A Refreshingly Raw, Honest Review of the Nikon Z6

Among the thousands of reviews you come across, sometimes, one stands out for its honesty and objectivity. This review of the Nikon Z6 does just that.

In this video, Steve Huff gives us his experiential feedback of the Nikon Z6. The thing I like about Huff is that his reviews aren't scripted: he just speaks from his heart and delivers his thoughts in a way that the common camera enthusiast can relate to. He doesn't get bogged down in technical jargon or endless spec analysis, but he does give open, honest feedback that can be very helpful if you're thinking about buying a particular camera. 

I also like how he doesn't take sides in the brand debate. Straight up, he says that all of the big three brands deliver fantastic cameras and you can't really go too wrong with any. That being said, in his review of the Nikon Z6, a few things he likes from his time using it are:

  • sharpest raw image files he's seen to date
  • rich color in its images
  • a more raw, filmic look 
  • intuitive controls and button layout

Some things he didn't like so much included:

  • poor AF in low light in both video and still mode (with multiple Nikkor lenses)
  • ergonomically not as good as Canon EOS R (but better than Sony a7 III)
  • specialized memory card (unsurprisingly!)

I don't want to give it all away, because I want you to watch and form your own opinion. But one thing that is of considerable value during this review is that each time Huff discusses a particular point about the Nikon Z6, he then compares that point with his extensive experiences using the Canon EOS R and the Sony a7 III. Sometimes, the Nikon comes out on top, while other times, it doesn't fare so well. So as far as objectivity goes, it's pretty hard to go past Huff, in my opinion. 

Give the video a good look and let me know your thoughts below. 2019 promises to be a big year, and I'm keenly looking at user experiences as I decide which way to go in my pursuit of the perfect setup. 

Iain Stanley's picture

Iain Stanley is an Associate Professor teaching photography and composition in Japan. Fstoppers is where he writes about photography, but he's also a 5x Top Writer on Medium, where he writes about his expat (mis)adventures in Japan and other things not related to photography. To view his writing, click the link above.

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11 Comments

Sounds like a nice starting point for Nikon.

I'm guessing it's facetious but I'm not actually sure what that means

I think it's pretty clear they have their work cut out for them to truly catch up, but for a first generation product, I think it's a solid offering.

Sure, things could have been better, but it could have gone a LOT worse.

Fair enough. How do you rate the Z7 then?

I think it was too expensive for what it was. It should have been priced below the D850 at very least. By all accounts, it seems like the Z6 is actually the overall better performing camera. Not sure if it's something that can be fixed with a firmware update or two to bring the Z7's performance in line with the Z6, but I think Nikon should have led with the Z6 and incorporated the feedback into some last minute revisions on the Z7. Announcing both at the same time was a mistake in my opinion.

Then again, it's not my company nor is it my money on the line, but now they're in a weird position where they have an under-performing high end camera and it would probably be a bad idea to issue an immediate revision so it's something that they'll have to live with for the next 2 years at very least unless they plan to piss off a lot of early adopters. Of course there's always the opportunity for them to release a MILC at a tier above the Z7 (something comparable to the D5/rumored D6 tier), but I think that would be a hard sell without the native glass to back it.

I like the emphasis of the series overall on ergonomics and weathersealing and the mount obviously opens up a lot of possibilities moving forward. While I have my disagreements about some of their strategy, I think that the Z series has the most potential of the current MILC options looking forward to the next decade. It's on Nikon to turn that potential into reality, though.

you're damned if you do and damned if you don't in some respects. Canon was pasted by many for only bringing out the lower end EOS R, yet Nikon is widely pummeled for sticking its neck high above the parapet by bringing two models out at the same time......

"you're damned if you do and damned if you don't in some respects."

So it seems. Personally, I think that Canon made the right call, but I've seen plenty of people give them crap. There's no pleasing everyone.

Ain't that the truth!

Don't you mean "Z 6"? :-P

Might sound odd but I've never hear of this guy before. I like him though, old enough, wise enough and obviously has his feet on the floor. Talk properly, takes his time and makes a perfectly good and practical analysis. Clearly not a couch reviewer but someone who uses different things and has experience.

I've a Z7 and have used the Z6 briefly. Totally fair comments. Last point on that bullet list though, XQD is no stranger if you come from D850 or a later D model. Not an issue.

Love how he doesn't give a jot about single card slot either. Exactly the same reasoning here.

yeah I thoroughly agree with pretty much everything you say. I really enjoy listening to most of his reviews coz he clearly doesn't take sides, nor does he get caught up in the hyperbole or pseudo outrage regarding certain things with certain models or makers.