Nikon Z 6 Review

The new Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 are Nikon's brand-new full-frame mirrorless cameras, with a large electronic viewfinder, a 3.2-inch tilting touch-screen, and the option of a 24mp or 45.7mp full-frame BSI CMOS sensor. The Z 6 and Z 7 use a completely new Z lens mount that is larger than the mount used in Nikon DSLRs, Nikon says this is so that they can develop lenses with the highest image quality possible, setting new optical standards for the future.

Now available is the Nikon Z 6, with a 24mp sensor, the less expensive of the two, so let's find out how this performs.

Nikon Z 6 Features

The Z 6 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 12fps continuous shooting, at full-resolution. 

The focus stacking feature, first seen in the Nikon D850, has been improved so that there is now a mono preview available so that you can preview what it is going to look like. 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 EV (with a lens that has an aperture of f/2 or faster). There's AF tracking, Pinpoint AF, and face-detection focus. The camera uses the EXPEED 6 image processor, which includes a new "Mid-range sharpness" setting, on top of the other sharpness settings. 

The camera body is weather-sealed to the same standard as the Nikon D850. 

The camera uses the Nikon Z mount, and initially, there are three lenses available, with more to follow:

• 24-70mm f/4, which is a premium kit lens, that is collapsible, meaning you need to extend the lens to 24mm before you can start using it. It extends as you zoom to 70mm. 
• 35mm f/1.8
• 50mm f/1.8

The new Z-mount lens range offers a customisable lens ring so that you can choose whether to use it to set the focus, aperture, or another setting. The FTZ adapter will work with up to 93 Nikon F mount lenses.

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.

Here's how the Z 6 and Z 7 differ from each other: 

Video features - The Nikon Z 6 records 4K (UHD) video at 30fps, using the full-frame of the sensor, 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.

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. 

If you've already read the Nikon Z 7 review, then you might want to jump straight to the Performance section. 

Nikon Z 6 Key Features

• 24.5mp Full-Frame BSI CMOS sensor
• 3.2inch 2100K dot tilting touch-screen
• 3.69m dot EVF, 0.80x magnification, 100% view, with dioptre correction and eye-detection
• Top LCD display - showing shutter speed, aperture, ISO, battery, drive mode and remaining shots
• Z-Mount, with 16mm flange distance, and 55mm diameter
• 273 phase-detection AF points 
• ISO100 - ISO51200 (extends to ISO50 and ISO204800)
• 12fps continuous shooting
• Locking mode dial, with 3 custom user (U) modes
• Two front function buttons, Fn1, and Fn2
• 4K UHD video recording, FullHD 120fps video
• 5-axis sensor-based image stabilisation
• Dual-axis electronic level
• XQD memory card slot (with side access)
• Headphone, microphone, USB-C, HDMI and remote ports
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Compatibility with Nikon flashguns
• EN-EL15 battery compatibility, EN-EL15B needed for USB charging

Nikon Z 6 Handling

The Nikon Z 6 camera body is the same as the Z 7, so there are no surprises here. The camera body is weather-sealed and build-quality is excellent, thanks to the magnesium alloy body. Even the weight of the two cameras is the same. 

There's a large SLR style grip for your hand, with a front and rear command dial. 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 setup 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.

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 has 273 phase-detection AF points, which covers 90% of the frame. Pinpoint AF is available, as well as focus peaking to assist with manual focus. Face detection focus is available, but the camera does not feature eye-detection. Focus is sensitive down to -1 EV in normal shooting conditions, or -4 EV with low-light AF active. 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. 

Nikon say that the "EVF view rivals any Nikon DSLR."

The 3.2inch 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.

The menus follow the same layout and design as other recent Nikon DSLRs, 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.

There's side access to the single XQD memory card slot. Some people will find this a deal-breaker. Others will not. For most people, it will mean you’ll need to buy an XQD card and reader unless you manage to get one free with the camera, as some retailers are offering this. If you don't have an XQD memory card reader, then you can leave the memory card in the camera and connect it to your computer using the provided USB cable, although make sure you connect it to a USB3 socket on your computer for the quickest transfer speeds. 

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 (with the camera switched off).

Battery life is rated at 310 shots for the Z 6, and 330 shots for the Z 7, according to CIPA testing standards. Nikon is working on a battery grip for the camera, which will extend the battery life.

Nikon Z 6 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.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter response and focus speeds are both very quick, and the camera offers a rapid shot to shot time. The switch on time, to first photo, is a little slower than some DSLRs, but the continuous shooting speed is very good. The shutter is quite loud, and switching to the electronic shutter allows silent shooting.

Nikon Z 6 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - 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. Skin tones are particularly good, as you would expect from a Nikon camera. Focus in low-light was good, with a high success rate. 

There were times when we needed to adjust the exposure compensation so that images weren't under-exposed, but for the most part, exposure was reliable. 

D-Lighting – 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.

Nikon Z 6 Lens test images

Lens Performance - 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, except for some vignetting when processing raw files.

The 24-70mm f/4 lens and 35mm f/1.8 lens both give good out-of-focus background blur or bokeh. We also tried to induce flare, by shooting into the sun, but again, we very rarely saw any problems due to flare. Similarly, we looked for chromatic aberration, and purple fringing, but rarely saw any.

The lenses we used performed extremely well, with sharp detailed images, and it's possible to get even sharper results by processing the files and adjusting the sharpness to your own personal tastes. 

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), or TIFF (RGB). At the time of writing, the latest version of Adobe Camera RAW (v11.0) does not support Nikon Z 6 raw files.

Nikon Z 6 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - The Z 6 has a wide ISO range, from ISO100 to ISO51200, which can be extended down to ISO50 (Low 1), and up to ISO2048000 (Hi 2). Noise performance is very good, with usable results up to ISO6400, and even ISO12800. Noise levels increase at ISO25600, and detail drops more noticeably. Colour saturation remains good, even up to ISO51200. ISO102400 shows stronger noise, and colour saturation drops off, so we'd generally recommend avoiding this setting. Noise becomes excessive at ISO204800. Noise reduction options available are Off, Low, Normal, and High. We took these photos using the default setting of Normal, and users of previous Nikon DSLRs may want to reduce this to Low, as the default setting has quite strong noise reduction. 

Noise compared to the competition...

Compared to the Sony Alpha A7 III noise performance appears to be very similar, with a slight edge going to the A7 III for detail, with the Sony retaining slightly more detail at ISO12800 and ISO25600. The Nikon Z 6 shows slightly less noise, but with slightly less detail.

Nikon Z 6 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). You can also adjust the auto white balance more precisely if needed. The tungsten preset does a reasonable job, however, we prefer the results from using the "Auto0 - Keep white" option. 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. 

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 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, and due to oversampling the results are very sharp and detailed.

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 out only) for greater dynamic range, and later grading of footage. The built-in sensor-based 5-axis image stabilisation helps keep video steady when using the camera handheld. You can watch additional videos on the ePHOTOzine YouTube Channel.

Nikon Z 6 Review - Verdict

Value For Money

The Nikon Z 6 is available for £2199 with mount adapter, making it less than the 30mp Canon EOS R, but also more than the 24mp Sony Alpha A7 III. Alternatives include the following cameras: 

• Canon EOS R (30mp, 8fps) + EF-EOSR Adapter, £2349, with 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens + Adapter, £3269
• Nikon Z 6 (24.5mp, 12fps) + Mount adapter, £2199, with 24-70mm lens + Adapter, £2799
• Nikon Z 7 (45.7mp, 9fps), body only, £3399, with 24-70mm lens + Adapter, £4099
• Sony Alpha A7 III (24mp, 10fps), body only, £1999
• Sony Alpha A7R III (42mp, 10fps), body only, £2899

Have a look at more mirrorless compact system cameras in our Best Premium Mirrorless Cameras, or if you're looking for a Full-Frame DSLR have a look here. You'll also need to buy an XQD memory card (if you don't have one) 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 Verdict

You could look at the Nikon Z 6 as an upgrade or replacement for the 24mp Nikon D750, however, with 12fps continuous shooting, it offers speeds nearer to the Nikon D5 (with 12fps or 14fps with mirror up), and more focus points (273 vs 51 and 153 respectively). In terms of size, it's smaller and lighter than both of these. You also have the benefits of Mirrorless technology, such as a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) electronic viewfinder, an electronic shutter, and in-camera image stabilisation (a first for a Nikon ILC).

The nice thing about the Nikon Z system is the introduction of a number of compact lenses, and in addition to this, Nikon has published a lens roadmap, so that you can see if future lenses are what you're looking for. However, there are currently only three lenses available, so for anything else, you will need to use an adapter.

If you don't need the 45mp of the Nikon Z 7 and want the higher continuous shooting speed, as well as better noise performance, then the Nikon Z 6  would be a great choice. Image quality is excellent, with great noise performance, and Nikon's tried and tested colour reproduction. 

It's a shame the battery life isn't better, and there will be people who will find one memory card slot an issue. There will also be those that prefer SD cards due to the wide support for them (for example, built-in card readers in laptops), but with the purchase of an XQD card reader, this is quite easily resolved.

Focus performance is very good, with a high success rate, thanks to on-sensor phase detection focus points, although the lack of eye detection focus will be disappointing to those who have used it and seen the benefits.

With the choice of a 24mp Z 6 or a high-resolution 45mp Z 7, Nikon is offering a very good line-up of cameras, with the Z 6 offering very good value for money, particularly when you consider that the camera offers 12fps continuous shooting, beating the full-frame competition at this price point. We expect Nikon to have great success with the Z series, and as new lenses (and camera bodies) are introduced the appeal of the system will grow.

The Nikon Z 6 delivers excellent image quality, and is a great full-frame mirrorless camera.

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