Photo notebook

The pricing for the camera body is A LOT more than I was expecting.

In NZ the launch price is $5,200, which is way above my expectation that it would be closer to $4,000.

The current NZ prices are:

• Zf $3,500 (it’s on sale)
• Z6III $5,200
• Z8 $7,700 (also on sale)

This makes me think much harder about what I need. If I wasn’t into working on my wildlife technique so much I would simply stick with what I’ve got.

Four years with the Z6

Even in 2024 the Z6 is still an amazing camera. With my newly acquired knowledge of how autofocus works on the Z6, it would still be perfect for me if it were not for my recent interest in bird photography. The requirements for bird photography in the NZ bush are well beyond what the Z6 is intended for, and even though it performs very well in those conditions, I feel there are a lot of shots I miss that I wouldn’t with the latest generation of AF.

But what is it I really need?

• 24mp is enough for me. Sure I would sometimes love the additional freedom to crop that a larger file would provide, but 24mp really is fine for me right now. [Update: more and more the idea of 45mp of the Z8 is very appealing.]
• Better autofocus. I believe there is still more to squeeze out of the Z6’s AF system by improving my technique and learning to mode switch. This is a valuable skill to learn and will be needed for a new body. A big part of this is autofocus down to EV -10 vs EV -3.5. I don’t think in practice I’ll get 10 stops more, but even if it is -6 vs -3.5 it should make a huge difference. In fact I wonder if I get AF at -3.5 currently.
• A larger buffer. I am finding I need to be careful not to fill the buffer, and a couple of times recently I have been aware of missing shots as the buffer was full and firing became less responsive. In practice the buffer of the Z6III is unlimited, but that could result in a lot more useless frames to weed out after the photo shoot.
• IBS – most of my low light wildlife shots are handheld, so improvements here are high up the needs list.
• Good high ISO performance.
• Faster frame rate. The Z6 is pretty good for my needs. Sure a bump wouldn’t hurt, but I find 12fps ample.
• U1 to U3 mode switch. This is frequently used, even on wildlife shoots if I want to attempt monochrome shots. [Update: Exploring the banks on the D810 has been a relief and a fright. On one hand they’re not as bad as I thought, and have a number of advantages over user settings, but there is a speed and simplicity to the user settings that is far easier to understand.]
• Video. I barely use video, and while it’s something I may get into it’s not currently part of my thinking.

Stick with the Z6?

If I wasn’t currently hooked on wildlife photography the Z6 would be absolutely fine, there is very little I do that requires as much AF and buffer grunt as the Z6III provides.

The Z6II is not a big enough upgrade

On paper the Z6II is not a big enough upgrade from the Z6, it was surely intended for folks switching to the Z system for the first time rather than folks upgrading from the first generation Z models. It’s still a chunk of money too.

The Zf comes close in all but one major area

Given the price of the Z6III, the Zf really is an interesting option. Its autofocus won’t be as as good as the 6III, but it is a huge upgrade on the Z6 and Z6II. The buffer also doesn’t match the 6III, but, it should be a material improvement on the Z6 that tends to fill and slow after only bursts of only a few seconds, whereas in theory the Zf buffer should last about 14 seconds.

In every key factor where I need a bump in performance the Zf will provide it, and it has so many of the features of the the Z6III for a much lower price.

There is a substantial drawback for action photography, the ergonomics of a ‘retro’ camera. It will need a third party grip for starters, but for $1,700 less it’s at least worth consideration, as it may not be as bad as I expect. It is a difficult thing to test though, as there are no rental options in my city that I’m aware of.

What about the Z8?

At $2,500 more than the Z6III I cannot justify it. Perhaps used units in a few years will be more affordable, but like the D8xx series I expect they’ll hold their value well for some time to come. [Update: the Z8 is very very much on the cards for me. I think the Z6III megapixel issue will become an issue for me in the coming years. A Z8 at a reduced price (or used) is likely to be a body I will keep for 5+ years, the Z6III might not be.]

The advantages of the Z6III

• The autofocus looks to be extremely good.
• 24mp – perfect for me currently as I really don’t fancy handling large quantities of massive files. [Update: I am wavering on this one.]
• The EVF is the best of the Nikon’s atm.
• The buffer is huge, like a Z8.
• The much lower price than the Z8.
• Pixel shift is interesting as I’d like a higher resolution option sometimes for landscape and so one, but, it’s probably not ideal for this purpose when things are moving and it needs to take 30 shots (although in the right conditions it could do that in a little over 2 seconds).
• My other underlying assumption is that the Z6III is going to get some pretty major firmware upgrades over the next couple of years which could make it even more of an incredible performer.
• I think more will be revealed about the 6III as more people use production copies. [Update: apart from quibbles about dynamic range the longer term reviews are still basically rave reviews.]

The only downside is the price, and it is the only thing that has given me pause. If it was around $4,000 I’d be lining this up. At $5,200 I have to reconsider.

So what’s it going to be?

Given I don’t have funds, this is a thought exercise.

If the old Z6 fetches a reasonable price, say around $1,200, I’ll still need to come up with about $4,000 for a 6III, vs $2,000 for the Zf.

• $4,000 is a hell of a lot for sick as AF and buffer.
• That said, it would hopefully be enough camera for me and I would have no need to upgrade for a good 5 or 6 years. The thought that nags me is will 24mp, while perfect for me now, start to feel like a limitation within a few years? Having a camera body for 6 years would work out at an additional outlay of under $700/year, but assuming the keeper rate is a lot higher that is good value given how much I use it.
• When taking a longer term view, it even makes the Z8 a contender, at under $1,100 a year over 6 years. Food for thought. [Update: I am working towards savings for Cyber Monday, in case there is a reduction on the Z8.]
• For me, the Zf comes within range of the 6III in terms of benefits, but has an ergonomic trade-off that might be unmanageable, even given the much lower cost.

Right now I have no choice so I am going to stick with the Z6, but I will be saving up.

[Postscript: I would be happy with a Zf, Z6III, or a Z8. The Z8 is certainly my preferred option of the three, but, it may be financially out of reach for several years.]