Had this been a YouTube channel, the title would have been something like “What is wrong with the Nikon Z6 II” or “Why I switched from Nikon to …” or “I tried the Nikon Z6 and THIS happened!”. And so on. I sometimes find it difficult to decide which video to open, because the titles seem to try so hard to capture my attention, and most of the times the video content doesn’t match what was foreshadowed by the title. But I digress.
I have been shooting Nikon cameras since when I started being a professional. I started with APS-C models and I then moved on to full frame, upgrading whenever I needed and I could afford, until I got the Nikon D850 and I felt no need for upgrading anymore.
The Nikon D850 offered me everything I needed for my profession, which consists mostly of shooting architecture and luxury real estate. I also shoot fashion, lifestyle, portraiture, yachts, cars and so on, but we can say architecture and real estate are the core of my business, and the Nikon D850 covers it all.
Great dynamic range, very good autofocus, extremely well built, tilting screen (very useful for my profession) and much more. I bought and sold lots of F mount lenses until I got to the point where I just kept the ones I truly needed: I don’t want to own gear I don’t use often.
At some point it became clear Nikon would not invest more in the dSLR line, despite some room for improvement (see Pentax), so I decided to give their mirrorless system a try, and replace one of my backup cameras, a Nikon D810, with a Nikon Z6 II plus FTZ adapter and some S line lenses, thinking it would be a good way for understanding how I felt with the system. I was also motivated by the idea of having a good set of video features, and I anticipated filming with it.
Fast forward less than 2 years and I sold all of my Nikon mirrorless system. Some of my contacts and readers asked why, and this post is intended to answer that.
This is not a review of Nikon’s mirrorless system and it won’t go deep in technicals. It is just a report of what I think mattered the most in my personal experience. It is also not an article about mirrorless in general, something I already wrote about in 2021 and that you can read here.
I am an happy user of dSLR but I am not new to mirrorless cameras: over the years I used many models, mostly micro four thirds but also other brands like Sony, and I have no prejudice against them. On the contrary, I am ready to embrace new tech if it helps me work better.
So, what went wrong with the Nikon mirrorless?
To be honest, very few went wrong. The camera did behave great, autofocus was fine, the S lenses were very good. I used the system for shooting a wide range of subjects and I always got back home with good photos, never feeling the camera hold me back.
The major difference with the D850 in terms of image quality was the loss of dynamic range and resolution, but I already knew that and it was not a surprise. The Nikon Z6 II balanced this with very good high ISO performance, but that is useless for a big part of my job: I often shoot with artificial light and when I don’t I am usually on a tripod and I shoot at base ISO.
I can ultimately say I had two main issues with the Nikon mirrorless.
First issue.
The first one is strictly practical, and even if I already had this in mind before buying the Z6 II, it became an important deciding factor after using it: I did not and still don’t see a reason for me to move from dSLR to mirrorless: the latter offered nothing I needed and I didn’t already have with the D850.
I don’t care much for eye autofocus, subject recognition and similar tools, and not because I am a snob or an SLR purist: I simply already work fast and precise with the dSLR, so I did not see a reason to invest in mirrorless for those features. I understand such technology can become extremely attractive for other photographers, but for now I work happily without it.
The only apparent benefit I saw with the mirrorless was that it helped correct exposure when using the EVF, but the other side of the coin is that by using the EVF I don’t feel in the scene. Even if we forget the more popular downsides of EVFs (black out, lag, resolution, dynamic range) there is still a major disconnect between what the EVF shows and reality. Over time I understood this is a very important topic for me.
In short, with an EVF we don’t see reality as it is, unless we adjust the exposure, contrast and white balance to match it. For me, this is a big downside. When I need to use the viewfinder for composing the scene I want to see reality. I prefer my exposure being slightly off than losing that –and the extended dynamic range of the D850 makes it very difficult to ruin a photo beyond saving, when it comes to exposure.
The beauty of the dSLR is that it offers me the optical viewfinder and its reality rendition, but also an LCD if I want to enjoy exposure preview, and I can choose what I want to use. For instance I can use the back LCD for fine tuning the exposure and then use the OVF for composing the scene and doing the actual shooting, if for some reasons I feel I can’t completely trust the light meter in the OVF.
As I mentioned, I was intrigued by Nikon mirrorless’ video features, but I soon realized that if video is the reason for moving from the dSLR to a new mirrorless system, then there are other full frame options with more mature and extended video features, like Sony and Panasonic, and there are cinema cameras that are nowadays becoming cheaper and smaller every day.
It also turned out that for expressing the maximum video quality I had to plug an external monitor, SSD and basically build a rig, and I just did not want that. If I have to build a rig, I do it around a camera that offers me more (and that’s what I currently do for video in my job, using cinema cameras).
The only advantage of the Z6 II in terms of video seemed to be the internal stabilization, but using a gimbal sorts that out and it is a better solution overall for video (no warping).
In the end I thought: if video is the only added feature I marginally care about, then there are other options that have more advantages for me — and if I am only thinking of photography, then I am already owning what I need and it makes no sense investing in another system.
Second issue.
The second issue is a matter of feelings: I did not enjoy using the Nikon Z6 II. Its ergonomics are quite good, but after a discovery moment where it seemed I liked it, I realized I felt unhappy using it. It was a feeling similar to when I tried the Sony A7 III. The camera is obviously good but it just isn’t pleasant to use for me. I don’t like its shutter sound, the way it feels in my hand, using the viewfinder, and other little details that all add up. In the end I was never picking the Z6 II up, and whenever I was on a job assignment or on a personal shooting I ended up using other cameras.
It did not help that I found the camera to be quite uninspired in terms of design. This is not by any means unique to Nikon and it seems to be a trend with mirrorless cameras, with the exception of Fuji and niche brands like Hasselblad. It happens what we already saw in the smartphone realm, where everything now looks the same because we got to a balance between form and function.
Talking of uninspired design, we can’t ignore how bad the lenses for Z-mount look: in my opinion, Nikon succeeded in creating the most boring, uninspired and ugly lens design. This saddens me, because many Nikon cameras and lenses were delightful industrial design.
Over the decades, their collaboration with Giorgetto Giugiaro gave us beautiful products, so Nikon was for a long time very invested in good design. And now what do we have? Looking at my Nikkor 28mm 1.4 ED mounted on the D850 near the Nikkor S 24mm 1.8 mounted on the Z6 II was laughable: the first one looked solid, beautiful, a combination that makes you want to pick it up and shoot, while the latter seemed just a boring black cylinder attached to a stereotypical mirrorless.
This is especially relevant for the lenses: a lens is something that is supposed to accompany us for life, while cameras change: it is important lens look inspiring, solid, dependable, and yes, beautiful. At least, I think so.
It also seems bright primes using the Z-mount must be comically large and heavy, more than what we find with other mounts. I don’t care how sharp and impressive a lens is, I don’t want to bring around these things, especially mounted on cameras that weight 700g and have a grip that can’t accomodate my pinky.
Some may consider it shallow to give so much attention to the aesthetic and the feelings, but for me those are actually important topics. I spend my life shooting photos. I shoot for my job and when I don’t do that, I shoot for my own satisfaction and fun. I want to spend time with tools that help me achieve what I need, sure, but that are also, if possible, pleasant to use and look at.
Since nowadays cameras are all good enough for doing most of what photographers need, I strongly believe the feelings we experience when using a camera become an important factor, and there is nothing shallow in that.
We don’t use cameras because we are inebriated by their stats and numbers and tech data, we use them for capturing images, and if we can be happier while doing this, even better!
The Nikon Z6 II felt solid, well built, it produced good image quality: it just didn’t feel right for me.
Conclusion.
At some point I started thinking: why am I investing money in this system? As some of you may know, I am not a fan of any brand. I love my Ricoh GR II but I had no problems criticizing Ricoh for the issues I found in the GR III. I absolutely adore my Olympus Pen-F and I enjoy shooting with the m43 system, but I also expressed my doubts about Olympus and m43 in general. I enjoy being open minded and approaching the world with a critical and curious attitude, far from fanaticism.
So, no matter how much I appreciate Nikon dSLR cameras, I just did not enjoy nor need the Nikon mirrorless.
I finally sold it all, being happy with my dSLR system and waiting to see what mirrorless will offer in the future. The D850 is an amazing camera and it offers more than I ever needed in terms of photography.
For a while I also thought that I could keep the Nikon Z6 II as my personal camera, but that also did not work. Yes the image quality was very good, but the Nikon Z6 II is not a very portable camera, mostly because of its lenses’ size.
Nowadays I mostly use the Olympus Pen-F as my personal everyday camera: it really has it all! It looks beautiful, it is compact, it has compact lenses, it features an impressive stabilization and its image quality is most of the times more than enough, and when it is not, there are recent technologies that allow removing noise far better than in past years.
Going back to the aesthetic topic for a moment: what about the Nikon Zf, you may ask. It surely is a camera with an aesthetic appeal.
The Zf is a modern Nikon mirrorless, partially dressed as a vintage Nikon camera, where we are bound to mount the same ugly Z-mount lenses, or the two existing restyled budget lenses. Or even worse, some vintage lens using the big and ugly FTZ adaptor. The sexiness of the Zf greatly diminishes as soon as you put a Nikon Z-mount lens on it. That’s my own opinion anyway, I know many think otherwise and it’s good for them if now there is a camera they can enjoy more!
WIll I get back to Nikon mirrorless at some point? I felt no connection with the Z9 and I still had no chance of using a Z8 so I can not comment on that, but I don’t expect to change opinion. Something in the design direction of these cameras and lenses just don’t work for me.
My current plan is to enjoy my Nikon D850 and probably buy one more before the new ones become too expensive (here in Italy the new ones still sell for 2000 euros) — and there are also a couple of F-mount lenses I never owned and that are making me curious.
I am slightly intrigued by Panasonic L-mount full frame cameras, like the S5 II, but I am waiting for them to release a successor to the S1R before I am ready to evolve the interest. I appreciate a lot of what Sony does but I never really enjoyed the feeling with their A7 line.
The Hasselblad X2D is stunning in terms of design but also overkill for my line of job. I am already finding photos from the D850 45MP sensor to be too heavy, especially when working with tens of layers as I usually do.
I am grateful for what I own and as I repeated many times on the blog, I think what matters the most in photography is having fun, finding interesting subjects, learning to use the light — and having a camera we enjoy picking up is a beautiful companion for this adventure.
I am hosting a Ukrainian refugee family: please help us!
As many of you already know, I am hosting a Ukrainian refugee family with a three years old baby and their cat. I managed helping them escape war and reach Italy — I luckily have a little country home for them to stay, where they can enjoy nature and safety, far from war.
Many of you already helped and we are so thankful for this display of kindness and empathy! Donations are still welcome and extremely important, because there is so much to buy and pay for.
I am using the donations wisely and doing my best for getting the most out of your generosity.
Thank you from the deep of our hearts.
Nice article, know what u mean on 850 but dumped mine, at 76 too dam heavy, got Leica Q instead happy as hell, and still use GR and GRD4
Hi John! You did right, what matters is just how good we feel with our cameras and how much we enjoy shooting them and taking them with us.
Lovely images and I enjoyed reading your thoughts. The number one thing is using the tool that best works for you.
I would love to get an Olympus Pen-F but I can’t justify it at the moment. I actually need to reduce my film camera collection, first.
PEACE
Hi Eric, thanks for your comment. I am also reducing my camera collection, forcing myself to get rid of everything that is not essential. I’ve just watched your website, there are many beautiful photos and the blog seems very interesting, I’ll read some articles later!
Thanks! Glad you were able to stop by.
PEACE
Great article, i imagine if I could’ve afforded a d850, i too would atill be using it. However, i do have a z6ii, moving up from the d5600. I instantly loved it because it’s more practical and powerful than the d5600, but, i did also feel completely separate from reality for some time. And because i shoot for fun, and when i have time, it took awhile for me to really feel at home. Add in that during the pandemic, Nikon really garnered a ton of hate for the autofocus ‘problems’ over canon and sony, but, i don’t feel often that I’m unable to get the focus to work quite well.
That being said, mirrorless has its place, but, the dslr is a special contraption and the d850 is a king among cameras.
Someday, I’ll upgrade, but, in the meantime, i feel like I’m starting to hit my stride with the z6ii, and we’re going to do great things together.
Hi David! The Z6 II autofocus seemed quite good to me, I never had major issues in that sense. The Z6 II is definitely a good camera overall, it just didn’t click with me 🙂 I wish you the best with it, I am also sure you will do great things together!
I went from a D500 to a Z6 II and haven’t looked back. I was so happy to be back to a full frame camera, with good low light capabilities and better video than my D500, I’m having trouble finding anything wrong.
I considered a Z7 II when I switched, but the Z6 II has better low light capabilities, and for me, that triumped resolution.
Hi Donald, I am glad you enjoy the Z6 II. As I wrote in the post, it is a very good camera. It just didn’t work for me 🙂 At the time I also chose the Z6 II over the Z7 II.
Well, a couple of years ago, I sold my DSLR set and moved to Z7-II and Z5. As much as I liked OVF, I think technology advantage is useful for me. I am a serious hobbyist and long term Nikon shooter.
I thought I was the only one who missed the feeling of being immersed in the shot when looking through the viewfinder. It’s a completely different experience with a mirrorless, although my Panasonic G9 is pretty good. I still enjoy the experience of using my Pentax – maybe that’s where you could go next, if they survive.
Hi Lee! I loved the G9, beautiful camera. I sold it because the image quality was very similar to the Pen-F and I decided to own as few gear as possible.
I’ve been always fascinated with Pentax, and I hope they will evolve their dSLR line and keep that technology alive. There is surely lots they could do. My fear is Ricoh doesn’t want (or can’t) invest much in research and development. The K1 is 8 years old and the 645Z is 10 years old. They are still extremely good cameras, but without new models and lenses Pentax sadly can’t inspire trust in the future in new customers. Many (myself included) never did pick up a 645Z because of the lack of super wide angle lenses, for instance.
I recently bought a Nikon Z8, mostly for video, and even if its viewfinder is much better than the one on the Z6, and it has been described as one of the most “life-like”, the difference with an optical viewfinder is still night an day for me.
Thanks for reading the blog and commenting!
The way I can completely feel what you say is kinda unbelievable.
I have a similar story, but involving Canon 5DmkIV instead of the Nikon D850, a Canon R6 instead of the Nikon Z6 II, and my beloved Panasonic GX1 with its Panasonic 20mm instead of the Olympus Pen… and I’d add, The Fujifilm X100V instead of the Ricoh GR II, but I didn’t love much the Fuji…
Passing from the 5DmkIV to the R6 my though process was exactly the same as yours, on all the factors you mentioned, including the aesthetic of the new cameras and lenses.
Generally speaking outside of payed jobs I never picked up my Canon bodies because, well, who wants to carry all that* for photos that shine enough with a micro 4/3, all in all, when you shoot for pleasure, your eyes see only lighting that appeals to you, in a way it’d render well even on a 3 megapixel compact from 2003. Job conditions are different and yes, I loved everything of my Canon EF L 50 1.2, but I just didn’t need its performance outside of payed jobs.
Somehow, across the years, my Panasonic GX1 felt limiting to me, and I started looking for something “more”. I tried countless cameras, and the huge let down that contemporary photography industry weighted on me was pretty devastating: no camera was inspiring me, also lenses are incredibly boring today: super sharp, but bad color separation, and generally flat.
Neither the fake vintage **Fujifilm X100V appealed to me: very clinical and boring lens, and pretty quirky overall.
The rabbit hole I went in while searching for an inspiring camera that would make me feel engaged and carefree, led me to Leica M. Since then, I never picked any other camera that is not either my M240 or my M246 Monochrom.
I love the viewfinder experience, I love focusing on its rangefinder, I love its looks, I love its lenses (especially vintage ones with tons of character but still with amazing color separation, saturation and depth). Is it perfect? No, but I love it the way it is.
I’m gradually selling everything else since my M with a tiny 35mm Summicron from the early ’70s has become my desert island camera.
* I always feel bad for those tourists carrying heavy cameras with wine bottel sized lenses.
** I could really write a 2000 words article full or reasons to NOT buy that camera.
Hi Davide! It’s quite impressive how our experiences match, I agree!
I tried the X100V and I found it to be quite an over-rated camera, whichi greatly benefited by YouTube marketing and trends. The lens was expecially disappointing, resolving less detail than the one in the old Ricoh GR II I compared it to. Still, many photographers seem to enjoy it no matter what, and what can I say, good for them! 🙂
I recently bought a Nikon Z8 as a last chance for their mirrorless system. I will post about it sooner or later. I bought the camera a month ago and I still didn’t take a single photo with it. I actually bought it as a backup for the D850 and for some video, since it’s quite interesting and complete on paper when it comes to video. We will see!
You mention Leica and (of course!) I am gravitating around it since a lot. I tried an M9 and an M8.2 long ago, and while I loved the feeling (I shot film rangefinders for a long time and I enjoy the system) I didn’t like the image quality: it was very good under perfect conditions but I want a camera that is a bit more versatile than that. So I started eyeing the M240-P and then the M10-P, but when I was ready to buy one I suddenly had some unexpected and more important expenses, so it had to wait. In meantime Leica released the M10-R and the M11 and I am not much impressed with them. So I am still considering a used M10-P, which could be a nice compromised for image quality and investment. Plus of course a 28mm and a 50mm. We will see.
A problem with the M is that I enjoy using telephoto lenses too, and they are not pratical on rangefinders, so I would end up feeling limited, while on the Pen-F I can mount a very small 45mm 1.8 and have a 90mm portrait lens in my pocket. Of course the M10-P has better image quality, but still, the difference is not night and day.
Thank you for sharing your opinion! And if you ever write those 2000 words about the X100V, I would be very interested to read them!
Thank you for your comments. It was illuminating to think about what and why I shoot. I bought an FTn in 1973, sold it to get into wedding photography with a Hasselblad. I used low priced Pentax system cameras for years, but in 2007 went back to Nikon when I stopped doing weddings. I’ve owned a D50, D90, D7100 then got my dream camera, a D850. I traveled the world with that camera! Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Turkey. In the end, it was just too heavy with my choice of lenses. I walked over 55,000 steps with it in Athens. 18-35 and 28-300. Today however, I love my Z50. So much that I got a Z6ii. Took it to the Galapagos, Colombia and all over western Canada hiking. Great decision for me! I love my 26 f/2.8 pancake lens on my Z50 for street photography. That combo weighs less than a bare Z6ii body! I sometimes only use the 24-200 on my Z50. My normal travel camera is the Z6iii with the 24-120. I completely understand your point of view for your work. Do what works for you!!! I eventually got the Z8 when Nikon offered me $1400 for my Z850. I put my Z850 strap on the Z8, just for nostalgia. It’s my “grandkid sport photography” camera with a 100-400. I travel about 10 minutes to games, stand by the fence or edge of the field. Amazing what I get with it, but I haven’t traveled at all with it. I probably never will. But it captures sports like no other!! If the camera fits, wear it!!!
Hi Ken, thanks for sharing your story! I actually also bought a Z8 last month, but I still didn’t use it. It stays in my job trolley as a backup for the D850, but I plan to test it and try to do some projects with it, maybe video too. I will surely post about it at some point.
Have fun with your Z8, I wish you to capture many beautiful scenes and memories with it!
I’m sorry but I don’t understand- why did you compare a D850 to a Z6ii when the mirrorless comparison is the Z7ii?
I use both of these – the D850 with fast prime lenses for carefully composed images of still subjects especially if the lighting is dim.
The Z7ii with three different user settings – U1 for general work (aperture priority F4, single point single autofocus auto ISO based at 65. Then U2 is for more dynamic work for example guests at weddings, couples walking around hand in hand and such with same aperture priority but based around asa 100 and autofocus wide area face/eye detection continuous – with the D850 you would have to focus on the eye and recompose or keep moving the focus point. U3 is manual 1/60 5.6 asa400 single focus for basic bounce flash.
The Z7ii has virtually identical noise and dynamic range to the D850 ( I see zero difference in charts or real life).
The Z7ii I find I can capture real life moments quickly by switching between the U settings to the appropriate ones and it nails focus on moving faces anywhere in view when I ask it..
One press on Function button 2 and it will track them too!
So lighter, quicker, simple to use user settings, quick access to tracking and it has the same noise and dynamic range.
The only real reason I keep the 850 is focussing on dim/dark conditions especially as mirrorless cannot “see” red focus-assist light from a speed light.
But I guess – if you don’t like it then you don’t like it which is totally fair – but best compare the one with the same resolution.
Hello, thanks for your comment! I did compare the way I felt about two cameras I owned, I could not compare with something I didn’t have 🙂
I bought a Z8 a couple months ago and things are much better compared to the Z6 II, though I still prefer using the D850.
Dear Andrea,
as a long-term (>’88?) Nikon user, I can obviously relate to you story! Thanks for that.
Bought my D800 new in 2012 and found it near perfect (yes: your D850 would trump it on remaining issues!). And now Z6II since December 2022.. slowly growing on me, for example using the closed-aperture LAOWA 15mm macro..
.. but I also find I lost some photography magic in the transition ~ even though technically I can still use all my old lenses, the same batteries and flashes (big plus!).
But I could work magic with that D800 wonderful 36Mpx sensor and could manually focus birds in flight with the ancient 400/3.5.. .. the AF of the Z6II is simply.. bad. And the design.. of the camera and Z-lenses, mm mmm..
But I probably need to accept ‘the future’ 😐
Hello Albin! I never used the D800, but I had the D810 before the D850, and I regret selling it: amazing camera. The Z6 II has its good sides but the overall experience was not nice for me. I bought a Z8 a couple months ago and it is nicer to use, though I still prefer the D850. Compared to the Z6 II, the Z8 is bigger, heavier, has a better viewfinder, better autofocus… well it is better in every way! But I still can’t get used to not having a mechanical shutter and to everything that comes with a mirrorless. We will see in future! Thanks for reading and commenting the blog 🙂
Yes, the D810 was probably very similar (slightly better AF and such?) to the 800.
The Z8 would be the obvious next step now, embracing that mirrorless future.. 😐 Although a *bigger* camera totally negates the EV advantages, I’d say.
kind regards, Albin
It’s an interesting topic for sure, maybe I will write a post about it in future! The Z6 II was much lighter and smaller than the Z8, and though that has its advantages, I still wanted a bigger and heavier camera. From my point of view, the Z8 is a good compromise between the D850 and the Z6 II.
When the size and weight of the camera become an important factor, I still look up to micro four thirds, their lens to body ratio is unbeatable, and that’s why the Pen-F is still my “personal everyday camera” since so many years. Well the Ricoh GR was that too but the dust and shutter issues are starting to bother me too much! Best, A.
Weirdly enough, I bougt another D800 for a very good price in the last two weeks! together with an AFS VR 105/2.8 and AFS VR 24-120.. going fully retro apparently and doing a lot of insect photography 🙂
That’s great! I wish you lots of fun with it 🙂 That 105/2.8 sure seems a great fit for the D800!
Hello! I really enjoyed reading Your post, as it is well written, and describes a similar problem I’m going through. Nice photos as well!
I started doing hobbystic photography around 2020, and since then, my main camera was my father’s old Nikon D70s, along with standard 18-105 3.5-5.6 lens. Being a camera from 2006, it had its own limitations – iso spanning only the range of 200-1600, high noise up from iso 400, no live-view to determine exposure or white balance, no video, rear display was very small (you could barely see a picture on that thing haha), and so on… But ohhh maannn, I did love working with it! The way it laid in my hand, the shutter and mirror sound, the easiness and almost film-like simplicity… I could really do wonders with that camera – it quite literally became the extension of my hand. I mean, it just felt natural to put it up to eye and take a picture with it. Whenever I grabbed it, it just felt right haha, I can’t even explain it quite well. I could just stand on the street corner and photograph everything that came under my attention – passing cars, parked cars, buildings, buses, birds, cats, flowers, trees, people, trains… I just took simple joy from photographic art, I could go on a walk and see thousands of interesting subjects, and eagerly photograph all of them.
But since around half a year ago, when I’ve been doing more and more planned shoots (like sport tournaments , parties, feasts) the limitations really started to hit on me – high iso noise was really awful during indoor sports, and 6mp sensor didn’t allow for much crop. So i started looking for something better and newer. Eventually, after long time of pondering, I landed on Nikon Z6II with 24-200mm f4 lens (another option was Sony A7II, but they were quite similar in terms of my upgrade, and I didn’t want ot change the system). And after taking some time to learn to use it, I began to photograph. But, it just wasn’t the same. I mean, the pictures were sharp as heavens, free from iso noise, everyone was praising them, but it wasn’t the same experience. I somehow lost the freedom of just walking around and snapping. I cannot describe how it happened, but I just don’t feel that eager to pull it out and shoot, unless I’m in some really interesting place – but hey, mundane places are worth photographing too! It has been almost 5 months since purchase now, but I haven’t quite changed the feeling. It just doesn’t feel that good anymore. Maybe that’s a matter of lens not being a good match for the camera (they weight too much, and the whole setup isn’t a pleasure to hold in hand. Also, their zoom ring gives a looots of friction when changing focal length, contrary to DX 18-105, which gave almost none), but I’ve tried some M42 lens, and that “unpleasant” feeling won’t go away. Maybe that’s also a matter of holding a 2500$ in your hand, which makes me so timid to pull it out…
I mean, Z6II creates incredible, sharp images and videos. But they just don’t feel like they’ve been made by me, but rather some postcard company haha. Looking at the D70s pictures, I could say, that it’s my work, that conveys the feeling of the scene, but the Z6II pictures, they are nice, but they lost all that “feeling”…
Using D70s felt like turning a real scene into a digital file. And Z6II somehow feels like turning digital scene into digital file, if you get that. Also, what I liked in D70s, was that it felt like a workhorse camera – bet you could slam the nails with it, and the sensor was nicely hidden behind the mirror and thick body. On the other hand, Z6II feels quite fragile, and I’m a little scared of the precious sensor being separated from outside by just mere lens (again, 2500$ creeps behing the corner of consciousness…)
Now I don’t want to be too hard on the poor Z6II, since it’s really an amazing camera, maybe we just didn’t “click” together (as humans in relationship do or don’t)… I’ve been thinking about selling it and switching back to some newer DSLR (like D750 or D850), just to get that joy of snapping again (that would be very hard to explain to my family members though, who have seen me praising the Z6II for its advantages). Or maybe I should wait for the chemistry to arise between me and Z6II (as humans in relationships sometimes do, but it rarely works out this way). I may now be realising, that what I needed, was just more megapixels and better iso performance, and I could satisfy myself with another DSLR, but hey – we all need to try out new things, and so I did.
I don’t really know what to do, I’ll propably hang around some more time with Z6II and see how things turn out. Maybe You could spare me some advice, being more experienced photographer haha.
Anyway, if You took time to read this rather long comment – thank You very much, I really appreciate this! Cheers, and wishing You great shots!
Hello Matthew! Yes, I did read the whole comment 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write it. It’s always difficult to give advices about which camera to buy or sell. I am personally happy I sold my Z6 II, I really didn’t enjoy using it. This year I bought a Z( (mostly because I needed to do good quality video and I wanted to stay in the Nikon system). The Z8 is a very good camera, definitely nicer to se than the Z6 II. Maybe it’s because it’s bigger and heavier. I certainly enjoy it more, but not as much as the D850. I sometimes wish to buy another D850, just in case, as long as they are available new. What a magnificent camera. You could consider buying a used D850 maybe? But it is much bigger than the D70s you loved so much. A D500 would probably be a better choice. I am not the biggest fan of the retro trend, but the Zf is also apparently interesting to use (it’s basically a Z6 II with retro styling though). I also sometimes think about buying a Pentax digital reflex, maybe even a medium format one, just to try something different, and for supporting Pentax, that remains the only brand still investing in dSLR development. So, what’s my advice? I would probably sell the Z6 II if you just can’t have fun using it, and buy a camera close to how you see photography. Thank you for reading and commenting the blog! Have fun with whatever you will choose!
Hello Andrea, thanks for the response and advice!
I will propably stick to the Z6II for a bit of time, use it with vintage lenses or so, and see if the “spark” arises. In the meantime, I think I’ll try to get hands on some DSLRs (D850 mentioned by You, D750, D700, D500 etc etc) and lend them for testing, or maybe just go to the camera shop so I can actually hold one in hands and see if it feels well.
It would also be more thoughtful to spend more on lenses, rather than the camera itself (maybe something along the lines of 50/50 ratio in terms of body price/lens price). I will surely let You know what I ended up with, cheers!
I think your plan makes lots of sense — and yes, lenses are definitely something that, in my opinion, deserves more attention than camera bodies. Good luck with the experiments, please come back to tell us how it went!