NIKON Z6 FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY - STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES (2020 review)
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- I finally got over my skepticism and decided to take the plunge and try out a mirrorless camera for my wildlife photography. I bought the Nikon Z6 and I've been using it for two months.
In this video, I'll walk you through the main strengths and weaknesses of the Z6 (for wildlife photography specifically) and also tan about some of the situations where prefer the Z6 over my D850 and vice versa.
Check out the video and if you have any questions please leave a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!
Some links to comparisons I mention in the video:
cameradecision.com/compare/Ni...
cameradecision.com/compare/Ni...
cameradecision.com/compare/Ni...
Follow me:
Instagram: / michaelaaga. .
Website: michaelaagaard.photo
Music:
Music by Michael Aagaard. I make all the music for my videos myself.
Who I am:
I am a passionate amateur wildlife photographer living in beautiful BC, Canada. I’m originally from Denmark, but I moved to BC in 2015. I photograph a wide variety of wildlife, but Belted Kingfishers have a very special place in my heart. Lately I’ve been spending more time in “stealth mode” using camouflage to conceal myself to the animals don’t change their behaviour do to my presence. It's waaaaaaay more difficult, and time consuming than simply walking around with your camera, but ultimately much more satisfying.
I've watched a few reviews which was basically the equivalent of looking at a spec sheet. This was an excellent review with practical field perspective. Thanks Michael!
Thanks Brandon - that means a lot! I personally prefer the more practical reviews. I can read the specs of the website, and I'm usually looking for a photographer's practical experience. Thanks again!
Really well explained and helpful video. I have been thinking of getting the Z7s when it’s out but watching others questioning the need for 45mb I was questioning whether I needed it. Your video has confirmed that there would be lots of advantages to the Z6s to complement my D500. Totally agree with your observations about Mirrorless real time exposure in the evf as I also have the Panasonic G7 which the Z6s would replace. Just subscribed so looking forward to your next video.
Thanks a lot Paul! I think the D500 and Z6 together would be a great combo. That also gives you both a fast top sensor camera for action and a full frame for low light and static images as well as video. Keep me updated on what you end up getting :)
It's so refreshing to come across a rational person talking in a calm, natural manner. I now EXPECT to see hyped-up idiots talking at 90 miles per hour with an inane backing track. Your video, Michael, is like breath of fresh, clean air in a choking dust storm. Tim (D3x portrait shooter about to buy a used Z6)
Thank you very much sir! That really means a lot. I don't like the speed talking, hyped up videos either :)
Amen for being one of the few who mentions the benefits of silent shooting. One of the things I enjoy most about wildlife photography is the experience of getting close to skittish animals and REMAINING close to them. Observing how animals behave up close is the pure magic of this type of photography. The images we take home are secondary to this, IMO. The D850 shutter slap ruined so many great moments for me over the past 18 months. The Z6 in silent mode is just superb! Also, thanks for not referring to the camera as a zed 6.
Thank you so much Mark! I really appreciate your comment. I agree 100%, that's when the real magic happens. Being there alone in the presence of a skittish animal that has no idea you are there and getting to see its real, natural behaviour is just incredible. It seems to me that a lot of wildlife photographers are a bit too obsessed with fast action and forget the magic of those quiet, intimate moments : ) I think that's why a lot of people are so hard on the Z6 too.
Thanks Michael, great video.
I like you no nonsense approach to gear 👍.
Sounds like the Z6 is the perfect camera for me, I shoot daily in low light, particurarely red foxes, and I need a silent shutter and my D500 doen't deliver in those cases.
Nice review - I have been using the Z7 for wildlife for over a year now and recently also got a Z6 as a second body. Both are awesome and I totally agree about the video AF and the silent shutter - they've been total game changers for me! In terms of low light though I actually find that as long as the Z7 can get a sharp image, the retained detail will be better than the Z6 after application of noise reduction (Topaz DenoiseAI) and processing, but the big advantage the Z6 has is the higher frame rate for action (and full frame slow motion)!
Hi Geoff - thanks a lot for your comment! Good to hear that you are also getting good results with the Z6 and 7! Interesting point with Z7 and low light results after applying noise reduction in post. Personally I prefer not to do very much noise reduction on the image in post. So I try to get it as clean as possible when shooting - I think that's one of the reasons why I was so impressed with the low light performance on the Z6.
Hi Michael, I have been shooting with my Z6 + 200-500 5.6 and works really good, high ISO, fix it with Topaz Denoise, I'm very happy with my camera, thanks for your video👍
Hi Luis thanks for your comment I appreciate it! Glad to hear you are happy with the Z6 too! : )
Wow, i found your channel with this video in my RUclips time-line, And I'm so amazed because yesterday I was thinking about the exact same points as you. I have a d850 and a z6 too, And I've read that Nikon is currently doing very badly. That's why I thought to make a video that put the Z cameras in a better light, because everything is currently dominated by Sony and Canon and everyone is ranting about Nikon. Your content is very important for Nikon and i hope many more people will see this video. So, enough Google translator English 😂, wish you a nice weekend, many greets from Germany
Thanks a lot Alexander and sorry for the late reply! Awesome that you have the same experience. Yeah I agree, it seems that people are extremely hard on Nikon these days.
Thanks, I've been hedging and I think I'm sold.
You got the Z 6 for the exact reasons I did. Low light and video to compliment my 850. Awesome video. I have the Z7 II on pre order. I’m hoping the updates will provide for better in flight performance. It’s hard to put the Z6 down.
Thanks for your comment Randy! Let me know how you like the Z7II and whether AF is any better for moving subjects.
Hi Michael. Thanks for the video. I have very similar experiences with the Z6 for wildlife. For now I prefer my D500 for its autofocus capabilities, but the Z6 is no slouch. But I mostly do wildlifeshooting walking around and not from a hide or stuff like that. For all other types of shooting I really prefer the mirrorless Nikons. They are amazing in so many ways. Keep up the good work with your videos:-)
Thanks a lot Morten - I appreciate the kind words! AF for action is faster on the D500 no doubt. I think it all has a lot to do with personal style and preference too.
I find this is the best video so far to find the strength and weaknesses of Nikon Z6. Thanks so much. I would like to know how bad it is while capturing birds on a flight? Is it a problem of electronic viewfinder lag or autofocus issue, or the fps issue? I find some videos on youtube channel are talking about drop-in frames per second from 12 fps to 4/5 fps, particularly in AE/AF mode. I will be highly thankful if you kindly enlighten this.
Awesome, thanks for posting this, when yo focus on Kingfisher, what typical focus mode do you use? Focus for me on my Z6 has been my biggest concern.
Thanks Steve! With the Z6, I usually use single point for static subjects are wide area mode (small) for anything that moves. I'm using the Z6 II now with the latest software update and in my experience it works very well indeed.
Informative video Michael, I'm working with a d7500 and I'm into bird photography. Im feeling severely limited by the low light capabilities of d7500. Do you think z6 would be a good upgrade. Im confused between d780 and z6
Hey man - thanks for you comment and sorry for the very late reply! For low light, the Z6 is the best performing camera I've tried. So I can recommend that for sure!
All we ask for is a 36mp, fast AF and tracking mirrorless!
Ha ha - exactly, how hard can it be?!!
Hey Michael, I totally agree with you about the small size, I've also got big hands and found it very uncomfortable to hold. You should try the MEIKE MK-Z7G grip extension plate for Z6/Z7 I got one for mine off Amazon and it's made the Camera very comfortable to hold now.
Thanks a lot man! Yeah it does feel tiny when you have big hands. Thanks for the tip about the Meike plate!
You’re welcome.
nice job
Purchased a refurb Z6 kit on sale last yr for shooting video but am also very happy with the low light performance and image quality. Been using the D750 for low light photography and have noticed that along with the superb quality of the higher ISO images out of the z6, You also have the capability for using lower ISO’s with slower shutter speeds via the IBIS. All in all I’m really happy with the Z6, except for the size and handling while using the bigger telephoto and zoom lenses. I’m sticking with the D750 for wildlife images for that reason... And yea, had to laugh about using video with the DSLRs... never even got that far with trying because I don’t like using live view while trying to track animals.
Thanks a lot for your comment! Good to hear that you are happy with the low light performance and video! Ha ha ha, oh yes doing wildlife videos with a DSLR feels like going back to the storage after using the Z6 : )
Hey Michael, great video, Tks a lot. I hv a question, I’m a DSLR shooter (D4S/ D810/ D500 with 500mm F4 VR2 + TC1.4) planning to buy Z6, my question is how is gonna be AF performance of Z6 with 500mm F4 with & without TC..?? Appreciate for feed back. Cheers
Hi Michael, can tell me about about the lenses that you tested the Z6 on,, or teleconverters? I have d850 (agree about video for sure!). Like what type of Lens(es) you tested the Z6 on,, fixed? or zooms? I have quite a selection of fx lenses, and even though thinking of mirrorless, still not thinking of trading off my existing lenses. Would like to see also comment, if possible about the PRO's that you mention of Z6, and how they might diminish by using converters. Thanks,, and appreciate your post
Hi and thanks for the comment! I own the Nikon 500mm f/4g prime and the Nikon 500mm PF prime. I've used both a lot with the Z6 and they work perfectly with the f-mount adaptor. So I've been very happy using f-mount lenses on the Z6. I used both with the TC1.4 III and there wasn't much negative effect (other than what one would expect when using a teleconverter). But I don't use teleconverters very much, so I have tested it extensively. Thanks for your support!
Hello,
very useful video👍
Does the IBIS work with the VR of the lens?
Thanks a lot! Yeah for video the built-in stabilization works very well.
But I've also noticed that the IBIS is really good with lower shutter speeds. I was using both the Z6 and D850 the other day (shooting at 200-320/1 sec) and the shots from the Z6 were noticeably sharper.
@@michaelaagaardphoto Hi, noticed the other day when i used a 200-500 f5.6 lens, the ibis option was greyed out does this mean th le inbuilt ibis will not function with f mount glass??
Being a D500 user and a current z6 user iam not liking the Z6 due to;
1. Ergonomics or size, its too small to handle long heavy lenses;
2. EVF lag....difficult to shoot small birds or any fast moving subjects...the action would have passed already if we follow the preview from evf
3. AF - greatly missing the group AF mode. The other options are a bit slow also for f mount glass...just wished nikon would choose all the best af options from their dslrs, eg. D9, D25, etc....
I think the Z6 is perfect as a hybrid camera, gr8 for low light shooting, portraits, etc. But defenitely not for wildlife...what i felt from my usage is that the processing power of the current z cameras are lacking the performance it needs..dats ys z6s and z7s are coming soon.
@@jenshid Hi Ali - the IBIS works with my f-mount lenses, but I haven't tried with a 200-500 yet. It might not be compatible. Have you upgraded to firmware version 3?
Hi Michael
Z5 camera +ftz ii + nikkor 200-500mm f5. 6; would it make a good combination for bird & wildlife photography?
I presently use the D500 for wildlife photography, fitted to the Nikkor 200 - 500 lens. Is the autofocus an issue
with the Z6, along with the time lag on the EVF when shooting flying birds. I'm looking at getting the Z6s when
it becomes available which for the most part will be the same as the Z6. The EVF is a big thing for me as I
usually shoot in manual and am constantly having to look at the rear screen to check exposure.
The EVF is awesome for any wildlife that isn't moving fast. Seeing the real exposure is in the viewfinder is a huge benefit. But it isn't the best for birds in flight and you'll probably find it to be a good deal slower than the D500 (for fast action). The AF on the Nikon 200-500 is a bit slow already, so I think the combination of the two might be a bit too slow for birds in flight. If you can, it might be a good idea to rent a Z6 to get a feel for it. The EVF does take some getting used to as it is a very different experience than a DSLR.
Michael Aagaard Wildlife Photography that's a really good and informative answer - great channel.
hi Michael thanks for your precious advices. i m a happy z6' possessor. a would ask you if you has ever tried the z 24-200. i wish join it to z 24-70 f4 that i already have. thanks
for every day photography
Hi Michael. How much importance do you put on IBIS in the Z camera compared with the D850?
Hi Tony, thanks for you comment! I'm still trying to rap my head around how IBIS really works on the Z6. I find it confusing. The full IBIS only works for dedicated Z lenses. The option is greyed out for my 500mm f/4G and 500mm PF. But apparently it still adds a third axis of stabilization. So I don't completely understand how it works. But that being said, I have noticed that I get more sharp images on lower shutter speeds with the Z6 compared to the D850. The Z6 is a lot light too, so that might have an effect.
@@michaelaagaardphoto Thanks Michael. Yes Ive head all of what you say. Interesting.
Sir, I am using a nikon p1000.. As it has no AFC, I am finding it very hard to shoot birds in flight..
I am considering
1) Nikon d 500 with nikkor 200-500mm lens
2) z6 with nikkor 200-500mm lens on an ftz adaptor
3) Sony a7iii with sigma 150-600mm lens on a sigma mb 11 adaptor..
I will be shooting mostly handheld.. Can u please give me some light…
Regards,
@Rishisnature
Do you think that a firmware update wil take care of BIF requirements on the Z6?
Hi Darryl, not for the Z6 unfortunately. But the Z6II with the dual processors was a big improvement on the first Z6 and it has gotten better with firmware updates. It is not perfect but also not nearly as bad as I think many make it out to be :)
do you think that the EVF should be turned on as the shoot button, is pressed and the camera goes out of sleep? For example when you have the camera at your hands and you are on street or wild life photography, as you notice something interesting you instinctively press the shoot to wake up the camera. You expect that the EVF gonna wake up however, it is connected to the eye sensor and makes all the process slow.
For wildlife photography that split second it takes to "wake up" is enough that you often miss something cool. Out the box, the standby timer is set for just 3o seconds. The best solution I've found is to set the delay for e.g. 10 minutes or something like that so the viewfinder is "awake" for longer time.
@@michaelaagaardphoto yeah sure, I gonna try it. However, I think that it is just a firmware update to have such a function. It is important since it saves energy and we can work faster
@@ckons89 I might have misunderstood what you mean. But on my Z6 with Firmware 3, you wake up the viewfinder by pressing the shutter release. So that feature is already there. But again I think I might have misunderstood your point. Thanks.
@@michaelaagaardphoto I have tried everything with firm. 3.1 .. nothing works
Did you get a chance to shoot with a Z6ii yet? Still not perfect but I agree it seems like people want these cameras to be a 6000$ flagship cameras but only cost 2000$. For what it is I think these are a good value. I have been shooting Sony the last few years but I have been shopping for another system .... the Nikon Z glass is nice and priced well under the competition and the availability of used F mount prime glass is a benefit vs say the Sony system that only has had a 600mm f/4 for less than 2 years and there is no used market for them. For the cost of that Sony 600mm F/4GM (13,000usd plus tax) I can literally buy on the used market a Nikon 600mm f/4 G a new 500mm PF 5.6, and two brand new Z6ii bodies. The AF is not as awesome as canon or sony mirrorless cameras at the moment but I think the Z9 is going to be awesome and hopefully a D850 (Z8) replacement will come soon too. Beside that your point on the video features of the Z cameras is spot on too, it's easy to transition between stills and video unlike the canon R 5/6 it's a little more clunky and most of the sony offerings only do 4k 30p still. The blackout is still there on the Z6ii but is more usable now also. I need something that can have excellent low light performance for wildlife but also astrophotography and also something that can shoot 4k 60p and the Z6ii checks all of those boxes .. .the only compromise is a less sophisticated AF. There is never a camera that has every little thing you need in one package though.
Thanks a lot for your comment! Yeah I agree, I think people sometimes expect too much out of one camera body. I upgraded to the Z6II and I do see improvements for sure - not least with the AF. But I do agree with you that the AF is still lagging and isn't quite up to par with DSLR and Canon. But I only notice it in connection with fast action - which I haven't spend much time on lately.
Read somewhere that the autofocus speed on for instance a Nikkor 500/4 basically is reduced to 50% when used with the adapter on a Z-mount camera compared to being used on a D5, D850 etc. The lag you experience in the EVF could be a lack of processing power, which I have read rumours will be fixed in the Z6S upgrade by giving it dual EXPEED processors.
Thanks for the comment Jacob! Nikon themselves say the adaptor doesn't affect performance. In most situations I don't feel like it is slower at all. It seems to me that it is mainly the electronic viewfinder itself that creates the "choppiness" or lag. But I can't say for sure and you may be right. I definitely hope they can fix it with future updates/upgrades : )
@Jacob Michelsen It was Greys Of Westminster on their You Tube channel that quoted the speed of the AF was slower on the Z cameras when using F Mount lenses with the FTZ adaptor. Greys of Westminster is the only Nikon store in the U.K. I've seen some photographers claim the same and other claiming they haven't noticed much difference.
Does it not come with firmware version 3.0
Hi Mark, mine came with Firmware 1. So I had to manually update to version 3. It might depend on which "batch" of cameras you get one from.
Why no new videos
Not sure if you're aware Michael but you can do Silent Photography on the D850 and is a different function than the Quiet Mode. Also the D500 excels in everything in my opinion except video 😏
Hi Gary, yes I'm aware, but you're stuck using liveview again. And I find that very awkward for wildlife. With the Z6 series silent shutter I can use the camera like normal looking through the viewfinder, etc. So for me it just works a lot better and is much more practical. Yep theD500 is a nice camera. It all comes down to shooting style and preferences : ) Thanks.
It's a nonsense that is better than Nikon d5 in low light. You must be out of your mind regarding the the HIGH ISO on Nikon Z6.
Hi Mutt - thanks for your comment I appreciate it! I assume you’ve shot extensively with both the Z6 and the D5 since you are so certain. Nikon’s own documentation says the Z6 is better for low light. So do multiple reviews and comparisons. Here are a few:
www.apotelyt.com/compare-camera/nikon-d5-vs-nikon-
cameradecision.com/compare/Nikon-Z-6-vs-Nikon-D5
You can also look at review me on www.dxomark.com/. The Z6 also has better dynamic range than the D5.
Moreover several other photographers I know who own both the D5 and Z6 have also arrived at the conclusion that the Z6 has the edge in low light as far as noise.
But you should of course go with whatever you find best for your style of photography.
Hope you have a great day Mutt!
Michael
Hello Michael. A wonderful video...
I own a Z6 as well... Have been shooting Nikon exclusively since the 16 years...
I agree with your assessment on basically everything...
What are your thoughts on the following:
I am planning to give the Canon system a try... The new eos r5 specifically... Going to try and rent it out and see the difference... The specific tracking specially for birds is supposed to be really nice...
@@mzeeshanch Thanks a lot Mohammed, I appreciate that : ) Great idea to test the Canon r5! I'd love to hear your thoughts once you've taken it for a spin!