Tariffs made the Nikon Z5 II expensive, and now this deal makes it cheap(er) again

The Nikon Z5 II is one of 2025’s best value mirrorless cameras, but like many other in-demand models, it has been riddled with tariff-related price hikes recently.

A surprise price cut has just returned the body to $1,696.95 (was $1,849) at Adorama and B&H Photo, however, which is a re-run of the camera’s initial launch price from back in April.

The Z5 II has never been cheaper than this, so this could just be the best deal we’ll find on the camera this side of Black Friday. Even then, it seems unlikely that the camera will get much lower since it was already so aggressively priced against the competition from Sony and Canon.

Of the major brands, only Panasonic has escaped price hikes recently, but even that brand’s cameras haven’t had that many deals recently. In context, the Nikon Z5 II still looks like a stellar buy at $1,696 versus Panasonic’s S5 II, the Canon R8, and the comparatively ancient Sony A7 III.

I was impressed by the Nikon Z5 II when I reviewed it earlier this year. Coming from an older Nikon body, the Z5 II addresses many of the common complaints that held back the previous iteration.

For one, the Z5 II’s autofocus is now roughly equivalent to the higher-end Z-Mount bodies like the Z6 III, the Zf, and even the Z8. While the Z5 II lacks some of the blazingly fast burst rates or video specs of its pricier siblings, its 24.5MP back-side-illuminated sensor is still capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps and 11fps in continuous shooting mode.

Couple all of the above with an extremely solid build quality, top-notch ergonomics, and a rapidly expanding Z-Mount lens ecosystem, and you have a fantastic camera for most people. If you’re someone who prioritizes image quality and ruggedness, but doesn’t need super rapid burst rates or high-end video features, then the Z5 II is easily one of the best options on the market currently.