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Nikon Z6 Photos and Discussions

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Well, Nikon USA has officially announced that the Z6 will start shipping this Friday. Hope to get mine with the kit lens tomorrow.

In the mean time, the Z6 page is now up at https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/493/Z_6.html, with manuals and links to related software.

And speaking of software, Nikon has updated several of its software programs, some with compatibility with the latest macOS version, others also with Z6 support:

ViewNX-i Version 1.3.1: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/124.html
• Added support for the Z 6.
• Added support for macOS version 10.14 (Mojave).
• Ended support for OS X 10.11

Capture NX-D Version 1.5.1: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/123.html
• Added support for the Z 6.
• Fixed the following issues:
- NEF (RAW) photos taken with the Z 7 using HDR (high dynamic range) would sometimes not display.
- NEF (RAW) photos taken using Silent photography with the Z 7 in burst mode could sometimes not be opened.
- Color control points could not be placed on some rotated images.
• Added support for macOS version 10.14 (Mojave).
• Ended support for OS X 10.11.6.

Nikon Message Center 2 (Mac) Version 2.3.1: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/129.html
• Nikon Message Center 2 now requires macOS 10.12.6 (Sierra) or later.

Picture Control Utility 2 Version 2.4.1: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/125.html
• Added support for the Z 6.
• Added support for macOS version 10.14 (Mojave).
• Ended support for OS X 10.11.6.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
I managed to fit the Z6+kit lens into an old bag left from my D40+kit lens days...



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 37mm, 1/400, f/4, ISO 100

EXIF should be available.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Bokeh test at 70mm, f/4. No cropping.



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/1000, f/4, ISO 100

I used the Natural Light WB and Neutral Picture Control, but I did small adjustments to WB (a bit more yellow and more magenta) and boosted saturation +1 in Capture NX-D.
 
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Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Sun in the frame + tree branches test. No cropping. 14bit lossless compression NEF. All camera and lens corrections turned off in Capture NX-D.



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 43mm, 1/125, f/4, ISO 100
 

jdphoto

Well-known member
Thanks for posting. Any photo displayed for web use will probably look great with any digital camera, but what's your thoughts on resolution at 100%? I know digital photographers obsess over this and from what's been displayed on another thread of Z7 pics, i'm not that impressed. However, yours look much nicer. Perhaps more pixels means accentuated camera flaws. Love the aluminum boat pic. Great lighting!

I like the specs of the Z's aside from the fact it only has one card! In today's market that should be a given.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Thanks for posting. Any photo displayed for web use will probably look great with any digital camera, but what's your thoughts on resolution at 100%? I know digital photographers obsess over this and from what's been displayed on another thread of Z7 pics, i'm not that impressed. However, yours look much nicer. Perhaps more pixels means accentuated camera flaws. Love the aluminum boat pic. Great lighting!

I like the specs of the Z's aside from the fact it only has one card! In today's market that should be a given.
Thanks for your comments!

Re: resolution, it is too early for me to tell, especially since I do not have another 24MP FF camera to compare.
Keep in mind that the Z6 does have an AA filter.

I did a few quick brick wall tests to check for any major issues. Handheld, IBIS on, but electronic front-curtain shutter off - in any case not a proper test, but good enough for first impressions.

Here is the link to the full test image @ 70mm (large! - >16MB as I saved the jpeg with excellent quality): http://ezkyfq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4mr__5eSSMOGp-3MTLgOE_06HCr8jfUy0Bv98aVP3VBGtekOEGSCRmEqpsbxr-vLc8Dm0I_VQO0CCjZ_PSi9sBXbzANgjHO7AOEVgsAWwd-1uGKdJKQ452u6Ebe8e9xSBJgrqZyfnl0uwBbY9r4g6KGqNQCREkNd5jsoauZeF_gvmzTIwmMLRgup2PvoPw816fN71gqZlgG4nZgTAZpAeOXA/_DSC0010.jpg

Shot in 14bit NEF with lossless compression. NR off, all camera and lens corrections turned off in Capture NX-D, then straight conversion to jpeg in Capture NX-D, default settings for sharpness.
The EXIF should be intact.
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
... all camera and lens corrections turned off in Capture NX-D ...
Major "correction" required! (pun intended)

It turns out that I wasn't paying close enough attention to those settings. I did turn off all that I could, but I just realized that the "Auto Distortion Control" is turned on and greyed out!
I can change it for my other Nikons (D810, J5, Df) but not for the Z6 + Z 24-70mm f/4 S. Since I do not have the FTZ adaptor, I cannot test what happens with an F lens on the Z6, but I suspect this is related to the Z lens.

I am really disappointed... how bad is this lens without distortion correction? This kind of correction usually has a negative impact on the resolution/sharpness of images...
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
From the "Great Inka Road" exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/50, f/4, ISO 6400
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Yesterday at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington DC:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 35mm, 1/50, f/8, ISO 3200

Noise reduction turned off in camera, no NR applied in PP.
 

jlancasterd

Active member
My Z6 kit arrived yesterday – body, 24-70 and MTZ, plus complimentary 64GB XQD card. I'd ordered through Cambrian Photography in Colwyn Bay, and they came through splendidly, as usual. Looking at replacement costs, so as to update my insurance policy, I worked out that buying this kit saved me around £730 compared with buying the items separately. Spent yesterday evening setting up the camera and making sure I was familiar with the controls.

Off to Dresden tomorrow for a week of Christmas markets and narrow-gauge railways. That should provide plenty of opportunities to give the new toy a good workout!
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
Not too many opportunities to play with my Z6 during the past 2 weeks, mostly because of the cold weather...



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/30, f/4, ISO 100
 

Darin Marcus

Well-known member
I've been reading elsewhere on the Internet about this issue that the Z7/6 allegedly have with IBIS in the 1/30s - 1/120s range. One claim is that with the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm and EFCS off, IBIS off results in sharper images than IBIS on.
I tested this claim today. All the following images were taken handheld with the kit lens @ 70mm and EFCS off. Straight conversion from NEF with Capture NX-D, cropped in Lightroom and saved with no resizing and no sharpening. EXIF should be included.

First test at 1/100s. It was a bit bright outside so I had to go to f/8 @ ISO 100.

First with VR on:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/100, f/8, ISO 100, VR on

Next with VR off:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/100, f/8, ISO 100, VR off

It is clear from this test that the claim is true - at 1/100s IBIS actually softens the image!


Now a test at 1/50s. It was less bright outside so I could choose f/4 @ ISO 100.

First with VR on:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/50, f/4, ISO 100, VR on

Next with VR off:



Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, 1/50, f/4, ISO 100, VR off

In this case IBIS did help, although the image with IBIS on is not as sharp as it should be...

In any case, the results of the test at 1/100s made me reconsider the use of IBIS - I turned it off, since I do not plan to use EFCS yet.
I will try to stay at shutter speeds faster than 1/f, which should not be a problem for me with the kit lens, given that high ISO is pretty good with the Z6.

I will also try to do some additional tests at different focal lengths with the kit lens.
 

SrMphoto

Well-known member
<snip>

In any case, the results of the test at 1/100s made me reconsider the use of IBIS - I turned it off, since I do not plan to use EFCS yet.
I will try to stay at shutter speeds faster than 1/f, which should not be a problem for me with the kit lens, given that high ISO is pretty good with the Z6.

I will also try to do some additional tests at different focal lengths with the kit lens.
Why don't you want to use EFCS?
 
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