Nikon Turns Up The Amp With Next-Gen Z Bodies
Nikon may have been late to the fullframe mirrorless camera party, but it got into the swing pretty quickly with its first models, the Z 6 and Z 7, gaining strong followings.
The second-generation Z 6II and Z 7II are likely to continue the trend as they address the earlier gripes and add features that have become popular since the original models were launched back in August 2018. What stays the same is the body and control layout – why fiddle with something that’s working well? – and the sensors; 24.5MP (effective resolution) in the Z 6II and 45.7MP in the
Z 7II. However, they’re now supported by dual Expeed 6 processors hat deliver a number of performance improvements, including faster continuous shooting speeds of 14fps for the Z 6II (up from 12fps) and
10fps for Z 7II (up from 9fps). Burst lengths are also extended – up to 200 best-quality JPEGs – as the cameras now empty their buffer memories at faster. Importantly, there are now dual memory card slots, one each for SD and XQD, the latter also supporting faster CFexpress Type B devices. The SD slot has UHS-II speed support.
The dual processors have also enabled some tweaks to the autofocusing, most notably the availability of eye/face-detection when using the wide-area AF modes.
The face/eye detection can be switched between humans or animals, and the lowlight sensitivity with normal AF operations is extended by a stop to -3.0 EV for the Z 7II and -4.5 EV for the Z 6II. As before, autofocusing is via hybrid contrast/phase-detection system employing 273 measuring points on the Z 6II and 493 on the Z 7II.
There are a number of upgrades on the power front, starting with the higher-capacity EN-EL15c battery (as used in the Z 5) which allows around 410 shots with the Z 6II and
420 with the Z 7II. In-camera battery charging via USB-C is now supplemented by in-camera powering via USB-C. Additionally, there’s now a proper vertical grip – the MB-N11 – which, while useful, also provides a second USB-C connection. The previous battery-only MB-N10 grip can still be fitted, but obviously there are no duplicated controls for vertical shooting.
The main upgrade to the video capabilities is 4K UHD shooting at 50/60p internally (but via a firmware upgrade in the case of the Z
6II). Additionally, the HDR-ready Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) profile is added for recording to an external recorder (in addition to N-Log) for the more convenient creation of content for these displays.
As before, the body construction is all magnesium alloy with weather sealing. Both cameras retain 3.68-million dot OLED EVFs (although there have been some tweaks to response and blackout times) and 3-inch
TFT LCD monitor panels with 2.1 million dots resolution, tilt adjustment and touchscreen controls. Both cameras have five-axis in-body image stabilisation via sensor shifting, giving up to five stops of correction.
The Z 6II is priced at around $3,599 body only and the Z 7II at $5,599 body only (average street prices). Incidentally, the original Z 6 and Z 7 remain in the line-up.
For more information visit www.nikon.com.au