Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExpensive but worth it.
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2021
I originally bought the GH5 and that camera is a ridiculously good workhorse. However, I shoot predominately consumer electronics, which means I shoot a lot of screens. The GH5, for all its greatness, doesn't have an anti-aliasing filter and that caused all kinds of ridiculous moire. So I sold it, did some research, and landed on the Nikon Z6 II. Super glad I did.
For the record, I upgraded originally from the Nikon D5200, which I used with my trusty Sigma 17-50mm lens for many years. I used the GH5 for a month before I got this camera, which I've now had for about a week.
Pros
1. Good, sharp photos (obviously lens dependent). I did most of my testing with the included Nikon 24-70mm F/4 and my old Sigma 17-50mm F/2.8 with the FTZ adapter. You can find way better photos by much better photographers on pro reviews or other Amazon reviews, but rest assured those reviewers are right. This camera takes excellent photos.
2. The auto-focus features are a bit outside of my wheelhouse (my subjects rarely move while I shoot them), but I did mess around a little bit. I don't know how it compares to its contemporaries, but it beats my old Nikon D5200 by margins I can't possibly overstate.
3. 4k60fps recording works perfectly. Mine came in the box with the software update already installed so I assume yours will too. I didn't have to do anything other than turn it on in the settings. Even with the crop, it's smooth, sharp, and easy to work with.
4. I've always liked Nikon's menu system. It's simple, easy, and effective. Coming from a previous Nikon, the menu is larger, with controls for modern features, but it's more or less the same layout as previous cameras, so it's familiar.
5. The ability to charge the battery in camera via USB-C is awesome. The ability to power the camera with one is even cooler.
6. I also like that I can connect the camera in a bunch of different ways (wifi, bluetooth, usb-c). Compared to old cameras, it's a massive difference.
7. The ability to have a clean HDMI-out and the ability to turn off sleep mode makes this a great webcam for streaming or similar use cases.
Neutral
1. I appreciate that there are two card slots, but I'm not too keen on buying a new card type and a new adapter for my computer.
Cons
1. Nikon is intentionally vague about the USB-C power stuff. They want you to buy a $60 wall charger with a USB-C end. However, you basically just need a 15W power brick with USB Power Delivery (USB PD) and it'll get the job done, and you can find those on Amazon for vastly less money.
2. Having the play and delete buttons on the left side makes the camera difficult to use one-handed. Not the biggest deal, but ergonomics matter.
Finally, a word about OLPF or an "anti-aliasing filter". This is an electronic component that, to over-simplify, knocks things ever so slightly out of focus to help avoid moire. It's a technology that does work wonders, especially if you shoot a lot of video or photo of things with screens, like smartphones, computer screens, etc. The Nikon Z6 II has one (the Z7 II does not). If you're here and you're considering a career in tech vlogging/journalism, I would put this toward the top of your "maybe" list for that reason alone. Sharp photos and video with the filter is a difficult combo to find.
Overall, this camera is bonkers good. When I asked about it on Reddit, someone there challenged me to find a negative review. Turns out, negative reviews of this camera are exceedingly rare. It does well in low light, regular light, and intense light. The controls are good, the ergonomics are mostly good, the video capture is great, and it's just an all-around powerful workhorse camera.
I also tried the kit lens. It's nice and sharp, and I actually like the part where the barrel compacts and locks for travel. I'll likely use it most of the time since it's a tad sharper than my Sigma, but if the lighting gets difficult, I have no problem switching back to the f/2.8. The kit lens is really good, and getting it at a $400 discount with the bundle is a smart idea unless you already have an outstanding zoom lens, in which case getting a second is redundant.
Finally, a recommendation. If you buy this camera, at MINIMUM, you should consider getting the combo with the FTZ adapter. That gives you access to many older Nikon F-Mount lenses, since the Z-Mount is still kind of new. Buying the adapter separate costs $250, but Nikon reduces the price to $99 if you buy it when you buy a Z-mount camera (Z50, Z5, Z6, Z7, Z6 II, Z7 II, etc). The deal is available straight from Nikon, here on Amazon, or virtually anywhere else you can buy the camera. It functionally triples the number of lenses you can buy (including some really decent cheaper options, like the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8).
Anyway, this camera is fantastic. Most of the other reviews touch on the kit lens and camera image/video quality, so I wanted to focus mine on some of the technicals and niche stuff. This camera is excellent. I'm happy to have it.
