Thanks for the thoughtful review! A minor point: you mentioned an inability to tie the U1-U3 pre-sets to individual focus modes with the older Z6ii; however, I have done that with my Z6ii right along, applying to each pre-set any of the focus options available in the full menu list or the i-menu. (I bought my Z6ii only about 18 months ago, so perhaps that flexibility arrived with a firmware update more recently.) Anyway, I am interested to read that the newer Z6iii has all the other focus improvements you describe….
Josiah
September 28, 2024 9:47 am
I was looking forward to this preview, Libor! I bought the Z6iii back in august when it was briefly in stock on Nikonusa. very impressed with it so far coming from the original z6. I really appreciate the modern interface it has of the touch screen scrolling instead of jumping page by page and vertical rotation of shooting information and playback, it makes it feel like a modern device not my car touchscreen ; ). The auto focus is better by a lot however when shooting portraits it front focuses some times when I know the z6 would have nailed it. But it’s great otherwise and for action it’s definitely in a different league.
GaryTheBadger
September 28, 2024 9:34 am
in this sentence, I think you meant to say Z6 II: “To conclude on an optimistic note, it is still a dramatic improvement over the Nikon Z6 III.”
GaryTheBadger
September 28, 2024 9:31 am
Per the Nikon specs for the Z6 iii, max focus points is 299.
nofearmfd
September 28, 2024 9:23 am
I would like to have seen higher MP. I do shoot frequently in DX crop mode and effective 10 MP is a little on the low side. I was hoping to go totally mirrorless but I’m going to keep my D500s for now.
I spent £1,800 on a D500 and a Z5. What would I get for the extra £700?
But I think your point is the correct one to make.
You and me (and Jason) are getting 21mp at 750mm (efl) with (in my case) £2,200 of 500/f5.6 PF. Nothing in Z mount comes near that. I can add a 70-200/f2.8E for £1,300.
I could get a Z6iii and used 100-400 for £4,300. But for the same amount I’d prefer a D500, 70-200/f2.8 and 500 PF with the 105-750 range it gives. And even a D500 is easier on the batteries.
This is the exact discussion I have with myself, as I also have a D500 and Z5 with a 500 PF, although I have a 300 PF rather than the 70-200. I keep wondering if Nikon has a true replacement for the D500 in the works.
Agree, I’m using Canon APS-C DSLR, mostly for nature/wildlife, and postponing my move to Nikon Z until they have a true mirrorless D500 type successor. Z8/9 is too big/heavy for my taste (and expensive …). The Z6iii would come close with 24 MP APS-C sensor instead of FF, so you get more reach out of the same lenses. Not sure if the Z6iii compromises in AF and rolling shutter would be acceptable for my photography though.
For wildlife the 24 MP FF sensor means that for the same reach as a Z8/9 one has to buy and carry lenses that are bigger/heavier and more expensive, which cancels any weight/price advantage of Z6iii.
Hoping that there is a Z70/90 soon … plus a Z 300mm PF or something similar to make a compact/light nature/wildlife combo ;)
You are definitely not the only one waiting for a D500 replacement in the Z series. If one ever arrives, I will get one. It could be a long wait I believe. I remember how long it took Nikon to release the D500. I had abandoned DX as an option. In the meantime I am happy to drop into DX on my Z9 for extra reach sometimes. The IQ remains high and it can help subject recognition focus if it makes the subject larger in the frame. I strongly suspect that I am almost certain to find that the Z6iii will remain Nikon’s best and only real offering as a lighter body for birding and wildlife.
Darin Marcus
September 28, 2024 3:42 am
Thank you for the preview, Libor!
I am also happy that the Z6III has the focus hand-off feature. I am learning to use it in conjunction with BBF.
John
September 28, 2024 3:20 am
I have not been as a practicing Photographer a owner of Two Camara Bodies. Using one Body and swapping out lenses has been the usual method.
I am now using methods for the owned Telephoto Lenses up to 800mm that has a additional ancillary used for coupling the Lens Foot to Camera Body, with the intention to rigidly lock the body/lens interface.
This method for coupling body/lens, has made the lens swaps more complex, where very recently the notion of keeping the 800mm permanently attached to the Z9 and having another Body for the Lenses up to 400mm has developed as appealing.
The Z9>800mm is used on a Monopod, the ideal scenario for a additional Body/Lens will need to be a lighter in weight set up, which is not to be too intrusive when attached to a carrying harness.
I will be watching how the Z6III Develops with FW Updates and Discount in Pricing. FW Updates should assist with creating a user interface that is improved in mimicking Z8/Z9 user interfaces . The Z6III could prove to be the model chosen, but with the Pricing available at present from the retailer I use. The prices are as follows ( Z6III @ £2150 ) ( Z8 @ £2590) (Z9 @ £3330) ( Zf @ £1550), it does look like when the Z6 III does begin to be discounted it will reduce to a asking price that is very attractive, especially one that will be associated with a purchase as a second Z Body.
With the immediate purchase Options available when considering a second Z Body, the Z8 does seem to be the allure.
Tibor
September 28, 2024 1:10 am
It’s a fine camera, but in situations where the frame can’t be fully filled, 24 MPx may become an issue. Anyone considering buying it should be aware of this.
Filio
September 28, 2024 12:51 am
Hi, thanks for the review Libor. It shows the camera in much better picture than other reviews, I almost started considering it :). But even if it could do pre-release RAW, it wouldn’t be the first camera to do so. I believe at least a few manufacturers already do that (I may remember it from your pre-release capture article).
You mentioned that you hope for future firmware to address some small issues you noticed but I couldn’t find which firmware you tested with. Since fw 1.02 was released just now I expect your experience is based on an older one, but if someone will read this later, it may not be so obvious. I may also just missed that info in your review but if I haven’t, it’d make sense to add it.
Firmware 1.02 was just a bug fix. I think Libor is hoping for a 2.0-style firmware update when he talked about subject recognition.
Abhinav K
September 27, 2024 9:43 pm
I noticed something very strange with Z6iii. Shooting at ISO 400, and HEIF, Flat picture profile, highlight weighted metering, OOC pic was very grainy especially in shadows. Same settings, with JPEG, was absolutely clean. HEIF shadows were brightened by almost 3 stops OOC as compared to JPEG OOC. Could that be the reason?
Thanks for the thoughtful review! A minor point: you mentioned an inability to tie the U1-U3 pre-sets to individual focus modes with the older Z6ii; however, I have done that with my Z6ii right along, applying to each pre-set any of the focus options available in the full menu list or the i-menu. (I bought my Z6ii only about 18 months ago, so perhaps that flexibility arrived with a firmware update more recently.) Anyway, I am interested to read that the newer Z6iii has all the other focus improvements you describe….
I was looking forward to this preview, Libor! I bought the Z6iii back in august when it was briefly in stock on Nikonusa. very impressed with it so far coming from the original z6. I really appreciate the modern interface it has of the touch screen scrolling instead of jumping page by page and vertical rotation of shooting information and playback, it makes it feel like a modern device not my car touchscreen ; ). The auto focus is better by a lot however when shooting portraits it front focuses some times when I know the z6 would have nailed it. But it’s great otherwise and for action it’s definitely in a different league.
in this sentence, I think you meant to say Z6 II: “To conclude on an optimistic note, it is still a dramatic improvement over the Nikon Z6 III.”
Per the Nikon specs for the Z6 iii, max focus points is 299.
I would like to have seen higher MP. I do shoot frequently in DX crop mode and effective 10 MP is a little on the low side. I was hoping to go totally mirrorless but I’m going to keep my D500s for now.
Agreed.
I spent £1,800 on a D500 and a Z5. What would I get for the extra £700?
But I think your point is the correct one to make.
You and me (and Jason) are getting 21mp at 750mm (efl) with (in my case) £2,200 of 500/f5.6 PF. Nothing in Z mount comes near that. I can add a 70-200/f2.8E for £1,300.
I could get a Z6iii and used 100-400 for £4,300. But for the same amount I’d prefer a D500, 70-200/f2.8 and 500 PF with the 105-750 range it gives. And even a D500 is easier on the batteries.
This is the exact discussion I have with myself, as I also have a D500 and Z5 with a 500 PF, although I have a 300 PF rather than the 70-200. I keep wondering if Nikon has a true replacement for the D500 in the works.
Agree, I’m using Canon APS-C DSLR, mostly for nature/wildlife, and postponing my move to Nikon Z until they have a true mirrorless D500 type successor. Z8/9 is too big/heavy for my taste (and expensive …). The Z6iii would come close with 24 MP APS-C sensor instead of FF, so you get more reach out of the same lenses. Not sure if the Z6iii compromises in AF and rolling shutter would be acceptable for my photography though.
For wildlife the 24 MP FF sensor means that for the same reach as a Z8/9 one has to buy and carry lenses that are bigger/heavier and more expensive, which cancels any weight/price advantage of Z6iii.
Hoping that there is a Z70/90 soon … plus a Z 300mm PF or something similar to make a compact/light nature/wildlife combo ;)
You are definitely not the only one waiting for a D500 replacement in the Z series. If one ever arrives, I will get one. It could be a long wait I believe. I remember how long it took Nikon to release the D500. I had abandoned DX as an option. In the meantime I am happy to drop into DX on my Z9 for extra reach sometimes. The IQ remains high and it can help subject recognition focus if it makes the subject larger in the frame.
I strongly suspect that I am almost certain to find that the Z6iii will remain Nikon’s best and only real offering as a lighter body for birding and wildlife.
Thank you for the preview, Libor!
I am also happy that the Z6III has the focus hand-off feature. I am learning to use it in conjunction with BBF.
I have not been as a practicing Photographer a owner of Two Camara Bodies. Using one Body and swapping out lenses has been the usual method.
I am now using methods for the owned Telephoto Lenses up to 800mm that has a additional ancillary used for coupling the Lens Foot to Camera Body, with the intention to rigidly lock the body/lens interface.
This method for coupling body/lens, has made the lens swaps more complex, where very recently the notion of keeping the 800mm permanently attached to the Z9 and having another Body for the Lenses up to 400mm has developed as appealing.
The Z9>800mm is used on a Monopod, the ideal scenario for a additional Body/Lens will need to be a lighter in weight set up, which is not to be too intrusive when attached to a carrying harness.
I will be watching how the Z6III Develops with FW Updates and Discount in Pricing. FW Updates should assist with creating a user interface that is improved in mimicking Z8/Z9 user interfaces .
The Z6III could prove to be the model chosen, but with the Pricing available at present from the retailer I use. The prices are as follows ( Z6III @ £2150 ) ( Z8 @ £2590) (Z9 @ £3330) ( Zf @ £1550), it does look like when the Z6 III does begin to be discounted it will reduce to a asking price that is very attractive, especially one that will be associated with a purchase as a second Z Body.
With the immediate purchase Options available when considering a second Z Body, the Z8 does seem to be the allure.
It’s a fine camera, but in situations where the frame can’t be fully filled, 24 MPx may become an issue. Anyone considering buying it should be aware of this.
Hi, thanks for the review Libor. It shows the camera in much better picture than other reviews, I almost started considering it :). But even if it could do pre-release RAW, it wouldn’t be the first camera to do so. I believe at least a few manufacturers already do that (I may remember it from your pre-release capture article).
You mentioned that you hope for future firmware to address some small issues you noticed but I couldn’t find which firmware you tested with. Since fw 1.02 was released just now I expect your experience is based on an older one, but if someone will read this later, it may not be so obvious. I may also just missed that info in your review but if I haven’t, it’d make sense to add it.
Firmware 1.02 was just a bug fix. I think Libor is hoping for a 2.0-style firmware update when he talked about subject recognition.
I noticed something very strange with Z6iii. Shooting at ISO 400, and HEIF, Flat picture profile, highlight weighted metering, OOC pic was very grainy especially in shadows. Same settings, with JPEG, was absolutely clean. HEIF shadows were brightened by almost 3 stops OOC as compared to JPEG OOC. Could that be the reason?