The Nikon Z6III is Coming!

One of the most important parts of being a Photographer or Gear-o-phile is obsessing over cameras that are not yet released. In fact, once you buy a new camera, you must point out everything that is wrong with it and then spend the next 6-12 months, or in the case of Nikon, the next 2 years, obsessing over rumors and hearsay on what the next generation of your camera model will contain. Well, the time is here and it looks like the Nikon Z6III is on the horizon! This is great news for Z6, Z6II and Nikon DSLR owners that are looking to upgrade or make the jump into the mirrorless world.

Rumored Specs

Shout out to the one and only, NikonRumors.com for releasing this article about the upcoming Nikon Z6III rumored specs. Here is a list of what we might expect in the newest Z6:

• 24.5 million pixels sensor

• Duo EXPEED 7 processors

• ISO 100-64,000

• 9 subjects detection AF（same as Z9）

• 310 single-point AF

• IBIS

• 6k30p, 4k120p N-Log/HLG internal video recording

• CFepress-B/XQC+SD card

• No N-RAW

• Better cooling design

Photo Credit: Nikonrumors.com - The rumored Z6III (Left) and the current Z6II (Right).

In the above picture, we have a side-by-side comparison of the rumored Z6III and the Z6II. The first thing to note is the size of the Z6III body when compared to the Z6II. The viewfinder on the Z6III seems to be shorter or perhaps contained within the new body more so than the Z6II. This could be the result of the additional cooling components, new IBIS or simply a redesign of the body. The Nikon "Z" label has also moved to the top right, similar to the Nikon Z8. The front facing function buttons have also undergone a make over and it looks like we will see the addition of a 10-pin control input on the right side.

My Take

While I am happy to see some new and upgraded specs in the Z6III, I can't say that any of these specs really surprise me all that much. Don't get me wrong, I love that fact that, if these specs are true, the Z6III will be leaps and bounds above my Z6II. I have been waiting for some time to buy a higher spec Nikon body to be my primary stills camera and make my Z6II my "back-up". Let's break it down:

• 24.5 million pixels sensor - Many fans of the Nikon Z6II have pointed out that its main competitor, the Sony A7IV, went from a 24MP sensor in the A7III to a 33MP sensor in the A7IV. Since Sony supplies Nikon with it's sensors, it has been theorized that the Nikon Z6III might have the same exact 33MP sensor. While this makes sense from a competition standpoint, 24MP is more than enough for most photographers in the prosumer market. From Nikon's standpoint, the Z8 and potential Z7III would satisfy the needs for photographers needing a higher MP count camera. Why hurt sales of those cameras with a higher MP Z6III?

• Duo EXPEED 7 processors - The Z6II has dual EXPEED 6 processors. It makes sense that Nikon will opt to include the latest generation of processors in the new Z6III.

• ISO 100-64,000 - Same specs as the newly released Nikon Zf.

• 9 subjects detection AF（same as Z9）- One cannot talk about a new Nikon camera without first talking about autofocus. Ever since the release of the Sony A7III, reliable autofocus has been the most sought after quality of a camera. Forget color science, can the thing track my eyeball?! Luckily Nikon has made great strides in this realm. I thought the Nikon Z6II's autofocus worked quiet well. Granted I was coming from a D750, so the Z6III should be 1000 times better, right?

• 310 single-point AF - For comparison, the Nikon Z6II has 273 AF points, as does the Zf. The Z8 has 493.

• IBIS - While the Nikon Z6II has IBIS, I imagine the Z6III will have improved IBIS.

• 6k30p, 4k120p N-Log/HLG internal video recording - This is where things get exciting. One of my biggest gripes of the Z6II are its video specs. When compared to other cameras in prosumer tier, like the Sony A7IV and Canon R6II, the Z6II video specs were lacking quiet a bit. Particularly the lack of internal N-LOG and RAW recording. While I like having the Atomos Ninja as a video monitor, it is not something I want to lug around with me outside of my studio. I am glad to see Nikon has moved these types of recordings internally.

• CFepress-B/XQC+SD card -My best guess is the Z6III will have different "models" to choose from based on the types of cards you want to use?

• No N-RAW - It makes sense, at least to me, that Nikon is not releasing N-RAW on one of its prosumer tiered cameras. The Z8 and Z9 both have N-RAW and cater to the more high-end, professional crowd who are more likely to use it.

• Better cooling design - This most likely goes hand in hand with the dual processors and 6k/higher frame rate shooting. The increase in video shooting capabilities, coupled with the new processors, are sure to generate a lot of heat. It will be interesting to see how Nikon combats these issue while maintaining a smaller body when compared to the Z8/Z9.

Time will tell

The folks (or singular "folk") over at nikonrumors.com has a decent track record of getting rumors right. I can see a lot of these specs making their way into the final version of the Z6III. Of course, with most Nikon cameras, there will be some quirks and missing features. However, I believe that the Z6III will deliver and cannot wait to add it to my kit.