The Nikon Z5 II - Setup

 

The Nikon Z5 II

Nikon made a massive step with this new version of its "entry-level" full-frame camera. They gave it their latest processor and all the gimmicks it makes possible. The autofocus has improved a lot, as has the camera's overall performance, not to mention the new video features. Keeping the price at a level that competes with much more average APS-C cameras was also a wise step. I got mine for 1600€ minus the 250€ for my four-year-old Z5. For comparison, the Fuji XT-5 currently sells for 1800€ in Germany.

But this is no review. Instead, I like to share the settings I use. The camera is overwhelming for newcomers. Even old dogs like me can struggle with all these features. And Nikon should really consider a way to present the settings in a more structured, comprehensible menu. 

There are handy online manuals for the Nikon cameras. The one for the Nikon Z5 II is here.

For me, this page will be a journey. Set the camera to English if you want to follow. 

General Operation

Many buttons set values only when you simultaneously rotate one of the dials while pressing the button. This can be turned off via f7 in the CUSTOM menu. I have it ON, so that I can release the button, then turn the dials, ending with a half-press of the shutter.

Many buttons can be configured in the CUSTOM menu via f2 and f3. These configurations differ between the PHOTO and VIDEO modes, which can be switched using the DISP button below. It is a common mistake to be in the wrong mode.

One of your first checks should be if the photo mode is JPEG, RAW, or JPEG+RAW in the PHOTO SHOOTING menu. If you opt for JPEG, you should also adjust the image size to L and select the picture modes. By default, there is a button to change it on top of the camera. Note that the picture mode also affects the small preview embedded in the RAW file. An interesting option is to use a B/W mode. 

The camera has some features that work only in JPEG mode, e.g., the pre-release capture. If you have this set in d3 and the H30's fast shutter mode is active, the feature automatically switches the photo mode to JPEG.

You can also set the image area. If you select DX, you are emulating an APS-C camera. This happens automatically if a DX lens is mounted.

A nice touch is that you can fully configure the i-menu. There is also a user menu where you can put less accessible settings.

There are many options that you can set. One is the beep in the SETUP menu. I have it off. There is also a copyright notice for all your images. There are many more. It is worth looking through the CUSTOM and SETUP menus. If you do not understand a setting, you can get help by tapping the question mark.

The User Modes

This is a PSAM camera. For me, the most important modes are the aperture mode A to set the DOF I want, and the shutter mode S to freeze or show motion. Setting both to manual mode (M) is rare for me, but sometimes the only solution. And I never use the program mode P. The AUTO mode is recommended for absolute newcomers to get started with the camera, or for quick emergencies. The AUTO mode works, and it has become more flexible in the Z5 II.

But the main topic in this section is the user modes U1, U2, and U3. For me, these are godsent, and I wish I had two more. To set these modes, select PSAM, make all the changes you need, and then save the user mode using "Save user settings" in the SETUP menu. Almost everything is saved, including button settings, picture modes, silent shooting, etc.

You now have a quick path to your favorite setup depending on the situation. I prefer these modes to the shooting banks of the more advanced Nikons.

Here are some ideas for user modes.

• Set one with aperture mode A and f/8 for everyday still scenes. The idea is to change only the aperture later and have everything else set. But even if you changed the ISO, you could easily revert to the default by switching to another mode and back, or by turning the camera off and on.
• Another one could be set for portraits. I like f/2.8 for the job and auto focus continuous AF-C.
• A third one for fast-moving subjects in mode S, set initially to 1/1000 or so, and AF-C, of course.

Just remember to overwrite the user mode if you change something that should turn on the same way next time. Each use mode stores almost everything, and if you change one setup, you need to update all of them. Annoyingly, you cannot change the PSAM mode in a user mode. Nikon should make this possible.

The Dials

This camera has two dials: one for your thumb and the other on the front. For A and S, you need only one dial. The other one can be set for easy exposure compensation via b3 in the CUSTOM settings menu. You can select to have the compensation reset when the camera is turned off. I like that a lot. The normal exposure compensation with the +/- key does not reset, except in user mode.

The two dials can be configured flexibly. Via f6, you can reverse the operation to set the exposure and the compensation, if you have another camera that does it the other way around. Via f2, you can set the roles of the front and back dial. For this, select the dial in the button list and press OK. I have set the front dial for the exposure compensation, even in mode S.

The Display

The viewfinder and display content can be changed using the DISP button. The views you cycle through include a new picture-only screen, which I like a lot. If you half-press the shutter or move a dial, the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO will flash. Otherwise, you see your scene fully and clearly.

The camera has a selfie mode that lets you turn the display towards the front. In this mode, no button will work besides the shutter. I have this mode disabled in the SETUP menu. If you see a strange OK message, that is the selfie mode getting in your way. This mode has an advantage when the timer is on, as it focuses again shortly before the photo is taken.

I have also disabled "Auto-rotate info display" in the SETUP menu. It gets confusing very quickly, and I can read the menus even when I hold the camera vertically.

The brightness of the monitor and the viewfinder can be configured. The AUTO mode works well for the viewfinder. Sometimes, the monitor is brighter in daylight. This is all done in the SETUP menu.

If you like the level, you can set one of the buttons to display it. I use the picture mode button on the top for it. As with other buttons, use f2.

The button on the left of the viewfinder controls the viewfinder and the monitor selection. You can restrict the choices in "Limit monitor mode selection" in the SETUP menu. I have "Automatic display switch" and "Monitor only" as my sole options.

The Auto Focus

The camera has the automatic focus mode AF-A, which automatically switches from single AF-S to continuous AF-C when an object moves. AF-A was available on older Nikons, too. Time will tell how well it actually works. For an explanation, AF-C refocuses as long as you half-press the shutter or press AF-ON to keep the focus on the subject. AF-S focuses once, turns the focus rectangle green on success, and by default, only then takes a photo on full press of the shutter.

As I said, autofocus is quite advanced on this camera. The automatic mode can select eyes, faces, and many other objects and quickly focus on them. The recognized subject types are set in the "AF/MF subject detection options" section of the POTO SHOOTING menu. I have it on Auto. Detection is possible in AF area mode, where a small additional icon indicates the selection feature. 

To use such an area, you define an AF switch button via f2. By default, it is one of the front buttons. Once this button is pressed, you can choose the AF mode — single, continuous, or auto —with the front wheel and the area with the back wheel. Via a8, the available focus areas can be restricted.

Without detection, the focus selects the closest object in the focus area, unless the camera judges elements as foreground, which should be blurry. The focus area can be moved with the cursor and centered with OK. Alternatively, the area can be positioned on the touch screen if the AF mode is on for the touch screen, indicated by a small icon on the monitor.

For an overview of the available AF areas, go to the PHOTO SHOOTING menu and select "AF-area Mode". There, you can see the available areas and even define two custom ones. Not all AF areas make sense in both AF-S and AF-C. The dynamic areas are reserved for AF-C. They are an old way to follow a moving object. The focus will shift a bit off-center if the subject is detected moving off-center.

3D tracking is a special AF area mode in which the focus point follows a moving object. To lock it onto an object, start focusing with a half-press or the AF-ON button. I have set one of the front keys to quickly switch between selected focus areas. This is configured via f2 by selecting the switch icon. The type of focus areas to switch can be restricted. I have set a button in one user mode to quickly switch between auto area and 3D tracking. For landscape, switch between pinpoint, auto area, and tracking.

The most precise AF option is the pinpoint. The point can be set using the touchscreen. But beware that the touch mode is set to AF, not "set and shoot" or "off", as shown in the small icon where this touch mode can also be changed. My method for focusing precisely is to use 100% zoom, which works best with back-button focus, as explained below. Set a button for this zoom via F2, or you can use the + and - keys. The cursor can move the zoomed area around.

Back Button Focus

I have been focusing this way for a long time. The idea is not to focus with a half-press of the shutter, but with a separate key. The AF-ON button on the back is ideal for it. It is configured to start focusing by default. All you have to do is remove the focus function from the shutter. This is done via a6 in the CUSTOM menu.

Back button focus has many advantages. For a start, it makes the old technique "focus and recompose" easier. You can press AF-ON, and if the focus is right, you can let it go and take as many pictures as you want. Without back button focus, you need to hold the shutter half-pressed for this. The sequence "focus with AF-ON", "check focus", "shoot" becomes automatic after a while.

The other advantage is that you can use single autofocus mode AF-S even in AF-C by releasing the AF-ON button. 

One problem is that you have to instruct other users of your camera to focus with AF-ON. You can set a user mode without back-button focus if needed. Or you can add the a6 setup into your user menu for quick access.

AUTO ISO

Exposure is simply the amount of light per unit area on the sensor. At a fixed light level, exposure is controlled solely by the aperture and shutter speed, if we ignore filters and lens light loss for now. But we need the aperture to set the depth of field and the shutter speed to freeze or show motion. Moreover, there are restrictions. The aperture can only be as wide as the lens allows. And if it is too narrow, diffraction will spoil the image. The shutter speed needs to be fast enough to enable handheld shooting without inducing camera motion blur. The Z5 II has effective stabilization to avoid this, by the way. The image below was shot at 1/15 with a 50mm lens.

To help, the image can be made brighter by adjusting the ISO settings. The base is ISO100 on this camera, and it can get up to ISO64000, more than 9 stops. The problem is that this also makes the unavoidable noise brighter. The sensor's dynamic range spans from the noise level to its maximum capacity. At higher ISOs, the noise level rises and the dynamic range decreases. 

To set the ISO, there is a special button. While pressed, the back button toggles ISO AUTO, and the front button sets the ISO value. For ISO AUTO, this is the minimum ISO value to use. ISO can also be changed using the i-menu or in the PHOTO SHOOTING menu. In this case, the maximum ISO value can be set to your liking. I like to keep my maximum at ISO 1600 for regular shooting.

In shutter speed selection mode S, AUTO ISO works by opening the aperture (i.e., lowering the f-stop) as much as possible, then increasing the ISO. In aperture mode A, AUTO ISO will set the minimum shutter speed according to the settings in the PHOTO SHOOTING menu. There is an AUTO option that considers the lens used and selects the minimum shutter speed. A longer lens is more sensitive to camera shake because of its magnification. This AUTO mode can be configured to be faster or slower in the same menu.

The Z5 II sensor has two read modes. The second one is kicking in at ISO800 and allows a higher capacity. As a consequence, ISO400 should be avoided. ISO800 has the same noise characteristics as ISO200. 

Noise can be removed with the noise tools in the camera for JPEG output, as set in the picture profile, or in your software for RAW output. Of course, nothing beats a low ISO, not even the most modern AI. On the other hand, you should not be afraid to use ISO 1600 or higher to reduce motion blur. That is much better than a picture spoiled by smearing details because the subject moved. For kids and sports, or for flying birds, you need at least 1/1000.

The Card Slots

I want a camera with two card slots. The reason is that I want a backup of my photos. Cards may fail, get lost or stolen, or may be spoiled during readout on the computer. So, I definitely want a backup. You can set the Z5 to produce it on the second card slot. These days, it does not make much sense to use the second card for overflow. A single 128KB card can now hold thousands of pictures. And they are less expensive than the cost of missing shots due to a lack of card space. So, buy two big ones. 

My second card never leaves the camera, except to back up all its content to a hard drive. I use the first card to transfer the files to the computer, and format it afterwards. It is a good idea to use different first cards for different events.

If you are doing a video, you can use one of the cards for it. For a mixed work, photos could go to the first, and videos to the second. Then, of course, there is no backup. The setup is in the VIDEO menu, and it even shows how much time you have left on your card for the video.

More pictures and advice for the Nikon Z5 II on my page about the visit to Lisbon.