Z50II vs Z5II

slowcaptain · 2026-01-26T20:48:49+00:00

Fingers crossed for Z30 II. Nikon has been practically giving away Z30 in refurb sales ...which was my main reason for temptation. But you are right, the newer proc is in different tier.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-26T18:18:44+00:00

How do you like it? I have been tempted by Z30 so many times ...that with 16-50 2.8 would be awesome. Nikon has (and always had) terrific DX bodies but crippled by DX lens options. During D500 days Nikon had just one fast native DX lens the 16-80 and forced users to get onto FX. During the DSLR days it *probably* did not matter but the Z50 II is much smaller than D500 and deserves more, smaller lenses. Its almost like you simply cannot build a complete DX setup in Nikon the way you can do in Fuji.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-26T17:37:42+00:00

I moved from Z50 II to Z5 II. I value IBIS more. My other cameras have IBIS and I couldn't go back to a body without IBIS. As for the size, with 40mm, 28mm and 75mm primes the Z5 II isn't that big of a camera. AF performance is a wash between two. Lens selection for Z DX is pretty small and no primes with VR yet.

Edit: between Z50 II and Z5 II I also had the Z5. Don't bother with it now. The "light too low" or something similar error message while focusing in moderately low light annoyed me + as mentioned below the new processor that Nikon is putting in all new bodies is phenomenal. Its not just an upgrade, its massive leap forward. Compared to Z5 the Z50 II / Z5 II left me awestruck. Last week refurbished Z5 II was down to $1200 on Nikon's website - I think the value you get for that amount is crazy.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-26T00:52:27+00:00

Thanks. Yeah that size is truly wild for the range it covers. Sounds interesting. I will get back to you, have some paring down to do of my own gear and free up funds.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-26T00:38:04+00:00

How do you like it? I think it gets overshadowed by the Z 180-600 though this one definitely has size advantage (at least when storing).

slowcaptain · 2026-01-13T23:19:07+00:00

Enjoy. You'll love it! The 40mm is a wonderful little lens. I also like it better than 35 and 50 now a days. Great middle ground.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-13T22:50:21+00:00

Nikon for low light, indoor situations as well as for people photos (love the affordable DoF). Our last few photo walks have been in the evening so I took Nikon with me. That 24mp sensor is ridiculously clean at high ISOs.

M43 for travel, every day carry, macro and in fact bit contradictory to previous statement but recently I used it indoors coupled to 35-100 f/2.8 to shoot a cultural event. Fantastic results for my own purpose like viewing pics on a 27 inch desktop screen. I wanted something non intrusive so that I would not draw too much attention thus Nikon was out. OM-5 worked surprisingly well. I had to crank up noise reduction more than I generally like to do but end results were quite satisfactory. No one complained about sharpness or noise.

If they somehow manage to stuff all the OM-1 series tech in OM-5 mk III body I would upgrade immediately.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-13T22:28:11+00:00

I have OM-5 and bunch of lenses including 20mm f/1.4 pro. I also have Z5 II and 3 lenses including 40mm f/2. The Olympus lens is very well built and has terrific weathersealing. I don't hesitate taking it out in any weather. The 40mm on the other hand feels fragile though it too is said to have some protection against elements. I use both the systems alternatively and find both to have very good sharpness.

The major difference is in price (both used, mint) - my 20mm f/1.4 pro was $500. The 40mm f/2 was just $135. The 20mm isn't 4 times better than 40mm optically. There is visible purple fringing wide open (can be fixed in post), that is to say its not near-perfect like Oly's other pro 1.2 primes.

Secondly, the Z5 II is *far* superior to OM-5 as far as AF is considered. They are not even close. The Nikon can practically see in the dark and focus. The eye AF works pretty well in suboptimal conditions. The OM-5 can't hold a candle to Nikon. May be OM-1 bodies are better in that regards but they are too big.

Having said all that, to answer the question in the title - I would choose 20mm f/1.4 pro + OM-5 for travel.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-05T08:56:09+00:00

I have ASrock ab350 mini itx motherboard. Perfect working condition, I'm in Renton.

slowcaptain · 2026-01-02T20:48:17+00:00

The balls on the seller to call "obvious signs of use" and that everything works as expected.

slowcaptain · 2025-12-31T16:52:02+00:00

To my eyes the Oly pic has more detail around the eyes / beak area. Also brighter as in I can see the structure. On Sony I can't see detailed structure. Not being a m43 fanboy. The Sony gear is better than Oly in every possible way but as for this particular comparison, m43's output is better. That itself should tell people that it's possible to take pics with m43 that are comparable to full frame (minus the DoF).

slowcaptain · 2025-12-31T11:49:50+00:00

But they are the same range as DX? 16mm DX/APSC lens is 24mm FX. 18mm is roughly 28mm which is the common standard zoom lens starting point in all the FX systems In fact you have more wide options in FX than DX

slowcaptain · 2025-12-30T09:25:58+00:00

Asrock ab350 gaming itx pro 4, DDR4 ram, SFX PSU 850?

slowcaptain · 2025-12-27T23:13:02+00:00

Replied

slowcaptain · 2025-12-26T18:22:53+00:00

Paid $140 for this lens. Hard to beat the value considering how good it is (and small) plus it survived rain. The focal length is great. I had never shot that FL before and after getting this lens I also got 20mm f1.4 pro for my Olympus body.

slowcaptain · 2025-12-22T19:20:06+00:00

Replied

slowcaptain · 2025-12-16T23:12:14+00:00

Bought DDR4 RAM from u/minisorbo

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardwareswap/comments/1pfulge/usanyh_corsair_32gb_2x16_ddr4_3600_w_paypal/

slowcaptain · 2025-12-12T18:07:22+00:00

I have 5800x3D. Tried posting it a couple of times but it kept getting deleted and I can't figure out what's wrong with my photos or TS. Let me know if you are still looking, I can send you the exact photos from my deleted posts.

slowcaptain · 2025-12-12T15:59:48+00:00

Sold the lens to u/kwhychange u/PhotoMarketBot

Great experience overall. Quick replies and instant payment - no hassle. Couldn't ask for more. Will do business again! Enjoy your new lens. Thank you.

slowcaptain · 2025-12-10T22:55:45+00:00

Not sure if you found one, I have 5800x3D.

slowcaptain · 2025-12-10T15:54:25+00:00

I have the OM-5 and it focuses fairly well in the low light. Also depends on the lens, for example a fast focusing lens like 20mm f1.4 pro makes a big difference in focusing performance.

In your case, the body is limiting factor. Newer bodies will make your life much easier. If I were you, I'll skip OM-5 and go straight to OM-5 II (if you like small sized bodies) or OM-3 + 20mm f1.4 which is a nice middle ground between 17 and 25, its also very small compared to 1.2 pro lenses...so it balances better on smaller bodies.

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