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The Nikon Z6 II is an updated version of the company’s 24MP multimedia full frame mirrorless camera. It gains more processing power to add improved autofocus and a few other tweaks to an already well-rounded feature set.

Key specifications

• 24MP full frame BSI CMOS sensor
• Continuous shooting at up to 14 fps (in 12-bit Raw with single AF point)
• Full-sensor UHD 4K video at up to 30p
• UHD 60p from an APS-C crop promised in future firmware update
• Two card slots (1x CFexpress/XQD, 1x UHS-II SD)
• 3.69M-dot EVF with improved blackout times
• Tilting 2.1M dot read touchscreen
• USB-C socket for recharging or powering the camera
• Battery rating of 410 (LCD) and 340 (EVF) shots per charge
• Connectors to allow battery grip with portrait orientation controls

The Z6 II launches at the same price as its predecessor, with a recommended selling price of $ 1999 body-only or $ 2599 with the Z 24-70mm F4 S lens. It will be available from November 2020.

What’s new and how it compares Body and handling Initial impressions Nikon official sample images Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

The addition of a second card slot will be a hugely welcomed change for some photographers.

The Z6 II is a subtle refresh of the existing Z6, extending the capabilities a little, but offering a mostly similar, well-rounded stills and video feature set. In terms of hardware, the main difference is that the Mark II gains a second Expeed 6 processor, with most of the performance and feature improvements stemming from this additional processing power.

Autofocus

Nikon says the autofocus performance has been incrementally improved over the original Z6, but the most notable feature change is the addition of face and eye detection (both human and animal) to the wide area AF mode. Previously these features were only available in ‘Auto’ area AF, meaning the camera decided where to focus. By adding them to wide area, you are able to narrow-down the region in which that camera hunts for faces, giving you a way of pre-selecting the face you wish to focus on.

The variants of Wide Area AF with human and animal face/eye AF have been added to the list of AF modes accessible from the ‘i‘ quick menu, meaning you don’t have to separately engage those functions.

Nikon says the focusing system now works in light as low as –4.5EV (a one stop improvement), when using an F2.0 lens (or faster). And that’s without using the slower low light AF mode, which extends a further two stops.

Shooting rate

The Z6 II’s maximum burst speed increases to an impressive 14 frames per second, but only if you use a single AF point and you’re willing to take the slight dynamic range hit of shooting 12-bit Raws. If you want the camera to choose an AF point or track a subject, it shoots at a still very respectable 12 frames per second.

Video

The (paid) Raw upgrade will allow an output that an Atomos recorder can encode as ProRes RAW or, after February 2021, a Blackmagic Video Assist to encode as Blackmagic Raw.

The Z6 II builds on the Z6’s already pretty strong video feature set, with the promise of UHD 4K 60p in a free firmware update due in February 2021. This higher rate footage will come from an APS-C crop of the sensor, and will only be available for internal capture.

In addition, the camera’s video output options have increased, with the Mark II able to output 10-bit HLG HDR footage, in addition to N-Log, to an external recorder. An optional paid upgrade enables a 12-bit line-skipped 4K Raw stream can be sent to an external recorder to be encoded as ProRes Raw or, after a February 2021 firmware update, as Blackmagic Raw.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder in the Z6 II is the same 3.68M dot OLED as in the original model. Nikon points out that the optics and coatings are of its own design and says it’s decreased both the refresh lag and the blackout time between shots. However, the company hasn’t put a number on either improvement.

Compared to…

Despite being a relatively subtle update, the Z6 II remains broadly competitive with the other cameras with launch prices around $ 2000. The Canon EOS R6 is the outlier: priced at a higher level but offering better specifications (though it can’t always deliver the full promise of its video capabilities).

We haven’t included the Sony a7C here, since it seems more focused on compactness than being an enthusiast’s main camera, but its specs are similar to the a7 III’s, just without the AF joystick.

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Body and handling

The camera’s ergonomics are essentially the same as the original Z6, which is a good thing.

The body and handling of the Z6 II is basically the same as its predecessor, which means it remains a solidly-built camera with a comfortable grip. The body is primarily constructed from magnesium alloy, providing a good balance of weight and solidity.

The grip itself is comfortable and the front and rear dials very well positioned so that they are readily accessible when you’re holding the camera. There are two customizable Fn buttons next to the lens mount, which can be configured independently or set to perform paired functions (such as aperture open and close during video capture).

Viewfinder and screens

Although the spec of the Z6 II’s viewfinder isn’t particularly stellar by 2020 standards, the camera does at least use it to its full potential (there are rival cameras with high dot-count finders that then drive the screen at lower resolutions). We’ve not had a chance to test the effects of lag and improved blackout with fast-moving subjects but will do so as soon as we can.

The rear screen is also unchanged, meaning it has a decent resolution but only a tilt up/down design. We find we prefer the two-axis screens used by the likes of the Fujifilm X-T3 for stills or a fully articulated screen for video.

Menus and interface

The camera’s menus are consistent with most Nikon cameras made over the last decade or so. This means the menus are quite dense with options but the key ‘Customs Settings’ section is well arranged and color-coded, which makes it easy to navigate. A My Menu tab can be configured with either your preferred options or a list of your most recently used options.

In terms of the user interface, the main change is the addition of Wide Area + face detect and Wide Area + animal detect to the ‘i‘ quick menu, meaning that you can more quickly engage human face or animal face detection as part of your AF mode selection.

Battery

The Z6 Mark II comes with the latest EN-EL15c battery. It’s 20% higher-capacity version of the 15b that came with the previous model. The camera is compatible with earlier EN-EL15 batteries but will perform much better with the more recent versions. USB-charging is only available with the type b and c units.

The camera is rated as delivering 410 shots per charge if you use the rear LCD and 340 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder. As always, these ratings are based on very challenging usage, and it’s not uncommon to get at least twice as many shots per charge in practice, depending on how you use the camera. We tend to find a rating of around 400 is sufficient for a day’s committed shooting or a weekend of fairly active photography, but not enough for something as photographically intense as a wedding.

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Initial impressions

My initial impression of the Nikon Z6 II is of a credible but not terribly far-reaching update to the original camera. That’s no bad thing: the latest updates to the Mark I have meant it remains competitive, so even a small step forward is valuable, but it might leave the Mark II with a fairly short shelf life.

What’s interesting is (on the face of it) how little the application of dual processors brings to the camera: the extra power has allowed Nikon to significantly improve the buffer clearing rate, boosting the number of shots in a burst, and it’s opened-up the possibility of 60p capture, but there’s not much more to show for that added grunt. The top burst rate has increased a little but only with 12-bit output and with a single AF point, which doesn’t exactly tell a tale of abundant processing resource.

The extra power has allowed Nikon to significantly improve the buffer clearing rate, boosting the number of shots in a burst

Overall, I wonder whether it’s simply too challenging to wring much more out of the IMX410 sensor that the Z6 II (and the majority of its rivals) appears to be using. The APS-C crop is the largest region that sensor can produce 60p 4K from, so there’s not much Nikon can do on that front. Capturing 10-bit video internally and outputting 60p over HDMI should be possible, though: Panasonic’s S5 manages both.

Personally I wonder whether Nikon concluded there was only so far it could push the current sensor and decided to focus R&D resources on what might be possible with a next-gen chip in a future model (hence the use of two existing processors, rather than the development of a new one for this camera). That’s speculation, of course, but other than the video improvements, it’s hard to see what more Nikon could do with the current sensor.

It’s only really the Canon EOS R6 that pushes beyond what the Z6 II offers, and that’s a significantly more expensive camera

Other than a handful of pros and power users who really need the reliability that a vertical control battery grip or redundancy of twin card slots bring, it’s hard to see much motivation for existing Z6 owners to upgrade, but the improved AF behavior, operation under USB power, grip option and twin slots should make it pretty appealing for buyers just moving to Z. To be clear, it’s only really the Canon EOS R6 that pushes beyond what the Z6 II offers, and the R6 is a significantly more expensive camera, and one that – in some respects – struggles to deliver all it promises.

My main hope is that Nikon continues to develop the Mark II throughout its lifetime, as it did with the original, and that we see more ways of exploiting its added processing power over the coming months and years.

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Official sample images

All sample images provided by Nikon

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Specifications

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Introduction

Nikon has just announced the Z7 II, the second iteration of its high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera. As the name implies, this is a refinement rather than a reimagining; so while the updates may not knock your socks off, we really enjoyed the original Z7 and this new model builds on an already successful formula.

The Z7 II still has a 45.7MP full-frame BSI sensor, but it’s now backed up by dual processors compared to the single processor in its predecessor. The exterior of the camera is largely unchanged, which is fine by us – Nikon’s Z-series cameras have some of our favorite ergonomics on the mirrorless camera market. Blessedly, though (especially for those of us that moderate online comment sections), Nikon has included dual card slots in the Z7 II for users that need immediate backup or want to easily separate their still images and video clips. See? Something good has come out of 2020 after all.

Key specifications:

• 45.7MP BSI sensor with native ISO 64
• 4K/60p video with 93% coverage of the sensor, or a ~1.08x crop
• 5-axis in-body stabilization (3-axis with adapted F-mount lenses)
• 10fps burst shooting with single-point AF
• 3.69M-dot EVF, 3.2″ 2.1k-dot rear screen
• -3EV focusing with F2.0 lens
• 1 CFExpress / XQD card slot, 1 UHS-II SD card slot
• New EN-EL15c battery, CIPA rated to 420 shots (LCD), 360 shots (EVF)
• Compatible with new MB-N11 battery grip with vertical controls

The Z7 II, being the high-resolution model in Nikon’s mirrorless lineup, is all about outright image quality. It remains one of the only cameras on the market that provides a low native ISO of 64 – this helps maximize dynamic range for high-contrast scenes like sunset or sunrise landscapes.

The Z7 II will be available in December 2020 for $ 2999 body-only, or $ 3599 with a 24-70mm F4 lens. The new MB-N11 battery grip with duplicate vertical controls will be available in November 2020 for $ 399.

What’s new and how it compares Body and handling Initial impressions Nikon official sample images Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Ask, and ye shall (sometimes) receive: The Z7 II now has one SD card slot and one CFExpress / XQD card slot. All control points shown are identical to those on the original Z7.

The big story in the Z7 II (if you don’t count the new card slot) is its dual Expeed 6 processors – so what exactly do those get you?

To start with, the Z7 II is a more credible action camera than its predecessor. Its burst speed tops out at 10fps with continuous autofocus instead of 9fps (albeit with a single AF area, and not subject tracking), and the buffer is up to three times deeper, giving you a total of 77 12-bit Raw images before slowing down. Helping you follow the action is a claimed reduction in blackout in the viewfinder, which is welcome, though we would have liked to see a boost in EVF resolution as well. Maybe next time.

Autofocus

New AF modes have been added and are accessible in the main and ‘i‘ menus. They include the addition of face / eye detection in the ‘Wide area AF’ mode instead of just ‘Auto Area AF’; this means you can place an AF box over a person’s face to tell the camera to focus on that particular person’s eyes, which is especially handy if there are multiple people in a scene. An equivalent mode is available that prioritizes animals.

The new processors also allow the camera to focus in light as low as -3EV with a lens at F2 (and you can still push this even lower for static subjects by enabling the ‘Low Light AF’ feature).

Video and other updates

The new MB-N11 battery grip will double your battery life and also (yes!) includes controls for portrait-orientation shooting.

For video, the Z7 II is rather more competent than its predecessor, and now includes 4K/60p capture with a slight (1.08x) crop. It will also output 10-bit N-Log or HDR (HLG) footage to a compatible external recorder, and you can output Raw video in 1080p if you’re using the full sensor and 4K if you’re using a cropped APS-C sized region. We’d expect good video quality, but hardcore video shooters should set their sights on the Z6 II and its oversampled 4K video which should offer much better fine detail.

And of course, there’s those dual card slots. One supports CFExpress (Type B) and XQD cards, and the other is a UHS-II compatible SD slot. The Z7 II also includes a new EN-EL15c battery, with boosts battery life to a CIPA-rated 420 shots using the rear LCD with energy saving modes disabled. In response to customer feedback, the Z7 II is compatible with a new MB-N11 battery grip, which has portrait-orientation controls built-in, and you can now power the camera over its USB-C port.

Lastly, we’re pleased to see that Nikon has added support for firmware updates over Wi-Fi through its Snapbridge app. This will make it easier for everyday users to get the most out of their cameras, as Nikon has been diligent about updating its camera in the past with new functionality and features.

Compared to…

Let’s take a look at how the Nikon Z7 II stacks up against some other stabilized, full-frame cameras on the market. Of particular note is just how competitive the Z7 II’s MSRP is right at launch.

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Body and handling

Put the Z7 II next to the original Z7 and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them. Indeed, the only differences of any consequence are the slightly taller memory card door to accommodate the dual slots and the small ‘II’ on the front plate.

But we’re not going to complain too much, because we really didn’t find much fault with how the original camera handled. And you can expect the same experience from the Z7 II: a deep, very comfortable grip, well-placed buttons and control dials, an easily readable top display and a satisfyingly clicky mode dial.

Okay, but we’re going to nitpick a bit just because we can. Being the high-res, stills-focused camera in the range, the Z7 II wouldn’t necessarily benefit from a fully-articulating mechanism that video shooters prefer, but perhaps a ‘two-way tilting’ design from the Fujifilm X-T3 or Panasonic S1R would have been welcome. And though the front two function buttons are well-placed, some of us on staff find them a bit ‘mushy’.

Other than that, though, the Z7 II feels incredibly solid in the hand and is a supremely comfortable camera to hold and use for extended periods of time. The touchscreen interface is responsive, and it’s easy to switch between stills and video quickly. The arrival of a new battery grip with duplicate controls (!) will make for a more comfortable experience for use with larger lenses, like the Z 70-200mm F2.8.

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Initial impressions

Well, has the Z7 II knocked your socks off? Personally, my socks (or at least, my house slippers… covid times, after all) are still firmly on my feet, but that doesn’t mean that the Z7 II isn’t an excellent camera. Take another look at that comparison table earlier and you’ll find that in almost every respect, the Z7 II is not just a credible contender to the other options there, but it’s the cheapest by a good margin. Not too shabby.

On the face of it (pending testing), that makes the Z7 II an easy camera to recommend, though with the caveat that we still have yet to fully analyze its image quality and autofocus performance. The former should be familiar, while Nikon promises that AF should be improved compared to the previous model.

The Z7 II could be what DSLR users from Nikon and other systems have been waiting for

Could Nikon have gone further with this update? It certainly addressed a couple of the big items from our wish list, but something like a new, higher-resolution or better-performing sensor would never be a bad thing. Truth be told, though, the real-world difference between 45.7MP and, say, 61MP isn’t likely to be a deal-breaker; the extra dynamic range from the Nikon’s ISO 64 mode, though, may be. And what is perhaps our most significant request – that Nikon separates autofocus subject tracking into its own mode, rather than as a layer on top of the ‘Auto Area’ mode – remains unaddressed, but is still conceivably fixable through a firmware update.

In the end, should Z7 users upgrade to the Z7 II? I would wager that only a small population of pros that really need dual card slots or a battery grip might consider it. But those very updates might also be what users of Nikon’s high-end D850 DSLR, or users from other DSLR systems thinking about making the switch to mirrorless, have been waiting for.

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Nikon official sample images

All sample images provided by Nikon.

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Nikon Z7 II Specifications

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)