The Nikon Z6 II has been trending on Google, so I decided to take a little trip down memory lane and relive the launch of arguably the first full-frame mirrorless camera that Nikon got right (along with the Nikon Z7 II, of course). Clearly, people are still interested in this nearly six-year-old camera, but looking at prices online, my advice is to at least consider the Nikon Z5 II instead.
You see, the Nikon Z6 II is still available for purchase where it officially retails for $1,749.95 / £1,799, but can often be found well below $1,500 / £1,500. That’s a great price for a full-frame camera that’s more than capable of being a professional workhorse. But the Nikon Z5 II can be found for a similar price and, in some cases, cheaper.
When you compare the specs via the table below, it’s clear that, despite being Nikon’s entry point into its full-frame mirrorless system, the Nikon Z5 II is a superior camera to the Nikon Z6 II in more ways than not. Externally, they’re very similar, being roughly the same size and weight. The biggest differences are the presence of an LED information screen on the top plate of the Z6 II, the Z5 II having a fully articulating rear LCD, as opposed to the Z6 II’s tilting LCD, and the Z5 II’s mode dial positioned on the right and the Z6 II’s positioned on the left.
Nikon Z6 II vs Nikon Z5 II
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Nikon Z6 II | Nikon Z5 II |
Sensor | 24.5MP CMOS BSI | 24.5MP CMOS BSI |
Processor | Dual Expeed 6 | Expeed 7 |
Screen | 3.2-in 2.1m-dot tilting touchscreen | 3.2in 2.1m-dot vari-angle touchscreen |
Viewfinder | 0.5in, 3690k-dot OLED EVF, 100% coverage | 0.5in, 3,690k-dot OLED EVF, 100% coverage, 3,000 nits brightness |
Image stabilization | Up to 5 stops | Up to 7.5 stops |
Memory | 1x SD UHS-II, 1x CFexpress (Type B) / XQD | 2 x SDXC UHS-II |
Shutter speed | 1/8000 sec-30 sec (900 secs extended) | 1/8000 sec-30 sec (900 secs extended) |
Max shooting rate | 14fps | 14fps (RAW), 30fps (JPEG) |
ISO | 100-51,200 (50-204,800 exp) | 100-64,000 stills (50-204,800 exp), 100-51,200 video |
Autofocus | 273 hybrid AF points, down to -6EV | Single-point 273 points / Auto-area AF 299 points, sensitive to -10EV |
Video | Up to 4K / 60p (1.5x crop), 4K / 30p, 1080p (full HD) / 120p | Up to 4K / 60p (1.5x crop), 4K / 30p, 1080p (full HD) / 120p |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C, mini HDMI, GPS, microphone, headphone | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C, HDMI-D, stereo mic jack, remote cord / stereo headphone jack (compatible with MC-DC3 remote) |
Dimensions | 134 x 101 x 70mm | 134 x 100.5 x 72mm |
Weight (inc battery & memory card) | 705g | 700g |
Inside, both are built around a 24.5-MP back-side-illuminated CMOS sensor, but the Nikon Z5 II pulls away by housing Nikon’s latest Expeed processor. The result is a superior AF system and up to 30fps JPEG burst shooting. You also get up to 7.5-stops of image stabilization with the Nikon Z5 II, making it a significantly more powerful device.
When it comes to video specs, both cameras offer 4K / 60p (cropped) and full HD up to 120p. However, the Z5 II edges out the Nikon Z6 II by featuring in-body 12-bit RAW video output as well as internal 10-bit N-Log. The Nikon Z6 II can only capture RAW video and N-Log via a compatible external capture device, and the former requires a paid $199.95 upgrade whereby the camera has to be shipped to Nikon.
And finally, both cameras feature dual-card slots, but whereas the Z5 II features two SD card slots, the Nikon Z6 II has a more professional CFexpress / SD card setup. So, there you have it. However tempting the Nikon Z6 II might be, make sure you check out the Nikon Z5 II as well. If I were buying new, I’d definitely opt for the latter. The only way I’d buy a Nikon Z6 II now would be to source a mega used deal, and they are out there.
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