Nikon Z6III Camera | One Month Assesssment with Video & Photo Examples
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host shares a month-long experience with the Nikon Z6 III, discussing its dynamic range controversy and showcasing photo and video results. They address the camera's noise issues, design flaws, and freezing incidents, while praising its ergonomics, robust build, and compatibility with Z-mount lenses. The Z6 III is seen as a valuable addition to the Z series, offering impressive readout speed and high-quality video capabilities, despite some drawbacks.
Takeaways
- 📅 The speaker started using the Nikon Z63 one month ago and has used it for various types of photography.
- 📷 The Nikon Z63 has been a topic of controversy due to its dynamic range, which has been tested and discussed by various reviewers.
- 🔍 The dynamic range of the Z63 has been measured by different sources, with some suggesting a slight advantage in dynamic range at higher ISO settings.
- 🎥 The camera is praised for its excellent video specs, including 6K recording capabilities and various frame rates and codecs.
- 📊 There is a discussion about the trade-off between the fast readout speed of the stacked sensor and the dynamic range.
- 🎞 Historically, film had limitations in dynamic range, and professionals adapted their techniques to work within those constraints.
- 👀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding exposure and lighting to make the most out of the camera's capabilities.
- 📸 The Nikon Z63's ergonomics and build quality are appreciated, with a deeper grip and well-placed function buttons.
- 🔧 Some issues were noted with the camera, such as noise during operation, a design flaw with the strap ring, and a freezing issue during a video shoot.
- 💡 The speaker suggests that the Nikon Z63 is a tool that should be chosen based on the specific needs of the job, comparing it to other models like the Z9 and Z8.
- 🌟 The overall impression of the Nikon Z63 is positive, with the speaker highlighting its capabilities and value for money in the current market.
Q & A
What camera was unboxed at Victoria Park and how has it been used since then?
-The camera unboxed at Victoria Park was the Nikon Z63. It has been used regularly, if not exclusively, for a variety of shoots including both photo and video since it was acquired on June 25th.
What has been the controversy surrounding the Nikon Z63?
-The controversy surrounding the Nikon Z63 revolves around its semi-stack sensors dynamic range, or the perceived lack thereof, which has been a topic of discussion and testing among photographers and reviewers.
What are the video specs of the Nikon Z63 that the speaker finds excellent?
-The Nikon Z63 has excellent video specs including 6K up to 60p in N-RAW, 30p in ProRes RAW, 5.4K up to 30p in ProRes 422 HQ 10bit, and 60p in H.265, as well as 240p HD.
What is the reported dynamic range of the Nikon Z63 according to Gerald Undun's early tests?
-According to Gerald Undun's early tests, the dynamic range of the Nikon Z63 was pegged at around 10 just under, in the medium range signal to noise ratio of two as he put it, clean stops.
What did William Jlf's data indicate about the base ISO of the Nikon Z63?
-William Jlf's data indicated that the base ISO of the Nikon Z63 is at 10.4 stops, and it looks like the semi-stack sensor also has a dual gain with a jump at 800, suggesting a slight advantage in dynamic range at 800 ISO over 400.
What was the dynamic range result when shooting 5.4k on a 4K 24p H265 with the Nikon Z63?
-When shooting 5.4k on a 4K 24p H265, which is one of the settings the speaker was interested in, the dynamic range result was in the medium range signal to noise ratio of two again, equaling 11.6 stops.
What are some of the speaker's likes and dislikes about the Nikon Z63 after using it for a month?
-The speaker likes the Nikon Z63's dynamic range, video specs, and build quality. Dislikes include the camera's noise during operation, the strap split ring design, and the flippy screen preference over an articulated screen.
What issue did the speaker encounter with the memory card when shooting with the Nikon Z63?
-The speaker encountered an issue where the Nikon Z63 froze up when using the Nova chip 660 GB Extreme CF Express Type B card, which had been performing flawlessly in the Z8. The issue was resolved by switching to a different card.
How does the Nikon Z63 compare to other cameras in terms of build quality and ergonomics?
-The build quality of the Nikon Z63 is described as robust and professional, and it has excellent ergonomics with a slightly deeper grip and well-placed function buttons, although the grip design was not universally liked.
What is the speaker's perspective on the Nikon Z63's dynamic range and how it fits into their camera collection?
-The speaker views the Nikon Z63 as having plenty of dynamic range for their needs and sees it as an excellent addition to their collection of Zed cameras. They consider it a tool and choose the right tool for a given job, with the Z63 being particularly useful for its weight savings and video capabilities.
Outlines
📷 Nikon Z63 Unboxing and Initial Impressions
The script introduces the Nikon Z63 camera, discussing the author's first encounter with it at Victoria Park. The author shares their experience using the camera for various shoots and promises to provide an overview of its features and shortcomings. The script addresses the controversy around the camera's dynamic range and semi-stack sensor, referencing early tests by Gerald Undun and William Jlf. The author emphasizes the camera's video capabilities and plans to share their thoughts and sample results from using the camera since its release.
🎥 Dynamic Range Testing and Practical Use Cases
This paragraph delves into the dynamic range of the Nikon Z63, referencing tests by Gerald Undun and William Jlf that indicate a dynamic range of around 10 to 11.6 stops, depending on the ISO settings. The author discusses the practical implications of these findings, mentioning the use of noise reduction and the camera's performance in challenging lighting conditions. They also reflect on their own experiences with film and the importance of understanding and exploiting the tools at hand, suggesting that while the Z63 may not match the dynamic range of some other cameras, it is still a capable tool for professional use.
🖼️ Field Experiences and Image Editing with the Z63
The author shares specific experiences of using the Nikon Z63 in the field, highlighting its performance in high-contrast situations. They describe editing two images, one of a cyclist and another of a deer, to demonstrate the camera's ability to recover details from shadows and highlights. The paragraph emphasizes the camera's flat profile setting and the author's satisfaction with the dynamic range and skin tones achieved through post-processing.
🔧 Critiques and Operational Issues with the Nikon Z63
In this section, the author lists several critiques and operational issues they've encountered with the Nikon Z63. They mention the camera's noisy operation, the design flaw of the strap split ring, and the preference for an articulated screen over the flip-screen design. Additionally, they recount an incident where the camera froze during a shoot, which they attribute to a card compatibility issue. The author also comments on the build quality and ergonomics of the camera, appreciating the deeper grip and well-placed function buttons.
🛠️ Final Thoughts on the Nikon Z63's Performance and Value
The author concludes their initial assessment of the Nikon Z63, reflecting on its performance, value, and place among other cameras in the Z series. They highlight the camera's robust build, improved ergonomics, and the impressive readout speed, which has been demonstrated in various tests. Despite some operational quirks, the author views the Z63 as a valuable tool, especially when paired with high-quality Z Mount lenses. They express their intention to continue using the camera and provide updates on its performance over time.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Nikon Z63
💡Dynamic Range
💡Semi-Stack Sensors
💡ISO Settings
💡RAW
💡Log Curve
💡H.265
💡Noise Reduction
💡Exposure Tools
💡Ergonomics
💡IBIS Lock
Highlights
Unboxing of the Nikon Z63 camera at Victoria Park and its regular use for various shoots.
Introduction to the Nikon Z63's video specs and the promise to showcase results from June 25th.
Discussion of the controversy surrounding the Z63's dynamic range and semi-stack sensors.
Early tests by Gerald Undun indicating a dynamic range of around 10 stops.
William Jlf's data suggesting a base ISO of 10.4 stops and a dual gain sensor with a jump at 800.
Practical use of the Z63 in various lighting conditions and the recovery of details in high contrast images.
Comparison of the Z63's dynamic range to film cameras and the importance of understanding exposure.
The Z63's video capabilities including 6K up to 60p in N-RAW and various other high-quality formats.
The importance of advanced exposure tools like waveforms and false color for video shooting.
Examples of editing high contrast images captured with the Z63, demonstrating its dynamic range capabilities.
Critique of the Z63's noise during operation and comparison to other Z series cameras.
Design issue with the strap split ring and its interference with the card door.
Preference for the articulated screen over the flip screen and its impact on user experience.
Incident of the Z63 freezing during a video shoot and the subsequent troubleshooting.
Compatibility issues with certain CF Express type B cards in the Z63.
Ergonomics of the Z63, including the deeper grip and well-placed function buttons.
The Z63's robust build quality and its comparison to other Z series cameras.
Final thoughts on the Z63 as a valuable addition to the Z series lineup and its performance in various scenarios.
Transcripts
it was just one month ago by a day or
two anyway that I sat at a picnic table
in a Victoria Park to unbox the Nikon Z
63 I've used the camera regularly if not
uh exclusively for a variety of shoots
so let's get to the results Ponto
without too much introductory chatter
later I'll add an overview of stuff I
like and uh don't like rather than a
technical Deep dive of which there's
plenty online already and I guess I feel
compelled to respond to some of the
controversy surrounding this camera or
its um semi- stack sensors dynamic range
or lack thereof but let's leave that for
later and as promised show you some
results that I've made since I got the
camera on June 25th both photo and video
because this camera has some excellent
video specs so let's get right to those
and if you stick around I'll meet you
back here for some thoughts on the
camera itself
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hi Ray here back in the studio with the
25 megapixel Nikon
z63 now there's been a lot of discussion
surrounding the dynamic range of the z63
or lack thereof and originally I had a
lot of notes that I was going to use uh
to add here at this point I feel like
that's been Beat to Death so I'll just
talk about my experience so far but just
to
summarize hang in there fellow Canadian
Gerald undun I believe started the
discussion with his early tests released
on June 17th when the Embargo on such
things lifted and he pegged dynamic
range at around 10 just under actually
in the medium range uh signal to noise
ratio of two as he put it clean stops
that you'd actually want to use a lot of
people were initially waiting as well
for photons to photos to weigh in and
thanks to William jlf we have that data
at our fingertips he measures base ISO
at 10.4 stops but this is interesting it
looks like the semi- stack sensor also
is kind of dual gain with a jump at 800
so according to this data at 400 you
might as well jump to 800 for a slight
advantage in dynamic range assuming
you're controlling such things but I
don't think it's useful to spend a lot
of time analyzing these charts I don't
know about you but I don't work in that
world when all's said and done what are
we talking about uh assuming these tests
are accurate and I'm not suggesting that
they're not but some people are
agonizing over what a stop of dynamic
range at some settings when it comes to
video specifically and that's what
Gerald undone was examining briefly
again because I don't want to get bogged
down in this technical argument he
filmed what's called a zyla 21 High
dynamic range test chart run through im
a test program so he shot varying
flavors of n Raw on varying
timelines 6K 4K at a base ISO of 800
with and without noise reduction and got
12 stops with noise reduction in post
now if we shoot 5.4k on a 4K 24p h265
which is one of the settings that I was
interested in and eager to use with this
camera CER then his results were in the
medium range signal to noise ratio of
two again clean stops you'd want to use
equaled 11.6 stops of dynamic range and
a better log curve than nikons might
help he concluded and I'll examine an
alternative in a future video he noted
noise Improvement at ISO 6400 as well
for my use case this works well
perfectly fine we might forget that this
is available in camera but but what this
amounts to ultimately uh what it looks
like on paper is that there's may be a
slight cost in dynamic range with these
fast readout stacked sensors in exchange
for that readout so uh no the z63
doesn't seem to have quite as much
dynamic range as say the Z8 at certain
ISO settings now I happen to be old
enough uh to have shot film over three
decades in fact when professionals did
everything that they could to squeeze
the last ounce of dynamic range out of
the film they were using from the film's
characteristic curve so after careful
exposure we use developing methods to
exploit the full curve in black and
white
especially like for instance uh pushing
or pulling the development time water
bath development to control shadows and
highlights as the development progressed
when it came to unforgiving film like
transparency slides if you're her
understanding exposure and how to use a
light meter were pretty important kod
Chrome for instance the 64 and 200 ASA
versions had just eight stops of dynamic
range ASA 25 was beautiful and had a
dynamic range of 12 stops but really it
wasn't practical without a tripod or in
very bright conditions I see that recent
tests were performed pitting modern
Cinema cameras like the ARA Alexa and
red against film cameras and big
surprise the digital cinema cameras beat
the film cameras hands down when it came
to dynamic range not the film holdouts
like quent and Tarantino care
because professionals have never been
hog tied by dynamic
range they know the tools that they work
with they know the limits within which
they
work they know the pallet if you will
from which they paint
they understand
lighting and look the semi stacked
sensor of the z63 was as I understand it
produced to answer some of the
criticisms of the Second Generation Z 6
like focusing but Nikon absolutely would
want to offer a lot more than the z62
they'd shown in the flagship z9 and its
more affordable sibling the Z8 what the
xeed 7 processor could do then we got
the Retro futuristic ZF that is just a
fabulous camera albe it with a wee bit
less in terms of video as in just 4K but
beautiful h265 10bit nonetheless in the
Z 63 we get 6K up to 60p In N raw and
30p in prores raw 5.4k up to 30p in
prores 422 HQ 10bit 60p and
h265 and so on all of which is beautiful
to my eye and I should also mention 240p
HD a lot of choices to meet a wide
variety of lighting and subject
scenarios I think a lot of the confusion
comes in relation to exposing for video
especially when it comes to raw and log
footage or
hlg speaking for myself I'm pretty lost
without advanced exposure tools like
waveforms and false color personally I
just wouldn't go out of the studio
without a monitor that includes these
jees the waveform that Nikon has
included in recent cameras from the z9
forward while helpful it just doesn't
cut it in challenging lighting
conditions and at the risk of repeating
myself it would be nice if Nikon could
give us false color after all if Canon
can do it why not Nikon I want to refer
to a couple of my example images to
illustrate practically what my
experience has been with the z63 in the
field and then I'll get to more uh
General likes and dislikes okay I just
want to talk about a couple of images
that you saw earlier in the first um
Gallery shall we say this one here of
this cyclist which I very much like I
just love the way he's uh he noticed me
this is shot with the z63 of course and
the 85 mm
f1.2 Zed mount lens not a lens that I
usually use for sport I usually use
zooms but I wanted to try this out I
should mention that this is shot in the
flat profile that's the profile that I
always use so you can see here the
helmet is blown out and his face is in
deep Shadow totally back lit sun is over
here you can see it's just poking
through on the end of his nose anyway
quite a contrasty image that would help
with high dynamic range so let's get to
my edit this is my first edit I'm quite
happy with it though and you can see
we've recovered the helmet and the
Shadows look quite nice you can see it's
a very hot day he's sweating and we've
managed to pull his face up looks really
good I think and you can see over here
uh I chose the profile camera portrait
actually I thought it worked well in
terms of both uh what it did with the
dynamic range and the skin tones now
let's have a look at this image of the
deer with his antlers all covered in
felt once again this deer was hiding
under a tree from the hot sun the back
back ground was obviously brightly lit
love these grasses here and this was a
mixture of leaves and sparkling in the
Sun and some patches of bare Earth that
were really bright so what did I do with
this well let's take a look first of all
again this is shot in the flat profile I
changed to camera neutral and I did
isolate the subject so that I could
bring him up a bit but the point here is
once again very very contrasty scene
dark subject and let's just go back and
take a look that's how we started out
this is a the second exposure but I mean
I was shooting um I don't know maybe 10
frames a second here short little burst
and this is what I ended up with so I
hope that shows that the Nikon z63 has
quite a bit of dynamic range certainly
enough for situations like this my
exposure is fairly good I decided that I
was confident I could bring those
Shadows up that was my exposure and
that's what we ended up with okay so
after a month with the Z 63 here's what
I don't like about it it's noisy not in
terms of signals and noise but compared
to any of my other Zed cameras it makes
a lot of weird sounds during operation
even accessing the menu it makes a kind
of clunk
same when it goes to sleep it wakes me
up I'm guessing this has something to do
with the Ibis lock now this isn't a real
problem only that it is noticeable
compared to my other Z series cameras
like the ZF which doesn't have Ibis lock
but uh a regular viewer also asked me
about it contacted me because he was
surprised how much noisier it is
compared to his
z62 and my original Z6 is as quiet as a
most in comparison to this
camera this strap split ring I join a
lot of other viewers in saying this is a
design faux paw it gets caught on the
card door unless you have it strung on a
slap strap I should say um even then it
can get tangled clearance on the Z6 and
I presume the Z6 to is tight but
completely functional with a z 63 you
have to learn a kind of new thumb flip
trick to fully open the door luckily I
rarely use a strap I use a video rig
cage more often so this comes off to
accommodate and stabilize a cage but I
don't know how this made it by the
design team quite frankly the flippy
screen I don't like Flippy screens I
prefer the articulated screen of the z9
uh than Z8 and I was disappointed with
the choice to add the flippy screen to
the ZF and I feel the same about it on
this camera but that's just me I admit
occasionally in some circumstances it
does come in handy and I know a lot of
people really like it it's one of the
reasons they're attracted to the camera
so stop winging r one of my first video
shoots with the z63 the camera froze up
no it was it was was a really hot summer
day I mean the camera refused to respond
I couldn't turn it off or perform any
functions at all I was using the ZF as
camera 2 so I thought maybe I'd just
have to shoot with it shoot just 4K and
accept a lot more jump Cuts I did
consider driving back to the studio to
pick up the Z8 but everything was set up
and my wife assistant didn't want to
stay behind alone in be country luckily
this was just a YouTube video
nonetheless uh I was on a deadline for a
promo in that video and I'll now always
carry a backup for the main camera
YouTube video or not in the end I pulled
the battery tried it again same result
seemed to be a card issue I was using
the Nova chip 660 GB extreme CF Express
type B card which has been performing
flawlessly in my Z8 for almost 6 months
the z63 Apparently objects to that card
now I've come across at least one other
z63 owner who has had this freezing
problem with another card I switched to
a 128 GB manfroto card that I've used
with no problems in several of my Zed
cameras uh going on 2 years yes I had a
spare card in battery and I switched out
the battery for good measure and the
rest of the shoot went without problems
started working again it was fine I'm
going to do more tests uh on this
compatibility issue which hasn't
happened with any other card that I used
in the camera camera but here's a list
of compatible cards from
Nikon the build quality is as robust as
previous z6s it's what I call
Professional no it's not z9 level but
the z9 costs $5,500 us 7,000 Canadian
before taxes but I expect that it will
equal my original z6s which have
withstood some rough weather and and
handling some of the things I've noticed
and like once again for my hands Nikon
absolutely hits it out of the ballpark
for ergonomics I love this slightly
deeper grip not everyone will in fact at
my original unboxing I handed it to a
photographer who was out scouting
locations for a calendar shoot and she
immediately rejected the new design
saying I'll stick to my Z 6 fair enough
but that's the only complaint that I've
heard about this new uh slightly larger
body larger than the original Z6 that is
the two function buttons they're really
well placed no difference there I've
seen One reviewer go out of their way to
make it look awkward to use the top mode
dial it's in the same position as the
original functions the same way as the
last two iterations it has this lock or
unlock button so you don't accidentally
Change setting sets it's simple to
operate mostly stays at M on my camera
so unless you're looking for something
to criticize I don't see it as any kind
of an issue at all my very first shots
and video made with the Z 63 on shipping
dat I got mine on June the 25th on that
day in very high contrast conditions so
contrasty that it pushed my Z8 used as
the main camera to its limits in video
but I was shooting 10bit SDR and yes I
might have shot in 12bit raw or at least
used log but my perspective is that of a
photographer who also owns the z9 Z8 and
ZF I view all these cameras as tools and
I try to choose the right tool for a
given job if I need the best in terms of
burst speed and yes 20 frames per second
raw is good enough for me then I'll pick
up the z9 or the Z8 and I'll choose the
z9 particularly when I want a vertical
grip incidentally the new MB n14 grip
for the Z6 3 $360 us $480 Canadian is
also compatible with the z62 and z72 so
in summary the Z 63 is an excellent
addition to my Zed cameras I appreciate
the weight savings especially when I'm
hauling what amounts to a full Studio
setup into the forest in future for
shoots like that what I foresee is
carrying the z63 as my main camera uh
that 5.4k is awesome
love it the ZF maybe as the second angle
maybe even throw in a Z6 as a spare or
even third angle I haven't mentioned the
new Nikon Imaging cloud service and
that's used for Imaging recipes photo
transfer and firmware updates because I
haven't used it yet and I'll keep you
updated if and when I do use it the z63
is a camera that just a few short years
ago would have been hailed as
revolutionary and it is if you look at
what it offers at this competitive price
now it's not chump change I paid over
$3,800 Canadian after tax but again
dollar for dollar I think it challenges
other cameras in this class the readout
speed is very good we've already seen
the tests of uh swinging bats and
speeding balls so the electronic shutter
is impressive this assessment for me is
based on just one month of regular use
and as I have with my original Z 6 I'll
be returning with updates uh recently I
added a 5 years with the original Z6 um
that was in April but my first
impressions of this camera are positive
put this camera together with any of the
superb Zed Mount lenses and well it's in
a league of its own The Zed glass is
fantastic I just love every one of my Z
Mount lenses Nikon keeps adding more
options and we have an ever expanding
Choice from third party Brands the
future looks bright plenty of dynamic
range in this camera if you choose to
see the light so if you found this video
useful please do give it the old thumbs
up and if this is your first time here
please do consider subscribing hit the
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content from me in the
meantime take care cheers well see you
later
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