Nikon Z6 II Review

Nikon Z6 II vs the Competition

Let’s take a look at how the various mirrorless cameras on the market compare to the Nikon Z6 II. There’s a lot of competition at this price point, which is both good and bad. It’s good because you can probably find an excellent camera for your needs… but bad because it can be a huge headache to figure out which one that is! Hopefully, the comparisons below will help.

Nikon Z6 II vs Previous Generation Nikon Z6

Much of this review so far has covered the differences between the Nikon Z6 and Z6 II, including a full comparison chart on the first page. But if you’re still trying to decide between them, here’s what we recommend.

First, if the price is an issue, just go for the Nikon Z6. The Z6 II is currently selling for $2000, while the original Z6 is on sale for $1400. There’s a lot to be said for keeping the extra $600, or spending it on a lens or tripod upgrade instead. The Nikon Z6 and Z6 II share the same sensor, so you’d get better image quality by spending the money on other accessories rather than upgrading the camera. (Not that image quality is all that matters.)

If you already have the Z6, the Z6 II’s new features might look pretty tempting. However, cameras depreciate in price so quickly that you’ll probably only get about $1000-1100 if you sell your Z6 used, so the upgrade isn’t going to be cheap. If you really need some of the Z6 II’s fixes, like the dual card slots or clutter-free live view, perhaps it’s worth it. But our usual suggestion is to skip one generation when upgrading camera bodies, and that still holds true here. For most photographers who use the Z6, waiting until the Z6 III is the way to go, even if it takes a few years to arrive.

For any other photographers deciding between the Nikon Z6 and Z6 II, we recommend the Z6 II. It fixes almost all the major flaws of the Z6, making it a more future-proof camera overall. They’re both great cameras, and you can’t go wrong either way, but that’s our general recommendation.

Nikon Z6 II vs Nikon Z7 II

The Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II are very similar cameras. Most of the differences above are quite minor if they’re even visible in the real world at all. There are only four substantial differences: sensor resolution, base ISO, frame rate, and buffer capacity.

The Z7 II has more resolution and a lower base ISO of 64 rather than 100, which makes it the better camera of the two for getting maximum image quality. However, the differences are only visible at the margins. With the Z7 II, you’ll be able to print images about 37% wider (assuming optimal technique) and get about 2/3 of a stop improvement in dynamic range when shooting at base ISO.

With the Z6 II, you can shoot 14 FPS rather than 10 FPS, helpful for high-speed applications like sports and wildlife photography. The buffer on the Z6 II is larger as well: 124 rather than 77 images before your frame rate drops. Given those differences, even ignoring price, we would recommend the Nikon Z6 II for many sports and wildlife photographers over the Z7 II, unless you tend to do a lot of extensive cropping.

For landscape photographers chasing after maximum image quality, if the price is no object, the Z7 II is the better camera of the two. But considering the price difference, the Z6 II may be the better choice even for landscape photography. Would you rather have the Z7 II with a cheap lens, or the Z6 II with an amazing lens? Spending the extra $1000 on glass rather than the camera might get you better results at the end of the day. (As one example, we found that the Nikon Z6 II with the 24-70mm f/2.8 S is very similar to the Z7 II with the 24-70mm f/4 S in terms of maximum attainable corner sharpness.)

Nikon Z6 II vs Canon EOS R6

For action photography and similar applications, the Canon EOS R6 is a more advanced camera than the Nikon Z6 II. It offers a whopping 20 FPS when using the electronic shutter and a 240 image buffer, while the Nikon can shoot at 14 FPS for 124 frames. Given that the two cameras have similar resolution, Canon is pushing a lot more data through the imaging pipeline. Still, the Nikon Z6 II is hardly bad in that department, and it costs $500 less. There aren’t many applications where shooting for nine seconds at 14 FPS isn’t enough.

So, what about the other features? Each camera is ahead in its own way. Nikon has slightly more megapixels, a bigger EVF, and extended 900 second shutter speeds. Canon has a tilt-flip rear LCD, a smaller crop in 4K 60p video, and a better autofocus tracking system (see our Canon EOS R6 review for more about that).

If you’re not tied to either camera company, we lean toward the Canon EOS R6, even though it costs a bit more. However, the differences aren’t strong enough that we recommend existing Nikon users jump ship. Also, keep in mind that you’re buying into the lens system of whatever camera you go with. The choice isn’t just “Nikon Z6 II vs Canon EOS R6” but also “Nikon Z lenses vs Canon RF lenses.” With some research, you should be able to figure out which lens lineup suits your needs better.

Nikon Z6 II vs Sony A7 III

The Sony A7 III was released more than 2.5 years before the Nikon Z6 II, and some of its features reflect that. The Nikon Z6 II is ahead in frames per second, buffer, low-light AF performance, video features, and EVF/rear LCD resolution.

Still, none of these differences are huge, and the Sony A7 III holds its own considering that the Nikon is so much newer. At identical prices, we recommend the Z6 II. If you can find the A7 III on sale (we’ve seen it down to $1700), it’s a closer comparison – still leaning in favor of the Z6 II, but at least closer. Keep in mind, too, that Sony has a much larger lineup of native mirrorless lenses than Nikon at the moment, which might shift your calculations a bit.

Sony is expected to release an update to the A7 III some time in 2021, but since that hasn’t happened yet, should you get the Nikon Z6 II or the Sony A7 III? If you’re not tied to either company yet, the features of the Nikon Z6 II make it a better buy, especially when the prices are identical. However, be sure that Nikon has the lenses you need before diving headfirst into the Z system. Sony’s mirrorless lens lineup is larger and more complete at the moment.

If you’re already an existing Sony or Nikon shooter, we don’t recommend switching brands for either of these two cameras.

Nikon Z6 II vs Nikon D780

One of the closest competitors to the Nikon Z6 II isn’t even a mirrorless camera at all, but instead the Nikon D780 – practically a DSLR version of the Z6 II. They even cost the same (though you may want to double check the current price, because Nikon periodically puts them on discount.)

You can see from the specifications above that there are tons of similarities between the Nikon Z6 II and the D780. There isn’t even much of a weight difference, with the Z6 II only being a few ounces lighter. In fact, the weight difference vanishes completely if you’re using the Z6 II with the Nikon FTZ adapter, at which point the whole setup weighs 840 grams – exactly the same as the D780 on its own.

The Z6 II is a bit newer and has a few features that the D780 lacks, such as 4K video at 60 FPS, but choosing between the two cameras is mainly a question of mirrorless versus DSLR. The Z6 II has an electronic viewfinder, IBIS, and access to Nikon’s Z-Series lenses. The D780 has better battery life, a dedicated 51-point phase detect autofocus system, and an optical viewfinder. Otherwise, they’re about as similar as you can get.

That said, we recommend that first-time Nikon shooters choose the Z6 II in most cases. Nikon is prioritizing mirrorless these days and is drastically slowing down DSLR production, so it’s better to buy into a system that has a clear future if you’re otherwise on the fence. Similarly, the Z6 II is the way to go for travel or landscape photography thanks to its more portable construction and access to the excellent Z-Series lenses.

On the other hand, the D780 is probably the smarter choice if you have a huge lineup of F-mount lenses already. That way, you can use them on a native F-mount camera rather than constantly using an adapter. (And remember, the weight advantage of the Z6 II over the D780 vanishes once you bring along the FTZ.) We also recommend the D780 for wildlife and sports photographers, who will appreciate the highly responsive 51-point viewfinder AF system for tracking fast action. See our Nikon D780 review for more info about the D780’s autofocus system, including how it’s improved from Nikon’s previous generation 51-point systems.

How Does the Nikon Z6 II Compare?

The Nikon Z6 II has great features and is priced very competitively. However, as we said at the beginning of the review, this is a very crowded segment of the market. Almost every camera company offers at least one camera around the $2000 mark, which means you have a huge number of choices available (including from companies we didn’t have room to mention here, like Panasonic, Fuji, Olympus, and Pentax).

Even then, the Nikon Z6 II stands out as one of the best among the competition. It’s ahead of the Sony A7 III and Nikon D780 in features, a better value than the Nikon Z7 II, and a clear upgrade over the Nikon Z6. The camera that gives Nikon the most trouble is the Canon EOS R6, which costs $500 more but has a better autofocus system, a higher frame rate, and a larger buffer.

If you’re not tied to any camera company yet, the Canon EOS R6 makes the most sense if you plan to shoot fast action, while the Nikon Z6 II is the better value otherwise. If you need a lightweight camera for travel or landscape photography, there’s not a nicer sub-$2000 camera on the market than the Z6 II. Not to mention that it works great for portrait and wedding photography thanks to its fast and accurate eye-tracking autofocus – although all the other cameras listed here have that feature, too.

At Photography Life, we’re usually proponents of sticking with the camera brand you already use. This case is no different. Although it occasionally makes sense to switch brands, the cost of replacing an entire lens and accessory lineup usually outweighs any benefits you’ll gain along the way. Plus, all these camera companies leapfrog each other constantly. If you’re an existing Nikon, Canon, or Sony user (or any other brand), we recommend not even worrying about these comparisons. It’s not that the differences are irrelevant, but they’re just not worth spending thousands of dollars and jumping ship to get.

On the next page of this review, we’ve summed up the pros and cons of the Nikon Z6 II and whether it’s the right camera for you. So, click below to go to the next page of this review, “Our Verdict.”