Nikon Z6 Original / Crowdsource Review

As you know, the Nikon Z6 is about to be updated: the Z6 Mark II should be out this month.

Still time, then, for us to be on the cutting edge (yes, sarcasm) and review the original Z6. (No link because I don't recommend you buy one before the new one comes out. Wait and see.)

A few years ago, we did a Crowdsource review of a lens, the Olympus 17mm ƒ/1.8. We asked users and owners for their thoughts. We especially wanted their summary opinions of how they felt about it, and we included pictures not to prove any technical arguments but rather to show what kinds of things users were doing with the lens.

Same this time...

Tell us what you think of your Z6, good and bad, and we'll build a group review from your comments. Because who know more about a camera than the people who actually use it?

If you include a link to a picture, you can save me some time if it's 800 pixels wide, sRGB, and a JPEG. Thanks for that—it's a headache to have to reformat lots of pictures.

TOP is off on Saturdays so no new post tomorrow, but if this draws responses you can come back over the weekend and read some of them.

Have at it, Nikon fans! And have a lovely weekend everyone. After an uncommonly beautiful Summer, the gloriously pretty weather here is continuing into the Fall. Yesterday the sky was a spectacle, with more and more varied clouds even than usual. You had to look, but if you did, it was truly a treat. And I watched the full moon set over the bluff early this morning, from the neighbors' dock down by the water.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Rod Purcell: "Hi Mike, crowdsourcing camera reviews is such a great idea. So here is my experience of the Nikon Z6. As you will see, I quite like it.

"I have used Nikon cameras for over 25 years. For digital I've used the D70, D200, D300, D600, and D750. Each new model incrementally improved the sensor, viewfinder, AF, etc., whilst iterating the layout and user experience.

"Now it's the Z6. You can trace the evolution of Nikons to this point. You pick it up and it feels smaller, but familiar, comfortable even. The viewfinder is great, the AF is quick, the new S lenses are a step up, and with the adapter the recent AF lenses work, as do the older manual focus AI's. Very effective in-body stabilisation is the icing on the cake.

"Some people complain about the 'missing' second card slot, but for me it has never been an issue. No camera is ever going to be perfect. I have other cameras, but if it's an important job the Z6 is my go-to kit: landscapes, portraits, street, still life, etc., no problem. As a general purpose camera (stills or video) it's rock solid. What else do you need? This photo's from a project on street markets in Kolkata—Z6 with 35mm ƒ/1.8 S lens."

Mike replies: That's beautiful—subtle colors.

John Camp: "The Z6 is a very competent camera that I wish I hadn't bought. People on this forum are sophisticated enough that they don't need to hear all the various pro/con arguments, but basically, what we have in the Z6 is a compact mirrorless camera linked to a heavy full-sized lens system, so it's neither fish nor fowl. It could have been a compact street and travel system with excellent, small ƒ/4 zoom lenses, and maybe two or three really high-quality fast single-focus lenses for specialists. But it's not. In effect, you might as well have a full-sized DSLR. (The Nikon equivalent DSLR would be the D750, which weighs less than six ounces more than the Z6, and if you're already in the Nikon system, as I was, you wouldn't have to buy new lenses—and you'd have that DSLR viewfinder.)

"I will say that the 24–70mm S is an exceptional zoom, and the 85mm is brilliant—but I think perhaps better matched with the higher resolution, and more expensive, Z7.

"My Z6 mostly sits unused, and when I really want to go out and hunt, I most often take my Panasonic GX8 with a 12–60mm (24–120mm-e) ƒ/2.8–4 Leica-branded zoom, which is notably smaller than even the Nikon 24–70mm S.

"As I said to begin with, the Nikon is an excellent camera that I wish I hadn't bought."

Robert Pillow: "Likes: lightweight body; the EVF which makes dim-light compositions and manual focus a breeze; touch sensitive LCD; IBIS; IQ; shutter response to shutter release engagement; ability to adapt third-party lenses; the performance with the FTZ adapter.

"Two dislikes worth mentioning: 1.) The size of the S lenses in general is unreal. I have the 50mm ƒ/1.8 and 35mm ƒ/1.8. Both are very fine lenses. However, they are incredibly large compared to their rangefinder and SLR counterparts. I wish Nikon could find a way to produce optics similar in size to traditional rangefinder lenses. It’s really astounding to me that my Zeiss ZM C Sonnar 50mm ƒ/1.5 joined to a third-party Z adapter is half the size of the native 50mm lens. (This has become one of two favorite adapted set-ups. The other is the AFS 105mm ƒ/2.8 VR Micro/FTZ, but to be honest I’ve been thinking about getting a used AI-S 105mm ƒ/2.5 because the macro lens seems heavy to me for a walking around lens.) 2.) Sometimes, the sensor for switching from EVF to LCD mistakes my stomach for an eye when I try to pretend my Z6 is a TLR. (If you’re wondering, my belly button is covered by a shirt.)"

Mike asks: Can't you turn the latter off? On many cameras you can disable that.

Frank Doring: "I was a bit skeptical because of all the complaints about AF performance and the smaller number of physical controls compared to DSLRs like my (now sold) D810. But I wanted more reliable focusing across the frame with a fastish 35mm lens that I could shoot fully open without reservations. I might have overcome my distaste for Sony’s bodies if they had offered a decent 35mm ƒ/2, but they didn't at the time. The Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S is lovely (if a bit large and heavy). On the Z6, it yields much better results in every way than the 35mm ƒ/1.8G on the D810: focus precision, repeatability, image quality in and out of focus—even after accounting for the resolution difference. The same holds for the new 50mm ƒ/1.8 S vs. the 50mm ƒ/1.4G. I don’t shoot bursts. In non-burst modes, I’ve been very happy with the AF performance. The eye-AF (starting with firmware 2.0) has been working well with the two primes (at ƒ/1.8, torso to almost headshot distance), only occasionally favoring eyelashes over irises.

"The smaller number of buttons compared to the D810 is more than compensated for by the customization options. I find the user settings especially useful. I often alternate between tripod shooting (MF, live view, auto-ISO off, small aperture, bracketing, exposure compensation, shutter delay) and handheld reportage (AF, viewfinder, auto-ISO on, large aperture, no bracketing, different or no exposure compensation, no shutter delay). To switch between the two modes with the D810 is an error-prone dance of button presses, dial spins, and menu settings. With the Z6 (or Z7), it’s a simple dial turn from U1 to U2.

"Of course there are annoyances: the back LCD is cluttered with icons that can’t be turned off; you can’t display the virtual horizon and histogram together; the silly graphic for the virtual horizon blocks the view of the subject (Fuji gets this right); the enlarged view doesn’t show the effect of apertures smaller than ƒ/5.6 (ditto in split-screen zoom view); no button can be programmed to toggle exposure settings in live view (very useful e.g. for biased exposure bracketing); eye- and face-AF only works in auto-area mode and can’t be toggled with a button. But the operational improvements outweigh the annoyances."

Antonio Ramirez: "I have owned my Z6 for 18 months now. I can say without reservation that it is the digital camera with which I have clicked the best. Image quality is top notch, with beautiful colors. High ISO performance is outstanding, bettering my former low light champ Nikon Dƒ. What I like the best, though, is the EVF. After a lifetime of using OVFs in DSLRs, the quality of the EVF, the visibility in low light, and the immediate feedback (WYSIWYG) were a revelation to me. Autofocus is as quick and precise as I need it to be. Eye detect works fine for portraits.

"Two complaints: 1.) No way to turn off all information in the LCD screen, which means it is impossible to get a completely unobstructed view of your scene when framing using the screen. This should be easily fixable in firmware, but so far, they have not done so. 2.) The position of the image review button means I constantly hit it when leveling the camera on a tripod. Really very annoying. The FTZ adapter works seamlessly, although it adds some bulk to the camera. I use my Zeiss ZF.2 primes with the Z6, and with the EVF and focus assist (magnification and peaking) manual focus is way easier than with the DSLRs. It’s a shame it does not autofocus with screw drive AF lenses, but you can never expect total backward compatibility from Nikon. I actually bought the Z6 on a whim, running a Nikon Dƒ, D7200, and a Leica M-P Typ 240 at the time. While I still own all of them, none have seen any use since purchasing the Z6. I expect to continue to enjoy the Z6 for a long time."

Rob L.: "I really loved the Z6—it's a great camera. The lack of non-huge lenses killed it for me. I rented it thinking myself silly for spending money on the rental that I could have put toward the camera, and returned it because it didn't change the main reason I went to Fuji cameras in the first place. And I shoot an X-H1, so body size isn't the issue. If I were only shooting converted Leica glass, I'd likely get it—however, the S lenses, while phenomenal, are huge and overpriced for my needs."

Ken (partial comment): "Lenses are what are keeping me from buying a Z camera."

Mike adds: It's funny, the Z lenses for me are both the main draw and the biggest turnoff. That 35mm looks spectacular from everything I can see online, but look at this—it's also significantly bigger and heavier than my current ~85mm angle-of-view equivalent.

I wish Camerasize would let us compare the 85mm Z lens with the old Olympus OM Zuiko 85mm ƒ/2, a lens especially designed to be short and compact.

Dennis Lee: "This crowdsourcer responds: Z7.

"Not sure why so many love/hate/buy the Z6.... Magic starts happening with the larger resolution. When I first got my Z7 I fell into the same mindset that the medium size files would be fine, sufficient; and they were. They were also a little ho-hum. Honestly I thought I had made a mistake in my purchase. But for the goof on an architectural job I switched to High (Max) resolution and my world changed.

"I would switch my second body (D3s) to a Z7 in a second if I could afford it. There is a difference in color rendering in the large files that I don't see in the Medium res shots. Subtle tones come out, sharpness is astounding, and there's just a quality to the capturing of light that I don't see in the smaller files. Combine these qualities with the ability to dial in perfect exposure via mirrorless and the camera is a Home Run in my opinion.

"I have to imagine the Z6 files are similar to the Z7 medium sized files. I'm not surprised people are bored.

"So I think maybe TOP proposed the wrong question here with asking about the Z6 in regards to the new Nikon mirrorless line. Kinda like asking what everyone thinks about the Chevy while ignoring the Cadillac built on the same chassis in the next parking space."

Any Sakurai: "I own a Nikon D200, D300, and D810—forced into the D810 because Nikon took too long to release a successor to the D300 (the D500)—and a Z6. The D810 is excellent, of course—but for seven years the D300 was my workhorse. The D300 was perfect—the highly capable sports car, compared to the D810 luxury SUV. What I’ve found is that the Z6 is like that D300 sports car—just the right size, fast, and easy to handle. And while the Z6 compares directly to the technical capabilities of my D810, I’ve found that it’s more fun to Compare the Z6 to the D300. I love my Z6 as much as I love my D300. It’s my grab-and-go, take anywhere camera. Modern performance in a Goldilocks-sized package. Interestingly, my walkabout lens is the Nikkor Z 85mm ƒ/1.8 S, a marvelous lens that compares well to my classic AF Nikkor 85mm ƒ/1.4D."

Comments

[James]

"And I watched the full moon set over the bluff early this morning, from the neighbors' dock down by the water.".......

Mike, I have looked and looked, but I can't seem to find the 'pitchah'

[

I did try to take pictures, but...well, let me put it this way: my father used to like to cook French-style omelets, and he had an expression: "Sometimes you get an omelet, sometimes you get a mess of eggs." --Mike]

[Carlos]

I find very nice both Z 6 and 7, BUT I don’t like such big, heavy lenses designed for them...

[Andre Y]

I love my Z6, and the lenses Nikon's made in the Z mount are the most compelling reasons to use the system. I've gone from shooting dance (my primary shooting subject) with a 2-body system with a D500 and D850 to just a single Z6 on silent shutter with the 85/1.8S lens because the camera is good enough, the sensor output very malleable (and dare I say it, beautiful?!), and the lenses, especially the 85mm, are spectacular.

Yes it has faults, but they are nowhere nearly as debilitating as some reviews make them out to be: with practice, you can get around almost all of them. AF is consistent and fast enough, and my misfocus rate is far lower than either of the DSLRs, which have lenses that are AF fine-tuned to the bodies. I don't generally use the smart mode, and move the cursor with the joystick myself. Speaking of which, the joystick is not as nice to use as either the D850's or D500s, but breaks in over time: it's a little vague feeling especially in diagonal movements

I wish the camera had 1 more custom function button, and things were spaced just a little further apart. Also I wish there was a good vertical handgrip for it like the DSLRs'. Lag in the EVF is noticeable, but if you time movements off the EVF instead of the actual action, it's easy to catch things at the right time.

Battery life for stills is great, and proportional to the time the sensor is on, like other cameras. That said, I've shot over 2000 frames on one battery with some chimping, on single-frame advance, with a couple bars left to spare. Video use however will drain the battery very quickly.

The only thing I don't use the Z6 for, and still use the D850, are studio shoots with strobes. I want the higher resolution for retouching and other post-processing activities, and the Z6's sync speed is a little slower than the D850's.

Anyway, I don't have any photos to post here, but almost every photo on my Instagram from November 2018 on is done with the Z6. As I mentioned, my main subjects are dancers both in the studio and in the theater, and that's how I've evaluated the camera. The video capabilities of the camera are also excellent.

[Douglas Chadwick]

I bought a Nikon Z6 in December of 2018 shortly after they were introduced.

I was hoping that since they had been trying to make their older lenses usable that they might have taken that approach on the new mirrorless.

Sadly they did not do it very well. They don’t offer an adapter that will allow AF with older AF-D lenses, only the newer AF-S lenses. And they don’t allow you to focus those AF-D lenses at full aperture. Irritating enough that they are really not very usable. They would be quite usable with wide open focus. They don’t stop all the way down to the selected aperture, but they do stop down to about f5.6 which makes manual focus very difficult. And this is just a software issue, it could be changed any time.

When we get to older AIS lenses it gets worse, much worse. They could have but an aperture coupling ring on the ZTF adapter but did not. And they could have allowed us to focus older manual focus lenses at full aperture (or near it) like an SLR but did not. I admit, it would have required a more expensive adapter, able to stop the lenses down for exposure, but some of us would have been willing to pay the price.

And as a final kick in the whatever, they turn off the manual exposure display when using an AIS lens. They didn’t need to do that, Sony and others leave it on. Their tech support claim that they had to turn it off because the meter does not know the aperture of the lens mounted. That’s wrong of course, a nice combination of ignorance and arrogance. OK, the histogram is still there and you can switch back to a different exposure mode and get a regular exposure reading, but for $2,000 and 34 years with their system I should not have to.

At least they have that nice AF-MF switch on their S series lenses, that should be better than diving into menus on the Sony, right? Sadly not. Focus by wire can get you close to correct focus, but the Nikon does not get you all the way there. And if you let the camera sit for a few moments it will knock the image out of focus, way out fortunately. And the image enlarge button is much more clumsy in it’s location and use than Sony or Leica.

I did keep the Z6 and 24-70, it’s much better than my Sony a7 and cheap kit lens, but when I want to work slowly on a tripod (and that is my serious, paying work) I use manual focus lenses and deal with the metering hassle, or use the Sony.

[Douglas Chadwick]

I should add,

Would I buy a Nikon Z6II and newer, more expensive adapter to get those few features? Yes, I would. I do make money at this and spending a bit to make it easier and more reliable is worth it to me.

I was just looking through the images I did from my first job with the Nikon. And I saw this guy on the second row, behind Gov. Greg Abbot and thought, wow, is that Chuck Norris? And yes it was. Easy to see in what I did with the Sony back-up camera, not so easy with the Nikon because it was focussed 10' in front of the subjects.

[Xf Mj]

Cool. Thanks, Mike. I'm particularly interested in people's adapter+lens experiments. If I get the Z6, I *guess* I'd eventually get the Z 35mm and the Z 85mm, the two focal lengths I love. But then those lenses seem to be a bit bigger than I want. The body is a nice size, but boy those lenses!

Maybe I'd first play with a smaller, adapted lens. And then maybe Nikon would someday offer up some Z auto-focus primes that are a bit more compact, pretty please?

I'm ready to adopt my next "dozen-year system." An updated Z6 sounds very promising but I'm getting cold feet just looking at the limited lens offerings. Adapting some old lenses is what got me hooked on Olympus and then eventually m4/3rds fleshed itself out nicely.

[KAEMU]

Glad to hear you had a beautiful summer. Here in Northern California on the other hand, well, it's better to not talk about it.

[John Wilson]

I follow a photographer Morton HILMER EX SWEDISH SAS ARTIC SLED DOG patrol, great stuff, gave up using D5 for Z6 , uses monster 500 600 zoom lenses, figure gd enough for him all weather, good enough for me, but will wait Z6/Z7 11, or really like that Hassey x1d used.

[Bear.]

Really wanting to love the Zs - I’ve been a Nikon shooter forever - but, meh...
It’s probably that the natives primes are too large physically rather than the bodies (make ‘em slower if necessary, Nikon). Here’s hoping for the ZIIs.

[Not THAT Ross Cameron]

Hi Mike, would it be a stretch to also ask TOP readers if they have any thoughts re the Z6 in comparison to the D750 or D780?
Disclosure - my last purchase was a 2nd hand D750 (over a refurb’d D600), and I’m definitely NOT in the market for a new body (I’m all gassed out on lens purchases) - just curious, is all. :~)
Cheers

[Alex Buisse]

Assuming you are using a mac, you can very easily convert all images to jpg/sRGB/800px wide in one command using imagemagick. All you have to do is use the terminal to input:

for i in *jpg *png *tif; do convert -resize 800px -colorspace srgb $i $i.jpg; done

You can also create Automator shortcuts to do similar things from Finder.

I am happy to explain in more details if you need.

[Mohammad]

I am still on the fence . I will not jump into mirrorless and change my echo system with the cost inflicting of infant mirrorless drip by drip milking strategy of Nikon until they roll out the global sensor e shutter.

[Robert Pillow]

In reference to the sensor in the viewfinder that switches from EVF to LCD ...

Mike asks: Can't you turn the latter off? On many cameras you can disable that.

Yes. A button on the side of the VF housing will toggle the camera output to EVF only, LCD only, or automatic switching between the two depending on whether the sensor on the rear of the VF thinks your eye is back there. It works fine, but often I just want to see what the frame looks like from a lower point of view without doing a deep knee bend or downward dog yoga pose. My complaint isn't a show stopper. It's just one of those things a six-foot-four, 62-year-old photographer notices.

[John Dahlstet]

Took me a bit to get it set up. The menu is dense but the Z6 is simply a pleasure to shoot with. I really do like the 24-70 and the 50 is remarkable. I thought f4 would be a problem but auto ISO is just a real treat. I have had it for over a year now and I use it more than any other camera I own and I have way too many

[John Camp]

I've already commented once on this topic, but the more I thought about it, and the more I read other comments, the more annoyed I got. What's hard to understand about the idea of a compact *system*? How does a compact camera paired with a system of oversized lenses make sense? My first serious camera was Pentax Spotmatic with three lenses, and the whole kit could be carried in what today would be considered a tiny camera bag. And it made pretty good images. Then, the bloat set it.

I think there might be a serious market for a Z6/Z7-sized camera paired with *excellent* -- you notice I didn't say *perfect* -- lenses that might be a bit slower (f4.) For most photographers and photo enthusiasts, travelers, street shooters, that would be plenty good enough. For others, using the same kit, post-production work done in Lightroom and Photoshop would bring the quality up to, or close to, what you might get out-of-camera with the huge lenses. This is particularly true of the Z6, the lower-resolution Z, where you're really not starting with the idea of ultimate 35mm quality.

Anyway...blowing off steam. The Z6 is barely larger than my m4/3 cameras; but even the single focus lenses are nearly as large as the camera itself. (The 85 is only four ounces less than the body.) I would kill for the kind of FF kit that several commenters are suggesting would be welcome.

[Patrick Dodds]

I like mine, photographing in tandem with a D810 and legacy lenses, though I have the very nice 85mm S lens too. There are negatives, mainly the tiny body / massive lens disparity - it looks and feels a bit ungainly and the 85 isn't even the worst offender. Also, the cards are stupid expensive and I am a bit concerned they are going to be discontinued. Battery life is meh. But the viewfinder, the focus, picture quality, low-light performance, proper implementation of silent shutter? All very good to excellent.
When I am photographing an event (not very often nowadays owing to Covid but never mind) I find myself reaching for the Z6 over the D810 a lot of the time, though I try and avoid using my Sigma Art 50 and 35 lenses on the mirrorless, keeping them for use with the DSLR - they are beautiful and can produce gorgeous results but are very heavy and large and just feel all wrong on the Z body when attached with the adapter.
If you are looking to get a mirrorless system I would recommend Nikon but, if you have a lot of money invested in "old" lenses, prepare to feel a bit disappointed by the ergonomics of using them with the new cameras.

[albert erickson]

Mike, It is always fun to talk about a camera you love. I have fallen head over heels for my Z6. It is fun to use, feels great in the hand, can carry it all day and never know I have it, and it actually takes great images. I have been a Nikon guy for about 35 years, always like the way the camera fit in my hands, I have owned the F100 film camera the D70 digital camera, the D200, D700, D7000, D7100, D750, Nikon 1, and finally the Z6. I also own or have owned several Fuji's, panasonic's and Olympus cameras. I have always been looking for the one camera that would last me into the sunset years. I think I found it with the Z line of cameras. I am using mostly the native lenses for it and found them to be quite good. When I travel I take the 24-70 f 4 plus a prime; however, I now own the 24-200 all purpose lens specifically designed for the z system. It is a great lens and one that will go with me whenever we can travel again. I don't want to go over all the technical specifics we can watch on You Tube or read on the internet, but I will just say that the Z6 works perfectly for me and meets my needs as a travel and landscape photographer. I am not a professional just a serious amateur. This is a recent picture that I took with the Z6 and the relatively large 24-70 f 2.8 lens; https://flic.kr/p/2jrRW4o. I do hope the picture came through here. The f 2.8 24-70S lens is one of the best lenses I have ever used. I have never used Leica lenses so maybe they are better? I could go on, but I think I have made my point, it is a camera that I have taken to and hope to use for my remaining years. More images can be seen on my website. Thanks for asking Eric

[Bahi]

This crowd-sourced review format is genuinely informative. (John Camp's comments rang true.) Hoping for a crowd-sourced Z5 review but not quite as late in the product life cycle :) Perhaps there'll be some good, smallish primes available by then.

[Dennis Ng]

Nikon is my main digital camera brand, even though did branch out to m8 which after 1 year only like 1 abd only 1 photo, not to mention verbal abuse in person of dare to use a 1930 leica and modem cheap lens on m8. From d70 up to d810 the major live event and school events are taken. Z came out and at that time struggled with upgrade to d850 or ... finally got a z7 instead and so far do not like it. Just too digital :-). Hard to see what you get. Strange to say that but d810 you can sort of pre-imagine the photo will come out, after so many years with the photo image chain of this nikon process. Z7 actually show you and one might think it should be even better. But somehow the final photo back home feel different from the screen on the back. And somehow not happy about it.

Anyway finally non nasa Hasselblad 907x come. Might sell all others when (and if) can get hold of one. Then might concentrate on camera one lens (swc) one back until I regret it. (Most of my digital photos now is from the old digital back on the swc anyway. At least less bring out a metal measurement tape to take photograph :-)).

In parallel to the film branch.

This sound more try to tell myself to give up nikon more than a review i apology.

[Thomas Rink]

For the past 5 years I've used a D800 with AIS lenses, and always liked the handling and the files it produced, so I find it interesting to read about the hands-on experience from actual users of this new system.

My own work often requires deep depth of field. Even with a 50mm, this can be challenging and frequently requires small apertures and precise fine-tuning of the focussing distance in live view. Now, from what Douglas Chadwick wrote, I get that the Z cameras do not offer depth of field preview beyond f/5.6. Did I understand that correctly?

Also, are those cameras able to display the current focus distance to which the lens is set, so that it is possible to set a reproducable focus distance? The Fuji T20, for example, can do that.

If these two features -- depth of field preview and display of the focus distance -- were missing, Z cameras would be very cumbersome to use for my kind of work. Given the not unsubstantial price of cameras and lenses, I don't think I would compromise about these constraints.

Best, Thomas

[Ken]

From a long-time Nikon DSLR user here, what the Z system needs is a set of primes about the size of the old AF-D screw drive Nikkors, such as the 24 mm f/2.8, 35 mm f/2, 50 mm f/1.8 and the 85 mm f/1.8. Not everyone wants to use those large super-duper-sharp Z system lenses, certainly not all the time and not for small prints or viewing on a monitor. Lenses are what are keeping me from buying a Z camera.

[SteveW]

I'm longtime Nikon guy, and I don't have a Z camera. Just a brief observation after reading the comments here that it seems the "pixel peepers" are winning the marketing battle. New lenses, like Sigma Art, Tamron and now Nikon Z are big. The idea of compact lenses is nowhere to be found in full frame for Nikon Z.

I've lamented for quite a long time the lack of compact primes for Nikon DX. The Z50 with compact primes would be great. The Z6 even with compact primes would be great. Seems to me it won't happen, although Nikon does have 28mm and 40mm small primes on the road map, all else will be pretty much what they've been producing so far, my guess anyway.

I appreciate this crowd source, a compact Z camera has great appeal, but I also am not looking to buy one because the lenses don't match up in compactness, and I'm happy with my F Mount on D750 if I'm going to have a more bulky set up anyway.

[Not THAT Ross Cameron]

Morning all, given the commentary re disproportionate size of Z6 to S lenses - what’s the Z6 like with the smaller manual focus AI /s lenses, or say CV 40/2 & 20/3.5? Or does the FTZ offset the lens size?

[Jeff1000]

Nikon Z6; 50/1.8 S.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qs6gqLk7d9nTzpkF6

[Larry Angier]

Now about 15 months into the Z6 and most of the time with a matched pair. When the 14-30 became available, that was the time to jump... For the previous five years, I've mainly been shooting M43 both Oly and Panasonic. They're quiet and small and a joy to use and when I needed to capture a video clip, it was simply press another button for HDR. Traveled all over the US and several trips to eastern Europe and Asia with them. Their size and no noise kept me under the radar... But even with spectacular lenses, low light was a struggle with focus and required lots of tweaking the files for noise and color. The bodies just were not holding up though on eBay, quite reasonable to replace. So after breaking one in a fall and having another fail shortly after a trip, it was time to make the move...

Though I have several Fx Nikons including D800/F3/D700, in looking at what my present shooting is, 45MP is total overkill and since I tend to shoot in marginal light, 24MP and a pair of Z 6 bodies is what I settled. A plus on it all besides a compact 24-70mm lens is the FTZ adapter for my current lens collection. But wait, there's more! A few years ago, I came into a collection of 50s-80s Leica M and LSM lenses along with a few I already had stashed away. With an inexpensive adapter, these all became useable to me without buying a Leica M9/M10 or shooting film with my M4 bodies. (I wish I had more time and patience to simply go out and shoot Tri-X regularly...).

Did I mention, some of my Leica lens collection didn't age well with fogging, element separation, scratched coatings, and other issues... Something that can't be simulated easily in Photoshop. Then there's by Summicrons and the vintage 8-element 35mm... Quite tack-sharp and so compact! Even the 15mm Vöigtlander works well, all quite small to the Z lenses... It's sort of a Leica digital nirvana! As a bonus, the in-body stabilization brings these old lenses into the 21st century!

For landscape work, the Z 6 is quite adequate. I created a 60x40 gallery wrap for the local courthouse with one of the images and it looks great on the wall there! For weddings, plenty of dynamic range and low-light quality to shoot documentary-style with ambient lighting or formals with my Elinchrom.

In low light, piece of cake! Yesterday shooting a baptism outside in the hazy sun and minutes after, entering a dimly-lit church for the child's presentation to the altar and a few family pix, ISO 100 to ISO 10000 automatically! No issues with autofocus either.

Battery life is better than my M43 system (I used 3-4 per camera per day during travel and shooting long events, especially if I had to do lots of video. It's true that the EN-EL15 doesn't last as long in a Z 6 as a D800, but it's not all that bad, maybe 60-70% the life.

Having the ability to shoot square is also nice, though on the Z 6 it only gets you 16MB. It's just nice to have that feature for me since I come from years of shooting Rollieflexes and H'blads and loved the format for some of my work.

A single slot? No big deal. Cards are large, fast, reliable. 20 years ago shooting film we didn't worry, just shot a second body. Early digital bodies had a single slot and it wasn't that critical, IMO.

The clincher for me is that I'm getting quite close to digital nirvana especially for travel. Nikon just released the 24-200mm and it makes the grade. It's tough to find but its range covers 85-90% of a lot of what I do. With the 24-30mm, I could probably do everything I need while traveling.

For video, the Z 6 gets me 4k, slo-mo and 24 fps and 30 to 60 fps rates. Flip a switch and press a button and I can quickly produce a clip of motion.

My only complaint is dust and clumps on the sensor. They are back and as annoying as ever, especially shooting small apertures to get more DOF and sun stars. It was an issue for years shooting my other Nikon digital and the Z 6 has the same issue. I seldom has this problem with the M43 bodies, maybe because I shot a lot at wider apertures, but maybe it was the thicker AA/sensor glass that was the reason.

But despite the dust issues, files are easier to tweak through ACR and the color is nice. Lowlight is definitely much improved over older Nikon bodies and especially compared to my M43 captures.

In dark places just like my M43, the EVF on the Z 6 is a delight to use! Going back to a DSLR in similar conditions, it's simply difficult to see what one is shooting at times.

Overall, this iteration of Nikon Z bodies makes the grade and though larger and heavier than a similar M43 system, gives me better IQ, low light and color and overall a step in the right direction.

[Robert Pillow]

Nikon needs to design the next camera to recognize the postural orientation of the external display. Maybe one of those devices that orients a smart device display seamlessly can be used with some logic in the firmware to disable the automatic switching when the LCD is articulated. I suppose it's a little late to ask Nikon to incorporate this into the soon to be released Z6II and Z7II.

I'm not looking to see this comment (or my previous elaboration concerning the switching) posted with the other comments. I just wanted you to know I don't just whine. Sometimes, my mind can find a solution to a problem.

[Aaron Hines]

There have been a number of reviews that cover the Z line down to the smallest of details; all of its strengths, weaknesses, and controversies are well known by this point, so there is no use in rehashing them. The only thing I can offer is perspective from someone who has used a Z6 nearly every day since it was available for purchase in the US (I have a full-time gig as a photographer for a city government communications division, and freelance on the side).

Bottom line is the Z6 is a solid mirrorless camera suitable for nearly any use. It is a quintessentially modern image-making tool; fast, responsive, comfortable to use, reliable in extreme conditions, and allows one to deliver great images consistently. It is not the best in any particular category, nor is it the worst; Nikon has struck a nice balance of specifications, features, performance, and price. There are some compromises, the camera is not perfect, and has its share of peculiarities and differences. Basically, the same that can be said of the majority of cameras currently on the market right now. The Z lenses are as good as everyone says, and no, they are not that large compared to similarly-performing lenses in other full-frame mounts. Price is certainly relative, but again, compared to other similarly-performing lenses, they are not out of line. The 14–30 f/4 and 24–70 f/4 are simply marvels, and should deflate any argument that the Z system has no good compact lenses available. My only criticism of the Z6 is that its very exposed sensor tends to attract dust at every opportunity, requiring more care when changing lenses and more frequent cleaning.

I do think that the Z’s were, and continue to be, unfairly maligned (even here on TOP). It is difficult to tell if this stems from Nikon’s own hype prior to release, poor marketing since, or the continuously unrealistic expectations and fickle temperament of the internet — or a combination of all three. If you don’t find the Z system to your liking for some reason, there is no shame in pursuing another brand or type of camera.

[mark l]

I see my Z6 differently to most here.
It's not that the lenses are too big more that the camera is too small. I added a Smallrig l-bracket to make it taller but the Z6 makes the 24-70/2.8 so front heavy I don't use it.
When Nikon make a mirrorless the same size as my D810 or even better my D3s I'll be first in the queue.

[John Y]

I've been taking photos for 30 years and I'm in my late 40s. Once upon a time, I used to do paid wedding events with 3 Nikon DX DSLRs + 17-55/2.8 + 70-200/2.8 + a bunch of other lenses.

These days, I value lightweight and fun more than other factors. My primary cameras are - to be really honest - my iPhone (70%?), and m43 Panasonic GM5 (20%?) and GX85 (10%?), with prime lenses. But the Olympus saga forced me to consider the possibility of the death of the m43 ecosystem and switching to something else.

I thought I would move to Fuji. But the lens sizes put me off. e.g Fuji 90/2 vs Olympus 75/1.8. (Ironically when I was a teenager I used to own a Nikkor AIS 135/2 which is about the same size as the Fuji.) By the same token, between Z 85/1.8 vs Panasonic 42.5/1.7, I will stick to the latter.

However, I guess if I were a young wedding photographer, Z7 + 24-70S + 70-200S would be a killer combo.

[Frank Petronio]

Nikon's marketing fumbles aside, all you have to do is adjust your rationalization process. The Z cameras aren't smaller replacements for your m4/3s but they are incredible replacements for medium format digital cameras.

Compared to a 2014 Hasselblad or Phase One the Zs win in almost every way. I'll put my 50/1,8S up against the much heavier Zeiss lenses I used to use. High ISO runs circles around even the current MFD cameras, same for auto-focus and buffer.

Where the Z saves weight and size is compared to carrying a full sized DSLR with a heavy Zeiss lens. You get at least equivalent performance in a far lighter and more compact package for less money.

[Jeez, Frank, I was just thinking of you today. Came across an old comment by you on Photrio, and I thought, there's a name I haven't seen in a while, someone who doesn't read TOP any more but used to. And then I come back to the site and here you are. How's that for a coincidence? --Mike]

[Rob Campbell]

Is anybody else here noticing something funny?

In film days, none of these obsessions and complaints about size would have been made. A camera was as you found it; lenses as they turned out to be, and if you were into Nikon at least, you didn't have to worry about quality control: it happened at the factory, not by punters post-purchase. Fondly remembered times!

Today, the focus is mostly the equipment and fewer and fewer people are that concerned about the heart of the stuff that they actually shoot, only whether it is sharp as sharp can be.

I think that in the amateur world, digital photography has just become another game per se, rather than an additional tool in the expression of something personal. We are now obsessed with the science and not the art. It might truthfully be said that today's photographers have entered their decadent age.

[Douglas Chadwick]

Thomas Rink,

If you are using AIS lenses on the Z6, presumably with the ZTF or perhaps other adapters, you will be preview depth of field all the time, they stay at the selected f/stop. If you want larger f/stops for quick easy focussing you will have to open up, and unless you are using aperture preferred auto exposure you will have to adjust the exposure to properly view the image. But I am guessing you work rather slowly, perhaps on a tripod? If so it will work for you I think. That is how I have used both the Sony a7 and Nikon Z6. I don't use small f/stops, when I need DoF indoors I use lens tilt (a cheap Chinese tilt adapter) but it should work out I think. Outside I can do most of the focus on the focussing scale. And having image magnification easily viewable on a high resolution eyelevel finder is such a huge luxury. I never find my 8x Schneider loupe in my pocket at the end of the day anymore.

It's the automatic lenses, Z mount or F mount (AF-S) that seem view mainly at f5.6. I have not tried to make them stop down, just not something I have needed to do.

But if you intend to try to use those automatic lenses in manual focus mode I suspect you will not like the results, as least I find them entirely unacceptable. But the Z lens does have a crude focus distance indication. I have not tried to use it.

Oh, and my 50mm f1.4 AIS works quite nicely on the Z6, as it did on the Sony a7. And who knows a 1.8 might be just as good or even better.

And people like me are pining for compact prime lenses. Two are on the roadmap, a 40mm which I would find interesting and a 28mm. Right now I have a 35mm f2.8 Zony on an AF E-mount to Z-mount adapter. I am not crazy about the combination, doesn't seem to focus as well as it does on the a7 (though my Sony 28-70 focusses better (how irritating is that?)

I have also used my 40mm Summicron on an M-mount to Z adapter, but have not really gotten comfortable with it, even though it was my main lens on the Sony a7 at first.

[Arg]

Remember, all you lens size weenies, compact 28 and 40 primes are on the way, to back up the f/4 zooms you must already have.