Nikon Z fc

The Nikon Z fc is a camera that will definitely immerse you in the world of photography. Exuding an old school charm with its classic design, which includes ample mechanical dials, its resemblance to the FM2, one of Nikon’s iconic film cameras, will probably evoke waves of nostalgia among photographers. At the same time, it is equipped with an advanced core in the form of the Z series mirrorless technology. Petite and lightweight, it is perfect for carrying around—and for capturing your interpretations of the scenes around you.

The Z fc is the seventh camera in Nikon’s Z series, and the first to feature a different design style—in this case, one that is inspired by the Nikon FM2, a film camera that was first released in 1982.

Back then, the FM2 was known as the “compact Nikon” because its smaller, lighter body made it easier to use than the then-flagship camera, the Nikon F2. It was part of the FM series, a much beloved line-up that holds special meaning to long-time professional photographers and photography enthusiasts, many of whom had an FM series camera as their first camera.

While the Z fc is a contemporary mirrorless camera that bears the advanced Z mount, it is also built to enable almost all major settings to be controlled via its mechanical dials, which include a shutter speed dial, ISO sensitivity dial, and exposure compensation dial. The tactile experience that results will be nostalgic to longstanding users, and fresh to newer ones.

The Z fc promises not only to let users discover (or rediscover) the joy of holding a camera, but also the fun of photography and videography.

The most distinct feature on the Z fc is the multiple dedicated dials adorning the top of the camera, which control shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, and exposure compensation respectively. The tactile feel of the dials, the torque needed to turn them, and the clicks at each setting not only make adjusting shoot settings intuitive, but also make shooting an immersive sensory experience. This is a camera that absorbs you into the moment, where time seems to stop, all you see is your subject, and the only thing that you can think about is how to create the best capture of it as you nudge the dials, crafting the visual to perfection.

The Z fc supports a native ISO sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 51,200, which can be set by turning the dial on the immediate left-hand side of the viewfinder. A lock button at the centre of the dial, which you press down when adjusting the ISO setting, prevents the setting from being changed by accident. The dial also offers quick access to the H1 (ISO 102,400) and H2 (ISO 204,800) extended ISO sensitivity settings. Below the dial is the shooting mode lever, which allows you to switch between the five exposure modes (P, A, S, M, and Full Auto).

The shutter speed can be controlled using the dial on the right-hand side of the viewfinder, in 1-exposure-stop intervals from 1/4000 second to 4 seconds. To enable quick adjustment of the shutter speed, there is no lock mechanism for the 1/4000 second to 4-second range, but you will need to hold down the lock button to access the other modes on the dial such as the Bulb (B) mode. Adjusting the shutter speed in 1/3-stop intervals is also possible by configuring the Main Command Dial.

Turning the Sub Command Dial changes the aperture setting, and the f-number that is selected will be shown on the display panel. If the lens attached is a Z mount lens with a control ring, the control ring can be assigned to adjust the aperture setting, making it function just like an aperture ring.

The exposure compensation dial can adjust exposure by up to ±3 stops. Users who want to adjust exposure over a greater range can do so via the menu settings, which supports adjustment up to ±5 stops.

The Z fc is equipped with face and eye-detection for both people and animals (cats and dogs), and are supported in both the Wide-area AF and Auto-area AF modes. Look out for the new modes such as [Wide-area AF (L-people)] and [Auto-area AF (animals)]!

Animal-Detection AF (for cats and dogs) is also supported during video shooting—one improvement over the Z 50.

The Z fc supports video recording in a variety of frame sizes and frame rates, up to 4K UHD 30p/25p (3840 x 2160). As its image sensor is much larger than that found on smartphones, even images shot at high ISO sensitivities appear clean and clear. The larger image sensor also contributes to natural and smoother background bokeh—the key to a cinematic look.

Getting creative in photography and videography is often about the angles. Besides its compact body size that makes it easier to hold, the Z fc is also the first camera in the Z series to feature a 3.0-inch fully articulating TFT Vari-angle LCD monitor that can be flipped out and rotated through various angles—great not just for capturing new perspectives, but also for shooting video on a gimbal.

Just like the Z 50, the Z fc features a 20.9-megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor and the EXPEED 6 image-processing engine. It supports a native ISO sensitivity of up to 51,200, which, in combination with the excellent noise reduction capabilities of EXPEED 6, achieves clean images even at high ISO speeds, regardless of whether you are shooting stills or video.

With the assurance that fundamental image quality is in place, you can take your time to explore and find your own style. There are twenty Creative Picture Controls that allow you to tweak the colours and tones of your images and videos on the spot, giving you better control over artistic direction.

As a Z series camera, the Z fc is, of course, equipped with the Z mount. Featuring a large mount diameter and short flange distance, the Z mount produces excellent, high-quality images when paired with NIKKOR Z lenses. Using the Mount Adapter FTZ increases lens options, allowing you to use the approximately 360 F-mount NIKKOR lenses released since the AI NIKKOR.

Whether it’s a telephoto lens that lets you zoom in on faraway scenes, or micro lenses that let you document the world of tiny things up close and personal, the possibilities are there for you to harness to add new dimensions to your pictures and videos.

The Z fc’s viewfinder comes in the form of a 2.36 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF), which harnesses Nikon’s own optical eyepiece technologies to achieve a clear, natural view with barely any visible optical aberrations. The 100% viewfinder coverage lets you plan your composition all the way to the edges, and real time display simulation not only allows you to preview exposure settings, but also see the effects of your Picture Control colour adjustments before you shoot. Feel that the design of the eyepiece looks unique? It’s steeped in heritage too—this circular form factor was traditionally used in Nikon’s premium camera models.

A HDMI, USB Type-C, and microphone terminal are located at the right side of the camera body. The USB terminal supports high-speed data transfer via Super Speed USB.

The left side of the body contains the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth mechanisms, which enable the wireless transfer of image and video files to a computer or smartphone, as well as wireless remote shooting operations. Simply pair your Z fc and your smartphone using Nikon’s free SnapBridge app to transfer your video and image files to your phone via Wi-Fi, and from there, uploading them to the internet is just a couple of taps away!

The Z fc weighs similar to the Z 50, but is slimmer due to its grip-less design. Non-imposing and easy to carry around, whether in your everyday bag, slung over your shoulder, or hanging around your neck, it promises to make great constant shooting companion—always around to capture iconic scenes.

You can purchase the Z fc body alone, or take your pick from two kits, both featuring NIKKOR Z lenses designed to match the vintage Z fc style. Would you choose the all-rounder Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, or the fast Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) prime lens, or both?

• Image sensor: DX format CMOS Sensor
• Effective pixels: 20.9 megapixels
• Image processing engine: EXPEED 6
• EVF: 0.39-inch, OLED, approx. 2.36 million dots
• Rear monitor: 3.0-inches, TFT, approx. 1.04 million dots, touch panel, Vari-angle
• Burst shooting speed: up to 11 fps
• ISO sensitivity: ISO 100 to 51200 (expandable to ISO 204800)
• Low light AF detection range: -3EV (with low-light AF: -4.5EV)
• Main movie frame rates: 4K 30p, FHD 120p

The special ‘Silver’ edition features a silver exterior to match the Z fc body. It’s a standard zoom lens that covers a 24-75mm (35mm full-frame/FX equivalent) wide angle to medium telephoto focal length range, sufficient for most scenes including landscapes, casual snapshots, street photography, and portraits. Only around 3cm thin when retracted for storage, it is as compact as a pancake prime lens.

• Focal length: 16-50mm (35mm full-frame/FX equivalent of 24–75mm)
• Lens structure: 7 groups 9 elements
• Minimum focusing distance:
  
  16mm zoom position: 0.25m
  50mm zoom position: 0.3m
• Maximum magnification: 0.2x
• Filter diameter: φ46mm
• Maximum diameter×length: approx. φ70.0mm×32.0mm (when fully retracted)
• Weight: approx. 135g

The NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 (SE) is a special edition lens designed to complement the Z fc. Inspired by manual NIKKOR lenses, it features a control ring that adds to mechanical control possibilities. As an FX-format lens, it can also be used on an FX format camera such as the Z 7II, achieving a 28mm equivalent angle-of-view. When attached to a DX format camera such as the Z fc, its functional focal length is 42mm (35mm full-frame/FX equivalent) allowing it to be used like a standard prime lens. Its f/2.8 maximum aperture makes it capable of achieving beautiful background bokeh. It is equipped with two aspherical elements to correct various optical aberrations.

• Focal length: 16-50mm (35mm full-frame/FX equivalent of 24–75mm)
• Lens structurFocal length: 28mm (35mm full-frame/FX equivalent of 42mm)
• Lens structure: 8 groups 9 elements
• Minimum focusing distance: 0.19m
• Maximum magnification: 0.2x
• Filter diameter: φ52mm
• Maximum diameter×length: approx. φ71.5mm×43.0mm
• Weight: approx. 160g