The Nikon Z7 II is a 45 MP camera, whereas the Nikon Z6 III is a newer 24 MP camera. Their differing resolutions already tell you that they serve different purposes. But the Z7 II is not necessarily the higher-end of the two cameras. In fact, I might give that title to the Nikon Z6 III given how many newer features it offers. Which one should you get? This article will help you decide!
Nikon Z7 II vs Nikon Z6 III Specifications Comparison
| Camera Feature | Nikon Z7 II | Nikon Z6 III |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2020 | June 2024 |
| Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Type | BSI CMOS | Partially Stacked CMOS |
| Image Processor | Dual EXPEED 6 | EXPEED 7 |
| Resolution | 45.7 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 8256×5504 | 6048×4024 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Frame) | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Frame) |
| Sensor Pixel Size | 4.35µ | 5.94µ |
| Low Pass Filter | No | Yes |
| IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) | Yes | Yes |
| Base ISO | ISO 64 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 25,600 | ISO 64,000 |
| Extended ISOs | ISO 32-102,400 | ISO 50-204,800 |
| High-Resolution Sensor Shift | No | Yes |
| Focus Stack Bracketing | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-Shoot Burst Mode | No | Yes (JPEG only) |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/8000 | 1/16000 |
| Longest Shutter Speed | 900 seconds | 900 seconds |
| Continuous Shooting (Mechanical Shutter) | 10 FPS | 14 FPS |
| Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter) | 10 FPS | 20 FPS |
| Notes for High FPS Shooting | 12-bit raw at 10 FPS (14-bit raw is available at 9 FPS) | None |
| Buffer Size (Raw) | 77 frames (10 FPS) | Over 1000 frames |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid PDAF | Hybrid PDAF with deep learning subject recognition |
| Autofocus Points | 493 | 273 |
| Maximum Low-Light AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | -4 EV | -8.5 EV |
| Standard Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/200 |
| Curtain to Protect Sensor at Shutdown | No | No |
Video Features | ||
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (Internal) | 8 bits | 12 bits |
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (External) | 10 (12 with paid upgrade) | 12 bits |
| Raw Video | No (Yes, externally, with paid upgrade) | Yes |
| 6K Maximum Framerate | N/A | 60 FPS |
| 4K Maximum Framerate | 60 FPS | 120 FPS |
| 1080P Maximum Framerate | 120 FPS | 240 FPS |
| Additional Video Crop Factor | 1.08x crop at 4K 60p (4K 30p has no additional crop) | No |
| Chroma Subsampling | 4:2:0, 4:2:2 (External) | 4:2:2 |
| Video Recording Limit | 30 min | 125 min |
Physical and Other Features | ||
| Card Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Type | CFExpress Type B | CFExpress Type B |
| Slot 2 Type | SD (UHS-II) | SD (UHS-II) |
| Rear LCD Size (Diagonal) | 3.2 in | 3.2 in |
| Rear LCD Resolution | 2.1 million dots | 2.1 million dots |
| Articulating LCD | Single Axis | Fully Articulating |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.8x | 0.8x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 3.69 million dots | 5.76 million dots |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Voice Memo | No | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes |
| USB Type | Type C 3.1 | Type C 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Battery Type | EN-EL15c | EN-EL15c |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 360 frames | 360 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 420 frames | 390 frames |
| Battery Life (Eco Mode) | 440 frames | 410 frames |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Weight (Body Only w/ Battery + Card) | 705 g (1.55 lbs.) | 760 g (1.68 lbs.) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | 134 x 101 x 85 mm (5.3 x 4.0 x 3.3″)1 | 139 x 102 x 89 mm (5.5 x 4.0 x 3.5″)2 |
Price Comparison | ||
| MSRP, Body Only | $3000 (Check Current Price) | $2500 (Check Current Price) |
| Used Prices | Nikon Z7 II Used Prices | Nikon Z6 III Used Prices |
| 1The Nikon Z7 II’s official dimensions do not include the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the typical standards today, 15mm were added to the Z7 II’s depth measurement in this table. | ||
| 2The Nikon Z6 III’s official dimensions do not include the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the typical standards today, 15mm were added to the Z6 III’s depth measurement in this table. | ||
Summary and Recommendations
It’s clear that the Z7II and the Z6 III are in different classes. The Z7II is clearly suited for slower types of photography. It doesn’t have the more advanced autofocus that came later with Nikon’s flagship Z9 (and then trickled down to the Z8 and later the Zf). Yet, it has a beautiful 45MP sensor with a base ISO of 64 (versus 100 for the Z6 III). In almost every way, the Z7 II seems to say “landscape photography.”
The Z6 III is much more of a generalist camera. It has a 24MP sensor that is more than enough for most genres of photography. But beyond that, it’s a great improvement over the earlier Z6 II and Z7 II cameras in terms of autofocus. It has a much faster sensor and autofocus features borrowed from the Z8 and the Z9. Thus, if you need a camera under $3000 that has strong autofocus capabilities, the Z6 III is a great choice.
The other major area where the Z6 III improves over its predecessors is video. It has Raw internal 6K video, as well as very strong 4K and 1080P features that make it perfect for a wide variety of content creation. It’s hard to believe that you can get this level of video under $3K with a full-frame camera! Of course, the Z7 II is really not bad with video either, but it does not compare with the Z6 III.
If you’re looking at these two cameras, I’d choose based on autofocus first because there’s a fairly big difference between these two cameras. If you need very fast and versatile autofocus, the resolution difference is irrelevant – the Nikon Z6 III is the better choice. On the other hand, if you don’t need fast autofocus, the base ISO of 64 along with the higher resolution of the Z7 II can give you better image quality, especially if you’re shooting from a tripod.
It all depends on the type of photography you do. Both are great cameras, but the Nikon Z7 II is better for something like landscapes or architecture, while the Nikon Z6 III is still good at those genres of photography and shines even more for fast-moving subjects and videography.
What does the Nikon Z7 II offer over the Nikon Z6 III?
- 1.87 times more megapixels (45.7MP vs 24.5MP)
- Lighter weight (55g lighter)
What does the Nikon Z6 III offer over the Nikon Z7 II?
- Better autofocus
- Higher resolution electronic viewfinder, with about 1.6x more dots, making shooting more enjoyable
- Lower price, costing $500 less
Questions? Go to our forum, where you can start a conversation and talk to photographers about these two cameras!
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Here’s my dilemma. I love landscape photography and am an avid astrophotographer, but I also very much enjoy shooting aircraft and birds. Given the choice between the two of these, I’m drawn to the higher resolution of the Z7 II, but the autofocus of the Z6 III is incredibly appealing. Do you have any recommendations? It’s worth noting that this will be my first full-frame camera. I currently have the D5600, so either way this will be a major upgrade.
Z6 III for sure. My opinion is the following: 24MP is not insufficient for landscapes. I’ve taken many landscapes I LOVE with my original Z6. And, they can be printed to decently large sizes. Yes, you will notice the additional detail of 45MP if you print VERY large…but the Z6 can easily make a beautiful reasonably large print with 99% of people not noticing the difference. The Z6 III will smoke the Z7 II when it comes to birds.
If you are a dedicated landscape photographer and are really choosing between the two, the Z7 II would be better, but I think the resolution is unlikely to hold anyone back from creating beautiful, large print landscapes with 24MP.
Thank you! Your article and this information is greatly appreciated.
Seems like it’s better to buy z6iii instead on z7ii . I already have z7ii but seems like will go for z6iii for my 2nd camera
I would say for most people, absolutely. The only exception may be landscapes-only — then the Z7 II’s higher resolution might make the difference.
The Z7II offers the 5:4 aspect ratio that is missing in all other Nikon mirrorless cameras. I do not understand why it is not offered in all of their cameras. It would be nice to have the option of keeping the full sensor data in the raw files produced rather than cropping the raw data to 5:4 though.