Nikon Z5 IIC costs $1,400 and weighs nearly 25% less without an EVF

Nikon has introduced the Z5 IIC, a compact entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera priced at $1,400 for the body or $1,700 with a NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens. Pre-orders are open ahead of its worldwide retail release. The camera is aimed primarily at video creators, vloggers and mobile hybrid photographers.

The Z5 IIC drops the traditional electronic viewfinder, reducing body weight to 537 grams (18.9 ounces), nearly 25 percent less than the 700-gram (24.7-ounce) standard Z5 II. Nikon uses the “C” suffix to denote compact. Despite the smaller body, the camera retains a deep right-hand grip for single-handed holding.

Its rear controls are streamlined, and the multi-selector joystick found on the Z5 II is absent. Composition and menu navigation instead rely on a 3.2-inch, 1.04-million-dot vari-angle touchscreen that flips out horizontally and rotates for front-facing monitoring. The body will be available in black or a two-tone silver-and-black retro finish.

The camera pairs a 24.0-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with Nikon’s EXPEED 7 processing engine. It records 4K UHD at up to 30 frames per second, oversampled from a full 6K sensor readout without a crop. 4K UHD recording at 60 fps uses a 1.5x DX-format crop, while Full HD 1080p recording is available at up to 120 fps for slow-motion playback.

Internal recording formats include 12-bit N-RAW, 10-bit N-Log and H.265 (HEVC). Nikon has also included customizable color profiles and Look-Up Tables (LUTs), called “imaging recipes.” Some presets were developed with RED Digital Cinema after Nikon acquired the cinema camera manufacturer in early 2024.

Firmware tools include a waveform monitor for assessing light exposure, focus peaking, zebra patterns and a front-facing tally light (REC light). The camera also offers 15 creative scene modes, including options for night landscapes, portraits and food photography. A “Product Review” autofocus mode shifts focus priority automatically between a presenter’s face and objects held close to the lens.

For stills, the Z5 IIC shoots bursts at up to 14 frames per second in RAW and JPEG, with full autofocus and auto-exposure tracking. Electronic-shutter bursts reach 30 frames per second, but only for JPEG capture. Native sensitivity goes up to ISO 64,000 for low-light performance.

Five-axis in-body image stabilization is built into the sensor mechanism and provides up to 7.5 stops of vibration-reduction compensation. Deep-learning autofocus can identify humans, domestic animals, birds and vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains and aircraft. An aquatic-fish category is also available.

The Z5 IIC enters a competitive compact full-frame camera market for video creators. Its $1,400 price is below the Canon EOS R8, which launched at $1,499 and lacks in-body sensor stabilization. Higher-priced compact full-frame options include the Sony ZV-E1 at $2,198 and the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, launched at $1,999. Within Nikon’s range, the camera is a full-frame step up from DX-format compact vlogging models such as the Nikon Z30.

Unlike the larger Z5 II, the Z5 IIC has a single SD card slot, supporting UHS-II bus speeds.