The Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z6 III are two full-frame, 24-megapixel Z-mount mirrorless cameras from Nikon. In some ways, the Nikon Z6 II was a fairly incremental upgrade to the original Z6, which addressed the main problems of the Z6 such as the single card slot. The Z6 III, on the other hand, is a completely different beast with its new partially stacked sensor. So, is the Z6 II enough for you, or do you need the Z6 III? Read on to find out!
Nikon Z6 II vs Nikon Z6 III Specifications Comparison
| Camera Feature | Nikon Z6 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 | 24.5 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 6048×4024 | 6048×4024 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Frame) | 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full Frame) |
| Sensor Pixel Size | 5.94µ | 5.94µ |
| Low Pass Filter | Yes | Yes |
| IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) | Yes | Yes |
| Base ISO | ISO 100 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 51,200 | ISO 64,000 |
| Extended ISOs | ISO 50-204,800 | 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) | 14 FPS | 14 FPS |
| Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter) | 14 FPS | 20 FPS |
| Notes for High FPS Shooting | 12-bit raw and single-point autofocus at 14 FPS (no limitations at 12 FPS) | TBA |
| Buffer Size (Raw) | 124 frames (14 FPS) | 1000 frames |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid PDAF | Hybrid PDAF with deep learning subject recognition |
| Autofocus Points | 273 | 273 |
| Maximum Low-Light AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | -6 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 | 1.5x 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 | Yes | 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 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Battery Type | EN-EL15c | EN-EL15c |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 340 frames | 360 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 410 frames | 390 frames |
| Battery Life (Eco Mode) | 450 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 | $2000 (Check Current Price) | $2500 (Check Current Price) |
| Used Prices (Affiliate) | Nikon Z6 II Used Prices | Nikon Z6 III Used Prices |
| 1The Nikon Z6 II and Z6 III’s official dimensions do not include the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match the typical standards today, 15mm were added to both depth measurements in this table. | ||
| Photography Life is part of the KEH and B&H affiliate programs. When you make a purchase through the affiliate links in this article, we can be compensated with a percentage of each sale. If you found this comparison useful, buying anything through these links allows you to support Photography Life at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our efforts! | ||
Summary and Recommendations
The Z6 II is certainly a fine camera, but the Nikon Z6 III is on another level. So what does the Z6 III have to offer? Yes, the Z6 III has the same resolution as its predecessor, but otherwise it’s no exaggeration that the Z6 III improves in almost every way compared to the Z6 II. Having a partially stacked sensor, it’s faster. It’s also got the same EXPEED 7 processor from the Z8 and Z9, allowing for flagship-level autofocus performance.
Video is also immensely improved. Unlike the Z6 II, you can now shoot 6K video. The 4K has been improved from 60p to 120p, and the 1080p has been improved from 120p to 240p. For those with big hard drives, you can also now shoot Nikon N-Raw internally and Apple ProRes 12-bit Raw.
Users upgrading from the Z6 II to the Z6 III will also appreciate the brighter viewfinder with wide-gamut support, the articulating LCD, the improved in-body image stabilization system, the more rugged build quality, and many more small improvements.
So, which camera should you choose? If you don’t need best-in-class autofocus or video features, the Z6 II is still a great camera. Image quality between the two cameras is not going to be dramatically different (apart from the scenes where you can use pixel-shift on the Z6 III). But if you shoot demanding scenes with rapidly moving subjects, the Z6 III will definitely be a huge step up from the Z6 II. And although the Z6 II was great at video, the Z6 III offers significant improvement if you need more resolution, higher frame rates, or internal Raw video.
I have a Z6ii that I had astromodified at Spencer’s Camera (H alpha spectum added and anti alias filter removed) If you are considering something like this the Z6iii has no advantage. I manually focus at night using the LCD screen and none of the features would benefit me. The extra EV range and dim light autofocus as well as the improved viewfinder resolution could be helpful, but I wouldn’t rely on that with what I do. Certainly this is a nitch use of a camera but I have the Z9 for everything else.
Steve Egge
Nikon is gauging EU customers with pricing about 35% above what they charge in the US (USD 2500 vs EUR 3000). They started this some years back and keep pushing it harder. Apparently people do not mind, but for me as a working professional, it is just daft. I had partly switched away from Nikon and will now ditch my last three bodies and glass. These days any camera will get a shot good enough for magazine publication and editors increasingly accept mobile phone photos. If it was not for some specific applications (wildlife, sports, etc), I would tell anyone to just grab last years flagship camera phone. Anyway, not Nikon, whatever you do.
Not only higher price in Europe, the benefit of buying camera bundled with a lens is almost close to zero. Previously buying Nikon camera with a lens ment a big discount on the lens. Buying the Z6iii + 24-120mm f/4 results in a saving of around 80 USD. At least here in Sweden, where the price for the camera bundled with the 24-120mm is 3978 USD.
hello could you please try the shutter lag from the time press the button to actual photo for z6ii vs z6iii vs z9? thank you
I own the first gen Z6 as well as the Z7ii;I am debating whether its worthwhile to go for the Z6iii. While I don’t think there are really any substantial image quality improvements, the continuous hi speed shooting of 14-20 fps and improved auto-focus are attractive for one genre of images – airshows. However, its a steep hit of $ 3,400 CAD. Can you comment on gains from Z6i to Z6iii that I may not be aware of for this genre of photos? The Zf may be a good enough option at lower cost?
Single Axis LCD is superior to Fully Articulating! This flip LCD is a show stopper! BIG mistake from Nikon!!!!!!
HUGE mistake !!!
I like the idea of the Z6iii very much. It does address all the key limitations of the Z6ii. I use a Z9 for bird and wildlife photography. I also like to have a second body with me when I travel for those other shots. The Z6ii with a 24-120 F4 on it, is a very good landscape/ context /animal scape camera. It falls short of being a suitable back up camera in my view.
I can see me wanting to replace the Z6ii with the Z6iii soon. I need my backup camera to be light. My travel camera set up is Z9 with a 180-600 on it plus a Z6ii with a 24-120 on it. This combination works in terms of allowable carry on weights for international flights.
The Z6iii would make the set up much more flexible in theory but I honestly can’t see it being essential or even justified if Z9 remains fully operational. It’s probably the insurance factor of the Z6iii being a worthy replacement for the Z9 which will eventually lead to me making the upgrade.
How does the shift sensor resolution and IQ compare to Z 7/8/9?
On the Zf, the sensor shift mode feels a little half-baked. It only works without artifacts when your subject is extremely still – even atmospheric shimmer is enough to make it look odd at 100% or 200%. Let alone grass or leaves blowing. I expect the Z6 III to be the same for now.
I see it as a really specialized feature that only works for totally stationary scenes like rocks and mountains, at least until Nikon implements the same sort of motion compensation that works pretty well on cameras like the Panasonic S1R.
But when it works, it works great. It really is like using a 96 megapixel sensor with excellent color detail.
I’ve made multiple attempts to use pixel shift on my Z8. The outdoor ones didn’t work because there was a slight but constant breeze. The two times I tried indoors (multiple attempts each time), only the lower count options worked (better color and less noise but slightly less sharp) and a single merge for a 32-shot one worked (better color, less noise, and arguably sharper when downscaled to comparable sizes). My personal findings are that it’s a very finnicky system at best and unreliable enough that I’ve basically crossed it off my list of useful features. I also noticed that results looked much better in NX Studio, but if you import the merged files to LR, they don’t look right upon close inspection.
I’m very curious how the stacked sensor performs in astrophotography, granted that the Z6 III has the same (or hopefully even better) low-level performance as Z6 II. Is the iso dual gain crossover at 800 as in Z6 II? I’m using Z6 II for both Milky Way and Deep Space Astrophtography (combined with Z 180-600) and this new series sounds as a viable improvement!
Today’s 24MP sensors are already approaching an image quality ceiling where noise is concerned. Most of the noise these days is from the scene itself, not the sensor. I don’t expect the Z6 III to improve over the Z6 II in that particular area, and even if it does, not by much. But I’m eager to test it to see where the dual gain point is on the Z6 III (assuming that it’s also a dual gain sensor, which I would expect).
I have seen in other reviews ISO 6400 correspond to the dual gain point. To be verified. Can the image shift feature of the Z6 iii used in “guided” astrophotography?
In theory, I don’t see why not. But you’d need a seriously precise tracking head. And minimal atmospheric turbulence.
Is the 1/16000 shutter speed mechanical?
Do we know anything about EVF refresh rate?
No, it’s 1/16,000 electronic and 1/8000 mechanical.
EVF refresh rate is 120 FPS!
Then this is a very nice EVF update.