The Nikon Z6 is an affordable full-frame mirrorless camera with 24MP of resolution and up to 12fps image capture.
Nikon is tipping its full-frame mirrorless camera system with two bodies and a trio of lenses. The Nikon Z6 ($1,995) is the 24MP, 12fps, entry-level option—entry-level for full-frame, that is. It’s going to start shipping in late November, a couple months after its pricier sibling, the $3,399.95,45.7MP Z7 hits store shelves. We took a deep dive in our first look of the Z7, and if you’re interested in the system I encourage you to click over there for more information. Here we’ll go over the differences between the Z6 and the Z7.
Aside from the model number on the body, there aren’t any noticeable physical differences between the Z6 and the Z7. It’s housed in the same 4.0-by-5.3-by-2.7-inch (HWD), 1.5-pound chassis. Despite coming in at a lower price, it features the same level of internal dust and splash protection, and uses the same high-speed XQD memory card format.
The differences are all inside. The Z7 has a high-resolution 45.7MP image sensor, very similar to the one found in the D850. The Z6 uses a 24MP sensor—plenty of resolution for most photographers. The sensor incorporates an optical low-pass filter (OLPF).
That’s not uncommon for a 24MP camera—the OLPF cuts into detail a bit, but also reduces the shimmering rainbow effect caused by color moiré. High-resolution sensors, like the one in the Z7, ditch the OLPF in order to capture as much detail as possible, but photographers who use them do have to use software to remove the moiré effect in certain shots.
Since autofocus is placed on the sensor itself, the Z6 is also a bit different from the Z7 in that regard. It still offers 90 percent coverage, but the lower resolution sensor only necessitates 273 focus points, versus the denser 493 used by the Z7. Despite having fewer points of focus, the Z6 is able to focus and fire off shots at a quicker rate than the Z7—12fps versus 9fps. Raw quality does drop to 12-bit when shooting at 12fps, but you can still manage 9fps at full 14-bit quality with the Z6. The Z7 tops out at 8fps when shooting in 14-bit.
The 24MP image sensor has a native ISO range of 100 through 51200, and can be set as high as ISO 204800 in extended mode. Compare this with the Z7, which ranges from ISO 64 through 102400.
Finally, the lower-resolution sensor is a bit more tuned for 4K video recording. It uses the full sensor width to record 6K footage, which is downsampled and saved as 4K. It’s a technique we’ve seen in other cameras, including the Sony a7 III, and it nets better video. With the Z7 you need to switch to a DX (APS-C) crop mode in order to record at a native 5K resolution, which is again saved at 4K resolution.
The Z6 looks like a formidable video camera, with internal 4K recording, 1080p slow-motion at 120fps, uncompressed 10-bit N-Log output via HDMI, and internal H.264 recording. Nikon has done nothing to artificially hamper the video capabilities of the lesser-priced Z camera.
While I was able to have some brief hands-on time with the Nikon Z7 in a boardroom environment, I haven’t yet seen the Z6 in person. On paper, it looks like a strong competitor to the Sony a7 III, although it faces the same challenges as the Z7 in regards to native lenses (only three will be available this year). It’s priced the same, and has the ability to use Nikon F-mount lenses via an adapter.
Photographers have long been faced with only a couple of system choices when buying a full-frame camera. There’s the Sony FE system, which has been around for five years and has grown and matured over that time. Leica has its pricey SL and its M series for the rangefinder faithful, but those are niche options. Now we’ve got Nikon in the game, and if the rumors are to believed, Canon is hot on its heels.
Mirrorless cameras offer real advantages over SLRs. They are typically a little bit smaller, wide-angle lenses don’t have to be as bulky, and on-sensor phase detection focus eliminates the need for any sort of at-home lens calibration, while keeping up with the best SLRs have to offer. More players and more competition in the space can only be good news for photographers, who will benefit from the innovation that competition drives.
The Z6 will start shipping in late November. We’ll update this story with more detail, results from lab and field testing, and images as soon as we’re able to get one in for review.
