Nikon Z6 III Overview: A Little Tough Across the Edges

Nikon is on a roll and the Z6 III is the newest feather in its cap. The Z6 III guarantees to be the versatile and reasonably priced workhorse within the Nikon lineup but it surely may lack refinement upon nearer inspection. We examined the Z6 III as a remaining manufacturing unit and the findings had been enlightening. The Z6 III may need a couple of cracks in its in any other case sterling armor.

Nikon Z6 III Overview: Wonderful On Paper

Once we first performed with a pre-production Z6 III, all of the issues we had been capable of check confirmed unbelievable promise. On the threat of repeating myself an excessive amount of from the unique preliminary overview, I discovered the physique dealing with exceptionally customizable and intuitive.

The improved 5.76-million dot EVF is a big improve and the newest Nikon IBIS supplies probably the most secure of bases to shoot from. The digital camera has glorious video traits, proving itself to be a strong hybrid software, and the mechanical shutter can go as much as 14 frames per second which is good for many sports activities and motion.

Nonetheless, crucial and interesting improve was the transfer to a brand new sort of partially-stacked sensor which promised to offer a great compromise between quicker readout speeds whereas sustaining an reasonably priced backside line. Sooner studying sensors are the newest technological mountain that the producers are attempting to summit. Megapixels and dynamic vary have plateaued however quicker learn speeds unlock excessive burst charges, fewer rolling shutter points, and higher video capabilities.

With a purpose to enhance upon the efficiency of the Z6 III, Nikon determined to not go together with an older 24-megapixel sensor and as an alternative attempt one thing we haven’t seen earlier than. The brand new partially-stacked chip provides us as much as 20 frames per second (FPS) in RAW with autofocus enabled and as much as 120 JPEGS per second if wanted. It does all this with out an excessive amount of rolling shutter and though it could’t match the Nikon Z8 or Z9 ranges of efficiency, it provides us a considerable enchancment with out the additional price.

However is there a sacrifice to be made for all these advantages?

Nikon Z6 III Overview: What Goes Up Should Come Down

One of many few issues that we couldn’t pretty check in a pre-production digital camera was picture high quality, together with dynamic vary. Whereas the pictures that I took had been pleasing on the pc monitor, there was extra digging to be performed and it seems that there’s a substantial trade-off in terms of dynamic vary. We count on there to be some loss when a digital camera shoots in its digital shutter mode, normally round half a cease or so. Typically extra, typically much less. The Nikon Z8 is a digital camera that shoots with an digital shutter completely and exhibits a couple of third-of-a-stop much less DR than the Nikon Z7II.

Within the case of the Z6 III, it really works somewhat bit in another way. First off, the dynamic vary between the mechanical shutter mode and digital shutter mode is principally similar which you don’t see fairly often. Nonetheless, there’s a vital drop in dynamic vary in comparison with an older digital camera just like the Z6 II. The Z6 III provides up roughly a full cease of dynamic vary in comparison with its predecessor which is a fairly large trade-off to get quicker burst charges in digital shutter mode.

As talked about, there is no such thing as a choice to get extra dynamic vary by utilizing the mechanical shutter as a result of the outcomes are the identical for both shutter. This lack of vary equals out with aggressive cameras when capturing at ISO 800 and above, so the downsides are solely when utilizing decrease ISO settings. Nonetheless, it’s normally decrease ISO settings that we’re most involved with getting probably the most DR — suppose contrasty panorama pictures on a tripod or studio and pure mild portraits.

So how does the Z6 III stack as much as rivals just like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Sony a7 IV? The R6 II does have a difficulty the place capturing digital shutter confers a significant penalty to the bit-depth of the picture and subsequently a giant loss in dynamic vary. Because of this, the Z6 III is best than the Canon EOS R6 II when capturing in digital shutter mode. Nonetheless, as soon as the mechanical is switched on, the Canon pulls forward with higher DR at these decrease ISO settings. The Sony a7 IV does preserve higher dynamic vary when utilizing digital shutter mode however the rolling-shutter points are fairly obvious. Once more, when utilizing the mechanical shutter the Sony pulls means forward, providing a giant enchancment in dynamic vary in addition to extra megapixels than the Z6 III besides.

Nikon Z6 III Overview: Extra to Focus on in Video

Because the announcement of the Z6 III, we’ve had the chance to shoot way more extensively with the digital camera and have some refined impressions. Basically, all the things in our preliminary overview holds true: this is a superb, versatile digital camera and the partially stacked sensor provides numerous compelling options past simply improved rolling shutter.

For starters, the 4K/60p seize is full-width and nonetheless oversampled, which is extraordinarily uncommon on this worth vary. 4K/120p is out there, however taken from a DX crop, and thus, not oversampled. The choice is even there to report 6K/60p RAW video, although this selection is barely out there in N-RAW, not the extra broadly accepted ProRes RAW. The suite of recording choices and codecs is powerful, bested solely by the extra video-centric Panasonic GH7 on this class.

I used to be inquisitive about dynamic vary, as that’s the main compromise with the partially stacked sensor in photograph mode. Earlier than we get to the outcomes, it’s necessary to know that the direct competitors for this digital camera — the Canon R6 II and Sony a7 IV — must drop the bit depth to 12-bit mode when recording video, dropping the out there dynamic vary. The Nikon has no such points, and this ends in a really aggressive shadow and spotlight element, regardless of the inherent DR penalty of the partially stacked sensor.

One necessary factor to say is that the official Nikon N-Log LUT provides extraordinarily contrasty outcomes. This implies when utilizing the built-in “View Help” (that offers you an thought of what the graded footage will appear to be whereas capturing), it’ll appear to be your highlights are blown out and shadows are blocked up effectively earlier than they really are. I do want Nikon would replace the LUT to offer you a greater illustration of how a lot info you might be really capturing.

The opposite factor I wished to check was overheating, because the Z6 III presents extremely demanding report modes however does so with no lively cooling. I ran my assessments at room temperature, with a half-hour quiet down between every recording.

I used to be thrilled to study that customary H.265 4K/24p can run for 2 hours (the recording restrict), and the physique was heat, however not scorching. It’s possible you’ll run into points with quicker body charges, nevertheless, because the h.265 4K/60P overheated after 52 minutes. That is very spectacular contemplating 4K/60p is over-sampled, and these report occasions won’t ever be a difficulty for capturing occasional slow-motion clips. In the event you report your major video tracks at 60p, nevertheless, this will show a limitation. Going one step additional, 4K/120p shut the digital camera down after 42 minutes. Bear in mind although, if conformed to 24p, that’s three and a half hours of slow-mo.

Recording RAW video actually reduces report occasions, although I’m curious how a lot of that’s the fault of the digital camera versus the CFExpress B card. Recording 6K/60p in N-Uncooked, the recording was stopped after 17 minutes with out an overheating warning, and the digital camera was nonetheless cool. Eradicating the cardboard, nevertheless, was like pulling bread out of the toaster too rapidly. That SanDisk card was scorching and I believe that’s why the digital camera interrupted recording. Leaping over to 6K/24p N-RAW, the identical factor occurred after 42 minutes. The digital camera was a bit heat, however the card was scorching once more. Virtually, I feel RAW video can be helpful for filmmaking and occasional pictures that may require in depth flexibility in put up, however I wouldn’t belief it for lengthy, uninterrupted shoots. The large file sizes although, will doubtless be simply as a lot if no more of an obstacle than the overheating.

One remaining factor I wished to look into was dropped at our consideration by Robert Could, which is an publicity “flickering” that may be seen in some conditions. That is most noticeable in RAW video, however may even be seen within the 10-bit h.265 seize on the highest ISOs in N-Log, too. At ISO 51,200 it’s fairly noticeable and would definitely damage footage, however it will be fairly uncommon for filmmakers to be capturing RAW or log at such excessive ISOs. That stated, the flickering remains to be seen at ISO 6400 (the digital camera’s second native achieve setting in video) within the deepest shadows. These shadows are already so noisy I might by no means use them, however in extraordinarily low mild shoots, this might pose a difficulty. Now we have engaged Nikon in regards to the scenario however on the time of publication, we had not heard from the corporate whether or not it is a software program or {hardware} situation. We’ll replace this overview as we get extra info.

So whereas there are nonetheless some odd points with the Z6 III, taken as a complete I nonetheless suppose it’s probably the most compelling full-frame hybrid digital camera in its class. The oversampled 4K/60p, 5.4K recording, and waveforms to help in metering make it a considerably higher video digital camera than the Sony a7 IV or Canon R6 II. The one factor with extra spectacular recording modes at this worth is the Panasonic GH7 which has a a lot smaller Micro 4 Thirds sensor. Merely put, I beloved the expertise of capturing with the Z6 III, and in most conditions, it’ll ship extremely skilled outcomes.

The Nikon Z6 III is a Contender However Not a Champion

The $2,500 Nikon Z6 III covers quite a lot of bases and is without doubt one of the nicest dealing with cameras available on the market. Potential consumers will love the controls, improved EVF expertise, and general picture high quality outcomes. The Z6 III additionally proves to be a digital camera that may deal with many alternative sorts of photographic conditions and video assignments as effectively and Nikon has made it to be an extremely versatile product that ought to please most customers.

Nikon autofocus efficiency nonetheless has a couple of quirks however the success fee for capturing sports activities and motion can be excessive, particularly because of the quick burst charges in each mechanical and digital shutter mode. Video shooters additionally have to take a critical have a look at Nikon merchandise in the event that they haven’t already. The one actual situation with the Z6 III comes right down to this new sensor sort and it’s necessary that we maintain this in context.

Not everybody will undergo from and even discover the lack of dynamic vary that comes with the Z6 III and photographers capturing low-light concert events and evening pictures will doubtless be capturing greater ISO values the place the drawback goes away anyway. However panorama photographers may take discover of the additional noise when boosting shadows and the lessened capacity to push and pull publicity as absolutely because the competitors.

The Nikon Z6 III may be probably the most full hybrid mid-level mirrorless full-frame digital camera available on the market in the present day however its know-how doesn’t put it head-and-shoulders above the competitors. Reasonably, it makes it a very good various to the possible purchaser on a price range resulting from its first rate pricing however a product that would very effectively be leap-frogged by the opposite producers within the close to future.

Are There Alternate options?

The aforementioned $2,500 Canon EOS R6 Mark II solely outperforms the Z6 III in mechanical shutter mode. In any other case, it’s a slower capturing digital camera with out the video capabilities Nikon presents. The venerable $2,500 Sony a7 IV is exhibiting its age and lacks the higher shows of the Z6 III and has a poor digital shutter mode. It does have significantly better dynamic vary with the mechanical shutter, although, and the additional megapixels will attraction to customers who prefer to print their work.

Ought to You Purchase It?

Sure. The Z6 III is the very best all-around full-frame hybrid digital camera on this worth vary. I simply want it gave aggressive dynamic vary when utilizing the mechanical shutter.