Nikon, a longtime leader in the DSLR world, struggled initially with mirrorless cameras. Now, Nikon's Z line, particularly the Z6 Mark III, competes strongly against Sony, Canon, and Fujifilm.
Coming to you from Tom Calton, this detailed video discusses how Nikon has been making significant strides with its recent full frame releases. The Zf and Z8 models have received positive reviews, and now, the Nikon Z6 Mark III is generating a lot of excitement as well. Calton was fortunate to borrow a unit from Nikon and has some thoughts to share after a few weeks of use.
The handling of the Z6 Mark III is excellent, offering everything you could hope for in a camera. It has plenty of manual buttons and dials, including two command dials on the top, a joystick on the back for moving the AF point, and a touchscreen. The deep hand grip with a rubberized texture ensures a secure hold, and the controls are all easily reachable with your right hand. Nikon’s methodical button placement stands out, making adjustments intuitive and efficient.
The most outstanding feature of the Z6 Mark III is the EVF. It’s crisp and bright, making it one of the nicest EVFs Calton has used. Inside, the camera houses a new 24-megapixel partially stacked sensor, offering faster readout speeds than traditional sensors. This design improves video capture and stills photography by reducing the rolling shutter effect. Calton tested the camera in real-life scenarios, capturing portraits of his friend in rainy UK weather. The weather-sealed construction held up well, and the unedited raw files looked impressive straight out of the camera.
The autofocus speed of the Z6 Mark III is said to be 20% faster than its predecessor. While shooting, Calton found the AF to be fast and accurate, although not entirely faultless. The camera’s 3D tracking mode, borrowed from the Z8, locks onto moving targets even if they pass behind obstacles. The mechanical shutter allows for burst shooting up to 14 frames per second, and using CFexpress cards, you can increase this to 20 frames per second with the electronic shutter.
Another point of discussion is the dynamic range. While some argue that the new chip design offers less dynamic range than traditional sensors, Calton didn’t find this to be a significant issue during his time with the camera. The images looked great, and unless you’re someone who needs to push and pull raw files dramatically, it’s unlikely to be a problem.
Video capture is where the Z6 Mark III really shines. It can record 6K 12-bit raw internally, with options for N-RAW and ProRes RAW, both up to 60 frames per second. There are also options for 4K 10-bit video recording up to 60 frames per second without a crop, and 4K 8-bit up to 120 frames per second with a DX crop. The camera includes eight stops of IBIS, effectively reducing shake in handheld video footage. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Calton.
I'm working on a review now, but limited dynamic range in HDR or N-Log video is REALLY obvious... shadows are noisy even without recovering the shadows. It doesn't matter in flat lighting or when you can control the light by adding fill, but it's a real, tangible problem shooting in sunlight in real-world conditions.
Literally unusable, ugh
Just do us a favour and don't pollute the internet with your review.
3 out of 3? I think you have to say 4 out of 4. The Z9 is the most successful flagship in the mirrorless era.
Someones completely forgeting fujiifilms line and absolute dominance huh? The x100v is hands down by far the most successful flagship mirorless camera since the a7r series. Nikon blatantly takes its inspo from fujifilm. But go on, keep making yourself look like a clown.
It's amazing all the salt people like you throw around over cameras to feel good about yourself. You don't have to deliver your point with such negativity yet you chose to.
No kidding. I think the Fujifilm is a fine camera, but in the world of flagships it is a niche.
Indeed. They are great cameras but not only are they niche they just aren't capable enough in performance to stand on the same podium as the flagships from the big 3.
Your reviews are entertaining. The way you talk is unique, in a positive way.
Personally, it is the same size as my Z7ii and I can't stand shooting that because it is too small. I use a Z9 and Z8, or a ZF if I am out with friends and family.
But I think that lots of people like the smaller size, so I think that this camera will do well for Nikon. The modern equivalent of the D750/780.