Nikon Z50 II

JPEG shooters will appreciate the Z50 II’s vibrant yet natural color science. The camera’s picture control profiles allow extensive customization, including creative options and downloadable presets. A built-in button makes accessing and adjusting these profiles quick and intuitive.

Let's be real: if I'm going to shoot for any length of of time in the rain I'm going to be under an umbrella, and if not, my own tolerance for getting wet is probably about the same as the Z50's. I wouldn't worry about "weather sealing" unless I had to stand around in the rain unprotected for long periods of time. If you live in a place with frequent downpours and you have to run out in them, then sure, consider a weather sealed camera, but for reasonable use in bad weather, the Z50 works fine. Just try to keep it covered, don't overdo it, and I've never had problems.

The real elephant in the room is lenses. The company makes five 'DX' lenses for its APS-C systems: a single prime and four zooms with maximum apertures of 3.5 or higher. There are several third-party autofocus primes, including some of the very good Sigma DC DN Contemporaries, but if you want a zoom with a consistent or fast aperture, you'll have to use a heavier, more expensive full-frame option from Nikon.

There are about five fairly standard APS-C lenses that Nikon offers and I would love to see this number rise but other manufacturers are now making glass for the Z-mount and this proves to be excellent timing for the Z50 II. The image quality may not have changed but I think new users will get some joy out of the new flexible picture controls.