Nikon Z fc

Beautiful vintage aesthetics ; Visible, discrete control dials ; 11fps burst rate and 4K30 video ; Articulating LCD ; Large, sharp EVF ; Dust and splash protection

Clumsy tracking focus interface ; Omits headphone jack ; 8-bit video format ; No in-body flash

The Nikon Z fc is one of the most stylish swappable lens cameras you can find for the price, but its autofocus performance lags behind competitors and some ergonomic choices don’t make much sense.

With the Nikon Z fc, the company has designed a capable camera (but not class-leading) for photography and vlogging and also a great tool for this seeking a hands-on experience not found on other Z-mount bodies. It's essentially a Z50 – a camera that...

It’s therefore very difficult to recommend this camera, unless you’re absolutely dying for a camera that looks like an old Nikon. But even in those cases, my advice would be to simply go and buy an old Nikon — after all, they’re much better built.

Gorgeous styling ; Solid specs ; Well priced

Compromised ergonomics ; 'Only' 20.9 megapixels ; Lack of DX Z-mount lenses

The Nikon Z fc is an unapologetically retro camera with all the mod cons you’d expect from a current mirrorless model. Its aluminium dials are a joy to operate and the body looks so pretty you’ll likely display the camera when it’s not in use. But the...

Gorgeous FE-inspired retro styling ; Lightweight build ; Fast, accurate AF ; Vlogger friendly features

No in-body stabilisation ; No headphone input

Beautiful design ; Useful vari-angle touch screen ; A well-struck balance of old and new ; Great value

Needs more native lenses ; Grip less suited to large lenses ; No UHS-II support

The Nikon Z fc is a triumph of design that offers a different shooting experience to the Nikon Z50 at a great price. The vari-angle screen is also an inspired choice that embodies Nikon's old-meets-new 'fusion' concept. More advanced photographers...

Stylish design ; Growing lens lineup ; Manual controls ; Touchscreen

‘Only’ an APS-C sensor ; Lacks the waterproofing

The Nikon Z fc is a desirably retro-fashioned yet affordable entry point into Nikon’s growing Z series mirrorless camera lineup, providing access to a growing number of lenses and accessories. There are plenty of manual controls for photographers who...

Fairly priced entry into Z mount ; Decent image quality potential - if you invest in the right lens ; Retro dial-based controls

Plasticky build quality ; Slow kit lens doesn't represent camera's true capability ; Autofocus not a patch on Canon's EOS R ; Not full-frame - just to avoid any doubts

We thought this retro camera was going to wow us. Instead it's rather proven that sometimes ideas from the past are best left there. Clearly there's future potential here, but the lens range needs to further develop before there will be the maturity...