by any means – but the additional
expense of purchasing a new type
of card is something to consider.
If you’re at all worried that the Z 6
may have lower quality images
than its more-expensive brother,
the Z 7 – you needn’t be. Yes, if you
examine extremely closely at 100%,
or have ambitions to print off your
images the size of a bus, then you
might notice a difference, but
otherwise 24 megapixels is more
than adequate.
Straight out of the camera,
images look great with vibrant
colours and an impressive dynamic
range. Images are very sharp, with
particularly fine performance from
the native S-series lenses.
In low light, it performs a little bit
better than the Z 7 – so if dusk or
dawn shooting is your thing, you
might opt for this over the Z 7.
With matrix (all-purpose)
metering enabled, exposures are
well balanced in the majority of
situations, while automatic white
balance puts in a similarly good
performance, producing accurate
colours in most lighting situations..
One of the best features of the Z
6 is the inbuilt image stabilisation
which helps to ensure your shots
are nice and sharp when shooting
handheld. It also enables slow
shutter speeds, even in low light.
If you’re already a Nikon user and
want to remain loyal to the brand,
this is the one that makes sense. It
competes well on price with the
Sony A7 III, but thanks to a more
user-friendly body, it’s nicer to use.
Quite simply, the Z 6 is one of the
best cameras currently on the
market and you’re unlikely to be
disappointed with a purchase. QGreat image quality, 12fps
shooting and well-performing AF
make this a great all-rounder.lens cameras entirely you shouldn’t
find it too complex to get to grips
with initially.
A joystick comes in really handy
for moving the AF point while
using the viewfinder, while other
nifty handling options include a
quick menu which is accessed via
an “i” button, and specific buttons
for features such as drive mode.
Nikon has equipped the Z 6 with
weather-sealing that should see it
perform well in a range of different
shooting conditions, and survive
extended usage, too.
Different paths
It’s the internal features of the two
cameras where the Z 6 and the Z 7
divert paths a little. The Z 6 has a
lower resolution (24.5 megapixel vs
45.7 megapixel) sensor, which
although it may mean slightly less
detailed shots, should actually
make the Z 6 better equipped for
low light shooting.
You also have the advantage of
smaller file sizes that might not
make your computer have a
meltdown. With 24.5 megapixels,
the cropping opportunities aren’t
quite as broad, but there should
still be some spare pixels to play
with should you need it.
Another feature which is made
possible by the lower pixel count is
the frame rate. The Z 6 gives you
12fps to work with – which makes it
a better choice for those who like
to shoot fast-moving subjects, and
arguably makes the Z 6 much more
of an “all-rounder” than its sibling- the Z 7 can shoot at 9fps.
Finally, there’s a difference in the
autofocusing system. The Z 6 is no
slouch, offering a 273-point hybrid
AF system, but it is bested by the Z
7’s 493-point system. Still, there’s a
good spread of AF points that
should suit most situations.
The Z 6 offers 4K video recording
(as does the Z 7) at 3840 x 2160, in
frame rates of 30p, 25p and 24p. If
you prefer, you can shoot at Full
HD (1080) at frame rates up to
120p, as well as recording in
slow-motion at up to 5x speed.
There are both headphone and
microphone sockets.Card controversy
One of the biggest bones of
contention with both the Z 6 and
the Z 7 bodies is the use of a single
XQD card to store your pictures and
videos on. These cards are more
expensive than SD cards, and are a
little bit harder to find.
There are far fewer cameras
using this kind of card, so it’s also
reasonably unlikely that you’ll
already have a stack of XQD cards
ready to go. It’s not a dealbreaker“The additional expense of purchasing a new
type of memory card is something to consider”
Upgrade
Nikon Z 6
August 2019 | |^81
KEYFEATURES
Nikon Z 6
Supplier http://www.nikon.com
Sensor resolution 24.5 megapixels
Sensor size Full frame
Storage XQD cards
Connectivity Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Weight 675g
Screen size 3.2-inch
Viewfinder resolution 2.1 million dots