Nikon Z6 Field Test Part II: The Nikon Z6 proves to be a very capable landscape and wildlife camera
posted Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 10:35 AM EDT
Click here to read my Nikon Z6 Field Test Part II
Since debuting last fall, the Nikon Z6 has been given a major firmware upgrade, and the native Z-mount lens selection has essentially doubled. Both of these changes have positively impacted the overall utility of the Z6, especially for landscape and wildlife photography, which are the focus of my Nikon Z6 Field Test Part II.
If you haven't yet read our first Nikon Z6 Field Test, you should definitely check that out by clicking here. In my Field Test, I discuss some of my favorite aspects of the Z6's design, but mostly focus on raw image quality and using the camera for landscape and wildlife photography. When considering the latter type of shooting, the Z6 basically requires the use of the FTZ adapter due to the lack of long native lenses for the Z6 at this point in time. When using the FTZ adapter with compatible Nikon AF-S lenses, the autofocus performance continues to impress. In fact, with the v2.0 firmware update released earlier this year, not only did Nikon add continuous eye-detect autofocus to the Z6, but the company also improved low-light autofocus performance. Further, continuous shooting performance was also improved by adding full AF/AE during continuous shooting at the camera's highest shooting speeds of 12 frames per second.
Another area of focus for my Field Test is how the Z6 handles extensive raw processing, and how the camera performs at very high ISOs. The Nikon Z6 delivers impressive dynamic range, which is basically on-par with the higher-resolution Nikon Z7. This, along with the raw files retaining their quality during processing, make it a nice landscape camera. Even when I needed to do a lot of highlight and shadow recovery, the Z6's raw files performed well.
To read my full thoughts on using the Nikon Z6, including how I feel about the Nikon Z system as a whole, read my Nikon Z6 Field Test Part II. To catch up on all of our Nikon Z6 coverage, including performance analysis, click here.