We've had to wait a little longer for the Nikon Z6 to arrive than the Nikon Z7, but it's this camera that will perhaps have the broader appeal of Nikon's two new full-frame mirrorless models, particularly among enthusiast photographers.
Nikon is adopting a two-pronged strategy similar to that employed by Sony when it launched the original Alpha A7R and A7, with the Nikon Z6 and Z7 sharing the same design and a pretty much identical spec sheet, but with three notable differences: resolution, autofocus and burst shooting speed
While the Z7, with its densely populated 45.7MP sensor, is Nikon's high-resolution offering, the Z6 is marketed as more of an all-round camera. However, with Sony already stealing a march with the brilliant Alpha A7 III, has Nikon turned up to the party a little late?
Nikon Z6: features
- 24.5MP full-frame CMOS sensor
- All-new lens mount
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization
As we've just touched on, while the Z7 has a 45.7MP resolution the Nikon Z6 features a back-illuminated 24.5MP full-frame sensor, which, while not offering quite the staggering resolving power of its sibling, delivers a pixel count that should satisfy most users. It also means the native ISO range is that bit broader, running from ISO100 to 51,200 (the Z7's native ISO range is 64-25,600); this can be expanded to 50-204,800, matching the Alpha A7 III.
Like the Z7, the Z6 features Nikon's new Z lens mount, with Nikon having dropped its long-established F mount for its new full-frame mirrorless cameras. The mount opening is 11mm wider than the F mount at 55mm, while the flange focal distance (the distance between the rear lens element and the sensor) is a very short 16mm.
Nikon believes the larger design and short flange distance will enable its lens engineers to design optics that surpass current F mount designs and make the most of the full-frame sensor, allowing light to easily reach the extreme corners of the sensor to ensure even brightness across the frame.
Launching with the Z6 and Z7 are the first three lenses in Nikon's new S-Line range: a 24-70mm f/4 standard zoom, a 35mm f/1.8 wide-angle prime and a 50mm f/1.8 standard prime. The new mount diameter also allows for lenses with maximum apertures as fast as f/0.95, with a high-end manual-focus 58mm f/0.95 S Noct prime lens expected next year.
For existing Nikon DSLR users who are looking to make the switch to the new mirrorless cameras, or who want to shoot with one alongside their current Nikon DSLR kit, there's a new FTZ mount adapter that will be compatible with approximately 360 Nikon lenses, 90 of which which will support the Z6's full AF speed.
The Nikon Z6 gets a new rechargeable Li-ion battery, the EN-EL15b, but the camera is also compatible with the EN-EL15a battery used in the likes of the D850; however unlike the older unit the EN-EL15b supports USB charging, and unlike the Z7, the Z6 won't be supplied with an AC adapter, and will rely solely on USB charging. Disappointingly, Nikon only quotes a 310-shot battery life for the camera, which is 400 shots down on the Alpha A7 III's 710. However, the Z7 is quoted for 330 shots, but we've found that in real-world use we were more likely to get around 600 shots, so we'd expect it to be a similar story here.
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