Nikon Z fc with Wide-Angle Zoom Lens | Retro-inspired compact mirrorless stills/video camera with 16-50mm zoom lens | Nikon USA Model

Disclaimer: I’m speaking from the perspective of a dabbler, not a pro or even a serious hobbyist. If you fall into one of those categories, there are far more technical reviews you can read. I am reviewing from the perspective of someone who just wants to take some nice pictures but is not a camera expert. Bear that in mind if you choose to read on. Last year I decided I wanted an upgrade from an older Nikon (D3200?) purchased over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with my old camera, but it lacked certain features, like wireless photo transfer, which made things inconvenient, and I just wanted something a little smaller and newer. I did a lot of shopping and comparing and ultimately settled back on Nikon and this particular model for three reasons: 1. The Fuji camera I was looking at was very sold out. 2. The Zfc had good reviews and a reasonable price point. 3. I had been using my old Nikon camera recently and was familiar with the functionality. (I did have a Fuji once upon a time, but it was a very, very long time ago in digital camera years.) I also have small hands, so size and weight are really important. I think I would have done fine with either this camera or the Fuji I was looking at, but in any case, it was a factor. I’ve been using this camera for about a year now and taken it on a few travels. It has lived up to expectations as far as size and weight, but definitely do yourself a favor and buy the grip. It’s not very expensive, it seamlessly blends in and doesn’t affect the vintage look, and I’m not sure how anyone functions without it. The lens the camera came with (16-50mm) is basic but serviceable, and if you’re just starting off on your DSLR journey it will take a nice enough photo until you start wanting something more/different. I’ve purchased a few lenses since, including a heavier zoom lens and one non-Nikon brand lens. Everything has connected smoothly and worked well with the camera. Getting Around: The menus are fairly intuitive, and similar enough to the older model that I didn’t have to struggle to learn where everything was. (If this is your first, you will, unfortunately, have to learn where everything is.) Ironically, the one thing I’ve really struggled with on this camera is the gosh-darn wireless photo transfer! Every time I want to use it I spend too much time trying to make it work, although this is partly because I photo dump so infrequently. I’ve had more luck getting an SD card reader and going that route. Durability: Other than that, technically-speaking, I’ve had no complaints. The battery life has been very good, and when I was trying my hand at some night photography when it was positively freezing (literally right at freezing) out, it handled the weather like a champ. Speaking of “like a champ,” the camera has taken some small tumbles (maybe a foot or so onto carpet, but a tumble nonetheless) and been slung around inside a camera bag inside my backpack and shows no signs of trouble. I suppose these days you don’t expect a product to break when the wind blows on it, but when you pay over a thousand dollars for something, you’re also afraid that it will break when the wind blows on it. So far, so good. Photo Quality: Obviously the lens has some bearing on the photos you take, but I’ve generally been happy with the pictures I’ve taken. The colors are brilliant and the pictures crisp. I think we all have our sense of what colors should look like, so of course I will tinker a little bit afterward, but a lot of the time the picture is absolutely fine without adjustment. Autofocus mostly knows what it’s doing, and when it doesn’t I switch to manual, and the camera has, thus far, performed well in lower light. (Noting here that while I mostly use autofocus, I also use manual settings for everything else. There’s no shame in putting your camera on full-auto, but sometimes these cameras can go a little overboard in favor of letting in light, and it washes out your results in a way no photo app can salvage. This PSA is also my way of saying, “I do not have a lot of experience with the auto settings.”) In short, this is a really nice camera for the price point, good for smaller hands, and it travels well. It’s obviously not a super-pro-level rig (see: price point) but if you’re like me and you just want to take some nice pictures of your journeys (whether that’s literal journeys or the figurative journey of life) then you can’t do much better and could do a whole lot worse. (And did I mention that it’s cute? It’s a really cute camera. I love a vintage-looking anything.)

I love this camera. I came up with Nikon film SLRs including the FM2 that this is based upon so I find the Zfc very intuitive to handle. It's better than my D7000. The controls on the top deck are great--no menu-diving for basic adjustments! The fold-out display itself is well organized and convenient especially since it will flip around and fold flat against the camera. I use the touchscreen all the time. The viewfinder is bright and not too busy. Picture quality is excellent shooting JPGs at the FINE level. I like the "Silent" setting--good for quiet, indoor events. I bought an SB-700 speedlight--no complaints there. The Zfc will even accept my legacy SB-25 on manual. Autofocus is fantastic, metering great. I use some of the creative filter settings. Snapbridge works well with my Android phone. Very easy to review and share images in the moment with onboard wifi & Bluetooth. I'm aware that the full-frame Nikon Zf is favored by many for its sensor size and marginally higher-quality images. If I want to approximate that with the Zfc though, I can shoot RAW up to about 20 MB/shot. I don't use the camera for video at all--I'm a stills guy who prefers shooting news events and features. The Zfc does feel light and smaller by comparison with the Zf. That's not necessarily a drawback as I believe the quality is fine, although I did add a Smallrig grip that matches the camera perfectly. If you want to want to do street photography without spending a ton of money, get the Nikkor 28mm 2.8 prime or one of the even more diminutive, relatively fast lenses and blast away.

While I am not a professional photographer, I can confirm I am now the go-to photographer within my family/friends group. This beautiful retro-style camera puts out amazing pictures. (Noting the photo is only as good as the lens you buy) with quality lenses this camera is spectacular. I love the retro look, it’s not cheap plastic either. Hands down the best (and most favorite) camera I’ve ever owned. There are mixed signals regarding the auto-focus on video mode out, I personally do not have any problems. I find the settings I need and hit record and it tracks/focuses like a Boss. Love this camera- period. As for the seller: arrived early, well packaged, in pristine condition. Original packaging undamaged in transit. Cost was appropriate and not inflated, couldnt ask for a smoother transaction truth be told. I do recommend the seller as well as the camera.

I love my camera, the quality, autofocus, easy to use, worth every $$

Very fun to use. Stylish. Wish the body was higher quality material, but still not an issue. I love all the knobs and analog dials.

Because I have arthritis, I wanted a camera that was lighter weight than my old Nikon D7100, and when I saw that this camera had the old-style knobs on top, I jumped at the chance to buy it. I love the easy access to the settings, which I can adjust by feel while keeping my eye on the viewfinder and my subject. I just came back from 7 days in Morro Bay, CA to photography the local wildlife and this camera handled it all very well. It does have a bit of a problem focusing at night, but don't they all? I am most accustomed to using the viewfinder, rather than the large display, so I ended up turning off the display because my nose kept hitting it and activating the touch controls, screwing up my shot. However, it's super easy to switch it back on when needed. I shot under sunny skies and cloudy, rainy days. I shot action, closeup, and distance shots of wildlife (see photos). I'm really impressed with this camera and, because it's so lightweight, it's going to be my constant companion from now on.

Nice little camera. Unfortunately it's meant to look like the Nikon FM2. That camera was metal. This one is mostly plastic. Even the 28mm lens mount is plastic. It doesn't have the tactile feel of the FM2 but it's a modern interpretation. Aside from aesthetics... Focus point keeps moving. Need to find a way to lock it without switching off the touch screen. The touch screen works in some modes, like adjusting the focus point but not in the i menu for selecting things. As usual the Bluetooth is barely usable. I've never found a camera where it works like phones do. The F mount adapter is too expensive. I'd love to use other Nikon lenses because I'm not buying a bunch of z mount just for this camera. Top plate, back, bottom plate are (I think, they certainly feel) all plastic. Very light but also feels a little like a toy. The flimsy battery door is no worse than any other mirror less. I still like the camera. I just wish they'd actually made it really like the FM2 or EL2. Controls seem ok, not the quality feel of their 80's counterpart but perfectly usable. Not as good as the Z5 either. One thing this will do that the fm2 couldn't is preview the exposure. I like that about mirrorless. Focus is fast and accurate but with a small sensor and 28mm lens everything is in focus anyway. The 28 should be f/1.8 or f/2 but with DX it doesn't matter much. The sensor is so good at high iso the only reason for a faster lens is depth of field and that's not happening on 28mm/DX anyway. Updated after a month. I had it in the box to return but the photos from it are great and it's a pleasure to use. So I kept it. I was originally going to return it and get the Z5, I ended up keeping it especially as the Z5 is only $999 currently. Compared to the Z5 the z fc lacks heft. For some that might be a positive since it means lighter. For some that's a negative. I do wish Nikon would standardize their menus. The focus settings in the z fc with the latest firmware are superior to the Z5 (again latest firmware). I wish they were all the same so I could not have to think about the focus modes and their impact while taking photos. If you're a pin spot focus person you won't notice this. If you use eye detect then you will. Not a big deal though and possibly over time the firmware will all synchronize. One of the best things about Nikon is the nikonpc.com website which let's you download photo styles (picture profiles) and load these into the camera. This means you can get the jpeg "color science" however you like it. Of course in raw this has no effect. I've owned the Df before this, I loved that camera except for the focus speed. This is in the same style but with super up to date technology. If like it if Nikon had made this camera exactly the same except with a ff sensor and with more metal. But that's like saying I want my car to be like the one in the 80s but as safe as today's cars. Back to the z fc. Great camera. You'll take as good photos with this as any Fuji or Canon. If you want full frame for the same cost but with modern styling get the Z5. Update several months later. I really like this camera. The original concern about it not being hefty and made of metal has left me. I find it a joy to use and am finding myself ignoring other cameras and using the z fc. I use the 28 and 40mm lenses and both are superb. One reason I use this over the other Z or even D series cameras is this has the best face/eye focus tracking of any that I've used (I've not tried the z9). It's faster and better able to find the eye than the others. Even with the latest firmware in each camera. So glad I didn't return this for what would have been a knee jerk reflex.

Cool retro camera works great NIKON is the best.