Nikon D6 Review

The Nikon D6 is the latest flagship DSLR from Nikon and is the top-of-the-range professional full-frame DSLR designed primarily for professional sports photographers, updating the Nikon D5. The camera features a 20mp full-frame sensor, a solid weather-sealed body, and ample battery life. It has an updated autofocus system, designed to give better focus, as well as quicker continuous shooting with AF.  It's available for £6299 / $6495.

Nikon D6 Features

The Nikon D6 is built to be the ultimate professional DSLR, with features that a professional sports photographer would need, including built-in GPS, built-in RJ-45 (ethernet) connectivity for instant and rapid image transfer, a tough weather-sealed camera body, and exceptional battery life offering over 3,500 shots.

In the centre, there's a 20mp full-frame CMOS sensor, which may seem "low-resolution" for a digital camera in 2020, however, the use of a 20mp sensor results in lower noise (than a comparable 36/47mp sensor for example), as well as offering an impressive ISO range from ISO100 to ISO102400, which can be extended all the way up to ISO3.2million.

A 20mp image is also likely to be of benefit to sports shooters, as this allows for quicker image transfer, as dealing with 10MB images is much quicker and easier than dealing with 30+mb images from high-resolution cameras, particularly if you're shooting 100s or 1000s of images in a day.  20mp is also likely to be ample resolution for the majority of news organisations.

The camera offers 14fps continuous shooting with continuous AF (autofocus) and AE (exposure), with a buffer of 200, an improvement over the D5, which offered 12fps, or 14fps with mirror lock-up (and fixed AF).

The camera also offers a 3.2inch touch-screen, an optical viewfinder (OVF) with 0.72x magnification, a built-in vertical battery grip, amongst other things, including a top LCD, and rear LCD, as well as light-up buttons and displays so that you can operate the camera in the dark.

If you're familiar with the Nikon D5, then it's likely you'll be quite familiar with the Nikon D6, because in a lot of ways the camera is very similar, however, there are a number of updates:

New features and differences found on the Nikon D6:

• 105 AF-points (all cross-type), with increased sensitivity
• 14fps continuous shooting with AF/AE
• 1-5fps quiet mode continuous shooting
• 10.5fps continuous shooting in live-view
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth, and GPS built-in
• Kensington Lock socket
• New auto white balance algorithm, for improved consistency
• Create multiple-exposure images after shooting
• Quick sharpen adjustments (pre and post-shooting)
• Up to 900s shutter speed available
• USB Type-C

Autofocus is one of the main features of the Nikon D6 that has been updated and if we look at the Nikon D5, it may at first seem to offer more focus points, however, the number of selectable focus points, and the type of focus point has been updated on the Nikon D6.

Autofocus is one of the main features of the Nikon D6 that has been updated

The Nikon D6 uses a newly designed Multi-CAM 37K autofocus sensor module, that features 105 AF points, and they are all cross-type, and all selectable, whereas the Nikon D5 only offers 55 selectable AF points (shown with a square, below, out of the 153). The Nikon D6 has also been updated with a triple sensor arrangement for every focus point, compared to the double-sensor arrangement on the D5. Sensitivity in the centre has been improved down to -4.5EV.

Nikon D5 AF Vs Nikon D6 AF - Images: nikon.com.au

From Nikon: "The use of a triple-sensor arrangement for each focus point and the new focus point layout reduce non-AF-sensitive areas, and achieve approx. 1.6× higher-density AF coverage compared to the D5, enabling even more accurate subject acquisition. Moreover, the centre focus point works down to -4.5 EV*2 and the others to -4 EV*2, making autofocus possible even in dark situations or with low-contrast subjects."

More features of the AF system:

• 17 custom group-area AF mode variations
• New AF engine - processes approx. 1.6x more defocus information for enhanced AF tracking
• Advanced Scene Recognition System (ASRS) improved includes face, eye and upper body detection
• Improved AF fine-tuning for both the wide-angle and telephoto ends of zoom lenses

Compared to the Nikon D5 and new Canon EOS 1DX III...

* Bold shows improvements over Nikon D5.

As you can see in the table above, the changes made to the Nikon D6 could be considered as quite subtle, however, if you need GPS or Wi-Fi, then they could be seen as essential updates. The D6 has P, A, S, M shooting modes, giving you full manual controls, as you would expect.

Key Features

• 20.8mp Full-Frame FX CMOS sensor
• Nikon F-mount
• 3.2inch touch-screen, with 2359K dots
• 0.72x magnification optical viewfinder (OVF), with 100% coverage
• 105 AF points (all cross-type), -4.5 EV sensitivity
• 14fps continuous shooting with AF/AE at full resolution
• 10.5fps silent continuous shooting using live-view (fixed AF)
• 60fps 2mp images, 30fps 8mp images
• ISO100 to ISO102400, extends to ISO50, ISO3280000 (Hi5)
• 4K UHD Video recording, 30,25,24fps
• GPS built-in
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RJ-45, Mic, Headphone sockets
• Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body

Nikon D6 Handling

The Nikon D6 is extremely solid, and well-built, thanks to the tough magnesium alloy construction, and you can see how thick the metal used is, in the picture (below) showing the battery removed. As expected, weather-sealing is included, with all ports and connection securely covered with rubber covers.

The handgrip feels extremely solid, with a large rubber grip stretching from the front, all the way round to the back of the camera. On the back is a good sized thumb grip making it possible to have a firm grip of the camera. The vertical shooting grip provides a deep grip and a comfortable recess for your middle finger. You'll also find a large thumb grip on the rear that provides additional purchase.

The D6's weight has increased by 45g, up to 1450g, compared to 1405g on the D5. Something to be aware of when thinking about this camera, it is undeniably heavy. You can hold the camera with one hand, but it isn't recommended, instead using two hands is a good idea, giving a firm grip. If you're coming from a smaller Digital SLR then the D6 will seem particularly large, however, this will be of benefit if you use larger lenses, and a tripod will certainly help keep the weight from you.

Illuminated buttons can be found on the camera, making it easy to see buttons and controls when shooting in dark conditions. The mode button is on the top left of the camera, and the ISO button can be found close to the shutter release button, which makes it quick and easy to change the ISO speed. There are three dedicated customisable function buttons on the camera, (labelled as Fn1, Fn2, and Fn3), and you can also customise a number of other buttons and controls (shown here).

Any differences between the D5 and D6, on first inspection, are going to be quite subtle, however, there is now support for Kensington locks, there's an added "microphone" logo underneath the Fn3 button, which allows for voice memos to be recorded. The shutter release angle has been updated, and we found it comfortable to use. The four-way controller with middle button can feel a little "mushy" and is used to go through the menus. You can also use the touch-screen to scroll through the menus and select and change options.

The focus system is configurable in 105-point, 49-point, 25-point and 9-point coverage settings in Continuous AF mode. All 105 focus points are compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses with an open aperture of f/5.6 or faster, and 15 central focus points work with an effective aperture of f/8. Focus works down to -4.5 EV (in the centre), and there are 105 cross-type focus points. 

There are options to adjust how the AF performs, with focus tracking options letting you set "blocked shot AF response (quick to delayed)" as well as "Subject motion (erratic to steady)". The camera also features 3D tracking face detection, 3D tracking watch area, and predictive focus tracking is automatically activated according to subject status. There aren't as many options or "case scenarios" as Canon EOS cameras.

The focus area is concentrated in the middle of the sensor, as shown above. In playback you can show the focus points used, these are shown in red, and the main focus area is shown with the white lines. The focus system works extremely well, as long as your subject is in this area, if your subject is outside this area then, unfortunately, you're out of luck (unless you switch to live-view).

The optical viewfinder (OVF) is large and clear, and there is a good overlay of focus points so you can clearly see what the camera is focused on when shooting. You can easily remove the eyepiece adapter by pressing in the two release buttons, and the glass in the centre is fluorine coated. The OVF has on-screen flicker warning when shooting something that is likely to cause an issue, and the camera can automatically detect and shoot "around" this. There is also, a lockable dioptre dial, and you can cover the OVF with the built-in cover.

The Nikon menus are clearly laid out with different (colour coded) sections for each set of options, including playback, photo shooting, movie shooting, custom settings, setup menu, retouch menu, and my menu. My menu lets you put your favourite options for quick access. You can press the i button on the back of the camera to get a quick menu on the screen, and there is built-in help available to explain options. The i menu can be customised to give you quick access to your favourite options.

The 3.2inch screen on the D6 is excellent, with a very clear display and an excellent resolution. Viewing angles are excellent, and it's easy to view even in bright sunlight. You can now use the touch screen to scroll through the menus and change settings, and the touch-screen can be used in live view and in playback. Shooting in live view, you can use the touch-screen to change the focus point to any area of the screen. You can also acquire preset Spot White Balance data, based on the selected area. The screen does not tilt, however, it's likely that a tilting screen would result in a less sturdy or weather-proof camera.

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 3580 shots (according to CIPA testing standards, which test single-frame release), Nikon says the camera can offer 8670 shots in continuous release mode (using Nikon's testing). A full-size double battery charger is included in the box.

Nikon D6 Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Nikon D6 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - The camera delivers great results, with reliable exposure the majority of the time. Dynamic range is also good and can be enhanced using the D-Lighting controls. You can fine-tune the settings to give you results to your own personal tastes so that you can use the images straight away, without further processing needed. Colour options give you the option to fine-tune your results, with options for sharpness (sharpening, mid-range and clarity), contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. You can also adjust these after taking the photo with raw editing.

In-camera raw editing makes it quick and easy to adjust photos when needed, and adjustments can be applied to a single image or multiple images. Distortion correction options are built into the camera so that you can get the best results from Nikon lenses, and these options include: vignette control, diffraction compensation, and automatic distortion correction.

There are three different options for auto white balance (AWB), Auto0 - keep white (reduce warm colours), Auto1 - Normal, and Auto2 - keep warm lighting colours. Depending on the subject, you may want your images to be warmer (for portraits) or cooler (for product shots).

Auto Focus is rapid, particularly when using the optical viewfinder, and the camera's main focusing system. We used the cameras continuous shooting system and the 3D tracking option to track a running subject and were impressed with the camera's ability to keep the focus locked on to the target's face when they were in the focus area. Once the subject's face was outside of the focus area, the camera maintained focus on the subject's upper body, but focus on the face was no longer possible. 

However, switch to live-view and the focus system is noticeably sluggish, and can be frustrating if you end up waiting for the camera to focus the lens by going through its full focus range as we had to on occasion. It can also be fairly inconsistent and give out of focus shots when at the limits of the lens' focus range. This is going to have a knock-on effect on video focus, as this also uses the same live view contrast-detection AF.

Nikon D6 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise performance is impressive, with clean images up to ISO3200/6400, with even ISO12800 showing excellent results, although fine detail is lost. Some noise starts to creep in at ISO25600, but it's very well controlled. ISO51200 should give you usable images, depending on your needs. ISO102400 could potentially be useful but is likely to need further processing. At the higher (Hi1 - Hi5) speeds noise is strong (and weird), and these speeds are best avoided. Noise reduction options are Off, Low, Normal, High, and these were taken with the camera on the default setting of Normal.

For these shots, we used the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G lens and focused using live-view. As you go through the images, you'll be able to notice that the change in focus between shots shows that the lens and live-view combination was struggling to focus on this subject, which was at the closest focus distance, and you'll also be able to notice that the focus change between shots also changes the size of the subject in the image. This is just an observation, rather than a criticism, and could have been avoided by moving the camera further away from the subject or using a different lens.

Nikon D6 Digital filters

Digital Filters - We've shown some examples of some the different colour options (Standard, Vivid, Landscape etc), as well some of the additional, more creative effects, such as Dream, Pop, Dramatic, Charcoal to name a few. There are in total 20 different creative effects available. In playback, you can also correct the perspective, vignetting, adjust D-Lighting, and combine multiple images to create a composite image.

Video - Perhaps in an admission of the Nikon D6 not being aimed at videographers, there's very little mention of video features in Nikon's overview of features on the D6 on their website (currently). However, the camera does offer 4K UHD video, at frame rates of 30, 25, and 24fps, with MOV/MP4 video options. There's also time-lapse movie recording, plus time code support. You can use ISO100 to ISO102400, as well as all the way up to Hi5. Active D-lighting (off, low, normal, high, extra high) is also available.

There's a quite noticeable crop into the frame when switching from FullHD video to 4K video. Electronic VR is available when recording FullHD video, and crops into the frame to provide stabilisation. The "jello" effect seen when panning from left to right is quite noticeable. You can watch additional videos on the ePHOTOzine YouTube Channel.

Value For Money

The Nikon D6 is available for £6299 inc VAT. This makes it particularly expensive, but potentially worth it for someone who needs this level of camera. Alternatives include the following full-frame DSLRs:

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II, 20mp, 16fps continuous shooting (mirror lock-up), 4K CINE video, 1210 shot battery life, £3999
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III, 20mp, 20fps continuous shooting (live-view), 5.5K video, 2850 shot battery life, £6499
Nikon D5, 20mp, 14fps continuous shooting (mirror lock-up), 4K UHD video, 3780 shot battery life, £5199

Other alternatives from the mirrorless camp include the following, both offering faster continuous shooting speeds, in-body image stabilisation, and potentially a smaller and lighter system depending on lens choices etc:

Olympus OM-D E-M1X, 20mp, 5-axis IS, 60fps, 4K CINE video, 870/2580 shot battery life (Normal, Quick sleep mode)
Sony Alpha A9-II, 24mp BSI CMOS sensor, 5-axis IS, 20fps, 4K UHD video, 500/690 shot battery life (EVF/LCD)

Have a look at more DSLRs options in our Guide to the Best Full-Frame DSLRs. You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

 

Nikon D6 Verdict

The obvious camera for sports photographers, wildlife photography, and those that work in extremes of weather or extremes of safety, such as press reportage photography. For these people the size of the camera will be a potential benefit, giving re-assurance and potentially protection. The added battery life will be of particular appeal, as well as the impressive low-light performance of the 20mp sensor.

However, for the general photographer, there are other cameras that offer high-speed shooting, with a much more compact and lightweight camera body. For those wanting high-resolution fashion or landscape photographs, then the 20mp sensor will seem "low" resolution, and the large size of the camera could be off-putting for street photography.

For video, the camera has been surpassed by the competition, with 4K UHD video being very much "standard" in comparison to offerings from others, with 4K CINE, and higher resolution and faster frame rates available from competitors. The relatively slow contrast-detection auto-focus will also be disappointing to those that have experienced phase-detection focus systems.

In terms of sports photography, if you're a Nikon shooter with a range of Nikon lenses then the D6 is the quickest camera on offer, giving an improved AF system, as well as built-in GPS and Wi-Fi.

The Nikon D6 is the flagship DSLR for Nikon professionals, and it's size, speed, battery life and toughness will be ideal for Nikon users.

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*only beaten by the D5

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