A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
The higher resolution Z 7 might be getting most of the attention, but Nikon’s new Z 6 also has a lot going for it. We’re at the launch of the Z system in Tokyo, where we took a closer look at the Z 6 and three forthcoming ‘S-line’ lenses.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Cosmetically the Z 6 is virtually identical to the higher-resolution Z 7, and even internally, they have an awful lot in common (I’d recommend you start here, if you want to get a feel for the general feature set of both cameras) None of the key differences between the Z 6 and Z 7 are noticeable until you really start digging through their respective menu systems.
As such, like the Z 7 the Z 6 is a comfortable, nicely-sized mirrorless ILC with a good, deep grip and in terms of its general design and operation it has a lot in common with the established D800-series DSLRs – at least until it comes to the autofocus modes. Here, the Z 6 is shown with its ‘kit’ zoom, the collapsible 24-70mm F4, attached.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
The unusually subtle name plate on the lower right of the Z 6’s front is the only indication that this is the lower-priced model in Nikon’s brand new Z lineup.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
You’d need an electron microscope to really tell the difference, but this is what 24MP looks like, compared to the 47-ish MP of the more expensive Z7. If the Z7 is sort of a mirrorless D850, the Z 6 is sort of a mirrorless D750. Sort of, because there’s a lot more going on inside the Z 6 than the bare resolution drop compared to the Z 7 might suggest.
If you want to compare it to any camera, actually, the Sony a7 III is probably a more sensible point of comparison.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Compared to the Z 7, the Z 6 is faster, for one thing – and by a decent margin. Whereas the Z 7 tops out at 9fps (AE locked, no live view) the Z 6 – which shares the same Expeed 6 processor, but has less data to move around – can manage up to 12fps.
Sadly there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this life (that’s an expression I just came up with) and Nikon hasn’t bestowed the same 493-point PDAF system on the Z 6 that you’ll find in the more expensive Z 7. Instead, the Z 6 offers 273 PDAF points, covering the same 90% vertical and horizontal frame coverage.
The Z 6’s autofocus should be slightly more sensitive in low light than the Z 7, and we suspect that the Z 6 might ultimately have a slight edge over the Z 7 when it comes to outright AF speed, but that’s something we’ll have to wait for reviewable cameras to really test. In a quick, thoroughly unscientific test against the Z 7 at Nikon’s touch and try session in Tokyo, I couldn’t detect a noticeable difference in AF responsiveness between the two cameras with the 24-70mm F4 attached.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
This is a Z 7, not a Z 6 (although you’d be forgiven for not noticing) pictured in what Nikon hopes will become its natural environment – a professional video rig. Since both of the new Z-series cameras are hybrid designs, they’re equally comfortable (in more than one sense of the term) shooting video as they are stills.
Both cameras offer 4K and HD video, but the Z 6 could turn out to be the more compelling of the two new models for serious videography. That’s because (like the Sony a7 III) it offers 4K footage based on full pixel readout with no crop, whereas the higher-resolution Z7 can only do this in its cropped Super 35 / DX format mode. In theory, this should result in cleaner, more detailed video. So if you’re primarily interested in shooting video (or you’re a ‘bit of both’ shooter that can live with 24MP stills) the Z 6 might be the better purchase, when it becomes available in the next few weeks.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
It always warms my heart to see things cut in half, and at the Tokyo launch event Nikon did not disappoint. Here’s a Z 6/7 with a 24-70mm F4, sitting above a D850 with a 24-70mm F2.8 VR. Nikon is cheating a bit by putting an F2.8 zoom alongside an F4, but hopefully you get the point – both Z-series cameras are significantly smaller (and about 26% lighter) than the D850.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Here’s a closer look at one of the most impressive features of both the Z 6 and Z 7, their 3.69-dot EVF, which as you can see, is accompanied by an optical assembly that makes the D850’s finder assembly look pretty simple by comparison. Nikon could easily have skimped on the Z 6’s finder compared to the more expensive Z 7, but we’re pleased to see that this didn’t happen.
The viewfinder experience from both cameras really is lovely. After a couple of days shooting with a Z 7, I actually had trouble going back to the (excellent) optical finder of the D850, which feels cool and even a little unsharp by comparison.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Nikon has promised a dedicated grip for the Z 6/7, which was on show (in the form of this rough 3D printed mockup) in Tokyo. Details are still TBD, but we assume that Nikon will at least add a rubberized coating before it becomes officially available to buy.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Also not quite ready for primetime are three forthcoming S-series lenses (from left to right) the 24-70mm F2.8, 58mm F0.95 ‘Noct’ and 14-30mm F4. (Sorry about the limited depth of field in this shot, I was trying to isolate the Noct, and then forgot to get a proper group shot before moving on. It’s been a long day.)
As you can hopefully tell, though, the Noct is massive and the 24-70mm F2.8 – while not quite as enormous – looks like it will also be a pretty beefy lens when it’s released next year, dwarfing the compact 24-70mm F4 kit lens. The 14-30mm (shown mounted on a Z 7) on the other hand is fairly compact, which we know is one of the technical advantages of a very short flange-back distance.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
A closeup of the rather natty ‘Noct’ script and display screen on the forthcoming 58mm F0.95, which we’re told can be customized to show information such as depth of field, shooting aperture and focus distance.
The Noct is a manual focus lens, and this shot shows off its very broad, textured focus ring. We couldn’t pick this mockup up (or indeed any of them) to judge build quality or ergonomics, but we can’t wait to get our hands on a working sample.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Moving to the rear of the lens reveals a chunky tripod collar, to support the presumably substantial weight of the F/0.95 lens.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Here’s a closer look at the control layout of the 24-70mm F2.8, showing its display screen, Disp button (which we assume toggles between display modes) and a customizable L-Fn button. A full list of functions that can be assigned to the button is listed in our First Impressions Review of the Z 7.
A closer look at Nikon’s new Z 6 and roadmap ‘S’ lenses
Compared to the 24-70mm F2.8 and 58mm F0.95, the 14-30mm F4 looks positively tiny. Cosmetically, it shares a lot of the same design accents of the 35mm, 50mm and 24-70mm lenses announced alongside the Z 6. Details of all three forthcoming lenses are in short supply, but we’ll share more when we have more to share.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
