Nikon Z 30 vs Nikon Z5II
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NikonZ 30 | NikonZ5II | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2022 | April 2025 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor format | APS-C | Full frame |
| Sensor type | CMOS | Back-illuminated CMOS |
| Sensor dimensions | 23.5 × 15.7 mm | 35.9 × 23.9 mm |
| Effective resolution | 20.9 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Largest image | 5568 × 3712 | 6048 × 4032 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 100–51200 | 100–64000 |
| Sensor detail | Nikon DX-format CMOS; 21.51 million total pixels. UK rounds effective resolution to 20.9 MP, while Japan gives 20.88 MP. Image Dust Off reference data requires NX Studio. | 25.28 million total pixels; sensor-cleaning function and image-dust-off reference data for NX Studio |
| Image formats | 12/14-bit NEF RAW, JPEG and simultaneous RAW plus JPEG; square and 16:9 still crops available | 14-bit NEF RAW with lossless, high-efficiency star or high-efficiency compression; JPEG and HEIF; RAW plus JPEG or HEIF |
| ISO detail | Expandable to equivalent ISO 102400 or 204800; auto ISO supported. Movie ISO range 100–25600. | Standard still-image ISO 100–64000; expanded equivalent ISO 50–204800; HLG starts at ISO 400. Conventional movie ISO 100–51200. |
| Image processor | EXPEED 6 (Photography Blog) | EXPEED 7 |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Nikon Z mount | Nikon Z mount |
| Stabilisation | Optical lens stabilisation | Sensor shift |
| Maximum continuous burst | 11 fps | 30 fps |
| Lens detail | NIKKOR Z lenses; F-mount NIKKOR lenses require an adapter with model-dependent restrictions. Supported VR lenses provide optical stabilisation; no sensor-shift stabilisation. | NIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require a mount adapter, with model-dependent functional restrictions |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase/contrast detection with 209 single-point DX positions, eye/animal detection and continuous movie focus. Maker sensitivity −4.5 EV with low-light AF or −3 EV without, in AF-S at ISO 100, 20°C and f/1.8. | Hybrid phase/contrast detection; 273 single-point or 299 auto-area positions in FX stills; 3D tracking, nine subject types and AF-A automatic AF-S/AF-C selection. Nikon's −10 EV sensitivity uses AF-S, ISO 100, an f/1.2 lens and 20°C. |
| Shutter | Mechanical focal-plane, electronic front-curtain and electronic shutters; 1/4000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time. Flash sync 1/200 second; compatible Auto FP supported. | Mechanical, electronic front-curtain and electronic shutter; 1/8000 to 30 seconds plus Bulb/Time, extendable to 900 seconds in manual mode; flash sync at 1/200 second or slower and Auto FP support |
| Burst detail | Continuous H extended approximately 11 fps with mechanical shutter and JPEG or 12-bit RAW; Continuous H 5 fps, Continuous L 1–4 fps. TechRadar recorded approximately 30 RAW plus JPEG frames before pausing on its UHS-I card; buffer depth varies with format/card/settings. | Ordinary continuous high approximately 7.8 fps mechanical, 9.4 fps electronic front-curtain or 10 fps silent. Extended high approximately 14 fps, or 15 fps silent, with JPEG-only restrictions at the highest extended rate. C15/C30 high-speed frame capture supports pre-release capture; main 30 fps is electronic-shutter JPEG normal, not RAW. |
| Stabilisation detail | – | Five-axis sensor shift; maker claim up to 7.5 stops at the centre or 6 at the periphery under CIPA 2024 using NIKKOR Z 24–120mm f/4 S at the telephoto end in NORMAL mode. Focus Point VR has compatible-lens and focus-mode restrictions. |
| Flash | No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe with compatible i-TTL Speedlights | No built-in flash; ISO 518 accessory shoe and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights |
| Exposure controls | Auto/P/S/A/M and three user-setting banks; still compensation ±5 EV and movie compensation ±3 EV. Matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering. | Auto, P/S/A/M and three user settings; ±5 EV still-image compensation |
| Video | ||
| Highest video resolution | 3840 × 2160 at 29.97 fps | 4032 × 2268 at 30 fps |
| Video detail | UHD 3840 × 2160 up to 29.97p and Full HD up to 119.88p, without additional image-area crop. MOV/MP4 H.264; time-lapse, timecode and electronic VR supported. Maker maximum 125-minute recording claim applies to Full HD 24/25p at 25°C and depends on battery/internal temperature; quoted UHD 4K recording time is approximately 35 minutes. Electronic VR adds a crop; Photography Blog and TechRadar report 1.3×. No Log profile; Flat Picture Control available. | N-RAW 12-bit at 4032 × 2268 up to 30p in FX or 3984 × 2240 up to 30p in DX. Conventional UHD 3840 × 2160 reaches 60p with DX crop; uncropped UHD reaches 30p and Full HD reaches 120p. H.265 8/10-bit and H.264; N-Log, HLG, RED LUT support, waveform, timecode, proxy recording and Full HD Hi-Res Zoom. Recording-time limit 125 minutes, subject to conditions. |
| Audio | Built-in stereo microphone or 3.5 mm external microphone, adjustable sensitivity/attenuator; PCM in MOV or AAC in MP4. Optional microphone wind muff; no headphone socket. | Built-in stereo microphones; PCM 48 kHz/24-bit for NEV and MOV or AAC 48 kHz/16-bit for MP4; external microphone and headphone monitoring |
| Screen and viewfinder | ||
| Viewfinder | None | Electronic |
| Screen size | 3″ | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 | 2,100,000 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Tilting screen | Yes | Yes |
| Display detail | Side-hinged vari-angle touch LCD, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; self-portrait mode and front REC lamp. Dots count subpixels. | Vari-angle TFT with approximately 100% frame coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixels |
| Viewfinder detail | No built-in viewfinder | 0.5-inch OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 21 mm eyepoint; Nikon UK claims 3000 cd/m² maximum brightness and 60 Hz refresh |
| Connections and design | ||
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 330 photographs | 390 photographs |
| Body weight | 350 g (better) | 620 g |
| Release detail | Announced on 29 June 2022; Nikon US specifies first availability in mid-July 2022. Exact first retail day is not established, so month precision is retained. | Announced on 3 April 2025. Nikon's later Z5IIC announcement explicitly identifies the Z5II as released in April 2025; month precision is retained because an exact first UK retail day is unconfirmed. |
| Recording media | One SD/SDHC/SDXC slot supporting UHS-I, sharing the lower battery/card compartment | Two SD/SDHC/SDXC slots supporting UHS-II; overflow, backup and separate file-format recording |
| Ports | USB-C SuperSpeed USB, HDMI Type D micro connector and 3.5 mm microphone input; no headphone output. Photography Blog's Micro USB wording is incorrect. | USB-C SuperSpeed USB; Micro HDMI Type D; 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets; MC-DC3 remote-release connection |
| Wireless connections | Bluetooth 4.2 and SnapBridge; UK specifies 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, while Japan also lists a/ac and 5 GHz, so regional wireless support should be checked | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; SnapBridge and Nikon Imaging Cloud |
| Battery life detail | EN-EL25; maker CIPA approximately 330 still shots or 75 minutes movie battery life. Photography Blog's 300-shot rating is not used. Current Japan packages may include EN-EL25a instead. | EN-EL15c; CIPA approximately 390 shots with the monitor and power saving enabled, 350 without; EVF 380 with power saving or 330 without. Tested with NIKKOR Z 24–70mm f/4 S. Movie battery-life claim approximately 85 minutes. Photography Blog quotes a different monitor-shot figure; main follows Nikon's full specification. |
| Charging | In-camera USB-C charging and external power while recording; optional EH-7P adapter. No separate battery charger in the published standard UK package. | USB charging and power delivery with compatible equipment; EN-EL15b/15a compatibility has restrictions. Nikon UK states no charger included. |
| Dimensions | Approximately 128 × 73.5 × 59.5 mm | Approximately 134 × 100.5 × 72 mm |
| Weight detail | Approximately 350 g body only or 405 g with battery/card, excluding body cap | Approximately 620 g body only or 700 g including battery and memory card, excluding body cap |
| Materials | Maker operating range 0–40°C and humidity up to 85% without condensation; Photography Blog describes magnesium-alloy construction with less extensive weather protection than higher-end bodies | Magnesium-alloy top and rear covers; dust- and drip-resistant construction |
| In the box | UK lists BF-N1 body cap, EN-EL25 battery, AN-DC25 strap and UC-E24 USB cable; Japan lists EN-EL25a or EN-EL25 and AN-DC29 strap, so regional/revision package contents vary | EN-EL15c battery, AN-DC26 strap, DK-29 eyepiece, BS-1 shoe cover, BF-N1 body cap and USB cable |
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