Z50 vs. D5500

[Mike Buckley]

He says: Until Nikon starts delivering autofocus macro lenses for the Z mount, this lens will keep me happy for close in subjects.

I would think he would prefer any of the Nikon auto focus lenses that surely he already owns. That's because they apparently have better IQ and definitely have auto focus when used with the Z mount plus FTZ. For someone that currently has no macro lens and for whom price right now is really important, I understand his point that this Chinese model is an attractive temporary option. However, that's only if price is really important only for now. If price is really important over the long term, they still won't buy the native Z-mount Nikon macro lenses once they are released.

 

[Mike Buckley]

no automatic focus-shift shooting. But you can still do it manually

I realize some people do it manually and that that was the method everyone had to use before automated focus bracketing was developed. However, I've never tried it. That's because I'm such a klutz that I figured it would be a waste of time for me.

 

[MNglass]

Don't shoot me . . .

Olympus OMD-EM1 mII with the 60mm Oly macro (there is a 30mm macro I believe as well which are 120 and 60 ffeqv) is 765g, swing out display, bracketing and IBIS. It's about the same resolution as the Z50. Used body costs are about the same as the Z50 body new. The weight savings is in the lens, not the body as the EM1 body weight is nearly the same as a Z6.

I know, I know heresy, sacrilege, traitorous but for a special purpose it's hard to beat the feature set combined with uber light m43 lenses . . . But yeah, it would mix your systems.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Olympus OMD-EM1 mII with the 60mm Oly macro (there is a 30mm macro I believe as well which are 120 and 60 ffeqv) is 765g, swing out display, bracketing and IBIS. It's about the same resolution as the Z50. Used body costs are about the same as the Z50 body new.

It also has both focus bracketing and focus stacking built into the camera that is even designed to be used handheld.

 

[Pa]

Don't shoot me . . .

Olympus OMD-EM1 mII with the 60mm Oly macro (there is a 30mm macro I believe as well which are 120 and 60 ffeqv) is 765g, swing out display, bracketing and IBIS. It's about the same resolution as the Z50. Used body costs are about the same as the Z50 body new. The weight savings is in the lens, not the body as the EM1 body weight is nearly the same as a Z6.

I know, I know heresy, sacrilege, traitorous but for a special purpose it's hard to beat the feature set combined with uber light m43 lenses . . . But yeah, it would mix your systems.

Been there, done that.

Not quite, but close. I agree that the system you suggest has lots of nice features, and would appear almost ideal for my purposes. However, I tried an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the 12-50 lens and a couple of primes a few years ago. I liked the camera very much, but I didn't like the pictures it produced. I think it was the small sensor.

 

[MNglass]

Been there, done that.

Not quite, but close. I agree that the system you suggest has lots of nice features, and would appear almost ideal for my purposes. However, I tried an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the 12-50 lens and a couple of primes a few years ago. I liked the camera very much, but I didn't like the pictures it produced. I think it was the small sensor.

No argument there. I too much prefer the DR, lack or noise in flat tone regions (the noise in the sky , even at base ISO, used to particularly annoy me) and the tonal gradations of the Z50 and the Z6 even more. I believe the older M5's had the 16mb sensor and the newer 20mb sensor were a distinct improvement, although still behind the Nikon APS-C.

Small, sharp lenses though.

 

[SRHEdD]

Why? Z5 is the same size and weight as Z6 but less capable.

...and less expensive.

 

[Pa]

...and less expensive.

Yes, but I already have a Z6.

 

[Replytoken]

Been there, done that.

Not quite, but close. I agree that the system you suggest has lots of nice features, and would appear almost ideal for my purposes. However, I tried an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with the 12-50 lens and a couple of primes a few years ago. I liked the camera very much, but I didn't like the pictures it produced. I think it was the small sensor.

While I can understand that you may not want to introduce a second system, the comparison between and E-M5 w/12-50 and and E-M1 Mk II with the 60 macro is night and day. The 12-50 had a reputation among many as being a horrible lens, and the copy I had tested as such when I compared it with several lenses of similar focal length. The 60 is an amazing lens, and competes with many top macro lenses. And the E-M1 Mk II's sensor has more dynamic range than the Z50 according to Bill Claff's site - Photons to Photons. Fine to take a pass, but the differences between these two kits is substantial.

--Ken

 

[Pa]

And the E-M1 Mk II's sensor has more dynamic range than the Z50 according to Bill Claff's site - Photons to Photons. Fine to take a pass, but the differences between these two kits is substantial.

--Ken

I don't want to get into quibbling over details, but the Z50 dynamic range is better at base iso, which is where my interest lies. And the E-M1 Mk II is bigger and heavier than the Z50 despite having a smaller sensor.

But those are details. This discussion is about D5500 vs Z50. I'm not going to be buying into a new system.

Thanks for chiming in with the information.

 

[SRHEdD]

Many of us go outside of Nikon for a special need. This wouldn't be a new system, per se, but I've found it to be a really good carry-along...

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[Pa]

Many of us go outside of Nikon for a special need. This wouldn't be a new system, per se, but I've found it to be a really good carry-along...

I'm sure the X100F is a nice little camera, but it's $1300 with a fixed 35mm FF equivalent lens. The Z50 is only $900 including an excellent 24-75mm FF equivalent lens. The Fuji is 470gm, but the Z50 is only 530gm with the lens. For $400 less, I'd much rather have the Nikon.

 

[PhilM_TX]

Jim, I have a Z50 along with Z6 (plus current Nikon DSLR's).

The Z50 is an excellent "little" body. I take it out often, over Z6, D500, D850 if I do not expect to need high speed AF (although the Z50 AF is a bit better than the Z6). Lack of IBIS has never been an issue for me as the lenses I have that are long enough to need stabilization have VR in the lens.

As far as the screen & atriculation, it doesn't spin around to the front but is is great for ground level and/or over head shooting.

It's super light, has superb IQ, and would be a natural fit given your knowledge of the Z6 and the Nikon ecosystem in general.

The following two shots were handheld with a breeze in the yard, just to test a newly acquired Micro lens.

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These two were shot with a 50s 1.8 w/ 18mm Ext Tube.

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Here it is on the PlatyPod with the screen out, ready for action with 300PF + 2xTC.

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[Mike Buckley]

As far as the screen & atriculation, it doesn't spin around to the front but is is great for ground level and/or over head shooting.

It's great only if the camera is in the horizontal position.

 

[Pa]

Jim, I have a Z50 along with Z6 (plus current Nikon DSLR's).

The Z50 is an excellent "little" body. I take it out often, over Z6, D500, D850 if I do not expect to need high speed AF (although the Z50 AF is a bit better than the Z6). Lack of IBIS has never been an issue for me as the lenses I have that are long enough to need stabilization have VR in the lens.

As far as the screen & atriculation, it doesn't spin around to the front but is is great for ground level and/or over head shooting.

It's super light, has superb IQ, and would be a natural fit given your knowledge of the Z6 and the Nikon ecosystem in general.

The following two shots were handheld with a breeze in the yard, just to test a newly acquired Micro lens.
View attachment 1667020
View attachment 1667021

These two were shot with a 50s 1.8 w/ 18mm Ext Tube.
View attachment 1667022
View attachment 1667023

Here it is on the PlatyPod with the screen out, ready for action with 300PF + 2xTC.
View attachment 1667024

Those are impressive photos, Phil. Almost I am persuaded. My main hangup now is...

It's great only if the camera is in the horizontal position.

I must decide how important this is.

I actually have two D5500s; one is nominally my wife's but she seems to use only her iPhone now. So I could trade one for a Z50 and still have a D5500 in reserve.

 

[Kry27]

As I understand, that is one of the main subjects of this thread: using the camera in portrait orientation from a very low tripod position. And there, the Z screen movement is not the best, on any model.

 

[Mike Buckley]

using the camera in portrait orientation from a very low tripod position. And there, the Z screen movement is not the best, on any model.

It's perfect on my wife's D5100. I can't imagine why anyone would consider it less than perfect.

 

[Pa]

It's perfect on my wife's D5100. I can't imagine why anyone would consider it less than perfect.

On a D5500 the screen, when swung out to the left, impinges on the L-bracket unless the L-bracket is mounted far to the left or else reversed to the more awkward right-hand side.

 

[Kry27]

It's perfect on my wife's D5100. I can't imagine why anyone would consider it less than perfect.

5100 isn't ideal as Pa mentions, and having a Z, that's not comfortable either:

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Depending on the light, you're left blind.

 

[Pa]

5100 isn't ideal as Pa mentions, and having a Z, that's not comfortable either:

View attachment 1667026 View attachment 1667027 View attachment 1667028

Depending on the light, you're left blind.

There is a workaround on the D5500, as I mentioned in post #38. There is no workaround on the Z cameras except landscape orientation.