On Location With Nikon Ambassador Keith Ladzinski and the Nikon Z 6

Thinking of purchasing a new Nikon mirrorless camera? Watch this video to see what it's like to shoot with the Nikon Z 6 on location. 

Keith Ladzinski  is a Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic contributing photographer. Born in New York and now currently residing in Boulder, Colorado, Ladzinski has traveled across all seven continents in pursuit of adventure and image making. He focuses his creative work on natural history, climate change, extreme sports, and advertising, often blending them all together on various projects. Ladzinski is also a contributing photographer to the Sea Legacy Collective and his work has been published in or used by The New York Times, Nikon, Toyota, The North Face, Apple, Red Bull, ABC, The Weather Channel, and more. 

In this video, Ladzinski takes us behind the scenes in the field and into his creative process, all with the new Nikon Z 6 mirrorless camera. One thing that Ladzinski highlights in this video about the Z 6 is its size and weight. Especially for outdoor photographers, these two factors can make all the difference when choosing a camera and gear to bring into the field. The Z 6, like other mirrorless cameras now on the market, is an excellent choice for outdoor photographers because of its lighter weight and size as compared to a bulkier DSLR.

Personally, I've been thinking of diving into the mirrorless world for a while now. I've been shooting with Nikon cameras for my entire life, so I wasn't dead set on switching to Sony right away, plus I'm not a huge fan of Sony's color profiles. I decided to be patient and wait for Nikon to release its own version of a mirrorless camera. Being a photographer who primarily shoots in the outdoors, the size and weight alone of the Z 6 is enough for me to pick one up. Plus, the internal stabilization, accurate viewfinder and 4K video capabilities are icing on the cake. Watching Ladzinski apply the Z 6 to his own workflow is now the push I needed to make the jump and purchase the Z 6. 

Watch the video to learn more of why the photographer chooses the Z 6, and maybe it'll have the same effect on you. 

Tim Behuniak's picture

Timothy Behuniak is a Salt Lake City-based landscape and outdoor adventure photographer who's passionate about getting lost in the woods with his camera. Tim's hope is that his viewers, like him, will one day love and fight to protect the beautiful locations he is fortunate to photograph.

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17 Comments

Well I'm not going to argue about the weight as if I can bear holding the D850 for the whole day, the Z series won't be an issue. What I think I appreciate more is the size, it's easier to pack multiple bodies as it doesn't require a bulky space for the in the bag.

Anyway, the size and weight savings will always be a subjective benefit. Some might consider it a downside too.

Hold 400g in your hand, outstretched arm, for 15 minutes, then tell me it only matters to people with arthritis.

What a condescending and ignorant statement.

So you agree you're condescending and ignorant, good.

Well, I have arthritis...in my spine and hands. I use mostly 35mm slrs like F5..F4s..F2a and medium format with Hasselblad 500CM and Fuji GX680 mounted on Bogen 3036 with 3047 head. That plus backpack and.....well..whatever. I never once thought about complaining or looking into something else. But then...I taught Special Forces in Vietnam. But now I'd like to look deeper at the Fuji 50s and am seriously thinking about the Leica S2 P. Hey....maybe I AM getting to old now.

I'm not seeing you're point. You carried heavy things, so you're better than people who can't?

No, not that. It's just that many people these days complain or compare the weight of their gear. It's like it's a contest. No one ever complained about what they had to carry back in the 50s, 60s, etc. Hey, maybe I'm complaining too much. Ok...I'll shut up.

No sir, you are not huffing paint. It's not a matter of right or wrong. It's a matter of personal choice. I have many Nikons, a Fuji XT-1 and others. I find the Fuji to be just not a handful for me. I need something more beefy. I love the F5 and F4s and other film cameras I have and even the 2 DSLRs. I can get used to the Fuji, but I feel more comfortable with the others. Now as for medium format...that's a different story. I will now go and try out the Z6 and see how I like it. In hand and for picture taking. Thank you for kicking me into doing so.

I went from a D800 with a grip to the Z7. Carrying this lighter camera is refreshing; it's not just the body, but the Z lenses as well which make up the whole package. The lightness really came into its own on a recent trip I took to Greece. Wow!! It was so nice having a light backpack instead of the heavy Think Tank.

I have to admit, the size was a put off when I first saw the camera, as I'm used to using a heavier camera. What sold it for me, was a photo of the Z7 next to the venerable F3. I used an F3 for many years and remembered, I had no problem with its size. Then I went to the store to hand hold the Z camera, and loved it. I can't see going back to a DSLR now as my primary camera (I still have the D800).

For the camera itself, I would guess it is not to much to most people especially those who already shoot dslr as were use to it. But once you start adding heavier and heavier lenses on the body then yes it adds up hand held that is. And if your packing lots of shit in a pack, then yes every little bit of weight saved helps out so much. If you have a bunch of 2.8 lenses your at what 2.5 lbs each lens.

I'm a weak lil baby, so yes lol.

‘One thing that Ladzinski highlights in this video about the Z 6 is its size and weight’...

It’s the only thing he highlighted. The rest is marketing hype. Nothing here has convinced me that mirrorless is the future. One could make exactly the same video, substituting virtually any camera for the Z6.

Of course you can substitute visually any camera . However , you have to admit that compared to previous Nikon DSLRs that the Z6 has way better video features . I still love using DSLRs (also think they will be around for while) , but it's naive to think that mirrorless is not the future .

I said that nothing in his video convinced me that mirrorless was the future.

What does it mean that 'something is the future'? Thinking about it.....well yeah..ok. This or that can be the 'future' until something else comes along to be another 'future'. It's constantly changing so that something will always be the 'future'. Was the same thing when DSLRs came along. It'll all work out.

This should be a sponsored post FSTOPPERS! You are losing money when you promote the words of a Nikon ambassador as gospel. The only thing missing from this video is that Keith has shot 27000 weddings (film and digital) and not had one frame lost due to film/processing/one slot.

If I was still shooting Nikon I would stick with the 850. best dslr on the market. The z6 is not ready for prime time because I cannot afford to miss a shot due to the errartic lowlight af and other issues that are not discussed in this video.

only reason i switched to sony a9 is the dslr was limiting the venues i could shoot in such as quiet movie set and even courtrooms. Huge advantage over dslr shooters.

Maybe identify it in a "infomercial" category.

A fraction of the size, but definitely not infinitely more powerful thats for sure. I found the Z6 to be lacking in way more than a single card slot, which I could have lived with. Don't get me wrong its a great little camera, but its not where it needs to be for me. I am a photojournalist shooting mostly action sports and breaking news. It just can't compete with my D5 or even my D4s and D850. Its just not fast enough to focus in focus tracking modes.