Nikon Z50 II Review
A 20.9 MP APS-C mirrorless camera with EXPEED 7, 209 AF points, 4K 60p from a 1.5x crop, and a 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen.
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Vlog Champion
Check price at Amazon → The Verdict
A 20.9 MP APS-C mirrorless camera with EXPEED 7, 209 AF points, 4K 60p from a 1.5x crop, and a 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen. It has no in-body stabilization and one SD card slot.
Next to the Sony A6700 it has 209 AF points to the A6700's 759, and no in-body stabilization (the A6700's is rated at 5 stops). Owners say they bought it for its size and weight, as a travel or hiking camera; battery life is their most common complaint (see What owners report).
- Overall
- 7.4/10
- Image quality
- 7.0
- Autofocus
- 7.8
- Video
- 7.8
- Speed
- 7.4
- Handling and build
- 7.2
| Imaging | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 20.9MP APS-C CMOS |
| Processor | EXPEED 7 |
| Stabilization | Electronic (e-VR, video only) |
| ISO Range | 100-51,200 (exp. 204,800) |
| Autofocus | |
| AF System | Hybrid Phase/Contrast Detection |
| AF Points | 209 points |
| Subject Detection | Human (face/eye), Animal, Vehicle |
| Low Light AF | -4 EV |
| Speed | |
| Burst Speed | 11fps (mechanical), 30fps (crop) |
| Buffer Depth | 40 RAW / 200+ JPEG |
| Video | |
| Max Resolution | 4K60 (1.5x crop) / 4K30 (oversampled) |
| Internal Rec | 10-bit 4:2:2 N-Log |
| Stabilization | e-VR (electronic) |
| Vlog Features | Product Showcase, Self-Portrait mode |
| Build | |
| Body | Polycarbonate, partial sealing |
| Screen | 3.2" vari-angle touchscreen (1.04M-dot) |
| EVF | 2.36M-dot OLED (60fps) |
| Card Slots | 1x SD (UHS-I) |
| Battery | EN-EL25a (220-250 shots CIPA, depending on viewfinder/monitor use and energy saving) |
| Weight | 550g (with battery and card) |
Maker-published figures, with source and date: Numbers & Sources below.
What We Like
- Size and weight praised by owners for travel (see What owners report)
- Autofocus on moving subjects praised by owners (see What owners report)
- Subject detection for people, animals and vehicles
- 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen
- 10-bit N-Log video
Trade-offs
- No in-body image stabilization
- Single UHS-I card slot
- 4K 60p only with a 1.5x crop
- Battery rated at 220-250 shots (CIPA), the most common owner complaint
Performance Breakdown
EXPEED 7 Processing
The Z50 II uses Nikon's EXPEED 7 processor. Video goes up to 4K 60p from a 1.5x crop, 4K 30p is oversampled, and 10-bit N-Log recording is internal.
Autofocus Performance
The Z50 II has 209 AF points, with subject detection for people (face and eye), animals and vehicles.
Owners praise the autofocus for moving subjects, including birds in flight (see What owners report).
Vlogging Features
The 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen can be turned to face forward for self-framing. Product Showcase mode shifts focus to items held up to the camera, a microphone jack takes external audio, and Self-Portrait mode is for front-facing recording.
There is no in-body stabilization; for video the camera offers electronic VR (e-VR), which crops the frame. Owners point to the lack of in-body stabilization (see What owners report).
Image Quality
The sensor is a 20.9 MP APS-C CMOS measuring 23.5 x 15.7 mm, with a native ISO range of 100-51,200. For photos other people took with it, see Sample photos.
Sample photos from other photographers
Photos that other people took with the Nikon Z50 II and published on Wikimedia Commons under free licences. We chose them; we did not take them. The settings under each photo come from the file's own metadata.
The numbers, and where they come from
Published by the maker
| Sensor size (maker's figure) | 23.5 x 15.7 mm |
|---|---|
| Effective pixels | 20.9 MP |
| Native ISO range | ISO 100–51,200 |
| Continuous shooting | 11 fps (at full resolution) |
| Battery (CIPA) | 250 shots |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2.36 million dots |
Maker figures checked on 25 Sept 2026 — maker's spec sheet. Continuous shooting, in the maker's words: Top Continuous Shooting Speed at Full Resolution: 11 frames per second
Computed from those figures
| Sensor area | 369 mm² |
|---|---|
| Format factor | 1.53x |
| Light gathered vs 35mm | −1.2 stops |
Computed from the figures above. Pixel pitch = sensor width / pixel count across. Light gathered = log2 of the area ratio to 36 x 24 mm. Diffraction limit = the aperture at which the Airy disc diameter (2.44 x lambda x N, lambda = 550 nm) reaches two pixel pitches. Other calculators use other thresholds and so quote other numbers.
What owners report
We read 177 public posts and reviews on 23 Oct 2026: reddit.com/r/nikon (72), bhphotovideo.com (105). Each point below came up from at least two different people; the wording is ours.
Praised repeatedly
- Owners bought it for its size and weight, as a travel or hiking camera. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners praise the autofocus for moving subjects, including birds in flight. [1][2]
- Z8 owners use it as the smaller body for walks and travel. [1][2][3]
Complained about repeatedly
- Battery life is the most common complaint. [1][2][3][4]
- Owners point to the lack of in-body stabilisation. [1][2][3]
- There is no printed manual in the box, which beginners notice. [1][2]
These are public posts. We do not check whether the people who wrote them bought or used this camera.
How this score is put together
7.4 out of 10
- Image quality Weight 25% 7.0
21MP APS-C, same resolution class as the Z30
- Autofocus Weight 20% 7.8
209-point AF with Expeed 7 subject detection
- Video Weight 20% 7.8
4K60 with a crop, 4K30 oversampled
- Speed Weight 15% 7.4
11 fps at full resolution
- Handling and build Weight 20% 7.2
2.36M-dot EVF but no IBIS
Scored against APS-C interchangeable-lens cameras. The overall figure is the weighted mean of the rows above — it is computed, not set by hand.
How It Compares
| Spec | Nikon Z50 II | Sony ZV-E10 II | Canon R50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 21MP APS-C | 26MP APS-C | 24MP APS-C |
| Video | 4K60 | 4K60 | 4K30 |
| AF Points | 209 points | 759 points | Dual Pixel II |
| Burst | 11 fps | 11 fps | 15 fps |
| IBIS | None | None | None |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
Lens options
Nikon Z DX 18-140mm VR
Nikon's DX zoom with VR: 18-140mm, a 7.8x range.
Nikon Z 40mm f/2
Nikon's 40mm f/2 prime for Z mount.
Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7
Nikon's DX f/1.7 prime; 24mm on this sensor frames like 36mm on full frame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Owners say they bought it for its size and weight, as a travel or hiking camera. One complaint beginners raise is that there is no printed manual in the box (see What owners report).
By the maker specs, the ZV-E10 II has a 26 MP APS-C sensor and 759 AF points, the Z50 II 20.9 MP and 209 AF points. Both list 4K 60p and 11 fps, and neither has in-body stabilization. The Z50 II has a 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder.
No in-body stabilization. Stills rely on lenses with VR (vibration reduction); for video there is also electronic VR (e-VR), which crops the frame. The Sony A6700, by comparison, has in-body stabilization rated at 5 stops.
Yes. It takes all Nikon Z-mount lenses. On the Z50 II, full-frame (FX) Z lenses use only the APS-C center of their image circle, and the same lenses also fit Nikon's full-frame Z bodies.
Related Reviews
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your Nikon Z50 II experience:
Memory Card
SanDisk Extreme 128GB
An SD card for the Z50 II's single SD slot.
Battery
Nikon EN-EL25a
The battery this camera takes.
Lens
Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7
Nikon's f/1.7 prime for DX (36mm equivalent).
Microphone
Rode VideoMicro II
A compact on-camera microphone.
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