Introduction
The Nikon Z6 III is a full-frame, 24 megapixel mirrorless digital camera with quick autofocus and high-speed options. I’ve now shot with the Nikon Z6 III for a number of weeks, and I’m prepared to present my preliminary evaluation of this attention-grabbing digital camera.
Launched in June 2024, the Z6 III replaces the Nikon Z6 II, which had been in service for a comparatively lengthy span of 4 years. It additionally may be in contrast towards the Nikon Zf from 2023, though the 2 have some variations past simply the design of the physique.
In right this moment’s evaluation, I’ll share my impressions of the digital camera’s construct high quality, picture high quality, autofocus efficiency, and different options. We shall be including to this evaluation as time goes by and our staff spends extra time with the digital camera. I hope for now you discover this preliminary evaluation to be helpful!
Specs
The Nikon Z6 III’s closest siblings are the Nikon Z6 II and the Nikon Zf. Beneath, I’ve listed the total specs of the Nikon Z6 III together with a comparability between each of those cameras.
Nikon Z6 II vs Nikon Z6 III
| Digital camera Characteristic | Nikon Z6 II | Nikon Z6 III |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2020 | June 2024 |
| Digital camera Kind | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Kind | BSI CMOS | Partially Stacked CMOS |
| Picture Processor | Twin EXPEED 6 | EXPEED 7 |
| Decision | 24.5 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 6048×4024 | 6048×4024 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Body) | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Body) |
| Sensor Pixel Dimension | 5.94µ | 5.94µ |
| Low Go Filter | Sure | Sure |
| IBIS (In-Physique Picture Stabilization) | Sure | Sure |
| Base ISO | ISO 100 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 51,200 | ISO 64,000 |
| Prolonged ISOs | ISO 50-204,800 | ISO 50-204,800 |
| Excessive-Decision Sensor Shift | No | Sure |
| Focus Stack Bracketing | Sure | Sure |
| Pre-Shoot Burst Mode | No | Sure (JPEG solely) |
| Quickest Shutter Velocity | 1/8000 | 1/16000 |
| Longest Shutter Velocity | 900 seconds | 900 seconds |
| Steady Capturing (Mechanical Shutter) | 14 FPS | 14 FPS |
| Steady Capturing (Digital Shutter) | 14 FPS | 20 FPS |
| Buffer Dimension (Uncooked) | 124 frames (14 FPS) | 1000 frames |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid PDAF | Hybrid PDAF with deep studying topic recognition |
| Autofocus Factors | 273 | 273 |
| Most Low-Gentle AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | -6 EV | -8.5 EV |
| Customary Flash Sync Velocity | 1/200 | 1/200 |
| Curtain to Shield Sensor at Shutdown | No | No |
|
Video Options |
||
| Most Video Bit Depth (Inside) | 8 bits | 12 bits |
| Most Video Bit Depth (Exterior) | 10 (12 with paid improve) | 12 bits |
| Uncooked Video | No (Sure, externally, with paid improve) | Sure |
| 6K Most Framerate | N/A | 60 FPS |
| 4K Most Framerate | 60 FPS | 120 FPS |
| 1080P Most Framerate | 120 FPS | 240 FPS |
| Extra Video Crop Issue | 1.5x crop at 4K 60p (4K 30p has no extra crop) | No |
| Chroma Subsampling | 4:2:0, 4:2:2 (Exterior) | 4:2:2 |
| Video Recording Restrict | 30 min | 125 min |
|
Bodily and Different Options |
||
| Card Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Kind | CFExpress Kind B | CFExpress Kind B |
| Slot 2 Kind | SD (UHS-II) | SD (UHS-II) |
| Rear LCD Dimension (Diagonal) | 3.2 in | 3.2 in |
| Rear LCD Decision | 2.1 million dots | 2.1 million dots |
| Articulating LCD | Single Axis | Totally Articulating |
| Touchscreen | Sure | Sure |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.8x | 0.8x |
| Viewfinder Decision | 3.69 million dots | 5.76 million dots |
| Viewfinder Protection | 100% | 100% |
| Voice Memo | Sure | Sure |
| Headphone Jack | Sure | Sure |
| Microphone Jack | Sure | Sure |
| Constructed-in Flash | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Sure | Sure |
| WiFi | Sure | Sure |
| USB Kind | Kind C 3.1 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Battery Kind | EN-EL15c | EN-EL15c |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 340 frames | 360 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 410 frames | 390 frames |
| Battery Life (Eco Mode) | 450 frames | 410 frames |
| Climate Sealed | Sure | Sure |
| Weight (Physique Solely w/ Battery + Card) | 705 g (1.55 lbs.) | 760 g (1.68 lbs.) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | 134 x 101 x 85 mm (5.3 x 4.0 x 3.3″)1 | 139 x 102 x 89 mm (5.5 x 4.0 x 3.5″)1 |
|
Worth Comparability |
||
| MSRP, Physique Solely | $2000 (Examine Present Worth) | $2500 (Examine Present Worth) |
| Used Costs | Nikon Z6 II Used Costs | Nikon Z6 III Used Costs |
| 1The Nikon Z6 II and Z6 III’s official dimensions don’t embody the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the standard requirements right this moment, 15mm have been added to each depth measurements on this desk. | ||
Nikon has clearly modified rather a lot for the reason that Nikon Z6 II was introduced, with the largest modifications being associated to the velocity of the digital camera and the video capabilities. The Nikon Z6 II by no means felt like a really high-end digital camera for sports activities and wildlife images, though it labored in a pinch. However the Nikon Z6 III feels prefer it was made with these genres in thoughts from the beginning.
Subsequent, how does the Nikon Z6 III examine to the retro-themed Nikon Zf?
Nikon Zf vs Nikon Z6 III
| Digital camera Characteristic | Nikon Zf | Nikon Z6 III |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | September 2023 | June 2024 |
| Digital camera Kind | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Kind | BSI CMOS | Partially Stacked CMOS |
| Picture Processor | EXPEED 7 | EXPEED 7 |
| Decision | 24.5 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 6048×4032 | 6048×4024 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Body) | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Body) |
| Sensor Pixel Dimension | 5.94µ | 5.94µ |
| Low Go Filter | Sure | Sure |
| IBIS (In-Physique Picture Stabilization) | Sure | Sure |
| Base ISO | ISO 100 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 64,000 | ISO 64,000 |
| Prolonged ISOs | ISO 50-204,800 | ISO 50-204,800 |
| Excessive-Decision Sensor Shift | Sure | Sure |
| Focus Stack Bracketing | Sure | Sure |
| Pre-Shoot Burst Mode | Sure (JPEG solely) | Sure (JPEG solely) |
| Quickest Shutter Velocity | 1/8000 | 1/16000 |
| Longest Shutter Velocity | 900 seconds | 900 seconds |
| Steady Capturing (Mechanical Shutter) | 14 FPS | 14 FPS |
| Steady Capturing (Digital Shutter) | 14 FPS | 20 FPS |
| Buffer Dimension (Uncooked) | Over 200 frames | 1000+ frames |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid PDAF with deep studying topic recognition | Hybrid PDAF with deep studying topic recognition |
| Autofocus Factors | 273 | 273 |
| Most Low-Gentle AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | -8.5 EV | -8.5 EV |
| Customary Flash Sync Velocity | 1/200 | 1/200 |
| Curtain to Shield Sensor at Shutdown | No | No |
|
Video Options |
||
| Most Video Bit Depth (Inside) | 10 bits | 12 bits |
| Most Video Bit Depth (Exterior) | 10 bits | 12 bits |
| Uncooked Video | No | Sure |
| 6K Most Framerate | N/A | 60 FPS |
| 4K Most Framerate | 60 FPS | 120 FPS |
| 1080P Most Framerate | 120 FPS | 240 FPS |
| Extra Video Crop Issue | 1.5x crop at 4K 60p (4K 30p has no extra crop) | No |
| Chroma Subsampling | 4:2:2 | 4:2:2 |
| Video Recording Restrict | 125 min | 125 min |
|
Bodily and Different Options |
||
| Card Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Kind | SD (UHS-II) | CFExpress Kind B |
| Slot 2 Kind | Micro SD (UHS-I) | SD (UHS-II) |
| Rear LCD Dimension (Diagonal) | 3.2 in | 3.2 in |
| Rear LCD Decision | 2.1 million dots | 2.1 million dots |
| Articulating LCD | Totally Articulating | Totally Articulating |
| Touchscreen | Sure | Sure |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.8x | 0.8x |
| Viewfinder Decision | 3.69 million dots | 5.76 million dots |
| Viewfinder Protection | 100% | 100% |
| Voice Memo | Sure | Sure |
| Headphone Jack | Sure | Sure |
| Microphone Jack | Sure | Sure |
| Constructed-in Flash | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Sure | Sure |
| WiFi | Sure | Sure |
| USB Kind | Kind C 3.2 Gen 1 | Kind C 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Battery Kind | EN-EL15c | EN-EL15c |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 360 frames | 360 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 380 frames | 390 frames |
| Battery Life (Eco Mode) | 430 frames | 410 frames |
| Climate Sealed | Sure | Sure |
| Weight (Physique Solely w/ Battery + Card) | 710 g (1.57 lbs.) | 760 g (1.68 lbs.) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | 144 x 103 x 59 mm (5.7 x 4.1 x 2.3″)1 | 139 x 102 x 89 mm (5.5 x 4.0 x 3.5″)1 |
|
Worth Comparability |
||
| MSRP, Physique Solely | $2000 (Examine Present Worth) | $2500 (Examine Present Worth) |
| Used Costs | Nikon Zf Used Costs | Nikon Z6 III Used Costs |
| 1The Nikon Zf and Nikon Z6 III’s official dimensions don’t embody the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the standard requirements right this moment, 10mm and 15mm respectively have been added to the depth measurements on this desk. | ||
The variations between these two cameras aren’t as quite a few as they have been between the Nikon Z6 II and the Nikon Z6 III. Nonetheless, they nonetheless are inclined to go in the identical route. The Nikon Z6 III has some benefits over the Nikon Zf for high-speed images in addition to videography.
To me, the largest variations come all the way down to the kind of reminiscence playing cards used for every digital camera. The Nikon Zf has an SD and Micro SD card slot, whereas the Nikon Z6 III has the sooner CFExpress slot along with an SD slot. That is most likely why the buffer capability and high velocity of the Nikon Z6 III are higher than these of the Nikon Zf, and why it could actually sustain with increased video specs. Nonetheless, the Nikon Zf continues to be superb for motion images and videography, so in case you just like the retro design or the lower cost, it’s actually value contemplating.
The following web page of this evaluation covers the digital camera’s development, particularly the modifications for the reason that earlier technology Nikon Z6 II. So, click on the menu beneath to go to the following web page, Design and Dealing with.