The Best Nikon Cameras We’ve Tested for 2025

For its price, the Nikon Z5II is among the best full-frame cameras from any brand. It includes professional features, such as dual card slots, a high-quality EVF, weather protection, and sensor stabilization, for a price that will satisfy photo hobbyists. It’s a good all-around camera, snapping 24MP stills, focusing quickly for a 14fps drive, and recording 4K video in either Raw or compressed format.

Shutterbugs: Photo enthusiasts will love the Z5II’s picture quality, reliable autofocus, and sturdy build. It puts controls right at your fingertips and works well for all photo genres, from landscapes to portraits, sports, and everything in between.

Wildlife and sports photographers: Nikon offers a wide range of telephoto lenses compatible with the Z mount, and the Z5 II is a suitable camera to pair with them. It supports 14fps focus drive with subject recognition for people, animals, and vehicles, allowing you to use it for field sports, nature photography, and motorsports as well.

Professional photographers: More pros will look to the Z6III or Z 8 as a primary camera, but the Z5II makes enormous sense as a backup body for either. The dual card slots are a must-have for weddings and events, and the controls and ergonomics are similar enough to Nikon’s professional cameras that you can switch between them with ease.

Vloggers: If you’re more about video, the Z5II’s forward-facing screen and stabilized, full-width 4K30 movies are positives for vlogs. Advanced editors can use the Raw format and a flat color profile to take control of color and exposure, and 4K60 is available with a Super 35 crop for slow-motion effect shots.

The Z6III is Nikon’s third-generation, midrange full-frame camera. It matches the imaging performance of an FX sensor with the speed you expect from a fast-action camera, like the beloved Nikon D500, and throws in pro-level video features for good measure. The Z6III features a 24MP sensor with 5-axis stabilization, allowing it to capture Raw photos at up to 20fps with 3D tracking, and records both Raw and ProRes video internally. Put plainly, it does plenty.

Professional photographers: The Z6III satisfies creators who make a living from photography with reliable autofocus, a brisk 20fps capture rate, and a stabilized 24MP sensor. Magnesium materials, weather sealing, dual memory card slots, and a large viewfinder are also positives.

Shutterbugs: Photo enthusiasts who don’t mind spending on a professional camera will be happy with the Z6 III. It handles a wide range of scenes, from landscapes to action, includes manual controls, and works with a diverse array of lenses to satisfy photo enthusiasts.

Wildlife and sports photographers: The Z6III focuses and tracks subjects at up to 20fps, plus it includes a pre-release capture option to help you get the shot. Nikon offers a diverse line of telephoto lenses to help you capture a tight angle on critters and athletes alike.

Vloggers: The Z6III’s Partially Stacked BSI sensor reads out quickly to support full-width 4K60 movies with minimal rolling shutter. It supports RAW and ProRes encoding, as well as N-Log color options, allowing experts to fine-tune color and exposure in the editing room.

The Z 8 has the same pixel count as the Z 7 II but sports a Stacked CMOS sensor that provides faster performance (20fps Raw or 30fps JPG stills), 8K60 video with 12-bit Raw quality, and 3D tracking focus with subject recognition. It’s essentially a more affordable, sized-down version of the Z 9. It doesn’t make many compromises in terms of fit and finish either, featuring backlit control buttons, a large EVF, and a dual-axis display.

Professional photographers: The Z 8 is as professional a camera as it gets. It includes dual memory card slots, rugged weather-sealed construction, and a stabilized Stacked CMOS image sensor. It’s a fantastic tool for portraits, events, real estate, fine art, and other paid photo work.

Wildlife and sports photographers: It can be challenging to capture a tight view of animals in the wild, even with a telephoto lens. The Z 8’s 45MP sensor is a significant benefit for both wildlife and sports photography, as it provides ample room for cropping. The Z 8 also has an Auto Capture feature, which uses its animal or human subject detection to take photos automatically, so you can use it as a wildlife trap camera, a feature that’s currently exclusive to Nikon.

Shutterbugs: Photo enthusiasts who want to use a professional camera will love the Z 8. It’s filled to the brim with features, focuses quickly, and has superb image quality. Weather-sealed construction allows you to use it outside the house, and numerous compatible lenses are available.

Nikon abandoned its DX SLR line in favor of Z-mount mirrorless cameras. The 20.9MP Z50II is the most sensible entry point for photographers looking to get into the Z system without spending on a full-frame body. It features smart 3D Tracking, autofocus, and subject recognition, enabling up to 30fps burst capture, and records 10-bit 4K60 video. We also appreciate that the Z50II offers some dust and splash protection, which is uncommon for entry-level models. Just keep in mind that you need to add a weather-protected lens to take full advantage.

Beginners: If you’re looking to move up from a smartphone and try out a real camera, the Z50II is an ideal starter model. It includes a fully automatic mode to help you get started taking pictures, as well as manual exposure options to help you hone your skills as a photographer.

Shutterbugs: For photo enthusiasts seeking a compact, affordable camera, the Z50II is a great target. Its 20MP APS-C sensor isn’t the sexiest around, but it captures good-looking photos. Raw capture is available for photographers who want to take command of their own edits, and there are several different JPG profiles if you prefer to spend more time taking pictures and less time editing them.

Family photographers: If you’re tasked with taking photos at family events and prefer a real camera over a smartphone, the Z50II is a good choice. It includes face and eye detection for both people and pets, captures good snapshots in typical indoor home lighting, and features a built-in flash to help brighten scenes.

The 45MP Z9 was Nikon’s first camera featuring a stacked CMOS sensor. This sensor type reads out quickly enough to support a fully electronic shutter, enabling image capture with no interruption in the viewfinder, and exceptional tracking speeds (up to 20fps in Raw format or 120fps in JPG format at a still-useful 11MP). Video features (such as 4K ProRes and 8K H.265) and the return of Nikon’s excellent 3D Tracking focus system round out its extensive feature set.

Professional photographers: The Z 9 is the sole entry in the Nikon Z lineup with an integrated vertical grip, a feature that’s a must-have for pros who prefer to use a larger camera body. The Z 9 features dual CFexpress memory card slots, a rugged build, and the largest battery of any Z camera, along with a stabilized 45MP Stacked CMOS sensor.

Sports and wildlife photographers: The oversized Z 9 balances well with the heavy telephoto lenses you’ll use to capture sports and wildlife scenes, and its large battery can get you through both halves of the game. Its Auto Capture feature utilizes subject detection to automatically take photos of animals, making it a useful wildlife trap camera, a feature exclusive to Nikon.

Enthusiasts with large hands: The smaller Z 8 does most of what the Z 9 does for less money, but photo enthusiasts who wear extra-large gloves may find the Z 9 to be a better fit in the hand. Its feature set is excessive for weekend photographers and shutterbugs, but if smaller cameras feel like toys in your hands, the Z 9 is your answer.

The Z 5 is the most affordable entry into Nikon’s full-frame Z lineup. It’s an important distinction because most Z lenses are for FX sensors. We like that Nikon doesn’t skimp on features here: The Z 5 has dual memory card slots, weather protection, a big EVF, and a 5-axis stabilized 24MP sensor. There are downsides—its focus tracking tops out at 4.5fps, for example, so it can’t keep up with many action subjects.

Beginners: The Z 5 is a true entry-level camera, just one that uses a full-frame image sensor. It snaps sharp pictures with beautifully softened backgrounds, and includes both fully automatic and manual exposure tools so you have room to grow and learn to be a better photographer.

Landscape enthusiasts: Shutterbugs with an eye for landscape, portraiture, macro, and similar scenes will achieve great results with the Z 5. Its burst rate (4.5fps) is a little slow for sports or wildlife snaps, so consider stepping up to the Z5II if those are of interest.

The Z 7 II features the D850’s 45MP sensor, mounted on a 5-axis stabilizer, within a mirrorless body, replacing the popular DSLR’s optical viewfinder with an EVF in the process. The second-generation Z 7 II builds on the first with dual card slots (CFe and SDXC), 4K60 video support, and a refined focus system that can find subjects nearly at the edge of the frame.

Shutterbugs: The Z 7 II is Nikon’s most affordable high-resolution camera. Its stabilized 45MP BSI CMOS sensor is a good choice for enthusiasts with an eye for landscapes, macros, and portraits, who will appreciate its resolution, dynamic range, and sturdy construction.

Professional photographers: Pros can opt for the Z 7 II for projects that require high-resolution photos, and can utilize it for events and portrait sessions thanks to its reliable face and eye detection focus system, as well as its 10fps capture rate. Dual memory card slots, a large EVF, and weather protection help to seal the deal.

The Z 30 is Nikon’s first mirrorless camera designed for video. It follows the competing Sony ZV-E10 in form and function, featuring a DX (APS-C) image sensor, 4K30 video, and a built-in stereo microphone that’s significantly better than what you typically get in most cameras. It’s also as capable as the Z50II for stills (the two share the same sensor), though most photographers should choose the Z50II because of its built-in EVF.

Content creators: The Z 30 is all about video. It skips an electronic viewfinder and built-in flash in favor of a clear built-in microphone, and includes a front-facing screen, a tally lamp, and digital stabilization to smooth out handheld videos. It’s a good choice for vlogging on location or in the studio.

Beginners: If you’re just getting started in video or photography, the Z 30 makes it easy to achieve good results in automatic mode, and provides room to grow as a creator with manual controls and interchangeable lens support.

Bridge cameras, such as the Nikon Coolpix P950, pair smartphone-sized image sensors with fixed SLR-sized lenses. Nikon currently sells two models: the P950 and P1000. We recommend the P950 more highly—its 83x zoom range (the full-frame equivalent of 24-2,000mm) captures wide views and allows for tight close-ups of wildlife. It’s quite reasonable to carry, although certainly larger than 65x models like the Canon SX70 HS.

Wildlife photographers and birders: The P950’s incredibly long zoom lens is perfect for capturing photos of wildlife, birds, and other subjects that don’t allow for close-up shots. It’s a good option for people who want to take pictures of animals in nature, but don’t want to spend thousands on a mirrorless camera and telephoto lens.

Nature photos: If you’re looking for a camera for hikes, national park trips, or a day at the zoo, the P950 is a good do-it-all option. Its lens captures wide views, focuses close for macro photos, and zooms in far so you can get a good picture of an elk in the wild or a bird at your backyard feeder.

Most of the Nikons we recommend today are mirrorless Z-mount models; however, not everyone is satisfied with an electronic viewfinder. If you strictly prefer an optical view, the Nikon D780 is a very good SLR. The body features dust and splash protection, includes a tilting rear display for tripod and 4K video work, and supports 3D Tracking focus through the viewfinder for 7fps capture.

Optical viewfinder fans: If you’re turned off by mirrorless cameras with electronic viewfinders, but still want a full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses, an SLR is your answer. The D780’s optical viewfinder is ideal for creators who prefer not to use an EVF.

AF-D lens owners: Many of Nikon’s SLR lenses are compatible with its newer Z series mirrorless cameras using an adapter; however, vintage glass that relies on an autofocus screw can only be used in manual focus mode with an FTZ adapter. The D780 autofocuses with older AF-D glass, as well as more recent AF-S lenses that use internal focus motors.