Conclusion
The Nikon Z6 III finally feels like an adult camera. It took six years and three generations to get here. I like its handling and design – most importantly, the button customization options. In this respect, the Z6 III is on par with the Z8 and Z9. As a result, the Z6 III finally makes sense as a second body for a pro, as most of the buttons are in the familiar places and can be programmed without any restrictions.
The Nikon Z6 III has also entered the professional segment with other features such as continuous shooting speed, excellent stabilization linked to the focus point, a great viewfinder, a fully articulated display, and image quality at high ISOs. I haven’t talked much about video yet, but that is also a major improvement, with the Z6 III capable of filming internal N-RAW video at up to 6K 60p.
Where were my expectations left unfulfilled? I was secretly hoping that the Z6 III would be the first camera to allow shooting in RAW with the pre-capture feature. Sadly, that didn’t happen, so I keep dreaming. Also, the Z6 III didn’t get the auto-capture feature that I love on the Z9.
Finally, I was a bit more optimistic about the autofocus performance than what I experienced in reality. It is still a clear improvement over the Z6 II, but not quite at the level of the Z8 or Z9, and even a hair behind the Nikon Zf. But I have hopes that Nikon will improve the AF performance with firmware updates, as we have already seen with the Z8 and Z9 over the years. It wouldn’t take much to bring it to that level.
Price and Where to Buy
The Nikon Z6 III is available for $2500, which I think represents a fair value for the quality of the camera. It is $500 more expensive than the Nikon Zf, but more advanced than that camera in some important ways. If you don’t need the high-speed capabilities of the Z6 III and just want a good all-around camera, you could also consider the previous generation Z6 II or even Z6, which are selling for very good prices on the used market today.
You can buy the Nikon Z6 III from any major camera retailer, including our affiliates B&H or KEH:
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