From ISO 800 onward, the Z6 III is about as good, as the Z9 in terms of dynamic range, even a bit better, actually. I don't get why the dynamic range suddenly is such a big deal to youtubers, nobody cared about it with the Z9 or A1, stacked sensors have always been a trade-off.
Here I’ll say it. Because they can no longer b**tch about autofocus, so they need to find something else to use for clickbait (and I’m not referring to this vid here)
@@csc-photo I'm actually amazed of the power that a few influencers can have when they open their mouths. Specially influencers WHO never show a good image, only pixels and graphs. But i guess its normal since masses already went smartphone a decade ago, so most of the time is fanatics and bored pseudo sicientific nerds who are left to light the room when it comes to gear reviews, as they know which is their target...
I know you have to draw the line somewhere in your testing but I would encourage you to review the ISO6400 N-log video. The second native ISO makes this camera very competitive with the Sony ISO12800 capable cameras for low light video shooting. That’s a big deal.
for me the 4K120 even though it's a crop is what I want anyway for wildlife/bird. I hear you say it's sharper than the R5 thats good to know I've been looking to sell off old Canon stuff and go solely Nikon. It might take a little while for the grey imports to get to the same discounts as the Z8. I may just get the Z8.
The playback button moving to the lower right is Nikon listening to its customers. This is now consistent with the Z8 and Z9 as well as pro DSLRs. No need to use the left hand to review photos or videos.
The picture in example is taken with highlight already maxed out. The test is to look for how much information the dark area was retained when shooting at bright object.. The real condition, shooting at the sun will give you similar result
It saves you from needing to bracket if you don't feel like it or can't, and it means what you do recover when you don't edit like a crazy person will look better. Also, video.
@@RealRaynedance Well I still shoot with a D750 and according to photons to photos, it has better DR than any nikon Z camera, lol. So even with a z9, you'll still need to bracket.
@@bluemystic7501I owned the D750 while owning a Z6 and I can see the Z6 had overall better ISO performance. I guess I could go back and stress test prior raw files for both of them, but I sold both cameras and replaced them with a ZF and Z8. That said the D750 is a fantastic camera, but you and this photons fellow sound a bit delusional.
12:20 I believe the Sports VR mode is mainly for not counteracting panning motions (i.e. when tracking an athlete or car), as Normal VR can be jerky when panning.
The DR performance and flip-out screen are now basically the only things holding me back from leaving my DSLR for this right now. I'll probably wait a couple more years before getting a used one (or a used Z8 once its successor is out).
I made the mistake of going to the local camera shop to test the Z6iii and 180-600. :-) Wow. I was impressed. The responsiveness. Very little lag, crisp viewfinder. I think this is closest to the OVF experience. Need to save up. 😅
The Z glass makes the move from F mount more appealing. Less CA and LA and focus breathing compared to Fmount lens. On the DR how often do you shoot at 100 iso? How often do you underexpose more than 4 stops?
I have a NIkon Z5 and 100% I'll get this camera next year! The video features are insane! I was thinking to switch to sony but now I'll give Nikon one last chnace!
@@fernandopiresneto Nikon D2x, D3, D3s, D3x,D4, D4s, D5, D6? They are all with the playback button in the left corner. Even D1 had monitor button there. What are you talking about?
I don’t understand the focus on speed while losing on image quality. May be it’s me, but I had rather seen the very best picture and video quality with super dynamic range than more fps. However, the raw editing will probably improve when software is updated (usually does). Did you edit in Nikon software or ACR?
Good stuff, Christopher! As a Z6II user I'm somewhat tempted by the AF improvements but the dynamic range limits bother me a little bit. But mostly, I'm not very interested in shooting video, so the Z8 might be the more interesting upgrade.
Make a little research, i don't know if some reviewers even care to test properly. Two test side by side ua-cam.com/video/STz1XrZpxUk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/zbSZr9Ddpeo/v-deo.html
I inended to buy a Z6iii but £2700 was too much for me. Very happy with my ZF for £1500. It's dynamic range is superb. Plus it's the most beautiful digital camera I've ever owned.
Why are people all of a sudden trying to recover shots taken at -5EV. Also, with the dual gain, ISO 800 and boosted in post is cleaner than higher ISOs.
Thank you. Great video. Much improved AF over the first iterations of the Z6 series. The only downside is the flippy screen, I prefer the tilting screen on the previous models.
I just went and got it without hesitation. This will be my forever camera. Best EVF, 20fps raw, 60fps jpg, 6k60 internal raw recording, almost as fast as a stacked sensor, all for $2500?? This camera performs 90% of Canon R3 or Sony A9ii for less than half the price!
Hey Chris! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations on this. I was hoping Nikon would've provided you with their new 35mm f/1.4 for testing with this lens, but I guess such was not the case. Hoping to see that one here soon though.
How many times have I pressed the button in the 'old playback' location...a lot...the muscle memory is struggling with that one. Loving this camera so far though!
Why does Full HD at 240 FPS have no crop, while: 1. Full HD at 60/30 FPS and 4K up to 60/30 FPS have a crop 2. 6K at 30 FPS, however, has no crop? Does someone have reliable Information on all Crops?
how does the r5 ii's hd 240p compare? you can have both 8k 60 and HD 240 in the same camera rather than having to pick like you currently have to do with nikon between the z8 and z6 iii
What happens when you press the focus magnifier button? Does the screen slow down to about 10fps? My Z5 does that and I find it really horrible and unacceptable for such an expensive camera. It's so laggy I find it basically unusable. On my Sony I always use the focus magnifier for manual focusing but on my Nikon it's unusable. I found someone with a similar problem on the Z9 so I'm curious whether the Z6III has this problem too.
What I am concerned about is whether the maximum brightness of the LCD screen can be clearly seen under harsh sunlight. I had issues with the screen of the Z6ii before. How does it compare to the Sunny Weather mode of the Sony A7iv?
I had no problem 6k 60 10 Bit, H265 to the SD Card with no problems. One problem with one brand of CFExpress Card but it is excellent also. I live in Texas and it will get a thermometer warning after a while of video recording. Cheers!
@@ThePistonPit Now the Animal is suppose to include birds but I do not believe it does. Funny thing is I put the Subject Detection on Human and it detects Me, pets, squirrels and birds but not automobiles. Then when switching to Vehicles it is excellent. Now on Bright Contrast Backgrounds it focuses on dark objects. I do use Back Button Autofocusing and it does stay on the subject until it is out of your view. Reflections from the Bird Bath does give it trouble and since I do not have the right size of a polarizer filter I have to lower the focusing to the bowl holding the water. Hope this is the information that will help you. Also the Z6III does not have the Subject Detection Selections of the Z50II, Z8 and Z9. Hopefully Nikon will add this to the next firmware update. Cheers!
I don’t understand why I would want this camera ? The z7.2 is available now for around or less price wise? I can’t understand the price difference. The z7 2 is full frame
Z7ii serves a totally different market segment (static or people scenes, good lighting, high resolution) than the Z6iii (dynamic scenes, wildlife, video).
Appreciate your videos as always! Any chance you can consider reviewing the Nikon 58mm f1.4G? Would love to see how that lens fairs and how interesting the rendering and colors are from it!
It's $4500 in australia, that's a lot for a video camera! As a still photographer there is just too much compromise for video in these newer bodies like ISO and DR. Starting to think that a SLR is a better option IQ wise for stills.
@@hippyo1 Yeah. Pretty pricey at the moment in Australia. Just tested the Z6iii + 180-600 yesterday. Very good experience. Felt like my trusty DSLR. I am a birder and don't do video, only stills. But wow. The camera was so responsive.
Color Negative Flim has more stops of DR than any mirrorless camera or DSLR. That is always an option. MF will get you 15 stops of DR, still less that 13-18 for negative film.
Well I’m glad your conclusion was so positive because your DR example was brutal! I have a Zfc and it has a very similar flip screen which basically means I use my left index finger instead of my thumb, no big deal. Normally I love your reviews, but your attitude to the pixel shift mode is unprofessional! Being able to make a 96Mpix image with reduced noise on suitable scenes can only be seen as a bonus!
WORDS ! all youtoubers are hyped by the FPS of the A9 III but few of them talk about the Issues about that Damn ISO and dynamic range loss due to the Global shutter ...
For the first time, I am drawn to Nikon. Especially now with Object Detection focus and both mechanical and electronic shutter, yes please Only thing I don't like is the mic input, id prefer XLR, if I wanted to record audio
The bells and whistles out weigh its minor shortcomings.. just got my Z6-3 last week and its day and night compared to the previous Z6/Z6-2 bodies, firmware updates will be flowing soon, the expeed7 is just a fantastic chip👍
Good stuff!! Though I’m not a video kind of guy, was wondering about landscapes. Like; I wonder if I’d really be able to tell the difference between a Z7ii and the Z6iii if I printed a 24x24 picture of a mountain and hung it on a wall. Could both be totally different looking?
Nikon Z 35-1.4 vs AFS 35 1.8 G pleaaaaaaaseeeeeeeee. It might seem nonsense! BUT it will be so useful for those who would like to switch to a Z mount 35mm. thanks a lot for all content
No, it is not because of the camera. Colors come from the processing, not the camera, and barring extreme cases like the Nikon D2h's inadequate IR filtering, images from one camera can be processed to look like another.
Thank you for the video. Mine has some issues with eye af and 3d af. The box is on the eye but the focus is somewhere else. It’s very disappointing. Image quality is nice when focus is ok…
Wonderful and relaxing video as always, I just made a video about shadow flickering in video which might be helpful to someone considering the camera, hopefully Nikon will fix it in firmware.
It depends on type of shooting you do..i shoot parties and corporate events and some little portrait sessions, so the fast focusing is essential for me to upgrade to the Z6-3, if i want to shoot static or portrait that clients want a big wall frame out of it, ill use the Z7ii, the Z8 is too much power for my use..happy with 24 megapix images i get, fast editing and my clients view their photos on smartphones and iPad’s anyway👍 the faster you deliver the photos, the happier they are..Generations of today😂
The difference is megapixels and size / weight of the camera. Z6 III is offering all the functionality of its bigger models besides extra resolution which if you're planning to use it for event shooting and street photography I would say Z6-3 is more than enough for. If you're planning to shoot landscape work the extra megapixels will help along with very large prints. Z6-3 should satisfy most people I already own a Z8 but for most of my shooting I use my ZF which is 24mp like the Z6-3.
@@MB-dq2gz I have both the Z6iii and the Z8. 45MP images are nice, but they take up lots of space. They slow do your workflow as well, unless you update your computer. IT is nice having both. I can use which ever camera is better for the job. They basically have the same focusing now so it is so easy to switch between them.
Can you pls explain the the 2 black plastic watchamacaulit thing inside the box😂 i don’t know its purpose or why nikon put those things inside the box🤦🏻♂️
@@tonyferrell3456 was trying to figure it out but failed😂 specially the thumb screw on where it screws in..failed and just decided screw it!!! Just thrown it back in the box🤦🏻♂️
Chris, you have to practice throwing the lower apple from one hand to the other without looking. And practice from L to R and R to L so you can reverse the juggle. Only then can you add another fruit and get that circus job you've always longed for 🙂
You seems like doubling actual camera capabilities: per specs it's 300 shots battery, not 600. And most other reviewers say AF is still behind Sony and Canon by large margin, even # of phase detection focus points 3-4 times less on Nikon.
@@FawfulDied I guess it depends on how much you favor a tripod for the screen. Not really an issue for me since I sold my Z6 anyway. Z8 doesn't have that issue.
I love Nikon and I've bought almost evey Z full frame camera but not this one how it can crop on 1080 60p or even on 1080 24p come on even the first Z6 from 6 years ago didn't do that
I think Chris made a mistake and left electronic VR enabled, which uses a crop for stabilization and the crop varies depending on the resolution. For example a good indicator this is the case is that 4k 25p has a crop and 6k 25p doesn't, which makes sense as for 6k it can't crop anything without sacrificing resolution (which would not be 6k anymore then), but it can use a crop (crop 24MP to more or equal 8MP) and still get 4k. It also crops less with higher FPS in some cases, because the eVR is not available in those modes (to much processing). I tried it on my Zf and it has the same behavior in 1080p when eVR is on, but when I turn it off, the crop doesn't change in any video mode except when you get to the high FPS (4k) modes where the Zf sensor doesn't have a fast enough read-out speed to output those without crop.
One thing to note is that Canon cameras like the R6 II may appear to have higher dynamic range, but part of that is because they apply noise reduction to the RAW files. Also the DR of the Z6 III at its native base ISO of 100 is actually about the same as the Z8/9 from the same ISO. I think that people expected better based on the fact that the Z8/9 have a fully stacked sensor, and video’s like Matt Irwin’s in which he mentioned a 1 stop high ISO noise performance improvement compared to the Z6 II. But all in all this is really nothing out of the ordinary.
Also, if I may, Tony Northrup mentioned in his video he can’t recommend the Z6 III for general photography because of this “serious problem”, while at the same time touting the Canon RP (which he’s trying to sell) as being great for general photography - all while the RP has abysmal dynamic range when compared to the Z6 III. But then I think we should all boycot Tony Northrup anyhow.
Matt Irwin got it backwards...the Z8/Z9 have worst performance than the Z6 II at High ISO (and DR) as well as all these new stacked (partially stacked) sensors; that has been shown time and again but that does not really matter as the difference is less than a 1 Stop but the speed / AF performance seems to be a big step ahead. I had a D610 and have had the Z6 II since it came out in 2020 but I have not tried the newer Z9 / Z8 / Z6 III. -- that Tony Northrup is the worst when it comes to this type of conversations
At this point of time any DSLR or Mirrorless camera is overkill for Vlogging, anyone's is better off with a DJI Action 4 for that purpose, so VR on that particular situation is probably not a concern for manufacturers anymore.
I'll probably keep my used original Z6 camera, but it's good to see Nikon do some innovation. Shame about the worse performance with regards to dynamic range
Less than a stop by contrast is blown out of proportion anything the Internet can latch on to nowadays. Most people will not even notice this if they're probably exposing anyway. In extreme situations you would be bracketing all the same. 🙄
Yeah, if you need more dynamic range, the Z7ii or Z8 is fantastic. I tried the Z6iii and 180-600 at a local camera shop yesterday and it felt great. I am a birder and normally live in the ISO 800 to 3200 range. I think above ISO800, it's similar to other cameras in this range.
@@victorlim5077 Nice to have a smaller body for birds that focuses like the Z8/9. I have not used it enough to see if it is easier on the battery than the Z8.
I'd like a Z7 iii instead. I don't really care about fast sensor, I want decent AF, higher resolution, and better dynamic range in a smaller body like Z7. Not interested to pay €4500 for a Z8 which is huge for those megapixels. And Z7 ii is just outdated and still very expensive.
@@FawfulDied yes, a third dial. Like Sony, Canon, Panasonic and even Fuji if you count the aperture dial in the lens. It is great not only when you use full manual mode, but for navigation in menus, and for customization, and even for some minor disability like a person who lost one finger (a rare but possible case).
Is there the "StarLight" feature in the Z6iii, too, just like Z9, which virtually turns night into day to help the camera easily detect the subject in the darkness?
If you live outside the USA you need to take out a mortgage to pay for this Z6III .The Nikon people have ditched their weak yen for the USD now and do all their business around the world in USD not YEN .Its now so ridiculously stupidly expensive in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Europe , The USD is about 30%-40% stronger than the currencies listed so this means its over priced in this countries . Nikon bench marked the USA price off the USD . Not their historically low weak Yen .This is the normal now for local Japanese camera and lens sellers on E bay now, as well they trade use USD as a preferred currency to business in and not their own YEN. Avoid now buying Z6III outside USA wait until they lower prices for markets outside USA .
your and my A7IV is shooting and writing videos on both cards simultaneously. this z6iii it only records in one card slot on any type of video. so dual card slot does not exist on video. good luck professional video shooters.
I get the impression, Christopher, that your reviews stem from integrity, in your thinking. There's a decent level of depth to it too. And in my thinking that could be a bit more. You see, "these cameras" all being in the "Bayer paradigm", means that we must understand that paradigm well, before we attribute anything we see in "RGB" images to "the camera". A Bayer camera cannot shoot RGB colour like a colour film and its raw images can be considered as both 100% colour noise, and 100% luminance noise. Any conclusion you make regarding the RGB image you see on your display has tons of image processing applied between that raw "original" and what you see on your display. "Bayer colour photography" relies on a colour-blind sensor that however sees the entire humanly visible spectrum, so in old B&W jargon we should call it "panchromatic". Yes, calling it "monochrom" is fundamentally wrong. Very wrong. About as wrong as implying that there is more than 1 black or more than 1 white, by using these words in plural. As each data element from each photosite in the sensor is an exposure value in one spectral colour band, it seems legitimate to call the raw file monochrome, even. The Bayer paradigm - if there is a camera conspiracy then it is here - relies on shooting these raw files with a bit of colour information that through a lot of image processing and both classical AI (smart algorithms) and modern AI (based in learning - i.e. statistics) has its monochrome data elements converted into RGB pixel values. This image processing happens after the shot/take and it is a form of mathematically precise and repeatable wild-assed guessing. Rather than attributing the noise perceived as colour or luminance noise to the camera, I would attribute it to the paradigm and call the whole bunch "Bayer noise". This shifts the blame from 100% camera to the collective of camera and raw processing. You see, if you shoot raw and do the raw processing (AKA conversion) in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), and have ACR set to "Adobe Standard" then ACR applies a profile that tweaks the raw processing specifically to make your camera look like "Adobe Standard". In a standard Lightroom Classic (LrC), ACR, Photoshop (Ps) installation, to a Windows PC, look in folder "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic\Resources\CameraProfiles\Adobe Standard\" and note that there are over 1,230 camera specific profiles in there. Note that ACR does all raw processing, not LrC, and ACR "is" the "Develop" tab in LrC. You can run ACR standalone via Adobe Bridge (Br) by selecting an image in Br and right click open it in ACR. Your edits end up in an ACR-specific sidecar file that however LrC ignores. (I think it could add the ACR sidecar as a separate virtual copy of an image). ACR processes your "14 bits" (14 monochrome bits) into 16+16+16 bits RGB in a ProPhoto colour space when it hands that result over to LrC or Ps. Rendering that on your display is impossible so, all the beautiful gradation in those 48 bits per image pixel gets compressed into 8+8+8 that your display might be able to handle (a cheap one only using 7+7+7). Somewhere in the processing between ACR's resulting internal RGB representation of your raw file, e.g. display drivers and graphics adapter apply anti-aliasing, whether you like it or not. Whether it already happened in camera or not. Whether ACR already applied it or not. Whether LrC also did something in presenting the ACR result to you or not. So, way back, that "raw processing" became a challenge to processing power when image and sensor resolution increased while serious processing power was big, heavy, expensive, and power hungry. Your supercomputer of 1990 (cf. Cray One) probably had its own building, its own support staff, its own connection to the electricity grid. That same processing power, about 5 years ago, could be bought in the form of two NVIDIA GTX 1080ti graphics adapter cards, and probably the latter had a lot more memory (2x 11GB). This requirement for processing power, impossible to integrate into a camera, led to the introduction of "shoot-time hardware help" in the form of a filter over the sensor called OLPF in one perspective, and AA in another [1]. It disperses a bit of light travelling to a photosite [x,y] in the sensor so a fraction of that light also hits the neighbouring photosites. This reduces some of the Bayer noise in an artificial way, but it helps less sophisticated "raw processing" algorithms. When you shoot your ColorChecker Passport (CCP) colour reference/calibration target, and would look at the raw data elements in the area of the "red" patch of the subject, then you'll see data elements from photosites under a red filter that have a relatively high exposure value (EV), but these red ones are only 25% in the image. 50% of the photosites are under a green filter and in the red patch in the subject these will produce a much darker EV. Then there are a 25% of photosites under a blue filter and these, I'd argue, should produce pure black digital zero [00,000,000,000,000] data elements. Except in the case of lenses with glare, there may be some stray "glare" light with blue in it hitting these photosites that raise their EV from rock bottom 0 to a tiny bit higher. But that would be a "lens feature". Because of the "cons" starting to dominate the "pros" above a certain resolution , Nikon, in 2012, released the D800E version that has the OLPF Eliminated, and otherwise is equal to the D800. Both 36MP. [2] Since the D800E, the "industry" however did not seriously adapt raw processing. Meaning that software developers in a way broke their part of the gentlemen's agreement int the Bayer paradigm. Any noise in the pure red patch of the CCP subject can be seen as a breech of paradigm contract. I have to add that Nikon for a long time, and maybe still today, held the position that removal of the OLPF gives more sharpness and the price you pay is in more noise. Topaz jumped into this niche and years ago released their DeNoise AI app that can help here. Then DxO (the software company) added DeepPRIME as improved processing option of Bayer noise to their PhotoLab app (compares in part to ACR+LrC), but as photographers need Ps and hence also have ACR and LrC, DxO started selling DeepPRIME in a stand-alone plug-in for ACR/LrC called PureRAW. These had been available for "years" when, finally, the Mudbricks [4] added the "AI Denoise" option into ACR's "Enhance" option bundle. Well, raw processing done naively, generally called deBayerisation, generates "digital artefacts" that collectively are called (verb) mosaicking [3], and the first denoise improvements in ACR did nothing to improve in the mosaic department. "Bayer noise" is what we need to discuss first. Another thing is, "cropping the sensor" in this Nikon camera. If you reviewed the Z 8 and Z 9, you may have noticed that these have a lot more additional rows and columns of photosites in the sensor than are in the "effective "sensor image area. The origin of the added rows and columns is shoot-time hardware help for raw processing. The added "non-effective" photosites remove the need for a separate "edge algorithm" in raw processing. My hypothesis with the Z 9/Z 8 is that the much wider resolution edge is used for IBIS in software in the processing pipeline that adds no latency into that pipeline that we can notice. But the Z 6iii sensor does not have a bunch of the "non-effective" photosites, so, my guess, part of the cropping in movie modes is related to IBIS in firmware. When motion in the sensor plane is involved. And most photographer induced camera motion/vibration/shake probably is. Here we again see the use of hardware help in one place to make solving problems easier that otherwise would require more expensive technology. If we take the sensor readout times of the Z 6iii and Z 8 and relate that time to bit depth and total (gross) sensor resolution) then we get as "bandwidth" Z 8 ~= 28,080 MB/s (224.6 Gbps) - at NY, NY, USA megastore price excluding sales tax of US$ 3,947 we get US$/Gbps at 15.57. Z 6iii ~= 3,253 MB/s ( 26 Gbps) - at NY, NY, USA megastore price excluding sales tax of US$ 2,497 we get US$/Gbps at 95.94. Part of the Z 6iii "speed" is in its resolution being effectively 24MP, rather than 45MP. That difference in bandwidth is in the chip stacked to the physical back of the sensor as well as the motherboard in the camera and the chipsets involved. Having only SD card slots is such a limiting factor to I/O bandwidth that everything "digital" can be cheaper in a camera. The question is what we can attribute to "the camera" rather than image processing that follows. Considering remarks by other reviewers, Nikon may do something special to mitigate the cons of the OLPF. But the OLPF was a reason for me to move to a 45MP camera, in the past, as I got surprised by total reflection colour haze from between the OLPF and sensor, in the past, in contrasty backlight. Approaching YT's 10,000 character limit, I'll keep the "correct exposure" principles lecture that fluencers violate all the time for another occasion. Notes in comment to this comment.
[1] Optical Low-Pass Filter or Anti-Aliasing filter. The former is what we call it when we discuss the colour problems of the Bayer paradigm. The latter we call the same filter when we address the aliasing - representing fluent lines/edges as "jagged" - caused by the regular grid of tiny squares that is the sensor as well as our monitor/display. The OLPF through its dispersion causes: (a) loss of (contour) sharpness; (b) loss of low-light sensitivity; (c) consequently a loss of dynamic range (DR); (d) loss of contrast envelope (DR in one shot/frame); (e) reduction of colour space; (f) and it messes with vignetting. [2] The impact to e.g. sharpness of having an OLPF/AA or not can be checked in DxO Mark. Find the sharpest F-mount lens in DxO Mark, then compare its sharpness between the D800 (with OLPF) to its sharpness on the D800E (no OLPF). Shocking, right? Now go a bit farther to further your insight and compare its sharpness between a 24MP D camera and the 36MP D800 (both with OLPF). Next compare that still same lens between the D800E and D850 (both without OLPF). Indeed, MP matter less than you thought they would. [3] Mosaicking can be very recognisable "Moiré" mosaics, but also crinkly lines, or cross-bleeding of colour across the edge between two blobs of different colour. This follows from deBayerisation that extrapolates (invents, reimagines) missing colour by weighted interpolation of photosite [x,y]'s monochrome raw value with the direct and indirect values. In the case of Moiré or cross-bleeding, its a pattern in the subject that becomes a recurring mosaic pattern in the RGB that slowly fades away in the weighted interpolation. [4] a mudbrick is also called an adobe.
"Ceteris paribus" - in science when we want to analyse a system, we can look at one variable at a time and (hope to) keep everything else identical all the time. "Everything else the same" is "ceteris paribus" in Latin. Comparing cameras in the Bayer paradigm, we need to be aware of one having an OLPF and the other not having one - because ignoring this can lead to us violating the ceteris paribus requirement. I confirmed with Nikon that a Z 6iii has an OLPF indeed. And e.g. an older (DSLR) D500 APS-C camera does not have an OLPF. Hence between a 20MP D500 and a 24MP Z 6iii, we can presume the following: (a) the images may be equally sharp or the D500 may actually do better due to absence of the OLPF. (Provided a good enough lens.) (b) low light performance of the D500 will be better than prejudice would make us expect. (c) in absence of "raw processing software that properly converts raw to RGB in absence of an OLPF" we can expect more "Bayer noise" (see my other comments here) in the RGB rendition of our raw image. With "bad" (inadequate) raw processing AI, such noise should be apparent in blurry image zones, darker image zones, low contrast image zones, and zones with little detail. With ACR, that's what you get in the shots from the D500, not or less in the Z 6iii. The presence of the OLPF and its "cons" become a challenge in smaller formats. In the 24MP ballpark, it is not, and helps in two ways: (1) in-camera raw processing for SOOC JPEG and movie formats, (2) in-post raw-processing by professionals that need to spend as little time as possible because their per-shoot volume is high (e.g. weddings) or because they have little no/time for raw processing (e.g. photojournalism).
The quality of the slow mo 240p was incredible. 😮
Near 4k, crazy
Everyone: Sony zv-e10 ii
Christopher: Z6iii
Good review Chris, happy to see some solid coverage for Z mount cameras. Please keep those Z mount lens reviews coming.
From ISO 800 onward, the Z6 III is about as good, as the Z9 in terms of dynamic range, even a bit better, actually.
I don't get why the dynamic range suddenly is such a big deal to youtubers, nobody cared about it with the Z9 or A1, stacked sensors have always been a trade-off.
Here I’ll say it. Because they can no longer b**tch about autofocus, so they need to find something else to use for clickbait (and I’m not referring to this vid here)
@@csc-photo I'm actually amazed of the power that a few influencers can have when they open their mouths. Specially influencers WHO never show a good image, only pixels and graphs. But i guess its normal since masses already went smartphone a decade ago, so most of the time is fanatics and bored pseudo sicientific nerds who are left to light the room when it comes to gear reviews, as they know which is their target...
"From ISO 800 onward, the Z6 III is about as good, as the Z9 in terms of dynamic range"
Yep, you have found a reason - 1 stop disadvantage, lol
@@csc-photo this is the correct answer! I bought my Z6iii. This dynamic range debate is so hilarious, omg, can't people just get their exposure right?
I know you have to draw the line somewhere in your testing but I would encourage you to review the ISO6400 N-log video. The second native ISO makes this camera very competitive with the Sony ISO12800 capable cameras for low light video shooting. That’s a big deal.
Just had this camera delivered today, and I'm thrilled that you like it! That's relieving. Time to go film stuff.
for me the 4K120 even though it's a crop is what I want anyway for wildlife/bird. I hear you say it's sharper than the R5 thats good to know I've been looking to sell off old Canon stuff and go solely Nikon. It might take a little while for the grey imports to get to the same discounts as the Z8. I may just get the Z8.
The 4k120p and HD 240p are excellent for non-oversampled video.
The playback button moving to the lower right is Nikon listening to its customers. This is now consistent with the Z8 and Z9 as well as pro DSLRs. No need to use the left hand to review photos or videos.
on the dslr it was always top left for the playback 100%
I don't understand these dynamic range examples. What are you expecting to recover out of a jet black shadow and who shoots/edits like that?
The picture in example is taken with highlight already maxed out. The test is to look for how much information the dark area was retained when shooting at bright object..
The real condition, shooting at the sun will give you similar result
It saves you from needing to bracket if you don't feel like it or can't, and it means what you do recover when you don't edit like a crazy person will look better.
Also, video.
Nobody, that's why all this dynamic range stupidity is stupid.
@@RealRaynedance Well I still shoot with a D750 and according to photons to photos, it has better DR than any nikon Z camera, lol. So even with a z9, you'll still need to bracket.
@@bluemystic7501I owned the D750 while owning a Z6 and I can see the Z6 had overall better ISO performance. I guess I could go back and stress test prior raw files for both of them, but I sold both cameras and replaced them with a ZF and Z8. That said the D750 is a fantastic camera, but you and this photons fellow sound a bit delusional.
Every camera model should come with a choice of either a flip out screen or a tilt screen.
make it a modular component!
@@vadergrd or take design queues from the sony A7VR, which does both
@@mediajunkienl A7VR's display just doesn't seem that sturdy. I wouldn't sacrifice longevity for that much mobility.
NOPE, Fuji T series is the best
12:20 I believe the Sports VR mode is mainly for not counteracting panning motions (i.e. when tracking an athlete or car), as Normal VR can be jerky when panning.
Another difference with Sport VR is it does not re-center the VR elements when shooting. You can can see this when shooting bursts.
The DR performance and flip-out screen are now basically the only things holding me back from leaving my DSLR for this right now. I'll probably wait a couple more years before getting a used one (or a used Z8 once its successor is out).
Look at other DR test side by side with the Z6ii, it is still very close. At least they are more scientific than this.
I made the mistake of going to the local camera shop to test the Z6iii and 180-600. :-) Wow. I was impressed. The responsiveness. Very little lag, crisp viewfinder. I think this is closest to the OVF experience. Need to save up. 😅
The Z glass makes the move from F mount more appealing. Less CA and LA and focus breathing compared to Fmount lens. On the DR how often do you shoot at 100 iso? How often do you underexpose more than 4 stops?
@@danielvilliers612 6iii got less DR than 6ii due to stacked sensor.
Grabbed one on launch day, Nikon's best price:feature set body yet. Love this Z6iii!
"best price:feature set" what do you smoke? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have a NIkon Z5 and 100% I'll get this camera next year! The video features are insane! I was thinking to switch to sony but now I'll give Nikon one last chnace!
The placement of the playback button has finally been fixed. It was wrongly placed on prior models.
yes I press it with my nose sometimes lol
but it is historically where dslr playback button was placed.
Speak for yourself. I’m a lefty 😂 I love the placement of the playback button on my original Z6.
@@ArsenijeRadenovic What1? Nikon D750 and D7200 has the button in the left corner. It's not historically.
@@fernandopiresneto Nikon D2x, D3, D3s, D3x,D4, D4s, D5, D6? They are all with the playback button in the left corner. Even D1 had monitor button there.
What are you talking about?
The files coming out of this cam are just gorgeous and DR is not an issue if you expose as should be.
That 1080p looks almost like 4k!
I don’t understand the focus on speed while losing on image quality. May be it’s me, but I had rather seen the very best picture and video quality with super dynamic range than more fps. However, the raw editing will probably improve when software is updated (usually does). Did you edit in Nikon software or ACR?
EVERYONE WAKE UP! CHRIS FROST POSTED!
Good stuff, Christopher! As a Z6II user I'm somewhat tempted by the AF improvements but the dynamic range limits bother me a little bit. But mostly, I'm not very interested in shooting video, so the Z8 might be the more interesting upgrade.
Make a little research, i don't know if some reviewers even care to test properly. Two test side by side ua-cam.com/video/STz1XrZpxUk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/zbSZr9Ddpeo/v-deo.html
You'll hit noise even sooner on a Z8/Z9, if you regularly bring up shadows in mid to high ISO. You can always rent it out and compare, of course.
Meh the dynamic range difference are in the very extremes, it's not really an issue in normal shooting.
@@MTBD80 Agreed!
@@caleidoo I have been enjoying my Z8 in low light event photography. The noise is not an issue. The DR is not the Issue it has been made out to be.
I inended to buy a Z6iii but £2700 was too much for me. Very happy with my ZF for £1500. It's dynamic range is superb. Plus it's the most beautiful digital camera I've ever owned.
Why are people all of a sudden trying to recover shots taken at -5EV. Also, with the dual gain, ISO 800 and boosted in post is cleaner than higher ISOs.
I hope Nikon will implement dual gain capture in photo and video in the future.
@@airrunerthey do. ISO 100 and 800 in photo. ISO 800
And 6400 in log/raw video.
In the Z8/9 it’s 64 & 500 in photo. And 800 & 4000 in Log/Raw video.
Thank you. Great video. Much improved AF over the first iterations of the Z6 series. The only downside is the flippy screen, I prefer the tilting screen on the previous models.
Have been waiting for aweek or so for your review,since I'm proposing to buy one.Thank you❤
I just went and got it without hesitation. This will be my forever camera. Best EVF, 20fps raw, 60fps jpg, 6k60 internal raw recording, almost as fast as a stacked sensor, all for $2500?? This camera performs 90% of Canon R3 or Sony A9ii for less than half the price!
@@mlai2546 I bought it immediately it delivers on what the Z6ii promised.
No problem with the dynamic range. Its all WYSIWYG from the EVF or LCD preview. Unless the photographer sucks.
Thanks for this review Chris, please do review on nikon z35mm 1.4
Please review the Nikon lens 35mm f1.4
Hey Chris! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations on this. I was hoping Nikon would've provided you with their new 35mm f/1.4 for testing with this lens, but I guess such was not the case. Hoping to see that one here soon though.
How many times have I pressed the button in the 'old playback' location...a lot...the muscle memory is struggling with that one. Loving this camera so far though!
Why does Full HD at 240 FPS have no crop, while:
1. Full HD at 60/30 FPS and 4K up to 60/30 FPS have a crop
2. 6K at 30 FPS, however, has no crop?
Does someone have reliable Information on all Crops?
how does the r5 ii's hd 240p compare? you can have both 8k 60 and HD 240 in the same camera rather than having to pick like you currently have to do with nikon between the z8 and z6 iii
Great Video, although it would be nice to know which lens is being used for the test ....
The screen looks noticeably better than what's typically used on Sony cameras. Very vibrant and bright, is that fair to say?
When I see your review I am really happy 😊
The only reviewer mentioning the reduced dynamic range and crop issues.
Not true. Almost all reviewers mentioned the reduced dynamic range. That is the major drawback of z6iii. Even z6ii performed better.
What happens when you press the focus magnifier button? Does the screen slow down to about 10fps? My Z5 does that and I find it really horrible and unacceptable for such an expensive camera. It's so laggy I find it basically unusable. On my Sony I always use the focus magnifier for manual focusing but on my Nikon it's unusable. I found someone with a similar problem on the Z9 so I'm curious whether the Z6III has this problem too.
What I am concerned about is whether the maximum brightness of the LCD screen can be clearly seen under harsh sunlight. I had issues with the screen of the Z6ii before. How does it compare to the Sunny Weather mode of the Sony A7iv?
Haven't tried the a7IV but the Z6 III's screen does have two Hi Brightness modes that certainly look very bright to me
Been waiting for this video. Nice
Many reviewers tend to leave the sensor open without the cap
I had no problem 6k 60 10 Bit, H265 to the SD Card with no problems. One problem with one brand of CFExpress Card but it is excellent also. I live in Texas and it will get a thermometer warning after a while of video recording. Cheers!
Hows the auto focus? That’s my main concern
@@ThePistonPit Now the Animal is suppose to include birds but I do not believe it does. Funny thing is I put the Subject Detection on Human and it detects Me, pets, squirrels and birds but not automobiles. Then when switching to Vehicles it is excellent. Now on Bright Contrast Backgrounds it focuses on dark objects. I do use Back Button Autofocusing and it does stay on the subject until it is out of your view. Reflections from the Bird Bath does give it trouble and since I do not have the right size of a polarizer filter I have to lower the focusing to the bowl holding the water. Hope this is the information that will help you. Also the Z6III does not have the Subject Detection Selections of the Z50II, Z8 and Z9. Hopefully Nikon will add this to the next firmware update. Cheers!
We only miss a S5ii review to have the triplet with Canon! Thanks!
I don’t understand why I would want this camera ? The z7.2 is available now for around or less price wise? I can’t understand the price difference. The z7 2 is full frame
Z7ii serves a totally different market segment (static or people scenes, good lighting, high resolution) than the Z6iii (dynamic scenes, wildlife, video).
Appreciate your videos as always! Any chance you can consider reviewing the Nikon 58mm f1.4G? Would love to see how that lens fairs and how interesting the rendering and colors are from it!
Why?! He would give it a terrible review… that is a fantastic lens but has the opposite philosophy to what this channel is about
Means it has crop in every frame rate?
Chris probably forgot to disable eVR...
It's $4500 in australia, that's a lot for a video camera! As a still photographer there is just too much compromise for video in these newer bodies like ISO and DR. Starting to think that a SLR is a better option IQ wise for stills.
@@hippyo1 Yeah. Pretty pricey at the moment in Australia. Just tested the Z6iii + 180-600 yesterday. Very good experience. Felt like my trusty DSLR. I am a birder and don't do video, only stills. But wow. The camera was so responsive.
Color Negative Flim has more stops of DR than any mirrorless camera or DSLR. That is always an option. MF will get you 15 stops of DR, still less that 13-18 for negative film.
And which output media shows you the 13-18 stops?
@@victorlim5077 yeah i had a z8 for a bit but sold it for reasons, using a zf for now but i do miss the AF performance a lot!
@@williambuford6136 MF is a serious consideration depending on film cost, still can get a lot of film for $4500 tho.
Great to see Portmeirion too.
Well I’m glad your conclusion was so positive because your DR example was brutal! I have a Zfc and it has a very similar flip screen which basically means I use my left index finger instead of my thumb, no big deal. Normally I love your reviews, but your attitude to the pixel shift mode is unprofessional! Being able to make a 96Mpix image with reduced noise on suitable scenes can only be seen as a bonus!
I wonder how dynamic range compares with Sony a9 III
WORDS ! all youtoubers are hyped by the FPS of the A9 III but few of them talk about the Issues about that Damn ISO and dynamic range loss due to the Global shutter ...
For the first time, I am drawn to Nikon. Especially now with Object Detection focus and both mechanical and electronic shutter, yes please
Only thing I don't like is the mic input, id prefer XLR, if I wanted to record audio
If you are serious about audio, you will use an external recorder. I don't know of any hybrid camera in that price range with an XLR.
@@nigerian-nightmare Yeah that would be a better idea, thanks
Excelent review
You are the only one who mentioned the crop in video. All other reviewers ignored it. You saved me from making expensive mistake.. thank you 👍🏻
Not sure I understand
@@Petrolhead66 I think he meant to say "mentioned" not "maintained".
Crop is only 4k 120 and minor 5% crop in 1080 240. No crop in 6k. There’s nothing that does better in this price bracket.
The bells and whistles out weigh its minor shortcomings.. just got my Z6-3 last week and its day and night compared to the previous Z6/Z6-2 bodies, firmware updates will be flowing soon, the expeed7 is just a fantastic chip👍
Others have mentioned it. Perhaps you missed it.
Good stuff!! Though I’m not a video kind of guy, was wondering about landscapes.
Like; I wonder if I’d really be able to tell the difference between a Z7ii and the Z6iii if I printed a 24x24 picture of a mountain and hung it on a wall.
Could both be totally different looking?
If you are landcape guy just keep Z7II - the best Nikon tool for it.
Thanks Chris
Nikon Z 35-1.4 vs AFS 35 1.8 G pleaaaaaaaseeeeeeeee.
It might seem nonsense! BUT it will be so useful for those who would like to switch to a Z mount 35mm.
thanks a lot for all content
awesome review
Your photographs have such beautiful colors, would you say this is because of this particular camera?
Yes. Nikon cameras are known to have wonderful colours. My Z6 produces the best files.
No, it is not because of the camera. Colors come from the processing, not the camera, and barring extreme cases like the Nikon D2h's inadequate IR filtering, images from one camera can be processed to look like another.
Thank you for the video. Mine has some issues with eye af and 3d af. The box is on the eye but the focus is somewhere else. It’s very disappointing. Image quality is nice when focus is ok…
My next camera for sure.
Top review.
hi,
what is 6k raw bitrate? thanks
You can get a refurbished z8 from nikon for $3200. If you can save $700 bucks id still go for that.
Wonderful and relaxing video as always, I just made a video about shadow flickering in video which might be helpful to someone considering the camera, hopefully Nikon will fix it in firmware.
It's a very capable camera, but at £2699 in the uk and Z8 is £3200, I'd rather have a Z8 with these prices
Thats a good decision, here in US its $1,000 difference..
@@camilo8cheryl Strange as the z6iii is the same price for both of us?
I am not a number I'm a Z6 III.
What ISO was used in the "dynamic range test" I guess 100?
100
@@christopherfrostand how many stops did you increase the iso by in post processing?
Please answer one question -which one you prefer -Z8 or z6iii?
Depends on your purchasing power. If you have substantial money to spare, go for Z8, and if not, then go for Z6iii.
@Jawad.1 it's also about other things like weight/size difference and high ISO perfomance
It depends on type of shooting you do..i shoot parties and corporate events and some little portrait sessions, so the fast focusing is essential for me to upgrade to the Z6-3, if i want to shoot static or portrait that clients want a big wall frame out of it, ill use the Z7ii, the Z8 is too much power for my use..happy with 24 megapix images i get, fast editing and my clients view their photos on smartphones and iPad’s anyway👍 the faster you deliver the photos, the happier they are..Generations of today😂
The difference is megapixels and size / weight of the camera. Z6 III is offering all the functionality of its bigger models besides extra resolution which if you're planning to use it for event shooting and street photography I would say Z6-3 is more than enough for. If you're planning to shoot landscape work the extra megapixels will help along with very large prints.
Z6-3 should satisfy most people I already own a Z8 but for most of my shooting I use my ZF which is 24mp like the Z6-3.
@@MB-dq2gz I have both the Z6iii and the Z8. 45MP images are nice, but they take up lots of space. They slow do your workflow as well, unless you update your computer. IT is nice having both. I can use which ever camera is better for the job. They basically have the same focusing now so it is so easy to switch between them.
How is the DR compare to R6mkII? Is it better?
To my eyes, it seems slightly worse although my DR tests aren't scientific
@@christopherfrostWhat is the DR of your eyes and what was the DR of the output media you used?
Keeping my Sony a7iv. Thanks
Can you pls explain the the 2 black plastic watchamacaulit thing inside the box😂 i don’t know its purpose or why nikon put those things inside the box🤦🏻♂️
Probably for cable strain relief. So that cables plugged into the side to apply stress to the ports while handling. Just a guess on my part though.
@@tonyferrell3456 was trying to figure it out but failed😂 specially the thumb screw on where it screws in..failed and just decided screw it!!! Just thrown it back in the box🤦🏻♂️
Will be nice if they make Z5ii which is more stills focused and has better DR.
Stills only camera is a niche and would be unpalatable in todays era of content creation.
Chris, you have to practice throwing the lower apple from one hand to the other without looking. And practice from L to R and R to L so you can reverse the juggle. Only then can you add another fruit and get that circus job you've always longed for 🙂
Nikon z6 3 or canon r6 2???
You seems like doubling actual camera capabilities: per specs it's 300 shots battery, not 600. And most other reviewers say AF is still behind Sony and Canon by large margin, even # of phase detection focus points 3-4 times less on Nikon.
Question.......does the Z6iii have backlit buttons?
No, it doesn't
But the small lcd top screen has a lamp button beside it😂👍
@@camilo8cherylyou have to take your wins when you have them. Quite a few cameras don't even have the screen on top.
@@MB-dq2gz rather have the mode dial on the right and no screen on top.
@@FawfulDied I guess it depends on how much you favor a tripod for the screen. Not really an issue for me since I sold my Z6 anyway. Z8 doesn't have that issue.
Next Nikon review, 35 1.4!! and compare to Tamron 35 1.4 and Nikon 35 1.8s !
Don’t think the 35 1.4 is going to be a test bench lens. Its aim is rendering over sharpness and aberration correction.
Didn't know you review cameras. I come here for lenses.
I love Nikon and I've bought almost evey Z full frame camera but not this one how it can crop on 1080 60p or even on 1080 24p come on even the first Z6 from 6 years ago didn't do that
I think Chris made a mistake and left electronic VR enabled, which uses a crop for stabilization and the crop varies depending on the resolution. For example a good indicator this is the case is that 4k 25p has a crop and 6k 25p doesn't, which makes sense as for 6k it can't crop anything without sacrificing resolution (which would not be 6k anymore then), but it can use a crop (crop 24MP to more or equal 8MP) and still get 4k. It also crops less with higher FPS in some cases, because the eVR is not available in those modes (to much processing).
I tried it on my Zf and it has the same behavior in 1080p when eVR is on, but when I turn it off, the crop doesn't change in any video mode except when you get to the high FPS (4k) modes where the Zf sensor doesn't have a fast enough read-out speed to output those without crop.
@quikee9195 good point need to check that
More speed usually means less Dynamic Range.
Nikon put out an outstanding camera, excellent.
One thing to note is that Canon cameras like the R6 II may appear to have higher dynamic range, but part of that is because they apply noise reduction to the RAW files. Also the DR of the Z6 III at its native base ISO of 100 is actually about the same as the Z8/9 from the same ISO.
I think that people expected better based on the fact that the Z8/9 have a fully stacked sensor, and video’s like Matt Irwin’s in which he mentioned a 1 stop high ISO noise performance improvement compared to the Z6 II. But all in all this is really nothing out of the ordinary.
Also, if I may, Tony Northrup mentioned in his video he can’t recommend the Z6 III for general photography because of this “serious problem”, while at the same time touting the Canon RP (which he’s trying to sell) as being great for general photography - all while the RP has abysmal dynamic range when compared to the Z6 III.
But then I think we should all boycot Tony Northrup anyhow.
Matt Irwin got it backwards...the Z8/Z9 have worst performance than the Z6 II at High ISO (and DR) as well as all these new stacked (partially stacked) sensors; that has been shown time and again but that does not really matter as the difference is less than a 1 Stop but the speed / AF performance seems to be a big step ahead. I had a D610 and have had the Z6 II since it came out in 2020 but I have not tried the newer Z9 / Z8 / Z6 III. -- that Tony Northrup is the worst when it comes to this type of conversations
@@raudelravelo1169 MI is a Nikon fanboy
z6 3 or z8?
At this point of time any DSLR or Mirrorless camera is overkill for Vlogging, anyone's is better off with a DJI Action 4 for that purpose, so VR on that particular situation is probably not a concern for manufacturers anymore.
I'll probably keep my used original Z6 camera, but it's good to see Nikon do some innovation. Shame about the worse performance with regards to dynamic range
Less than a stop by contrast is blown out of proportion anything the Internet can latch on to nowadays. Most people will not even notice this if they're probably exposing anyway. In extreme situations you would be bracketing all the same. 🙄
Yeah, if you need more dynamic range, the Z7ii or Z8 is fantastic. I tried the Z6iii and 180-600 at a local camera shop yesterday and it felt great. I am a birder and normally live in the ISO 800 to 3200 range. I think above ISO800, it's similar to other cameras in this range.
@@victorlim5077 Nice to have a smaller body for birds that focuses like the Z8/9. I have not used it enough to see if it is easier on the battery than the Z8.
wow that 240p 😮😮😮
Let's praise Nikon for not gimping and segmenting their camera body features like Canon.
Isn't that what they did with pricing in Europe?
I'd like a Z7 iii instead. I don't really care about fast sensor, I want decent AF, higher resolution, and better dynamic range in a smaller body like Z7. Not interested to pay €4500 for a Z8 which is huge for those megapixels.
And Z7 ii is just outdated and still very expensive.
Z7 II???
This camera has only 2 dials for adjustment. Why nobody mentions about it ?
All Nikon Z are the same, only two dials.
Is it supposed to have more dials?
@@FawfulDied Sony and canon have 3 dials for exposure
@@FawfulDied yes, a third dial. Like Sony, Canon, Panasonic and even Fuji if you count the aperture dial in the lens. It is great not only when you use full manual mode, but for navigation in menus, and for customization, and even for some minor disability like a person who lost one finger (a rare but possible case).
Christopher Frost - AKA - The Juggler. ;)
Is there the "StarLight" feature in the Z6iii, too, just like Z9, which virtually turns night into day to help the camera easily detect the subject in the darkness?
I can't remember if it has that specific feature but it can focus down to -10EV (!) so you shouldn't have problems IMO
@@christopherfrost 👍
@@Jawad.1 Has Starlight view.
If you live outside the USA you need to take out a mortgage to pay for this Z6III .The Nikon people have ditched their weak yen for the USD now and do all their business around the world in USD not YEN .Its now so ridiculously stupidly expensive in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Europe , The USD is about 30%-40% stronger than the currencies listed so this means its over priced in this countries . Nikon bench marked the USA price off the USD . Not their historically low weak Yen .This is the normal now for local Japanese camera and lens sellers on E bay now, as well they trade use USD as a preferred currency to business in and not their own YEN. Avoid now buying Z6III outside USA wait until they lower prices for markets outside USA .
Yen
I’ll stick with my Z6ii, tar very much.
That shutter (the mechanical one) is absolutely batty. It sounds like a 35mm cine camera
Do you think this is better than the Z8 for stills and using flash
Wow this camera makes my a7 iv seem ancient! Well done Nikon 👏
your and my A7IV is shooting and writing videos on both cards simultaneously. this z6iii it only records in one card slot on any type of video.
so dual card slot does not exist on video. good luck professional video shooters.
Here I am watching something I can't afford
At that price point, they could have added sensor shield for protection while swapping lenses
there's no space with a mechanical shutter.
Canon R6ii uses the mechanical shutter as a shield @@ktcool4660
Is a74 a mechanical shutter..??
@@sridhargpillai1985 a74 shoots mechanical and electronic
@@ktcool4660 Canon R6ii uses its mechanical shutter as a shield
I just bought the GH7, I need better stabilization over sensor size for the type of videos I do. I do aviation videos.
3000€ is just too expensive. For 2500€ it would've been a no brainer...
Disappointing dynamic range
I get the impression, Christopher, that your reviews stem from integrity, in your thinking. There's a decent level of depth to it too. And in my thinking that could be a bit more.
You see, "these cameras" all being in the "Bayer paradigm", means that we must understand that paradigm well, before we attribute anything we see in "RGB" images to "the camera".
A Bayer camera cannot shoot RGB colour like a colour film and its raw images can be considered as both 100% colour noise, and 100% luminance noise. Any conclusion you make regarding the RGB image you see on your display has tons of image processing applied between that raw "original" and what you see on your display.
"Bayer colour photography" relies on a colour-blind sensor that however sees the entire humanly visible spectrum, so in old B&W jargon we should call it "panchromatic". Yes, calling it "monochrom" is fundamentally wrong. Very wrong. About as wrong as implying that there is more than 1 black or more than 1 white, by using these words in plural.
As each data element from each photosite in the sensor is an exposure value in one spectral colour band, it seems legitimate to call the raw file monochrome, even.
The Bayer paradigm - if there is a camera conspiracy then it is here - relies on shooting these raw files with a bit of colour information that through a lot of image processing and both classical AI (smart algorithms) and modern AI (based in learning - i.e. statistics) has its monochrome data elements converted into RGB pixel values.
This image processing happens after the shot/take and it is a form of mathematically precise and repeatable wild-assed guessing.
Rather than attributing the noise perceived as colour or luminance noise to the camera, I would attribute it to the paradigm and call the whole bunch "Bayer noise".
This shifts the blame from 100% camera to the collective of camera and raw processing.
You see, if you shoot raw and do the raw processing (AKA conversion) in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), and have ACR set to "Adobe Standard" then ACR applies a profile that tweaks the raw processing specifically to make your camera look like "Adobe Standard".
In a standard Lightroom Classic (LrC), ACR, Photoshop (Ps) installation, to a Windows PC, look in folder "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic\Resources\CameraProfiles\Adobe Standard\" and note that there are over 1,230 camera specific profiles in there.
Note that ACR does all raw processing, not LrC, and ACR "is" the "Develop" tab in LrC.
You can run ACR standalone via Adobe Bridge (Br) by selecting an image in Br and right click open it in ACR. Your edits end up in an ACR-specific sidecar file that however LrC ignores. (I think it could add the ACR sidecar as a separate virtual copy of an image).
ACR processes your "14 bits" (14 monochrome bits) into 16+16+16 bits RGB in a ProPhoto colour space when it hands that result over to LrC or Ps. Rendering that on your display is impossible so, all the beautiful gradation in those 48 bits per image pixel gets compressed into 8+8+8 that your display might be able to handle (a cheap one only using 7+7+7).
Somewhere in the processing between ACR's resulting internal RGB representation of your raw file, e.g. display drivers and graphics adapter apply anti-aliasing, whether you like it or not. Whether it already happened in camera or not. Whether ACR already applied it or not. Whether LrC also did something in presenting the ACR result to you or not.
So, way back, that "raw processing" became a challenge to processing power when image and sensor resolution increased while serious processing power was big, heavy, expensive, and power hungry. Your supercomputer of 1990 (cf. Cray One) probably had its own building, its own support staff, its own connection to the electricity grid. That same processing power, about 5 years ago, could be bought in the form of two NVIDIA GTX 1080ti graphics adapter cards, and probably the latter had a lot more memory (2x 11GB).
This requirement for processing power, impossible to integrate into a camera, led to the introduction of "shoot-time hardware help" in the form of a filter over the sensor called OLPF in one perspective, and AA in another [1]. It disperses a bit of light travelling to a photosite [x,y] in the sensor so a fraction of that light also hits the neighbouring photosites. This reduces some of the Bayer noise in an artificial way, but it helps less sophisticated "raw processing" algorithms.
When you shoot your ColorChecker Passport (CCP) colour reference/calibration target, and would look at the raw data elements in the area of the "red" patch of the subject, then you'll see data elements from photosites under a red filter that have a relatively high exposure value (EV), but these red ones are only 25% in the image. 50% of the photosites are under a green filter and in the red patch in the subject these will produce a much darker EV. Then there are a 25% of photosites under a blue filter and these, I'd argue, should produce pure black digital zero [00,000,000,000,000] data elements. Except in the case of lenses with glare, there may be some stray "glare" light with blue in it hitting these photosites that raise their EV from rock bottom 0 to a tiny bit higher. But that would be a "lens feature".
Because of the "cons" starting to dominate the "pros" above a certain resolution , Nikon, in 2012, released the D800E version that has the OLPF Eliminated, and otherwise is equal to the D800. Both 36MP. [2]
Since the D800E, the "industry" however did not seriously adapt raw processing. Meaning that software developers in a way broke their part of the gentlemen's agreement int the Bayer paradigm. Any noise in the pure red patch of the CCP subject can be seen as a breech of paradigm contract. I have to add that Nikon for a long time, and maybe still today, held the position that removal of the OLPF gives more sharpness and the price you pay is in more noise. Topaz jumped into this niche and years ago released their DeNoise AI app that can help here. Then DxO (the software company) added DeepPRIME as improved processing option of Bayer noise to their PhotoLab app (compares in part to ACR+LrC), but as photographers need Ps and hence also have ACR and LrC, DxO started selling DeepPRIME in a stand-alone plug-in for ACR/LrC called PureRAW.
These had been available for "years" when, finally, the Mudbricks [4] added the "AI Denoise" option into ACR's "Enhance" option bundle. Well, raw processing done naively, generally called deBayerisation, generates "digital artefacts" that collectively are called (verb) mosaicking [3], and the first denoise improvements in ACR did nothing to improve in the mosaic department.
"Bayer noise" is what we need to discuss first.
Another thing is, "cropping the sensor" in this Nikon camera. If you reviewed the Z 8 and Z 9, you may have noticed that these have a lot more additional rows and columns of photosites in the sensor than are in the "effective "sensor image area. The origin of the added rows and columns is shoot-time hardware help for raw processing. The added "non-effective" photosites remove the need for a separate "edge algorithm" in raw processing.
My hypothesis with the Z 9/Z 8 is that the much wider resolution edge is used for IBIS in software in the processing pipeline that adds no latency into that pipeline that we can notice. But the Z 6iii sensor does not have a bunch of the "non-effective" photosites, so, my guess, part of the cropping in movie modes is related to IBIS in firmware. When motion in the sensor plane is involved. And most photographer induced camera motion/vibration/shake probably is.
Here we again see the use of hardware help in one place to make solving problems easier that otherwise would require more expensive technology.
If we take the sensor readout times of the Z 6iii and Z 8 and relate that time to bit depth and total (gross) sensor resolution) then we get as "bandwidth"
Z 8 ~= 28,080 MB/s (224.6 Gbps) - at NY, NY, USA megastore price excluding sales tax of US$ 3,947 we get US$/Gbps at 15.57.
Z 6iii ~= 3,253 MB/s ( 26 Gbps) - at NY, NY, USA megastore price excluding sales tax of US$ 2,497 we get US$/Gbps at 95.94.
Part of the Z 6iii "speed" is in its resolution being effectively 24MP, rather than 45MP.
That difference in bandwidth is in the chip stacked to the physical back of the sensor as well as the motherboard in the camera and the chipsets involved.
Having only SD card slots is such a limiting factor to I/O bandwidth that everything "digital" can be cheaper in a camera.
The question is what we can attribute to "the camera" rather than image processing that follows. Considering remarks by other reviewers, Nikon may do something special to mitigate the cons of the OLPF. But the OLPF was a reason for me to move to a 45MP camera, in the past, as I got surprised by total reflection colour haze from between the OLPF and sensor, in the past, in contrasty backlight.
Approaching YT's 10,000 character limit, I'll keep the "correct exposure" principles lecture that fluencers violate all the time for another occasion.
Notes in comment to this comment.
[1] Optical Low-Pass Filter or Anti-Aliasing filter. The former is what we call it when we discuss the colour problems of the Bayer paradigm. The latter we call the same filter when we address the aliasing - representing fluent lines/edges as "jagged" - caused by the regular grid of tiny squares that is the sensor as well as our monitor/display.
The OLPF through its dispersion causes:
(a) loss of (contour) sharpness;
(b) loss of low-light sensitivity;
(c) consequently a loss of dynamic range (DR);
(d) loss of contrast envelope (DR in one shot/frame);
(e) reduction of colour space;
(f) and it messes with vignetting.
[2] The impact to e.g. sharpness of having an OLPF/AA or not can be checked in DxO Mark. Find the sharpest F-mount lens in DxO Mark, then compare its sharpness between the D800 (with OLPF) to its sharpness on the D800E (no OLPF).
Shocking, right?
Now go a bit farther to further your insight and compare its sharpness between a 24MP D camera and the 36MP D800 (both with OLPF). Next compare that still same lens between the D800E and D850 (both without OLPF). Indeed, MP matter less than you thought they would.
[3] Mosaicking can be very recognisable "Moiré" mosaics, but also crinkly lines, or cross-bleeding of colour across the edge between two blobs of different colour. This follows from deBayerisation that extrapolates (invents, reimagines) missing colour by weighted interpolation of photosite [x,y]'s monochrome raw value with the direct and indirect values. In the case of Moiré or cross-bleeding, its a pattern in the subject that becomes a recurring mosaic pattern in the RGB that slowly fades away in the weighted interpolation.
[4] a mudbrick is also called an adobe.
"Ceteris paribus" - in science when we want to analyse a system, we can look at one variable at a time and (hope to) keep everything else identical all the time. "Everything else the same" is "ceteris paribus" in Latin.
Comparing cameras in the Bayer paradigm, we need to be aware of one having an OLPF and the other not having one - because ignoring this can lead to us violating the ceteris paribus requirement.
I confirmed with Nikon that a Z 6iii has an OLPF indeed. And e.g. an older (DSLR) D500 APS-C camera does not have an OLPF. Hence between a 20MP D500 and a 24MP Z 6iii, we can presume the following:
(a) the images may be equally sharp or the D500 may actually do better due to absence of the OLPF. (Provided a good enough lens.)
(b) low light performance of the D500 will be better than prejudice would make us expect.
(c) in absence of "raw processing software that properly converts raw to RGB in absence of an OLPF" we can expect more "Bayer noise" (see my other comments here) in the RGB rendition of our raw image. With "bad" (inadequate) raw processing AI, such noise should be apparent in blurry image zones, darker image zones, low contrast image zones, and zones with little detail. With ACR, that's what you get in the shots from the D500, not or less in the Z 6iii.
The presence of the OLPF and its "cons" become a challenge in smaller formats. In the 24MP ballpark, it is not, and helps in two ways: (1) in-camera raw processing for SOOC JPEG and movie formats, (2) in-post raw-processing by professionals that need to spend as little time as possible because their per-shoot volume is high (e.g. weddings) or because they have little no/time for raw processing (e.g. photojournalism).
Nobody is reading or gives a flip about your long winded rambling cut and paste from somewhere else post
@@davidpearson3304 - troll
@@jpdj2715 he is right, you maniac!