A Quick Review and Specification for the Nikon Z6
An interchangeable-lens camera system with full-frame mirrorless capability has been unveiled by Nikon as the Z 6. The camera’s release date was set for November of this year, and it was formally revealed on August 23rd.
On November 16, 2018, Nikon started distributing the Z 6 to retail locations throughout the US. In September 2018, Nikon released the 45.75 megapixel Nikon Z7, which was the first camera to employ the new Z-mount technology.
In an attempt to compete with the likes of Sony and Panasonic, Nikon is releasing a new mirrorless camera. The Nikon Z6 features a 24MP backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, which produces images with more detail and less noise than those from previous models. The Z6 also has an innovative autofocus system that compensates for low light by combining both phase-detection and contrast detection methods.
The Z6 features a tilting LCD screen similar to the one on its predecessor, but it can now be flipped vertically as well as horizontally. It also comes equipped with dual SD card slots so users will have the option of recording their pictures onto two different cards at once.
The Nikon Z6 offers some exciting improvements over the last generation’s model, including a faster processor, better AF performance, improved video capabilities, NFC connectivity, and 1080p 4K resolution video capture.
Nikon Z6 Specification
Type |
Digital camera with support for interchangeable lenses |
Lens mount |
Nikon Z mount |
Image sensor format |
FX |
Image sensor type |
CMOS |
Sensor size |
35.9 mm x 23.9 mm |
Total pixels |
25.28 million |
Dust-reduction system |
Image Dust Off reference data (requires Capture NX-D); image sensor cleaning |
Effective pixels |
24.5 million |
Image size (pixels) |
FX (36×24) image area (L) 6048 x 4024 ( 24.3 million) (M) 4528 x 3016 ( 13.7 million) (S) 3024 x 2016 ( 6.1 million) DX (24×16) image area (L) 3936 x 2624 ( 10.3 million) (M) 2944 x 1968 ( 5.8 million) (S) 1968 x 1312 ( 2.6 million) 1 : 1 (24×24) image area (L) 4016 x 4016 ( 16.1 million) (M) 3008 x 3008 ( 9.0 million) (S) 2000 x 2000 ( 4.0 million) 16 : 9 (36×20) image area (L) 6048 x 3400 ( 20.6 million) (M) 4528 x 2544 ( 11.5 million) (S) 3024 x 1696 ( 5.1 million) Photographs taken during movie recording at a frame size of 3840 x 2160: 3840 x 2160 Photographs taken during movie recording at other frame sizes: 1920 x 1080 |
File format |
NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit (lossless compressed, compressed, or uncompressed); large, medium, and small available (medium and small images are recorded at a bit depth of 12 bits using lossless compression) TIFF (RGB) JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression; optimal quality compression available NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats |
Picture Control system |
Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Flat Creative Picture Controls (Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Red, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary, Carbon); selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls |
Media |
XQD and CFexpress* memory cards [*Type B CFexpress cards manufactured by Sony Corp. only. Operation is not guaranteed with cards from other manufacturers (as of December 2019)] |
File system |
DCF 2.0, Exif 2.31, PictBridge |
Viewfinder |
1.27-cm/0.5-in. approx. 3690k-dot (Quad VGA) OLED electronic viewfinder with color balance and auto and 11-level manual brightness controls |
Frame coverage |
Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical |
Magnification |
Approx. 0.8x (50 mm lens at infinity, -1.0 m(*1))Eyepoint21 mm (-1.0 m(*1); from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)Diopter adjustment-4 to +2 m(*1)Eye sensorAutomatically switches between monitor and viewfinder displaysCompatible lensesZ mount NIKKOR lenses F mount NIKKOR lenses with mount adapter; restrictions may applyTypeElectronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter; electronic front-curtain shutter; electronic shutterSpeed1/8000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb, time, X200Flash sync speedX=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower; Auto FP High-Speed sync supportedModesSingle frame, low-speed continuous, high-speed continuous, high-speed continuous (extended), self-timerApproximate maximum frame advance rate(measured under Nikon-specified test conditions)Up to 12 fps Low-speed continuous: 1 to 5 fps High-speed continuous: 5.5 fps High-speed continuous (extended): 12 fps (14-bit NEF/RAW: 9 fps)Self-timer2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 sMetering systemTTL metering using camera image sensorMetering modeMatrix metering Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 12 mm circle in center of frame; weighting can instead be based on average of entire frame Spot metering: Meters 4 mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point Highlight-weighted meteringRange(ISO 100, f/2.0 lens, 20 °C/68 °F) –4 to +17 EVModeAuto; programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M); user settings (U1, U2, U3)Exposure compensation–5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV available in modes P, S, A, and MExposure lockLuminosity locked at detected valueISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)ISO 100 to 51200 Can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 51200; auto ISO sensitivity control available |
Active D-Lighting |
Can be selected from Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low, or Off |
Multiple exposure |
Add, average, lighten, darken |
Other options |
HDR (high dynamic range), photo mode flicker reduction |
Autofocus system |
Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist |
Detection range (ISO 100, f/2.0 lens, 20 °C/68 °F) |
-2 to +19 EV (-4 to +19 EV with low-light AF) |
Lens servo |
Single-servo AF (AF-S), Continuous-servo AF (AF-C), full-time AF (AF-F; available only in movie mode) ; predictive focus tracking Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used |
Focus points (single-point AF, photo shooting mode, FX image area) |
273 |
AF-area mode |
Pinpoint, single-point, and dynamic-area AF (pinpoint and dynamic-area AF available in photo mode only); wide-area AF (S); wide-area AF (L); auto-area AF |
Focus lock |
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing center of sub-selector |
Camera VR |
5-axis image sensor shift |
Lens VR |
Lens shift (available with VR lenses) |
Control |
TTL: i-TTL flash control; i-TTL balanced fill-flash is used with matrix, center-weighted, and highlight-weighted metering, standard i-TTL fill-flash with spot metering |
Mode |
Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, off |
Flash compensation |
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV available in modes P, S, A, and M |
Flash-ready indicator |
Lights when optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes as underexposure warning after flash is fired at full output |
Accessory shoe |
ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock |
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) |
i-TTL flash control, radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting, optical Advanced Wireless Lighting, modeling illumination, FV lock, Color Information Communication, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, unified flash control |
White balance |
Auto (3 types), natural light auto, direct sunlight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), flash, choose color temperature (2500 K–10,000 K), preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored), all except choose color temperature with fine-tuning |
Bracketing types |
Exposure, flash, white balance, ADL |
Metering system |
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor |
Metering mode |
Matrix, center-weighted, or highlight-weighted |
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate |
3840 x 2160 (4K UHD); 30p (progressive), 25p, 24p 1920 x 1080; 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p 1920×1080 (slow-mo); 30p ×4, 25p ×4, 24p ×5 Actual frame rates for 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively; quality selection available at all sizes except 3840 x 2160, 1920 x 1080 120p/100p, and 1920 x 1080 slow-mo, when quality is fixed at high |
File format |
MOV, MP4 |
Video compression |
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding |
Audio recording format |
Linear PCM, AAC |
Audio recording device |
Built-in stereo or external microphone with attenuator option; sensitivity adjustable |
ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index) |
Auto: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to 51200) P, S, A: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to Hi 2) with selectable upper limit M: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 100 to Hi 2) available with selectable upper limit; manual selection (ISO 100 to 51200 in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV) with additional options available equivalent to approximately 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 51200 |
Active D-Lighting |
Can be selected from Same as photo settings, Extra high, High, Normal, Low, or Off |
Other options |
Time-lapse movies, electronic vibration reduction, time codes, movie log output (N-Log) |
Monitor size |
8 -cm ( 3.2 –in.) diagonal |
Monitor type |
Tilting TFT touch-sensitive LCD with 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% frame coverage, and color balance and 11-level manual brightness controls |
Monitor resolution |
Approx. 2100 k-dotPlaybackFull-frame and thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images) playback with playback zoom, playback zoom cropping, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, photo information, location data display, picture rating, and auto image rotationUSB connectorType C connector (SuperSpeed USB) ; connection to built-in USB port is recommendedHDMI output connectorType C HDMI connectorAudio inputStereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter; plug-in power supported)Audio outputStereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter)Accessory terminalCan be used with MC-DC2 and other optional accessoriesWi-FiIEEE 802.11b/g/n 2412 to 2462 MHz (channel 11) 2.4 GHz band: 7.4 dBm Open system, WPA2-PSKBluetoothBluetooth Specification Version 4.2 Bluetooth: 2402 to 2480 MHz Bluetooth Low Energy: 2402 to 2480 MHz Bluetooth: 1.9 dBm Bluetooth Low Energy: 0.4 dBmRange (line of sight)Approximately 10 m (32 ft) without interference; range may vary with signal strength and presence or absence of obstaclesBatteryOne EN-EL15b rechargeable Li-ion battery; EN-EL15a/EN-EL15 can also be used, but note that you may not be able to take as many pictures on a single charge and that charging AC adapter can be used to charge EN-EL15b batteries onlyAC adapterEH-5c/EH-5b AC adapter (requires EP-5B power connector, which is available separately)Tripod socket1/4–in. (ISO 1222) |
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
Approx. 134 x 100.5 x 67.5 mm ( 5.3 x 4 x 2.7 in.) |
Weight |
Approx. 675 g ( 1 lb. 7.9 oz. ) with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 585 g/1 lb. 4.7 oz. (camera body only) |
Operating environment |
Temperature: 0 °C to 40 °C (+32 °F to 104 °F) Humidity: 85% or less (no condensation) |
Supplied accessories |
BF-N1 Body Cap, DK-29 Rubber Eyecup (comes attached to camera), EN-EL15b Rechargeable Li-ion, Battery with terminal cover, MH-25a Battery Charger (comes with either an AC wall adapter or power cable of a type and shape that varies with the country or region of sale), AN-DC19 Strap, HDMI/USB Cable Clip, UC-E24 USB Cable, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover |