Brand-New Nikon Z6 III: A Truly Powerful and Fantastic Camera!

Nikon has done it yet again and released a very impressive and exciting new camera body. I’m talking of course, about the brand-new Z6 III Mirrorless Camera. This thing is powerful, has some very impressive specs, and falls at a quite approachable and accessible price point. If you’re a Nikon shooter and have been holding out on making the switch to mirrorless, or perhaps you’re ready for your first full-frame body, then this just might be exactly what you’re looking for.

After releasing the absolutely incredible Z8 Cameralast year, I thought we would be waiting quite some time for another exciting camera from Nikon. With the announcement and now the official release of the Z6 III I can confidently say that I am very pleasantly surprised. This camera checks all the boxes and Nikon has really created a product that fans are genuinely excited about.

Let’s take a deep dive into the brand-new Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Cameraand figure out what all the excitement is about!

Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera

Specs:

• Price: $2,497

• 24.5MP Partially-Stacked CMOS Sensor

• EXPEED 7 Image Processor

• 6K 60p N-RAW, 6K 30p ProRes Raw

• 4K 120p, Full HD 240p Slow Motion Video

• Up to 20 fps Raw, 60 fps JPEG Shooting

• Blackout-Free, 5760k-Dot EVF

• 493-Point AF, AI-Based Subject Detection

• 3.2” 4-Axis Tilting Touchscreen LCD

• CFx Type B & SD Memory Card Slots

• Camera-to-Cloud Direct Connectivity

Overview:

Overall, this camera is awesome! Nikon has really gone above and produced a truly exceptional camera at a very attractive price point. For only $2,500 USD you can get a camera that hits well above its weight and that honestly competes against many flagship cameras and prosumer offerings. Nikon has really come a long way since they first introduced their Z-line of mirrorless cameras in 2018 with the Z6 and Z7 and this new offering is only continuing that trend and strengthening their position as a premier choice for both photographers and videographers. In many ways, the Z6 III feels more like a scaled-down version of their flagship Z9 and extremely popular Z8 than just a successor to the Z6 II. If you want a high-performance camera but can’t necessarily justify the price of a Z9 or Z8 then this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Let’s break it down and take a look at all of the nitty-gritty details.


World’s First Partially Stacked CMOS Sensor:
Nikon has achieved something truly groundbreaking with the Z6 III and has developed the world’s first partially stacked sensor. This may sound a bit confusing at first, but this is one of the key and strategic compromises that allows this camera to stand out from the competition. This new piece of tech perfectly splits the difference between fully stacked and more traditional BSI sensors allowing it to maintain a 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor without having to work as hard as a camera with a fully stacked sensor (such as the Z9). This leads to less power consumption and allows for a smaller form factor. Because of this clever workaround, the Z6 III can practically match the speed and performance of Nikon’s flagship camera.  Let’s break it down even more.

So, this new and exciting camera has the world’s first partially stacked sensor. But what exactly does that mean for photographers? Ultimately this translates to top-tier performance.

One of the most notable features of the Z6 III is its sheer speed. Combined with a brand-new XPEED 7 Image Processor this sensor will allow photographers to shoot at burst rates of up to 120 frames per second. Of course, this is while shooting in JPEG and crop sensor mode (10.6MP) but this is still quite impressive. Shooting in RAW, photographers can achieve 14fps with the mechanical shutter and 20fps with the electronic shutter which is still quite impressive for a camera at this price point. And with both CFexpress and SD card slots you’ll be able to shoot longer bursts with less buffering. This is a great option for people looking to shoot action or wildlife.

On top of that, the sensor features an ISO range of 100-64,000, allows for shutter speeds of up to 1/16,000th of a second, and even has 8-stops of in-body vibration reduction. And if you’re looking to capture landscapes in super high resolution, you can always use Pixel Shift mode to capture up to 32 photos ultimately creating a 96-megapixel super high-res final image. Overall, this camera will suit the needs of a very wide range of photographers. You won’t be disappointed with the Z6 III when it comes to capturing stills.


Video
And It’s not just photography specs that make this camera truly great, this thing excels when it comes to video recording as well. In fact, this really falls into the prosumer category when it comes to video.

The Z6 III features a wide range of internal recording options giving videographers a great selection to choose from. It can record up to 6K 60p in N-RAW and up to 6K 30p in ProRes Raw. If you step down to 4K you can record at up to 120p and at Full HD this camera allows you to film up to 240p slow motion video. The Z6 III really is a great camera when it comes to video performance and follows in the footsteps of the incredibly popular Z8.


Autofocus
The Z6 III also houses an upgraded and improved autofocusing system. Combined with the new and improved processor you can expect this camera to be fast, accurate, and track subjects incredibly well regardless of the situation you find yourself in. This new AF system also works exceptionally well in low-light situations and can accurately identify and track subjects in settings as low as -10 EV. Overall the AF in this camera is a great improvement on its predecessor and is about 20% faster than the Z6 II.


Form Factor / Build
This camera is designed and engineered to very high standards and the user experience is nothing short of delightful. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting features when it comes to the overall build and design of the Z6 III

One of the most noticeable features is a greatly improved electronic viewfinder (EVF). The brand-new EVF on the Z6 III features a full HDR display at an impressive 5.7K resolution. It can achieve a brightness of 4000 NITS which is twice as bright as an iPhone screen and about 33% brighter than the Z8 and Z9. This is arguably the best EVF you can get on a Nikon camera today. On top of that the EVF is super accurate and will recreate colors and tones beautifully.

The Z6 III also features an articulating back LCD screen which is a great improvement on its predecessor and will be especially useful for video creators. This screen is 3.2” and features a 2.1 million dot LCD display.

And last but certainly not least, this camera works great with other devices featuring all the ports and attachments you may need, including cloud connectivity. The Z6 III has both Bluetooth and wi-fi wireless capabilities allowing it to connect to a wide range of accessories and tools. It also features a USB-C port for tethering and in-camera battery charging and 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports. With a full-sized HDMI port, you can view your images and videos on a wide range of displays and of course, this camera features both a CFexpress Type-B card slot as well as a UHS-II SD card slot.

Conclusion

Overall, this camera is designed exceptionally well and will get the job done! This is an excellent choice for both photographers shooting stills and videographers alike. If you’ve been searching for a camera that makes all the right compromises and stacks up well against top-tier offerings at a great price point, then the Z6 III might be just what you’re looking for. We’re incredibly excited about this camera here at Backcountry Journeys and we can’t wait to see it in the field.