Nikon Z6 III Animal Eye AF: REAL WORLD Success or Struggle? (ISO & DR Test)

[@RejeRush]

Thanks for the real world review. I also think the DR and high ISO complaints are not warranted. Recently used my z6iii at an Enagagement shoot where I forgot my lights and went up to 4000 ISO. It was raining so we had to find shelter in a dim covered area. Photos looked surprisingly good to my eye and only had to denoise a few. People need just use the camera because it's really good!

[@btonelli]

Agree. Thanks for watching!

[@AbhinavYadav-zm7ut]

You're becoming one of my favorite reviewers, very balanced and nuanced.

[@btonelli]

@@AbhinavYadav-zm7ut thank you 🙏

[@Johnny641]

IMHO firmware updates should be for quality of life fixes that come from user feedback , not sorting out issues that should be good to go at launch. The eye AF should be on point at release , Nikon have had enough time with the Z8/9 and ZF to work this out by now.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

exactly

[@btonelli]

Yes I agree, but with this new sensor and also different subject detection settings (Z6III all grouped together) it may just need an update to fix things. I have faith in Nikon to address it, they have done such a good job with the Z8/Z9 so far

[@bsc001]

@@btonelli Hi Bobby, Nikon has probably partially copied the Zf’s AF/subject tracking, but it will need some tuning to get closer to perfection for the new sensor employed. These things do take a bit of time, beta-testers are most likely working closely with Nikon devs, so improvements will come. Thanx for your feedback and heads-up.

[@btonelli]

@@bsc001 I have faith in Nikon. They have come up with some fantastic firmware

[@bsc001]

@@btonelli Same here, they will resolve this issue as well. The Expeed 7 definitely isn’t the limitation here, so as you have intimated earlier, most likely tweaking of the algorithms that is required.

[@robert_may]

The Z6III performs very similarly to the Z9 in my experience, just with the downside of a slower sensor meaning it acquires, tracks, and moves more slowly. The Z9 misses eye focus frequently too - it has a tendency to eyelash or cheek focus. I think this is because the focus points are larger than the eye (or head for smaller subjects, it does the same thing), and it focuses on the closest thing in the frame, which on most animals won't be the eye. It also struggles somewhat with darker subjects, although that depends on lighting conditions. It's annoying but it is at least pretty predictable and consistent, and so it's not too difficult to work around and I think the same adjustments work alright on the Z6III too. I tend to have my AF set to be quite twitchy (as I mostly have it set for birds in flight) and I find that slightly better as it's constantly tweaking the AF points. I also switch AF-C release mode to "Focus + Release", as it doesn't even bother focusing on "Release" priority half the time.

[@romainplagnol882]

I'm sorry but z9 missing frequently the eye is pretty concerning for a "flagship" camera, compared to what Sony and Canon are able to do Ith entry level cameras

[@robert_may]

@@romainplagnol882 Yeah I'd like to see it fixed. It doesn't overly affect me as I primarily shoot action and the camera performs well for that. I'm surprised more portrait shooters don't mention it as it happens on people in my experience too. However I haven't shot the current flagships from other companies in the same way in order to know how they perform by comparison.

[@romainplagnol882]

@@robert_may previously I owned D780 and used a lot D850 and when I bought a7iv for wildlife and birds, I was like "wow" when I discovered eye tracking for birds and animals. Now I came back to Nikon with z6iii (still have my sony gear) but I'm not impressed at all with AF (you can see my other comment) and 3D tracking which is inefficient and not better than the one a7iv released almost 3 years ago. I left Nikon dslr because I was tired of back/front focusing with my Nikon gear and at this point I wonder if I should just give up this N brand and go Canon (i only shoot wildlife) which is lightyears ahead at focusing. We'll see

[@romainplagnol882]

​@@robert_mayI don't understand this issue not being widely discussed and fixed by Nikon. To me it's unbelievable that a 5000€ camera cannot perform better than some Canon R8 or Sony a7iv in some situations. Most Nikon shooters say it's an amazing camera, which is obviously true, but some annoying things like that should never happen in this price tag.

[@livejames9374]

@@romainplagnol882 because for most people it rarely misses. There’s always the few people with frequent issues most of the time on forums it turns out something is amiss either with defects or settings. My Z8/Z9 nail focus high ninety % of time and I’m a sports photographer.

[@csc-photo]

Helpful info and nice edits! For what it's worth, I've heard some wildlife guys talk about eye tracking on non-bird / more exotic wildlife. Elephants specifically, all systems seem to struggle with somehow. Initial firmware in Z bodies tends to need some tweaking once they're out among the masses, although the Zf seems to be the exception. But man the fw updates are amazing once they come out. Thanks for the great content here!

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching and the kind words. Yes the firmware updates have been some of the best in the industry. Nikon has really beefed up their cameras from initial launch.

[@arlennercessian4261]

In shooting stills (which is what I do) I find my Z6iii doing exactly what this video is saying. I can't understand how/why Nikon would release the camera with these issues not being addressed. Hoping they will fix them in future updates.

[@btonelli]

I’m sure it will be addressed. The AF on the Z8 and Z9 are too good not to have the Z6III at the same level

[@mitchellweitzman9329]

Shot a concert with my Z6 III this past weekend and had similar erratic inconsistent focusing. The AF box showing me the eyes, but the pictures came back with shoulders or something else front focused. Also jumped to different subjects or people if there was any kind of overlap despite starting with my own specific 3D tracking point to say where to look.

[@btonelli]

@@mitchellweitzman9329 hopefully they address the AF as soon as possible

[@TihoVo]

Maybe they will fix it with a firmware but as i Nikon shooter i cant quite understand why they can't have a good AF from the start like the competition. They always need s couple of firmwares in a span of couple of months or years, depending on the camera, to get the AF competitive or vastly improved. But, i will rent a z6III as soon as available and see how satisfied i am with the AF, before upgrading from a Z6. Thanks for pointing out the AF inconsistency ✌️

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

"They always need s couple of firmwares in a span of couple of months or years, depending on the camera, to get the AF competitive or vastly improved. " Really great! 😂

[@romainplagnol882]

Pretty accurate comments. They bought Red but they cannot hire engineers to fix AF problems 🤷🤷

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@romainplagnol882 exactly! loool

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. Honestly I don’t know the reasoning for the AF issues. Could be the sensor which is new? Could it be the algorithm they put in the Z6III to not compete with the Z8? Hard to say really. I’m sure if there is enough feedback Nikon will fix this. They have done a great job addressing issues with the Z8/Z9

[@williambuford6136]

@@romainplagnol882 Maybe Red engineers will help with their AF issues

[@romainplagnol882]

I just watched your video and I'm happy to see your conclusion is the same as mine. I own z6iii since 3 weeks and use it on a daily basis to shoot animals (birds, hares, deers) and macro (bees, butterflies). But, as a general purpose, I find the AF, pretty unpredictible, with some shots in focus and other not, even with the same frame or settings, and I'm a quite disappointed tbh. The animal eye-AF tracking struggles a lot even with subject being relatively quiet, focusing on the nose instead of the eye (it was the case with random pictures or my cat standind still yesterday). Moreover, I find the 3D tracking absolutely terrible, unable to track most of the time os it's a big downside :( At this point, Animal AF in Canon R6ii, for what I tested, is lightyears ahead the one in the z6iii.

[@btonelli]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sure Nikon will address these issues and look forward to that update. Outside of the AF I’m very happy with the camera.

[@ashwinipattanayakphotography]

My z6iii is front focusing while shooting full body shots(people) when using with nikon 50mm 1.8g with ftz ii adaptor. But is focusing properly when shooting closely. Didn't happen on my z6ii. Is there a problem

[@btonelli]

Adapting lenses is always tricky. Even if it’s a native adapter.

[@ashwinipattanayakphotography]

@@btonellifine tuning it helped me a little but still eye is not sharp. Should i wait for firmware update or go to nikon service center?

[@btonelli]

I would just wait for a firmware update. I don’t have any timeline but I’m sure Nikon is gathering info to address some issues with the Z6 III

[@ashwinipattanayakphotography]

@@btonelli thank you for your reply❤️❤️

[@Jgheiler]

would yu go with the Nikon ZF or the Z6iii for personal family outings and candid moments? I dont mind the ZF feel and handling; but I do like it's incradible dynamic range. Though, sometimes, the Autofocuse falters. Let me know!

[@btonelli]

I would chose Zf for the type of photography you mentioned.

[@secretmanong]

I agree. I have both and for that use, I choose my Zf

[@Hrishi1970]

Another honest review. Loved some of the shots. I agree, missing the eye can be super annoying. I agree, Nikon will fix it.

[@btonelli]

Thanks for the support

[@stkuj]

Regarding the 24 megapixel sensor...I hunch is that Sony will be releasing the A7V with the higher megapixel partially stacked sensor. That said, I had my eye on the Z6iii (and love the overall specs), but after seeing the DR & AF results, I think I'll wait a while.

[@btonelli]

DR is fine. AF will be addressed for sure. Anyways if we always wait for the supposedly next camera, we are always waiting :)

[@Princeton_James]

Yup. I'm also expecting that from Sony. Partially stacked is probably the new big thing for these new breed of cameras. For Sony DR is already excellent, eye AF and sub detection is extremely good. They are just getting better. Was looking at the Nikon because I like the design but it AF isn't too notch then forget it. I had Fuji for a little over a month and sold that because of its horrendous AF.

[@patfish3291]

It's not the best EVF because it does not run in full resolution in Live-View😢. Yes, the Z6III over exposes a bit but you have to protect the highlight to not loose information.

[@williambuford6136]

I really enjoy using my Z6iii the EVF is better than my Z8's EVF. Nikon has a history of some cameras overexposing, just dial in your compensation. Not sure why you think it is not running in full resolution.

[@patfish3291]

@@williambuford6136 it's brighter (too bright :D) than on the Z8. Compare the Live-View with the Preview of Stills - then you will see the difference. The Z8 uses the same resolution in Live-View and Previews of Stills. ...maybe Nikon can fix that with an Update but at the moment they don't use full resolution in Live-View :-(

Thank you for this very objective review

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. Much appreciated

[@18yearsoldnot]

Thank you for this review. I’m surprised the af is so different to the z8/9

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. Yes it’s different which surprised me as well

[@natureredux1957]

Well the Z8/9 have a FAST FULLY Stacked sensor while the Z6iii has a much slower, Partially stacked sensor.

[@btonelli]

That doesn’t affect detection. That is an algorithm issue.

[@harshpatel4158]

I noticed almost all pics where it was missing the eyes had dark or black eyes without any catch light or eye like detail.

[@btonelli]

Hmm hard to say if that’s their algorithm or not. I’m only showing a few samples here, but I have many that exhibit the lack of detection.

[@gauthamramnath653]

I agree. This problem is not unique to Z6III. I have the Z8 and it has trouble picking out the eye with dark subjects. In Kenya, it struggled with Elephants, Hippos, Thomson's Gazelles. In India with Spotted deer and Tigers in shade. Nikon has had enough time to work on getting AF right. Extremely disappointing. Works very well with birds though.

[@LOLA6ifyable]

Interesting, I wanted to buy one soon. But I think i"ll wait a bit to make sure they fix the issues. Pretty frustrating that Canon brings out cameras with fantastic AF, while Nikon messes up a bit. Slow learners

[@btonelli]

To be fair to Nikon every camera will have things that aren’t 100% at launch. Remember these are essentially computers with a sensor. Nikon or any other company will do their testing but when it’s out there in the marketplace this is how companies better understand what works for customers and what doesn’t, hence firmware updates etc. Nikon has in fact given the photography and video community more substantial updates and additional features via firmware only than other camera companies and all for free. That should be applauded I feel

[@LOLA6ifyable]

@btonelli thank you for your comment! And your great review points out that that is the problem with Nikon. It's true cameras are basically sensors with computers , but the firmware updates start to feel more like compensation for lackluster system than actual gains. The R5 had good AF , from the get go , the R5 II looks to have outstanding AF , why the Z6 III needs an update or 2 to get good? If Canon and sony can do it , Nikon can do it as well, I really can't tell what is going on there. I have a z9 and it has good AF, but it took it 2- 3 updates to get there while the A1 had great AF from day one.

[@vladastojanovic4776]

@@LOLA6ifyableif the AF is the most important thing to you , you are probably in the wrong system. Sony cripples their more expansive camera by not putting features from their newer cheaper ones. Or why not correct menu on older cameras, or why not color science on older models? Canon, why not add firmware to get back to their better colors, why not firmware for better codec? Etc.

[@LOLA6ifyable]

​@@vladastojanovic4776 It's not the most important thing , but what are the color science/ sharpness / codecs/ are good for if your picture is out of focus ? The Zf - Z9 lineup AF is good , but behind canon and Sony, I expected the Z6 III to at least be AF ready , shouldn't be on par with Z8 / Z9 but at least not have AF issues on launch , Nikon should have the experiance by now . I'll wait for the Z9 II to update this system I guess

[@offgridphoto1]

Great video! Can you please do another one testing the same autofocus issues on people? Nikon needs to address this too, and won’t know unless people like you are out there making videos about it…😊🙏

[@btonelli]

@@offgridphoto1 I’ll need to ask for it back. Also there have been a lot of videos on this as well.

[@waveland]

If bumping this camera up in resolution meant a slower readout and fewer fps options (and it would have-I doubt there’s a partially stacked option above 24 megapixels) then I’m good. Internal RAW 60p for $2500. There’s the most important headline for this camera as far as I’m concerned. But maybe I’m not a typical user. As for AF 🤷🏼‍♂️ is what it is for now. Nikon couldn’t direct map their 45 megapixel focus models onto a 24 megapixel sensor so it might take a little longer for the functionality to reach parity. No doubt it will come.

[@btonelli]

Agree. No doubt it will come

[@waveland]

@@btonelli Well the real problem with the Z6III is the extreme video noise problem some users (including myself with my first two camera bodies) are having. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqHOiJekh9qimJIsi=NHrvimwrYGsnaq-h

[@btonelli]

Hmm my take is this. If you push anything to the extremes you can make it “break”. If you exposed correctly and use the gear for how it’s meant to be used then it’s fine. I found no issues in real world scenarios shooting video with the camera

[@waveland]

@@btonelli It does not seem to be every sensor, but there are more than a few in the pipeline where you don’t get noise, you get a strobe effect that’s not in any way normal. And it show up even when the exposure isn’t pushed. Nikon needs to get to the bottom of the issue.

[@richardyuen5786]

You are right about the auto eye AF. Mine does the same thing (sometimes), not my Z8 and Z9. Hopefully firmware update can address that. Making ir 33 MP will sacrifice in other features, like performance, or the camera will be more expensive. It's a delicate balance. But good video. Thanks.

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. Yeah not sure what they would lose with having 33MP. Reality is most won’t do video in Raw or even ProResRaw so if one of those features weren’t there I don’t think it would affect anyone

[@chrisinut9730]

If you look at the animal eye pictures that it did capture, it seems the common thread is catchlights in the eye or a well defined, highly contrasted eye. It appears to struggle when catchlights aren't present or if the eye is deep set or heavily shadowed.

[@btonelli]

Actually I have many photos even with catch light and it didn’t capture. I’m only showing a few examples here to keep the pace of the video moving. I’m sure it will be addressed. The camera is too good outside of this to not have it corrected

[@chrisinut9730]

​@@btonelliThanks for the follow-up. That is good to know. I appreciate you taking time to read and reply.

[@RobertFalconer1967]

Not owning a Z6III (and probably won't), how does the high ISO, DR and overall image quality compare against the Zf...?

[@btonelli]

I would say the Zf files are cleaner. I also like the image quality a bit more. Zf is actually really good

[@18yearsoldnot]

@@btonelli would you rather shoot m lenses on the zf or the sl2-s? Does the manual focus assist feature on the zf leapfrog the viewfinder experience of the sl2-s? Since the price of the sl2-s has crashed on the used market 😅…

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

If you were to compare it with the S5II and XH2 (latest firmware), how would you rank their autofocus?

[@btonelli]

@@shang-hsienyang1284 I have an S5IIX but I don’t have an XH2 so unfair to comment. Sorry about that

[@yophotodude7693]

As a sports photographer we don’t want more pixels, we want better high ISO support. For sports, I’d be happy with 20mp and that is still enough pixels.

[@btonelli]

@@yophotodude7693 higher ISO performance is definitely important but I’ve also heard from a number of my sports photographer friends having some flexibility in cropping is also good hence higher MP. Just depends on the use case and gear one has available.

[@yophotodude7693]

@@btonelli cropping is important no doubt. I always say shoot tight, crop tighter. You crop for impact as a style. Still, 24mp is more than enough given where sports photos are published. A full page newspaper photo needs around 11mp. A full page magazine photo is 8.6mp and a double truck (11x1)/A3) is slightly less than 17mp. So 24mp still leaves cropping room. More megapixels means larger image sizes and with faster frame rates that crushes workflow in particular when you’re on a deadline. Canon’s new flagship R1 is 24.2 mp. I almost prefer my Z f for sports over my Z 9. It only wins out for speed and battery.

[@btonelli]

@@yophotodude7693 understand. I’m guessing you shoot primarily in JPEG and maybe raw for backup? But JPEG for speed of file transfer? So my question would be, if you had 32MP vs 24 would you still buy that if the speeds were there? Assuming card speeds, write speed on the camera etc were at the level that would be beneficial for your workflow?

[@yophotodude7693]

the sports I shoot today are not on deadline, so I do shoot raw, but file size is only part of the equation. File size certainly impacts transfer speeds. But you still have to open the files, have your culling software, be it Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, etc. operate on the files. That software has to render various preview sizes and that time is impacted by the number of pixels and that is a compute-bound process, not IO-bound and more pixels is slower to process. It’s compounded by shooting nearly 60-100% more photos at 20fps compared to the 10-14fps we had with DSLRs. 32mp is better than 45mp and I would have bought it. But the preference would still have been for 24. I have a Z 9 and a Z f, so I’m not considering the Z6III at the moment. I get my lowlight performance from the Z f and I get the high speed and cropping (I mostly shoot wildlife these days) with the Z 9.

[@wildearthcinematography]

Thank you for the sharing Z6 III AF issues, Bobby! I traded my Nikon Zf (mainly due to poor AF and lack of grip issue, also off balance with long lenses and few other issues) with Z6 III. I only used couple of hours for photography and video so far. I photograph couple of running fawns’ combination of Z6 III and Nikkor 180-600mm lens. Yes, I agreed the AF animal tracking is all over the place, not sticky AF but most of the images are tack sharp. In 45 Seconds, I captured 62 RAW images and camera missed only 2 images. I used Auto-area mode with animal detections. Regarding video, I also captured 10 minutes of wild turkey's running through grassland, Again I used Auto-area mode with animal detections and able to get turkey eyes most of the time. Few missed just due to the tall thick grass environment. I think this Z6 III has potential to keep on my Camera bag. Yes, hoping for firmware update to fix sticky auto focus.

[@romainplagnol882]

Two days ago I was shooting some macro-like shots of bees and butterflies with 24-120 f4 (i know it's not a macro lens) Focus is not that accurate and I miss a lot of shots, even when the bees are big in the frame. 3d tracking, imo is unusable and loses focus almost all the time, even when bees flys slowly from a flower to another. You're pretty lucky having your hit rate with wildlife. I cannot test it in the same condition because I do not own 180-200 yet (i have 200-600 for my a7iv but not with the Nikon)

[@btonelli]

Yes it’s a hit and miss situation. Sometimes you get it and others no.

[@williambuford6136]

@@romainplagnol882 I have plenty of Bees and Butterflys in focus using both my Z 100-400 F4.5-56 and Z180-600 f6.3. I'm using the 3D tracking mode. I have not tried the Z 24-120 f4 lens. I was able to get good Bee and Butterfly photos with my old Z6ii. The Z6iii is much better there.

[@coffeeaddictgaming2883]

What sort of photographer would use face detect for animals. Just shoot with continuous single point focus.

[@btonelli]

@@coffeeaddictgaming2883 eye detect not face it also detects the body and head.

[@JasonLorette]

Very interesting, I haven't had the chance yet to do any shooting with mine in a scenario like this, I'll have to see what I get. Looks like a great zoo!

[@btonelli]

Yes it’s a beautiful zoo we have here and the animals are all well taken care of

[@josejuncal9342]

Actually I think the best value camera for DR performance for general basic photography may be the ZF because of not having a stacked sensor paired with the expeed7. At least on Nikon side

[@btonelli]

For image quality at 2MP it’s a damn good camera.

[@8806gavin]

I like most everything about my Z6III except the flip screen. My Z9 is still better, but the screen in the Z6III actively interrupts my shots and camera strap when used. They should have made a hybrid one like Sony did or just used the Z9 style.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

not the screen sucks, the AF does

[@btonelli]

AF doesn’t suck, it’s just having challenges with animals but people it’s fine.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@btonelliyes, Nikon's AF is still having "challenges". The Z8/9 included :)

[@williambuford6136]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 You can still get the shot even with minor challenges. The Z8/9 focusing is much improved from launch.

[@watarchives]

We're closing to 100K subs. Let's go!

[@btonelli]

Thank you. Really appreciate the support

[@thomasfox5476]

Thanks Bobby👍

[@btonelli]

Thanks as well

[@ocarking1471]

Same as my personal experience. Surpeised to the poor animal autofocus, especially after they have already worked it out on z9/z8

[@btonelli]

@@ocarking1471 hoping it improves soon

[@jliang70]

I think Nikon is a great camera company when it comes to release new firmware for their cameras, I am sure the shortcoming with AF will be fixed with future firmware. The price of Z8 in my country is so close to the Z6iii I can still see myself getting a Z8.

[@btonelli]

Yes I agree. They will fix this for sure. They also need to address pricing. Doesn’t make sense

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

the camera should be ready since day 1, not after FW3,4,5......

[@bsc001]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 You are certainly free to select your camera eco-system. Photographers select Nikon for specific reasons, so obviously they are happy with the release-performance, also the knowledge that Nikon devs consistently and continuously develop FW, not only to improve performance, but also adding new features, something others often release as MKii or MKiii bodies. As stated, pick an eco-system that you enjoy, leave others to enjoy this one.

[@charlieparis3454]

Everyone is complaining that the Z6iii should be 33mp or something higher. I disagree. I think that Z6 should always stay as their low megapixel line at least until there is some super fast advancements in megapixels. My ideal lineup for Nikon Mirrorless would be: Z6iii - 24MP ( Video Centric but capable hybrid ) Z7iii - 33MP ( Similar specs to Z6iii but more photo centric, but capable hybrid ) Z8 - 48MP ( Nothing to change here arguably perfect ) Z9ii - 60MP ( and upwards ) The Z5 lineup in my opinion is rather useless, I don't think theres a real market for it as the Z6 lineup is already a 24MP line. I think Z5 line should be discontinued and change the Z7 line to me a lower MP so it doesnt compete with the Z8 but then is also better than the Z6.

[@btonelli]

You forgot about the Zf which is also 24mp. Reality is Nikon has stayed with 24mp since the beginning of the Z cameras launch. Now buyers want to an upgrade. I understand the Zf being 24 but the Z6III could be 33 especially since in som markets it’s close to the price of the Z8

[@charlieparis3454]

@@btonelli Yeah but personally I think the ZF is primarily a camera you buy for the looks, yes it has good specs but the looks is its main selling point. Also I think that the ZF is a one off thing like the DF, I believe they only have one DF and never bothered updating it. If Im wrong please correct me. However what Im saying is that I don’t consider the ZF as a true “line” that they will follow. Personally I think if buyers wanted the higher MP then why not just buy a Z8? Like you say in some markets they are closely priced and if they aren’t in your market then just buy one second hand, second hand Z8 are similarly priced to the new Z6iii What I’m trying to say is that I doubt that Nikon view the ZF as a professional product that they can continue to make. So when you remove these “one off” products you are left with the Z6,7,8,9 line and if the Z6 line moved to 33MP then it is 100% going to kill of the Z7 line which doesn’t make sense, plus they need an affordable line. Z6 is that affordable line, yes you can argue Z5 is maybe we push it all up? Z5 - 24MP Z6 - 33MP Z7 - 48MP (now current Z8 is useless) Z8 will have to go to 60MP Z9 forced even higher to like 80MP or whatever right? Basically It wouldn’t make sense to increase the megapixels in the Z6 because it hurts the sales of the next line up. It just makes sense to stick with what they have. That way they aren’t killing off one of their products undoubtably. If buyers want an upgrade then they should upgrade but to a Z8 no point upgrading within the same line if you don’t like that line. I like to think of things in different ways so if you have a 24-70mm F4 then the upgrade to that is 24-70mm F2.8 but if you don’t like the 24-70mm focal length then obviously there is no point upgrading to that, go with something else.

[@theflyest203]

How does it work on people? does it act the same way is the big question?

[@btonelli]

There are a number of videos on that with people. So far it’s good from my experience.

[@EricSnydereasphotography]

The resolution does not make a difference to the average consumer, this is not marketed to a pro, consumer audience, your average customer doesn’t need more than 24 megapixels, they’re not pixel peeping

[@mbismbismb]

Larger megapixels is not for pixel peeping nerds though it is usefull when cropping when u need extra reach

[@williambuford6136]

@@mbismbismb If you are in the field at 600mm and your wildlife is still small in the frame, if you can go to DX mode and get 900mm effective reach on a 45mp sensor and have a 19mp image. One a 24mp sensor you are down to 10mp.

[@mbismbismb]

@@williambuford6136 and canon gave the solution to AI upscale the image to much sharper resolution..

[@destinyangel5]

Great camera Bobby super with new video features and low light performance , but pricing is a bit all over the place now with the superior Z8 being discounted , Z6III in Australia is the equivalent of $2950.65 USD or $4500AUD this is nutty pricing. Aussie dollars are slowing going up, but NIKON Australia is not adjusting prices this is very disappointing. So Aussie retailers are now practicing double dipping on its customers. Nikon bench marked its price for the USD and US markets and set too high prices way too high for Aussies, plus retailers there are remarkably adding an extra few hundred bucks, hoping you won't notice all because camera Z6III is shiny and new . Nikon need to fix this. Im not interested, not buying until they re do and fix the prices in AUS , otherwise I will end up buying in USA as we travel frequently to USA.

[@kevins8575]

If a camera cannot autofocus on eyes in a Zoo, why would you take it into the field?

[@btonelli]

@@kevins8575 well sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. This is the issue. This does affect people and from what I’m hearing birds

[@romainplagnol882]

Problem is, it is unpredictible. Sometimes it works, sometimes not but you never know before

[@notarealperson2001]

Interestingly the 4 year old entry level Z5 significantly beats the Z6iii in DR at lower ISOs (by almost a whole stop!). From 800 ISO the Z6iii takes a small lead but not as significant as the lead the Z5 has at lower ISOs. Nikon are clearly prioritising speed over everything else in their latest Z cameras which is great for action but they really need to also make a slower camera that puts IQ first.

[@theflyest203]

Can’t have it both ways people want to complain about AF so nikon gives tech like other companies to give you that better AF but image quality will take a hit it’s a reason Nikons IQ has been waaaaaaaaaay better than other mirrorless cameras but until tech gets to that point where IQ won’t take a hit and we get the best IQ we have to deal with wanting that AF like other brands there is a small sacrifice like DR and IQ like other brands have been lacking for years in

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@theflyest203 "Nikons IQ has been waaaaaaaaaay better than other mirrorless cameras" - NOPE

[@theflyest203]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 sorry buddy but it’s true nikon raw files out of camera are waaaaay better than any other brand and build quality is too but what do I know 🤷

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@theflyest203 the files are maybe better, but the DR, colors etc. are not waaaaaaaaaay better at all and the build quality? You mean for example the Z8? One Nikon DSLR user told about the Z8 "it is a hollow piece of shit" and the "Z9 is not at the D6 level".

[@theflyest203]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 that owner must have never used a Sony or cannon mirrorless 😭🤣 those fit that description

[@mnicaisse]

The Fujifilm X-H2s is a firmware fix away from being a far better camera than the Z6III.

[@btonelli]

Two different cameras I feel.

[@mnicaisse]

@@btonelli they are definitely two different camera. I’m currently drooling over the Nikon Z6 III and realizing I’m just a firmware AF fix from being fulfilled with my X-H2s.

[@JET-Photo]

I hate to break it to you but the XH2s will never be as good as anything Nikon has. I owned one. On firmware 1.02 is was barely keeping up with a much older Sony A9. My Z6II was better when the XH2s was on firmware 3.0 and it has gotten much worse since. The Fuji processor cannot keep up. Firmware will never make the AF better than it was on 1.02. Nikon learned the hard way with the Z6/Z6II, they had to develop a better Xpeed 7 processor to get better AF. Fuji doesn’t care about AF, and most aren’t buying their cameras because of AF.

[@Photojouralist123]

Went to bird 🦆 park and ditto ! Just like you similar issues on AF had to play around with all the tracking modes etc. no issues on DR though

[@btonelli]

Yeah I think it will get a firmware update soon

[@RobertFalconer1967]

I realize this is an imperfect solution until Nikon provides a firmware update, but did you try selecting one of the smaller restrictive AF-area modes while animal subject detection was active, so that the camera only searches within the boundaries of that box? I find that works pretty well on the rare instances where the system gets totally confused for some reason.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

Again those "did you try this, did you try that". Why? - IT JUST SUCKS and those animals EVEN DON'T MOVE!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@btonelli]

Yes I tried all settings.

[@RobertFalconer1967]

@@btonelli How was the AF-area mode for people? Or was it just the animal detect that wasn't working consistently?

[@btonelli]

@@RobertFalconer1967 I found people to be okay. It was animals that was more inconsistent

[@alwynsmit3546]

Nikon staff's go to phrase... Nothing that we've heard of.

[@btonelli]

With all due respect, to the team at Nikon that I talk to they have always been honest with me about good and not so good findings.

[@alwynsmit3546]

@@btonelli glad your experience has been such. That unfortunately has not been my experience. Whenever I ask, they act as if it's news to them. Point in case. I was looking at buying a D610. I asked my local Nikon guys, if the issue with the D600 had been resolved. They acted as if they didn't know anything. And keep in mind, we're talking about after China banned the sale of the D600. And that wasn't the only time they flat out denied something that was well known.

[@williambuford6136]

@@alwynsmit3546 Nikon learned from the D600 debacle.

[@alwynsmit3546]

@@williambuford6136 I don't think so. The Z8 recalls showed they still don't have a handle on quality control

[@alwinbenjamin]

👏🏻

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching

[@liciniooliveira-becas3618]

It seems Nikon has learned something about AF from Fujifilm!

[@skyrunr]

Using Wide-S, Wide-L or a C1/C2 box great improves results when tracking subjects. Sure Canon and Sony can read your mind with full area AF detection, but when you want something else it is still hard to redirect them. All companies need to improve this ability. Otherwise, we just revert to old school single boxes and move on. ;)

[@btonelli]

I tried different sized boxes and had the same results.

[@skyrunr]

@@btonelli Yeah, my tinkering tonight involved turning subject detection off a few times shooting flowers and bugs. That just isn't necessary on my A7C/A7CII/A9II. Just a little more to think about.

[@isotechimages.9130]

It pretty well how it is on social media platforms too much negativity around new releases Z6iii, R5ii though l am surprised with autofocus since people are saying that it a non issue these days with Nikon but l think good autofocus was one of the issues people really wanted with this camera.

[@btonelli]

As a whole the camera is fantastic. What I’m highlighting here is a hiccup that firmware can fix. But as a reviewer I need to document my findings in a non biased and factual way. Reality is only a certain portion of owners will use the camera this way but still felt it needs to be mentioned.

[@isotechimages.9130]

@@btonelli you do as it would make me think twice because autofocus for wildlife is my most important feature & why l preordered the R5ii.

[@truthkeeperfilms]

12mp is still good for prints. 24mp is more than enough. Nikon listened to majority of Z6 users who wanted 24mp. Look at the pathetic rolling shutter on the A7IV.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

"The Fall of America and Coming Global Order" 😂😂😂

[@truthkeeperfilms]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 - Yep. Aside from camera stuff, my life doesn’t revolve around materialism. But anyhow I’ll take the mocking and persecution. My soul is saved, I live in peace.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@truthkeeperfilms and who saved your soul? 🤣🤣🤣

[@btonelli]

No one is saying it’s not good for prints. My point is that from a marketing perspective it doesn’t come across as an upgrade after so many years at 24MP. Second if you need to crop in a bit more having a bit more leaway helps

[@truthkeeperfilms]

@@prokremelskidezolati1426 God, the one who created all of us. You keep laughing like I’m supposed to be embarrassed that I believe in God. I honestly couldn’t care less if you laugh.

[@mbismbismb]

I prefer the r6ii though

[@btonelli]

With all due respect to the R6 II I prefer the Z6 III

[@mbismbismb]

@@btonelli can tell from your previous reviews though...not even a surprise haha

[@nigerian-nightmare]

Please stop saying that the codecs on the camera are fantastic. The internal raw is the only thing fantastic. On prores, it is prores HQ, no 422, no lite. The h265 is 420 10bit, not 422 10bit like other cameras. Noise is not all that good between 1600 and 5000, and the dynamic range is a flop.

[@btonelli]

@@nigerian-nightmare for the price point this is way more than most need. So in that way it is good.

[@nigerian-nightmare]

@btonelli That's a good point. The internal Raw in video is a big deal, i will pay double for it, but they could have done much better with the none raw Codec options. I see no advantage in shooting prores hq because the file size is the same as raw.

[@AsuquoTravelsProductions]

@@nigerian-nightmareYour point is honestly not valid. Name one camera under 2,500 that can record all its codecs internally in RAW, ProRes and H 265 with no crop except in 4k120? Even some cameras at 4K-6K can’t even compare to what the Z 6III offers.

[@prokremelskidezolati1426]

@@AsuquoTravelsProductions for 2500 there is really not a single camera, which offers such a crappy AF

[@nigerian-nightmare]

@AsuquoTravelsProductions most people don't shoot raw video. Take away raw internally. You're left with nothing. Very poor coders except internal Raw. My point is valid.

[@felm.974]

I agree, personally, I'm tired of these pixel peepers and scientists, all the do is compare cameras and lenses, not pick and complain BASH, specially Nikon... they can keep trying, I'm staying with Nikon.

[@btonelli]

It’s unnecessary. Yes we need to point out when something doesn’t work but at the same time not bash for the sake of clicks or views. All cameras have their faults but all cameras are also great in the right hands.

[@secretmanong]

Animal eye AF? The Zf performs better.

[@btonelli]

@@secretmanong yes. This needs a firmware update

[@fwfeo]

To be fair those animals weren’t the most common or easy to recognize ones for a computer! That elephant could be a tree and that monkey had odd white beard and the antelope’s nose resembled an eye! 😂 They need to compile more animal face data and feed it into the next firmware.

[@btonelli]

Most of these animals would be seen on a safari or on various travels. I understand there are thousands of animals but primates for example are quite similar etc etc so it shouldn’t have this issue. Especially if the Z8/Z9’s AF works well

[@whitewalker9622]

People have been pented up for years on end for all the brands and nothing is coming or has come... NOTHING! For the past decade the Sony a6000 have been the best but nothing has come since... Nothing! And even that one was not anything good!!! That just says a lot! Period.

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. I’m not sure the a6000 has been the best. Some may argue that point.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

One of the reasons why I wouldn't buy this camera is 24 megapixels in 2024 is under in my opinion. Also the dynamic range in this camera was poor. It actually has been quite poor in a lot of the Z cameras compared to the 850 the 850 had insane dynamic range and there is not one Z camera that's actually matched it not even the Z8 and Z9. I don't know why that is. But the auto focus is a concern. So it's a glorified video camera! That said I think what's happening is the camera manufacturers are continually trying to improve the new models that come out but I think there's a point now where the technology actually has plateaued.

[@wm1573]

Hilarious how some people think 24 megapixels is bad 😂 I guarantee you couldn’t tell the difference between 45 and 24 if they were side by side. If you crop a lot then I’d get it otherwise it doesn’t matter the slightest

[@mikeblack_pw]

The Z8/9/6III does require a slightly different way of shooting. They are better at pulling back highlights than the D850/Z6&7 were. Is it bad? Not at all. Just different. Once you learn its nuances you know how to extract the best out of the camera. If you need more DR, the Z7 is still the best in the system for that. But otherwise, if you don’t make a habit of shooting a dark bookcase beside a window or underexposing 5 stops, you’ll be fine. Don’t take the KZbinr’s armchair-photographer take on it.

[@btonelli]

For me I’m happy with the dynamic range on the Z8/Z9. It’s enough for me and the way I photograph. As for 24MP I understand this and also like I stated wish they did increase it

[@btonelli]

It’s mainly for flexibility in cropping for me at least.

[@btonelli]

Hmm not sure of the name “KZbinr armchair photographer”. I’ve shot with all the cameras and found the Z6IIi different than the Z8/Z9 in terms of highlights. It’s not a huge difference but it’s different.