Refurb: Nikon Z 50 Mirrorless Camera w/ Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens Kit

Deskrimm

Aug 28, 2026 3:21 PM

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Joined Jan 2015

DeskrimmAug 28, 2026 3:21 PM

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Quote from SUDHIRRAOM

:

Are these type of cameras really relevant anymore for normal day to day life or occasional photography considering how good cell phone cameras are these days. For example my iphone 17 pro max takes exceptional photos.

They're relevant if you're into photography. The photos produced with a dedicated camera will be superior to any phones camera. The sensor is larger and it'll show lol

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NikonShr

Aug 28, 2026 3:31 PM

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Joined Jun 2017

NikonShrAug 28, 2026 3:31 PM

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All Nikon Z ....grear deal!

Falqon

Aug 28, 2026 3:41 PM

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Joined Jun 2004

FalqonAug 28, 2026 3:41 PM

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Quote from SUDHIRRAOM

:

Are these type of cameras really relevant anymore for normal day to day life or occasional photography considering how good cell phone cameras are these days. For example my iphone 17 pro max takes exceptional photos.

Zoom on a real camera is a big improvement.

2

xyooj

Aug 28, 2026 4:21 PM

360 Comments

Joined Nov 2006

xyoojAug 28, 2026 4:21 PM

360 Comments

Quote from Deskrimm

:

They're relevant if you're into photography. The photos produced with a dedicated camera will be superior to any phones camera. The sensor is larger and it'll show lol

I agree. Thought my S24 Ultra would be good enough for a family vacation photo shoot. I was wrong. Miss my dedicated camera.

1

SlowJim

Aug 28, 2026 4:38 PM

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Joined Jul 2005

SlowJimAug 28, 2026 4:38 PM

507 Comments

Quote from fugatti

:

I had one and recently sold it. Terrible battery life, and mine really struggled finding and keeping focus. Based on reviews it sounds like the Z50ii is significantly better. Even at $450 I think I'd pass on this one

Same, ergonomically it's a great camera but the 3 strikes for me were:
-no IBIS
-only 20mp
-lack of affordable, compact, stabilized lenses

It's just not competitive, even against the older ILC cameras from basically every other manufacturer

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 4:45 PM

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Joined Oct 2004

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 4:45 PM

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Quote from HappyCrowd987

:

Where on earth did you find Z50ii refurb that cheap? Just on Nikon's site (but is never in stock)?

Yes, off Nikon's site when they have their (monthly?) sales. That's the normal sale price but it sells out in hours. By the time you get the Nikon email it's usually gone.

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 4:48 PM

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Joined Oct 2004

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 4:48 PM

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Quote from SUDHIRRAOM

:

Are these type of cameras really relevant anymore for normal day to day life or occasional photography considering how good cell phone cameras are these days. For example my iphone 17 pro max takes exceptional photos.

A lot depends on if you view your images on a phone or monitor (or print them). Phone images look great on a tiny phone screen but on a 27" monitor they look smudgy cause all the trickery they use is visible.

3

asuchemist

Aug 28, 2026 5:23 PM

4.9K Comments

Joined Oct 2011

asuchemistAug 28, 2026 5:23 PM

4.9K Comments

z30 is the way to go! Battery life still sucks but Nikon colors look great.

shuttercat

Aug 28, 2026 5:26 PM

20 Comments

Joined Sep 2012

shuttercatAug 28, 2026 5:26 PM

20 Comments

Quote from VarmintCong

:

I paid $630 or $650 for the Z50II refurb. Since it's for wildlife the Expeed 7 is a must.

While this does come with a (slow kit) lens, you can find that lens for $100 if you really want it. Trade in is like $70. So it's still $300 more for the Z50II.

Z50II has the same terrible battery life.

My Z30 has fine battery life unless I shoot in RAW or RAW+JPEG, which reduces it by about half. The 50-250 VR kit lens takes a modest amount of power if you have it stabilizing the preview too, but that's worth it for me.

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 5:33 PM

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Joined Oct 2004

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 5:33 PM

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Quote from Deskrimm

:

They're relevant if you're into photography. The photos produced with a dedicated camera will be superior to any phones camera. The sensor is larger and it'll show lol

It's not true anymore. A new phone has a lot of tricks even a Z body doesn't have, like focus stacking, and sensor-based stabilization. It's how phone pics look so nice, they take a lot of images and stack them together. It also has fast lenses and sensors are quite large on something like a 17 Pro Max.

Phone pics fall down when viewed full screen on a monitor, but only photographers do that these days. Big Grin

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 5:33 PM

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Joined Oct 2004

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 5:33 PM

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Quote from shuttercat

:

My Z30 has fine battery life unless I shoot in RAW or RAW+JPEG, which reduces it by about half. The 50-250 VR kit lens takes a modest amount of power if you have it stabilizing the preview too, but that's worth it for me.

That's interesting, I only shoot RAW so didn't know it makes a difference in battery usage.

JoeBlo1979

Aug 28, 2026 6:13 PM

762 Comments

Joined Dec 2016

JoeBlo1979Aug 28, 2026 6:13 PM

762 Comments

Quote from VarmintCong

:

It's not true anymore. A new phone has a lot of tricks even a Z body doesn't have, like focus stacking, and sensor-based stabilization. It's how phone pics look so nice, they take a lot of images and stack them together. It also has fast lenses and sensors are quite large on something like a 17 Pro Max.

Phone pics fall down when viewed full screen on a monitor, but only photographers do that these days. Big Grin

I have a 17 pro max and while nice, it struggles in low light. My 20 year-old DSLR does a better job in low light conditions IMHO.

2

Caedis

Aug 28, 2026 6:16 PM

240 Comments

Joined Aug 2014

CaedisAug 28, 2026 6:16 PM

240 Comments

Quote from SlowJim

:

Same, ergonomically it's a great camera but the 3 strikes for me were:
-no IBIS
-only 20mp
-lack of affordable, compact, stabilized lenses

It's just not competitive, even against the older ILC cameras from basically every other manufacturer

Does it really knock it at this price? I recently got a very lightly used Olympus EM-10 Mark IV + starter kit lens for ~$600 a few months ago, and it's about the same, though there are a fair number of decent used M43 lenses.

javaking_1000

Aug 28, 2026 7:06 PM

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Joined Jun 2009

javaking_1000Aug 28, 2026 7:06 PM

1.3K Comments

I've had mine for about a year and love it. Compact, lightweight and fairly quick. It's one of the few cameras left with a built-in flash. What's the point of having a small camera if you have to add a relatively large flash to it? I also added a used Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 lens for about $260 which really expanded the camera's capabilities.

VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 8:09 PM

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VarmintCong

Pro

Aug 28, 2026 8:09 PM

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Quote from JoeBlo1979

:

I have a 17 pro max and while nice, it struggles in low light. My 20 year-old DSLR does a better job in low light conditions IMHO.

The way the phone handles low light is to use a low shutter speed and stack images, so if your subject is moving at all it doesnt work at default settings. It does work if you use a 3rd party app to control your settings better.

Refurb: Nikon Z 50 Mirrorless Camera w/ Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens Kit

$450

$900

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