Wildlife Photography with the Nikon Z6 II | Firmware 1.1 updates and field testing on local Hares
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- Опубліковано 8 кві 2021
- Hey Guys, Tom here back with another video! I hope you're well?
Over the last few weeks whilst also working hard on some other projects, I've been lucky enough to have the chance to test out the Nikon Z6 II along with the latest firmware update 1.1 (Grab it here if you haven't already downloadcenter.nikonimglib.co... )
Working close to home with my Hares, I've been putting the Z6 II with the new updates to the test with the new 70-200mm 2.8 S lens along with the two Z TC's.
Huge shoutout to Nikon UK for the camera loan for the last few weeks, along with the 70-200 and 14-24 Z. Getting out to make the most of them, I've been photographing local flowers as well as Hares, Foxes and more, so I'll throw a few images up on Insta this week form the Z6 II. It's @TomMasonPhoto for those who don't already follow!
It really is great to see the Z system developing with new firmware and features, the development announcement for the Z9 is also super exciting and I'm pretty sure I'll be adding one of those to the bag when I get the chance!
I'd love to hear your thoughts, are you a Nikon Z6 II user, have you updated to the latest firmware? What do you think?
If you want a Z6 II you can grab one over at Wex tidd.ly/3s2LHf2
Of course you can also hit me up on social, I'm @TomMasonPhoto on instagram and Twitter, and my website is over at www.tommasonphoto.com.
If you have any wildlife photography questions I'm always about, so drop me a line!
In my bag : (UK affiliate links help me fund the channel and cost you nothing)
Lowepro Whistler 450 AW II - (travelled flawlessly on all my flights with ALL the gear below inside!)tidd.ly/ee5e459a
Nikon Monarch HG 8x30's - Simply love these. tidd.ly/3df767bbNikon
D850 + Grip + D5 batteries tidd.ly/5e9ce68e
Nikon D5 tidd.ly/4fb4af7b
Nikon Z6 and 24-70S - (All video for the channel now shot on this - love this little camera!) tidd.ly/18f827ed
Nikon 300mm 2.8 VR II (My all time favourite lens) tidd.ly/c3774d0f
Nikon 70-200 FL tidd.ly/50423b68
Nikon 35mm 1.4 G tidd.ly/74102f76
Nikon 20mm 1.8G tidd.ly/792d72d0
Nikon 1.4 TC tidd.ly/51bb49a8
Nikon 2.0 TC tidd.ly/6d38e4fe
Nikon SB-700 tidd.ly/40a57f1a
Spare D5 battery tidd.ly/3c45d8ba
Gitzo Mini Traveller tidd.ly/eda4b0c
Petzl Headlamp amzn.to/2LX80SW
G-tech external drives amzn.to/2Yil63y
Macbook 12" amzn.to/2ZBQ57e
Rocket Blower (however i'd get this one) tidd.ly/8d6a3ab4
I also carry a trusty Gitzo Tripod and Monopod, Gitzo 4 Series systematic
gitzo.pxf.io/c/2496050/858169...
If you have any Gear questions drop them below as well, I'm always happy
to help! Or hit me up on Twitter or Instagram @TomMasonPhoto.
#Nikon Z6 II WildlifePhotography #Nikon - Наука та технологія
Watching your videos you have really motivated me to buy this camera now. I have contacted Adorama and they will give me a good deal to sell my older cameras (D40, D60, D4) which brings me up close enough to the price for this camera. With the D40 and D60 lenses it adds more since I won't use them anymore. I will be keeping my D4 lenses (24-20 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8) and getting the mount. It was not clear what the exact lens was in the video or did I miss it. But others who own the Z6ii told me those expensive lenses are worth holding onto since they work very well with this camera.
I have a 2x teleconverter which I will hold onto in hopes it will work in this arrangement. Otherwise I can e-bay that off.
I will be continuing to watch your videos, Tom. You are an inspiration and I really enjoy your camera "lessons".
If you ever get to Fort Myers, FL happy to buy you a coffee and bring you to our photography meetup group.
Regards and thanks a lot
Earl
A Nikon user that hasn't switched yet? Subscribed.
I won’t be switching any time soon, they have been solid dependable cameras for my work, can’t wait to have a Z9 in the bag as soon as I can get hold of one!
Thanks for the update, Tom. I can recommend the Z 6 II without reservations, too. I use it for about 3 months now. Pictures on my website. See channel info. Cheers!
Good to know! Glad you're enjoying the camera!
Great video Tom and some lovely nature shots, It's really nice to see a real English Nikon Z user in the field (literally) I'm a Z6ii wedding photographer and I'm loving the camera and it's great to see Nikon investing the time and research into these firmware upgrades. as of today April 20th they have announced Fireware upgrade 1.20 which is said to improve the Focusing some more which is great and I cant wait to try this out on my fourth coming weddings. Keep up the good work mate
Tom great video as usual! The update to the Z6ii makes a big difference in the focusing it's much faster and very accurate. I have the ProRes Raw output upgrade and was shocked at how good the quality was. I work in Final Cut Pro and the new ProRes Raw files actually work faster than the regular video files out of the camera. The ability to adjust the color is fantastic reminds me of the first time I started using raw photos a huge difference.
YES the RAW video upgrade on my original Z6 was just so awesome for myself and my work, working off SSD in my Ninja V and final cut pro works beautifully. The editing capability and files look awesome.
Beautifully filmed, Tom. Nice work,
Glad you enjoyed it, Cheers, Tom
Great to see Nikon improvements , mirrorless D5 coming soon fingers crossed ! 🤔👍😍
For sure, Can't wait to see what the Z9 brings to the table, that full body design looks very promising indeed!
I hope to see they keep pace with their competitors.
@@thomastuorto9929 You can't beat competition to keep prices down !
That will be Z9
Hi Tom. Any chance of a camera and focus setup of the Z6 II.
Really good video (as always!) Tom!
I love watching your videos so, so much...as much as I enjoy getting out making my own wildlife photos.
Because I use the Nikon DSLR's, on CH mode, I find it amazing that I can't hear the shutter click! Do you find having the silent shutter function helps, in terms of getting closer to wildlife? Keep making great videos! 🙂
Great video, congratulations!
I have a question, how do you record the camera screen?
Nice video! You make a lot of good points.
I love my Z6II. The more I use it the more it excels in every photo situation I find myself in. I haven't had a chance to use it yet for sports, that's just starting to come back.
It has definitely replaced my D4s as my primary camera.
Good stuff! Yes the Z6 II seems to be a nice step up from my own Z6 as well. As an owner of a D850, D4, Z6, the Z6 Ii really impressed me and would if I did upgrade replace the D4 and Z6. Can't wait to see what the Z9 brings however, hopefully a camera to replace my D850 whilst giving me the added video features that I'd love. Perfect for when I'm out filming more videos for the channel!
Thoughts on Canon R6?
Looking forward to the firmware which will improve the wildlife and bird in flight focus. Perhaps you can ask Nikon when you return the loan camera. 😁
What is the remote trigger that you are using for the Z6II?
Great video as always! Thank you =)
Glad you enjoyed it!
super impressed!!! Have you shot a cheetah hunting a hair or a gazelle head-on? Did you check the autofocus in such situations and find out the percentage of keepers.
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice images Tom. Next step for Nikon; animal/bird autofocus that is super effective like the Canon DPAF on the R5 & R6 seems to be.
Yes I am looking forward to some advanced animal AF tracking, not really as much for when the camera is in my hand, but for some uses with remote cameras, could make for some amazing image making opportunities!
still using and loving my Z6 first generation camera, improved af as well there - that being said i'd love to be able to film 4k in 50/60p 😎
nice videos, i subscribed
Nice video thanks Tom! This camera will be my migration to mirrorless I think, by exchanging it with the D500. I'll let the D850 wait for the Z8 or 9, because I still need the AF processor of the D850 untill something equal to the R5 arrives from Nikon. I hope COVID hasn't been too hard for your business. Keep doing the nice videos!
Yes I think the Z6 II is a great bridging camera, I can’t wait to see the Z9 as hopefully that will be my main body transition moving from the D850 that I still do love and probably won’t be selling any time soon! COVID has been ok, a few changes to the schedule and trips etc but luckily things have been alright! Just looking forward to getting out more and making some more videos for you all!
i got the z6II and latest firmware ( came from a d500) and up to now am not impressed with the autofocus speed and lockon maybe its my lens combo 200-400 f4 and the 300pf , i've tried all the focus modes , 90% it fails to get lock on to birds in flight etc ( spent a day at bempton cliffs ) , also the vr on old lenses is always on unless the camera sleeps and it eats allot of battery power, the pin point focus mode only works in af-s not af-c , also you cannot lock the focus selector as there is no physical switch anymore and its easy to move by accident ( hopefully another firmware update will sort it , lastly theres not enough long wildlife lenses available i'm looking at a z version of the 500mm pf lens if it ever gets a release.
what focus mode do you recommend for fast moving eratic subjects like birds in flight? Thanks
I tend to use the single point / group mode, have you turned off the image preview? It majorly increases the processing power for tracking subjects and makes it more DSLR like in function. Battery life certainly isn’t up to what my D850 is but that’s the nature of the EVF rather than OVF sadly!
Thanks for responding Tom, yes preview is off , I'll stick to the modes you suggested and go for another try at bempton cliffs , there's loads of fast moving gannets to test the Z6ii on. Thanks
Thinking of going mirrorless Tom. Currently using D850 & not looking to replace it but add to my kit. Do you think the Z7 mkII is worth the extra money, that's the one I'm looking at.
Hmm depends on your specific reasons for the update. If you're looking for a stills only camera, focusing on resolution then i'd go Z7 II.
If however you want additional speed, better ISO performance, a camera for high end video + stills I'd go Z6 II.
Personally if i didn't have my Z6 i'd get the Z6 II, largely due to the video focus needs I have, with my D850 working great for stills and high res work.
Cheers, Tom
@@TomMasonPhoto It is with stills mainly & the quietness of the shutter that attracts me. The D850 has a real clunk of a shutter as you know & does occasionally scare off your subject.
@@TomMasonPhoto Thought about what you said & I've just ordered Z6 mkII. Your advice was really helpful so just wanted to say thankyou.
When do you announce a winner of your giveaway?
I have the Z6 & Z6 II and love them both . The Z6II is a nice improvement .I’m thinking about trading in my Z6 to offset the cost of a Z7II .
I don’t blame you. I’m trading in mine to get a Z7ii tomorrow. I have an R5 as well and while it’s great, the Nikon is more addictive and the Z6ii I used at a recent event was amazing and so much fun to use.
Indeed, I was truly impressed with the Z6 Ii with the new firmware. Fast and reliable, and the images are really great. I think its going to be an exciting year for the Z system! Bring on the Z9 and some tele lenses!
I have been using my Z6ii for the last 2 months photographing wildlife exclusively. It is a lovely camera, love the Silence shutter, the low iso capabilities and being able to see the real time exposure. The negatives for me are that the camera is slow to acquire initial focus compared to a D500. Pin point focus should be available in AF-C mode. Not being able to map the back buttons to control different AF modes felt like going back to older models where you need to use the U1-U2-U3 user settings on the wheel.
I'd too love to be able to map more functions to some of the rear buttons, being able to swap AF modes by pressing the joystick would be amazing like on my D850 for example. As you say overall its an awesome camera and works great for wildlife work, can't wait for some Z tele lenses! the 100-400 and primes I'll be very interested in!
I use Nikon Z6ii and a Sony A9. All I can say is Nikon files are beautiful and I like the body, however, when it comes to speed and especially autofocus, Nikon is so far behind it is sad. And before i get killed by the Nikon fans, I come from 35 yrs using Nikon exclusively. But the Z series is way behind and the Nikon 200-600 lens is 3 yrs late. Really neglecting a very loyal and supportive wildlife customer base. Sorry but the 200-500 just does not compete as far as focus, build and handling is concerned. Hope Nikon catch up soon as I would like to use a Nikon (Sony A9ii match) and a Nikon 200-600 on par with the Sony lens.
I have been using the z6 for wildlife (mainly bird) but the autofocus just isn't on point yet, how much of an improvement it is on the z6 2?
Owning a Z6 and using the Z6 II, I can say i can see a nice difference in the speed and consistency of AF for birds and smaller stuff moving around. I think my Z6 works well, especially as I dont use the live preview of my image, but from a weeks with the Z6 II its certainly a step up. I REALLY cant wait for a Z9.
@@TomMasonPhoto thanks Tom, I was a D500 owner until I broke mine recently, that's why Im using a z6 as a transitional camera. Hopefully nikon will come out with an apsc flagship mirrorless (z70?), If not I might go for z6 2 instead.
It's a welcome improvement, but I would still hope Nikon will include drive mode as part of User Mode Pre-sets in a future update, as well as allow control dials to adjust A/S in P* mode, and further improve tracking which is still not usable for wildlife. It purely subjective, but my impression is there has been a subtle improvement in auto AF (although again, not good enough to rely on for wildlife). Still, I echo your sentiment that the camera is a good compromise between resolution, low iso performance, and ergonomics. I look forward to further firmware upgrades, but as it is, it is a good camera for the advanced amateur looking for a reasonably priced all-rounder.
Just discovered your channel, really enjoying your honest advice,
I have a nikon D500, looking for a cheaper do it all lense for broad wildlife, what do you recommend
The Nikon 300mm f4 AFS is super, I have a video on it, can be had for £400 second hand, super sharp, it’s what I started out professionally with!
@@TomMasonPhoto thanks, just checked that video out, great advice
Howzit Tom. Great to see you! Hope you are well.
I’m well! Been busy locally but looking forwards to getting out a little more In the next few weeks! The new camp looks awesome guys! 👌
@@TomMasonPhoto thank you. looking forward to your next visit!
Hey tom!
I am thinking of picking up the z6 II but I am a bit worried about lowlight autofocus.
So how well does the z6 II autofocus perform in low light scenarios in your experience?
How does it compare to your d850 in this aspect?
Any answer would be much appreciated! Thanks!
In honesty I haven't had too many truly low light experiences with the Z6 II so far. A lot of back light and heavy shade where the camera did really well. The focus locking on well and holding subjects, I'd say as well as the D850's system and in many cases the Z6 II is better for low light due to the ISO capabilities. Cheers, Tom
Hey I have the z62 I didn't have any good camera before to compare it with, but what I can say from my use, it has handled pretty nicely, even shutting of the illuminer(something like that I don't know what it's called) beam which I don't like gets in people's eyes or wildlifes eye, it focuses right on, the main thing would be native lens I use f mount lens with adapter and I have no complaints
Hi Tom great video as for me I’m using the same equipment your holding there. I am however struggling with some aspects of this set up having started photography a year ago with a d500 the auto focus feels like a real down grade. I would be interested to know if you would consider any one to one teaching.a day or an afternoon / morning to help me with some technical issues some field craft and some buying choices going forward. Either way great content again and a wealth of knowledge for those of us bringing up the rear.
Peter if I can recommend someone for teaching my good friend Ricci over at the Nikon school is the guy! He’s my GO2 when I don’t know! Via the Nikon school website you can book a 121 session and he will go though all the settings and such. He knows far more than me especially on the Z side!
I might be doing some workshops later in the year and will keep the channel up to date with any!
@@TomMasonPhoto thanks Tom. I rarely take lessons in things but I really think I could save a lot of time much appreciated
Another great video 👍🏻have you used the Z6 ii with the 200-500 f/5.6, be interested to know your thoughts on that combination if you have?
I've used my Z6 II on my Nikor 200-400 f4 AF-S. It works great with the FTZ Adapter. I think the autofocus actually works better than my D4s. Keep in mind that I haven't had a chance to shoot sports with the Z6 II yet.
Nice video, Like 43 and Greetings from Italy :)
Thank you very much!
This video look like an etalon, where is the soul?
Great video!
Thanks!