On 24 September Nikon unveiled the Z5IIC: the same 24.5MP full-frame sensor as the Z5II, the same EXPEED 7 processor, but no viewfinder. All you get is a 3.2-inch vari-angle screen. On paper it is a camera for people coming from smartphones, with fifteen scene modes on the dial. What caught our eye is another line on the spec sheet: it records 12-bit N-RAW to a regular SD card. At $1,399 body only, it is the cheapest full-frame camera that shoots internal RAW video today.

The numbers that matter for video

  • Sensor: 24.5MP back-illuminated full frame, EXPEED 7
  • 4K UHD up to 60p; at 50 and 60p the image switches to a DX crop (APS-C)
  • Full HD up to 120p
  • Codecs: 10-bit H.265 MOV with N-Log, 12-bit N-RAW (NEV)
  • N-RAW: FX at 4032×2268 up to 30p, DX at 3984×2240 up to 120p (figures reported by CineD)
  • Media: a single SD UHS-II slot, Nikon recommends V90 cards for RAW
  • Stabilisation: 5-axis IBIS, up to 7.5 stops
  • Max clip length: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • I/O: micro HDMI, USB-C, 3.5mm mic input and headphone out
  • Weight: 538 g body only, about 620 g with EN-EL15c battery and card
  • Price: $1,399.95 body only, $1,699.95 with the Z 24-50mm; in Europe around €1,549 body only. Shipping from mid-October, in black or silver.

Where we see it on set

In our view the Z5IIC is not an A-camera for any serious production, and it doesn’t pretend to be. At this price, though, it gets interesting in three specific roles. First, as a crash cam: rig it on a car, inside a dashboard, on a motorbike, and if something goes wrong you haven’t lost much. Second, as the extra angle on a documentary or a cinematic wedding, when you want a locked-off RAW shot without renting a second high-end body. Third, on a light gimbal: 620 grams ready to shoot sit comfortably on a DJI RS 3 Mini.

RAW to SD is the real news. Until now, internal RAW on a small body meant budgeting for CFexpress cards that cost as much as a lens. Here a good V90 card does the job. Keep in mind that one slot means no in-camera backup, so on set you want to offload often rather than trust a single SD card for the whole day.

What we’re less sure about

  • No viewfinder: outdoors, under the midday sun in the Abruzzo mountains, the rear screen alone won’t cut it. You need an external monitor or a loupe. An Atomos Ninja V as a monitor solves it.
  • Micro HDMI: the most fragile connector you can have on a rig. Clamp it, or the first tug will kill your signal.
  • 4K 60p is cropped: for full-frame slow motion you have to drop to Full HD.
  • Nikon says nothing about a fan: before trusting it with an hour-long summer interview, we’d test it.

Buy or rent?

At €1,549 the Z5IIC makes sense as a purchase if you make content every day and already own Z lenses. If you’re shooting a short or a commercial and need a proper A-camera, it’s a different story: N-RAW is handy, but it doesn’t replace the dynamic range, dual slots and outputs of a cinema camera. For a one-off project it makes more sense to rent a Sony FX3 or something higher up, and maybe add a Z5IIC as a crash cam. If you’re not sure what your next job needs, browse our equipment and call us before you buy.

Sources: Nikon official announcement and CineD.