Page 63 - Australian Photography Dec 2020

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difference in resolution when it comes to the electronic viewfinder – the fine, 3690k-dot EVF is a pleasure to use and exhibits virtually no lag, proving just how far electronic viewfinders have come over the years.
Of course, the menu system is in- stantly familiar to existing Nikon pho- tographers and is well thought out and easy to navigate. But perhaps most im- portantly is the fact the supposedly en- try level Z 5 retains the 5-axis In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) system found onthemoreexpensiveZ6/Z7.Thisis a key feature of Nikon’s full-frame mir- rorless models and makes a real differ- ence when shooting out on location – especially coming into its own when shooting in lower light conditions, hand- held and at longer focal lengths, which typically can lead to problems with shake and image blur. Of course, pairing the Z 5’s IBIS system with a lens that features VR technology will see a better stabilising performance than leaving it just to the camera body.
Another key difference between the Z 5 and its Z 6/ Z 7 stablemates is the media used to record stills/video. Inside the Z 6/ Z 7 is a single slot for an XQD card, while the Z 5 offers dual SD card slots. While it’s true XQD cards can record higher write speeds, this again doesn’t tell the full story
of how this works in the field. SD cards are more affordable, more photographers are likely to have already invested in a number of SD cards (thus won’t want to invest in new, pricey XQD cards) and if you have a problem in the field, it’s likely you can dash into the newest mini-mart and pick up an SD card from the electronics shelf. What’s more, with the Z 5 offering dual card slots, this gives you the option of mak- ing an instant back up of your files (just in case anything goes wrong with the first card) or choosing to record stills to one card and video to the other.
A PLEASURE TO USE
IN THE FIELD
I tested the Z 5 across a number of weeks in a host of different situations, from the comfort of a photography hide shooting wildlife, to capturing landscapes in a vari- ation of weather conditions. The Z 5 didn’t miss a beat and was an absolute pleasure to use. Performing well in all situations and coping well with any bad weather that came its way. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that despite Nikon calling the Z 5 an entry level model, the body still benefits from weather-sealing to keep moisture, dust and sand away from the camera. The focusing features in the Z 5 are impressive and the camera of- fers the same 293 AF-point count as the
Z 6 (the flagship Z 7 features 493-AF points). In real terms, this means the Z 5 locks on to subjects quickly and accu- rately, though I personally preferred to use the joystick on the rear of the camera to switch between single AF points than relying on the touchscreen. Perhaps most impressive was the Z 5’s silent shoot- ing mode, which I tried out in a photo hide with small birds just a
metre away from me. The mode doesn’t make a decibel
of noise and didn’t disturb my subjects, enabling me to capture close- up imagery of these feathered wonders.
TESTED: NIKON Z5
| 63 | DECEMBER 2020 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM