Nikon Z6 III Preliminary Evaluation: A Middleweight Fighter With Heavyweight Desires

Nikon’s Z6 III brings a number of applied sciences to the desk and packages them right into a digital camera that appears purpose-built to win the $2,500, mid-range, full-frame digital camera combat. It might be priced to compete with the center of the digital camera pack, however it’s swinging punches like a flagship.

Once I performed with the Nikon Zf final 12 months, I observed that the digital camera had a number of new expertise for one thing that was meant to be a retro-inspired area of interest digital camera. In some ways, the Zf felt like a considerable enchancment over the Z6 II to the purpose the place I puzzled if Nikon was going to cancel the Z6 and Z7 strains in favor of simply it and the Z8. Nevertheless, the Z6 II represented a fantastic all-around digital camera that may fulfill many roles with out breaking the financial institution and the ZF was certainly a distinct segment product. So I figured there have to be a Z6 III across the nook.

Minimize to June of 2024 and the brand new Z6 III has been introduced. Nikon was type sufficient to offer Jordan and me a sophisticated alternative to check out the newest digital camera and so they flew us out to Portland, Oregon to see it. Portland additionally occurs to be the hometown of our editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider so we received to catch up and take a look at out the newest Nikon physique collectively.

We traveled to Astoria to see the mighty Columbia River and even to Cannon Seashore to check the Nikon physique — the irony was not misplaced on us. We additionally hit up the Japanese Gardens in Portland and caught a observe session with the Main League Soccer Portland Timbers to essentially take a look at all of the options of the digital camera. Though it was pre-production, the Z6 III we examined was very near the ultimate model so I received to have a substantive first look.

Nikon Z6 III: A Very Acquainted Dealing with Expertise

If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. The Z6 III feels instantly acquainted to anybody who has dealt with a Z6 or Z7 and that’s a very good factor as a result of the Z6 III advantages from some hard-won classes and enhancements to supply a flexible and customizable digital camera with a really safe and cozy really feel. The AF-ON button, autofocusing joystick, and selector swap for photographs or video are all straightforward to govern and provides the management that superior photographers recognize. The physique is rugged and sealed towards the weather to the identical diploma because the Nikon Z8 however it’s somewhat lighter at 25.5 ounces (725 grams). There are many customizable buttons and the grip is deep and cozy. It’s onerous to fault the digital camera physique design as a result of it appears to be thoughtfully laid out, and most significantly, nothing has been held again or taken away regardless of the digital camera being a lower cost than the Z8 or Z9.

One of many noteworthy bits of tech that was launched on the Zf finds its strategy to the Z6 III: the brand new IBIS unit guarantees as much as eight stops of stabilization and can modify the sensor for topics which might be off-center in your photos. Wherever the AF level is locked, the digital camera will modify particularly and this has confirmed to be a really efficient resolution for getting sharp pictures regardless of the place your topic is.

Although the Z6 III is a barely smaller package deal in Nikon’s lineup, we aren’t lacking out on any main ports. There’s a headphone jack and mic jack in addition to a full-size HDMI port. We don’t get the twin USB-C ports just like the Z8 has however the digital camera can after all be charged and related through its single USB-C port. There’s additionally a devoted cable launch port to work with the inexpensive Nikon MC-DC2 unit. The Z6 III makes use of each a high-speed UHS-II SD card slot in addition to CFExpress Kind B playing cards, so you have got an answer for quick burst price capturing in addition to a backup. The battery is the venerable EN-EL15C battery which is shared amongst lots of the newest Nikon our bodies. You may nonetheless use a number of the older EN-EL15 batteries identical to with the Z8 on the expense of some battery life and solely the B and C variations will cost in digital camera.

Nikon Z6 III: A Massive Improve The place We Didn’t Count on It

All people anticipated the Z6 III to chop prices by having the identical previous 3.69-million dot EVF that we’ve seen earlier than. What a shock then to look into a wonderful 5.76-million dot EVF which additionally occurs to have minimal latency and a quick 120hz refresh price. I actually loved utilizing the brand new EVF for the soccer matches and located it capable of sustain with the motion with out hindering me. It additionally has an insane 4,000-nit peak brightness which, frankly, is method too vibrant for many conditions in my view. However due to it, the EVF does help a full HDR coloration house. After some straightforward changes, I had the EVF brightness calibrated and shortly discovered that it was one of many largest upgrades on this line of cameras. The again panel is a superbly acceptable 2.1-million dot show with full articulation that ought to please panorama photographers and videographers alike.

Nikon Z6 III: A New Sensor We’ve By no means Seen Earlier than

I’ve heard of stacked sensors and BSI sensors, however the Z6 III options the primary partially stacked sensor I’ve ever used. The concept is straightforward: Utilizing some components of a fully-stacked sensor can provide a compromise that enhances efficiency with out the steep worth to go together with it.

The half-stacked sensor reads out quicker than the older Z6 II however retains its 24-megapixel decision. This enables for quicker burst speeds and a considerably decrease rolling shutter worth than the older sensor with out going to the extremely high-speed, high-cost Z8 stacked chip. There’s a mechanical shutter within the Z6 III too, which may push as much as 14 frames per second with steady autofocus and the quicker studying sensor does permit for the digital shutter to sync with flashes at 1/60 of a second and provides burst charges as much as 20 frames per second and nonetheless shoot RAW photos. You may push as much as 60 frames per second in JPEG-only mode or 120 frames per second with a 1.5x crop issue. The RAW photos out of the Z6 III additionally preserve 14-bit high quality with out dropping right down to 12-bit to supply these quicker burst speeds.

Though the Nikon Z6 III makes use of the newest autofocusing algorithms, the partially stacked sensor received’t give fairly the identical efficiency as we’ve seen within the Z8 and Z9. You may anticipate it to be rather less sticky when monitoring topics and performance such because the devoted chook detection has been folded into common animal detection as a substitute. That being stated, efficiency is a definitive enchancment over the older Z6 and Z7 our bodies and I discovered the 3D monitoring to work very successfully when monitoring Portland Timbers soccer gamers.

I discovered the face and eye detection to be working at lengthy distances and naturally, the conduct of the autofocus may be personalized relying on the state of affairs. I feel many wildlife, journalism, and sports activities photographers will discover the Z6 III to be an efficient software when they should land vital motion pictures. The Z6 III may even autofocus in extraordinarily low ranges of sunshine: it’s rated to focus at -10EV with an f/1.2 lens and from the testing we did at evening on the streets of Portland, I can attest that that is correct.

24 megapixels remains to be thought of par for the course in an all-round full-frame digital camera though older cameras just like the Sony A7 IV surpass it. Picture high quality isn’t one thing we are able to totally take a look at but however I anticipate the outcomes to be very predictable to what we’ve seen from the Nikon Z6 II, for instance. For those who want extra decision, the Z6 III now helps a multi-shot high-resolution mode. Stacking as much as 32 photos permits the Z6 III to create 96-megapixel photos which does have a noticeable benefit intimately and dynamic vary. Sadly, the pictures have to be taken on a tripod and there’s no strategy to create the photographs in digital camera — you must use the NX Studio desktop software program to compile them. This isn’t handy and one thing that I’ve criticized Sony for advert nauseam, so we are able to’t let Nikon off the hook right here both.

Nikon Z6 III: It Doesn’t Simply Take Pictures

The Z6 III carries on the custom that the Z6 collection had as a hybrid photograph/video platform however it additionally borrows a number of high-end options from the Nikon Z8 as properly. The video autofocus efficiency is improved and the Z6 III can now shoot inside RAW video in addition to superior ProRes file modes. Inner RAW recording is a giant coup for Nikon and presently, solely the Panasonic GH7 can match this at an identical worth. You should use Nikon’s proprietary NRAW format or shoot ProRes RAW relying on which modifying software program you favor. It additionally has superior help instruments reminiscent of waveforms and whereas the totally articulating display may not be a photographer’s first selection, it makes extra sense on a hybrid digital camera. The brand new EVF can also be a pleasure to make use of for video work and gives sufficient element to precisely manually focus with out magnifying the show.

The partially-stacked sensor now permits the recording of over-sampled 4K footage as much as 60 frames per second. 4K at 120 frames per second is kind of sharp though it does apply a 1.5x crop issue. The Z6 III can push to 1080p240 when you want even slower movement. The 24-megapixel sensor can’t ship any 8K recording however you may push it as much as 5.4K recording at a considerably extra restricted 16:9 facet ratio.

The Z6 III proved itself to be a succesful video digital camera and the one actual options lacking are open gate recording and shutter angle management. The IBIS unit did a very good job at controlling digital camera shake, particularly when strolling or shifting the digital camera with a topic. The autofocus efficiency in video was surprisingly efficient at monitoring quick motion and adjusting for it as properly, though — weirdly — it did generally drift with locked-off pictures the place the digital camera should not have any downside sustaining appropriate focus.

Nonetheless, the Z6 III actually shines as a hybrid digital camera in in the present day’s market as a result of it presents a very good compromise between sensor read-out velocity and backbone and has a lot of the necessary instruments and file modes to please superior videographers.

The Z6 III is the Trendy Mirrorless D750

I struggled to discover a main fault with the Z6 III as a result of Nikon has purposefully created a digital camera that may win each the hearts of potential consumers and a few wholesome market share as properly. The addition of a brand new quicker sensor, higher EVF, superior IBIS, and high-grade video options, makes the Z6 III a compelling digital camera with some expertise that isn’t even obtainable in higher-end fashions. That is in stark distinction to the everyday hand-me-down nature of most digital camera firms’ methods and we aren’t seeing options being omitted or disabled to keep up some perceived market segmentation.

The $2,500 Nikon Z6 III merely represents a serious improve at an inexpensive worth and it’s onerous to not respect a digital camera when it might do this. It’s most definitely the religious successor to the D750, a digital camera that was succesful sufficient for many conditions and earned the respect of photographers whether or not they shot Nikon or not. I feel the Z6 III will fulfill precisely this function for Nikon once more and it’s going to be a win for each Nikon and its customers.