Quick Verdict
Like the Nikon Z 6, the Z 6 II, offers great image quality, and great handling, but with added "oomph" as well as the convenience of an SD card slot. The Nikon Z 6 II and the other camera's in the Z series offer great handling, and the Z 6 II offers a full-frame 24mp BSI CMOS sensor that is able to offer great noise performance. When combined with the extremely high-quality Z series lenses, you'll find yourself extremely impressed by the image quality on offer from the camera. The images produced offer a level of sharpness and detail that is not always seen.
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- Cons
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The Nikon Z 6 II is the "Mark II" version of the Z 6 which we reviewed in 2018 and comes with a number of updates, including a new image processor, and faster continuous shooting offering 14fps continuous shooting. There's a 24mp full-frame BSI CMOS sensor, in-camera image stabilisation, a 3.2-inch tilting touch-screen, and 4K video recording.
Nikon Z 6 II Features
If you're familiar with the Nikon Z series, then you'll know it's Nikon's full-frame mirrorless camera system, offering a more compact choice in comparison to Nikon's DSLRs, and featuring an electronic viewfinder (EVF) instead of an optical viewfinder. The Z series cameras use Nikon's Z lens mount, and there is a range of Z series lenses available. You can use Nikon F-mount lenses, with an adapter.
There are three current cameras in the range, with the top-of-the-range 45mp Z 7 II replacing the Z 7, the 24mp Z 6 II replacing the Z 6, and the 24mp Z5 sitting lower down the range.
Nikon Z 6 II vs Z 6 improvements:
- Dual Expeed 6 image processors
- Improved AF, sensitive down to -4.5EV (-6 with low-light AF)
- Improved burst shooting (14fps)
- Longer shutter time (900s), Timelapse support
- Improved buffer (200 JPEG shots, 124 12-bit uncompressed raw)
- Faster write speeds
- Improved EVF refresh rate, reduced blackout
- 4K 60p available with firmware update due Feb 2021 (was 30fps on Z 6)
- Eye/Face / Animal detection AF for stills and video
- Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) support
- Second memory card slot (SD UHS-II and CF Express / XQD)
- Slightly improved battery life (340 shots)
The Z 6 II features a 24.5mp full-frame BSI CMOS sensor. The camera has a 5-axis sensor-based image stabilisation system, that works with Z mount lenses, but also works when you use a Nikon F lens with VR, with the FTZ adapter so that you can benefit from both image stabilisation systems. The system is said to give up to 5-stops of image stabilisation.
The camera offers 14fps continuous shooting, at full resolution. There is a focus stacking feature. Flicker reduction is included to help when shooting under fluorescent lighting. There's also an electronic shutter option, for silent shooting.
Focus is taken care of with 273 phase-detection AF points on the sensor, which covers 90% of the frame. The camera will focus down to -4.5/-6 EV (with a lens that has an aperture of f/2 or faster). There's AF tracking, Pinpoint AF, and face and eye detection focus available for both humans and animals. The camera uses dual EXPEED 6 image processors.
There's a locking mode dial on top, with 3 customisable user settings (U1, U2, U3). There are all the usual shooting modes, including P, A, S, M, and to switch to the video mode you use the photo/video switch on the back of the camera. There is an Auto mode, but no scene modes. There are a number of "picture control" options available, with different colour styles, which can be customised. You'll also find a number of "Creative Picture Control" presets, with effects similar to the digital effects you get on other cameras.
Video features - The Nikon Z 6 II records 4K (UHD) video at 30fps, using the full-frame of the sensor (without crop), and Nikon says they oversample from 6K, giving 4K footage with "spectacular fineness and detail". You can also record FullHD video up to 120fps. Video recording also benefits from the in-camera five-axis optical Vibration Reduction (VR) system, and the camera offers electronic image stabilisation which can add to the stabilisation system. A firmware update is due in February 2021, which will allow 4K video to be recorded at 60fps, with a 1.5x crop.
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth - Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in to the camera, and can be used with Nikon's SnapBridge software. This lets you transfer JPEG images, shoot stills, and record video remotely.
Key Features
- 24.5mp Full-Frame BSI CMOS sensor
- 5-axis sensor-based image stabilisation (IBIS)
- 3.2inch 2100K dot tilting touch-screen
- 3.69m dot EVF, 0.80x magnification, 100% view
- Top LCD display
- Z-mount
- 273 phase-detection AF points
- 14fps continuous shooting
- 4K UHD video recording (30fps now, 60fps with firmware update due Feb 2021)
- FullHD video up to 120fps
- ISO50 to ISO204800 (Extended)
- Weather-sealed camera body
- Dual-axis electronic level
- CFexpress / SD memory card slots
- Headphone, microphone, USB-C, HDMI and remote ports
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Nikon Z 6 II Handling
Looking at the camera body, and comparing it to the Z 6, there is very little (if any) difference between the cameras, except when you open the, now larger, memory card compartment, to find that there is now an SD card slot in addition to the XQD slot. The Z 6 II weighs 705g with battery and memory card (without lens), compared to 675g for the Z 6.
There's a large SLR-style grip for your hand, with a front and rear command dial. The camera body is weather-sealed to the same standard as the Nikon D850. There is a soft rubberised texture surrounding the grip, and this also extends round to the back of the camera, as well as the left-hand side of the camera. The rear grip for your thumb is large and provides a solid point of contact. The top shutter release button, and surrounding on/off switch will look familiar to anyone who's used other Nikon DSLRs, and the layout of buttons around this is also the same, giving quick access to exposure compensation, ISO and video recording.
There is a back AF-ON button, so you can set up back-button focusing. There's a joystick underneath this, as well as the Nikon i button. The labelling of buttons used should be very familiar to Nikon DSLR users, as these are very similar to other Nikon DSLRs, although the layout is slightly less spread out. The locking mode dial features an Auto mode, as well as P, S, A, and M, plus three customisable user modes, U1, U2, and U3. To switch between stills and video shooting, there's a switch that surrounds the display button.
There's a top LCD screen which displays the shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO speed, battery life, shooting mode, and remaining shots.
Focus performance - The Nikon Z 6 II has 273 phase-detection AF points, which cover 90% of the frame. Pinpoint AF is available, as well as focus peaking to assist with manual focus. Face and eye detection focus is available, as well as animal detection that works with cats and dogs.
Focus is sensitive down to -4.5 EV in normal shooting conditions or -6 EV with low-light AF active. The focus was reliable, with a very good success rate, especially in good lighting conditions, so much so that we didn't need to constantly check photos for correct focus after shooting. You can use the touch-screen to set the focus point, or you can use the joystick on the back, making it quick and easy to precisely set your focus point.
The electronic viewfinder (EVF) offers a large, and high-resolution view of the scene, with 3.6m dots, and 0.80x magnification. With dioptre adjustment, it's easy to adjust it to your own personal view. We were impressed by the resolution and clarity of the display.
The 3.2-inch tilting touch-screen is large and clear, with a high resolution of 2100K dots. The screen tilts up so that you can use it as a waist-level viewfinder, and the screen will also tilt down. You can use it to change settings, scroll through the menus, as well as set the focus point. Pressing the i button will bring up a number of on-screen controls, and you can use the touch-screen to change these as well or simply use the 4-way controller if you're not a fan of touch-screens.
In playback pressing the middle OK button will automatically take you to a magnified view of the photo showing you 100%. The 100% view is also signified by the zoom bar going green, just like on other Nikon DSLRs.
Menus - The menus follow the same layout and design as other recent Nikon cameras, and each section is colour coded, to help you more quickly find your way around the options. There’s a dedicated video menu section, something you don’t always find on some cameras. The “MyMenu” section can be customised, so that you can add your favourite settings, giving you quicker access.
Battery life - Battery life is rated at 340 shots according to Nikon / CIPA test results, which is low compared to some cameras, and a spare battery is therefore recommended, however, you mileage may vary depending on how you shoot, and you should get much more with continuous shooting modes. A new battery grip (MB-N11) is available to extend battery life.
Underneath the camera is where you'll find the tripod socket, as well as the battery compartment. The camera will take the same EN-EL15 battery as previous Nikon DSLRs, however, if you want to use the in-camera USB charging feature, then you'll need to use the EN-EL15B battery provided with the camera. Charging is via the USB-C port on the side, and you can charge the camera using a USB power bank.
Nikon Z 6 II 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 Z 6 II Sample Photos
Sample Photos - As expected, colour reproduction is very pleasing, with rich saturated colours, and anyone who is a fan of Nikon's colour reproduction will be extremely happy with the results from the Z 6 II. Skin tones are particularly good, as you would expect from a Nikon camera. Autofocus in low-light was good, with a high success rate.
Nikon's D-Lighting ensures that shadows are not lost, and highlights are kept. There are a number of levels, or you can leave this on Auto. This means that the dynamic range captured by the camera is very good. There is also a built-in HDR mode that will automatically merge a number of shots to record a greater dynamic range. You can, of course, process the raw files if needed, either on your computer or in the camera.
An electronic first curtain shutter option is available, designed to reduce the risk of shutter shock. The in-camera image stabilisation system helps to keep images sharp and help avoid image blur.
You can shoot JPEG, JPEG+RAW, RAW (NEF, 12-bit and 14-bit). At the time of writing, the latest version of Adobe Camera RAW (v13.0.2) does not support Nikon Z 6 II raw files.
Lens performance - it doesn't seem to matter too much which Nikon lens you use with the Z series, as they all perform extremely well, with excellent levels of detail and sharpness captured by the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens! Have a look at some of our reviews to see if there's a lens for you: Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S, Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 Z NOCT (MF), Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S, Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S, Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S (used in this review).
The camera has built-in lens correction, which includes correction for vignetting (dark corners), diffraction compensation, and auto distortion control (which is on by default with Nikon Z lenses), and we saw very little evidence of these problems in our images.
Nikon Z 6 II ISO test images
ISO Noise Performance - Noise is very low from ISO50 all the way up to ISO1600/3200. Fine detail starts to drop at ISO3200, and continues to go at ISO6400. Noise becomes more noticeable at ISO12800, and again at ISO25600. Results may still be usable depending on your needs, as colour saturation remains good even up to ISO51200. Noise is very high at ISO102400 and above, and these settings are best avoided.
Noise reduction options include Off, Low, Normal, and High, with the default being Normal. These photos were taken on the default settings.
Nikon Z 6 II White-balance test images
White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) performs well under tungsten, with a slightly warm result on default settings (Auto1). There are a number of different Auto White Balance (AWB) options, including 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), although the difference can be quite subtle. You can also adjust the auto white balance more precisely if needed. The tungsten preset does a great job. Auto white balance gives a reasonable result under fluorescent lighting, and there are a number of fluorescent presets available, so that you can choose one that most matches your lighting. AWB performs reasonably well under mixed lighting as well.
Nikon Z 6 II Digital filters
Digital Filters - There are a number of preset colour modes, and these can be customised, with quick sharp (adjusts all sharpness settings quickly), sharpening, mid-range sharpening, clarity, contrast, brightness, saturation, and hue. You can leave this on Auto if you want.
After going through the standard colour settings, there are 20 "Creative Picture Control" options, which includes presets such as Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleaches, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, to name a few. There is no automatic panoramic mode.
Video - The Nikon Z 6 II records 4K video at a resolution of 3840 x 2160 (UHD) at 30p (progressive), 25p, and 24p, with stereo microphones built-in. 4K video uses the full width of the sensor, so that there is only a crop at the top and bottom of the image, as the aspect ratio changes from 3:2 to 16:9 aspect ratio.
FullHD (1920 x 1080) video can be recorded at speeds up to 120fps, with options for 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p. You can also record high-speed video at FullHD resolution for video playback at 30p (x4), 25p (x4), and 24p (x5) for slow-motion footage.
Almost the full ISO range is available for video recording from ISO100 to ISO204800.
N-Log video recording is possible (via HDMI only) for greater dynamic range, and later grading of footage. The built-in sensor-based 5-axis image stabilisation helps keep the video steady when using the camera handheld, and video quality is good, with sharp and detailed footage captured. Wind noise can be an issue, so you may want to adjust the camera's settings or add a "dead cat".
Value For Money
The Nikon Z 6 II is available for £1999 body only, this makes it relatively good value for money, with IBIS, 4K (60fps coming Feb 2021), and a very fast 14fps continuous shooting speed. Here are the closest competitors in terms of price and features:
Sony Alpha A7 III, 24mp, IBIS, 10fps continuous shooting, 4K 30fps video, £1749 body only
Panasonic Lumix S5, 24mp, IBIS, 7fps continuous shooting, 4K 60fps video, £1799 body only
Nikon Z 5, 24mp, IBIS, 4.5fps continuous shooting, 4K 30fps video, £1399 body only
Nikon Z 6, 24mp, IBIS, 12fps continuous shooting, 4K 30fps video, £1549 body only
Nikon Z 6 II, 24mp, IBIS, 14fps continuous shooting, 4K 30fps video (60fps with firmware update), £1999 body only
Canon EOS R6, 20mp, IBIS, 12/20fps continuous shooting, 4K 60/50fps, £2499 body only
Sigma fp, 24mp, 18fps continuous (electronic shutter), 4K UHD 30fps, L-mount, £2149 with 45mm f/2.8 lens.
Have a look at more full-frame mirrorless cameras in our Best Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras list. 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 Z 6 II Verdict
Like the Nikon Z 6, the Z 6 II, offers great image quality, and great handling, but with added "oomph" as well as the convenience of an SD card slot. The Nikon Z 6 II and the other camera's in the Z series offer great handling, and the Z 6 II offers a full-frame 24mp BSI CMOS sensor that is able to offer great noise performance. When combined with the extremely high-quality Z series lenses, you'll find yourself extremely impressed by the image quality on offer from the camera. The images produced offer a level of sharpness and detail that is not always seen.
One area where the Nikon Z 6 II may disappoint is for video use, specifically vlogging, as the lack of a screen that can tilt to face forwards could be a deal-breaker for the vlogging obsessed. It's also worth noting that the battery life could also be a little short for some, so a spare battery is definitely recommended.
Low-light performance is good, with the camera able to focus in low-light conditions, and with Nikon's respected colour reproduction and face/eye detection focus, the camera would be well suited to wedding and portrait photography. With high-speed shooting on offer, this camera could also be used for a range of sports and wildlife photography. There's also the added bonus of the Nikon Z/S series lenses offering excellent quality so that you know you're going to get good results.
| The Nikon Z 6 II may seem like a "minor" update, however, it's a welcome update that makes an already great camera even better, and the range of lenses available has also improved. |
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