.3 lens and got it running without ever having to touch the manual! I just got out of a Sony A6400 with all its manic menu mania and this camera is a dream by comparison!  It has all the right buttons to immediately access settings without having to dive into menus so I can go back to shooting the old way! The image quality is really very good. No complaints there. I mostly do portraits, events, and travel type photography and this thing is ten times easier for me to live with than the Sony. Even with an f4 lens I can run it in low light and it works. I don't do video so no comments there, but if you are an old school photog that learned on a Pentax K1000 and TriX then this camera is for you!

''IF'' I were to get a mirrorless camera, the Z5 would probably be my pick. 

Z5 makes great start body. but if you shot a lot and have good amount of F mount glass a used gen 1 Z6 would been better route. do to low light sensor and great for video and sports and wildlife 

Yes, I have one.  It has never seen a Z lens.

On bellows, excellent.

On Novoflex, follow focus, a drop of magic.

On FTZ, if you must.  My Voigtlanders sit on this.

On Fringer EF-NZ, a revelation.  Full Focus assist.

Choose your Canon fit lenses with care and geometrical anomalies will take scientific measurement to detect.

With my quiver of Canons I have a Tokina AT-X Pro Macro 100 F2.8 D.  My walk about lens.

Having used both the FTZ  and Fringer extensively, I picked the Canon fit, not the Nikon F.  Cheaper, a bonus.

If you even use the AF, I cannot relate.  If you need the shake control, I was brought up "Old School" with a Rollei TLR.  Dad, Fleet St. and a Royal photographer!  Frightening tales of Brooklands and Wartime Aerial reconnosance for SIS.

Movies, why?  I am not a Wedding snapper.

Photography in the dark.  Seldom.

Remote photography where clarity, image quality and a total absence of human contact or body induced vibration, a definite pass.

Nikon uses this sparse sensor exceptionall well.  Couple this with Nikon's digital imaging "sauce".

When using coupled lenses with a 35mm enlarger lens in front for Macro, the Zfc with more concentrated pixels would be the recommended choice.

Slide copying, exemplary.  Probably only a Z7ii would be better

Takes two big SD cards.  Yes.

Takes a Hoodman eyepiece.  Yes.

Professional image crop.  No

Filters may be fitted into the rear of both the FTZ and Fringer.  Yes, same fit filter.

Good to hold with a Spider strap, better than most Nikons.

With some filters (LPF), the image at post processing, on the rear screen (that I could do without) and the excellent viewfinder are all different.

Interesting.

NB.  Remote control subverts live view yet unfortunately is less comprehensive.

Next buy will be the Z7ii.

Does it work well though?  Better than I expected.

Rgds.

I'm charging up the battery for my new Z5 now, just out of the box, Bought it at the same shop I picked up the Df 9 years ago, on the first day it was for sale "Small Business Saturday". Same sales team. Told them if Nikon comes out with a Zf, I'll be back. The 3.7MDot finder is the same on the Z6 and Z7 series. I do not do video. Sales woman mentioned the biggest noticeable difference is the 4.5FPS vs 9 on the higher end models. Tols her it's faster than my Nikon F with the F36 on it. She laughed. I bought manual focus adapters for my Canon 7 50mm F0.95, Nikon F, and Leica M mount lenses. Easy to focus with the 3.7MDot VF. This camera replaces my Olympus EP2 with 1.5MDit EVF bought in 2010. That was my "Legacy Lens Catchall" for those that could not be used on the Df and Leica M9.

At under $1000, selling one of my Nikon F3HP bodies with MD-4 paid for it. The manager of the shop had offered me $125 for it, I let them know what I sold it for.

have fun with it. i just got Z9 and going to be learning curve for me. never had pro body before. and new menu to learn. keep in mind your closer to sensor now too. if you use mirrorless lenses 

I brought the Z5 with the Canon 50mm F0.95 "Dream Lens" out yesterday,

Getting the knack for focusing in low-light on still objects.

Today- will be going to the roller skating rink with it.

Best $200 lens I ever bought... Same price as the Nikkor 55/1.2 Ai...

MANY years ago.

Canon 50/0.95, wide-open, moving subject, 1/100th sec, ISO6400.

This camera is awesome.

I might just have to leave this lens on the Z5 and get another one for the rest of my lenses.

Do you use any of the focusing aids?

I like to have focus peaking set to PEAK 1 so it isn't too intrusive and have either 100% or 200% zoom on the video button or Fn2 to quickly check for critical focus on my Z6II when I run manual focus lenses.

Focusing without the aids is not difficult, but set up as I like it, it is as fast and can be even more precise as using my Katz-eye screen in the D700.

I have Focus Peaking set to Max Sensitivity and outline in Red. Focus Peaking is based on Edge Detection. To me: It is the same mental algorithm for focusing as using a Rangefinder Camera. I could focus the 50/0.95 with ease, about the same hot rate as the 50/1.0 Nokton and 75/1.25 7Artisans lens on my Leica M9. I could also easily focus the 50/0.95 on the Canon 7.

On the Canon 7 in very low light.

Kodacolor 400 and about 1/8th second at F0.95.

The Z5 has the same sensor and image quality as the D750, if that would be fine with you. I wouldn't mind having it w/ a 24-70S lens as my everyday and travel camera.

I looked at the sensor comparisons in terms of Dynamic Range and Noise for the Z5, Z6, Z7, Z6-II, and Z7-II. The BSI tech made much less difference than I thought it would. BSI sensors are much more sensitive to UV and IR compared with FSI sensors, meaning they need a more powerful filter stack. The Z5 sensor has plenty of DR to correct vignetting from my choice of lenses. The Canon 50/0.95 is an extreme design that produces some steep angles of light falling on the sensor. 

The biggest difference between the Z5 and Z6-II is frame rate and video. I shoot stills, and use all manual focus lenses. 4.5FPS is plenty fast.

I picked up a Konica AR mount to Z Adapter, in addition to the F-Mount, M-Mount, and Canon 7 mount. I have about 250 lenses that will now mount on the Z5.

The Df is my camera of choice for Autofocus, use with my Af-Nikkors and AF-D Nikkors. I have all of the AF-D Micro-Nikkors. They are sharp. If Nikon had made an AF adapter with a built-in Motor for those lenses- I would have bought it. Nikon previously made the TC-16AF, which had a built-in motor to use manual focus lenses on my F3AF. 40 years ago. Mine still works. 

Next trip to the skating rink will be with the Df and the Leica M9 or M Monochrom. Those will be the last new Leica cameras for me, last of the full-frame CCD cameras ever made. Of course I have a full set of Nikkor lenses to use on them.