Reviews |Nikon Z6 price, specs, release date announced

Nikon Z6 price, specs, release date announced

Nikon Z6 price, specs, release date announced
News

The Nikon Z6, a full-frame mirrorless ‘all-rounder’ camera with 24.5Mp has been announced with a price of £2,099 and release date late November 2018.

Nikon has been dropping teasers left right and centre about it eagerly awaited full-frame mirrorless camera, but what it failed to mention until now is that there would be two cameras.

Yes, in addition to the 45.7MP Nikon Z7, the company has also revealed the Nikon Nikon Z6. Apart from a few key aspects, it’s almost identical to the to Nikon Z7. The most significant point, for many, is that the Y’s full-frame sensor has 24.5million effective pixels.

It uses the same Expeed 6 processing engine and in the lower-resolution, Nikon Z6 this enables as maximum continuous shooting rate of 12fps. In addition, the sensitivity range is ISO 100-51,200, wider than that of the Nikon Z7.

There are also 273 phase detection autofocus points that operate whether you’re shooting stills or video.

Nikon is billing the Nikon Z6 as an all-rounder and it’s aimed at enthusiast photographers, especially existing Nikon photographers. Nikon sees the Nikon Z6 as the mirrorless partner to the Nikon D750 and it’s a natural competitor to the Sony A7 III.

Nikon DSLR-like Build

Like the Nikon Z7, the Nikon Z6 has a mini-DSLR style design. That means the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is in the centre of the top-plate and there’s a good-sized grip. It’s also weatherproofed to the same level as the D850.

The viewfinder is a QVGA 3.6million-dot device that has 0.8x magnification and shows 100% of the image. Nikon optics are incorporated into the EVF design and this, according to Nikon makes it the best electronic finder currently available.

Nikon has taken the decision to introduce a new mount that has been designed from the ground-up to enable faster lenses to be mounted than is possible with the F-mount.

This means that the Nikon Z6 has a mount with a 55mm diameter. That’s significantly larger than the F-mount (47mm diameter) of the mount of the D750 and D850. However, Nikon has an adapter that enables Nikon F-mount lenses to be used on the Nikon Z6. Furthermore, Nikon claims that the AF-S lenses produce the same performance on the Nikon Z6 as they do on a Nikon DSLR.

Although the diameter of the new mount is larger than the F-mount, it’s flange depth has been reduced to 16mm. That means that the Nikon Z6 is very slim.

Nikon has opted for in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) as this means VR doesn’t have to be built into the lenses. However, the IBIS is compatible with the VR is existing lenses used via the adapter.

Familiar Interface

Nikon wants to ensure an easy transition from its DSLR cameras to the new mirrorless line and it’s therefore made the control layout and interface very similar.

On the back of the Nikon Z6, there’s tilting 3.2-inch 2,100,000-dot touch-screen that can be used for composing and reviewing images or adjusting settings. In addition, there’s a top-plate LCD for checking settings.

Like the Nikon Z7, the Nikon Z6 has a single XQD card port. Nikon selected this to save space and enable high speed recording. This port is also updatable to CFexpress.

Nikon’s SnapBridge system that uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to simplify making a connection to a smartphone or tablet is built-in. However, it’s also possible to use the WiFi directly and there’s a dedicated CPU to improve the connection. If you prefer, however, the Y is compatible with Nikon’s WT-7 wireless adapter.

On the subject of compatibility, the Nikon Z6 is fully integrated with the Nikon Speedlight system. That’s good news for flash users.

New Battery

The Nikon Z6 can use the Nikon EN-EL15a battery that’s used by the D850, but it’s designed use a new battery called the EN-EL15b.

Video

The Nikon Nikon Z6 is 4K UHD enabled and Full HD video can be recorded at up to 120p. Video that’s saved to the XQD card is 8bit, but 10bit footage with N-Log applied can be saved to an external recorder via HDMI.

Timecode, focus peaking and zebra display are also available.

Lenses

Nikon is launching 3 lenses that will be on sale when the Z6 hits the shops:

  • Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4
  • Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8
  • Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8

These are claimed to deliver pro-lens quality. More lenses are in the pipeline.

Nikon Z6 Price

The price of the Nikon Z6 is £2,099, while the Nikon Z7 will cost £3,399.

Nikon Z6 Release Date

The Nikon Z6 will go on sale in late November.