REVIEW: Nikon Z6 III - Hybrid Camera with Several Improvements

Nikon Z6 III

• The hybrid camera Nikon Z6 III builds on the legacy of its predecessors Z6 and Z6 II. The camera has an updated sensor and image processor.
• The new 24.5-megapixel sensor and Expeed 7 image processor provide improved burst shooting and faster autofocus compared to its predecessor. The camera can take up to 120 frames per second, making it suitable for sports and action photography.
• The design of the Nikon Z6 III is familiar to Nikon users, but it now has a foldable and rotatable screen for easier video handling. The Z6 III also has advanced video features, including recording in 6K/60p raw format, making it a great tool for both photographers and videographers.

Nikon updates its video-centric camera Nikon Z6 II to a third generation: Nikon Z6 III - which can largely be called a hybrid camera that can do most things. The camera has a solid heritage from its big brothers Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z8, and the specifications are also significantly enhanced. But does it hold up in reality?

Yes, is the short answer, and many reasons for this are the two main improvements: the new sensor and image processing, which in turn give rise to the increased speed that the camera both receives and is perceived to have.

New sensor

One of the innovations that provides a significant improvement in the camera's speed is the new sensor, which is of the "partially stacked" type, with a resolution of 24.5 megapixels - the same resolution as its predecessor but with new technology. The sensor works together with the Expeed 7 image processor, which is the same fast processor found in the flagship Nikon Z9.

It is also this combination that makes the readout much faster, and with that also the autofocus and continuous shooting, with up to 120 frames per second, but if you want both full resolution, raw format, and continuous autofocus, 20 frames per second is the limit. And that's good enough for many.

Design as before

The grip and design of the Nikon Z6 III are familiar in the classic Nikon style, just like its predecessor, the Nikon Z6 II, and Z6 as well as many other Z models. What I see as a good feature to make the camera more "hybrid" is the foldable and rotatable screen, which makes it much easier to handle the camera when filming.

Positive is also the ability to use the touchscreen for autofocus management even when looking through the viewfinder, which also makes the camera easier to handle and is worth a lot in certain situations.

The viewfinder with 5.76 million dots is also improved and even brighter than its predecessor, which is actually noticeable - even if it's not a shocking difference. For those who are color enthusiasts, it can be mentioned that the viewfinder now shows a larger color space than before, which can simply give an increased sense of the final result.

Buttons and controls are well thought out as usual, and there isn't much more to say other than that you can do almost everything you want, and at least what you absolutely need, when it comes to adjustments and handling of the camera.

Autofocus is the thing

The speed of the Nikon Z6 III is one of the more important things about the camera, and how the continuous autofocus works - and how easy it is to handle in both stills and video - is an important thing for the user. Here, Nikon has its 3D focus from other camera models, and now the Z6 III has also received that feature.

The thing about 3D focus is that it can more easily follow in depth, become smarter at distinguishing objects, and thus both faster and more efficient at setting focus in continuous mode.

When I test the autofocus, I am impressed by how much better it actually is compared to its predecessor - I test in depth with a runner running forward and the autofocus follows without any problem. The real test comes when I pan with a faster twisting motion as the runner rounds me, which brings me really close with the camera and the speed is really fast - and the autofocus continues to deliver.

The camera also handles football without any problems, and the handling is both fast, good, and reliable. Here, the combination with the fast continuous shooting is the whole point with the Z6 III compared to its predecessor - the speed.

The autofocus works really well and I rate it roughly equivalent to the big brother Nikon Z8, which also handles most things. In my test of how the focus of the images holds despite the high speed, image after image in the series, the camera delivers sharp images.

As I initially wrote when I pre-tested the camera, I felt that the Nikon Z9 is, however, slightly better at most things - including the autofocus - and that remains. The conclusion in this pre-test is that the autofocus is much better than its predecessor Nikon Z6 II - the difference is clearly noticeable.

It has now become standard with object identification of the autofocus in today's cameras, which means that faces and eyes are recognized, as well as animals and cars. And it works really well and quickly, which is also to be expected from a modern camera today.

The camera also has a pre-capture mode that continuously takes pictures and saves them in the buffer, ensuring you don't miss any shots. A really great feature for those capturing fast and short events.

Excellent hybrid effort

Nikon must be said to have made a strong effort to keep up with delivering what hybrid photographers want, which is also a must to stay on par with competitors. Both video handling for autofocus, settings in menus, handling in the camera, and similar are really good.

A hybrid camera like this, intended for both photography and filming, requires excellent specifications for both video and still images. It is also within the video specifications that Nikon has the absolutely biggest news with the Nikon Z6 III compared to the Nikon Z6 II - the ability to record in raw format directly onto the memory card.

The requirement is to use a CFexpress Type B card (or XQD card, they use the same form factor), but then you can also record video in 6K/60p in 12-bit raw format in 6K - a winner for those who need high-resolution video and also post-process your clips. Additionally, you avoid all the extra accessories like hard disk recorders.

4K can be recorded in 120p and full-HD in 240p. Additionally, there is N-Log in 10 bits for several film modes, which is really good. But perhaps best for those who quickly want to create and release their produced material: the ability to use the lightweight format MP4 Lite - which is both faster and easier to handle.

Those who film will also appreciate the focus point stabilization. This function ensures that the image is stabilized around the area where you have chosen the focus point, and in this way, it keeps up and compensates for the movements of the focus point rather than the camera's movements. The function is powerful and compensates up to 8 steps longer shutter speed.

The image quality is really high, and both sharpness, image character, and noise are well balanced and controlled, even at high ISO values. Here the image processor plays its part, while the fast readout from the sensor contributes to a very small visible rolling shutter overall.

Conclusion

The improvements are many in the new Nikon Z6 III compared to its predecessor Z6 II, and it's no small thing. But as I mentioned at the beginning, the sensor, the readout from the sensor, and the accelerated autofocus are the key points.

In a way, the camera now becomes what one might have hoped the predecessor would have become when it replaced the Z6, but now the legacy from the real performance cameras Z9 and Z8 has left its mark on the technology that has been incorporated into the Z6 III.

And the fact is that Nikon has succeeded immensely well with a combination of still photography and video, where the latter has also been improved quite a bit with both new features and possibilities for format settings, for those who need a hybrid camera. Even though the camera is not perfect, it has many components that make it almost perfect for those who need its features.

Rating

Handling: 5
Speed: 4
Build quality: 5
Versatility: 4
Features: 4
TOTAL: 4.4