4K 60p video and dual card slots on a Nikon? Yes! Meet the all-new Z6 II and Z7 II cameras

posted Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 12:00 AM EDT

The Nikon Z6 Mark II and Z7 Mark II cameras are here, and oh my do they come packed with some particularly nice upgrades. You can see two of these in the headlines already, but there are plenty more and we have all the details awaiting you in our Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z7 II previews!

When the Z6 and Z7 were announced in late-2018 we were of course excited, yet once we completed our respective reviews we were duly impressed as well. The terms Nikon, Professional, and Mirrorless were brought together in the same system, and that was great news for the photo and video industry all around. But like all firsts, there were complaints and initial drawbacks, the most notable being the lack of dual card slots. Not only that, but you couldn't use common SD cards at all (only XQD) which was a real ding.

Video has grown so much in popularity over the past five years that the lack of 4K/60p recording was also a big drawback, as this is the most common approach to achieving coveted slow-motion video for the majority of modern enthusiast content creators looking for the highest available quality, and it just wasn't there. Well, now it is, and we're thrilled with this development in the growing land of Nikon Mirrorless.*

Say hello to the 45.7mp Z7 II and the 24.5mp Z6 II mirrorless cameras from Nikon

When we spoke with Nikon about these new offerings we heard a lot about increased power, which translates into many of the new features found onboard both of these upgraded camera lines. This newfound power is delivered via dual EXPEED 6 processing chips, which is perhaps the single biggest upgrade here. This power is important for both increased burst speeds for stills shooting and in providing the ability to deliver video features such as 4K/60p output. It's also significant for the beefier AF tracking algorhithms housed onboard, another ever-improving technological frontier in both stills and video.

The new Nikon Z7 II looks quite enticing paired with the 58mm f/.95 Noct lens

So whether you're in the photography game for the highest still image quality available and are leaning towards the higher-resolution Z7 Mark II, or are a hybrid content creator shooting plenty of stills and video and are moving towards a Z6 Mark II, Nikon has now amped the horsepower and feature sets enough to draw the attention of seasoned photographers and content creators out there with these two innovative new products, and all at what we believe to be amazing price points.

SD UHS-II paired with an XQD slot is a very welcome addition to both lines...
Dual bodies with dual processors and dual card slots? Yes, please!

The Nikon Z6 II will be available this November in a body-only configuration for $2000 or kitted with the 24-70mm f/4 Z lens for $2600. The Z7 II will be available in December in a body-only configuration for $3000 or kitted with the 24-70mm f/4 Z lens for $3600. For all the details, please see our dual Z-Previews below.