At the start of a recent photo walk with a Nikon representative, I was told that it was only a matter of time before I became a “birder”. Because eventually every photographer runs out of things to photograph and has only one subject left to master: birds. Which due to advances in camera technology have become a much easier target.
On this same photowalk, I got a few hours with the new Nikon Z6 III for $2,500. And the big news in this camera is its 24.5-megapixel partially stacked CMOS sensor. This is the first camera to use this technology. Instead of the circuit parts and pixel area spanning the full corner-to-corner dimensions of the image sensor and sitting on top of each other, as in the more expensive Nikon Z9 or Nikon Z8, or not being stacked at all, as in the former Nikon Z6 II, the circuit parts of the Z6 III are arranged as bands at the top and bottom of the pixel area.
This results in faster continuous shooting speeds, faster autofocus, higher video frame rates and less rolling shutter effect than the previous Z6 II, with its BSI CMOS sensor in electronic shutter mode. But that also means the Z6 III isn’t as fast as the more premium Z8 or Z9 with their fully stacked sensors. Simply put, the partial sensor arrangement allows Nikon to keep the price of this camera below that of the Z8 and Z9 while improving its performance over the previous generation.
The other major updates are the Z6 III’s incredibly bright electronic viewfinder, which can reach a peak brightness of 4,000 nits, and the camera’s ability to shoot 6K RAW video at up to 60fps and 4K RAW at up to 120fps. Nikon also promises Z8-level build quality, meaning the camera is protected from dust and moisture and designed to operate down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit /−10 degrees Celsius. Simply put, Nikon makes very durable cameras that don’t skimp on specs — and cameras that can turn any photographer into a birder.
I chose the Staten Island Ferry for my photo tour with the Z6 III because of its endless people-watching opportunities and incredible views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Pair this with the boat’s iconic orange color and you’re guaranteed at least a few great photos. What I had never really paid much attention to before were all the birds using the boat slide to move across the harbor.
Although the Z6 III doesn’t have a dedicated bird focus mode, Nikon claims its autofocus is 20 percent faster than the Z6 II and has an extended range of up to -10EV, meaning it’s more sensitive even in low-light conditions . On the back side of the ferry there were absolutely no problems with fixing birds. Within minutes of taking off from Lower Manhattan, I was steering the Z6 III left to right trying to catch seagulls. Eventually I wised up and framed One World Trade Center and waited for a bird to pass through my frame. As soon as a bird came in, the camera locked right onto the moving object, which was a seagull. Within minutes I had taken over 100 photos.
Photos taken with Nikon Z6 III and Nikon Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens.
Of course, there came a point where I thought, “What the hell am I going to do with all these bird photos.” So I’d like to thank all of you for clicking through the slideshow above and giving my newfound passion a reason to exist to bird photography.
Like the Z8 and Z9, Nikon is increasingly making cameras that are so responsive and intuitive that you no longer have to spend so much time thinking about issues like focus, handshake, or shutter speed. You can quickly point the camera in any direction and it will catch something in focus.
That being said, there is only so much I can test in a few hours with this camera. I didn’t have a low-light environment to test ISO ranges or low-light autofocus, I didn’t have multiple subjects to test skin tone rendition on, and I didn’t have ND filters to get the video exposure right to test 6K RAW. So while I had a lot of fun — and am now a certified “bird hunter” — there is certainly much more testing to be done on this new partially arrayed sensor technology. But in my short time with it, I can confidently say that in no way did it feel like a step backwards. The Z6 III will be available starting today for $2,500.
