Great to see you’re loving the camera too. I picked one up for image quality alone. Looking forward to more performance firmware updates down the road. Great car shots!!
The Nikon Z system is awesome actually. I bought the Z 6 when it first came out. I took a lot of beautiful pictures with it. I now have the Z 7 II. I love it even more.
Yea I did the Sony full frame thing like everyone else did a few years ago along with a Fuji Xt3 which I love. Looked at Nikon earlier this year and fell in love with the ergo’s. Caricatures just slammed Nikon for some reason and I feel for it. It performs well for my needs, the image quality is spectacular, and the new z glass is really amazing. The 50mm F1.8 is really something else. Wow. I love faster glass and F1.8 lenses don’t get me excited but this one astonished me. A great system in general. I think people are starting to re-discover Nikon. Underrated by most reviewers in my opinion. Great job and your thoughts echo mine.
Just tested the R6 and Z6ll with my buddy. We had them for 7 days and everything, went everywhere with them. Considering the price, we thought the R6 will perform better and produce better images but it was the other way around. Z6ll was much better and performed better in almost every situation. Not to mention the amazing Nikon colors, we barely had to edit for our shoots - saved so much time. The video however, we both prefer the R6, the colors and the overall feel of the video just feels cinematic no matter what we shot, while on Z6ll we had to use externals to get the same quality because Z6ll does not have stock log profile. So, if you are a hybrid shooter or a photographer, the Z6ll just performs better in almost every setting but if you shoot mostly video and photography is secondary to you, the R6 is the better choice, however it costs 600 EUR more.
I can guarantee you that you did not test these two camera's in a sporting environment. Because the R6 would have won hands down (I'm a Sony shooter). The Nikon Z6 cannot keep up, neither can the z7. Proven countless times with wildlife photographers as well. Go search for their videos.
@@donzokor5312 nope! I tried Sony’s offerings and hated working with the files, really didn’t like the crop of lenses (at the time). Tried Fuji and loved the handling but hated the images that came out of them. I wanted to like both of them, and bought both with my own money as Nikon wasn’t offering any real mirrorless at the time. The Zs have been rock solid for me and the lenses are prioritising exactly what appeals to me. But horses for courses.
Loving my Z6 (original model) for about 2 years now. Excellent image IQ, colors and low light performance. AF has been improved over FW updates and is good enough for now (very very close to a a7iii, in some cases a hair better in others a hair behind). Tried out a sony a7iii back then and while AF is good, absolutely hated everything else about it, the body, buttons, ergonomics just felt rubbish, menu was an absolute chaos, colors were weird esp skin tones, and overall simply did not want to pick it up and use it. The Z6 on the other hand is a pleasure to use all day long and makes you want to pick it up, go out and make some images. The Z glass is also excellent!
I like how you put all of these information out. I’m a Nikon shooter, I see some people are able to jump from one brand to another, not me, I waited a while for the Z6ii and also the Z9 which I recently order, my Z6ii just arrived, haven’t opened it yet. I think I’ll love it, I hope that with firmware updates down the road this’ll definitely be a camera to keep for a long time. I still keep my D810, D850 and D500 and now I’m really exited to go mirrorless using the same brand.
I have had a D810 since 2014 with 4 lenses set (50 mm f1.4, 14-24mm f2.8, 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8) , i mainly shoot models , head shots and food. I'm confused between Z6ii and A74. Which one would you get were you in my shoes? Thanks
I own the little sister - the Z5. Originally coming from Sony Alpha 6400 and it took some time to get used to Nikon. But after some time i started to love this Camera so much. The colors of the pictures out of cam are just breathtaking! Sometimes I watch at my pictures and start smiling. Ergonomics and camera menu are outstanding as well. Maybe I will upgrade to the Z6II - but right now this is my favorite camera!
Oh! Why did u pass from alpha (sony) to Nikon, And not to the a7(...) options? (im doing that transition now and I would like to know your reasoning 😊, I haven't decided yet)
@@HobbitsanNYC oh i meant I waa doing the transition from crop to full frame. I used the Nikon D5300 and at the end I chose the Nikon z6ii, instead of going Sony A7.
As a Sony and Canon RF user... i picked up a Z6ii. output is fantastic; i usually use it for portraits, food, fashion, landscape and great auto focus w/ that type of work for me. The colors coming out of this camera is amazing. It's not as "fantastic" (Nikon just works differently) as my R6 or R5 in focus performance but Nikon makes me want to go make images...oh btw, accidentally(with a help of a 3rd party baboon) i dropped the z6ii from about 2.5 ft to an asphalt with a solid impact (attached 24-70 /4 S) and then the camera with the lens rolled a bit away; to my amazement no damage at all; nothing - it's build like an Abrams; ..the Sony was dropped on a Hawaii trip on the Hana Rd for a short waterfall photo shoot, Sony dropped from 18 inches and the lens crumpled like a coke can (unusable) and the body and a knob took some heavy scarring. My R5, R6 and Z6ii are now always going out with me. Sony is collecting dust.
Nice! Yep, agree with you completely. Yeah, after several years of torture I can confirm that my Sony cameras feel more weathered than my Nikon cameras. Sometimes my Sony buttons feel sticky and the finish they use gets dinged easily but my original Z6 still looked new despite some pretty crazy abuse in Iceland
Sony's TV's are awesome though just as Canon's Printers are Great but nothing beats the Z system from Mount to Colour Science to Lenses , to Ergonomics and AF is being sorted as we speak etc etc
i am a Nikon user, and been hesitating to upgrade as the mirrorless systems came out. Rumours for the second version then complaints of eye detection and subject tracking etc. Reviewers bashing Nikon and favouring Sony & Fuji because Nikon’s detection isn’t up to par with the rest. i currently have an aps-c and thought of jumping backward with a d500 or D7500 because of what Ive read. However, your video and another from a Nikon Ambassador using the camera for sports and other work changed my mind from those reviews. Especially as a result of firmware updates improving the camera’s capabilities
It is such a great all round camera, the image quality for both photo and video is absolutely stellar with the 2.8 glass. Ive started to do more video work and for a hybrid user it is a treat to use, Far from perfect but it was worth the wait.
Great review thanks! Just bought my Z6ii last week. Altogether (to my surprise) it was the best all-around solution for me... with the 1.20 fw update! Hoping fw 1.3 or 2.0 gets the AF-C to where it can be! The 24-70 F/4 and 24-200 are phenomenal.
I am torn between the 24-70 f4, 24-120 f4 and 24-200. I need something in the 100mm range for 45/angled food photography. So the 24-70 will have to be accompanied by a Z 105 macro (very nice) or 100-400 zoom (not recommended). That leaves the 24-120 and 24-200. How is your 24-200 indoors? Fast enough? 6.3 will probably be a no go for DOF.
@@kristofgheyssens3941 I would highly recommend the 24-120 F4 for you. I plan on procuring one. The pictures I have studied using that lens are stellar. The 24-200 is no slouch either, and good enough that I use my 24-70 F4 very little now. Having the constant aperture at the long end of the 120 would be very helpful for blown backgrounds etc. Even at F4 it's not that fast. The 105 is also an amazing lens, just more limited use as a prime. I'd recommend renting the lenses you are interested in. I've been surprised in the past how much I prefer one lens over another when renting. Better to have an arsenal you love using.
@@kristofgheyssens3941 I hear ya! The 24-200 is an outstanding lens, though it does get darker at the long end. I've enjoyed mine thoroughly. You could also consider using the FTX adapter and getting some of the Excellent F-Series glass in the used market.
Well, I ordered a Z6II yesterday. Coming from a D7100. I also ordered the 14-30mm F4 lense after reading the reviews. I got the adapter so I can use try to use my older lenses. I really hope I love this camera. The D7100 was just OK.
Thank you for your great review of this camera. I am waiting for mine to arrive in the mail. I made the great leap last night after contemplating it for 2 weeks and going over all the pros and cons I could find online. Going from the z50. Thank God my husband is happy to take my hand-me-downs...ha ha! No, now we will have two great cameras to use for whatever it is we are doing (he needs a decent video camera for work/job sites). I am an enthusiast that has been published in the past and because I love horses, wildlife and nature in general, I am always finding limitations in my knowledge and my equipment. I can be shooting action in an indoor arena with horses moving quickly (my nightmare for photography) or little birds flitting around or a sunrise over the lake. My background is that I'm an artist and have studied design, colour and composition, so I have that going for me. Just a year ago I was coming from a D80, (let that sink in) and was afraid to jump to the z6 back then (cost was prohibitive then too). Costco had a package deal on the z50 with 16mm-50mm plus ftz adapter. Now that I have a lump sum check that will cover the cost of this camera plus two great lenses (28mm-70mm nikkor and the 150mm - 600mm contemporary sigma) which will go nicely with my current 70mm-300mm nikkor I've had since 2009. I think I'm good for lenses (for now) ; ) I am happy to see that the z6ii menu system is just like the z50 for the most part which is really important as I have a permanent brain injury that left me with cognitive disabilities which doesn't allow for new information to be processed easily and recalled, among other things. Just mentioning that for people contemplating one of these cameras that might have similar cognitive disabilities - something most would not think of. Nikon seems to be great for keeping everything fluid and easy to migrate from camera to camera. That has been my experience anyways. I have been a Nikon shooter since 2005 when I was introduced to them through work. I had to learn how to use the camera back then for work and loved it so much I bought the same camera (D80). Before that was Fuji and before that was Pentax (35mm). I just found your channel and look forward to watching more of your content. Can't wait to use this camera! Cheers! 🙂
Hey JL! That's awesome!!! Definitely a big step up from the D80 lol. I do have a video on how to setup the Z6II so definitely check that out if you missed it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-03pTg27CKxw.html so that should help hopefully with less brain injury hahaha. Appreciate you reaching out! Hope you enjoy the new camera
I went from Nikon Z6, to Red Komodo, to Sony FX3. I still use my Z6 alongside the FX3 and there are many features on my Z6 that blow away the FX3. My Z6 is leaps and bounds better in lowlight than my FX3 for video. The Z6 is giving me a much cleaner image quality in low light. With that said, the FX3 gives me a slightly better image quality during the day being able to shoot 10bit 4:2:2.
I love my Nikon Z cameras. I’m a super fan of them. I have A1, R5 , Komodo and other cameras as well and all of my B roll shots I end up using my Nikon Z7ii with Zeiss lenses. Those colors are perfect the way they come out straight out of the camera using neutral profile. If you are not a fan of this system, give it a try and you won’t be disappointed. I agree with you a 100% of what you said on this video .
@@runcmd1419 I am hearing this a lot now - how does neutral compare with flat profile - I am only concerned about video for color grading as I only shoot RAW for stills and don't use picture profiles? Do you color grade the neutral profile or use as is - the flat profile is for grading only obvioulsy.
I am hearing this a lot now - how does neutral compare with flat profile - I am only concerned about video for color grading as I only shoot RAW for stills and don't use picture profiles? Do you color grade the neutral profile or use as is - the flat profile is for grading only obvioulsy.
@@baronsilverton6504 flat feels similar in saturation but with a shadow push. It can still work for contrasty scenes but I find neutral generally more pleasing
Proud owner of Nikon z6 ii. I got mine in February this year and I love its results. This is my first camera ever. BTW, I am a software developer transitioning to photography and videography. I am learning on the go.
@@learningcameras I am enjoying it. I am now saving for buying some z series lenses. I want a macro and wide one. Currently, I have adapted some lenses using ftz adapter
The thing that excites me about the Z system is the lenses. The bodies might be a little "behind" the competition right now, but the lenses are a generational leap ahead. Which is easier to fix in the long run? :)
All comments seem to be 2yr or 1 yr ago! So current comment 9/23. Just bought this Z6II a few weeks ago so still getting use to it but totally love it! Went from a SLR Nikon to a Sony a series to this, and wow. Blows away my mind. Some learning curve for sure, but then my car had a steep learning curve too. This camera should, or rather will last me a long long time.
A Nikon user since film days, so have quite a collection of bodies and lenses. I bought a Z 6ii two years, had minimal used and not abused in any way-looks brand new. One day I switched it on with one of its S lenses and for some reason it would not focus nor fire the shutter. Worked fine in all manual mode. Contacted Nikon as it was still under warranty. Sent it to Nikon, bad news, parts required for repair not available in Australia, had to come from an offshore manufacturer-but there was a delay of some weeks. Advised today that some new parts had arrived but may have to use the ‘old’ handgrip!, How many parts have failed? To my mind in order to get my project back on track and the customer happy, a new body would have kept me still a Nikon user. Now I am not so sure, and I will never feel confident to use a repaired camera as my number one, without taking an older DSLR D600 as a backup with the extra lenses as the new Z S Lenses only fit the Z cameras. Not a happy camper by a long way.. The camera failed big time, I would love to know how many parts had to be replaced.
Love my Z7... Got some spare money from having sold off all my F glass and old F models and thought about using it to buy a second Z body to cary. The Z6ii is on my radar.
Finally nikon came mirrorless camera, i have an a7r2 using it for landscape it blown me away but as i have several len i want to use my nikon len auto focus on a mirrorless camera
Thanks!!! Honestly, in many ways I think the Z6II is a better buy. The hardware is the same even down to the screen and viewfinder. The only thing that is different is the sensor and basically the same quality with the Z7II just having more pixels. For most things, 24mp is plenty and the lower resolution actually makes for better quality oversampled 4k video as a bonus as well as better low light performance. So unless you NEED the extra resolution, the Z6II is the better choice. The kit with the lens is actually on sale as well: bhpho.to/3mJFQLg
I think the "Z's" are the best-looking and built mirrorless cameras in the category. Sony A7iii is not as well built and Canon R5/6's have a fake (too-colorful) video output. Btw, Dan goes the Z6ii use the full-frame when outputting 60fps over hdmi to a recorder (Ninja V) or crop as in-camera recording. Thanks!
Hey! Think I was able to answer this in another video but the output for 4k60 is still a crop and is limited to 8bit while 4k30 is available in 10bit full frame
Love it. Been looking at Z mouunt as my new camera system. Currently shooting on the MFT system and love it. However, starting to shoot more low-light shots. I have held Sony and Canon cameras but the Nikon's grip felt the best. After 2020 trying to rebuild my nest egg and this is differently first on my list. If you want someone to take care of your Z mount camera send it to me and I'll make sure it has a nice home. thanks for the review.
Your review is still the best considering this camera is 2 year old and there are a lot of reviews already. I love this camera. Hope to get it someday. Does it shoot full frame video or is there a crop factor?
Also, although sensors apparently are the same. On my original Z6, when shooting bring the exposure up by 3-4 stops in lightroom, you could really see banding in the image / shadows. In the Z6 II and Z7 II this is fixed I believe.
@@frickseerose6146 d810 is a killer portrait and wedding camera and is awesome in low light also in live view the D810 face detection is pretty bloody good for its time and will focus on the eye a good 90% of the time. I also shoot sports with it as well which everyone says it's no good for but I don't spray and pray to hopefully capture something maybe hahaha
Thanks for such an awesome review! If you were comparing this one to the SonyA7iii what would you say? I mostly do lots of landscape, astrophotography, and some portraits here and there. Appreciate your help! You gained a subscriber!
Hey! Thanks so much. Sorry for the late reply. I think the Sony has a bit more advanced and mature AF system but otherwise I love the Z6II. For what you are shooting, I think the Z6II would be perfect
Price has dropped significantly in April 2024 in my area so I bought a new Z6ii and sold my Z5. Z5 actually went up in price significantly in 2 years, since I got it then, compared to new ones today, so I lost almost nothing on selling Z5 (around a $100 loss, and tax after 2 years of use), and it was only half the price to upgrade to the Z6ii in the last few days compared to 2 years ago. Probably a sign they are selling off Z6ii stock as Z6iii is coming out or to be announced very soon in the next few weeks, I think by May 2024 (or June) I would guess.
Yep, Sony got in super early with mirrorless cameras. The good news for Nikon is technically they have lenses, you just need to use an adapter for the F mount lenses. But if you absolutely need a 600mm lens, you do have options. With Sony in the early days, there were only 3rd party adapters for lenses from different brands that had either no AF or limited AF so it's a bit less dire for Nikon
Dan just so you know there is a website where you can put Canon 5D Mark 2, Fuji XT1 and Fuji XPro 2 picture profile on any Nikon Camera weather it be Mirroless or DSLR
Thanks for your demo. I will order my now after a comprison with a Fuji-XT4. I have a Nikon D800 and a Fuji X-Pro2 that very happy with. Boot of them. Just taht i can use all my Nikon Linces that i have since before is just a no brainer. Take care Anders G
Nice review and Great video shots. What’s the work flow for the couple video shoot, if you 1. 14-24mm lens ? 2. Flat profile, internal 4K? 3. What’s the colour grading theme specifically , teal and orange?
Although the 12 minutes of scripted video from Dan supported the camera, you can't ignore the 15 seconds of candid expressions from Sally. I am a Nikon shooter and want to love it too, but right now, the competition is out running Nikon.. If this continues, I may have to switch horses. Hopefully the Z9 will prove something and also bring some updates for the more affordable Z's.
Hello Brother please create Ultra Detailed Triple Camera Battle Video on RU-vid between Vivo X80 Pro VS Nikon Z6 Mark II VS Nikon Z7 Mark II. Please focus on FilmMaking Camera Battle at day and night. Thank you Brother 🙏
How does the camera operate shooting landscapes. I primarily shoot landscape and cityscape photography. I currently have the Nikon D780, however, considering a trade-in for the Z6ii. Your thoughts would be appreciated and great video.
Hey! So unfortunately you wouldn't see an image quality upgrade since this is basically the same style sensor from the D780. You would see slightly better AF in live view than what you are used to but that's about it. Most of the upgrades would be for video use. For landscape photography especially, I'd stick with the D780 and wait for a new sensor with better quality before upgrading.
If you are a portrait/event still shooter it is worth the upgrade as the eye detect is stickier and you can use it on wide area mode as well. Also, you have two card slots and can get a fully functional vertical grip - very useful in portrait photography. If video is your thing probably don't need to upgrade unless you need 4k 60 but remember it has a 1.5 crop. The only other way the Z6II upgraded for video is use of eye detect instead of just face detect, but from what I have seen, for video, face detect is really just as good (or very near as good) so I don't think this would be a reason to upgrade.
@@baronsilverton6504 actually I wanted to upgrade from my nikon D5500 and I’m not sure if I should invest the extra 600. But considering I do mostly landscapes, adventure and a little bit of portraits and video as well, I think the z6 will be enough according to what you said :)
Dan, i always love to watch your videos and you are one of the few i depend on especially when it comes for Nikon reviews. I am becoming more and more interested in video and would love to own FF mirrorless camera just because of the shallow depth of field and lens selection. from this nikon firmware update does the camera AF hunts for like vlogging or interviews, Can i depend on it for this type of work without hunting? Thanks in advance brother
I love Nikon’s Flat profile. It's amazing, still gives decent DR, and still allows tons of room to grade without being a nightmare on colors. Honestly I prefer a good flat profile to log in 90 % of situations
Hi Dan, Great review! One of my favorite reviewers. Do you recommend or is it worth the hassle using Atmos ninja v with this camera? Does it make that much of a difference in quality/color, I mean 8-bit vs 10-bit?
Really appreciate that! So having 10bit can absolutely make a difference when heavily color grading or shooting log but I find the 8bit internal profile still gives me plenty of room in the standard or flat profile. But if you want to shoot log for the ultimate in dynamic range, the Ninja V would be a good buy
So what I said is that once you need tracking, it slows down and if you keep it in Hi+, the viewfinder is only showing you the last frame you took so it's delayed a bit which can make it more difficult to track erratically moving subjects
@@learningcameras gotcha, but also, disabling image preview (from last photos) actually decreases blackout times. Automotive photographer here and it’s working like a charm with almost all lenses via FTZ
Nikon cameras are pretty easy to understand compared to some other brands so that is definitely helpful but this is a pretty expensive pro camera for a beginner
@@learningcameras my concern is I don’t change very frequently so would like to invest FX camera and slowly update the lens, instead of changing body often. Just my view.
@@sunrise_sunshine A Nikon alternative to the Z6II would be the Z5 which is a more basic full frame option: bhpho.to/3de9hkp . Because it is still full frame while you might want to upgrade your camera if you become a more advanced photographer you will not need to update your lenses. Another alternative would be the Canon EOS RP for a cheaper more basic full frame camera
Have you try it with non z linces? And if, does it work fine? I will order a Nikkor z 24-70 f2.8 as well but there is some delivery problem here in Sweden right now. Again great demo.
I own Fuji XT3 and i can tell that XT4 is similar in many areas and especially the IQ and video quality. The AF is very very good in video mode and excellent in Stills. Internal Audio is decent but if you want best, you should consider external mics. The lens choice for stills is awesome, for video still good but not all are suited 100% for video especially the old ones like the 56mm, 23mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4 except for the newer ones like 23mm, 35mm F2, 16-55mm 2.8, 18-55mm F2.8-4 and 16mm f1.4 because i own the 16-55mm and 16mm f1.4 and tested the latter two primes F2's. Fuji XT3 is for me usually for Travel street photography and Video vlogs, youtube and family memories. Still holding my purchase for ff mirrorless camera and remaining on my beloved D850 for my Stills freelance work. Once Nikon introduce a more refined camera with improved Video features that i hope to see, then i will jump into it as i am not in a hurry for either replacing my D850 nor for video for freelance work. I can cover some of the video work with my XT3. If you are interested in Video capabilities more than the Stills and decided to go with Fuji, i would recommend waiting little more as the XH2 might be in the work and that one might be even better for Video, finger crossed. Hope this be useful to you and adds to your feedback.
@@bmkq2007 I own XT-4 ..it's actually far better than XT-3 ..in so many ways ..most important 2 things are much better battery life and Ibis ... I'm just curious to see the review by Dan Watson in 2021 .that's why.
@@Libinkttm Its a great camera in its class and hope you enjoy it for many years to come Libin. I agree from what others also have stated, ibis and battery are much better and the articulating screen for videographers, for me i prefer the tilt screen more since am a stills shooter more than video guy.
Anyone still has the Nikon Z 6ii Firmware V.1.30 ???? I really needed it. As the Frimware v.1.40 is having a problem with the Tamron lenses. The V.1.30 is perfectly fine until the Tamron releases a new Firmware.
Hello! May be dumb question.. How do I upload photos to a computer from this camera? And what computer would be best for editing family photos? Thank you!!
I want a sports capable full-frame and I don't want Canon or Sony, so my options are limited. I wonder if I can find a focus mode in this one that I can make work. 🤔
Thanks! Not really. It kind of has a plastic front end that's threaded at 82mm but you will see the filter up until about 18mm. Nikon officially doesn't say it works with 82mm filters but I've used them on occasion
The Canon R6II is probably the current champ with the Sony A7IV coming in next. That's in that price range at least. The R6II has a new autofocus tracking mode and faster burst rates with a quiet shutter
@@tommiriikonen Right now this is the best mirrorless camera so you can either check out something like the Nikon D780 which is a DSLR but one that is still decent with video/live view or Nikon's Z9 but that's really expensive. This isn't a bad camera for sports, it's just not quite as good as some of the other options but you can definitely still use it.
