The full-frame Nikon Z6 II convinced me to finally upgrade my Nikon DSLR in 2021 and has been my go-to camera for personal and professional work ever since.
It has proven to be a true all-rounder, offering gorgeous 24MP photos in good and bad lighting, and reliable autofocus with eye detection for portraits. Its powerful processor and fast continuous shooting simplify action sequences, while its video cuts have allowed me to make one-person productions, especially since I opted for the 'Essential Movie kit' which comes with an Atomos Ninja external monitor.
Needless to say, I've had a lot of practice with my Z6 II and it remains one of the best mirrorless cameras today. However, it's not perfect, and since their launch in 2020, new mirrorless cameras have brought new capabilities. While pushing my Z6 II in various scenarios and testing out the latest technology as TechRadar's camera editor, I mentally recorded a wish list in case Nikon ever updated this mid-range full-frame.
Naturally, recent rumors about an upcoming third-generation model have caught my attention. Has Nikon read my mind regarding improvements to what will likely be called the Z6 III? The following three improvements would make the biggest difference in my daily photography and video rigors.
1. More versatile subject detection autofocus
When I first used the Z6 II, I was very impressed by how effective its autofocus is, especially compared to my full-frame DSLR. For example, 'Auto Area AF (People)' provides reliable face detection and its quick switching between left and right eye preference is very useful. However, the excellent AF performance for people does not extend to photographing different subjects such as animals and vehicles.
Since then, cameras like the Sony A7R V, OM System OM-1, and Nikon's own Z8 and Z9 have upped the game. AI-powered animal detection autofocus on the A7R V instills even more confidence, detecting a wider range of subjects, including animal-eye AF. After shooting with those cameras and then returning to the Z6 II for a recent safari trip in Kenya, my own camera's autofocus felt somewhat limited. I needed to regularly intervene with manual focus adjustments and would sometimes miss the moment.
Ultimately, it can be difficult to know which animals are being tracked by the Z6 II's autofocus and whether they are in focus or not. According to Nikon rumors, the Z6 III will have Nikon's best subject detection autofocus yet, beating the Z8. It seems like my greatest wish could come true.
2. Design and handling adjustments
Nikon has refined the camera design over the years and the overall feel of the Z6 II is excellent for serious photographers. However, I have some drawbacks. The Z6 II's well-defined grip is comfortable in the hand, but the thumb grip doubles as a battery card door and opens too easily; I'm afraid it will break completely.
Its tilting touchscreen is fine and its touch functionality covers all the bases, but personally, I prefer the versatility of a vari-angle LCD screen. I found the EVF interfered with the tilting screen when I extended it for low angle shooting. And it's not that I'm into the numbers game, but while we're on the EVF, its 3.76 million dot resolution is a bit disappointing.
The rumored third-generation model will reportedly have design features from the Nikon Z8 that would address those issues. However, the obvious downside to going that route is a physically larger and heavier camera, and I think the Z6 II already has a decent form factor, more in line with rival models. I hope Nikon can perfect the design without increasing the size and weight too much.
3. Improved speed
Apparently, the Z6 III will use a “faster” 24MP full-frame sensor than the Z6 II. It's not a stacked sensor like the Z8 (which would push the price well above the $2,000/£2,000 price tag of the Z6 II), but a faster one. That's pretty vague, but presumably refers to the sensor's readout speed and would be a boon for action photography and high-resolution video, for which the Z6 III will now offer 6K 60p in N-Raw and 4K 60p in ProRes Raw, or a cropped 4K 120p. .
For stills, I don't mind the Z6 II's lower resolution compared to a TechRadar favorite, the 33MP Sony A7 IV, especially since it performs so well for continuous shooting with twin Expeed 6 processors. That performance will only improve with reported use of the latest Expeed 7 processor and up to 20 fps. I hope that if the resolution stays at 24MP, the Z6 III will be able to shoot at that faster speed for as long as you want without slowing down and without distortion of the fast-moving subject. In short: the Z6 III could become he Nikon speed machine. If there is no improvement in speed, I would expect an increase in resolution. What I'm more excited about than faster frame rates, however, is the improved in-body image stabilization, which will reportedly be the same as the Nikon Z f, which has up to 8EV.
Rumors indicate a disappointing price increase, to around $2,500/£2,500. There may be decent improvements, but early signs are that the Z6 III will replicate the Z6 II by refining the model it replaces. Nothing groundbreaking, but those incremental improvements might be what I'm hoping for and potentially worth upgrading.
