The Nikon Z6 was released in 2018, along with the Z7. The Z6 and Z7 were Nikon’s first release of full-frame mirrorless cameras and expectations were high.
Now that the cameras have been on the market for a few years, and we have the Nikon Z6II, we have the benefit of others’ experiences to let us know if the Z6 is a good investment.
Let’s explore the key features of the camera and decide if it has lived up to the expectations of Nikon fans.
Is the Nikon Z6 Worth buying?
The Nikon Z6 is definitely worth buying. It’s well-designed, speedy, produces high-quality photos and videos, and has a user interface that’s easy to adapt to. That design makes it easy for everyone, including beginners, to use.
The Z6 may have been one of Nikon’s first attempts at a mirrorless, full-frame camera, but it didn’t suffer for it. The camera has been well received and praised by users in the three years since its release.
With so many reviews backing it, it’s easy to see that the camera is a worthwhile investment.
In case that condensed account isn’t enough to convince you, let’s investigate the features in more detail and break down why the Z6 is a good buy.
Ease Of Use: Is It User Friendly
The Nikon Z6 is compact, sturdy, and has an easy-to-master user interface. The camera’s touchscreen allows you to change settings and swipe through the menu pages, so you don’t have to waste a single second.
Like most Nikon cameras, this one is designed to be customizable. It has three user profiles that allow you to save unique combinations of ISO, aperture, speed, and white balance settings.
This is helpful if you regularly shoot the same kinds of photos and want to save time on preparation.
One drawback of the camera that’s worth noting is that the battery life may seem short if you’re used to shooting with DSLRs. You’ll generally get about 300 photos before your battery dies, or 50-90 minutes of video footage.
That’s considered below average for a camera of this class. With this in mind, you may want to invest in a few backup batteries.
All in all, the camera’s other features make up for any inconvenience that the short battery life may cause.
Speed: Can It Keep Up With Other Models
Speed is an important factor for those who only have seconds to catch the perfect moment. The last thing you need is for lag to ruin your shot. The Z6 can shoot up to 12 frames per second, which is on par with most high-rated sports cameras.
The autofocus feature takes 0.219 of a second to find its mark and fully focus. That’s a bit longer than the 0.066 or 0.065 of a second that you can achieve in manual and prefocused modes respectively.
Still, the camera is considered to be effectively speedy when compared to similar cameras.
With these specifications, there shouldn’t be any need to worry about speed when using the Nikon Z6. The camera can be counted on in those situations where every second counts, and that’s one of its most important features.
Image Quality: Do The Photos Look Professional
The Z6 has a 24MP sensor which is fairly standard in cameras of this type. It has good resolving power while still maintaining reasonably sized files.
The camera excels at producing high-quality, color-rich photos and excels at producing photos with accurate skin tones.
That last point is especially important to note for those who primarily shoot human subjects, as it can save you editing time in post.
Another key selling point is how well the camera performs in low-light. Even with the ISO settings turned up high, you can expect noise to remain controlled and details to maintain a respectable quality.
The best results for low-light photos will come from RAW files, but even the JPEG results are acceptable if they’re needed. Many users insist that the camera’s low-light capability is one of its best features.
There are however a few detractors in the image quality category. These include a tendency for reds to be oversaturated, a too-warm white balance under fluorescents, and occasionally a faint banding effect in deeply shadowed situations.
These issues can mostly be fixed by adjusting the camera settings and paying close attention to how high the exposure is turned up. While it’s not a hard fix, it’s worth keeping in mind when making your decision.
Overall, the image quality is impressive in a camera of this price point, and many consider the Z6 an affordable alternative to other Nikon cameras like the D810.
Video Versatility: Is It A High-Quality Hybrid
The Z6’s main focus is photography, but like most cameras today it can also be used to record video. The video quality is impressive, offering 4K up to 30fps, and Full HD until you hit 120fps.
It also boasts phase-detect autofocus and offers log recording via an HDMI recorder.
Like most cameras of this type, the Z6 has a 29:59 recording time limit. This means if you plan to record a one-take that’s longer than that you’ll need to plan to stop and restart, but this shouldn’t affect most users.
While it isn’t a camera made specifically for video, it’s a good option for those who don’t need a professional video camera or who are just getting started.
Altogether, the video features of the Z6 are a definite bonus for those planning to purchase the camera and it certainly falls into the hybrid category.
Final Thoughts: Share Your Verdict
The image quality of the Nikon Z6 is excellent, as is the user-friendly design. The 4K and HD video features are a definite bonus and none of the known flaws are impactful enough to discredit the camera.
With all of this in mind, the verdict is that the Nikon Z6 is a highly capable camera, and it’s worth buying.
Do you agree with this answer? Leave a comment and let us know what your experience has been with the Nikon Z6 and if you’d personally recommend it.
The comment section is also a great place to leave questions, so don’t hesitate to let us know what’s on your mind.
