Nikon Z6 III
24MP FX, IBIS, ISO 100~64,000 (50L~204,800H), Silent 120 FPS, 6K/60
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 III Z6 II Zf Z7 Z6 Z5 Z fc Z50 Z30
Z System Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses Flash
Nikon Z6 III ($2,497, 26.8 oz./760g with battery and one card, has one SD card slot and a second XQD card slot that also works with CFexpress type B cards) and Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4. bigger. I'd get mine at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
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June 2024 Nikon Mirrorless Mirrorless Lenses All Nikon Lenses Nikon Flash All Reviews
Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full Frame Mirrorless Compared
Nikon Z6 III. bigger.
Nikon Z6 III. bigger.
Introduction top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
The Z6 III replaces the Z6 II, adding a variety of updates. If these updates are important to you, then bravo, and if they're not, then you can get the old Z6 II for almost $1,000 less for mostly the same camera.
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
New since the Z6 II intro top
AF now rated to LV -10 with an f/1.2 lens, which is darker than full moonlight. This is rated 2.5 stops better than the Z6 II which was rated to LV -6 with a 1.5-stop slower f/2 lens.
Claimed "20% faster" autofocus than the old Z6 II.
Automatic AF subject detection.
1/16,000 top electronic shutter speed, up from 1/8,000.
HEIF file format for HDR stills, but no more TIF.
96 MP high-rez "pixel shift."
Precapture: set this option, and the camera will save all the images from up to a second before you fully press the shutter. Half-press the shutter to start buffering images, and when the shutter is pressed all the way, it saves images buffered up to one second earlier. Great for lightning and animals and action.
14 or 20 FPS with one second of precapture at 24 MP, with full AF tracking.
120 FPS with one second of precapture at 10 MP, with full AF tracking.
In-camera stabilization claims 8-stops improvement, up from 5 stops in Z6 II.
Electronic and mechanical shutters. Electronic shutter syncs at up to 1/60 with flash (1/200 with mechanical shutter).
5.8 MDot OLED OVF, up from 3,686,400 dots.
Very bright OVF rated 4,000 nits, best yet from Nikon. P3 gamut. (Z9 is only 3,000 nits, which was also more than enough to look awesome in daylight).
Nikon claims it's the first mirrorless camera finder to "support" a DCI-P3 equivalent color gamut. Nikon didn't say it actually has that gamut, but that it merely "supports" that gamut. Other display makers have lost lawsuits when it came out that when they said "support" a certain number of pixels, colors or bits that the DSP engine was simply downconverting from the higher standard to what the panel could do.
The PLAY and MENU buttons are now on the same (right) side for one-handed shooting!!! The advance-mode button moves to the right side of the camera where MENU used to be on the old Z6 II.
Normal flippy screen, not the older idiotic Nikon flippy LCD system.
Can run indefinitely powered by USB-C; no more need for goofy battery-replacement gizmos.
6K/60p 12-bit N-RAW internal recording.
6K/30p ProRes RAW internal recording.
5.4K 10-bit ProRes 4:2:2 and H.265 video.
1,080/240 slo-mo.
2 hour longest video take (125 minutes; was only 30 minutes in Z6 II).
HLG video.
Full-size HDMI-A connector (older was HDMI-C) . Raw recording is internal only, not output through the HDMI connector.
Works with Bluetooth Atomos UltraSync Blue to keep multiple video cameras in sync.
Audio input now switchable to LINE IN as well as MIC.
New MB-N14 dual-battery charging vertical grip (also at Adorama).The batteries are hot-swappable and it also works on the old Z6 II and Z7 II.
Works with MC-N10 Wired Remote Grip.
Bluetooth 5.0, up from 4.2. So?
1.9 oz. (55g) heavier than the old Z6 II.
Tiny bit larger in each dimension.
Regular ISO 100 ~ 64,000 (Z6 II was 50,000 tops), and has same ISO 204,800 push speed.
Rated to work down to -10º C (14º F).
No more 12-bit or uncompressed raw options. It's now all 14-bit, and lossless compression is the top option (good; uncompressed was only for olden days where the onboard computers lacked to power to compress in real time).
No longer includes the MH-25A external battery charger. (I'd never use it; I charge in-camera via USB-C.)
Claims to be sealed to the same level as the Z8.
"Flexible Color Picture Control" in Nikon's NX Studio software. (I haven't used Nikon's software in 20 years; I've always found it buggy and unnecessary.)
Focus-point VR optimizes stabilization to the selected focus point.
Good intro top
In-camera sensor-shift image-stabilization rated for 8 stops improvement.
Timed manual exposures out to 15 minutes (900 seconds) if you enable them at MENU > CUSTOM SETTING MENU (pencil icon> Shooting/display > d6 Extended shutter speeds (M) > ON.
Three user presets on the top dial: U1, U2 and U3.
PLAY and MENU buttons are now on the same (right) side for one-handed shooting!!!
Optional square 1:1 and 16:9 crops as-shot. I usually shoot in 1:1 since the native 3:2 is usually to long and skinny for me, and with square images I never have to turn the camera to shoot verticals.
HDR.
Flicker shoot-through.
Superior Nikon image quality for colors and dynamic range. No longer do we have to settle for inferior Sony or Fuji color rendition just to get mirrorless!
Crud-resistant fluorine-coated finder eyepiece.
Multiple exposures.
Flash system fully compatible with Nikon's existing DSLR flashes, with both optical and radio remote control.
Claimed weather sealing:
Nikon Z6 III. bigger.
Bad intro top
Still essentially the same as 2018's Z6, which makes this camera already obsolete and way behind Canon's brand-new and far superior EOS R6 Mk II. I suggest doing what I did for mirrorless and upgrade directly to Canon rather than throw more money at the number-three camera brand (Nikon).
New second card slot only works with expensive XQD or CFexpress type B cards. The second slot should have been another SD slot.
There's an 82 kB junk file called "NC_FLLST.DAT" in each image folder.
The FTZ adapter autofocuses only with Nikon's newest lenses with a built-in AF motor (AF-S and AF-P). It does not autofocus with any other lenses. The FTZ is a dud for those of us with a large collection of Nikon lenses because it only works (autofocuses or indexes properly) with about half of them. Nikon likes to forget to mention that all traditional AF and AF-D (screw-type) lenses will not autofocus. The FTZ works very poorly with manual-focus F, AI , AI'd and AI-s lenses, having no diaphragm control meaning you have to open and close the diaphragm manually for precise focus before and after each shot, has no exposure or EXIF data so you have no in-finder indication of aperture and have no EXIF aperture data, and there is no Matrix metering, Program or Shutter-priority automation with manual-focus lenses — which offer all these functions and more if used on 1984's Nikon FA! Worse, the Z6 II's automatic viewfinder brightness varies all over the place as you change the aperture on a manual lens. F, AI , AI'd, AI-s, AF and AF-D lenses, many of which Nikon still sells new today, work much better on any FX DSLR like a D750. Poo!
No AF MODE (M, AFC, AFS) switch; you have to assign a button and use dials to set this.
Missing intro top
No built-in flash.
The FTZ adapter autofocuses with F-mount lenses with a built-in AF motor (AF-S and AF-P), but does not autofocus with traditional AF and AF-D (screw-type) lenses.
No auto brightness control for the rear LCD; heck, every iPhone does this. (the finder does have auto brightness control).
No AF-A mode (automatic selection between single AF-S and continuous AF-C modes).
No GPS, but you might be able to tag images using your phone over an app.
No 4:3 or 4:5 crops, but does have square 1:1 and 16:9 crops. (Oddly the Z7 II has the 4:5 crop).
Lens Compatibility specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
DX Z Lenses
Ideally only use FX lenses on this FX camera.
The inexpensive DX Z lenses are optically superb and the Z6 III automatically crops its sensor to DX so you might not realize this while you're shooting, but by doing this you're throwing away more than half your sensor area and getting less resolution than by shooting these lenses on a Z50.
FTZ Adapters
I have an entire page on what works and doesn't work with Nikon's FTZ adapters, which lets Nikon's F-Mount lenses mount on a Z camera.
In short, all the newest AF-I, AF-S and AF-P lenses work fine with Nikon's FTZ adapter, while there is no autofocus with any other lenses, and especially no autofocus with older AF and AF‑D lenses, many of which Nikon still sells new today.
Manual-Focus F, AI converted, AI and AI‑s don't work very well, with no communication or control of aperture. Manual-focus lenses work much better on any FX DSLR than on the FTZ.
See all the details at Nikon FTZ & FTZ II Compatibility & Review.
Fringer Canon EF-to-Nikon Z Adapter
Adapts Canon EF lenses with often better results on my Nikon Z cameras than Nikon's own lenses give on this crappy FTZ adapter! It also works with other brands of lenses in Canon EF mount, adapting them to Nikon Z.
Adapted Rangefinder Lenses
The Z6 III has sensor-shift image stabilization, and it works great, even with ancient 1940s rangefinder lenses!
Nikon Z7 with W-NIKKOR•C 3.5cm f/1.8 (1956~1964). bigger.
You don't need and can't use the FTZ Adapter with rangefinder lenses. These lenses have to get closer to the sensor, and are the original mirrorless lenses. This is good, because we can get basic adapters cheap direct from China over eBay for just about any kind of lens.
In fact, we now can use even Nikon's original 1940s-1960s rangefinder lenses on the Z6 II!
LEICA's lenses for the LEICA M3 with goggles work great, too!
See Use with Adapted Rangefinder Lenses for more.
Palms and Storm, 6:21 PM, 29 November 2018. 2018 Nikon Z7 with 1956 W-NIKKOR•C 3.5cm f/1.8 (see Adapting Rangefinder Lenses to Nikon Mirrorless), f/4 at 10 seconds at ISO 64, shown exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © file. The palm tree is blowing all over in the wind; don't expect it to be museum-sharp.
Specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Image Sensor specifications top
Nikon Z6 III. bigger.
23.9 × 35.9 mm partially stacked CMOS with phase-detection AF pixels.
24 MP (6,048 x 4,032 native)
Ultrasonic cleaner.
Image Dust Off reference data.
ISO specifications top
ISO 100 ～ 64,000 (video only to 51,200).
Stills are pullable to ISO 50 and pushable to ISO 204,800.
Only ISO 400 ~ 51,200 in HLG tone mode.
N-Log has its own restrictions, but criminy, real cinematographers don't need crazy ISOs because we know how to light a set.
Auto ISO specifications top
Programmable for high and low limits from ISO 100 to ISO 51,200.
Auto and manual lowest shutter speed settings.
Image Stabilization specifications top
5-axis in-camera sensor-shift.
Works great with VR lenses, too.
Additional electronic stabilization for video.
Rated 8 stops improvement.
With F-mount VR lenses the camera corrects roll while the lens corrects pitch and yaw.
With F-mount non-VR lenses the camera corrects roll, pitch and yaw.
Autofocus
299 AF points, auto-area AF.
273 AF points, manually selected.
Phase and contrast detection.
Range: LV -10 ~ +19 with an f/1.2 lens. This is the same as LV -8.5 ~ +19 with an f/2 lens, with which the old Z6 II was rated LV -6 ~ +19.
Distance-Axis AF Modes
AF-S (single and lock), AF-S (continuous tracking) with predictive tracking.
"Full-time" AF-F in movie mode only.
Manual focus.
Electronic rangefinder.
AF-Area Selection Modes (X & Y axes)
Auto area selection.
Pinpoint (still photo mode only).
Single-point.
Dynamic area AF (still photo mode only).
Wide-area AF (S or L).
Still Image Sizes specifications top
Full-Frame
6,048 × 4,024 pixels native (Large, 24.34 MP)
4,528 × 3,016 (Medium, 13.7 MP)
3,024 × 2,016 (Small, 6.1 MP)
Cropped
4:5 (24 × 30mm)
NO 4:5 crop; you need the Z7 II for that.
Square 1:1 (24 × 24mm)
4,016 × 4,016 (Large, 16.1 MP)
3,008 × 3,008 (Medium, 9.0 MP)
2,000 × 2,000 (Small, 4.0 MP)
16:9 (20 × 36mm)
6,048 × 3,400 (Large, 20.6 MP)
4,528 × 2,544 (Medium, 11.5 MP)
3,024 × 1,696 (Small, 5.1 MP)
DX (16 × 24mm)
3,936 × 2,624 (Large, 10.3 MP)
2,944 × 1,968 (Medium, 5.8 MP)
1,968 × 1312 (Small, 2.6 MP)
Stills grabbed while rolling in 4K
3,840 × 2,160
Stills grabbed while rolling video in any other size
1,920 × 1,080
Frame Rates (Still images) specifications top
120 FPS, C120 trick high speed mode with feature restrictions.
60 FPS, C60 trick high speed mode with feature restrictions.
30 FPS, C30 trick high speed mode with feature restrictions.
20 FPS, electronic shutter with tracking AF & AE, Continuous High Extended.
14 FPS, mechanical shutter with tracking AF & AE, Continuous High Extended.
8.1 FPS (mechanical) or 16 FPS (electronic), Continuous High
1 ~ 7 FPS, Continuous Low.
Still Formats specifications top
JPG, HEIF and/or 14-bit raw. (No more TIF option.)
Every format offers several compression options, probably the best selection of options in the industry.
JPG or HEIF is saved as LARGE, MEDIUM or SMALL resolution in FINE, NORMAL or BASIC compression, with constant file size or constant quality-optimized (★) compression options.
Raw saved as 14-bit lossy or losslessly compressed at full LARGE resolution.
You can choose to saw raw along with either JPG or HEIF, but you can;t save JPG and HEIF at the same time (it is possibly you could save each to a different card; I haven't explored that).
sRGB and Adobe RGB.
Picture Controls specifications top
Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape and Flat.
Gimmick Picture Controls: Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Red, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary and Carbon.
Of course these each can be adjusted and saved, and apply to both still images and video.
Video specifications top
All recorded internally. External HDMI limited to just 4K.
Video File Formats
MOV, MP4 and Nikon's proprietary NEV raw format.
N-RAW (12 bit), Apple ProRes RAW HQ (12 bit), Apple ProRes 422 HQ (10 bit), H.265/HEVC (8 bit/10 bit), H.264/AVC (8 bit).
Video Image Sizes
ProRes RAW/ProRes RAW HQ/Raw
6,048 x 3,404 (6K) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50 or 59.94 FPS.
4,032 x 2,268 (pseudo 4K DCI) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50 or 59.94 FPS.
3,984 x 2,240 (4K) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94, 100 or 119.88 FPS.
H.264/H.265 8/10-Bit
5,376 x 3,024 (5.3K) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50 or 59.94 FPS.
3,840 x 2,160 (4K) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94, 100 or 119.88 FPS.
1,920 x 1,080 (1,080p) at 23.976, 25, 29.976, 50, 59.94, 100, 119.88, 200 or 239.76 FPS.
1,920 x 1,080 (1,080p) slo-mo at 23.976 (×5), 25 (×4) or 29.976 (×4).
Video Features
HDR-HLG or Nikon N-Log gamma curves.
Uses the same Picture Controls as still images.
Active D-Lighting, electronic vibration reduction, and focus peaking can be used with 4K UHD and 1,080 movie recording.
The N-Log color profile can also be used with 10-bit HDMI output. The N-Log setting utilizes extensive color depth and twelve-stop, 1,300% dynamic range to record a wealth of tone information from highlights and shadows for more effective color grading.
Timecode.
Time-lapse.
Electronic vibration reduction.
125 minutes maximum take length.
Audio specifications top
Recorded only along with video.
48 ksps 24 bit LPCM (Linear Pulse-Code Modulation) in MOV or NEV raw.
48 ksps, 16 bit AAC in MP4.
Stereo microphones built in.
Mic-in jack with plug-in power overrides built-in mic.
Headphone jack.
Linear PCM or AAC coding.
Metering Modes specifications top
Matrix.
75% center-weighted in center 12mm.
Full-frame unweighted average.
4mm spot on selected AF point.
Highlight-weighed.
Metering Range specifications top
LV -4 ~ +17 with an f/2 lens at 20º C.
Finder specifications top
Nikon Z6 III Finder Optics. bigger.
0.80× magnification with 50mm lens.
5,760,000 dots.
3,686,400 dots.
4:3 aspect ratio.
0.5" (12.7mm) 1,600 × 1,200 pixel (1.9 MP) OLED.
Auto (or manual) brightness control.
-4 to +2 diopters.
21 mm eyepoint.
Auto eye sensor selects read LCD or finder.
Crud-resistant fluorine-coated finder eyepiece.
Aspherical eyepiece elements.
Shutters specifications top
Silent Electronic Shutter
Also has an Electronic First Curtain option.
1/16,000 ～ 32 seconds in P, S, A and M modes.
Additionally goes to 900 seconds (15 minutes) in manual mode, with TIME and BULB options as well.
1/60 flash sync speed.
Self Timer.
Multiple Exposures (standard, average, lighten or darken modes).
Vertical Metal Focal Plane Shutter
Also an Electronic First Curtain option.
1/8,000 ～ 32 seconds in P, S, A and M modes.
Additionally goes to 900 seconds (15 minutes) in manual mode, with TIME and BULB options as well.
1/200 flash sync speed mechanical shutter, 1/60 with electronic shutter.
Self Timer.
Multiple Exposures (standard, average, lighten or darken modes).
Remote Releases specifications top
App via Bluetooth.
Corded Nikon MC-DC2 and similar.
Flash specifications top
1/200 flash sync speed with mechanical shutter.
1/60 flash sync speed with electronic shutter.
Auto FP High Speed Sync.
Standard i-TTL system.
Balanced fill-flash in matrix, center-weighted, and highlight-weighted metering modes. The flash level balances with ambient light.
Standard i-TTL fill-flash in spot metering. The flash exposure takes precedence over ambient light.
Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync and slow rear-curtain sync modes.
i-TTL flash control, radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting, optical Advanced Wireless Lighting, modeling illumination, FV lock, Color Information Communication, Auto FP High-Speed Sync and unified flash control.
Built-in Flash
NONE.
External Flash
Dedicated ISO-518 hot shoe.
LCD Monitor specifications top
Nikon Z6 III 3.2" flipping LCD. bigger.
3.2" (8 cm) diagonal.
Touch screen.
2,100,000 dots.
170º viewing.
Manual brightness control only.
Top LCD Display specifications top
Yes, monochrome.
Connectors specifications top
Nikon Z6 III Connectors. bigger.
All these connectors are covered by crappy plastic covers that flop around while you're using the connectors, and have to be snapped-in carefully when you're done so they stay down.
In Nikon's publicity picture above, note how they deceptively have ripped-off the covers so you can see better. There is no door, there are usually plastic covers attached to the two holes at the upper-right of each column above, and if you pull-out the flaps as shown here, I suspect they won't reattach again.
Left Side, from top
3.5mm stereo mic-in or line-in jack (select this in menus).
3.5mm stereo headphone jack.
Right Side, from top
USB C.
HDMI A (full-sized).
Special rectangular remote-control connector for corded Nikon MC-DC2 and similar.
Wi-Fi specifications top
IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac
2.412 ~ 2.462 GHz (channel 11) at up to 7 dBm EIRP (effective isotropic radiated power).
5.180 to 5.320 GHz at up to 12.1 dBm EIRP (effective isotropic radiated power).
Open system, WPA2-PSK authentication.
10m (30 foot) range on a good day.
Bluetooth specifications top
Version 5.0 — wow! (JK.)
Low energy.
2.402 to 2.480 GHz.
GPS specifications top
NONE, use the app.
Storage specifications top
Nikon Z6 II Storage (Z6 III the same). bigger.
One XQD slot, which also works with CFexpress type B cards.
One SD card slot, UHS-II.
Body specifications top
Nikon claims it's built as tough as the Z8.
Weather sealed magnesium alloy.
Battery Door, Nikon Z6 (same as Z6 III). bigger.
Power & Battery specifications top
Battery
EN-EL15c battery (same as in Z6 II) has a little more capacity than the old EN-EL15, EN-EL15a and EN-EL15b batteries.
Charging
The Z6 III charges via any USB-C PD source, 12V to USB-C charger, USB-C PD power bank or even a solid USB-C PD solar panel with a USB-C to USB-C cable.
You can use the optional MH-25A external battery charger, but I always charge via USB.
You can charge the batteries inside the MB-N14 dual battery charging vertical grip.
Size specifications top
4 × 5.5 × 2.9 inches HWD.
101.5 × 138.5 × 74 millimeters HWD.
(Z6 II was 4 × 5.3 × 2.8 inches (100.5 × 134 × 69.5 mm) HWD.)
Weight specifications top
Rated 26.8 oz. (760g) with battery and one card.
Rated 23.6 oz. (670 g) stripped naked.
(Z6 II was rated 24.9 oz. (705g) with battery and one card, 21.7 oz. (615 g) stripped naked.)
Environment specifications top
Operating
-10 ～ 40º C (14 ～ 104º F).
0 to 85% RH, no condensation.
Included specifications top
Nikon Z6 III Body.
BF-N1 Body Cap.
DK-29 Rubber Eyecup.
BS-1 Hot-Shoe Cover.
EN-EL15c Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery with terminal cover.
UC-E25 USB Cable.
HDMI/USB Cable Clip.
1-Year USA Warranty paperwork.
Announced specifications top
12:01 AM, Monday, 17 June 2024, NYC time.
Promised for specifications top
June 2024.
Nikon's Model Number specifications top
1890.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
June 2024 (Introduction)
Z6 III body-only: $2,497 at B&H or at Adorama.
Kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4: $3,097 at B&H and at Adorama.
Not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Optional Accessories top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Nikon MC-DC2 wired remote release and similar corded remotes.
MC-N10 Wired Remote (Video) Grip.
New MB-N14 dual battery charging vertical grip (also at Adorama).The batteries can charge in the grip and they are hot-swappable. This grip also works on the old Z6 II and Z7 II:
Nikon Z6 III and MB-N14 Dual Battery Charging Vertical Grip. bigger.
AC Adapters
Don't buy the goofy Nikon-branded thing below; use your choice of USB-C PD source, 12V to USB-C charger, USB-C PD power bank or even a solid USB-C PD solar panel with a USB-C to USB-C cable.
Here are Nikon's expensive adapters:
EH-8P AC to USB-C power adapter, used with included UC-E25 USB Cable.
EH-5d or older EH-5c or EH-5b AC adapter, which requires an EP-5B fake battery ("power connector")!!!
Performance top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
Overall Color Rendition Ergonomics
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Overall performance top
The Z6 III works well and has superb technical image quality, even if I whine about its ergonomics.
See also Nikon as Canon versus Sony Full Frame Mirrorless Compared for more details.
Color Rendition performance top
The Z6 II's color rendition is the same great look we've had since Nikon's second generation of 2007. The Z6 III is the same.
I've never shot a digital camera with better color rendition for all subjects; all recent Nikons match and are all superb.
Color rendition is more critical to picture quality than resolution or dynamic range or any of the other pedagogical but invisible measures of performance; color rendition is how the picture actually looks and the Z6 III is first class.
Color rendition is how pictures look in the real world. Real-world color rendition has nothing to do with color accuracy measured in a lab. Color rendition is dependant on how a maker programs all the color matrices, curves, and look-up tables to generate image color from the data read from the sensor, and varies widely between makers once you set a camera away from its defaults.
I never shoot at defaults; I usually shoot at VIVID picture control with +3 saturation unless I'm photographing people.
Like all my Nikon digital cameras, I love the images I get right out of my Z6 III as JPGs, no raw, no processing and no "fixing" needed.
If you shoot raw then your colors and tones aren't created until you process that raw data later in software, and your choice of software will have as much effect on your images as the camera itself.
I'm a working artist, not some online tweaker, YouTuber or tech blogger. Color is critical to my work. I'm pickier about color than almost anyone; I see things most people don't.
It's like pianos: anyone can talk forever about how pianos are made, but to most ordinary players the subtle variations between different samples of a Steinway Model D are eclipsed by their own limitations in playing, but when you're a virtuoso even subtle differences become obvious to the seasoned master. That's why when you buy, or choose a Steinway for your tour as a Steinway Artist, you go to Steinway's Astoria factory and pick from among several samples of the same model which suits your style best. To a master, the subtle details are everything, just like subtle differences in color rendition between different brands of camera. Art is not the duplication of reality; art is the expression of imagination.
That's just me; your preferences and results will vary.
Ergonomics performance top
Ergonomics are mostly the same as the Z6 II, with the usual Nikon goods and bads.
The play button has been moved to be on the right side right under the MENU button so we can hit it while shooting one-handed (yay!); the Z6 II had its play button on the wrong side, demanding a second hand to hit it!
Compared top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Versus the old Z6 II
These are the new or different features.
Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full Frame Mirrorless Compared.
Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji & OM SYSTEM Menu Systems Compared.
Versus Sony Mirrorless
Huge advantages of Nikon mirrorless over Sony are:
Feels and handles like a real camera, not a VCR as Sonys do.
Superior Nikon color rendition. While mirrorless is fun, I get better colors on my Canons and Nikons than I get from Fuji or Sony.
Full-time instant manual-focus override. A core incompetency of Sony's and Fuji's systems are that only one lens I've used does this. The rest of the system only can do this part time, only if you set the camera in certain modes, and often the other brand lenses use electronic manual focus which doesn't respond instantly.
Versus Canon Mirrorless
Back in 2018 Canon was ahead, and in the past two years Canon has made huge strides with many innovative new lenses uniquely suited to mirrorless, as well as the world's two best mirrorless cameras — all while Nikon has pretty much done nothing and tried to get us excited about this "III" versions that aren't much different from five years ago.
I wouldn't spend any more money buying into the Nikon mirrorless system. I'd upgrade to Canon as soon as you can.
User's Guide top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
See my Nikon Z6 III User's Guide.
Recommendations top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Lens Compatibility Specifications Accessories
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
The Z6 III has numerous enhancements from the Z6 II, but nothing that exciting by itself. I'd use this as an opportunity to get the old Z6 II at $1,000 off and call it a day, rather than getting this Z6 III. See also Is It Worth It.
As I said four years ago with the old Z6 II, Nikon lacks the budgets it used to have and I don't see Nikon catching up anytime to the Canon mirrorless system. I'd strongly suggest upgrading to the Canon EOS R mirrorless system and not throwing any more money into Nikon. I've owned and shot Nikon every day since 1983, and things have changed. It's not 1983 anymore and I much prefer my Canon mirrorless.
Lenses
Personally I prefer the Nikon Z 24-200mm for most of my shots. It's sharp, compact and does everything. For ultrawide I love the Nikon Z 14-30mm and I'm done. Of course we all have different needs; see my reviews of all Nikon Z lenses.
Get your Z6 II as a kit with the excellent Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S for day-to-day use. It's super sharp, small and compact — but I find 70mm way too short for half my photos.
Use the FTZ or FTZ II adapters for your other Nikon lenses, for instance the excellent 28-300mm VR or the 16-35mm VR and/or your choice of telephoto (I use the 28-300mm VR as my telephoto).
Use the FTZ adapters only with Nikon's newest lenses with a built-in AF motor (AF-S and AF-P). These are the only lenses that autofocus with this adapter.
Don't get the FTZ for use with traditional AF-D, AF or manual-focus lenses. Traditional AF-D and AF lenses do not autofocus on the FTZ. Nikon still sells many of these lenses new today, and they work much better on any FX DSLR like a D850. Poo!
Manual-focus F, AI , AI'd, AI-s and adapted rangefinder lenses works poorly on the FTZ with no automatic diaphragm control, poor exposure control, poor finder brightness control and no EXIF or in-finder aperture data — and you have to open-and-close the diaphragm manually for precise focus for each shot!
Flash
The SB-400 is the ultimate mirrorless flash. It works flawlessly with the Z6 III, even turning on and off with the Z6 III's power switch.
Even more than it was on DSLRs, it's tiny as you want on mirrorless, and it's powerful and recycles fast and the Z6 III balances it for fill perfectly.
The SB-400 was discontinued; no worry, you can get them on eBay for about $125 (see How to Win at eBay).
The SB-400 is much better for mirrorless than today's bigger, crummier and more expensive SB-300 and SB-500. The SB300 is bigger, junkier, lower powered and takes too long to recycle from it's pathetic AAA cells, and the SB500 is too darn big and costs more than twice as much for about the same performance as the tiny SB400.
I'd get my Z6 III at B&H or at Adorama. It also comes as a kit with the Z 24-70mm f/4 at B&H and also at Adorama. It's not yet at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
This all content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used camera. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken Rockwell.
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