Setting Up My Nikon Z6 II With The Best Settings 

Ordered my z7ii but told my wife I was going g to sell a bunch of gear to offset the price, and she bought it👍.

I have D700 , when I saw you going through the Z6 II menu it´s so familiar , that´s what I like about Nikon you don´t need spend months until you get use to the menu has other brands has.

Got myself a z6ii after watching some of your other videos. This setup guide is just what I needed too. Thanks dude!

Great video Taylor, as a wedding photographer this is so helpful! I just went to my local camera store to pick up a Z6 ii this evening...they were out of stock but have a shipment coming in next week!

Thanks for the help Taylor. My Z6ii arrived this morning. After using my beloved D700 I'm nervous to say the least but excited at the same time.

8:17 another awesome Nikon only feature is you can set the playback to only show images from the current (or specified) folder. This is such an underrated feature, when reviewing images on the back of the LCD we always never want to scroll into another folder from another shoot - it is always embarrassing to say the least. I wish ever other camera brand will adapt this file system.

BJ Photo Labs is THE BEST camera shop ever. I’ve shopped there exclusively for 8 years. I’m so glad they’re local to me. The most wonderful, family owned business. A Canadian treasure.

AWESOME. Just got my new z6ii… this was SO.VERY.HELPFUL. Thank you for taking the time!

Man great job with this channel concise and professional info always.

We just bought a z6ii (waiting for delivery) and can't wait to start shooting on it. Thank you for this video, super helpful!

just want I needed a FULL over view of this camera changing from D750. I feel better now :) learned A LOT it was a GREAT help

Just received my nikon z6ii! And watching your video to set it up now!!

I just followed this to set my camera up. Thank you so much. I’m coming from a d300 and my mind has been blown.

Active D Lighting set to high while in movie mode could open up the dark shadows with more detail and exposure in shadows, would be useful for video capture in bright sunny weather and maybe indoors in dim lighting. Kind of like Flat Picture file (although not as aggressive as that) and might save having to use that and N log setting. Thanks for a very useful tip.

Thank you, some really great tips, just starting doing weddings again so really useful!

Just treated myself to one of these. Can’t wait to get going with it. Excellent video. 👏🏻

Hey Taylor, just wanted to say a quick thank you, this was a great video. I now have my Z6ii setup and ready for my first shoot. Great video.

TAYLOR-- Great video as always! I will get my ZII tomorrow, I'm so excited! Randy B.(Montana)

Mine is coming very soon, very excited about it.

When changing lenses in such environment, to avoid sensor getting dirty, I remove battery with camera on. There the shutters comes down. Have been doing this with a Z6 when necessary. Actually at 200000 + actuations with no issues (neither no XQD/CFexpress fail). Thank you Taylor!

a fun setting to have is F5.. you can change your back command dial to scroll through the menus or photos in playback.. its kind of the Nikon version of the canon or Sony wheel. it helps a lot with usability.

After being a Nikon user for years, I dabbled into the Fujifilm world and just couldn't get used to it and lost my enjoyment of photography. So just picked up a Z6ii and keen to get back into it!

Hey! Loved this video but in case any wedding photographers see this- do not put your silent shutter on. If the venue has LED lights it will cause clipping of the lighting in your photos!

thank you Taylor, for that Very Insightful information.

Thanks a lot Taylor for your honest review and explanation on the Z6II. I was in the proces of swapping my Canon 6D for a full frame mirrorless. I was in doubt which camera to get (A7III, Canon R6 or the Z6II). But just pre-ordered the Z6II after seeing some of your video's. Seems a solid camera and I like the fact that I start with a brand new body instead of one that is on the market for two years already. Can't wait to play with it. Thinking of starting with the 85mm 1.8 (as that was one of my favorite lenses on my 6D too) and add the 35mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 later on.

Love the content! We’re having issues with Adobe not supporting NEF 14 bit compressed, so we are not able to open or edit any of our photos. Have you had issues here? Do we actually just wait on the Adobe DNG converter or Lightroom to be compatible?

Thank you for the informative video. I'm on the fence between the Z5 and slightly used z6ii. I am a hobbyist with a nikon dslr and some decent glass, tamron 2.8 24-70 ; 70-200. Which body would you recommend? Thank you for your insight!

Much love from The Bahamas. Those blue waters cant hide.

2nd viewing, been setting mine up and appreciated you saying “why” you did things. I can recommend Thom Hogan’s Guide to Z6 + Z7, hope he will update it, but really, not all that different. Again, he goes into why things need to be set. You might enjoy his sections on flash, which is a lot more complex than most folks might think.

Thanks! Did not know about the ISO button and front dial trick! Question. At 22:54, your exposure meter (and settings) are on the right of the viewfinder? Not seeing this on my Z6ii. Something I’m missing. Thnx.

Really helpful! My Z6 II arrives in a few days :)

SO incredibly helpful! Question that I didn't see you cover - is there a way to extend or turn off the auto-shut off time for the camera? I shoot lacrosse games (not professionally), and when shooting one player - sometimes there's a lag in between when I shoot, and the camera turns off. Pressing the button turns it back on, but there's a bit of a delay, and I'm missing shots because of it. Also - What ISO speed should I have my camera set at for sports/lacrosse (continuous) photos? I have it set at 800 now. Thanks!

Hey thanks for great video. Question: How did you record the menu? The camera does not send any output through my video capture card when I press the camera menu button.

Perfect timing, just received mine an hour ago :)

I bought pre-used Z6ii with 528 clicks.. it's awesome cam..❤loved it.. i have to sell bunch of F mount to get Z lenses.. thanks for the video❤

Hi, thanks for making the video, I shoot stills with a D700, D4 and D4s. Most of my video is captured using a Sony FDR-AX1. Just waiting for the Z6II Movie Kit to arrive and will have to get a variable ND filter to allow the 180° rule for video, What ND filter do you use for video?

Nice one :) Really straight forwards as an old Nikon user. My one question ..... Can I change from SD to Cf card with a button? or do I have to use menu. (Its just I have Fuji XT cameras and can quickly swop to my backup card by pressing and holding Play button)

Wow that straight out of camera footage from that wedding looks great. Is it possible to adjust the shadow and highlight rolloff like the Fuji cameras?

No haven't purchased a z6ii never will be able to. But wish to purchase some day ! Just watching your video coz i love to watch them.

Which flash do you use with your Nikon Z6 II and which trigger system? Thanks!

Thank you, thank you for all the info for setting up my shooting menu. Saves me purchasing a 2" thick book that gives pages and pages of unnecessary info.

Can I assign one of the function buttons to switch directly to Single Point AF Area mode from Wide Area AF WITHOUT ROTATING any command dials? This can allow me to use Single Point AF to select my focus point manually in case auto face detection fails.

I’ve been using my friends camera to shoot weddings. I’m hoping now I can get a z6 so I can do more!

Thanks mate great video I purchased new Z611 with 24-70 f4 kit lens I have only taken 100 shots in 12 months I tend to go to old D3 as I find it a little easier. My question if I may is that I enjoy using my GoPro 7 to make holiday videos as I find watching utube movies regarding video on Z611 quite confusing and involved do you recommend anything i can watch to help please. Kind regards Colin

Thanks for this! And I can't believe there's someone out there with more Patagonia jackets than me.

“I tell my wife I’m going to pick up a box, usually has a camera in it.” Love it!

Awesome presentation.. do you have any video showing the setup with 10bit video and how your set your exposure when using Atomos ninga v

Bonjour Taylor, I ve got lso a Z6II and thank you for this video. I ve got a quick question, do you also find the switch on/of to be hard to go to position on compare to off ? thank you

Man you have really got me thinking hard about the Z6II especially since I can pick up the Z mount 70-200 and 24-70 to go with it financially right now. My only concern is I primarily shoot sports, both photo and video. Do you think it can hold up for sports? The only other option I am considering is the R6 but the overheat warning has me leery of it. I currently shoot Sony, but I'm tired of the colors and now that I am ready to invest is a native 70-200 and 24-70, with rumors that Sony is updating those lenses, I don't want to buy the old ones, so seems like a good time to move to a new system.

I went up the Pansasonic route with the S5 and these videos easily allow you to compare user interface and functionality across different cameras. Great cameras all round but no buyer's remorse here thankfully. I share most of the settings preferences and will use the image size (crop) more often as you suggest. Thank you.

Thanks for the videos, they made up my mind to buy the z6ii over the canon R6

Thanks for advice, Just got my Z6ii after lot of thinking. Coming from D700 i wanted to stick to Nikon. Atleast focusing will be lot stressless and looks more user friendly than older models.

Great stuff! Love your RU-vid videos! I have a question. Since you used Nikon D850 why would you not wait for the Z7ii? Just curious. I have D850 and D4s. I want to trade in my D4s for the Z7ii. Your thoughts? Thank you Anatole

Thank you for this vid, very helpful

Thanks so much, this video helped out a lot!

Thanks for the video, a great help

TAYLOR-- Do you use UV filters on your nikon S lenses? Randy B.(Montana)

I just got my z6 ii. This video helped me. Question when do you know when to update the firmware?

Thanks for the great video

Thanks for the setting hints 🙏5:30, that closed shutter blades are kinda urban legend they will protect your sensor. The shutter blades are the most fragile part of the camera, you may destroy them even by the touch of a feather and that may end in an expensive repair. Sony offers it as an option (!!!) to the 9M2, so you can decide yourself if you want the blades closed or open when powered off. My Leica M10 has it by default closed, you may not change it like on the 9M2 and guess what: it has more dust on the sensor like my Z6 and 9M2. I make a guess: it’s more important how the camera (brand) handles static electricity on the sensor. If that is avoided you are (almost) dust free also in dusty environment (common sense: of course this will not be like so in a desert sand storm, camera fully exposed to it and then changing the lens), if not, there is always dust on the sensor.

Ordered it earlier this week after waiting for reviews to make sure it was worth it and now it's backordered :( the anxiety of wait!!

Thanks for the video! I do have a question - coming from the D7100, I find it frustrating that I don't instantly get the preview on the monitor automatically. Is there a way to do this?

Hi Would you recommend me moving from d850 to z6 2 for events and portrait shoots. I was wondering if z6 2s eyeAF will be good benifit over d850. Or should I continue with d850. Many times I feel some expressions are missed due to not so perfect focusing.

How do you set up u1, u2 and u3?

With el15c I shoot almost 2000 shots. Thx for setting.

hi. Got my Z6 II and love it... however the only thing which is upsetting me is I can't edit the RAW files in PS and LR as they don't support them yet.... totally painful....I'm wondering how long it will take Adobe to fix that.

Got mine, gonna set mine up similarly. I had a question on composition. Say I want someone in the top right of my screen in focus. When I hit the shutter button, it wants to refocus in the center. How do I fix this to allow the composition?

so when I choose image review as monitor only, it only shows up on the monitor if I took the photo using the back LCD. If I take shot with my eye up to the EVF and then pull away to see the picture, it does not show up on the monitor like a DSLR. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you!!

Can you adjust kelvin directly on the view finder or lcd? Or to adjust the kelvin into the menu and go to the view finder or lcd to see the adjust?

How do I get the exposure meter to show in video mode? I like to manually adjust my ISO, but it helps to have the exposure meter and I can’t figure out how to display it? It shows in Photo mode.

So helpful!!

Got mine few hours ago❤️❤️❤️❤️

I think most people question about this camera is the autofocus in low light. there is somone from china who tested the Canon R6 vs Z6ii and Z6. The z6ii at least held its own if not even better in some case, but it was daylight etc. I think this is more or less the less with perhaps backlight subject that people would certainly like to see. I think you would get a lot of views for that.

Excelente explicación. Gracias.

Thanks very helpful

Thanks. Super helpful :)

Does it shoot raw double exposure? Does the picture profile remain the same when switching between photo and video mode? I would like it to remain different as set in each mode

Do you have any videos for Nikon Z5 for Best camera setting ?

Thank you for this video. It was a little fast, but luckily we can pause the video. Do you plan to make a video on using the different focusing options? Like when/where to use them? I used to use back button focus w/single point focus. Is that still necessary? Obvi single point doesn’t work with the face/eye detection. Maybe I’m overthinking it but coming from a dslr, it’s a bit confusing deciding how to set it up and which focus setting to use for subjects like family portraits, kids running, etc. Thanks again! Your videos are great and super helpful.

Hi, might you know the base iso for the z6 ii?

I want to know the picture profile for video to get grate color from straight out of camera

I just got my Z6ii. Great camera, but how do I set the long exposure? My camera goes only to 30s. ??? How do I go up to 900s ??? Thank you.

Hey Taylor, I noticed there's no option to assign Release to a function button under custom controls. Unless im missing something? Any help?

Came from D810 with a 24-70 2.8 G and got the Z6II with the new 24-70 2.8 S great ! much lighter, I'm little disappointed by the auto focus in low light situation I will say. Anyone have already got the NEF codec for abode ? Can't open the raw file anywhere yet ..

Hi, how can you add the Full Frame to DX on the i Menu?

This was really helpful, my first time in mirrorless and I was OVERWELMED.

Hi Taylor, I was wondering if might have some wisdom/tips on an issue I am running into with the Z6ii. I just did a family shoot and my exposure was good and dialed in from what the camera was telling me and "showing me" from the image review. I went to upload the image to my computer and the images looked perfect like in the camera then dramatically changed and went underexposed. I am not even in lightroom yet. So now I am a little panicked as I have to edit 100 under exposed photos that look nothing like what I was seeing out in the field. Have you experienced this and if so, what are the steps to fix this? Greatly appreciate anytime you can spare for this question. Thank you!

Is it possible to shot 4K movies with active d lighting turned on?

Would you recommend these settings for original Z6?

Hey Taylor, any idea if the lcd lag is still present in the Z6 II when in 24 or 25fps video?

Switching to DX mode wont it be easier to simply crop in post?

Maybe I'm missing something but why is everyone programming Fn1 as subject tracking? Subject tracking only works in wide area AF and when in this mode the OK button is defaulted to subject tracking. Not sure if people know this or if I am missing something but it seems like you could be putting Fn1 to better use? Unless Fn1 is easier to use than the ok button? Someone please correct me if I am wrong

Thank you for this! You skipped your video picture settings. I noticed it was on standard, is that your typical mode for video shooting?

dude can use n log 8bit to memory card ?

How can I select TIFF format on my Z6II ? It should show up in the PHOTO SHOOTING MENU > IMAGE QUALITY menu. TIFF is missing from that menu.

Got my Z6II today, but i found that lightroom and camera raw didnt support the Z6II yet. How do you process RAWs in the meantime?

What is the ⭐️ next to raw and JPEG mean? Why?

Hi, Does Z6ii have sensor protection while changing lense ? I mean any protector which temporarily comes down n avoids external dirt to come in contact with sensor. Pls anyone reply.

Hey guys, i have Nikon z6ii and I have small doubt. Is there selective color option on z6ii.? If it is tell me anyone how to setup. Thank you