The Nikon Z5 opened up the Z line with a more affordable, smaller full-frame model but, nearly five years since the camera launched, the Z5 has become far more affordable. Older cameras tend to see steeper and more frequent discounts and nearly five years after the launch, the Z5 is almost as cheap as the crop sensor Z50 II. Those discounts and the impending fifth birthday raise a key question: is Nikon getting ready to launch the Z5 II anytime soon?
While five years seems like the perfect timing to launch a successor, the Nikon Z5 is a budget camera that has gotten better over the last five years. Why? Because as the Z5 has aged, the price has dropped. The Z5’s original list price wasn’t too far from the Z6 series, which is now on the Z6 III, but axed several features. Back in 2020, the Nikon Z6 felt like the far better value.
