A year ago I was working through a difficult time in my life so I stress bought (but not without other long-term reasons behind it) the most modern camera in my collection the Nikon Z50 in Nov of 2022.
Like most of the cameras I rely on the Z50 has a Crop and NOT Full Frame sensor, which I know is backwards from how most photographers view their "high end gear" when it comes to photography. This is, however a different discussion for a different time.
Trading in my Canon M3 towards the Z50 was also the final stone in my exit out of Canon as a primary system. Prior to that I was shooting a mix of Nikon F DSLRs and the Canon M3 as my primary camera. Since I no longer have the M3, I can't use it as part of my review but this camera was the direct upgrade for the Canon M3 and it was a significant upgrade at that.
And with that said let's move onto the review of my current main "sidearm" mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z50:
Released in 2019 the Nikon Z50 was the first APS-C (DX) mirrorless camera on Nikon's Z mount system. It is a mid-range Prosumer camera marketed as a mirrorless D7500; and just like the D7500 Nikon cut some unecessary corners in functionality when releasing this camera but still left in a number of features above what a true entry level Mirrorless camera would offer including dual control wheels, 1/3 stop ISO, Built in Interval Timer, and the ability to set a minimum shutter speed for Auto ISO in P and A modes.
The Nikon Z50 uses the same older 20mp CMOS APS-C sensor used in the D7500 and D500 but uses the Image Processor of the Z6 Mark II. This has the effect of making the Z50 a low light King for APS-C sensors even with running a 3 year old sensor from 2016.
The Z50 can go toe to toe and even slightly nudge out modern entry level Full Frame cameras (Such as the Z5, Canon RP or Canon R8) for ISO performance and produce useable images in excess of ISO 12800; a feat otherwise unheard of for crop sensors outside of Fuji and the Sony A6700. This is without a doubt this camera's one really redeeming feature and main reason I bought it.
This camera falls into a strange niche as Nikon and other major Camera MFG's marketing teams constantly bombard to push anyone "Serious about photography" into Full Frame Mirrorless instead.
It is the Ford Ranger of cameras; falling in the realm of marketing that Car Dealerships will often do; throwing everything they can to convince customers that they need the Ford F150 that's on the Showroom floor instead of a functional truck that has everything they need at a more affordable price on the back lot.
Overall the Z50 is a capable little camera that has everything you "need" and just lacks some things you may "want". Even with the stripped features Nikon took out to make something like a Z6 look more "appealing" it is still a lot of camera for the $500 USD I paid for mine used; certainly being more for your money then say an aging Nikon D3500 or Canon Rebel Series would be (as much as I love the simplicity of those cameras).
Yes, there are times where the Z50 feels like an in-between camera for me until Nikon takes APS-C shooters seriously and not as an after-thought and releases a more "Pro" APS-C body without a lot of features stripped on it such bringing back Dual Card Slots, IBIS, Built-in Sensor cleaning, etc.
But for the results this camera can pull for what I paid for it (noting how much an R7 would cost if I were still a Canon shooter) it is still worth the asking price especially if you can get one cheap used due to a waning demand for this camera.
The lack of an "R7 Competitor" by Nikon is one of the reasons that the D500 is one of the very few DSLRs (Crop OR Full Frame) that still sells used for over a grand used in most markets and quickly sells at this price when one becomes available.
Nikon has yet to acknowledge this trend, and therefore people wanting a high quality DX body will have to make a choice between a D7500/D500 or the Z50 and living with the corners Nikon cut with this camera.
Currently, the two Alternatives to the Z50 (The Z30 and ZFc) offer no advantages over the Z50 and in the Z30 case actually even strip the features down further. The ZFc is more or less a re-skinned Z50 with a slightly bigger body, shallower more "retro feel" grip and more analog buttons. By Nikon not adding IBIS or a second card slot makes the added price of a ZFc over a Z50 not really worth it and keeps it in the same "Crippled Prosumer APS-C" niche.
Its image quality is fantastic, edging out my other "main" cameras the G9 and Nikon D7200 slightly especially in low-light situations.
Since the Z50 lacks a number features over the G9, and is overall a little less responsive; these two cameras end up complimenting each other well for my "serious photography" needs.
The Z50 makes a great companion for high-quality street and event photography especially with less then ideal lighting situations (Indoors, at night) where the G9 out performs it for focus speed, accuracy, tracking and burst shooting for Wildlife Photography but is not as good in low-light situations and has a more limited pool of lenses.
The Nikon Z50 works a lot better if you approach its Autofocus much like you would with a DSLR- adjusting the focus zones/points as you need and telling the camera where to focus vs just letting it do its own thing.
Ergonomically the camera fits in my hand very well, which is another huge upgrade over the Canon M3. It has a very deep recessed grip a lot like the G9 but in a smaller package. This makes handling most adapted lenses very comfortable to shoot although some of the larger lenses (such as the Nikon 80-400) are still a bit awkward to use with this camera.
Paired with the 24mm f1.7 prime lens (as pictured) it makes for a very ergonomic and lightweight side-arm camera that can be put on a secondary sling without encumbering or interfering with a secondary camera with a longer lens attached.
Although it is still a lot larger then the Canon M3 and 22mm pancake lens was (that niche is currently filled with the Panasonic ZS100 if I need something truly pocketable) I was still able to fit the Z50 in a jacket pocket with the 24mm lens on (albeit barely) so it fits that mid-size "side arm" niche quite well.
Autofocus speed through the F to Z adapter with First Party Nikon lenses is among the fastest for any Z series camera, which is a common complaint about the system (especially for the OG Z6 and Z5). This includes even Nikon F "Kit" lenses such as the 18-105 which really surprised me at how solid the AF performed through the adapter.
The other side of the coin is that Third Party F mount lenses adapted with the Z50 even on the newer FTZ II adapter are very hit or miss on Autofocus; either not working at all (in the case with my Tamron 60mm Macro lens) or working but having some hunting/ AF accuracy issues as with my former Tamron 18-400 lens. The hit is quite noticeable with even cheap Nikon Kit lenses outperforming mid-range third party adapted lenses.
Due to the rise in popularity with Z mount, you can find a lot of first party Nikkor F mount glass for really cheap on the used market right now (both Nikon DX and FX F mount lenses will work great on this camera) so the restriction on third party F mount lenses not cooperating with the Z50 is a lot less of an issue, from a budget perspective.
On a budget, a used Z50 plus adapter and a few F mount adapted Nikkor lenses slaps for a modern high-image quality enthusiast camera kit that won't break the bank.
Just like the Panasonic G9 that I reviewed earlier this year; bang for buck this camera is another fantastic option, despite a few crippled features. For the price the Z50 still really knocks it out of the park for a high quality modern interchangeable lens camera you can easily assemble a kit for less then $1000 USD used; lenses and adapter included.
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