Nikon Z6 III: better, but also more expensive
17/6/2024
Translation: machine translated
Compared to its predecessor, the Nikon Z6 III is faster and has significantly better autofocus. However, it also costs more. The Z6 II is still available.
Nikon announces the Z6 III at the beginning of July 2024. Like its predecessor, the Z6 III is also a hybrid camera: it should be equally suitable for video and photography. It is also fast and light-sensitive. The trade-off for both is a relatively low resolution of 24.5 megapixels. So nothing has changed in the basic concept. Nevertheless, there is some interesting news.
Partially stacked sensor
The Nikon Z6 III is the first camera ever to feature a partially stacked sensor. What does that mean? Stacked sensors, as they are called in English, read out images much faster than normal ones. The rolling shutter effect, i.e. geometric distortions during fast movements, is thus kept to a minimum. This is particularly important for the video function.
Stacked sensors are expensive to manufacture, however. So far, they have only been used in top cameras. At Nikon, these are currently the Z8 and the Z9. The partially stacked sensor of the Nikon Z6 III is not nearly as fast, but it is faster than a conventional sensor. According to Nikon, the readout speed is three to four times faster.
Source: Nikon
More frames per second in photo and video
The higher speed has several positive effects. In addition to the reduced rolling shutter effect, faster continuous shooting with an electronic shutter is possible. The Nikon Z6 III can take 20 pictures per second in RAW and at full resolution. If this is still not enough, the resolution can be reduced to 10 megapixels and the speed set to 120 frames per second. With a mechanical shutter, it is 14 images per second.
The video function is similar. The camera can record 6K video in RAW format at 60 FPS. The same applies to 4K, which is downsampled from 6K and therefore very sharp. Without oversampling, 4K with 120 FPS is possible. The camera can record full HD videos at 240 frames per second, which is equivalent to ten times slow motion.
Source: Nikon
More computing power for the autofocus
Another important innovation: Nikon's latest Expeed 7 processor generation is used in the Z6 III. This raises the subject recognition of the autofocus to the level of a Z8 or Z9. The Z6 III should recognise faces and eyes, vehicles and aircraft, dogs, cats and birds just as well as the top models. These are likely to be a little better due to the faster readout speed.
Pre-Capture is also on board the Z6 III. As usual with Nikon, however, this only works in JPEG format.
Equipped for extreme lighting conditions
The viewfinder of the Z6 III offers 5.76 million pixels - this corresponds to 1600×1200 pixels and is a good value. In comparison, the Z6 II has 3.69 million pixels. At 4000 nits, the viewfinder is also so bright that it should provide a clearly visible image even in the sun.
On the other hand, the camera also copes well with low light. Nikon specifies an autofocus sensitivity of -10 EV at f/1.2, which is very good. There is also a built-in image stabiliser that compensates for up to 8 exposure levels. As with the Nikon Zf, it can stabilise the focus point instead of the centre of the image. As with the Zf, a pixel shift function is also included.
Details for video enthusiasts
The Nikon Z6 III has two card slots: one combined slot for CFexpress type B and XQD and one SD with support for UHS-II. With a correspondingly fast CFexpress card, 6K can be saved in RAW even without an external recorder.
Only one detail, but an unusual one: the Z6 III not only has a microphone connection as a sound input, but also a line-in. Colour grading settings can be loaded into the camera from NX Studio.
Source: Nikon
In terms of robustness, the Z6 III is said to be on a par with the Z8. It is completely sealed against dust and moisture and can operate down to -10 degrees Celsius. However, the size of the body is more in line with the previous Z6 II. The camera weighs around 750 grams.
Cloud service announced for later
Nikon is announcing a cloud service at the same time as the Z6 III. Use of the Nikon Imaging Cloud will be free for Z6 III users with unlimited storage space. However, this service will not even exist at launch. The central features are automatic backup directly from the camera and transfer to other online services. Firmware updates can also be imported automatically via the Imaging Cloud. It is currently not known when exactly this service will be introduced.
Nikon's recommended retail price for the Z6 III in Switzerland is 2999 francs without lens. This is around 500 francs more than the Z6 II cost at market launch. This camera is now significantly cheaper and remains still available.
Header image: Nikon
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.