Nikon Z50 II vs Z7

The Nikon Z50 II and the Nikon Z7 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in November 2024 and August 2018. Both the Z50 II and the Z7 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (Z50 II) and a full frame (Z7) sensor. The Z50 II has a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, whereas the Z7 provides 45.4 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon Z50 II		Nikon Z7
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Nikon Z mount lenses		Nikon Z mount lenses
20.7 MP – APS-C sensor		45.4 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-51,200 (100 - 204,800)		ISO 64-25,600 (32 - 102,400)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.2" LCD – 1040k dots		3.2" LCD – 2100k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
11 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
250 shots per battery charge		330 shots per battery charge
127 x 97 x 67 mm, 550 g		134 x 101 x 67 mm, 675 g

Check Z50 II price at
amazon.com
Check Z7 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Z50 II and the Nikon Z7? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Nikon Z50 II and the Nikon Z7 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon Z7 is notably larger (10 percent) than the Nikon Z50 II. Moreover, the Z7 is markedly heavier (23 percent) than the Z50 II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z50 II	127 mm	97 mm	67 mm	550 g	250	Y	Nov 2024	US$ 909	amazon.com
2.		Nikon Z7	134 mm	101 mm	67 mm	675 g	330	Y	Aug 2018	US$ 3 399	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-Pro2	141 mm	83 mm	46 mm	495 g	350	Y	Jan 2016	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T2	133 mm	92 mm	49 mm	507 g	340	Y	Jul 2016	US$ 1 599	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	US$ 1 299	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Z6	134 mm	101 mm	67 mm	675 g	310	Y	Aug 2018	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
11.		Nikon Z7 II	134 mm	101 mm	70 mm	705 g	420	Y	Oct 2020	US$ 2 999	amazon.com
12.		Nikon Z8	144 mm	119 mm	83 mm	910 g	340	Y	May 2023	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
13.		Nikon Z30	128 mm	74 mm	60 mm	405 g	330	Y	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
14.		Nikon Z50	127 mm	94 mm	60 mm	450 g	320	Y	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
15.		Nikon Z fc	135 mm	94 mm	44 mm	445 g	300	n	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
16.		Sony A7R III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	650	Y	Oct 2017	US$ 3 199	ebay.com
17.		Sony A7R IIIA	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	650	Y	Apr 2021	US$ 3 199	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The Z50 II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 73 percent) than the Z7, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon Z50 II features an APS-C sensor and the Nikon Z7 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the Z7 is 133 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the Z50 II uses a more advanced image processing engine (EXPEED 7) than the Z7 (EXPEED 6), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

With 45.4MP, the Z7 offers a higher resolution than the Z50 II (20.7MP), but the Z7 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.35μm versus 4.22μm for the Z50 II) due to its larger sensor. However, the Z50 II is a much more recent model (by 6 years and 2 months) than the Z7, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Nikon Z7 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the Z7 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 41.3 x 27.5 inches or 104.9 x 69.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 33 x 22 inches or 83.9 x 55.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 27.5 x 18.3 inches or 69.9 x 46.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon Z50 II are 27.8 x 18.6 inches or 70.7 x 47.1 cm for good quality, 22.3 x 14.8 inches or 56.6 x 37.7 cm for very good quality, and 18.6 x 12.4 inches or 47.1 x 31.4 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Z50 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 100-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon Z7 are ISO 64 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 32-102400.

In terms of underlying technology, the Z50 II is build around a CMOS sensor, while the Z7 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon Z50 II	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/60p	24.3	14.1	2467	86
2.		Nikon Z7	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.3	14.6	2668	99
3.		Fujifilm X-Pro2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.0	1608	80
4.		Fujifilm X-T2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.1	1653	81
5.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
6.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
7.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
8.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
9.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483	86
10.		Nikon Z6	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	3299	95
11.		Nikon Z7 II	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/60p	26.3	14.7	2841	100
12.		Nikon Z8	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	8K/30p	26.3	14.2	2548	98
13.		Nikon Z30	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	13.9	2230	86
14.		Nikon Z50	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1963	84
15.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
16.		Sony A7R III	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	14.7	3523	100
17.		Sony A7R IIIA	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	14.7	3523	100
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the Z50 II provides a higher frame rate than the Z7. It can shoot video footage at 4K/60p, while the Z7 is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the Z7 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the Z50 II (3690k vs 2360k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon Z50 II and Nikon Z7 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon Z50 II	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon Z7	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-Pro2	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
4.		Fujifilm X-T2	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	full-flex	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
5.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon Z6	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
11.		Nikon Z7 II	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
12.		Nikon Z8	3690	Y	3.2 / 2089	full-flex	Y	1/32000s	30.0/s	n	Y
13.		Nikon Z30	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon Z50	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon Z fc	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
16.		Sony A7R III	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony A7R IIIA	3686	n	3.0 / 2340	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The Z50 II has one, while the Z7 does not. While the built-in flash of the Z50 II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Nikon Z50 II and the Nikon Z7 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The Z50 II writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the Z7 uses XQD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Z50 II and Nikon Z7 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon Z50 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon Z7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-Pro2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Fujifilm X-T2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
5.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Nikon D7500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Nikon Z6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
11.		Nikon Z7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
12.		Nikon Z8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
13.		Nikon Z30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Nikon Z50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Nikon Z fc	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony A7R III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony A7R IIIA	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y

The Z50 II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Nikon. In contrast, the Z7 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the Z7 was succeeded by the Nikon Z7 II. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Nikon website.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon Z50 II or the Nikon Z7 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Nikon Z50 II:

• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (EXPEED 7 vs EXPEED 6).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/60p versus 4K/30p).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 125g or 19 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (73 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 6 years and 2 months of technical progress since the Z7 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon Z7:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (45.4 vs 20.7MP), which boosts linear resolution by 48%.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3690k vs 2360k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.80x vs 0.68x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (330 versus 250) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2018).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the match-up finishes in a tie (9 points each). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon Z50 II and the Nikon Z7 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Z50 II or the Z7 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z50 II	..	..	..	88/100	..	..	Nov 2024	US$ 909	amazon.com
2.		Nikon Z7	5/5	+	4.8/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 3 399	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-Pro2	..	+	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T2	5/5	+ +	..	86/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2016	US$ 1 599	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	US$ 1 299	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Z6	5/5	..	5/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
11.		Nikon Z7 II	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 2 999	amazon.com
12.		Nikon Z8	5/5	..	5/5	94/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
13.		Nikon Z30	4/5	..	4/5	86/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
14.		Nikon Z50	5/5	..	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
15.		Nikon Z fc	4/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
16.		Sony A7R III	..	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2017	US$ 3 199	ebay.com
17.		Sony A7R IIIA	..	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2021	US$ 3 199	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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