At first glance the new Nikon Z5 II full-frame mirrorless camera bears more than a passing resemblance to its venerable predecessor, the Nikon Z5.

Five years is a long time in the world of digital cameras, so what exactly has changed between the Nikon Z5 II that was released in 2025 and the original Z5 from way back in 2020?

We're bringing you this in-depth Nikon Z5 II vs Z5 head-to-head comparison to explain the differences and help you choose between these two mirrorless cameras.

You can also read our detailed Nikon Z5 II review and Nikon Z5 review to find out exactly what we think of each one.

Sensor

There's seemingly precious little to choose between the two cameras here, as both models have a very sensible 24 megapixel resolution sensor.

This has become the sweet-spot for entry-level and mid-range mirrorless cameras, with much higher megapixel counts reserved for premium flagship models.

However, a closer look at the specifications sheets reveals that the Z5 II has a BSI - Backside Illuminated - sensor, whereas the Z5 does not.

This is a special manufacturing process that should result in better image quality in low-light situations.

So with the megapixel count being equal, the Nikon Z5 II potentially has the edge when it comes to higher ISO shooting, something that is borne out in our full reviews of both cameras.

If you don't do a lot of handheld shooting in low-light, then there's very little to choose between the two cameras in terms of their image sensor.

ISO Speed

On paper there's again little to choose between the two models here, with the Z5 offering a native ISO range of 100-51200 and the Z5 II running from 100-64000.

Crucially, though, the Z5 II can be pushed two stops further to ISO 204800, whereas the Z5 can only be expanded to ISO (102400). Both can drop down to ISO 50 if required.

The Z5 II also has a slight edge on the video side by providing an ISO range of 100–51200 versus the Z5's 100–25600.

Video

Both the Z5 II and Z5 offer 4K UHD video recording, but the Z5 has a number of serious limitations which makes the newer Z5 II a much better choice for more serious videographers.

The Z5 II's video quality tops out at 4K 60/50p cropped to the 1.5x DX format, whereas the original Z5 doesn't offer that recording mode at all.

Instead the Nikon Z5 applies a massive 1.7x crop to its best 4K/30p video, whereas the Z5 II captures oversampled 6K footage and therefore produces more detailed results with no crop at all.

The aggressive crop on the Z5 also means that you'll need to use wider-angle focal lengths to achieve the same field of view as the Z5 II, and faster lenses to achieve the same depth of field, something that will prove particularly problematic for avid vloggers who will be forced to position the camera further away than at arms length.

Thankfully in 1080p / Full HD mode both cameras shoot with no crop at all, but again the Z5 II has the edge thanks to its 120fps super-slow-mo mode, with the Z5 topping out at 60fps.

Finally, the Z5 II additionally offers N-Raw internal recording to UHS-II SD card, 10-bit N-Log recording for advanced profiling during post-production plus HLG and SDR modes, RED Luts, improved electronic VR, the Product Review mode from the Z50 II, 2x High-Res zoom with any lens, even a prime, in 1080p quality, a video self-timer and USB streaming.

Surprisingly recording times are slightly longer on the original Z5 - up to 120 minutes versus 85 minutes on the newer version.

The Z5 is still a decent enough camera for movies, with a connection for an external microphone built-in and support for focus peaking, zebras and timecode, plus the ability to create time-lapses, but overall the Z5 II is the clear winner in terms of video.

Autofocus

This is one of the major areas of difference between the two models as the Z5 II uses the most recent Expeed7 processor.

The Z5 has a 273-point Hybrid autofocus system with eye and animal detection, offering snappy performance whilst being able to focus on a wide variety of subjects with the minimum of fuss.

It can focus down to -3.5EV as standard and all the way to -6EV in the low-light AF mode.

The new Z5 II has the same focusing system as the more premium Z9, Z8 and Z7 III models with the same 9 AI-driven subject-detection modes.

It can focus all the way down to -10EV AF and Nikon claims that it's 68% faster than the original Z5.

Other improvements include a new small subject detect mode which uses only 3% of the frame, useful if you don’t have a long enough lens for birds, the inclusion of 3D tracking which wasn't on the original Z5, and the new Intelligent AF-A mode for beginners.

The Starlight view mode allows for for easier composition in the dark for EVF and LCD by boosting exposure in-camera - the Z5 doesn't have this feature.

Burst Shooting

Continuous shooting is another area where the Nikon Z5 II has a clear advantage over its older sibling.

While the Z5 can only shoot at a rather pedestrian 4.5fps, the Z5 II cranks things up to a whole other level, offering 30fps burst shooting for JPEG and 14fps/11fps for RAW.

It also has a clever Pre-release capture mode which automatically captures 1 seconds worth of images / 30 frames before you fully press the shutter button.

This makes the Z6 much better suited to action, bird and wildlife photography where getting the perfect shot often relies on having a sequence of very similar photos to choose from.

Shutter Speeds

Both models offer a fastest shutter speed of 1/8,000sec for both stills and video.

Picture Controls

The new Z5 has the same dedicated Picture Control button from the Z50 II model which provides quick access to the 31 different Picture Controls. On the Z5 you had to dive into the menu system to select one of the 28 different modes.

You can also download recipes from Nikon Cloud onto the Z5 II and even create your own recipes in NX Studio.

Body and Design

The new Z5 II is ever so slightly heavier than the Z5 - 700g versus 675g - and ever so slightly larger too - 134 x 100.5 x 72 mm versus 134 x 100.5 x 69.5 mm.

Outwardly they look and feel very similar, but there are a few subtle differences of note.

The newer model offers improved Z6 III levels of weather-proofing. It also has a deeper handgrip than the Z5 and features the same button layout as the new generation of Z8/Z9 cameras.

Viewfinder

The Z5 and Z5 II share a very similar 0.5-inch, 3.69 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, which offers 100% horizontal and vertical coverage, 0.8x magnification and 21mm eyepoint).

Looking through the viewfinder of both cameras is not quite identical, however, as the Z5 II has a 3,000 nit viewfinder (on par with the Z8/Z9) whereas the Z5's screen has a brightness of 1000 cd/m².

LCD Screen

The Z5 has a 3.2-inch, 1.04-million dot resolution touchscreen LCD on the rear that can be tilted to 45 degrees,

The Z5 II's 3.2 inch screen offers higher 2.1-million dot resolution and now has a vari-angle design that's much better suited to both video and stills.

IBIS

The Z5 has a 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) system that offers 5 stops of stabilisation

The Z5 II has an enhanced Focus point VR in-body image stabilization system that offers 7.5 stops in the centre and 6 stops at the edges of the frame, just like the Zf and Z6 III models.

Memory Cards

Both cameras have two memory card slots, utilising dual UHS-II SD slots housed in a dedicated compartment on the side of the body.

Battery Life

Both models use the same EN-EL 15C battery, which allows the camera to be powered by USB whilst you're using it, especially handy for timelapse photography or video and for travel photography when carrying a powerful powerbank.

On the Z5 it provides a CIPA-approved lifespan of 390 stills or 115 mins of video when using the EVF, or 470 stills or 120 mins of video when using the LCD screen, compared to 330 shots or 85 mins of video on the Z5 II when using the EVF and 380 shots when using the LCD screen.

Price

At launch in 2020 the Nikon Z5 was priced at $1399 body only or £1719 / $1699 with the Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 retractable zoom kit lens.

The Z5 II is priced at £1599 body only, £1859 for the 24-50mm kit, £2129 for the 24-70mm f/4 kit and £2299 for the 24-200mm kit.

Conclusion

The new Z5 II improves on the original model in lots of different areas, which is probably what you'd expect given that the Z5 was launched in 2020. The original model will not be discontinued straight away, but unless you can pick it up at a hefty discount we'd advise opting for the much more capable 2025 version.

So what do you think? Would you choose the new Nikon Z5 II or the previous Z5? Leave a comment below!

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