NIKON Z 6II
A set of mini-increments make the Z 6II an affordable all-rounder full-frame cam
Having fewer pixels makes the Z6 II better at low-light shooting
For its latest duo of mirrorless full-framers, Nikon hasn’t gone all out with wild updates, instead producing modest refreshes that seek to enhance and refine the existing offering, while still appealing to anybody who liked the originals. The Nikon Z 6II is the more-affordable and more wellrounded model to its more-expensive sibling, the Z 7II, and is available at a great price for the kit you get.
Most of the changes to the Z 6II come internally, while many of the best features remain the same as with the original Z6. The same 24.5 megapixel full-frame sensor as before is found here, which we already know to be a solid performer. However, there’s now two Expeed 6 processors (rather than one), which helps to bring a range of other improvements. For sports and action photographers, you can now shoot at a more useful 14fps (vs 12fps before). There’s also a better buffer (than the Z6), meaning the speed at which the camera clears so you can keep shooting for longer bursts.
Nikon has kept the same viewfinder and screen set up as the original Z6, which again is no bad thing. While the 0.5-inch, 3,960k-dot OLED viewfinder is no longer class-leading, for the price point of the Z 6II, it’s a very good specification. Meanwhile, the 3.2-inch, 2,100k-dot touch-sensitive screen is also great to use, with the tilting mechanism being useful for awkward compositions.
Despite being roughly half the resolution of the Z 7II, images from the Z 6II are still nicely detailed. Having fewer pixels also makes the Z6 II more adept at low-light shooting, with usable images all the way up to ISO 25600.
Colours are nice and vibrant in most conditions, while the automatic white balance setting gets the job right on-the-whole. Similarly, the all-purpose metering setting produces balanced exposures in all but very high contrast situations.
Autofocusing benefits from the improvements that have been made, and if you’re photographing a fairly predictable moving subject you generally get good results. For faster – or more erratic – subjects, the results are a little more mixed. If you’re primarily shooting sports and action, there are better options out there.
With the updated iteration of its fantastic all-rounder camera, Nikon has made the Z 6II even more appealing than before by making some much-welcomed tweaks. If you’re looking for a camera suited to a wide range of different subjects, this could be the one for you – with the possible exception of those who have an interest in shooting fast-moving sports and action.