Nikon Z fc
21 MP DX @ 11 FPS, ISO 51,200/204,800, 4K
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 II Zf Z7 Z6 Z5 Z fc Z50 Z30
Z System Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses Flash
Nikon Z fc (15.7 oz./445g with battery and SD card, $857) and Nikon Z 16-50mm DX VR in black (lens also comes in silver, while the Z fc only comes in silver as shown). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used camera — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new camera. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
April 2023 Better Pictures Nikon Mirrorless Mirrorless Lenses All Nikon Lenses Nikon Flash All Reviews
Full-frame DSLR version: Nikon Df.
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
Sample Images top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
(more at High ISOs)
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed.
Palms Bathed in First Light with Old Moon, 6:37 AM, Friday, 27 August 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 37mm at f/8 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.9), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Three Bicycle Wheels, 10:11 AM, Friday, 27 August 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 27.5mm wide-open at f/4.5 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10¼), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Red Umbrella, Green and Blue, AM, Friday, 27 August 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 44mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14⅔), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
One West Bank, 10:23 AM, Friday, 27 August 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 18.5mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.0), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Orange Crush, 1:04 PM, Friday, 27 August 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 16mm at f/11 at 1/50 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Low Light Masterpiece!
My Nikon Z fc and stabilized Z 16-50mm VR DX combo are great for walking around and shooting hand-held at night:
Balancing Car, 7:34 PM, Saturday, 04 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 30mm wide-open at f/4.8 hand-held at 1/13 second at Auto ISO 8,000 (LV 1.9), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Walkway at Dusk, 7:39 PM, Saturday, 04 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 16mm wide-open at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/6 second at Auto ISO 2,500 (LV 1.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
The Rowan at Dusk, 7:41 PM, Saturday, 04 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 16mm wide-open at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/6 second at Auto ISO 1,800 (LV 2.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Forever Marilyn, 7:42 PM, Saturday, 04 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 20mm wide-open at f/3.8 hand-held at 1/8 second at Auto ISO 1,250 (LV 3.2), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Clearing Storm Clouds, 4:56 PM, Thursday, 09 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 29mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 10, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Purple Swirl ("Sea Subject 1, 2010" by Vladimira Klumpar, American, born Czech Republic, 1954), 5:23 PM, Thursday, 09 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 26.5mm wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/25 at ISO 100 (LV 9.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.
Santorini, 7:28 PM, Thursday, 09 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 31.5mm wide-open at f/5 hand held at 1/13 second at Auto ISO 400 (LV 6.3), Perfectly Clear. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.
Tonga Hut, 7:31 PM, Thursday, 09 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 47mm wide-open at f/6 hand held at 1/20 at Auto ISO 2,200 (LV 5.0), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Blue Hummingbird Sculpture, 12:42 PM, Sunday, 12 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 50mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.0), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Orange and Black "Halloween" Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, 3:13 PM, Sunday, 12 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 26mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14⅔), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Two Windows and a Wall, 3:15 PM, Sunday, 12 September 2021. Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX at 22.5mm at f/10 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15,3), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Introduction top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
I LOVE my Nikon Z fc! It's a sharp, lightweight well-made camera that makes it easy and fun to take great pictures. Especially when used with its dedicated Nikon Z 16-50mm VR DX lens, it's a super-compact camera that creates huge, brilliant images, especially hand-held at night.
The Nikon Z fc is a Nikon Z50 that's styled to look like a Nikon FE from 1978. It also looks like the FM3a and others of that series of 35mm cameras.
For olde-tymers who remember the joy exploring the world with a trusty professional manual-focus Nikon 35mm camera around their neck, this little gem brings back fond memories. It's fun to shoot and creates fantastic images just carrying it around running errands.
In case you're getting any ideas of using this with your Nikon manual-focus lenses, forget about it. While it may look swank at first glance below, the Z fc works poorly and looks foolish when manual-focus lenses are mounted to it with the FTZ because there is no data communication and sloppy aperture control and metering at best. If you want to shoot your manual-focus lenses, stick with FX DSLRs (especially the full-frame Nikon Df if you're into retro) which are far more suited to them.
2021 Nikon Z fc with AI-converted 1967 50mm NIKKOR-S Auto f/1.4 on FTZ. bigger.
It's cute, but it's missing the built-in flash of the Z50 which is so critical to getting great pictures in real-world conditions (these shots are from the Z50).
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
New intro top
First 1970's-styled mirrorless from Nikon.
Oddly no more "★ Quality Priority" or "Size Priority" JPG options, just BASIC, NORMAL and FINE.
Good intro top
Small and light.
Easy to set-up and handle.
Fun to shoot, works great and evokes pleasant memories of the good old days for people who remember when Nikon used to be #1.
Lots of buttons and dials - but remember that you can't save and recall settings from mechanical dials.
People and animal face- and eye-detection autofocus for both stills and movies.
Manual exposures as long as 15 minutes (900 seconds).
Square and 16:9 as-shot crops (no 4:3 crops).
Seems like all the features and tricks of Nikon's top Z7 II are in the Z fc's menus, except maybe for fewer options for programming Fn and other buttons.
Electronic level.
Multiple exposures.
Can save and recall settings to and from a card.
Card titled properly when formatted as NIKON Z FC.
Thank goodness the annoying electronic beeps are off by default.
Clean, clear, sharp and color-accurate rear LCD.
Clear menu system for easy setup.
Bad intro top
No built-in flash like the Z50.
No U1 & U2 modes like the Z50.
No AF/MF switch.
Mechanical shutter is about as mechanically noisy as a DSLR, which could be deliberate.
Longest video take is only 30 minutes.
The shutter stays open with the power off or without a lens. It doesn't close to keep away dust or and keep the sensor safe from crud and fingers.
No way to turn AUTO ISO ON or OFF other than in menus. There's a dedicated ISO dial, but no external AUTO switch. For over a decade we've been able to turn one dial for ISO and the other for AUTO ISO ON/OFF.
No color histograms while shooting (only on playback).
No battery percentage indication; just a three-segment icon.
Production dumped to Thailand, not made domestically in Japan like real Nikon 35mm cameras.
Missing intro top
No built-in flash.
No U1, U2 or U3 preset recall modes.
No ultrasonic sensor cleaner.
No way to turn AUTO ISO ON or OFF other than in menus. There's a dedicated ISO dial, but no external AUTO switch. For over a decade we've been able to turn one dial for ISO and the other for AUTO ISO ON/OFF.
Mostly invisible lens mounting indices on the camera as well as lenses - as if Nikon is trying to hide them!
No deeper detent at "0" or a lock on the exposure compensation dial.
No color histograms while shooting (only on playback).
Oddly no more "★ Quality Priority" or "Size Priority" JPG options, just BASIC, NORMAL and FINE.
No "pulled" low-ISO modes; no ISOs below 100.
Rear multi-controller doesn't rotate as an additional control, instead you have to move your thumb up and over to the separate rear dial.
No battery percentage indication; just a three-segment icon.
In-finder data displays do not rotate with the camera.
Menus don't rotate when the camera is held vertically.
No automatic brightness control for rear LCD (has it for the finder).
No 4:3 or 4:5 "Ideal Format" crops.
No illuminated buttons.
No second card slot.
Not threaded to use a standard threaded cable release.
No GPS.
No AF/MF switch.
No advance mode lever as on the Nikon Df.
Nikon Z fc and Z 16-50mm VR DX in silver. bigger.
Nikon Z fc and Z 28mm f/2.8 SE FX. bigger.
Specifications top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Lens Compatibility specifications top
Nikon Z fc Lens Mount. bigger.
It works with Nikon's Z-series lenses.
This is a DX (cropped-sensor) mirrorless camera. As such you throw away more than half the image area of any FX lens; whose abilities are mostly wasted when used on this crop-sensor camera. Stick to DX lenses for the best results.
Use the FTZ adapter and it should work with most DSLR AF-S lenses, but won't autofocus with AF or AF-D screw-focus lenses, and works very poorly with manual-focus AI and AI-s lenses. More at FTZ adapter compatibility.
If you want the full Nikon retro experience, either man-up to a real 35mm camera, or use an FX DSLR, especially the full-frame Nikon Df, and use manual-focus AI and AI-s lenses on them, which work flawlessly.
It's silly to use manual-focus lenses on the Z fc since you lose EXIF data and program and shutter-priority exposure modes and more, but you can do it with any generic $15 adapter or the FTZ:
2021 Nikon Z fc with AI-converted 1967 50mm NIKKOR-S Auto f/1.4 on FTZ. bigger.
Did you catch the big "NIKKOR-S" on the front of this ancient lens? Nikon's been playing the sex card by slipping meaningless "S" designations into their products since the 1940s with the "S" mount for their rangefinder cameras, and continue it to this day with the random "S" designation for the more expensive Z-mount Lenses. (Actually the S in NIKKOR-S is the only time S actually meant anything, it means Sept, or seven, lens elements.)
The "S" designation has no other purpose than subliminal seduction; Nikon and electronics and automobile and every kind of marketer have been using letters like "S" and "X" in model numbers since the 1940s for this same reason. Nikon used "S" again when they updated their AI lenses to AI‑S in 1983, created AF‑S SWM lenses in 1998 as well. It's pretty obvious with some lenses like the Z 28mm f/2.8 SE FX.
Image Sensor specifications top
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
20.7 MP
5,568 × 3,712 pixels native = 20,668,416 pixels.
15.7 × 23.5 mm CMOS.
4.22 µm pixel pitch.
3:2 aspect ratio.
1.531 × crop factor.
NO ultrasonic cleaner.
ISO specifications top
ISO 100 ～ 51,200.
Pushes to ISO 204,800.
Auto ISO.
Movies: ISO 100 ~ 25,600 or AUTO.
Image Sizes specifications top
Large: 5,568 × 3,712 pixels (20,668,416 pixels) native.
Medium: 4,176 × 2,784 pixels.
Small: 2,7984 × 1,856 pixels.
Cropped Aspect Ratios
Square (1:1).
16:9.
Still Formats specifications top
JPG and/or raw.
12- or 14- bit raw.
sRGB and Adobe RGB.
Video specifications top
Longest take: 30 minutes.
MOV or MP4.
Time Code.
Electronic stabilization.
HDMI output.
3,840 × 2,160 (4K)
23.976, 25 or 29.97 FPS.
1,920 × 1,080 (HD)
23.976, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94, 100 or 119.88 FPS.
1,920 × 1,080 Slow-Motion
4× at 25 or 29.97 FPS playback.
5× at 23.976 FPS playback.
Audio specifications top
Recorded only along with video.
LPCM in MOV; AAC in MP4.
S - t - e - r - e - O microphone built in.
Mic-in jack with plug-in power overrides built-in mic.
Headphone jack.
Stabilization specifications top
None, but works with in-lens optical VR.
Autofocus specifications top
209 zones hybrid phase and contrast detection.
LV -4.5 ~ +19 with f/1.8 lens.
87% horizontal and 85% vertical coverage.
People and animal face and eye detection.
Light Meter specifications top
LV -4 ~ +17.
Finder specifications top
0.39" (1cm) 2,360,000 dot OLED.
0.57× magnification with standard 28mm lens.
(1.02× magnification with 50mm telephoto lens.)
Eyepoint curiously not specified.
-3 ～ +3 diopters.
Shutter specifications top
Mechanical and electronic shutters
1/4,000 ～ 30 seconds.
Goes to 900 seconds (15 minutes) in Manual exposure mode!
The top dial only sets between 1/4,000 ～ 4 seconds.
1/200 flash sync speed.
Remote Releases specifications top
Try the Snapbridge app, sry.
Frame Rates specifications top
1 ~ 4 FPS with tracking exposure and autofocus in Continuous Low.
5 FPS with tracking exposure and autofocus in Continuous High.
11 FPS with locked exposure and locked focus in Continuous High Extended.
Flash specifications top
1/200 sync speed.
NO built-in flash.
External Flash
Dedicated hot shoe.
No Prontor-Compur (PC) terminal; use a hot-shoe adapter for corded sync.
LCD Monitor specifications top
Nikon Z fc flipping LCD. bigger.
Nikon Z fc flipping LCD. bigger.
3" (75 mm) diagonal flippy touch LCD.
Connectors specifications top
Nikon Z fc and Nikon Z 16-50mm DX VR in black (lens also comes in silver). bigger.
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
From the top:
Micro-D HDMI.
USB-C.
3.5mm plug-in power mic input.
Wi-Fi specifications top
IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac.
2.412 ~ 2.472 GHz (channel 13) and 5.180 ~ 5.700 GHz.
Maximum Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRPmax): 2.4 GHz band: +7.0 dBm; 5 GHz band: +12.1 dBm.
Open system, WPA2-PSK.
Nikon Z fc and Z 16-50mm VR DX in silver. bigger.
NFC specifications top
Not found.
Bluetooth specifications top
Yes, for use with Nikon's Snapbridge app.
GPS specifications top
None.
Storage specifications top
One SD slot.
Body specifications top
Magnesium frame.
Metal and plastic on the outside.
Power & Battery specifications top
Nikon Z fc Battery & Card Door. bigger.
Rated 300 shots OR 75 minutes of video per charge.
Takes the same EN-EL25 Battery as the Z50.
Can be powered from USB-C to run continuously.
Battery
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EN-EL25 Lithium-ion rechargeable.
1.820 oz. (51.6 g) actual measured weight.
Charging
It charges through USB-C.
Nikon also includes a very nice MH-32 plug-in external charger, but you won't need it unless you want to charge a second EN-EL25 battery at the same time you're charging your first one in your camera via USB:
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Nikon rates this charger for a full charge in 2.5 hours.
Size specifications top
3.7 × 5.3 × 1.8 inches HWD.
93.5 × 134.5 × 43.5 millimeters HWD.
Weight specifications top
15.7 oz. (445 g) with battery and SD card.
13.8 oz (390 g) stripped naked.
Environment specifications top
Operating
0º ～ 40º C (32º ～ 104º F).
0 to 85% RH.
Nikon's Model Numbers specifications top
Z fc body: 1671.
Z fc & DX Z 16-50mm VR: 1675.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: 1673.
Included specifications top
EN-EL25 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery with terminal cover.
MH-32 Battery Charger.
AN-DC23 "Z fc" Strap.
Announced specifications top
12:03 AM, Tuesday, 29 June 2021, NYC time.
Promised for specifications top
Late July, 2021.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
April 2023 ($100 less than August 2021)
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
July ~ August 2021
Z fc body: $957 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,197 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
June 2021
Z fc body: $957 at Adorama or at B&H.
Z fc & DX Z 16-50mm VR: $1,097 at Adorama or at B&H.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,197 at Adorama or at B&H.
Nikon Z fc Box. bigger.
Getting a Legitimate U. S. A. Version top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
Your box should have "US" on the UPC sticker by the model number:
Nikon Z fc Box. bigger.
Most importantly you need a USA Warranty Card like this in your box, and the serial number must match the one on the back of your camera, otherwise you have no warranty:
Nikon Z fc USA Warranty Card. bigger.
If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "VALID IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES" or the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your camera exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. All legitimate cameras come with printed warranty cards, even if you prefer to register online. (The serial number on the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took cameras out of boxes and then resold these used cameras as new.)
Did you notice the clever nod to ancient computer technology? This is printed on tractor-fed paper with tear-off sides and dot-matrix printing of model and serial numbers! If your card lacks these side perforations, beware. Everyone counterfeits laser holograms, but few people have dot-matix printers floating around to fake these.
Always be sure to check your box, warranty card and serial numbers while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon U. S. A. enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your camera back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the U. S. A., carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $400 it may be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Auto ISO
Auto White Balance Color Rendition Ergonomics
Exposure Finder Flash High ISOs Lens Corrections
Long Exposures Mechanics Top LCD Rear LCD
Playback Data Power & Battery Clock Accuracy
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Overall performance top
The Z fc is easy to love. It shoots great pictures and is super easy to carry, handle, set-up and shoot.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is swell for still subjects. it's smart and flexible.
I haven't tried shooting sports with it; I've never been happy with the autofocus of Nikon's mirrorless cameras for action.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focus works better than on other mirrorless brands because Nikon is the only mirrorless brand where instant manual-focus override works in all modes.
Manual focus aids include:
1.) Just turn the ring until it's sharp in the finder or rear LCD.
2.) Focus zones (one selected zone at a time, which can be anywhere in the picture) turn from red to green when in focus.
3.) You can magnify the live image in the finder or rear LCD.
4.) There's a three-way null indicator (▶●◀, even when magnified) to tell you in what direction to turn the focus ring for perfect focus.
5.) Focus peaking is at MENU > CUSTOM (pencil) > d Shooting/display > d9 focus peaking > Peaking level.
6.) There's a rough near/far bar indication of focussed distance in the finder or LCD to let you know if you're at the right or wrong end of the focus range. Sorry, no numeric focus distance display in the finder.
Auto ISO performance top
Auto ISO is the usual, fully programmable even to being able to shift the automatically-selected minimum shutter speed by ±2 stops from 1/focal length.
Auto White Balance performance top
Auto White Balance is excellent, as usual today.
Color & Tonal Rendition performance top
Color rendition is how pictures look in the real world. Real-world color rendition has nothing to do with color accuracy measured in a lab. Color rendition is dependant on how a maker programs all the color matrices, curves, and look-up tables to generate color from the data read from the sensor, and varies widely between makers once you set a camera away from its defaults. I never shoot at defaults.
I love the look I get from my Z fc. I love how it renders natural light, as-shot right out of the camera as JPGs.
If you shoot raw then your colors and tones aren't created until you process the raw data later in software, and your choice of software will have as much effect on your images as the camera itself.
I'm a working artist, not some online tweaker, YouTuber or tech blogger. Color is critical to my work. I'm pickier about color than almost anyone; I see things most people don't.
This is just me; your preferences and results will vary.
Ergonomics performance top
The Z fc is a great-handling little camera. Even the touch screen works very well - better than anything from Sony - for entering text.
Some minor items are that the battery and card-door latch release is too hard to grab.
The tiny little inset f/number LCD on the top panel is mostly useless. It's hard to read in daylight and unlit and invisible in dim light.
It's weird having to hit DISP while shooting for different display options because the up/down keys on the rear controller are ignored while shooting, while they work great on playback. I'd rather use those up/down keys all the time.
You can get an electronic level or a not particularly relevant black-and-white histogram in the finder (or rear LCD) while shooting, but you can't get them both at the same time. There is no color histogram available while shooting; you have to wait for playback.
The Play button is on the wrong (left) side; you need a second hand to hit it.
Exposure performance top
Exposures are great overall, but sadly with mirrorless Nikon's once great Matrix Metering is no longer smart enough to be able to expose bright things in direct sunlight properly. Too often the meter is fooled and they turn out underexposed:
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Bright subject, no compensation. bigger or original © file. |
With +1 Stop Exposure Compensation. bigger or original © file. |
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Bright subject, no compensation. bigger or original © file. |
Sometimes I need some positive or negative exposure compensation, and it's trivial with the dedicated compensation dial and live view.
Finder performance top
The finder is great; always sharp and clear. It's a joy to use and always seems to be the correct auto-brightness.
Flash performance top
There's no built-in flash, which is a bummer as the Z50 has one.
Lighting is by far the most important technical aspect of every photo, and having a built-in flash is often a huge help.
Lacking that, I'll use my sturdy, small and powerful SB-400 on top of my Z fc.
The Z50 is the same camera as the Z fc, but with with different styling and controls, and does have a built-in pop-up flash.
High ISO Performance performance top
Complete Images details dark detail performance top
As seen at normal image sizes below, the Z fc pretty much makes the same images from ISO 100 to ISO 1,600. Oddly the contrast increases slightly at ISO 3,200 and ISO 6,400, but it's not critical. As you'll see below it gets slightly softer at ISO 12,800 and above, at ISO 51,200 the flat areas start to have some color mottling, ISO 102,400 (H+1) looks pretty bad, and ISO 204,800 (H+2) looks awful — but as seen at reasonable sizes like this, any ISO up to about 12,800 to 51,200 look fine if you need it, and it's better to have a sharp image at a higher ISO than a blurry one at a lower ISO.
This is more than useful performance, but nowhere near as good as a full-frame camera like the Z5 if you're splitting pixels at crazy-high ISOs — but adding more light so you can shoot at lower ISOs always results in better photos than buying a better camera to deal with poor light.
There's no mystery to comparing cameras; I shoot this same test at all the ISOs of every other camera I review so you can see for yourself.
Click any for the camera-original © LARGE FINE JPG files:
Click any for the camera-original 20 MP © JPG files (about 11 MB each).
600 × 450 Pixel Crops (9.1× magnification) High ISOs details dark detail performance top
What we see at the high magnifications below is that fine details go away as the ISO increases. This happens with all cameras and our own eyes and is an artifact of the noise reduction working harder as the ISO increases.
In the Z fc, the most detail is at ISO 100, and becomes softer at every higher ISO. This is normal and how noise reduction works in every camera.
By ISO 800 most of the detailed scrollwork between the clock numbers is gone.
By ISO 6,400 the minute marks are mostly gone.
By ISO 12,800 all the detail is gone from the clock face, leaving only the numbers.
At ISO 25,600 even the numbers and hands are starting to disappear.
It's normal for details to go away at higher ISOs in all digital cameras.
These are 600 × 450 pixel crops.
If these are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 75 cm) at this same magnification.
If these are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.5 meters) at this same magnification.
If these are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 75 × 112" (2 × 3 meters) at this same extreme magnification.
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files:
Click any for the camera-original 20 MP © JPG files (about 11 MB each).
Dark-Area 600 × 450 Pixel Crops (10× magnification) High ISOs details dark detail performance top
Here are different crops from the same images as above, now showing the dark grillwork of the fireplace.
Higher ISOs greatly reduce the details in the shadows, as we expect.
Note how the most detail in the fine screen is at ISO 100.
The screen starts to disappear by ISO 400.
The bricks behind the grill start to go away by ISO 1,600.
By ISO 25,600 the big iron bars are starting to go, and they're gone boy ISO 102,400 (H+1)!
Again, it's normal in all digital cameras for details to go away at higher ISOs.
These are 600 × 450 pixel crops.
If these are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 75 cm) at this same magnification.
If these are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.5 meters) at this same magnification.
If these are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 75 × 112" (2 × 3 meters) at this same extreme magnification.
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files:
Lens Corrections performance top
The Z fc corrects for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff ("Vignette control"), any of which you may turn ON or OFF at MENU > PHOTO SHOOTING MENU (camera icon) > click about a third of the way down out of all the options at PHOTO SHOOTING MENU.
Some lenses, like the 16-50mm, are designed with so much distortion that they won't allow you to turn off the distortion correction, which is an integral part of their design equations.
Nikons always correct for lateral color fringes (chromatic aberration), this is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
Long Exposures performance top
The Z fc is great for making long exposures.
Mechanical Quality performance top
The Z fc feels nice. It has a lot of real and imitation metal on it.
Seems like metal
Strap lugs, strap split rings, ISO dial outer grip ring, hot shoe, shutter speed knob outer grip ring, exposure compensation dial outer grip ring, lens mount, tripod socket.
Probably heavily metalized plastic
Top cover and center finder hump.
Plastic
Exposure mode lever, ISO dial scale, ISO dial lock button, front and rear main control dials, shutter speed dial scale, still/movie lever (under shutter speed dial), F/display clear LCD cover, ON/OFF switch, shutter button and all other buttons everywhere, top red movie button, black light trap around sensor, rear 4-way controller, rear cover and camera back, rear LCD frame and cover, bottom cover, card and battery door.
Rubberized
HDMI / USB / 3.5mm socket cover flap.
Serial Number & Certifications
Sticker glued to back of camera behind rear LCD.
Certifications are also at MENU > SETUP MENU 🔧 (wrench icon) > Conformity marking.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Very mild clicking.
Made in
Made in Thailand.
Top LCD performance top
Nikon Z fc f/number display LCD. bigger.
The tiny, dark f/number display is largely useless. It's tiny and buried deep inside the camera making it difficult to see in daytime and invisible anytime else. I'd forget about it. Nice try, though; reminds me of my CONTAX G2's tiny exposure counter LCD, also right by its shutter button.
Rear LCD Monitor performance top
Nikon Z fc. bigger.
The rear LCD is smaller than I'd prefer. It doesn't fill up all the black area on the rear, it just fills inside the black border on the rear LCD cover.
I prefer a larger, fixed LCD to the smaller flipping LCDs and the space lost to the flippy frame.
Playback performance top
It's the usual from Nikon; no news here.
Data performance top
Card Formatting
Cards magnificently are titled as "NIKON Z FC" so I know from whence came the card when it shows up in my Mac's Finder.
Contrast this to the numbskulls at Sony and Fuji that title their cards (I kid you not) as "NO NAME" or "UNTITLED" (Sony) or "Untitled" (Fuji). Geesh!
JPGs
JPG files are tagged as 300 DPI.
FINE JPGs run about 13 MB.
BASIC JPGs run about 1.8 ~ 3.6 MB, typically about 2.8 MB.
There are options for FINE, NORMAL and BASIC.
No longer are there options for Quality Priority (★ ) or Size Priority; you get what you get when you select FINE, NORMAL or BASIC.
Junk Files
Each image folder has a junk file named "NC_FLLST.DAT" in it. Bah!
Power & Battery performance top
The battery is fine; I can't seem to run it down.
Charging via USB-C Power Delivery (PD) it seems to draw a maximum of 9.5W while charging, and 0.000 W when done.
It draws about 3.5 ~ 4.5W while operating, depending on what you're doing.
It has very good sleep/wake characteristics, so I leave it on all day with it around my neck while shooting. It sleeps when it needs to, and is awake when I get it to my eye if I tap the shutter as I'm bringing it to my eye.
Bravo!
Clock Accuracy performance top
Every sample is different, but mine is poor.
Mine gains about 667 milliseconds per day, or about 20 seconds per month.
This matters when you shoot multiple cameras (or this camera and an iPhone) and then sort all the images based on capture time to compare the similar views of each scene.
Compared top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Versus the Z50
Nikon Z50 (15.7 oz./446g with battery and one SD card. check price) and Z 16-50mm DX VR.
The Z fc has pretty much the same innards and performance as the Nikon Z50.
The real difference will be your preference for external controls, cosmetics (silver-only Z fc or black-only Z50), and if you want a built-in flash, which is only on the Z50.
I prefer the mode dial of the Z50 because it adds U1 and U2 modes absent in the Z fc, and I prefer the ISO button of the Z50 because it lets me set and unset AUTO ISO without reverting to menus.
I prefer the look of the Z fc and its real DISP, (+) and (-) buttons are much better then the fake touch-screen approximations on the Z50.
Ultimately it's about do you want cool more or less than a built-in flash.
Versus the Full Frame Nikon Df
Nikon Df (26.7 oz./757g with battery and one SD card ) and 1970 Nikon GN Auto NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8.
The Nikon Df is a full frame DSLR, not mirrorless. It looks about the same.It sold new starting in 2012, and today in 2021 the Df sells used for about $1,400 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
It has 16MP and also pushes to ISO 204,800.
Its main attraction is that it works even with Nikon's most ancient non-AI F-mount lenses, and works very well with AI'd and newer manual-focus lenses, something no Z camera does as well. The Df has the same aperture ring feelers as other full-frame DSLRs to couple lens aperture settings to the camera, sadly lacking in the FTZ adapter.
Versus Nikon Z Full Frame
While the Z fc can't compete at foolishly high ISOs the lab with full-frame cameras (even against the very similar Z5), no one lives in a lab.
In actual use, full-frame and DX cameras feel the same and take the same pictures. If you're having to shoot at ISO 12,800, you're doing something very wrong. Put some light on your subject if you want a good image with any camera.
A huge advantage to the Z fc is that there is a tiny Z 16-50mm VR DX lens for it, which collapses, and makes the whole camera system tiny. There is no similar lens for FX full-frame. Even the smallest FX lenses are much larger, and none of the smaller FX lenses has anywhere near as useful a zoom range as the 16-50mm.
The biggest difference between the two formats is depth of field. Taking the same picture at the same aperture the full-frame camera will have somewhat less depth of field., while the DX camera will have more in focus. This is because a lens needs 50% more focal length on full-frame to give the same angle of view.
Shot at reasonable ISOs and apertures that give equivalent depth-of-field, the images are indistinguishable between FX and DX.
User's Guide top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
If you want to take great pictures, most important is knowing how to see, recognize and take a great picture. Once you master that, camera operation is easy.
Here are some tips specific to the Z fc. The Z fc is very similar to all the other Nikon mirrorless cameras for which I have much more in-depth user guides, so see my Nikon Z50 User's Guide and my Nikon Z7 II User's Guide, from which almost everything applies to the Z fc, even if the menu locations may be a little different.
TIME and Long Exposures
There is a TIME exposure mode, which is found on the top dial at "T."
In TIME exposure mode the shutter opens when you press the shutter, and stays open indefinitely until you hit the shutter a second time. It puts the burden on you to use a stopwatch or other external timer to time your exposure.
TIME mode is only available in the Manual (M) exposure mode as set on top left under the ISO dial. Once in Manual exposure mode you also can select TIME with the rear dial if the shutter speed dial is set to 1/3 STEP.
Even better, if you enable it at MENU > CUSTOM (pencil) > d Shooting/display > d5 Extended shutter speeds (M) > ON you now have manual shutter speeds all the way out to 900 seconds (15 minutes), but they are only available in the M exposure mode (set on top left under the ISO dial) and only if you set the shutter speed dial to 1/3 STEP and use the real dial to select the long exposure times.
Manual Focussing
Manual focus aids include:
1.) Just turn a focus ring on the lens at any time and it will focus the lens manually.
2.) Just turn the ring until it's sharp in the finder or rear LCD.
3.) Focus zones (one selected zone at a time, which can be anywhere in the picture) turn from red to green when in focus.
4.) You can magnify the live image in the finder or rear LCD.
5.) There's a three-way null indicator (▶●◀, even when zoomed) to tell you in what direction to turn the focus ring for perfect focus.
6.) Focus peaking is at MENU > CUSTOM (pencil) > d Shooting/display > d9 focus peaking > Peaking level.
7.) There's a rough near/far bar indication of focussed distance in the finder or LCD to let you know if you're at the right or wrong end of the focus range. Sorry, no numeric focus distance display in the finder.
My Personal Setup Files top
If you'd like to set your Z fc exactly as I set mine, simply download my personal NCSET009.BIN file (21 September 2021, v1.00 firmware) onto your computer and copy it to the top-level of an SD card in a card reader (don't put it in the DCIM or any other folder), then put that card in your Z fc and press MENU > Wrench (Setup) > Save/Load settings > Load settings > OK. Your Z fc will be a carbon-copy of mine, complete with my personal information programmed into the EXIF of each of your files.
Be sure to set your own personal EXIF information in your camera if you choose to use my settings. Set these at MENU > Wrench (Setup) > Copyright Information > and MENU > Wrench (Setup) > Image Comment, and be sure to set all of the IMAGE COMMENT, ARTIST and COPYRIGHT fields.
My NCSET009.BIN file won't do anything on your computer and certainly won't do anything here in your browser; you download it from this link to your computer and then use your computer for no other purpose other than to copy it to a card from which the camera can load the settings.
Before you put my settings in your camera you should save your own settings first by pressing MENU > Wrench (Setup) > Save/Load settings > Save settings > OK, and then copy that file to your computer for safe keeping or reference.
Here's a setup file from my brand-new Z fc if you need to reset your camera. You can do the same thing by going to the various menus and resetting each of them.
Remember, this only works if the file isn't in any folder but is in the top-level directory of the card, the same place as the DCIM and NIKON folders. Otherwise you won't be able to load settings from a card.
See Also
Recommendations top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
The Z fc is a great little camera, as is its sibling the Z50 which adds built-in flash. If you want a fun little camera that does everything the big Nikons do, here you go. Either of the Z fc or Z50 are great choices.
Get the tiny, collapsible Z 16-50mm VR DX lens in silver and you're good to go. If you need a telephoto, the Z 50-250mm DX is perfect (it only comes in black), and you're done. The Nikon Z FX 28mm f/2.8 Special Edition is a bit corny, but if it's your thing, go for it, too. Personally I use my existing black Z 16-50mm VR DX and I never need any other lens.
Please don't go trying to use a DX DSLR lens on the FTZ adapter, as the whole contraption becomes so big and cumbersome that you destroy the whole point of this fun little camera. While the excellent and rightfully popular 18-300mm VR DX works great technically on the FTZ, the lens is bigger than this camera, especially with the FTZ added. For your own sake, get the Z 16-50mm VR DX and maybe the Z 50-250mm DX for your pocket and you're done.
For flash I prefer my SB-400 as the smallest, best made, highest-performance and most practical flash ever made for the Z fc. It's old, but still the best and easy to get if you know How to Win at eBay.
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you get it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used camera — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new camera. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
More Information top
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my Z fc at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or eventually used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc body: $857 at Adorama at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $750 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Z fc & silver DX Z 16-50mm VR: $997 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Z fc & FX Z 28mm f/2.8 SE: $1,097 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
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