For all the recent hype around the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6, it's the other end of the full-frame mirrorless camera market that's about to get seriously spicy – particularly if some apparently leaked specs for the Nikon Z5 turn out to be correct.
The rumored Nikon Z5 is expected to be a more affordable version of the Nikon Z6, which is currently top of our list of the best cameras you can buy. And now Nokishita, the usually reliable Japanese news site, has revealed some intriguing possible specs for what would be a compelling rival to the Canon EOS RP.
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In many ways, the Nikon Z5 is likely to be closer to the Nikon Z6 than expected, with both cameras seemingly sharing the same 3.69-million dot electronic viewfinder, hybrid AF system with 273 focal points, weatherproofing and in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
In other respects, though, the possible specs show that the Nikon Z5 will indeed be a lower-powered version of Nikon's current mirrorless star. The most notable one is a pretty slow 4.5fps burst shooting rate, compared to the Z6's 12fps ceiling, which suggests it won't be a camera for keen sports or wildlife shooters.
Elsewhere, you get a lower-res 3.2-inch rear touchscreen (1.1-million dots, instead of 2.1-million on the Z6) and the expected omission of a top LCD for quickly checking your settings. The Nikon Z5's sensor is expected to be a 24.3MP full-frame affair, although it's not clear whether this is the same as the Z6's chip or an older one perhaps taken from Nikon's previous cameras.
There are a lot of other details missing from the apparent specs leak too, including whether 4K video shooting will come with a crop and, of course, the Z5's possible price. Given you can currently pick up a Nikon Z6 for around $1,800 / £1,500 / AU$2,700, it's expected to cost a fair bit less than that.
If it can match the price of the Canon EOS RP, which is one of the best-value cameras around right now, it could be an exciting new option for those looking to upgrade to a full-frame camera. You can currently buy the EOS RP for around $999 / £1,220 / AU$1,900.
Full-frame frugality
We've long been fans of the value offered by the Canon EOS RP, which we said was "arguably a much more compelling proposition for those looking to move to full-frame mirrorless shooting than the EOS R".
And these potentially leaked specs for the Nikon Z5 suggest it could raise the bar for affordable full-frame cameras, with the inclusion of in-body image stabilization (IBIS), weatherproofing and (gasp) two card slots.
Naturally, the handbrake appears to have been left on in other areas, most notably burst shooting, but if the Z5 does indeed have the same autofocus system as the Z6, with eye detection and animal AF, it could be a fine stills-focused camera for those who want to jump aboard the Nikon Z system without paying the big bucks.
This proposition would be strengthened by the rumored arrival of a new Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3, which would appear to be an ideal kit lens for the Nikon Z5. This is expected to be a small and light lens for general shooting that will come with a plastic construction, which would again make it more affordable than current options like the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S.
It doesn't look like we'll have to wait long to find out the confirmed specs for the Nikon Z5 or Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens – Nikon Rumors is confident that an announcement will take place on July 21. Until then, you can read our in-depth analysis of what to expect in our Nikon Z5 release date, news and features round-up.
