I’m seeing something strange happen with Nikon that I’m not really seeing with any other camera out there. That is, I see a lot of buzz about Nikon on my site and it’s constant.
I’ve done only a few articles regarding Nikon cameras probably around 10, I praise them when praise is due like I do with Canon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras. Not really any more or any less than I have my EOS R. But l get a few comments almost every single day about the Nikon Z6.
“Should I buy the Nikon Z6 or the Fujifilm X-T3 or X-T4.” “I sold my X-T3 for a Nikon Z6.” “Your right the Nikon Z6 lenses are amazing.” “How’s the Nikon Z6’s autofocus.” “What Nikon lens has the most character.” “How is the 35mm vs the 50mm.”
So many questions about the Nikon all the time and my site is mostly dedicated to the Fujifilm camera system.
So what I think is happening is there is an almost void of positive articles about Nikon cameras online and people are searching for positive or non-bias info about Nikon cameras. As you guys that know me to know, I bought the Z6 as an experiment. From all the social feedback the camera was getting I thought there was no way the camera was as bad as everyone was making it out to be so I had to try it out for myself and I quickly realized from specs alone, it was by far the superior full-frame mirrorless camera of the time.
I immediately fell in love with it even with all the flaws from early firmware. There was/is something about the Z6 that was special that all the other brands were missing which is impossible to explain but has a lot to do with usability and friendliness. It just seemed kinda perfect, with a few flaws of course. I bet the same is true with the Nikon D6. On paper, the Canon 1DX III offers a lot more, but I have a sneaky suspicion that if you were to use both cameras in a professional sports setting, there would be something magical about the D6 system that would put it apart from the Canon in a unique and special way.
For example, I’m already seeing people say that the faster mechanical shutter on the Canon 1DX III causes inferior AF tracking. So maybe Nikon realized this and intentionally did not use a faster mechanical shutter in favor of better performance. I don’t know, that seems logical. Are sports shooters really shooting 20fps all the time? What’s good enough? I know I almost never shoot more than 5fps when doing anything with my kids or on the streets.
So this all gets me thinking, Nikon must be doing really really really well, considering the circumstances and that the camera industry has collapsed in sales over the last few years.
My Nikon lens list gets about a third of the traffic as my Fujifilm lens list that’s over five or six years old. The Fujifilm lens list is something I constantly promote and push people to and a lot of people bookmark it. It does pretty well in google and ranks for a lot of keywords. The Nikon lens list just sits there, getting a third of the traffic with only 2 full-frame cameras.
This is not a Nikon is the best article or anything. I still think all the cameras are unique and special enough so that there is no one best camera for any photographer, but I think it’s interesting and wanted to share what I see on my site with the community.
Again, each camera is unique in its own way. I still love the Sony cameras even though a lot of the systems they use are outdated, but I love that the cameras are small and I love the zone box limitations you can apply to eye AF. It’s great for street shooting.
The Fujifilm X-T4 is now a jack of all trades, and a master of all trades, not a fan of the flippy screen but it’s a great system and the slowish focusing f1.4 lenses are still fine in most situations, but they should upgrade those ASAP and make f2 zooms to be competitive with Nikon Z FF cameras. Because for the same price as an X-T4, you can get a Z6 and go with f2.8 or f4 zooms which offer more and are not much more expensive. And those f1.8 Z lenses are technically better than anything Fujifilm has, although the system is larger, bigger and heavier. I’m personally won’t buy an X-T4 but am waiting for an X-H2. I bet they go 8k with it which means a 32MP+ sensor. That should help the X-Trans artifacting and moire.
Canon (EOS R) does this thing where they go super pro, or amateur. It’s always been that way and I never felt they made good mid-tier lenses. Their cameras are also the least customizable and a little uncomfortable to use even though they feel good in the hand. The buttons and switching between things is just super awkward and clicky. I’ve never loved it. But I use it mostly for landscape stuff and it’s just a solid system. It looks like Canon is open to working with third-party lens manufacturers considering there is now an AF Rokinon available for the system.
Nikon seems to just make everything good. Kind of like Fujifilm. They definitely did the ergonomics and user interface the best out of everyone with the Z cameras. I would like to see some cheaper lenses from them for just messing around with but their cameras are all solid and their lenses are all very good. I think they’re positioned very well and it looks like they will make a new D850 DSLR and mirrorless model, which could be very compelling, but likely expensive. I’ll probably just stick with a Z6 or snag a Z7. Or maybe if it’s 61MP I’ll get it, because it would allow me to shoot APS-C at 24MP. So I could get one camera and review APS-C and full-frame lenses on it. Although you guys would probably want me to still review stuff on Fujifilm. 🙂
To Answer Some of The Top Nikon Z6 Questions
To sum it up, yes, the Z6 is very good, autofocus is good. Better than the X-T3 but not better enough to make a difference in the real world. I even did a side by side with the Z6 and A9II for some shooting with the kids and the A9II wasn’t even noticeably better when looking at hit rate and keepers. In the real world, they are all very good, even the Fujifilm X-T3 is insanely good. I shoot with all the different cameras and the difference in AF speed (unless you’re using old lenses) is irrelevant.
There are some things some cameras do better like tracking. The new Z6 firmware 3.0 tracks on par with most of the Sony cameras now, better than my A7rIII. It’s more than good enough, probably not as fast still as the A9 II but it’s good enough for any normal photographer. I personally never had any issues with the old tracking pre-firmware 3.0. It just wasn’t as easy to engage.
Fujifilm still has some room for improvement on their tracking system and they need to flesh out their controls but I’m very impressed with the X-T4. The new X-T3 firmware doesn’t show a noticeable difference in side by side comparisons with the older firmware, but it now has a significantly more reliable behavior. It’s just in general smarter in those tough situations.
In 2020, I think it would be foolish to switch brands or jump into one system over another because of some advantage of autofocus because it’s likely not to affect real-world performance unless you’re looking for something extremely specific, and again, cameras are now about the software which is constantly getting upgraded.
Nikon Z Lenses
Nikon f1.8 lenses are not made of plastic. They are mostly metal with two strips of plastic between the mount and focus ring and near the front of the lens. The focus ring is metal, the base of the lens is metal. They are built very well. I’ve heard rumors that the aspherical elements are polycarbonate. This is good since they will have perfect surfaces that eliminate any issues with onion ringing.
Nikon lenses don’t have as much character as Fujifilm lenses, and I like the Fujifilm system more for simple day-to-day stuff. But Nikon lenses are faster (from an APS-C equivalent) and technically perform better. You get a lot more for your money. The Nikon Z would be equivalent to f1.2 lenses on a Fujifilm system. Fast lenses don’t typically have as much character as slower lenses because they have more elements, more surfaces for light to scatter, and more glass. I hope they make some slower Z lenses that are more compact.
Fast lenses are not better than slower lenses, they just offer something different. Sometimes they can be worst depending on what you’re shooting. So don’t be tempted by the f1.8 (1.2 DX equiv) lenses just because of that. The Z lenses are great because they are some of the best utility lenses. Solid AF, weather sealing, internal focusing, no focus breathing etc.
You pretty much have nothing to worry about if you were to jump into a Z6 unless you’re scared of only using one card or need a vertical grip. There was a lot of fear-mongering about single card slots these last few years. It’s not really an issue unless you are not careful about where you buy your cards. Most people I see online complaining about failed memory cards are Ebay shoppers which means they likely are getting counterfeit cards.
For video, internally the Z6 only shoots 8-bit video whereas the Fujifilm X-T3 or T4 shoots 10-bit 4:2:0. That’s kind of significant. The Z6 can shoot RAW, but it’s ProResRAW and you need Final Cut Pro to deal with it. But externally you can shoot 10-Bit 4:2:2 Prores HQ or Prores LT with an Atomos Ninja V. The Z6 is cleaner and better in lower light or high ISO.
Although the Nikon system is technically larger, I like that with Fujifilm you have the option to go very small and very light.
I think APS-C is the best system for the average Joe and Fujifilm cameras are very good and super fun. It would be very hard for me to decide between Nikon and Fujifilm if I could only choose one. I think if you want to build out a system with mostly zooms and are more of an adventure shooter, go full-frame, you’ll get more bang for your buck. If you’re more run and gun or have kids, stick with APS-C, you’ll enjoy being able to throw on some smaller lighter lenses when you’re dealing with a family.
I’ve shot full-frame and APS-C for years, and at the end of the day. Yes, full-frame is technically better but APS-C is now good enough that you can’t tell the difference between the two in most images.
Right now the Fujifilm system is the best system for the hobbyist, in my opinion.
And one thing about IBIS
IBIS was never designed with the intention of allowing photographers to shoot 1-second shots, you can use it for that, but that’s not why it’s useful. I keep seeing literally everyone say that.
IBIS is designed to improve the stability of shots at 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/120. It’s especially important on high-resolution cameras, especially will large sensors where the plan of motion is much larger so that any little wobble moves those corners with exponentially more velocity from the center of the rotation axis. I’m shooting a lot more street and event photography these days and it does make a difference in some situations where I am shooting quick or am moving, especially on the full-frame cameras. I always thought it was funny when DPreview posted all their handheld samples of the Sony A7rIV 61MP camera and most of the shots had motion blur. IBIS should help that but it has limitations.
Also, if you’re a professional cinematographer, IBIS is not a professional solution to the stability problem. You need some other rig for reliable performance, but I’m curious to see how Canon does it with their next camera.
This is, of course, all just my opinion based on the way I like to shoot.
43 comments
Fuji’s decision to skip FF for MF looks smarter and smarter. Hope they are hard at work on GFX.
Yeah, and those prices of those bodies are coming down. Eventually, it might just make sense to get a GFX 50R. In the future, they for sure will be able to get the size of those GFX cameras down even smaller to the Z6 size. You can easily fit a GFX sensor in the Z6, so there is no reason Fujifilm can’t make an even more compact MF camera in the future. That’s kind of what I’m expecting and hoping for. It would be cool to just live in the Fujifilm echo system so all the colors are always consistent between cameras.
Great article. I switched from Fuji to the Nikon Z6 last year due to waiting for their older lenses to be improved. Largely I’ve been happy but I didn’t realise how much larger the 1.8 lenses are, they’re seriously good though.
I’m a big fan of the Z6 ergonomics and I still have an X100.
Do you have any thoughts about the pancake 28mm and 40mm on the Z roadmap?
I will for sure get the pancake 28mm and 40mm. 🙂 I still shoot with my Canon 40mm pancake and I love the Fujinon 27mm pancake. I wonder if they will keep it a true pancake or if it will be like the Zeiss Sony 35mm f2.8 or something.
I am hoping its an f2.8 to be honest 🙂
If the silhouettes on the roadmap are anything to go by then we’re talking about ‘compact’ rather than pancake. I’m guessing about the same size as the FTZ-adapter. Slightly shorter or the same protrusion as the grip.
I love my X-T2, I love the color science, the feel of the camera, the character of most lenses, the small profile you can get, but then there is this wish for full frame since I saw the Nikon Z6 – and you are not innocent on this! 😛
You get better lenses for, let´s say, the same price as the Fujinons 1.4, but weather sealed, full frame depth of field, faster AF, better ISO performance and on top of it the Nikon renders about 2/3 of a stop brighter images… you said it all in this article. My heart wants to stay with Fuji, but my brain says Z6.
The lenses are much bigger though, that’s something to bare in mind
Some of them are yes. Not all of the zoom lenses are that much bigger if you match equivalency. Like the f4 Nikkor lenses are not that much bigger than the f2.8 Fujinon lenses. But yeah. I still like with Fujifilm you have the option to keep things small and stealthy. It’s a huge advantage of you shoot street photography. I get a little intimidated walking around Hollywood by myself at night with the Z camera. Although it makes for a nice club if anyone tries to attack me or pulls a knife on me. 🙂 Hasn’t happened yet, but a few people I work with have been robbed, usually at gunpoint. :/ This place has gotten crazy.
I actually switched to Nikon because I did size up the zooms and completely agree there’s not a huge difference. Even the Fuji 18-55 2.8-4 compared to the Nikon 24-70 f4 isn’t crazy.
re intimidated, I feel the same 🙁 I got around it by buying a Peak Design Sling and I pull the camera out to take a shot and put it away again. It’s such a terrific bag for doing that and I feel really confident with the grip on the Z that I won’t drop it.
It’s been great for my confidence shooting.
Yeah it’s a hard decision. Nikon has done a great job, but then there is that Fujifilm color science. It’s so hard to resist. I love those film simulators and Fujifilm makes small stealthy cameras.
Lately, I do hate walking around here in Hollywood with a big Z6, I’ve been using my Kipon 35mm f2.4 lens to keep the size down. There are crazy people everywhere and the bigger camera draws a lot of attention. I’m still waiting on the X100V since I’ve definitely been shooting less around here because the streets get a little intimidating at night. With the Z6, it always attracts the attention of some crazy dude screaming up into the sky, then he sees me, “reaahhrr har har that’s a nice camera man.”
hahaha omg
Canon has an R 35 1.8 and soon 50 and 85 will follow. Just interesting whether they’ll be as good as these Z Nikkors are. Because from what I see (thanks to your reviews!) for value for money Nikkors are just the best at the market right now and no one is even close.
I have the RF 35mm f1.8. It’s got the worst astigmatism I’ve ever seen in any lens. Canon likely did that on purpose to keep it a non-pro lens. It’s fine for most stuff though, renders is cool and it has IS which is also cool. I generally like the lens you just have to be careful about how you use it at night at f1.8 because of the crazy coma. So it’s definitely not as good as the Nikkor 35mm f1.8 but also half the price.
So not to expect new Canon R 1.8 primes to be on par with Nikkors… Sad. I have a full frame Pentax and an X-T20, shot with primes. Thinking of getting a new big camera in some 2-3 years, and your site is one of the most useful sources of information about the photo world. Don’t you have plans to test GFX50?
I actually got the Z6 with the 50mm after reading your review. I wanted to like it so much, loved the idea of great 1.8 primes on a smaller full frame body. Just didn’t connect with it at all. It was just heavy enough to be too heavy, the viewfinder was nothing like I had thought it would be from the specs and the af in low light was dreadful. Updates did improve that though.
Even the shutter sound got on my nerves. I can see why it hasn’t connected with many people, there’s something deeply uninteresting about it.
Interesting. I haven’t heard any complaints about the shutter yet. It’s very quiet compared to my other cameras.
Which system are you going with instead? I’m still totally loving it as my workhorse system, but there of course are some things i still love about my Fuji and Sony cameras.
It wasn’t how loud the shutter was, just something about the sound that got on my nerves. Compared to the Sony’s it was a dream though.
I expected to love it, don’t know why it fell so flat with me. Even now I think about trying it again, seems to make the most sense on paper. I just sold everything and am using the X100V. Still weighing my options, GFX is highly impractical but just keeps calling to me. Any thoughts on trying the GFX system? Used prices are getting more affordable.
I will say the images from their Z lenses are a bit on the clinical side. Especially compared to Fujinon glass or some of the Sony glass. Someone was once telling me that the Color Filter Stack is very aggressive on the Z cams so it kind of strips out a lot of the tonality but I know Nikon uses a pretty thin sensor stack so I’m not sure if it’s that or the 12 element lenses.
The GFX calls to me so hard. Waiting for prices to come down even more on the GFX 50R. Fujifilm wants to get the bodies even smaller so I’m kind of just waiting and watching on that one. I would love to be all Fujifilm if I could but their system is just not totally complete yet.
I have a Z6 and love it – but damn those Fujifilm cameras are tempting and a smaller alternative – especially the x100v (it looks beautiful)! I think the biggest gap in Nikon line up is as you said it – compact slower lenses. I do note that on the Nikon roadmap there are two ‘compact’ lenses that are due to be released 40mm and 28mm. I did also read somewhere with an interview with a senior exec from Nikon was that their greatest demand at this stage was for the compact lenses and that was their priority. The 40mm (f2.8?) would be something I would definitely look to get and would hopefully scratch the itch I have for some of the smaller APS-C bodies getting around.
Anecdotally, the people I know who are Nikon shooters tend to appreciate Fujifilm over the other companies especially when it comes to the APS-C format. Nikon does well what Canon and Sony does already – but Fuji – they bring something quite different (cooler/oldschool vibe) to the table. I dunno – just my thoughts
Body wise I don’t think there’s much between the X-T range and the Z at least. Especially now that the X-T4 is heavier due to Ibis. Nonetheless, it feels very different in the hand!
I too am hoping for a 40mm f2.8 lens. I think I’d travel with that and the 85mm 1.8s and an f4 zoom and it would have me covered.
I have just picked up the X100V, it’s amazing. I don’t understand why but I love something about Fuji.
If they revamp their 1.4 primes I think I’d move back
Hi Alik, thanks for all of your informative work on this site. Your reviews are very tangible and detailed but still down-to-earth. You posted this piece right after I started peeking over the fence from my Fuji X-T2 into the Nikon mirrorless camp. In terms of design and control scheme, the Z6 doesn’t inspire me the way the Fuji cameras do, but there’s something about those 24MP full-frame files that’s just really rich and deep. My girlfriend’s Nikon D600 has amazing output, even for an old camera, and I suspect it has to do with the comparatively huge pixel pitch, despite having the same resolution. Could you speak about the experience of editing the Fuji RAW files versus the Z6 raw files? How would you describe the difference?
The Nikon RAWs are always a bit cleaner. Hold up a little better in low light with the same ISO, but all said and done when looking at the final results it’s never really an issue and it’s tough to really see the comparison unless you print massive or shoot a lot at high ISO.
Hello Alik,
Good post ! Yes you’re right, I think people understand that you’re not an ambassador of any brand, and you are not a fanboy either.
Your posts/reviews are very moderate (AF is good enough across all brands, total sharpness is important but not a top priority, small manual lenses are very fun to use etc.) and it’s a very good point. A large number of websites/videos just keep repeating “oh noes the AF doesn’t track this dog eyelash while he’s doing a reverse salto jump this camera is total crap, deal breaker”
But you’re also right about Nikon, the quality of their cameras is well known (despite some big problems with D600 and 750), and i know some photographers that are using 35mm or APSC cameras from others brands that are not trusting the quality of sony equipment (long term wise), and canon gear prices are over the top. Nikon f1.8 primes are also attractive.
I plan to buy a Z6 for landscape stuffs, and keep my X-T2 as backup. I simply cannot get rid of the xf 35 f1.4, 16-55 f2.8 and the samyang 12… and the fuji dials/controls/ergo… 😀
Keep on going !
Thanks, Aurelien, I still love that XF35mm f1.4. It’s so fun and looks so good. All the Samyang APS-C lenses are actually pretty good too and I plan on reviewing the rest of them this summer. They have a 35mm f1.2 which is pretty cool.
@AlikGriffin:disqus as you’re a Sony shooter I was wondering if I could get your perspective. I’ve noticed that every single one of the Z primes are much heavier and bigger than the equivalent Sony FE; do you think that the Z lens are better and warrant the size difference?
For example, the Sony FE 35mm 1.8 is around 100G lighter.
When I moved to the Z range I assumed the primes were going to be similar in stature to Sony’s but clearly I was wrong!
Yes. Sony seems like they keep things small intentionally when they can. It makes the system really appealing to me for sure since I shoot a lot in the streets. If I remember correctly the NIkon f1.8 do a few things the Sony f1.8 lenses do not. Depending on the lens of course because Sony has a few 50 or 55mm f1.8 lenses out there. The Nikon Z lenses are all-weather sealed and have no focus breathing. I’m not sure if that warrants a bigger build but typically having a bigger lens allows you to clean up the IQ a little more. I would have to side by side them one day to really see what’s different. The 35mm and 85mm Nikon also has a dual focus system, supposedly it helps with speed and close focus.
But the Sony f1.8 lenses are definitely nice lenses. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone complain about the 55mm f1.8, other than the price. If you’re just shooting street photography or casual stuff you probably won’t be able to see a difference between the Z lenses. But I think from specs alone you might be getting more out of the Z lenses if you’re more of a hybrid video / still shooter.
Maybe some of those Nikon comments are paid noise.
I wonder. 🙂 I work in advertising and have learned that some companies will intentionally get things “leaked”. . . indirectly, to keep the noise going on their products.
I find the Nikon to be very genuine in the hand. Authentic somehow. I loved the X-Pro 2 but with the Z6, it just feels so good in the hand.
I am enjoying the synergy in ergonomics with the F100 film SLR.
I am first and foremost a jpeg shooter which is why I also love Fujifilm. But Nikon’s jpegs are just as good I think. And for some tasks a lot better. The Z6 with active D lighting and in camera HDR produces incredible images I could never match with the Fujifilm. Achieving the same from raw takes a long time.
I’ll have to start messing with Nikon JPG more. I keep hearing good things about it but never mess with it. I’m really liking the JPG on the X100V now. You have even more options which is super cool. It’s nice adding a little grain on the JPG since Fujifilm JPGs do sometimes eat some super fine details. the grain looks good and hides it. The clarity and chrome effects are cool too.
Hey Alik,
I wanted to know if moving the single point AF on the Z6 with the joystick (next size up from pin point) is as fast as moving AF points with the joystick on the X-T3.
It’s probably one the things I like about the X-T3 the most. Unlike the the EOS R where moving the single point is slow and one speed (not a fan of the touch and drag method).
Thanks in advance!
I’m stuck in California and don’t have my X-T3 with me so I can’t check that camera. I only brought my T2 and Z6.
You can set the AF movement to use half the focus points similar to how in the X-T3 you can change from how many focus points you want to move between. So you can move it quicker once you’ve set this option.
On the Nikon Z6, you can move the pinpoint from the center to the edge of the frame in 5 clicks of the focus joystick when you set it to 1/2, otherwise it takes 10 clicks. This setting is found in A5 in the menu.
Appreciate the reply Alik and going out of your way to count those clicks. That’s definitely a deal-maker for me as far as controls go.
The Z6 is definitely compelling right now since the lenses are about the same price as Fuji’s 1.4 lenses. I mean it would be mostly for family and kids so the small form factor of Fuji would be more practical.
I also been seeing that the eye AF on the Z6 is not reliable at times based on YouTube guy Manny Ortiz. What has been your experience with the Z6 eye AF performance/reliability?
About Eye AF, I’m not sure, how old is Manny’s video? I did some side by side shooting with the Z6 and Sony A9II, and while the A9II was faster and a little more responsive, the end results did not change. Both cameras gave me an extremely high eye at keeper rate, and that was with the older Z6 firmware. And that’s wth just general family stuff with kids running around.
So was Manny doing some stress test where his wife was spinning around while running towards the camera or something? These guys often put together these crazy stress tests that aren’t that applicable to the real world.
Was referring to the video he made on 12/10/2019 titled, “My biggest issue with the Nikon Z6 and why I CANT recommend it!”
Something about the Z6 not being able to find the person but instead focusing on the background or an object in the foreground that’s not a person.
But hey if that’s that’s just a hiccup and the performance and results are good when it comes to real life application, then that’s good enough for me.
Yeah, all cameras do that from time to time, even my Sony. One of the best things about the Z6 is it changes between focus modes faster than any other camera (you can do it pretty fast on the EOS R too), so if you learn to use the camera you can fluidly switch between the focus modes without skipping a beat and instantly remedy any issue like that in less than a second. But if you just rented the camera for a weekend to make a Youtube video, you probably wouldn’t know that. 🙂
Also, the big firmware update happened at the end of December then another one in Feb. So that video is obsolete, the camera even does animal eye AF and had significant improvement with tracking since then.
which one have fast af lock for bird photography?
Probably the Z6 at this point.
I read you articles on Z6 and A7III, and now Fuji. And this is exactly the moment I am trying to decide on a new camera. I am interested in photojournalism, aquariums and also portraits (http://instagram.com/uaru.amphiacantoides).
I parted ways with Nikon when I sold my D700 and since then I used Fuji, even if it had some shortcomings. I generally like the pictures, the X100 series changed me and my photography. Of course there were problems. Only with H1 the AF got to the level of my old D700…
I have X100F and X-H1 (and quite a few lenses: 23F1.4, 35F2, 90F2, 16-55, Laowa 9). This combo let’s me carrying either camera without worrying, that I might have different, better results with the other because of different sensor. I thought of having only X100F, but I did not like closeups from X100F and AF was less reliable than even XT1.
I almost decided to order X-T4 (and with time also X100V, for the same combo), which would solve two of my concerns:
– faster and more reliable AF
– decent battery life, not as good as Sony, but much better.
But recently someone (the graphic editor in a magazine that was publishing my story) complained that my photos which I did through the years are difficult to use for print because of noise. And that made me thinking about FF again. Streets in the nights and some interior events require shooting with no light at higher ISOs… Not always it is possible to use tripod… And I have been thinking since then.
You somehow convinced me Z6 would be a better idea than going Sony route, even if Z6 battery is bad.
At this moment I cannot afford to have both systems, so it would need to be a complete switch.
To summarise the points which are important for me:
Pro Z6
– probably better low light shooting so they stop complaining
– nicer for portraits
– nice grip, no need to buy anything
– supposedly much better iOS app, which can even do automatic download
Cons Z6
– No improvement on battery life (but the original batteries are at least cheap)
– much louder mechanical shutter (comparing to H1, I love the quietness of the H1 shutter, I believe T4 would be also quiet). I am not intimidated as much by size of the camera (H1 is not small), but by the noise it makes.
– need to sell a lot, which is a bother
– need to buy CFexpress card and reader – I know I can connect the camera to computer, but
– there is no X100V equivalent counterpart
– just missed 40000 JPY cashback…
Pro T4
– battery life
– AF would probably be good, better than H1.
– no need to read manual
– no need to sell, maybe I would be able to keep H1 for a while as backup
– possibility to have combo X100V+XT4, which would give me the same sensor in the smaller package
Cons T4
– I do not expect to improve on the low light
– Need to buy a grip – and there are no Fuji grips (I mean grip for better handling, not the battery grip).
– I had to pay 95000 JPY for repairs for my H1 when it did not perform as advertised in the rain. Yeah, I know – but it left a psychological scar on me.
Looking at this list, T4 should be a better choice for me now. So why I feel this attraction to FF Z?
The only thing that really matters on the Z6 side is cleaner files in low light situations, which is very important for me, but I am not really sure how much better they are really going to be to outweigh all the other things.
I still mostly take my Z6 out for low light and bad weather shooting. However, there are some new Viltrox / Tokina f1.4 lenses coming to Fujifilm that have full autofocus that Fujifilm has supported.
I’m not sure if you use primes or zooms, but if the AF is quick this could solve a lot of the low light problems for you on the Fujifilm system except I don’t think they’ll be weather sealed. I would still wait for a few reviews but that could solve problems for you. Fujifilm will get there with fast lenses, they just need another year or two. Once Fujifilm has a good full set of fast focusing f1.2 or f1.4 weather sealed lenses it’s going to be harder for me to justify full frame since there is so much size utility to APS-C.
I’m personally going to wait for the X-H2 before buying any more Fujifilm cameras. I have suspicion that will have a 32MP sensor that will allow it to shoot 8k video, not that I care about 8k, but I’m thinking the X-Trans sensor will start do look amazing with 32MP. Still there is some moire and still some wormies with the sharpness, and having more resolution will only help that.
I have a feeling that now that the olympics are delayed, they will make an effort to get this X-H2 out next year. That would be amazing.
It sucks that camera rentals are so expensive in Japan otherwise you could try the Z6 out for a weekend to see if it clicks with you or not.
Nikon z5 . Only lacking comparably priced lens
Quick question – Z6II autofocus versus Fuji’s X-T4/ X-S10 auto focus. Good, better, worse? I’m pretty happy with Fuji’s, though wouldn’t complain about it improving, obviously – and just wondering where the Z6II with firmware update stands in comparison to it. Thanks!