Windows Help & Advice - USA (2019-08)

T

owards the end of last year,
there was a bit of a flurry in
camera announcements. Not
surprising, considering Photokina
took place in Cologne in
September. What was perhaps a
little bit more of a shock was
Nikon’s entry into the full-frame
mirrorless market after what felt like
years of rumours and speculation.
Not content with introducing one
camera, the heritage company
produced two models. The Z 7 is
the flagship, but pitching itself at a
more consumer-friendly audience,
the Z 6 is perhaps the more
interesting of the two.
Being as it needs to appeal to
that consumer audience, it comes
in a lot cheaper than its sibling. It’s
still not pocket change, but at
around £2,000 it’s a reasonable
price point for full-frame mirrorless,
especially one which is brand new.
Both the Z 6 and the Z 7 use a lot
of the same features – body design,
viewfinder, screen and controls are

exactly the same between the two.

Internally, the Z 6 has a lower-

resolution sensor, with a 24.5

megapixel device which comes in

at around half the resolution of the

Z 7. This has an effect on some of

the features, which we’ll elaborate

on later in the review.

The new Z cameras feature a

brand-new mount from Nikon,

cunningly named the Z mount. If

you’ve got a shelf full of existing

Nikkor F-mount lenses, you can use

those via an optional adapter.

Small but beautiful

Nikon has really given the

photographer consideration when

designing the Z 6 (and by extension

the Z 7). Offering DSLR-like

handling in a small – but not too

small – body. If you’re somebody

coming across from Nikon DSLRs,

then you’ll feel right at home

picking up the Z 6.

There’s a good sized handgrip

that makes it feel really comfortable

to use for long periods of time, and

at launch, Nikon brought out three

proprietary lenses, a 24-70mm f/4

lens, a 35mm f/1.8 and a 50mm

f/1.8. In the intervening months,

two more optics have come to the

market, including a super-wide-

angle 14-30mm f/4 lens and a

24-70mm f/2.8 lens, which is aimed

at pros. Although we expect more

in the not-too-distant future, for

now it’s a relatively limited line-up.

However, there is always the option

to fall back on using Nikkor F

mount lenses via an adapter.

Controls are spread across the

Z 6’s body in a pretty sensible

arrangement, that gives far more

breathing room for the buttons

than the Sony mirrorless models

which have always felt just ever

so slightly awkward to use. If

you’re coming across from a

DSLR, the dual control dials found

at the front and rear of the grip

will make a lot of sense, while if

you’re new to interchangeable

Nikon Z 6

£2,100 | $2,000 http://www.nikon.com

Quite possibly the best all-around camera you can buy

Images : Nikon

80 |^ |^ August 2019