Think full-frame is just for pros? Nikon's affordable Z5 II C rewrites that script

The Z5 II C is a lighter version of the full-frame Nikon Z5 II, without a viewfinder Prices start at £1,349 (US and AU pricing TBC), on-sale date mid-October It's available in black or black/silver colorways, and numerous lens kit options Nikon redefined entry-level full-frame cameras with the Z5 II, which scooped our Camera of the Year 2025 award .

Now the company is upending the notion that full-frame is just for pros with its most affordable and compact model in this format yet, the Z5 II C.

As its name suggests, the Z5 II C is a ‘compact’ version of the Z5 II, and the key difference is that it doesn’t have a viewfinder (and it has a single card slot rather than dual slots).

This means the ‘C’ model is smaller, lighter and cheaper.

It still has a tough magnesium-alloy body with a chunky grip, is sealed for dust and moisture resistance, and packs a healthy 3.2-inch, 2.1m-dot vari-angle LCD, all carried over from the Z5 II.

The cameras share identical features too; the same 24.5MP full-frame sensor with image stabilization that’s rated up to 7.5EV.

Nikon UK's Training Specialist Ricci Chera briefed me on the camera ahead of its September 24 announcement and mid-October on-sale date, emphasizing that the Z5 II C is about choice, offering certain users the “benefits of full-frame, without paying for something they’re never going to use [a viewfinder]”.

Is Nikon onto something here? Is the £1,349 asking price (I'll update this article with US and Australia pricing when I have it) enough of a gap to tempt first-time buyers, or sway them from the Z5 II? Nikon Nikon So, full-frame is for beginners now? The low £1,349 asking price of the ‘C’ version seems pretty appealing, especially given the spec and features you're getting: the Z5 II C has the same sensor as the Z5 II and Nikon’s latest processor, while its subject-detection autofocus can recognize subjects even when they take up as little as 3% of the frame, and which is low-light sensitive to -10EV (with a new ‘fish’ detection mode added — that’s a first), There's also 14fps with a mechanical shutter (30fps electronic) and 4K video with 12-bit N-RAW internal recording, and much more.

Besides the Lumix S9 , I can't think of a better-value full-frame camera, and not one that launched for such a low price.

The price and compact size are the major selling points of this full-frame model, which Nikon says is about offering users "choice" — the pricier and larger Z5 II with a viewfinder and dual card slots, or the cheaper and smaller viewfinder-less Z5 II C.

I get the logic.