An accessory guide for all the best accessories for the Nikon Z6 or Z7. I’ve tested batteries, memory cards, screen protectors, cases and straps to find which products are the best and which should be considered.
These are also the accessories I use on my Nikon Z6.
Best Accessories Nikon Z6 / Z7 | The Basics
Best Screen Protectors For Nikon Z6 & Z7
The Nikon Z6 and Z7 have the best screen out of all of the mirrorless cameras, at least at the time of its release. So protect it.
As I buy and sell cameras for testing I gone through a lot of different brands of screen protectors and have found that Expert Shield is the best for a few reasons. Their lifetime warranty is real and they are easy to get in touch with and they do honor their warranty. Just save your receipt and if anything happens to your screen be sure to take a picture or at least keep it because they’ll ask you to prove that you’re not scamming them.
Also, they just make the best screen protectors. I’m using the Anti-glare screen protector and they are the only brand I’m able to find that makes a really good anti-glare screen protector. With other brands, you lose too much clarity and sharpness, so Expert Shield is the way to go.
Expert Shield Screen Protector
Available At: Amazon / BHphoto There are three options, Anti-Glare, Crystal Clear and Glass. I’m using Anti Glare since I use this camera a lot for street photography.
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Best Batteries Nikon Z6 / Z7
Third-party batteries are working for the Nikon Z6 and Z7, but so far I haven’t found on that lets you charge the battery through the camera, you will need to take the batteries out to charge it which you should do anyone. The Nikon batteries take a long time to charge through the camera otherwise.
Keep in mind that third-party batteries are never as good as official batteries.
Also, be careful of scams. BHphoto had that issue with counterfeit Nikon batteries that they were selling. These could still be floating around Amazon or eBay so be sure to buy them from a trusted source. BHphoto has cleaned up their inventory so they should be good.
Hopefully, Nikon doesn’t pull another Nikon ( or Sony ) and release a new firmware that makes third-party batteries useless.
Official Nikon EN-EL15b Battery
Available At: Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto I rarely need more than one battery which is why third-party batteries are a great option. The only time I use a second battery is if I’m out and about, traveling or whatever and don’t get a chance to charge my camera after a few days. So if you’re like me, you might only need one official Nikon battery then just a backup or two. If you’re a video shooter and you’re burning through several batteries a day, it might be a good idea to just have a few official Nikon batteries just in case they release a firmware the day before you go on a shoot or something that kills third-party battery compatibility. Or, you never know what other issues like heat the third party batteries could cause. Nikon is really anal about things being professional and perfect. |
BM EN-EL15b Battery
Available At: Amazon I usually don’t list the Big Mikes batteries but I bought some this time around and they have been performing good enough. These work perfect in the Nikon Z6 and Z7 and will charge in the camera via USB. You’ll need to cycle them a few times to get max life out of them. Right not it’s looking like these are the best third-party batteries for the Nikon Z6 or Z7. |
Best Memory Cards For The Nikon Z6 & Z7
CFexpress memory cards are now available for the Nikon Z6 and Z7. They aren’t running any faster with this generation of camera, but if you are buying new memory cards, you should buy CFexpress instead of XQD since a lot of CFexpress gear, like card readers will not support XQD, and future cameras will also not support XQD.
I have a guide showing all the speeds of the different cards tested in each camera.
Fastest Memory Cards Nikon Z6 Z7
Shooting ProRes RAW Video What You Need
I thought I would add a few items that are going to be useful for shooting ProresRaw to this list.
First off, if you’re thinking of shooting ProResRaw right now, it only works with Apple Final Cut Pro. I imagine it will eventually come to other programs but if you don’t have a mac, there is no point of doing this. This doesn’t mean you need to edit on mac, You can process all your footage with FCP and convert it all to ProRes444 after color grading then use that as your master source that you make proxies from.
To Record ProRes RAW you need the Atamos V recorder
Atomos V Recorder
You’ll probably want the accessory kit, but standalone is cheaper if you already have the accessories. This is the recorder you need for ProResRAW. |
SmallRig Cine CageThere are a few nice cage kits by SmallRig for the Z6 that will allow you to mount the Ninja to the cage, there are also a few options of handles. |
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Leather Half-Cases And Grips
I’ve gone through leather Half Cases and grips to find the best one and the only one I recommend is the Lim’s case.
When looking at leather half cases, I tried the Gariz case and it’s not good. Look at the pictures online, the base of the grip where the pinky finger does not hug the camera and it gives you nowhere to put your pinky. It’s a pretty terrible design. I also had a problem with the Gariz case where I could not open the battery door as well. Avoid it.
Lim’s Half Leather Case Nikon Z6 / Z7
The Lim’s leather half-case fixes all of the problems I have with the Nikon Z6 grip being a little short for my big hands. It has an aluminum base but still allows easy access to the battery door open. The base plate also features an arca-swiss tripod mount that is fitted into the base plate. I’ve used Lim’s leather half-cases on a few cameras now and they’ve never let me down. While the Lim’s case is great at extending the grip if you only need a grip extension then check out the Meike MK-27G Grip Extension for half the price. It’s much longer and will work a little better for people with large hands. You could also use a Smallrig L-Bracket. |
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Meike MK-Z7G Grip Extension
Available At: Amazon Overall it’s a decent grip, but the rubber grip material doesn’t match the camera material, and you’ll lose the ability to set your camera down flush. You also have to remove your cameras battery door and attach it to the bottom of the grip extension if you want to easily be able to remove your battery. This also means you will lose the weather sealing. So if you want weather-sealing you’ll need to leave the battery door on the camera and charge your battery through the camera with USB. |
L-Brackets
If you’re shooting landscape photography the L-Brackets are a really nice accessory. There is a lot to choose from and they all are pretty similar in quality. SmallRig makes a nice L-Bracket that even has the extra grip extension for your pinky finger.
There are other less expensive options out there like the Fugasun, if you’re just looking for an L-Bracket tripod mount. These are Arca-Swiss.
SmallRig L-Bracket
Available At: SmallRig Small Rig makes the best L-Bracket in my opinion, but you have to grab it from their website. It’s not on Amazon in the USA right now. This bracket is great because it has the base grip extension and plenty of SmallRig accessories like cold shoes that mount perfectly do it.
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Nikon Z Lenses
I’ve put together a list of all the available lenses for the Z mount. You can even use an adapter and get access to all the Sony lenses as well.
Complete List of Nikon Z Lenses
FZE-01 Sony FE to Nikon Z Adapter
Available At: Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto Use this adapter to get Sony lenses working for your Nikon. Sony has some great manual focus lenses by Zeiss and Voigtlander that you can get today for use on your Nikon. You can also use AF lenses and lenses with image stabilization. They even have a few decent cheap lenses like the 50mm f1.8. The adapter is expensive so it’s really going to be useful for those that already have FE lenses and are switching over to Nikon. I’ve ordered the adapter for testing. I’ll update you soon.
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Camera Straps
There are lots of straps out there now but my go-to system is the Peak Design.
I like to mostly use the handgrip when I’m shooting but I like to use a strap when I’m traveling between locations, so having a peak design system where I can quickly take on and off my strap has been amazing.
Peak Design Clutch Hand Strap
Now that I’m used to it, I couldn’t live without the peak design clutch hand strap. It’s very comfortable and really conforms to the hand. You can also clip a full strap to it using the peak design anchors. |
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Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap SLL-AS-3
This is the strap I use. There are thicker and thinner versions but I think for mirrorless cameras this is just about right. I love it and especially love how easy and quickly I can clip it on and off of my camera and switch it between different cameras with the anchor system. |
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Camera Cleaning
(6 Pack) MagicFiber® Premium Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Available at: Amazon Microfiber cleaning cloths are one of those must-have accessories. While usually, my t-shirt works fine for cleaning off a UV filter or an LCD screen, every so often I’ll need to sit down and give my gear and lenses a serious cleaning and nothing is better or safer on your glass or screens than microfiber cloth. After awhile these microfiber cloths will accumulate oil from cleaning your lenses or rear screens and they’ll end up just smudging film around on the lens. This is why having multiple cleaning cloths is a must and the 6-pack is very nice. |
Rocket Air Blasters
Available at: Small – Amazon / Medium – Amazon Rocket Air Blasters are my favorite cleaning blasters because the fins at the base allow you to sit them upright like a rocket, they also have various sizes. These are an absolute must-have for cleaning dust off the sensor as well as off the lens elements. Make sure you always do a few blasts to clean the debris out of the Air Blaster before blowing it on your sensor. Especially if you have kids or pets. The images here are of some of the older blasters. I’ve gone through many of these. On the left is the large one, on the right, is the medium. Large is probably overkill for mirrorless cameras but the medium and small sizes are great. When using the air blaster to clean your sensor, please be careful not to touch it against your sensor. Keep it far enough away so there is no risk. |
Sensor Brush APS-C
Available at: Amazon The Sensor Brush is another must-have accessory for cleaning your sensor. Occasionally you’ll get dust on your sensor that does not want to come off with the rocket air blaster so the sensor cleaning brush is the best way to deal with it. Sensor Brushes are the best way to get the dust off your sensor if you can’t get them off with an air blaster, try one of these before any other trick like those sensor swabs and the wet method. I like the cleaning brushes by The Dust Patrol. They have very high-quality bristols with a wooden handle and are made in Germany. Even if you don’t need a brush right now, it’s always nice to have. I usually only end up using one of these a few times a year.   The Sensor brush kit comes with a few little spongy Q-Tips. Don’t use those on your sensor, but you can use those to clean in and around the mirror-box. Your Sensor brush should last you a lifetime if you take care of it. Never touch the bristles and always give them a few blasts with the Rocket Air Blaster before using them to clean off any debris. Always keep your sensor brush in its plastic bag inside the storage tube when not in use. There are several sizes of the sensor brush available. I bought the brush designed for full-frame cameras like the Nikon Z6 or Z7 but it also works on APS-C cameras like shown here in my photos. |
Best Accessories Nikon Z6 / Z7 Conclusions
I’ll definitely be keeping the Nikon Z6 as one of my primary cameras and I’ll continue to shop and try out different accessories. Going forward I’ll keep this list updated with all the best stuff.
If you find something that’s not on the list that you think I should try, let me know!
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