Quick Z5IIC Thoughts

D7500, AF-S Nikkor 10-20mm VR G DX

 

In short, it's not really the light carry camera I wanted, but it's an OK effort. Users aren't going to be unhappy with it in reality aside from 1 item Nikon definitely got wrong.

The item is the LCD. It shares the 3" 1.04m dot unit that the Z DX bodies all have. This is adequate, but not really what you want on an EVF-less body that isn't at the bottom of the price range like the Z30 (which has the exact same LCD). Nikon should have priced it $50 higher and re-used the much better 2.1m dot unit from the Z5II. 

Otherwise the only real complaints are the name and the size, this is the Z3 in all but name, it is exactly to the Z5II as the Z30 is to the OG Z50. Same basic camera, no EVF (the Z30 had a couple other changes, but that's just because the Z50 had a couple bad decisions in terms of USB port and LCD articulation that were corrected on the Z30 and Zfc). Nikon unwisely chose to ape Sony's naming convention instead of sticking to their own and got designation salad as a result. 

In terms of size, while the smallest FX stills camera in the Z line, this is still a chonky boi at 600g, compare to its closest competitor, the Panasonic S9, and it's well over 100g heavier and notably larger (but with a MUCH better grip). You can actually get an S9+40/2 lens within 30g of the Z5IIC's bare weight. 

And yes, this is 100% a shovelware camera, it's a Z5II with the EVF chopped off, a cheaper LCD, one card slot and a lower spec shutter (1/4000 max). But the shovel contents are damned good aside from the bargain-bin LCD, so while entirely a low-effort release, it is actually a pretty excellent camera. Anyone who ends up with one won't be disappointed in anything except the high weight and size for its class and Nikon's poor and overly clustered selection of small 1st party lenses, but adding the Viltrox 14mm and 20mm at the wide end and the 7Artisans 75mm or Viltrox 85mm f2 EVO at the long end to the 26, 28 and 40 from Nikon will give a solid small prime selection for it. I'd skip the zooms, there are enough smallish zooms, but aside from the 24-50 (which I do not recommend, poor handling & reliability) nothing truly tiny to fit this body. 

I'd consider this if I was still willing to go in for small low-MP FX EDC options. As it is, I'd have preferred any refresh to the current Z DX line (Z30II or ZfcII) or either the rumoured Z70 or a Z5IIx shovelware camera (Z5II with Z7II sensor).