Nikon Z6III Review

After years of trailing behind competitors, the new Nikon Z6III brings Nikon back to the forefront of the camera “arms race”. It represents an extremely compelling camera for any Nikon DSLR shooter who as been wavering on making the switch to mirrorless. And it just might be the perfect “hybrid” mid-range full frame mirrorless camera. The Z6 III features the new Nikon autofocus system introduced in the Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z8, faster sensor readout speeds with reduced rolling shutter, 8 stops of in body image stabilization and 6K RAW video recording.

This is all made possible with a new sensor coined as “the world’s first partially stacked CMOS sensor.” It is designed to improve processing times resulting in a 3.5x faster readout speed than the Nikon Z6 II. However, initial reports also indicate that this new sensor type results in a lost of approximately a stop of dynamic range compared to the Z6 II at lower ISOs with the mechanical shutter. This could be an issue for underwater shooters – particularly wide angle shooters photographing “sunballs” where there can be a lot more contrast in the scene. But the only way to know for sure is to dive with the camera. So we intend to be the first to dive with the Z6 III when underwater housings are made available!

US MSRP: $2499.95

Read the full Nikon Z6III Review at Bluewater Photo

Nikon Z6 III Key Specifications

• New 24.5 megapixel full-frame partially stacked CMOS sensor with AA (low pass) filter
• 5 axis in body image stabilization (up to 8 stops)
• Expeed 7 processor 
• Z lens mount (can be used with F mount lenses and FTZ adapter)
• 14 fps burst shooting with mechanical shutter and 20 fps with electronic shutter
• 6K/30p, 5.4K/60p, and 4K/60p oversampled video recording
• N-Log, N-RAW, and ProResRAW recording
• Full size HDMI 2.1 connector
• 1/200 second sync speed
• Improved Autofocus with tracking and subject detection
• Low light AF sensitivity down to -10 EV
• 10.46 stops of dynamic range at ISO 100
• CFexpress type B and UHS-II card slots
• Dimensions: 5.5 in x 4 in x 3 in
• Weight: 670 g

Nikon Key Features

A New Partially Stacked Sensor

The Nikon Z6III’s 24.5 megapixel sensor may be a similar resolution to previous cameras, but it’s not the same sensor. It’s Nikon’s first “partially stacked” sensor – with a readout speed 3.5x faster than the Nikon Z6 II. This feature almost eliminates rolling shutter which is a benefit for sports and action shooters who want to use the camera’s electronic shutter. For underwater photographers photographing or filming quick subjects like sailfish, sharks, and dolphins without strobes, this could be a slight benefit over Z6 II. Fast readout speeds would make quick subjects crisper and less warped with the electronic shutter.

Unfortunately, the new sensor also has a reduced dynamic range at lower ISOs – 10.46 stops at ISO 100. Most photographers would likely not notice this in most lighting situations.  That said, many underwater lighting situations do call for as much dynamic range as possible. For example, wide angle photos shot into the sun to produce a “sunball” require as many details in the highlights (the sun) and shadows (often light by strobes) as possible. It’s hard to say how much of an issue this will be for wide angle underwater photography – so stay tuned for our real world tests!

Improved Autofocus

The biggest barrier to Nikon DSLR shooters switching to the newest Nikon mirrorless cameras has been autofocus. The Z7/Z6 and Z7 II/ Z6 II both had good autofocus, but often comparable to DSLRs while Sony and Canon cameras surpassed older models. The Nikon Z8 and Z9 introduced a vastly improved autofocus subject tracking system with much quicker acquisition and accuracy. The Z6III promises to have the same great autofocus system. This makes the camera competitive when compared with the Sony a7 IV and the Canon R6 Mark II – two of the top “prosumer” mirrorless models in the $2500 price range. 

Better In Body Image Stabilization

The Nikon Z6III is equipped with 5 axis IBIS (in-body image stabilization) with up to 8 stops of correction. Essentially, the camera’s sensor is placed on a gyroscope that compensates for movement and camera shake from hand held images. This allows the photographer to shoot at shutter speeds up to 8 stops longer without motion blur from camera shake. While many underwater photographers try to keep shutter speeds high to freeze their subjects, this will be a big benefit to underwater shooters in low light. We often dive in the cold waters of the Pacific Coast. In doing so, there are many situations where a slow shutter is necessary in order to capture the water color in the background of a wide angle image. Otherwise, on dark days the background can appear black. 

8 stops of IBIS is also a huge benefit to underwater videographers capturing handheld footage. We can’t wait to see how smooth our footage will be – especially with the ability to capture oversampled 4k/60p in N-RAW. 

Category Leading Video Features

Nikon’s resent acquisition of RED has made one thing clear – video will be the center of their innovation in coming years. The Nikon Z6 III improves upon the Z6 II in that is can film 6K/30p video and 4K/60p oversampled video with N-Log, N-RAW, and ProRes RAW recording. While most video shooters are likely going to stick with N-Log for better dynamic range, productions will be able to use the RAW recording features on the Z6 III for the ultimate flexibility in editing. 

With the ability to film in 4K/60p with no crop, the Z6 III places itself as a frontrunner in the mid-range full frame video camera market. It might just end up being our choice over the Sony a7 IV and the Canon R6 Mark II. However, we do have one important reservation for underwater shooters. The Nikon Z8 and Z9 had difficulty performing a manual white balance below depths of 50 feet during our tests. After these results we were lucky enough to speak with the president of Nikon, face to face, to let him know that we would love to see an improvement in manual white balance. We look forward to diving with the Z6III to see if Nikon has fixed this issue. 

Nikon Z6 III Underwater Housings 

Fortunately, due to the anticipated popularity of the camera most leading underwater housing brands will likely make a housing for the Nikon Z6 III. Currently, the Nauticam Nikon Z6 III underwater housing is available as an anodized aluminum option and the Ikelite Nikon Z6 III underwater housing is available as a polycarbonate option. We also anticipate excellent options from Marelux, Isotta, and Aquatica to be released shortly. 

Support our content and purchase your Nikon Z6 III camera and housing at Bluewater Photo:

Order a Nikon Z6III Camera

Order a Nauticam Nikon Z6III Housing

Order an Ikelite Nikon Z6 III Housing

Order an Aquatica Nikon Z6 III Housing

Order a Marelux Nikon Z6 III Housing

Read the full Nikon Z6III Review at Bluewater Photo

Check out Bluewater's top Nikon Z6III Underwater Settings

Nikon Z6III Underwater Lenses

There are a wide variety of excellent Z mount and F mount lenses available for underwater photography with the Nikon Z6 III - all of which are sold at Bluewater Photo! To use F mount lenses with the Nikon Z6 III, you will need a Nikon FTZ adapter. F mount lenses with the FTZ adapter focus almost as fast as with the native Z mount glass - we notice no difference underwater. 

Nikon Macro Lens Options

Nikon F 60mm f/2.8 macro w/ FTZ adapter - The Nikon 60mm macro lens is unique among Nikon lenses. With a full frame camera, like the Nikon Z6 III, it works well with the Kraken KRL-09s wide angle conversion lens for a 154 degree field of view. It is also our top choice for blackwater photography. The Nikon 60mm macro can also focus closer than the 105mm macro lenses available. 

Nikon F 105mm f/2.8 macro w/FTZ adapter - If you have the Nikon F 105mm macro, it still reigns as one of the top macro lenses for the Nikon Z6 III. It has a relatively long working distance which can be beneficial for sneaking up on shy subjects. An it actually focuses quicker than the z version of the lens! However, it is not as sharp.

Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 macro - The Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 macro is one of the sharpest macro lenses that we have ever shot. It might be a little slower than other macro lenses on the market, including the F mount version. But with improved autofocus in the Z6 III it is our top choice for macro photography. 

Nikon Z 50mm f/2.8 macro - We don't recommend the Nikon Z 50mm macro lens for underwater photography. While it is a more affordable option, the moving focusing barrell yields slow image quality and it is difficult to use with diopters. 

Kraken and Weefine +13 macro lens - The Kraken and Weefine +13 macro lenses are excellent choices to pair with the Nikon Z 105mm macro for supermacro photography. Be sure to check out the full guide to wet macro lenses.

Nikon Wide Angle Lens Options

Nikon F 8-15mm fisheye lens w/ FTZ adapter - The Nikon 8-15mm fisheye lens is a classic lens for underwater photography. In fact, it's our favorite fisheye lens. At 8mm it provides a circular field of view and at 15mm, it provides a wide fisheye field of view of about 170 degrees. It's perfect for getting close to subjects on the reef for the ultimate color and detail. 

Nikon Z 14-30mm rectilinear wide lens - The Nikon Z 14-30mm is a fantastic choice for photographing subjects that are slightly farther away - like sharks and dolphins. The corners are relatively sharp for a rectilinear wide lens, and it becomes a circular fisheye lens when paired with the Nauticam FCP-1.

Nikon F 16-35mm f/4 w/FTZ adapter - If you still have your Nikon F 16-35mm wide lens, it's still a great option for similar subjects to the Z 14-30mm. That said, it's not as sharp as the Z version of the lens and it could be worth considering the switch. 

Conclusions

Overall, the Nikon Z6 III has compelling reasons to make the switch or upgrade for underwater photography. New video and autofocus features make it a real competitor to current Sony and Canon models like the Sony a7 IV and Canon R6 Mark II. However, limited dynamic range with the freshly debuted "partially-stacked sensor" could be a turn off as well. The only think left to do is go diving with the camera, and we can't wait to get in the water!