The Nikon Z6 is one of two full-frame mirrorless cameras that Nikon introduced in August of 2018. It’s very similar to its big brother, the Z7, with the main differences being the sensor (24MP vs 46MP) and the decrease in resolution that comes along with it. The Z6 also has fewer phase-detect autofocus points (273 vs 493) due to the lower-res sensor. Otherwise, you’re getting the same rugged body, the same (mostly) familiar controls and access to a small but soon-to-grow collection of Z-mount lenses.
Specs aside, the Z6 is for a very different audience than the Z7. The latter is for those seeking ultra-high resolution and would also be considering cameras like the Sony a7R III and Nikon D850. The Z6, on the other hand, is intended to be be more appealing to those looking to upgrade from crop-sensor cameras or previous-generation full-frame DSLRs.
The Z6 will ultimately be compared to its DSLR sibling, the D750 (which is getting on in years, but still very capable). While the two cameras have different designs, they operate similarly, with autofocus modes and video being the the most significant differences.
Key specifications:
- 24.5MP full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor
- Hybrid autofocus system w/273 phase-detect points
- Up to 12 fps burst shooting (Raw + JPEG)
- 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder
- 2.1M-dot tilting touch LCD
- OLED top plate display
- Single XQD card slot
- UHD 4K capture up to 30p
- 10-bit 4:2:2 N-Log output over HDMI
- Up to 100Mbps H.264 8-bit internal video capture
- SnapBridge Wi-Fi system with Bluetooth
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Out of camera JPEG | ISO 7200 | 1/250 sec | F1.8 | Nikkor Z 50mm lens
Photo by Dan Bracaglia |
If those specs look familiar, it’s because they’re almost identical to that of the Z7, with resolution and the number of AF points being the main differences. You do reap the benefits of the lower resolution sensor when shooting bursts, with a top frame rate of 12 fps (versus 9) and the ability to capture more photos per burst. Otherwise, you’re getting the same design and innovations found the Z6’s big brother, which is significantly more expensive.
The Z6 is sold body-only for $ 1999 or with the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4 S lens for $ 2599. If you buy the $ 249 FTZ (F-to-Z mount) adapter at the same time, Nikon will knock $ 100 off of the price.
What’s new and how it compares
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The Z6 uses the all-new Z-mount along with a full-frame 24MP sensor with 5-axis image stabilization built in, along with a hybrid AF system and oversampled 4K video.
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Body and handling
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The Z6 has excellent build quality, familiar controls and a lot of customizability, though some favorites from Nikon DSLRs didn’t make the cut.
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Operation and controls
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The Z6 can be customized in numerous ways, and we appreciate its ability to have separate settings for stills and video.
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Image quality
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The Z6’s 24MP sensor has excellent resolution and high ISO performance, though on rare occasions you may see banding if shadow areas are brightened.
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Sample Gallery
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See how the Z6’s photos look in our extensive sample gallery.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
