Z50 kit for use instead of D750?

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

I suggest you go to the dpreview review of the Z50 on a PC or mac, find the image comparison section and add the D750 for comparison. You can then change ISO and choose between RAW & JPEG and see the differences for yourself.

Thanks. Hard to tell looking on a computer.

Actually more interested in personal experience with both cameras.

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

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Of course there'll be IQ differences. The Z50 will have about 1 stop less dynamic range and 1 stop more noise. But the questions to ask are:

1. Under what circumstances will the differences be noticeable and objectionable to you in whatever your final output will be?
2. How often do you shoot under those circumstances?
3. Will the loss of IQ in those circumstances be worth it to you to have less stuff to haul around?

If you're shooting in decent light, that is daylight with no dynamic range extremes (e.g. no white swans on black lava rock), you might be hard pressed to see much difference between the two cameras. If you're doing a lot of night photography, it. might be different.

And don't forget the final output. If you're outputting to a monitor, the monitor will likely have less dynamic range than either camera. And if you're making medium sized prints, you'll be down-sampling the images, which can hide a lot of noise. For example, an 8x10 print at 300ppi is only about 7MP and you can easily get away with less than 300ppi.

The Z50 is an awfully nice little camera and the kit lenses are really small and surprisingly good optically, I took one hiking in Moab, Utah a few years ago and I didn't miss my FF cameras at all. OTOH, when shooting BIF in Iceland recently, I was glad to have my Z8's.

So it depends on what and where you shoot and what you output is.

But if you are doing things like BIF, you probably should consider the Z50ii instead.

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

As Born2Code wrote, the Z50ii the right choice. It is worth far more than the $350 or so difference in price from the Z50. I have both and the Z50ii’s AF improvements alone justify the very small premium over the camera’s life.

PLShutterbug said:

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

As Born2Code wrote, the Z50ii the right choice. It is worth far more than the $350 or so difference in price from the Z50. I have both and the Z50ii’s AF improvements alone justify the very small premium over the camera’s life.

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Can't argue with that -- I have the Z50ii as well. Although for static subjects it might not matter much.

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Nikon Refurb has the Z50II for $655 right now. It's alot of camera for the money, and I'd rather shoot a Z50II over a D750 any day of the week.

Currently available refurbished for just $935.95. BTW this is in stock right now and it's only a 4 day sale. If you want it brand new the price is $1,399.95.

Benefits for the Z50II.

• The feature set and buttons closely match that seen on the Z5II or Z6 III. This means less menu diving and no on screen buttons.
• The AF system is much better than that in the Z50. This means far fewer focus misses and it's fast enough to keep up with many moving subjects. No, it won't keep up with a racing car coming at you at 200 mph but a bicycle at 20 mph is doable 15 feet out and further.
• The viewfinder is much better in low light situations.
• Release rate using the mechanical shutter is up to 10 or 11 fps depending on the source. The electronic shutter can hit 30 fps to JPG only but with a scan time of 47ms Rolling Shutter will be visible in some shots.
• Pre-release is available.

Then there is the matter of those 2 Kit Lenses. If you do the math you will find the Z5 and Z50II actually feature high resolution sensors. Put the Z7 II or Z8 into the DX crop mode and you get 19.3mp images versus 20.9 for the Z50 and Z50II. Compare the highly regarded 24-120mm f4 S lens shot on the 20.9 pixel cameras to the 2 "Kit" lenses and you will find that these "kit" lenses can match the level of detail produced by the 24-120 when all lenses are set to f6.3. The simple truth here is that these 2 Kit Lenses are gigantic BARGAINS. Yes they are on the slow side, so freaking what. The image quality is amazing.

BTW if you have a "need for Speed" Viltrox has some amazing f1.7 ASP-C lenses and using the Viltrox E to Z adapter will allow you to fit the Tamron 17-70mm f2.8 and this is a pretty good lens. Not as good as the Kit lenses but certainly good enough to make wonderful 24x36 inch prints. BTW, you will need to use the AF lens fine tuning feature to correct for front and back focus at wide and tele but once set it focuses very well. BTW my settings are -2 Wide and +3 Tele. I will also note that stopping down to f5.6 does improve the sharpness for a near match to the Kit lenses. Bottomline for the 17-70 is it's a touch soft wide open but still usable and stop down to f5.6-f11 and it's excellent. I'll also point out that the 17-70 does have Vibration Control that provides about 3 stops of stabilization. Note the 17-70 isn't a cheap lens and with adapter it's an 800 dollar cost. In addition that f2.8 constant aperture means it is a bit heavy.

monte12345 said:

The simple truth here is that these 2 Kit Lenses are gigantic BARGAINS. Yes they are on the slow side, so freaking what. The image quality is amazing.

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Agreed 100%.

Especially the 50-250mm. Shooting landscapes at f/11, that 50-250 is just as good as my 70-200S. When I bought my Z30 kit (replaced with Zfc) I was blown away at how good these kit lenses were.

Hiking Zion with a Z6III, 14-24, 24-70/4, and 70-180/2.8, felt like a fools errand once I got the DX kit. I could have done it with the Z30 12-28, 16-50, and 50-250 and not only have had more reach for compressing those landscapes, but it would have been less than half the weight, and the image quality would have been functionally identical.

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

The D750 will have better dynamic range. From a noise standpiont, they are probably similar. I would say if the D750 is getting heavy, then look into a Z5 Ii or a gen Z5 if you want something a bit lighter/smaller. You can find the first gen Z5 quite cheap (around $700 used), and the Z5 Ii occasionally comes up on refurbished for about $1200-$1300 and that's what I would recommend if you're looking to replace your D750. The Z50 will work but I'd get the newer one [Z50 II] if you do. IQ-wise its almost the same as the Z50 and similar to the D750 probably in terms of noise, but it's just faster with Nikon's newer AF routines, which the original Z50 and original Z5 lack, although the Z5 II has the same routines as the Z50 II).

But going to the Z50 from a D750 you're really only losing a card slot and probably about 1/2 stop of Dyanmic range which may or may not be noticeable in real world use.

One thing about the Z FF bodies though is they aren't necessarily that much lighter than a D750 (I'm speaking about the Z6 II, Z5 and Z5 II mainly). But they are a bit smaller and obviously thinner, so just keep that in mind...weight wise there isn't a huge savings.

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* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

sirhawkeye64 said:

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

The D750 will have better dynamic range. From a noise standpiont, they are probably similar. I would say if the D750 is getting heavy, then look into a Z5 Ii or a gen Z5 if you want something a bit lighter/smaller. You can find the first gen Z5 quite cheap (around $700 used), and the Z5 Ii occasionally comes up on refurbished for about $1200-$1300 and that's what I would recommend if you're looking to replace your D750. The Z50 will work but I'd get the newer one [Z50 II] if you do. IQ-wise its almost the same as the Z50 and similar to the D750 probably in terms of noise, but it's just faster with Nikon's newer AF routines, which the original Z50 and original Z5 lack, although the Z5 II has the same routines as the Z50 II).

But going to the Z50 from a D750 you're really only losing a card slot and probably about 1/2 stop of Dyanmic range which may or may not be noticeable in real world use.

One thing about the Z FF bodies though is they aren't necessarily that much lighter than a D750 (I'm speaking about the Z6 II, Z5 and Z5 II mainly). But they are a bit smaller and obviously thinner, so just keep that in mind...weight wise there isn't a huge savings.

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The Z5 weighs 675gr with battery, the DD750 840grams with battery. 200-ish grams is meaningful to some of us. Such as yours truly. It's not the bodies that aren't necessarily lighter. It's the whole package with a Z lens that's not necessarily lighter. It all depends on your lens choices. Traveling with one of the Z5/6/7/ZF bodies with two muffin primes will give you IBIS, weather-sealing, and beautiful FF IQ in a noticeably smaller, lighter setup.

A smaller Z FF body with the Z 40mm f2, the Z 26mm f2.8 pancake, and the 405gram Z DX 50-250mm VR in crop mode for 375mm equivalent tele reach is a fantastic travel combo.

UsherFellig said:

sirhawkeye64 said:

Vetteran said:

D750's are getting mighty heavy these days. Thinking of Z50 kit for weight savings and travel.

Any insights as to IQ differences noting that the D750 is FF and has pretty good low light capabilities?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

The D750 will have better dynamic range. From a noise standpiont, they are probably similar. I would say if the D750 is getting heavy, then look into a Z5 Ii or a gen Z5 if you want something a bit lighter/smaller. You can find the first gen Z5 quite cheap (around $700 used), and the Z5 Ii occasionally comes up on refurbished for about $1200-$1300 and that's what I would recommend if you're looking to replace your D750. The Z50 will work but I'd get the newer one [Z50 II] if you do. IQ-wise its almost the same as the Z50 and similar to the D750 probably in terms of noise, but it's just faster with Nikon's newer AF routines, which the original Z50 and original Z5 lack, although the Z5 II has the same routines as the Z50 II).

But going to the Z50 from a D750 you're really only losing a card slot and probably about 1/2 stop of Dyanmic range which may or may not be noticeable in real world use.

One thing about the Z FF bodies though is they aren't necessarily that much lighter than a D750 (I'm speaking about the Z6 II, Z5 and Z5 II mainly). But they are a bit smaller and obviously thinner, so just keep that in mind...weight wise there isn't a huge savings.

Click to expand...

The Z5 weighs 675gr with battery, the DD750 840grams with battery. 200-ish grams is meaningful to some of us. Such as yours truly. It's not the bodies that aren't necessarily lighter. It's the whole package with a Z lens that's not necessarily lighter. It all depends on your lens choices. Traveling with one of the Z5/6/7/ZF bodies with two muffin primes will give you IBIS, weather-sealing, and beautiful FF IQ in a noticeably smaller, lighter setup.

A smaller Z FF body with the Z 40mm f2, the Z 26mm f2.8 pancake, and the 405gram Z DX 50-250mm VR in crop mode for 375mm equivalent tele reach is a fantastic travel combo.

Click to expand...

Sure it's lighter but again the OP was mostly asking about IQ which you really won't see a difference since the gen 1 Z5 likely uses the exact same sensor as the D750. Yes you do get the added benfits of IBIS and perhaps more accurate single-piont AF, but you also lose a bit (like the burst speed on the Z5 is actually slower than the D750 and tracking is likely better on the D750 if that matters to the OP). Now if they were to go with the Z5 II then that changes and yes they would see a difference in IQ at higher ISOs and overall better performance. But strictly from an IQ standpoint at least, the original Z5 and D750 are not really that different (neither has the dual gain sensor which is what gives other Z cameras an added benefit in IQ).

the other thing is that unless you buy one used, or manage to get one new for around $1000, the original Z5 is not a very good value currently, especially after price increases, and considering it maybe possible to find a used Z5 II a bit more than a new Z5 currently.

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

sirhawkeye64 said:

The D750 will have better dynamic range. From a noise standpiont, they are probably similar.

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Gee, lets Google that. The Z50II comes in at 14.2 stops of dynamic range and the D750 is at 14.5 stops. We are really splitting hairs here. BTW the Z5II is 14.8. While that is a tick more than 1/2 stop I really don't think it will be noticeable.

sirhawkeye64 said:

I would say if the D750 is getting heavy, then look into a Z5 Ii or a gen Z5 if you want something a bit lighter/smaller.

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Weight for the D750 with battery is 29.3 ounces. Weight for Z50II with battery is 19.4 ounces. A weight savings of 10 ounces. Then there is the matter of lens weights. The Nikon 16-50mm lens, which produces S Line image quality is just 4.8 ounces. Which means Z50II with the 16-50 lens is actually 5 ounces LIGHTER than the D750 body. There is also the 50-250mm lens, also capable of S line IQ, that weighs just 14.3 ounces. Total weight for the Z50II with both lenses is just 38 ounces or 2.4 lbs.

sirhawkeye64 said:

You can find the first gen Z5 quite cheap (around $700 used), and the Z5 Ii occasionally comes up on refurbished for about $1200-$1300 and that's what I would recommend if you're looking to replace your D750. The Z50 will work but I'd get the newer one [Z50 II] if you do. IQ-wise its almost the same as the Z50 and similar to the D750 probably in terms of noise, but it's just faster with Nikon's newer AF routines, which the original Z50 and original Z5 lack, although the Z5 II has the same routines as the Z50 II).

But going to the Z50 from a D750 you're really only losing a card slot and probably about 1/2 stop of Dyanmic range which may or may not be noticeable in real world use.

One thing about the Z FF bodies though is they aren't necessarily that much lighter than a D750 (I'm speaking about the Z6 II, Z5 and Z5 II mainly). But they are a bit smaller and obviously thinner, so just keep that in mind...weight wise there isn't a huge savings.

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Hawkeye, you really do need to consider getting the Z50II two lens kit. Because once you actually experience the image quality, smaller size, and much lighter weight for the DX format you won't be suggesting full frame models as an alternate. Note, I really do enjoy my Zf and am certain that it's twin is also marvelous but in practical terms the only significant advantage for the Twins (Zf, Z5II) is their amazing performance in very low light shooting.

monte12345 said:

sirhawkeye64 said:

The D750 will have better dynamic range. From a noise standpiont, they are probably similar.

Click to expand...

Gee, lets Google that. The Z50II comes in at 14.2 stops of dynamic range and the D750 is at 14.5 stops. We are really splitting hairs here. BTW the Z5II is 14.8. While that is a tick more than 1/2 stop I really don't think it will be noticeable.

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Well, the OP is asking which has the better IQ. Even if it's remove and not noticeable, they did ask so I answered, did I not? But yes I agree that less than a half of a stop (and even a stop in some cases ) is not likely to be noticeable in real world usage. However I'm guessing you got your numbers from somewhere else (like DXO Mark). While they are not wrong, I think sites like PhotonsToPhotos give a more realistic value.

P2P seems to suggest it's more closer to 1-stop difference in the lower range (let's say up to about ISO 400, then it's about a half stop from there on out, in favor of the D750 / Z5.

monte12345 said:

monte12345 said:

I would say if the D750 is getting heavy, then look into a Z5 Ii or a gen Z5 if you want something a bit lighter/smaller.

Click to expand...

Weight for the D750 with battery is 29.3 ounces. Weight for Z50II with battery is 19.4 ounces. A weight savings of 10 ounces. Then there is the matter of lens weights. The Nikon 16-50mm lens, which produces S Line image quality is just 4.8 ounces. Which means Z50II with the 16-50 lens is actually 5 ounces LIGHTER than the D750 body. There is also the 50-250mm lens, also capable of S line IQ, that weighs just 14.3 ounces. Total weight for the Z50II with both lenses is just 38 ounces or 2.4 lbs.

monte12345 said:

You can find the first gen Z5 quite cheap (around $700 used), and the Z5 Ii occasionally comes up on refurbished for about $1200-$1300 and that's what I would recommend if you're looking to replace your D750. The Z50 will work but I'd get the newer one [Z50 II] if you do. IQ-wise its almost the same as the Z50 and similar to the D750 probably in terms of noise, but it's just faster with Nikon's newer AF routines, which the original Z50 and original Z5 lack, although the Z5 II has the same routines as the Z50 II).

But going to the Z50 from a D750 you're really only losing a card slot and probably about 1/2 stop of Dyanmic range which may or may not be noticeable in real world use.

One thing about the Z FF bodies though is they aren't necessarily that much lighter than a D750 (I'm speaking about the Z6 II, Z5 and Z5 II mainly). But they are a bit smaller and obviously thinner, so just keep that in mind...weight wise there isn't a huge savings.

Click to expand...

Hawkeye, you really do need to consider getting the Z50II two lens kit. Because once you actually experience the image quality, smaller size, and much lighter weight for the DX format you won't be suggesting full frame models as an alternate. Note, I really do enjoy my Zf and am certain that it's twin is also marvelous but in practical terms the only significant advantage for the Twins (Zf, Z5II) is their amazing performance in very low light shooting.

Click to expand...

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

Vetteran said:

Thanks. Hard to tell looking on a computer.

Actually more interested in personal experience with both cameras.

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My final F mount kit was a D500 and D750.

I purchased a Z6 and 24-70mm to get into the Z system. with the FTZ I could use all my legacy F mount lenses so I sold the D750. I later bought the Z50 two lens kit was very happy with it and later sold the D500 to get the 105MC for macro work. I picked up a used Z7 to replace the Z6.d I recently bought the Z50ii and the 28-400mm.

My travel kit is now the Z50 with the 12-28mm PZ and the Z50ii wearing the 28-400mm. The Z7 doesn't get much use anymore.

I am more than happy with the IQ of any combination of gear I can put into my bag with existing kit.