NIKON Z6 CAMERA
The Nikon Z6 is part of Nikon’s mirrorless suite of cameras, and when you combine price with performance, it’s a real star in the night-sky photography world
DETAILS
Cost: £1,399 / $1,699.95 From: Nikon Type: Mirrorless
Sensor: 24.5-megapixel backlit CMOS
Lens mount: Nikon Z (FX)
ISO range: 100 to 51,200
Viewfinder size and resolution: 2.1k dots, 3.2-inch touchscreen
Video capability: 4K at 30fps
Weight (body): 67 grams
Size (body): 13.2 by 9.9 by 6.6 centimetres (5.2 by 3.9 by 2.6 inches)
Memory card type: Single-slot CFexpress, XQD
BEST FOR...
£ HIGH BUDGETS
LUNAR PHOTOGRAPHY
NIGHTSCAPES
If you’re looking for a highly capable mirrorless camera for astrophotography, few models I are better than the Z6. But the Z6 – which only launched in 2018 – has already been superseded by the Z6 II, so why are we testing and recommending the original model? It comes down to price and usage. For us, the original represents better value than the Z6 II, unless you’re using it for video and high-intensity shoots, like weddings.
We love the Z6 for a number of reasons: it has a superb backlit sensor, perfect for low-light image quality, and a staggering 100 to 51,200 ISO range that delivers incredible clarity even in the darkest locations. Combine this with in-built image stabilisation and you’ve got one of the best cameras for astrophotography around. In fact, we’d say this is among the best mirrorless cameras for any use, so you’ll be able to use it for way more than astrophotography. If you do want to use it for astrophotography, you may want to combine it with some of the best telescopes to get super-clear images. For beginners looking for an easy target, we recommend lunar photography to help you get to grips with combining your equipment.
When Nikon launched its mirrorless range, it was to allow the new Z mount to improve not only the performance of the cameras, but also the feel and look. When you handle the Z6 without a lens, you’ll notice it’s significantly thinner and slightly lighter than most full-frame DSLRs. That reduced depth makes it easier to handle, and if you’re holding it for prolonged periods, this is a big advantage over traditional DSLRs. But once you add a lens that weight comes back. Despite the fact some Z-mount lenses are surprisingly light, you’re unlikely to notice much difference in overall heft from traditional DSLRs. The overall handling for the Z6 is excellent, and Nikon’s traditional grip design means you get a firm hold on the camera that’s comfortable and practical, especially with the customisable shot-adjustment buttons within easy reach.
You’ll find these custom buttons on the right of the lens mount, which means you can make quick adjustments to things like white balance without looking up from the viewfinder. There’s the usual command dial, which has M, A, S and P modes, along with three preset options that allow you to program in settings you use regularly. We find this incredibly useful for things like shooting stars, where you’re always looking for a 20-second shutter speed and wide aperture as standard.
The top set of buttons are completed by manual ISO control, an exposure button and a recording button for video. In addition to the adjustment wheel at the rear of the camera body, which is primarily used to make adjustments to shutter speed and ISO, there’s a second wheel at the front of the shooting grip that allows you to control your aperture. When you’re using the viewfinder, this set-up really helps you focus on your shot.
When shooting the sky, most will rely on the monitor, and the Z6 has a great 3.2- inch display on the rear of the body. It’s a touchscreen, and you can access all your menu items from here to make adjustments to your shot or settings. You can use the touchscreen to select a focus area, and even set it to shoot on touch. Our only real gripe is that it isn’t as mobile as some – it attaches via the top of the screen and can’t be rotated, so it’s limited when you’re shooting in portrait from a fixed position.
“We love the feel and handling of the Z6 – it’s one of the best cameras we’ve ever used”
The Z6’s body is fully weather-sealed, which means you can be out in moderate rain or wind for a few hours before you’re likely to experience any problems. We even ‘accidentally’ dropped it in some river mud, and while it’s tough to clean out of some of the indents in the camera body, this has never impacted performance. Elsewhere, there are clear markings for securing and changing lenses, and the seal between the camera and lens is tight and incredibly secure. The strap connectors are well made and manoeuvrable, too, so there’s little danger of accidentally dropping the Z6.
Our main problem with the design is the memory card slot. There’s only a single card slot, and this camera doesn’t accept standard SD cards like most models. The Nikon Z6 is compatible with CFexpress and XQD cards only, which is great from a performance perspective, but bad for your wallet. Even the cheapest 128GB CFexpress cards will cost you a fair amount. One thing the Z6 II remedies is that it adds a second card slot and allows the use of SD cards.
We love the feel and handling of the Z6 – it’s one of the best cameras we’ve ever used. While you’ll find some with better touchscreens, and certainly save money on memory cards elsewhere, it’s tough to complain about the design of the body. The Z6 is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to nighttime and low-light shooting, which is where we did the majority of our tests. While the 24.5-megapixel sensor size is merely average among high-end mirrorless cameras, this won’t compromise the quality of your landscape and nightsky photos.
What matters more is the ISO range, running from 100 to 51,200 and further expandable to between 50 and 204,800, and the clarity of the photos taken at higher ISO settings. Sharpness, noise and exposure value are remarkably consistent across the range and compare extremely well to competing cameras. When you’re shooting anywhere up to 12,800 ISO there’s very little noise or softness to the image, and it only starts to degrade slightly on maximum and expanded settings. This is perfect for low-light situations like astrophotography, especially if you’re trying to pick out unlit objects or scenery to give the night sky some context.
Combined with the in-built image stabilisation, which Nikon claims can compensate up to five stops, it means you can confidently shoot handheld in low light because the incredible ISO will let you keep your shutter speeds high enough to retain clarity. We find it difficult to think of a better all-round camera when it comes to low-light shooting – the Z6 was actually one of the models used to capture some of the best astronomy images from the last few years. The performance of the Z6 is only beaten by specialist astrophotography models in this area.
Elsewhere, the Z6 is capable of up to 12 frames per second burst shooting for about four seconds at a time, which is about right for a camera of this price. While you probably wouldn’t choose to use it over some of the Sony Alpha models for sports or motion photography, the Z6 still handles itself well in this area – it’s just better for landscape photography and portraits. Shooting is super quiet and efficient. There’s no interruption between shots like you find with DSLRs, and there’s even a silent shooting mode for when you want to get discrete pictures.
In terms of autofocus, the Z6 is a very competent camera. It has 273 points of autofocus detection and they cover 90 per cent of the view, which is decent coverage – certainly enough for landscape photographers. This stat compares poorly to the Z7, but the coverage isn’t a significant step down, and again it’ll make little difference to night-sky images and landscapes. It focuses fast and accurately whether you’re using the touchscreen or the viewfinder.
The Z6 is packed with features and functions designed to make your shots not only better, but easier to achieve. Given that this is a mirrorless camera, the touchscreen display is the most accurate way to shoot – unless you’re in direct light or shooting a bright Moon. The viewfinder is a smaller simulation of the sensor image, so you’ll find that it’s actually slightly over-sharpened, and if you’re shooting through the FTZ adaptor it can feel a little less natural, especially if you’re using DX lenses.
We enjoyed using the touchscreen to focus the shot while in single-point mode in live view, and it’s way easier than adjusting focus with the little stick while in viewfinder mode, but we didn’t find much joy in using the touch shooting. It’s a neat feature that you’ll play with at the start, but likely quickly ditch in favour of touch focusing.
While we’re on the subject of the touchscreen, we found the auto-display switch mode very inconsistent and wouldn’t recommend using it – it seems to change modes randomly, which is a massive pain if you’re lining up a shot. This adds the slightest of annoyances where you have to press the display switch button three times to move from viewfinder to monitor only. If you’re rushed for time, this is irritating. Aside from that, it’s easy to shoot with and cycle through the menus using the touchscreen controls.
Here you’ll find all the standard options, like focus modes, metering and timers, as well as more advanced options like batch exposures, white balance adjustments and button customisation. In fact, the level of customisation is intimidating, as almost all the buttons on the Z6’s body can be changed, and you have a whole roster of preset options for your command dial. This makes it a camera that suits highly specialised shooting like astrophotography.
The Z6 has about a 320 to 330-shot battery life, which is about average for mirrorless cameras, so we’d recommend keeping a spare battery on hand if you’re going to be shooting all day or night. When you consider this battery life with the single memory card slot, you realise this isn’t a camera designed for intense shoots. It suits a slower pace and a more considered shot.
If you’re serious about astrophotography, landscapes or organised portrait shoots then the Z6 is perfect for you. What it lacks in sensor size and burst shooting it more than makes up for in image stabilisation,
ISO capabilities and pure handling feel. This is a camera designed for slower shoots in lower and natural light, and it’s an absolute joy to use. We’re willing to overlook small inconveniences like the memory card limitations and the lack of touchscreen mobility because the camera body itself is so capable, and isn’t excessively priced. While we’d absolutely recommend the newer Z6 II for shooting video, as it can manage 4K footage at 60 frames per second, the Z6 is almost identical for photography and 20 to 30 per cent cheaper.
What’s more, the full-frame Z lenses – especially the premium S-Line versions – are among the best camera lenses available right now, and they’re beautifully designed. While they’re eye-wateringly expensive, and the range is more limited than you’d find with the Canon and Sony units, you absolutely get what you pay for. Overall, we think you’ll love the Z6 as an astrophotography and landscape camera… especially if you have the deep pockets needed to really make the most of it.
FOR
+ Superb ISO range for low-light shooting
+ Excellent in-built image stabilisation
+ Handles well and the screen is bright and clear
AGAINST
- Only a single memory card slot, and it doesn’t take SD
- The 24.5-megapixel sensor is merely average
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