I couldn’t believe it when I saw that the Nikon Z6 III had plummeted to £1,799 over at Wex Photo Video in what is easily one of the best Black Friday camera deals I've seen so far. I seem to remember the Nikon Z6 II wasn’t much cheaper than that a year ago, and the Z6 III is a whole lot more camera than its aging predecessor.
To put things into perspective, a year-and-a-half ago, I got fed up waiting for the then-rumored Nikon Z6 III and bought a Nikon Z8. Just weeks later, the ‘Big N’ announced the Nikon Z6 III, and although I don’t regret my choice, I’m pretty sure I’d have ended up buying the Z6 III if I’d held on. Take away the Z8’s mighty sensor and tank-like form factor, and you’ve pretty much got yourself a Z6 III.
I don’t think this hefty discount could have come at a better time, either, given the recent release of the Canon EOS R6 Mark III. Although I’m a Nikon nut through and through, I do think the R6 Mark III boasts the best specs in its class. But this deal comes in at £1,000 cheaper than the Canon, and thus puts the Z6 III right back in contention.
So, what makes the Nikon Z6 III so special in my eyes? Well, for starters, it’s not just an incremental evolution of what came before it. It launched with the world’s first partially-stacked CMOS sensor (24.5MP), and when paired with the latest-generation EXPEED image processor, you can expect AF performance that’s not far off the Z8/Z9.
It also has an upgraded EVF, which delivers a high-luminance 4000 nits of brightness, for increased dynamic range. And the rear LCD doesn’t just tilt, it’s fully articulated (if that's your thing). The Z6 III has also been redesigned in comparison to the Z6 and Z6 II, which brings it more in line with the Z8. It’s subtle, but to my eye it looks and feels a little more rugged. Speaking of rugged, it boasts very good weather sealing.
When it comes to the technical specs, the Z6 III blows its older sibling out of the water. It can capture up to 120fps bursts (10-MP DX-format JPEGs), 60fps (24-MP full-frame JPEGs), and up to 20fps RAWs. It boasts eight stops of IBIS, AF algorithm hand-me-downs from the flagship Z9, and some incredible video specs to boot. Try in-camera 6K / 60p RAW on for size, not to mention 4K / 60p oversampled from 6K, and 4K / 120p slow-motion (with a DX crop). You also get a line-level input, all within a portable body that grants you access to an extensive range of Z-mount lenses.
I’ve used the Nikon Z6 III, so I can tell you from experience that it’s a very good camera indeed. The biggest difference between the Nikon Z6 III and the Nikon Z8 is the latter’s fully-stacked 45.7-MP sensor. Unless you crop heavily all of the time, you really don’t need a sensor of that size. In fact, there’s a chance everything you know about megapixels is wrong… I digress. In short, they don’t call the Nikon Z6 III the ‘baby Z8’ for nothing (which is in turn a ‘baby Z9’...).
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Want a camera that's fully dedicated to video? Check out the Nikon ZR. If you're looking for a Nikon that's similar to the Z6 III, but a retro camera, then take a look at the gorgeous Nikon Zf.
Check out all the best Nikon Black Friday deals
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