I bought my Nikon Z5 as a back up to my Nikon Z6. I do 95% photography so I don’t need to video features. Z5 is so good that it has become my main body and my Z6 is my back up. I do mostly portrait photography and faster frames per second and video features is not necessary for me of that on the z6. Sony still does an amazing job I almost switched over to sony but I had too many Nikon lenses I didn’t want to sell for a loss. I see where some are saying you shouldn’t compare the Sony to the Z5 but to the Z62. Due to the video specs are comparable. Some are looking right past the Z5, I highly recommend it for portraits or still photography. I compared my z5 to my Z6 and I cannot tell the difference in image quality. In my opinion the z5 has more snappier Auto focus, and gives you more eye options to choose from while shooting portraits compared to my z6. Great video as always
@@frankwieczorek5112 I live in Pennsylvania, closer to Erie. I am thinking about switching over to Sony, for the a7riv for some higher mp and excellent auto focus. So I am going to be parting with my z6, z50, and my 50 & 85mm Z lenses. I am going to keep my z5 and my sigma 105mm f1.4 art lens cuz it’s a killer combo that just blows me away. So if your close maybe can meet up if your still interested.
Right now am in the market for another Z6 ,but after reading your experience am having a rethink. I am also a portrait and event photographer who loves 35 and 85 combo for events ,my portrait set ups is 50, 85, 105,135 and 200mm lenses . I have a pair of Z6 but feel I don't want to be changing lenses on the field this looking to add a third body . Have you shot the z6 and z6 side be side with strobes ? Am just looking to use same setting and aperture most times on all my cameras.
I bought a brand new Z5 + 40mm F2(new) and 24-70 F4 S(used) lenses for like 1700 USD, that's almost same price as A7C body only. I almost rarely do videos , and for me Z5 with its price is a found gem. Kudos to Nikon for their comeback.
@@movielover2172 I didn't ask you for my preferences, once again , I ask myself. For me Z5 is better period, for you its A7C, I don't care about your physics, sorry.
A flip out screen is a downside for me as a stills photographer. The tilt up/down screen is a lot more convenient if you want to quickly go from EVF to above the head or down low.
Great review guys! I thought the way you did the side-by-side comparisons with inset crop portions below (with the scenes shot with the model in the kitchen, under and over-exposing, was especially helpful. Very helpful, Craig
Just picked up Z5 on sale for $999. My only regret is that I didn’t purchase it when it was on sale for this price a year ago! But I also picked up the new 24-120 on sale for $899. This combo for under 2K can do 80% of what I need.
Yep, I also got the Z5 for $997 on sale last week. Nothing comes anywhere close for that price, its all Canon and Sony crop sensors with poor EVFs, no IBIS, no mechanical shutters or cheap 1/4000s shutters, only one card slot and no weather sealing. The a7C is overpriced at $1800. Even at its regular price of $1,300 the Z5 is a steal, and Im primarily a Canon shooter. Canon and Sony should be ashamed they offer nothing close to the Z5 for under $2k. Sad.
I think the Canon RP vs Nikon Z5 would've been a more logical comparison. The Sony a7c is closer to $2,000 and not necessarily a consideration for someone on a budget.
When you're comparing ISO like for like you need to equalise those exposures. Camera companies completely lie about what ISO you're at, the Sony is literally just telling you it's at 12800 when it's actually at about 8000. Remember with a sinlgle gain digital sensor your ISO is just post-exposure gain, so if you just bump up the exposure in LR you'll get actual comparable results. The reason they cheat is becuase of this type of comparison, so people are like "look how clean it is at 12800!" when it actually isn't. The good side of this though is ISO100 is effectively closer to ISO50 which is great for those of us who want that. I just with they were honest with their numbers. As for the comparison, I much prefer the Nikon, that body is so nice to use, its way faster to switch between photo and video for hybrid usage, and I think the Z mount is better then the E. If you really want to you can buy a Sony E to Nikon Z adapter due to the 2mm flange distance difference.
"It's way faster to switch between photo and video for hybrid usage" Not on the A7C. The record button is right next to the shutter. It takes less than one second to go from taking photos to recording. If you want presets, the video dial is right next to the manual mode when you twist it one way and it also has 3 custom modes on the other so you can have main video, manual mode, HD 60p, HD 120p and whatever extra photo mode you want set up to switch between in under a second. Plus all the other things that make it far better for video. The Nikon wins at photography with the extra dials, better ergonomics, faster shutter capabilities etc.
Sandro actually the Nikon does too, what was meant is the switch on the Nikon allows you to keep separate setting between photo and video. You are also able to have different user settings as well all by moving the switch. It’s like having a separate photo and video camera all in one.
@@BKMonf Honestly, cameras are much of a muchness these days. When you're talking which one is better, it's by a very small amount. If be happy with either of these.
My two cents: if you're purely into photography, unless the compact size is a big deal, go for the Nikon 100%. If you're a hybrid or video shooter, go for the Sony 100%. The extra battery life, video auto-focus, full framed + over-sampled 4K, flip screen, superior audio pre-amps, small size, gyro data, unlimited recording etc make the Sony much better for video, especially on a gimbal. The grip, extra buttons, ergonomics and photography focused Nikon, makes it much user friendly for hand held photography and photography in general.
The only feature id want from the A7C as opposed to the Z5 is the gyro stabalisation. I wish it was in the Z5 as it would make my decision easy and I go for Nikon. I just love the idea of the gyro for certain clips. The big underrated feature on the Nikon is the photo/video switch - its so important to quick hybrid work.
For photography, I would definitely buy the Nikon Z5 but it should be said that the Z6 is cheaper than the A7C. As for video, I don't get Sony for video, Yes, you have the a7sIII which is great but the rest are still shooting 4k 8 bit, I would certainly look at the Panasonic S5 before the Sony.
I'm tired of RU-vidrs thinking every person who buys a camera will be vlogging. Just because you shoot yourself, it does not mean that everybody else does it. The ILC market is about 8 million cameras per year before the pandemic. Most of these people take images or videos of other people not themselves. I hate flip-out screens, I prefer the tilt screen because it's much easier to take videos of my family.
It’s always a personal choice. I don’t vlog very often but I shoot video all the time and a flip out screen allows me to get the camera into tight places. The tilt only works for when you are behind the camera. I find it very restrictive. That is why many camera systems are Going to a flip out screen. It’s not just vlogging.
I wish vlogging would be a form of documentary filmmaking showing people and places, rather than narcissistic camera owners who put their faces in the middle of the frame for 90 percent of the time. Maybe if they would do it as an intro or in between parts. But I am so tired of this form of filming
I have a Z6 and I absolutly love it. It does really well with video, but the big downside is that the screen doesn't look forward. That isn't a deal breaker for me though, because I'll use an external screen (ninja). The lens line is growing and their S line is a sweet line of lenses.
Your video was really beneficial. I'm interested in either purchasing the Sony A7iii w/ an FE 28-70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens OR a Nikon Z6ii w/ a NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S. I will be mainly shooting photography and dabbling in cinematography. Would love your input on what you think is the best option. I first learned to shoot on an old 35mm film Canon, and later a Canon d550. I'm trying to ease back into photography, but want to invest in the way of the future. This will be my first time back in photography in almost 6 years + using a mirrorless FF camera. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Get the Z6ii, or even the Z5 now that it has eye detection AF in videos, save a lot, get S line lenses. Oh, and get the 24-120 instead of 24-70. I personally got it, the usefulness is undeniable.
Now that is how you do a comparison review between cameras. You test, show the results, tell us your impressions, but let's us decide a winner. You earned a subscriber for that one. Well done.
Great review, you guys are good together I would like to have seen more details on how the Z5 LCD screen works - can you blog with it, or do you have to use an xtra monitor?
I'm using Nikon D5500 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 and 18-140mm. I want to shift to Nikon Z5 or Z6. I have 2 questions. 1st which camera body I should go for? 2nd. As I said 2 Nikon lens I have its good to buy Z5 with FTZ and use my 50mm 1.8 or buy Viltrox 85mm f1.8? I only use camera for family portrait and landscape photos only. No video at all. Dont have lots of budget. Please help to choose with camera body and lens I should go far. Many thanks. CHEERS
Dynamic range and ISO tests are not very comparable as light measurement of the Sony seems to be poor and images are underexposed. Otherwise nice test, hands down the Nikon for me for tonality and ergonomics of the body.
I thought it was very interesting to see how much the color shifted on the exposure and ISO test. Also, if these are the kit lenses for these cameras there is quite a big difference. In the scene where Bonnie walks towards the camera the background on the Nikon was nice where on the Sony it was absolutely hideous.
Hold on, where are you importing this images to compare? Do you have a Sony profile set up in lightroom? By default Sony raw images "apear" darker in lightroom.
the performance of Z5 while continuous shooting mode. Is it able to capture 4.5 FPS with continuous auto focus ? Is it good while in action for kids low light(4.5 FPS) ? In which condition i will prefer for Sony A7C (with out video preference)? Is A7C image quality is better than Z5 in low light ?
I have the Z5 and i think its good, the 4,5 fps dont feel slow, of course it doesnt feel like a machine gun with 12-20 fps, but i wouldnt want that anyways, for me it would be too many files for many scenarios Tracking in afc mode is good, did a bit wildlife with it and was able to track a buzzard in the air fairly well Eye af tracks extremely well on both humans and animals so you would have joy photographing playing children and also probably existing pets
a shoot only portaits... a thinking about nikon z5 or nikon z6II.... nikon z6II is more powerfull with video... there is 800usd diference in price... do you think that z6II is the same in photography as a z5?
For the dynamic range test: if sony always appeard to a bit a darker (alltough same settings and so on), doesnt that mean, that the highlights would burn out later? For me the performance just seems a bit shiftet because of the "zero point" of the two
Thanks for this. Viewing this in June 2021, the price differential has grown in Nikon's favor, imho. I just purchased a Z5 with a 24-70mm F4 for $200 less than a Sony A7C body. Another factor is that when putting on quality Sony lenses, the weight and size differential is much reduced. I've had a few Sony's (A6000, A6500, RX100VI) and was drawn to them by the form factor. Unfortunately, the photos (likely the colors) left me underwhelmed. Normally a Canon shooter, I'm giving the Z5 a try as the Canon RP seems lagging in some areas. Let's see what happens.
@@markshirley01 I'm enjoying it. Image quality was my primary goal and it does not disappoint. My favorite aspect is the grip, it is a pleasure to hold and balance with just two fingers. So far the Z5 is exactly what I was looking for. All the best!
@@malikknows3510 its got the same sensor as my D750 which I love - the images I get is all I need. The 1080p is nice as well. I just need a bit of basic touch tracking in video - thats why I was looking at a Z.
I have watched this video some time ago, but since I didn't have the Z5 back then, I didn't comment. During the Chinese Lunar New Year, I have borrowed a Commlite autofocus adapter (for Sony) and along side the FTZ (for Nikon) I have tested the same 85mm f/1.8G lens on both cameras. With the same shutter speed, ISO, aperture, white balance, I get almost identical exposure on both cameras. I don't think your results are tested with the same white balance. White balance does affect metering. The camera's metering priority also affect metering. Are your results shot with the same shutter speed?
@@TheSlantedLens Very strange. I've tried that again yesterday with a TZE adapter with many Sony lenses on both the a7c and Z5. I could not reproduce the same result with the same white balance and shutter speed.
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What a strange review. The Nikon shoots 1/8000th of a second, has loads of function buttons, two card slots, better build quality. A7C is vlogging camera with no record limit. Most importantly A7C competes with Z6 in pricing, not with the Z5. And the Z6 is arguably better for video than the A7C! Z5 is price close to some of Sony’s apsc models. What a strange review!
I reckon the comparison was done more because in each brand’s line-up they’re both entry level models and they’re also recent 2020 releases. Camera features will always vary, as will each system’s intended audience but if someone was considering to get a MILC and isn’t a Pro...these are valid starter options for both systems. Personally I’m happy with the comparison since I’m looking at both cameras currently and even the Fuji X-S10 (guys please do a comparison between the Nikon and Fuji :-) ) For me the draw to these type of cameras is mainly SIZE. I’m looking to move away from DSLRs and want to see what entry level gets me for each system at the end of 2020 and this video shows that for Sony and Nikon. Would be great to see a 2020 comparison between all entry level models.
You can obviously see both are super capable cameras which is a testimante how good cameras are today even entry level FF cameras are. Sony's main advantage and that across all its cameras is the lens lineup and not enough is said about this fact. You can get Sony cameras or third party lenses which in most cases are just as good as Sony but for half the price. For me this is the main advantage of Sony over Nikon and Canon.
@@TheSlantedLens I believe only few third party for Canon and Nikon mirrorless. Most important lenses like 24-70mm 2.8, 70-180mm 2.8 which is bread and butter and are half price of Sony OEM lenses are MIA from Canon and Nikon third party. I might be wrong but 35mm, 50mm and 85mm third party are currently not available to Canon and Nikon as well....again I might be wrong. So Sony has a buge advantage here.
Well done guys... very good job you did....i personally like nikon because of it color profile... please next video do a comparison between nikon Z6II & Panasonic S5... please
I only have 1 S lens on mt Z6 all the rest are f-mount with FTZ (like 10-12 lenses, yeah I am not going anywhere) adaptor and they worked great. 4tamron, 1 tokina and 1 sigma (the sigma is kind of broken so it has issues before).
Great relevant review Sony A7c AF blows away Z5 - I have heard disaster stories of focusing with z5 in dark FPS on z5 r not great Sony A7c compares more with z6ii but still beats on AF That for my usage is a major deal breaker -
@@TheSlantedLens 🙏🏽 have been a hardcore Nikon for years but availability of E mount glass and Sony AF blew me away. Just as an example- the option of having nearly 10 types of 35mm E mount for a Sony is amazing -
Nikon Z5 has much better color in photos indoors at 800iso and 1600iso and higher than A7C. Nikon has one of the best color science algorithms out there and can keep shadows more open in low light. Ironic that the sensor might actually be made by Sony in both cases, or Z5 might be made to spec from Nikon with Sony manufacturing. This could be why colors are similar, but the software programming in each camera is different which is why tone curve is different. Or can you tell specifically that Nikon is not using a Sony sensor with Z5? Nikon has bought sensors from Sony in the past I think.
Hmm. The only point of "features" is if they are of value to you in order to obtain quality images, video or stills. Quality of the final complete product has to be the over riding consideration. Of course that has to suitable to the purpose as well. A whole raft of "features" you aren't going to use, or that don't improve your image are pointless.
The dynamic range test is totally blame because the photo on the Nikon is brighter as you can see on the second iso test and you can see that the highlights on the window are brighter than on the Sony...
Z5 is a better all round package, A7C is a vloggers camera For the price nothing beats the Z5 unless you can get A7iii used for a similar price the sd card is a bonus if your going to do professional work for peace of mind would be nice for a Z5 vs A7iii telling customers what they will be missing out on A7iii and what are the benefits of going Z5 the primes for the z mount are top quality from many reviewers,
You are wrong. A7c is used by professional now, and they say it is impressive.. if you go on digital imaging resource site you will be able to download the photos at each iso between z5 , z6, z6ii,z7ii and you will see that the a7c beat all these cameras. The pictures are good up to 51200 iso on the a7c. The nikon does not have autofocus on the entire focal range. The sony is superior in photos and vid and autofocus quality. It has a small viewfinder and miss few buttons and is not maybe as good in ergonomic than bigger body camera, but the result in photos and videos are the best. Look what a professional like Areesz Gandhi studio can do with an a7c before to say it is only for vlogger...
@@CC-gt3ro it can only be a B camera or vlog camera comparing a camera to ISO 51200 is pointless no one shoots so high This camera will be good for beginners or casual photographers and it is aimed towards that market There is also no recording limit on this camera so clearly its audience is for video. However if you want to save some money the A7iii is the more professional option having dual SD cards for a cheaper price Nikon on the other hand I mentioned is the Z5 which is price very low if you can get one with the FTZ adapter free it's worth it I would go for a camera with better handling and grip. Taking what i say professional can only use pro camera is really short sighted and I do not care 51200 iso is better on sony since I don't shoot that high do you even own a full frame camera ?
It’s good that you had to tell that you had to remove the green tint and wb is always off on Sony, Nikon always beat on the picture and video department.
Call me crazy but when the model is walking towards the cameras. The Sony looks soft and almost as if it didn't nail focus as much as percieved. The nikon looked more in focus. IMHO. Great review.
I wish that Sony A7C was out back when I bought the A6500 a few years ago. At this point I think APS-C might be dead if you can fit a full frame sensor in that small of a body.
@@sandro6691 Yeah. I'm just trying to hold out for the Sony A7IV. Been waiting for what feels like forever... Hopefully in the next few months it'll finally be released.
@@travissmarion Same here. I've heard it's being announced within a couple of months and probably released around mid-late year. I think it's going to only have a tilt screen through, which is the only thing I'll be missing. If you're a video guy, check out the Sony FX3. It's like a mini A7SIII with all the features, just in a different body with active cooling for unlimited 4k 120p. So cool!
@@sandro6691 Thanks for the heads up. Really just a hybrid shooter... Family portraits. Occasional video of the kids. I chose the A6500 because it offered 4K 24/30 and could still take decent stills and was within my price range back in early 2017. The A7III hadn't been released or even announced yet. Now I'm looking for around the same thing with a full frame sensor (don't need the flip out screen since I don't vlog), and around 4K 60. Really do not need or want 8K. Just need a baby Alpha 1 with more like 26-30 megapixel, at 15 frames per second for around $2299. That would be perfect. My only complaint with Sony is the poor rear LCD screens and they need a more user friendly menu system. Their menu system seriously needs a complete tear down and overhaul. I've heard and seen videos that the new system on the A7SIII is better, but it still doesn't look good enough IMO.
I'd like to suggest you try DxO PhotoLab's 'Prime" noise reduction. Working with RAW images it's able to eliminate the confetti without destroying details. There's never even a hint of plasticky denoising.
