I have had the Nikon z6 for a little over 3 months now and there are just not enough great things to say about it. Seriously. I just want to sell every other piece of photography equipment in my house right now in order to buy another one. Anyone in the market for a Fuji xH1, Fuji 16mm 1.4, 23mm 1.4, or even my beloved x100F?
I recently went to a photographer shoot-out where I planned to shoot all film. I ended up so giddy over using my Nikon z6 I barely shot any film. I am actually so spoiled using it I forget about why I love it so much compared to other cameras. So I wanted to just note my favorite three things about using it for video.
That touch screen is bananas. I LOVE being able to pull focus from one subject to another just by touching the back of the screen. On my other cameras you could SEE the focus breathing, but I have found it to be non-existent on the z6.
The auto-focus with a z-mount lens is virtually silent. AF on my friend’s Canon Mark IV was so loud as well as on my Fuji xH1. Using an external microphone was a necessity otherwise you could HEAR the auto-focus on the footage. I can’t wait to pick up a Nikon 24mm 1.8 Z-mount when it is released later this year.
I love the internal stabilization on the z6. Out of the box I found IBIS on my Fuji to produce over-stabilzation markers, particularly on the edges of the frame. Like I was over-correcting in Premiere Pro with a Jello effect to walls. I mostly shot with the IBIS turned off on my xH1. While I am not 100% sure I like the electronic vibration reduction I am a fan of IBIS.
Check out this 100% Nikon z6 video below. It held up well in the snow!