NIKON Z6 Firmware 3.0 AUTO FOCUS Review = BETTER than SONY or Does it SUCK?

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This is the Real World Review of the Nikon Firmware Version 3.0 for the Z6 and Z7. I took the Nikon Z6 into multiple situations to really put it through its paces. I photographed Temple Womans Baseketball, Kids playing and Animal Eye AF on my cat Sammy Davis Jr Kitty. How does the Auto Focus system hold up now under version 3.0? Let's find out in this Review.
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00:15 - Intro
04:58 - Version 3.0 Firmware explained
06:22 - Kids Photoshoot with new firmware
28:57 - Basketball Photoshoot with new firmware
44:40 - Animal Eye AF Test with a cat
50:43 - Animal Eye AF Test with a dog
53:58 - Wrap up with final thoughts
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Since this is a long video, here's a TOC for you to use. 00:15 - Intro 04:58 - Version 3.0 Firmware explained 06:22 - Kids Photoshoot with new firmware 28:57 - Basketball Photoshoot with new firmware 44:40 - Animal Eye AF Test with a cat 50:43 - Animal Eye AF Test with a dog 53:58 - Wrap up with final thoughts

[@garthzutautas9063]

Thanks Jared, but you're the ONLY person on KZbin I can actually watch an hour long straight through without skipping ahead.

[@ReadAloudAl]

You're the best JPol!

[@ZoneTelevision]

Jared, You really need to talk about (revisit) the Nikon D3 and I'm not being a troll either. I've seen some images recently that even by today/2020 standards are just mind blowing. Thanks.

[@AnirudhHu]

Thank you J, appreciate the timestamps!

[@davidf6326]

@@garthzutautas9063 I can't - skipped to 53:58 :-)

[@cllamasful]

Who else checked how long the video was, once he said, "this is going to be a super long video"

[@jalilsharief1192]

BigLama definitely me and saw the 56 minutes and said woooaaah

[@st.michaelthearchangel7774]

@BigLama Right as I was reading "this is going to be a super long video" in your comment, Jared said it! xD

[@JamesSarkarX]

Jared just after he gets married: "Right before we consummate this marriage, would you like take better pictures in just 11 days?"

[@steventhomas231]

😅😅

[@maxwell1usa]

Great video. I’m glad you show the actual photos of af performance. Other reviewers didn’t do that. Always a pleasure to watch your videos, very informative and honest.

[@baja1980s]

Gotta say, hats off to you for such a great review, very well put together and very honest. Fantastic Jared!!

[@Bumbaclaat]

This is by far the best in depth review about the AF. Jared you’ve really worked hard to put all this and I appreciate and agree with your thoughts. Thanks once a gain.

[@FormlessPhotography]

Totally agree! I’ve been critical about some of the antics and biases here at times but I’ve always loved these type of videos from Jared. Strong work and very informative.

[@FormlessPhotography]

الله جل جلاله I agree for the most part with what you’ve said. Again, the antics and circus behavior is what throws me off. I could care less what system anyone uses brother. The real art comes from the artist (US) and with all due respect and I mean no offense Jared is very knowledgeable and while he may take pictures, he’s a full time youtuber at this point. Not a photographer. Very knowledgeable in his own right but my point is that photographers have been taking great shots for decades long before we got spoiled with all of this tech. Sure, some may appreciate the luxuries of superb autofocus and yes, it would suck if you miss a shot because of the lack there of of it but this is why we do it. Keep practicing and honing the craft. “Do what you enjoy like you love it and it will never seem like work” 😉

[@rickmagri5076]

I watched from beginning to end and must say that it is a more rounded video than most of your past videos. I appreciated the more positive approach you used.

[@gbye007]

What and you had no issues with a one-eyed cat?

[@JTSmall972]

I appreciate all the work you do to help the rest of us out! Thank you!

[@danielmackenzie680]

Great detailed review! Almost as good as your comparison with Canon, Sony and Nikon eye auto test. Animal eye AF works great with my dog and cats. It's all about how visible the eyes are. haha You need a new cat. Having 1 eye really confuses the system. Sonys person tracking seems like a great system. The body, face, eye, whichever it can find idea is ideal. Keep up the good work

[@Bumbaclaat]

This is by far the best in depth review about the AF. Jared you’ve really worked hard to put all this and I appreciate and agree with your thoughts. Thanks once again.

[@robertenger6364]

Well done, Jared. Thank you for the time and energy invested in running these tests and presenting the results. This is good information. THANK YOU!

[@RobbyPedrica]

Even I couldn't see kitty's eye, not sure how the cam would've ... Same with the doggy 😆

[@ralfpassing]

That's right. Black in black or dark in black - no one with brain would use these subjects for a test of a contrast based autofocus

[@topdjcom]

I agree I just tried this with a tiger kitty and it worked much better

[@suyashkulkarni8071]

Enjoyed it 😊 I was waiting for it since you uploaded a pic a week back on Instagram. Thanks ❤️

[@CristianCalhoun]

I can't thank you enough, Jared, these were great tests that I should've otherwise done. As I have a Z6. And still haven't updated the firmware, silly me! Please, stop apologizing in the future if your video is long - if they were twice as long I would still watch them. :) ;) You are helping a lot, there is nothing to excuse yourself for. Thank you again! :)

[@-OzSteve]

Nice work. This is the type of video that started me watching your channel. Please keep it up.

[@markzabo8988]

Watched it all , great video. Thank you.Been enjoying the update on my Z7, cant wait to receive my 20mm 1.8.

[@michaelroy2961]

56:00 I honestly like your longer videos, I really appreciate how well you go into detail!

[@akivabernstein4723]

Yay! I’ve been waiting for this one! Keep up the good work!

[@xvux]

“I got this far. I enjoyed this video” I’ve been a Nikon user since the beginning so I’m waiting with you. I love your in-depth reviews for all your videos. And thank you for everything you and your team does.

[@kennethbradstedlarsen5194]

As a Z6 shooter I find this review pretty fair. The eye AF has certainly gotten better, and I can rely on it for portraits now. I don't really care about the animal AF, but I must say that I had much more success with my golden retriever than Jared and Steven had. Maybe my dogs eyes are more easily detectable?

[@marcusdibenedetto4280]

Thanks Jared for this review. I watched the entire video and super appreciated all the detail. I own the Z7 and recently upgraded to firmware 3.

[@bwebmasta1]

Jared, thank you for doing this video! I have both the Z6/Z7 fully updated to 3.0. Going through the paces.

[@TJJoel79]

Thanks for the great review video, I just upgraded to a Z6 and I feel this video helped me understand the AF system a little more

[@albert3316]

Are the z6 and z7 powerful enough to end up with the same AF as the sony A73 after another few years of updates, or are they limited by the hardware?

[@danielstreet9264]

Loved the vid Jared. Love your content and the amount of effort put into each one of your videos

[@kirkbarker5004]

With this update using the tracking box, I don't move the box. I use the z6 like a dslr, focus on the face and recompose, because as you said it is hard to move the points fast enough so as soon as I have the box on the face I press af-on and it stays. If the tracking box drifts away I release the af-on button and move the camera to the face again and press af-on. It works mostly.

[@romanpul]

Kirk Barker That‘s exactly what I‘m doing and I think that is also the way Nikon anticipated people to use it

[@RaymondParkerPhoto]

That's the correct way. I demonstrated in my look at 3.0.

[@allentram]

Yeah, I was a bit confused about that part of why he was referring to using his thumb to move the box. I wanted him to move the camera and hit the focus button.

[@raularias576]

Kirk Barker Yeap, that’s the correct way. When he was trying it, I thought “he didn’t understand how to use it”

[@AweSamAlways]

Lock and recompose isn't something you should do if you're using a 1.2 and doing close ups. But if you're always on f4 and smaller f, then that technique is fine.

[@paulwoodruff9871]

Yep... made it to the end and appreciate the work it took to make this "tutorial'. Since it took a couple sittings to make it though, I got to try a few things between and i found like Kirk Barker did in his comment, a way to make it work for me. Bad hands got me to sell all my old Nikon glass and D800 to the lighter Z 6. Still glad i did and waiting on the 70-200 i have ordered and that with the 24-70 f4 and the 50mm 1.4 and adapter, i'll be all set for my fun stuff. Keep up the good work and thanks!

[@SanoyNimbus]

Thanks for this video. Question. I noted the tracking worked a little less good when you did zoom out on the boy running towards you. Does the 70-200 FL keep the focus when you zoom? If not, zooming out makes it hard for the camera to keep focus! Because you take away the focus when you zoom ...

[@joebastura]

These reviews have all been great. Finally convinced myself it’s time for an upgrade after shooting for a few years now and loving it. So I just ordered my Z6, Z 24-70 f/4, and Z 50mm 1.8 today. Wanted the 24-70 2.8 but it just wasn’t in the budget. Considering I’m coming from a D300 and two sub-$200 prime lenses, I think I’ll be alright, though. LOL

[@Mitbackbrot]

Wow, that's so cool. Please tell me about your experience with the Z6, I am planning to buy one as soon as prices drop because of the release of the Z6 II, and I want to go for the Z 24-70 f/4 and Z 85mm 1.8, or perhaps the 24-70 2.8 depending on how much the price drops :). I am shooting on my D300 with the Zoom Kit and AF-S 50mm 1.8 (sub $200 prime :D). I kinda feel like I am in a pretty similar position as you were :).

[@daleb194]

I got that far!! Thanks for that massive amount of work you put into this. I’m a Z6 user for personal and some of my professional work and I’m loving it bit glad too see improvements.

[@honestnerd]

Sony's AF is still top of the line, but I wouldn't change my Z6 for an a7iii :)

[@Mooncat747]

Not anymore. I own both the. A7r4 and z7. The new update for Nikon is right up there now with Sony. Too bad for the folks who jumped ship to Sony. Nikon is only going to get better. Out of 68 shots only 2 were not in focus in Jared's test. Furthermore, go into the settings of the Nikon a3-fast, g4- +5, g5-high. Try it again with those settings

[@michaelgrevera1468]

Because Sony ergonomics are fucking awful. I had an a7III and got rid of it after one wedding. Technology isn’t everything .

[@ItsMinarmy]

Michael Grevera amen

[@Jawad.1]

That's called 'Cognitive Dissonance'

[@BlueBomberTurbo]

@@michaelgrevera1468 Go try an EOS R if you think Sony's ergonomics are bad...

[@parthibchakrabortyreevu247]

When is the Canon Eos 1dx mark 3 full review coming? Eagerly waiting.

[@garypulliam7685]

Jared -- awesome video. I have a Z7 and I'm currently shooting basketball games for my grandkids. Your thorough explanation of how various modes work in BB will help me a lot. Thanks!

[@jorgetse]

Thanks a lot Jared for sharing this!! Love it! Fast Question, did you will make a review of the nikon D780 ?? see you ma`freend !

[@gnawty4662]

Of course I made it this far. Love it Jared! From the detail to your thought process, these are some of the best videos out. Weighing my options until we get word on canons “r5” (currently using an aps-c system). Will be jumping to fullframe, so these videos are beyond appreciated. Thank you!

[@93Basje]

Awesome Jared, have been waiting a long time for this vid!! :)

[@lifeafterbeats]

I watched til the end, awesome update. Your review makes me want this camera more now. I can say that the only thing keeping me from getting a Z6 is the single card slot. Because if this I still favor a D780 but waiting for your RWR of it. You the man.

[@hanifalihasanain5261]

Jared, thank you for bringing us this detailed video about nikon's newest AF upadate. like, honestly, thank you. I can see you've put so much effort in this video, trying to make it as fair as possible. finished the video all the way to the end, without skipping, it was great.

[@jokersax11]

Loved the review but I do have a few questions. What are you using for your a3, d8, and g4 set at? I find they all effect tracking. Especially d8. It's almost as if the new processor in the z series is a bit slower than it should be.

[@SidsDrakon]

Even tho it was a long video makes me happy to see that nikon is making improvements towards the AF. Hopefully by the time I can get a Z6 they have made it almost solid. Thx Jared for making objective reviews.

[@sunetllse4865]

Thanks for the in depth video. Am wondering how you are able to record your screen/viewfinder?

[@richodphoto]

When he is rolling down the hill and the camera is re-aquiring, are you hitting the shutter halfway (or bbf) or is the camera doing that on its own?

[@schifferfoto8659]

Nice and informative video - now only one question remains for me, as I'm currently on the edge of buying the Z6. But my interest is rather on the video side to supplement my D850 with a better autofocus supporting my existing glass. Didi the firmware update affect the video autofocus at all or is it only an upgrade to the still photo capabilities?

[@Abadjay1738]

That was a great and informative video. Thanks for really taking the time to run the system through its paces.

[@martinlee1775]

I got this far....You nailed it! Love these real world reviews, I learn a lot from watching, so length of video is never an issue - content is! I’m hoping at some point Nikon’s firmware improvements and my skill to fully use them, combine at some future point!

[@larrythomas3991]

Well done my guy !!!!!!! so help full and appreciated also muuuuch needed topic/video.

[@theoldmanoftech4039]

I love these videos by Jared and Stephen and the crew to really delve into these cameras to actually see and test these systems from front to back.

[@mhkhung]

Great job.. I watch till the end. What's the deal with all the (i) shortcuts being the same? Also, setting D8 off (you know it's not off since you can see the histogram) should also make AF even faster.

[@bigbrownmab189]

Did you try changing the auto focus/tracking sensitivity meter in the settings and see if that makes a difference vs the stock setting?

[@lwhite7991]

Marcus Brown nope

[@markferman5058]

I appreciate you taking the time to put a video like this together. Most reviews are a handful of shots emphasizing the point they want to make - either pro or con. This was a fair review by showing just how the camera performed in several diverse situations. This took a lot of time to shoot and edit and is not click-bait type work. Click-bait is a 5 minute thrown-together video with a catchy title derived from little effort in an attempt to get views.

[@yxqwv]

I got this far! As always, a pleasure to watching and listen. No unnecessary talk, just honest opinions and facts. That's why I'm still here. Quality!

[@captain-daniel]

Big fan from Germany love all your videos

[@williamthomas9330]

Thank you! Very comprehensive and helpful. What do you set your "Focus tracking with lock-on" (a3 on Z6) to please?

[@ThaiRoundhouse]

Thanks for the in depth review. Extremely helpful!!

[@jbairdexp]

Great work Fro - as a Z7 owner (using firmware 3.0) I watched all of this video with great interest. Thank you also for not rushing this out and taking your time (as always) to do a thorough real world review. I listen to the Daily Fro and agree with what you said when it comes to taking your time when doing these videos.

[@blythewarland6688]

great review, objective and concise with your breakdowns of each section you talked about, a good explanation of why your not using them as other times it seemed a bit like bagging them but this made complete sense to me

[@p3rrypm]

He makes a good point here... Even if he doesn’t realize he’s doing it! With a DSLR, the AF module was separate from the sensor, so is the AF being blocked by the shutter during shutter blackouts?

[@victormultanen1981]

Great job guys! I appreciate it a lot!

[@jamestom2510]

I absolutely love the shot you took of your nephew peeping underneath the deck, ref frame 3:19. now thats a shot........

[@abysal311]

Nikon engineers: "Animal AF, nailed it!" Jared: "Tests on one eyed cat" Nikon engineers: "F..."

[@joelcadet8941]

abysal311 lmaoo

[@DOGee-hq7pt]

Really LMFAO !!

[@bwebmasta1]

🤔🤣🤣

[@ivarssonjorgen]

🤣🤣🤣

[@StevenHernandez-pw7oc]

@abysal311 I almost spilled my coffee reading this comment!!!!!!!!!

[@icruzat]

I enjoyed this video. I think Nikon is on the way to get perfect AF in the Z system. Thanks Jared for the effort!!!

[@Ra-Hul-K]

love your comprehensive videos 👏🏼

[@AdeRussell]

Great work Jared. Really helpful review!

[@SassyGirl1708]

Hi! I am having a dilemma... Trying to decide if I should go with d850 or z7. I mostly shoot landscapes and would love to start wildlife photography. Or should I wait for z8 at this point?

[@jaychristianson]

For the swing shot where it struggled..what mode focus would u have used... I am a d850, d5 shooter and would suspect 3D tracking was best for this on a dslr... on the z6 your thoughts pls...love ur work.. jay

[@randybocksnick3750]

JARED-- Been watching your videos for 10 yrs now and I've enjoyed all of them! Randy B.

[@payoneer88]

Hey Jared great video, I keep learning from you with each video. I have a Z6 and I was wondering if it can be used as a "webcam" for business conference calls since I don't like to use a super wide angle distorted $55 web cam. I have a Windows PC with no camera or Mic.

[@javierq6268]

Jared Could you also test the Z6 camera with the new Express Card to see if it is worth it? Thank you, a Very good video I learned a lot, now I can get more out of my Z6

[@hershey50317]

Great vid and very informative fro!

[@ls5454ss]

Thanks for the detailed video, Jared - appreciate it!

[@PPerquin]

I am researching upgrading from my entry level DSLR Nikon after a few years of amateur shooting. Thanks for the updated video as I had looked at your earlier review and was dissuaded from buying a Nikon mirrorless. Happy to know I'll be fine with a Z6, with the updated firmware and will be able to save and migrate what I've already invested in $$$ regarding my existing glass stock.

[@DragonfireRC]

This was a wonderful video Jared! Thank you for all the work you did to test this out. One thing that I am spoiled with is that Fujifilm in portrait mode rotates the text...I did not realize how used to that I was until I watched you do this video...lol. Come on folks, rotate the text in the viewfinder with the next firmware update!!

[@RiemsAI]

From a guy who still uses the D90, this technology is AMAZING! Wish i could use this camera for my job next week.

[@mrvk699]

Rent it out man.! Even I own a hand me down D7100 which works. But I am really really looking forward to The New Z Cameras launching in Next Month!!

[@juzzonmorris]

I got this far, and to the end. Great Video! I appreciate the time and attention to detail.in this review!

[@amlanmohapatra8751]

How accurate is the single point and dynamic area auto focus points, i intend to use this camera only in these modes, i won't use face detect or eye detect, i have watched the whole video but couldn't decide, plz let me know your personal experience

[@markwilliford7471]

Good vid Fro. Balanced and informative. Thanks!

[@barome7236]

Very good review Jared. Keep moving forward.

[@MookieZerang]

Thanks for the in-depth testing of the z6 focusing system. Really much appreciated.

[@jeremyn6726]

So with this new update do you still believe your prior remarks about the Z50 having better focusing than the Z6 or are they now comparable or is the Z6 now better?

[@DragonfireRC]

Hello Jared. Will you be doing a side by side autofocus test with the Z6 and a9 II like you did with the Canon 1DX Mk III? Would love to see how it performs with the new firmware.

[@ujjalchakraborty8036]

i am confused plz suggest z6 or a7iii who is best in photography? plz plz

[@pauldiming]

I actually watched the entire video! Love the detail and the examples. Nice job. Glad to see the improvement coming from Nikon! I bought my first used Nikon F back in 1972. It was built in the 60s. Keep up the good work!

[@garrettfranklin6420]

I use the z6 and actually used it for HS basketball this past year and was very happy with the results. The season ended before the new firmware update so I used a mix between single point and dynamic and got some good results! (Not claiming to be a pro photographer lol just sharing my experience)

[@crazevisuals86]

I got this far! Thank you Jared! Very informative. Kudos!

[@milantozic9613]

Any advice, I am going for a Sony A7III or a Nikon Z6? Any suggestions? I need it as a hybrid shooter ( more for video, so honestly AF is not that important to me, I use manual focus in 99% of my work), but I would like to edit as less as possible in the post (picture profiles, colour corrections etc), I am looking for a package that is more out of the camera good with a little colour tweaking in post in Final Cut Pro, so the big plus for the Nikon is the Pro Res codec. Which to buy?

[@alanrenwick1652]

Long video but helpful and fairly comprehensive, Many thanks.

[@kevintownsend5440]

I have my Z6 set for back button focus. When you start using the face/eye tracking, do you need to hold down the focus button as well or once it locks onto a face/eye it constantly adjusts? Thanks.

[@deenurts]

That's a good question. I was wondering the same thing. Just got my Z6...

[@kevintownsend5440]

@@deenurts I still haven't figured this out. Did you?

[@mjhikes1844]

Well done Jared. I did watch the complete video, as I am trying to decide at the moment as to whether a Z6 is the correct purchase or not. I have never spent this much for a camera. I felt you went over and above to try and provide true and objective pros and cons of the Z6 and its AF capabilities (or functionalities :-)) !! Your review left me believing that if I do choose the Z6, it will not be a mistake. You know, ..... it would be super to see same scenario (environment) shots with all three - Z6, A7 iii, and EOS R, all done one after the other, what do you think ? Mike M.

[@iamleek]

I played cheat forward a few times. Thank you very much for the detail walkthrough of this update firmware. It is very very helpful.

[@WhiteMic]

Great video fro! AF-S is still useful for static subjects though when you want to lock on a specific piece of something.

[@sonambelas]

So jared, if im about to buy mirror less full frame. I used to be nikon dx DSLR user. What do you think ? Sony / Nikon?

[@martingrierson1152]

excellent review of the focus. Thanks!

[@plasma800]

Is it possible to have single point + face and eye? Camera doesn’t find face, backs up to single point (or any other points setting you decide)? Or does it only back up to “all points” and whatever the heck the camera wants to focus on?

[@njt22874]

Thoroughly done, the lenght of the video was ok considering the amount of info provided. Good job Jared!

[@margotd2235]

Hey has anyone shot with a z6 on the new firmware with the Tamron G2 24-70 f/2.8 or the G2 70-200 f/2.8? I would love to know your results on the FTZ adapter with these. I invested in the nice Tamron glass but i'm always running into backfocusing issues even with fine tuning when shooting wide open at f/2.8.

[@Sangamreddy_Siddartha_yadav]

Hoho he is back with his extraordinary long and lovely explanation video about a camera from its cons to pros. Love his way of speaking about the things I love to have. They are dream gear of mine. Love you man your doing great work appreciate it. I shoot raw tooo...... 😉

[@vladvorniceanu3472]

I've waited so long for this review, but I still cannot decide whether to buy a Sony a7rii or a Nikon z6. What do you recommend guys, given the fact that both bodies are aproximately in the same price range?

[@FormlessPhotography]

Know I’m late to this video but props where props are due bro! These are the videos that some of us love you for. Super informative and more along the tips and pointers line of things. Great info and thank you. Guess I’ll bear with the animations and antics a little longer in hopes that vids like these will pop up occasionally 😂. Strong work man.

[@filetdelumiere5037]

Very good video, very serious and well explained with lot of real world examples.

[@NADUNKARUNATILLEKE]

love the kitty & doggy. Great video!!