Nikon Z6III review: all-round ability puts Nikon into top tier

91%

Overall score

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The Nikon Z6III is the company’s third-generation full-frame mirrorless camera, bringing a faster 24MP sensor that boosts the autofocus and video capabilities of this stills/video hybrid.

Key specifications

• 24MP “Partially Stacked” CMOS sensor
• 14fps with mech shutter, 20fps e-shutter up to 1000 Raw files
• Up to 60fps JPEG in full resolution, 120fps with APS-C crop
• In-body image stabilization rated at up to 8.0 stops
• 5.76M dot EVF with high brightness and wide color gamut
• Fully articulated 3.2″ 2.1M dot rear screen
• 6K/60p N-Raw video, 6K/30p ProRes Raw
• 5.4K/60p H.265 video
• Pre-burst capture, pixel-shift high-res mode

The Nikon Z6III is available at a recommended price of $2500. This is a $500 increase over the previous Z6 models but brings it into line with the likes of Canon’s EOS R6 II and Sony’s a7 IV, with which it directly competes.

Index:

• What’s new?
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What’s new

24MP “Partially Stacked” CMOS sensor

Nikon’s image of the Z6III’s sensor, showing the extensive readout circuitry above and below the sensor. Image: Nikon

The sensor at the heart of the Z6III is responsible for much of what the new camera brings. Nikon uses the term “Partially Stacked” to suggest it has some of the performance benefits of the Stacked CMOS chips it uses in its Z8 and Z9 models, but without the associated cost.

Applying an additional layer of silicon at the edges of the chip allows its readout circuitry to be more sophisticated than it would be, were it fabricated as part of the sensor layer, enabling faster data handling.

The result is that the camera can read out its sensor fast enough to deliver full-width 6K video at up to 60p in N-Raw mode and an e-shutter flash sync speed of 1/60 sec. This means it must be able to read the entire sensor in less than 1/60 sec. This is around the same speed as the Canon EOS R6 II, but in 14-bit sensor readout mode, rather than 12-bit. It can shoot full-res JPEGs (presumably from 12-bit readout) at up to 50fps.

However, that e-shutter sync speed of 1/60th is around a quarter of the speed of true Stacked CMOS sensors and not a vast leap forward from the previous generation of sensors. It should improve AF performance and video capabilities but won’t deliver the blisteringly fast performance of the likes of the Z8.

Improved AF

Along with the faster sensor, the Z6III also gains the autofocus improvements seen in Nikon’s recent models, including 3D Tracking and subject recognition. The company says AF is up to 20% faster than it was in the Z6 II, and that the performance is comparable with the Z8 and Z9.

On top of this, the camera can focus at down to –10EV without you having to engage the Starlight AF mode (though it’s worth noting that this figure is predicated on an F1.2 lens being attached). It also gains most of the subject recognition modes from the Zf, though lacks the dedicated bird detection mode that the Z8 and Z9 have recently gained.

These all reflect a significant improvement over the Z6 II. The 3D Tracking system resembles those on Nikon’s DSLRs: pick an AF point and the camera will follow whatever’s under that point when you hold the shutter half depressed or the AF-On button. As soon as you release it reverts to your previously chosen position. Unlike the Z6 II’s system you don’t need to press a button to cancel tracking and it doesn’t revert to the center.

But as well as this increased ease-of-use, the interface controls a much more effective and reliable tracking system that’s much less likely to lock onto the wrong thing or just lose it completely (which was not uncommon, especially in movie mode, on the previous generation of cameras). Add to this the camera’s ability to recognize a series of subjects near your chosen AF point and the Z6 III should be much quicker and easier to work with than previous mid-level Nikons.

Video

The faster sensor sees the Z6III’s video capabilities gain a significant upgrade, compared with its predecessor. It’s too soon for Nikon’s purchase of cinema camera maker RED to have played into this camera’s development, but it relieves any uncertainty around the inclusion of onboard capture of both N-Raw and ProRes Raw video formats.

All of the codecs offer both 4K and a higher-resolution capture mode, all of which use the full width of the sensor. The Raw modes offer 6K or 4K capture, while the gamma-encoded modes (ProRes 422, H.265, H.264) offer 5.4K or UHD 4K recording.

Like the Z8, the Z6III includes shooting aids such as waveforms, zebras and focus peaking.

The Z6III also becomes the first Nikon to accept a line-level input over its mic socket. It’s also compatible with Atomos’ AirGlu, a Bluetooth-based Timecode sync system.

Additional functions

The Z6III also gains all the other functions that have been added to Nikon cameras since the launch of the Z6 II, including pre-burst capabilities and multi-shot high resolution modes.

It also has an image stabilization system that centers its correction on your chosen AF point. This is particularly valuable if you’re focused in the corners of wide-angle shots, where the required pitch and yaw correction is significantly different from that needed at the center of the image.

In addition, like the Zf, the Z6III can use its subject recognition system even if you’re in manual focus mode. This means that engaging magnified live view will punch in on your subject’s eye, as you check focus, rather than you having to navigate around the scene to find it.

Finally, the Z6III will be compatible with a “Flexible Color” tool that will be added to Nikon’s NX Studio software, which provides an enhanced set of color tools for creating custom Picture Control color modes to install on the camera.

Cloud access

The Z6III will be the first Nikon camera to use the Nikon Imaging Cloud service. This will fulfill a series of functions. At its most basic it’ll be a service to which images can be uploaded and then sent on to other storage and social media services (rather than the camera itself having to know how to connect to multiple services).

It’ll also be a source for “Imaging Recipes,” which are camera settings intended for taking specific types of image, created with the help of Nikon’s sponsored creators. There will also be “Cloud Picture Controls” presets that can be downloaded. This service isn’t available yet, so we won’t be able to assess its usefulness until it is.

How it compares

The $500 price hike brings the Nikon directly into line with the MSRPs of its two most comparable competitors: Sony’s a7 IV and Canon’s EOS R6 II. All three cameras are highly capable stills and video machines with strong AF systems. We’ve included the more expensive of Panasonic’s DC-S5II models here because the ‘X’ version’s video capabilities and price are closer to those of the Nikon.

What the table can’t capture is the subtle differences in performance between these models, which is increasingly what it comes down to, in this most competitive of classes. Our early impressions are that the Z6III matches the Canon and Sony in terms of autofocus tracking performance and usability, wheres the Panasonic lags a little and the Z6 II feels like it’s left significantly behind.

Likewise the new Nikon and the Canon stand ahead in terms of video performance, as they offer faster video capture with less rolling shutter, especially compared with the rather slow Sony. We’ll need to shoot the Nikon more to know whether it can outdo the Canon’s video AF, which isn’t the most dependable.

The stills stabilization figures do nothing to convey the smoothness of video stabilization, either, with the Panasonic doing particularly well in this regard. Increasingly, choice and availability of lenses will be the critical deciding factor for a lot of people.

Body and handling

The Z6III looks, at first glance, a lot like the existing Z6 and Z7 models, with a familiar low-height camera with significant hand grip and viewfinder hump extending from it. But if you put them side-by-side you find that the Z6III is a very different body, even if it uses the same styling cues.

It’s a larger camera than its predecessors and heavier. However, it’s much closer in size to them than it is to the Z8. It’s wider and thicker but maintains a solid, comfortable grip. The button positions are essentially unchanged, compared to the previous cameras, with twin function buttons on the front and an AF joystick on the back.

Viewfinder

The Z6III is a larger, heavier body than its predecessor, but the controls are essentially the same. The Playback and drive mode buttons have been swapped, but that’s the most significant change. There’s also a button on the top plate to illuminate the settings panel.

The Z6III becomes the first Z-series camera to move beyond the 3.69M dot panels used so far. It sees a jump to 5.76M dots but, more importantly, also gains a significant brightness boost. The panel can go as bright as 4000nits and can cover the DCI P3 gamut required for HLG.

You’ll need to manually push it to its brightest setting to get this full brightness but it means the camera can represent true HDR capture when shooting in HEIF mode, and generally give a viewfinder that differs less in brightness, relative to the real world. It can be run at up to 120fps.

There’s no viewfinder blackout when shooting bursts in electronic shutter modes, but the use of a mechanical shutter means it’s present in most modes.

Articulated rear screen

The Z6III becomes the first in its series to gain a fully-articulated screen, rather than the tilting panels that the previous models have had. It’s a 3.2″ LCD panel with 2.1M dots.

The hinge is very close to the camera’s (full-sized) HDMI port and only a little in front of the mic and headphone sockets, so expect it to be a little awkward to use if you’ve got a lot of things plugged into the side of the body.

Battery

The Z6III uses the same EN-EL15c battery as its predecessor, and is rated as delivering a similar number of images. In standard mode it is rated to give 390 shots per charge if used via the rear LCD, and 360 shots through the viewfinder. Move into power saving mode and these numbers increase to 410 and 380 shots per charge, respectively. As always, these numbers tend to significantly under-represent the number of shots most people will achieve. Getting twice the rated figure isn’t unusual, and more if you shoot a lot of images as bursts.

The camera can be charged or powered over USB, but it seems to prefer high-powered USB-PD chargers, so it’s worth checking that the ‘CHG’ lamp above the USB socket is illuminated, if you’re expecting to come back to find your battery replenished.

A battery grip with vertical controls and space for two, hot-swappable, batteries has been created. The MB-N14 is backward compatible with the Z6 II and Z7 II. This grip displaces the internal battery, meaning you end up with two batteries in total. It has its own USB-C socket for charging the batteries even with the grip detached.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

The Z6III’s image quality is very good, with high levels of detail capture for a 24MP sensor. It exhibits a little more noise than its predecessor at moderate ISOs and this difference becomes more apparent at extremely high ISO, though the results are still comparable with its peers.

The JPEG engine doesn’t quite pull out as much fine detail from its files as Sony’s does, but again the results are definitely competitive. JPEG color is the usual, attractive Nikon result, with slightly over-pink Caucasian skintones but attractively yellow yellows. Noise reduction errs on the side of smooth, rather than trying to maintain very fine detail, with the difference becoming significant at very high ISO settings.

Pixel Shift

Like many modern cameras, the Z6III has a multi-shot pixel shift mode (or, arguably, two: one that just cancels the Bayer pattern, to boost color resolution in a 24MP image and a second to boost the spatial resolution, too). As with all cameras, these require a very steady tripod and completely static subject to get the best results, and in the case of the Z6III there’s no motion correction to deliver some sort of result in less-than-optimal circumstances. In the case of the Z6III, the images must be combined using Nikon’s free Capture NX software, which makes the process fairly quick and painless. The merged NEFX files can be opened with other software, including Adobe Camera Raw.

At present, even with a heavy, sandbagged tripod, our studio experiences too much vibration to use these modes to their full effect, so we can’t test them to a degree we’re satisfied with. This isn’t a problem specific to the Z6III but does help illustrate the real-world limitations of such modes.

Dynamic range

As with other fast readout sensors, the Z6III exhibits slightly higher levels of electronic read noise, which becomes apparent as reduced dynamic range, with the deep shadows of the Raw files becoming unusable very slightly sooner. This is a direct trade-off for the Z6III’s shooting and autofocus speed.

The question is, does this matter for your photography? Lower dynamic range doesn’t necessarily imply a reduction in image quality of images as a whole, just that there’s less scope for exploiting the deep shadows of Raw files, as you might when shooting sunrise or sunset landscapes, for instance. The Z6III’s situation is not comparable with that of the Sony a9 III, though, where its higher base ISO brings a reduction both in dynamic range and in tonal quality across the whole image, not just the deep shadows.

Exposure Latitude | ISO Invariance

The Z6III’s dynamic range limit is comfortably beyond what would typically be included in a JPEG, even with Active D-Lighting in full effect, so it’s a drawback that will only become apparent if you’re pushing your Raw files. By contrast, Canon’s EOS R6 II has better dynamic range when shot using a mechanical shutter but worse when shot in e-shutter mode, and in e-shutter mode you may get to the point that you’d notice noisier shadows in the JPEGs if you have auto lighting optimizer and highlight tone priority engaged.

So the significance becomes question of what kind of shooting you do: if you want maximum Raw file flexibility for landscape work, you’d be better off with a Z7 II (for reasons of resolution, as much as DR). But for most people’s shooting, the benefits of the Z6III’s increased performance will be felt much more often than the noisier shadows of the base ISO Raws will become any sort of restriction.

Autofocus

The Z6III’s AF interface will be familiar from previous models, with a selection of AF area modes ranging from a single point up to a mode that covers the entire scene and lets the camera select a subject.

In addition the Z6III gains the ‘3D’ tracking mode that gives you a small AF box that you can position anywhere in the scene. Initiating autofocus causes the camera to track whatever is under that AF box, and releasing the shutter or AF-On button causes the box to revert to where you left it. It’s the same behavior as Nikon’s later DSLRs and is pretty much the default means of subject tracking across most modern cameras, so it’s great that it has finally arrived in the Z6 series.

On top of this are the subject recognition modes that try to identify the chosen subject type. These honor the underlying AF area mode you’ve chosen, making it easy to select the subject you wish to focus on. This is especially useful when there are multiple potential subjects in a scene, though we found that sporting events are usually too complex for using the human detection modes, as the camera won’t readily give up on one subject even when you want to switch to another.

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In our standard AF test, the camera did well. The above sequence was shot using the general 3D Tracking system. It a good job of sticking on them and keeping them pretty well in focus though as with a lot of cameras, it misjudges the acceleration as the subject comes out of the corner, leaving a few soft images.

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In Auto subject recognition mode, the camera does a better job at locking onto the subject’s eyes, despite the cap and glasses making that job difficult. The AF point jumps around a lot less than in the general 3D Tracking mode, where the camera isn’t trying to recognize the subject. However, the focus itself still shows a similar number of out-of-focus images as the rider’s approach rate toward the camera changes. Generally, it’s a very good performance, but it doesn’t feel like it’s up to the standard set by the Z8 and Z9.

Other subjects

The Z6III doesn’t, as yet, have the separate (and more comprehensive) bird detection mode added to the Z8 and Z9, just the basic bird recognition algorithm that makes up part of Animal detection mode. This is likely to mean it’s less good at recognizing birds in front of complex backdrops. Add to this the fact that there’s no focus limiter option in the camera and we found that the camera could recognize birds but not always assess their distance at first. Essentially the camera needs to drive the focus to approximately the correct distance before its phase detection system can correctly judge how far away a subject is. Once it had set the focus distance to around the right point, it proved very good at tracking and focusing on birds in flight.

Video

A headphone socket set back from the rear screen hinge and a full-sized HDMI port hint at how seriously Nikon is taking video in this camera.

The Z6III represents a major step forward for the Z6 series, in terms of video. The ability to capture internal 10-bit footage means that Log capture becomes much more usable than with the existing models. And there’s a Raw capture option, which can be powerful if the benefits are worth the increased memory card demands and reduced choice of editing software that it brings (the gains to be had by shooting Raw video, rather than 10-bit Log are nothing like as significant as the differences between Raw and JPEG in stills).

But, just as important as the much-boosted capture options are the capture support tools. The addition of waveforms alone makes it much easier to correctly expose Raw and Log footage, which is just as significant as the ability to capture them.

On top of this, the Z6III’s video autofocus is significantly more dependable than it was in previous Z6 cameras, particularly in terms of subject tracking. And while for stills the Z6III is competing with some very capable cameras, in terms of AF dependability for video, it’s plausibly the best in class, as things stand.

The camera’s video is very detailed, both at its 4K and 5.4K settings, with 60p capture clearly showing the same levels of detail in both cases. There’s some loss of detail (and we’d expect an increase in noise) if you crop in to the APS-C/DX region of the sensor, but again there’s no further step-down in resolving power if you then choose to shoot at 120p.

Raw video is harder to interpret, as it hasn’t had the same level of noise reduction, sharpening or contrast applied to it. The bigger issue here is that the ProRes RAW format (which is more widely supported) doesn’t appear to include the necessary lens correction profiles, which risks throwing a spanner in your workflow. Conversely, Nikon’s own N-Raw format understands and implements these corrections but is only supported by DaVinci Resolve, which could be a problem if it’s not the NLE you favor or are familiar with. Unlike Canon, Nikon hasn’t created a plugin to expand its compatibility.

Rolling shutter is very well controlled in all modes, thanks to the Z6III’s relatively quick sensor, with a readout of around 9.5ms in all the full-frame modes (6K, 5.4K and 4K, 60, 30 or 24p), and 6.3ms in APS-C mode, which is essentially the same readout speed but reading a smaller area.

Video dynamic range

Shot side-by-side, we found the Nikon’s base ISO N-Log footage to be a little cleaner than that of the Canon EOS R6 II, with noise overwhelming the shadows around 11 stops below clipping, if using the Nikon/RED Filmbias LUT and with the Canon graded to match it. The Nikon falls behind as you raise the ISO but then catches up to the Canon again at ISO 6400 (ie: three stops above base ISO), where it switches over to using the higher gain step of its sensor.

If you really push the Raw or Log footage, you may see a strange pulsing in the very very dark areas of the footage, but these appear to be at levels where the Canon too is overwhelmed by noise, so it seems to mainly be a problem if you’re pushing beyond the limits of what this type of camera can do. In general, the Z6III seems to be a very capable video camera.

Conclusion

The Z6III represents a significant step up for the Z6 series. Its price hike puts it into line with its rivals from Canon and Sony but the same it true of both its specifications and performance. Up until now, the Z6 series have been competitive cameras with size and control layout counting in their favor; with the Z6III it starts to look like the model others need to catch up to.

Most of this comes down to its new sensor with the faster, more sophisticated readout circuitry stacked along its edges. This, combined with processing and AF systems developed in the top-end Z9, turns the Z6III into a genuine do-anything camera to rival Canon’s EOS R6 II. It’s autofocus isn’t quite as confidence-inspiring as the excellent Z8, but it’s a big step forward for the Z6 series, making it competitive for its class.

The Z6III is a much more capable action camera than its predecessor. Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 @ 77mm | F2.8 | 1/1250 | ISO 110 Photo: Richard Butler

The cost of this added speed and capability is a reduction in dynamic range (at base ISO, where it’s highest and matters most). For most applications, this won’t have any impact at all: the Z6III has more dynamic range than most people use for most of their images. But for users that shoot high dynamic range scenes, such as sunrise or sunset scenes, this limitiation to Raw file flexibility is worth being aware of.

For most users, gaining a camera that meaningfully supports a vast range of photography, from casual social photography to sports, studio to wildlife and just about everything in between, this will be less of a concern.

The Z6III is also a significantly improved video camera, not just in terms of higher-quality output and lower rolling shutter but also in the provision of class-leading AF dependability and video support tool set. However, just as in stills, the increased read noise of the sensor becomes apparent in the deep shadows: this time as pulsing noise if you push the Raw or Log footage too far.

Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S @ 59mm | F8.0 | 1/500 | ISO 100 Photo: Richard Butler

In our use and testing, we believe the benefits brought by the Z6III’s sensor across a wide range of photography outweigh its higher read noise that only has a meaningful impact in a narrow range of circumstances. But we want to make sure that the trade-off is understood

Overall, even with these issues lurking in the shadows, the Z6III is not just comfortably the best Z6 model yet but, with the breadth of its capabilities, it’s also the most all-round capable camera in its class. From the basics such as its well worked ergonomics and high-res viewfinder through to its fast shooting, excellent AF, great video and extensive support tools, it’s a camera that will rise to almost any challenge you set it. It comfortably earns our Gold award.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

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Compared with its peers

Overall there’s little to separate the Nikon Z6III from the Canon EOS R6 II, in most circumstances there’ll be no meaningful IQ difference between the two and they’re both good to shoot with. The Nikon’s maximum burst rate is slower but it has a nicer viewfinder, offers Raw video and waveforms, and has more dependable AF in video mode. But if either system offers a lens that you really want, that’s probably more significant than any of the differences between the cameras bodies.

It took a couple of generations, but Canon and Nikon’s mirrorless offerings are making life hard for the Sony a7 series. The a7 IV has a resolution benefit over the Z6III but it no longer has anything like such a convincing autofocus advantage. The 33MP sensor isn’t as strong for video, making it the weakest all-rounder of the bunch. That said, Sony’s more open approach to third parties means the E-mount gives much more choice than the Z mount can, and Sony’s own lens team has been on something of a roll, of late.

The Panasonic Lumix S5II X is the least expensive model in this group but looks a little off the pace. Image quality from its 24MP sensor is very good and the L-mount has more lens options than Nikon has amassed (/allowed). But, even with the arrival of phase-detection, the S5II X’s autofocus is a generation behind the performance we’re seeing from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Its older, slower sensor and the advances other brands have made in terms of video tools and capabilities mean it no longer stands out for video, either. It’s alone in this group in letting you record video to an SSD over USB and its built-in fan makes it more dependable, but there’s no option for Raw capture (you’ll need an external recorder) and you have to drop to APS-C to shoot 4K/60p.

The Nikon Z6 II is still an interesting choice, at its currently reduced price. You lose a lot, relative to the III: speed, autofocus, video capabilities, viewfinder resolution… It’s a less good camera in just about every way. Except the things that really, really matter: image quality and ergonomics. If your photography isn’t especially demanding in these regards, then at its discounted price, it looks like an interesting, relatively affordable route into the Z-mount system.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.

Pre-production sample gallery

All images taken using a pre-production Z6III, from which we can only publish the out-of-camera JPEGs.

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