Nikon Z6 III vs Sony FX3 Video Quality

[@cinematools]

Graded with www.cinematools.co/nikon-nlog

[@brandnaqua]

you have quite a small channel right now, but ooo this content is so good!!! thank you!

[@cinematools]

Thank you!

[@cgthevision8958]

Thanks so much for this comparison. I currently have the z6iii and love everything about the camera besides the high noise especially in shadows. The flickering noise is also a problem for me. Coming from canon c70 I’m not used to the super noisy shadows. This test definitely confirms that my copy isn’t the only one with lots of noise. At some points it’s almost unusable in my opinion. I wish Nikon would fix this, not sure if it’s a sensor issue or a log profile issue.

[@cinematools]

Yes, that's the biggest downside of Z6 III. And it's not the profile, because Z9/Z8 don't have the same issue. I'm not sure if it's possible as a firmware fix. If you're working in Davinci Resolve, you can remove the flickering by using Deflicker ofx. It's quite resource heavy but it's pretty good at eliminating it.

[@geoffreybassett6741]

The Nikon Z8 doesn't have the same issue. I think the Z6 III sensor has less dynamic range but hopefully they can fix the flickering.

[@comment_below]

i second this -pretty disappointing ... think they can fix it with an update???

[@cinematools]

@@comment_below it's worse than other cameras in this category but we haven't had any issues in real-world situations. We usually keep ISO at 800, 1600, and 6400 and overexpose the sensor by at least one stop. I doubt that it can be fixed via firmware.

[@comment_below]

@@cinematools thanks for the response... i dont know what that means when people say its bad but good in real world -how is there a difference? .... hmm, i dont see why not -could literally be solved by updating the noise reduction software in camera etc....

[@scotthayesproductions5715]

wow, they are awfully close. Sony def has the edge at higher iso. When I shoot my Z8 and A7SIII side by side, the Z8 easily beats it with better color and sharpness. Def. no problem shooting these and being able to match them in post. The killer is no dual slot recording on the Nikons.

[@cinematools]

I also like Nikon colors a little more but Sony improved significantly over the years.

[@saroshchothia5021]

Yes.. all Nikon have no dual slots Video recording features 😔

[@Jawad.1]

Really well compared...! I'm subscribing 💯

[@withoutpassid]

Sony a6700 user here. Nikon color was more pleasing to my eyes. But without side by side comparison with Nikon cameras, I think I'm fine with Sony color.

[@cinematools]

The color on Sony cameras has improved a lot over the years. And with LOG filming it's easy to match it to another camera.

[@peterra2532]

I think if you shoot in standard mode, sony is not good, but if you shoot s-cinestone or log sony is great now. Also as Sony have more DR in log, you have more flexibility to color grade grade as tou like

[@hersh_yt]

it would be awesome if you can provide test footage link to viewers, great comparison as always

[@andrewphillips2520]

such an amazing comparison, thank you.

[@cinematools]

Thanks!

[@joshkiddfilms1295]

While I don't think the lattitude of the Nikon is quite as good as the Sony in general, I do think it's important to note that the Sony is doing much more noise reduction in camera, so seeing a bit more range in the shadows makes sense if comparing them directly.

[@cinematools]

True but we set Nikon to H265 for a fair comparison, which also applies noise reduction. It can be cleaned up in post but it doesn't hold up shadow details as well as the FX3.

[@joshkiddfilms1295]

@@cinematools yea. I def think the Sony is better in that regard. Just saying in my experience to get the most shadow detail out of this specific cam, you really need to use nraw and expose as bright as you can without clipping…def currently a camera that requires a healthy dose of ettr and some post noise reduction at times, but with those both combined it’s pretty good. Hoping they work on it some. You should be able to stretch the range a bit like on Z8 without problems and without having to worry about flashing shadows

[@cinematools]

@@joshkiddfilms1295 Yeah, I haven't experienced issues in real-world filming with Z6 III. No such thing as a perfect camera but it's pretty close.

[@danielvilliers612]

If you watch CineD latitude test, the Nikon Z9 is higher than any Sony camera bar the Burano.

[@danielvilliers612]

@@cinematools Thanks for the Test, would have been nice to test in NRAW as Nikon Log is notoriously more contrasty than other logs format.

[@jklbd4815]

Overall I liked the nikon colors and resolution better but sony has better low light DR, specially in the -5 EV though that's an extreme test but still Sony's better there

[@JBurroughs17]

I don't know what the lens settings were, but the sharpness test here seems like something is up. The 6k should be MUCH sharper than what is depicted here.

[@keirux]

Awesome test, I have been wondering which one would have better slowmotion for a while. I would be curious to know more about the differences in the 240fps mode

[@cinematools]

Thanks. We haven't tested 240p but 120p is better on FX3.

[@ErikWerlin]

For the dynamic range test would the Nikon perform better if using N-raw and N-log vs using h.265 10bit?

[@cinematools]

There's no difference. We tested all available codecs on the Nikon and the DR is the same across all of them. We will write a blog post about it.

[@peterra2532]

Thank you for the comparison. I think that in h265 compression, the fx3 is better because of s-log3, more internal noise reduction (= less noise) and 422 10bits (vs 420 10 bits for he nikon)…but if you shoot nraw, you will have more latitude, more control of the noise and more « cinema feeling » on nikon cameras But otherwise the two cameras seem quite close to me in what we can produce as a final product (provided we work in raw with Nikon)

[@cinematools]

Thank you for watching. It makes sense for N-Raw to have better DR, but we didn't see any difference in our initial test. We will get back to it in a future video.

[@peterra2532]

@@cinematoolsSo which one would you prefer if you need to choose one?

[@cinematools]

@@peterra2532 Nikon because I also shoot stills. If I only needed video, I would choose Sony.

[@lorenzonarwhal]

The noise issue highlighted in the z6iii in the dynamic range test is the same even in the z8 or the performance in z8 is closer to sony’s?

[@cinematools]

We haven't tested them side by side but Nikon Z8 has better noise performance than Z6 III. FX3 is likely better but there aren't that many cameras on the market with same low light capabilities.

[@geoffreybassett6741]

Z8 is very close to the Sony's but not quite as good in dynamic range

[@ChimeThinker]

The noise looks more detailed on the Z6iii than the FX3's mushy looking noise.

[@cinematools]

It's hard to show on youtube but the noise in N-RAW looks very organic.

[@OsenaPhotography]

I like the comparison video. What lenses were used for both Nikon and Sony?

[@cinematools]

Thanks for watching. On Nikon - Nikon Z 28-75 2.8, Nikon 28 2.8, Nikon 50 1.8. On Sony - Sigma 28-70 2.8, Sony 28 F2, Sony 50 1.4.

[@OsenaPhotography]

@@cinematools thank you for this! Keep up the good work!

[@spiegelmann82]

What codec was used in ISO and dynamic range test?

[@cinematools]

It's in the video. H265 ISO 800

[@smileinurhand]

Good Making. Gret samples!! Nikon is renowned for its photography capabilities, but its video performance could be improved. A Sony cropped sensor A6700 performs comparably to the Nikon Z6ii.

[@TomOhle1]

Probably worth mentioning that the gyro stabilization causes a crop into your video and you have to use Sony catalyst. Sony shooter for many years and this annoys the heck out of me. From these tests and to my eyes the Nikon has better stabilization without requiring the gyro stabilization crop and additional post production step :) One other criticism of the Nikon, the lack of dual card slot recording is the biggest issue IMHO. In the plus column Nikon have been very good with firmware updates compared to Sony. Leaked firmware on z8/z9 shows that they are releasing firmware with shutter angle and false color. One big negative on the z8/z9 for me relative to a7s3 is that audio amps are not as good on the z8. Good but not Panasonic good IMHO. Have you compared z8 to z6iii in this regard?

[@cinematools]

Nikon's electronic VR also crops into video. I believe Sony's active stabilization with native lenses can be almost as good. Also, you don't need to use Catalyst anymore. Gyroflow stabilization is as good but the workflow is a breeze compared to the gyroflow.

[@TomOhle1]

@@cinematools That's incorrect in my experience. Sony has an electronic stabilization and it has gyro stabilization that can only be applied through Sony Catalyst. The problem is that to get an equivalent stabilization effect of say the Canon R5ii , Z8, Lumix S5ii on just native stabilization on Sony, you need to go to active steady shot + estabilization + gyro. Particularly with wide angle lenses it's very noticeable. Yes they all take some crop. The sony just takes a substantially bigger one. Want to reduce focus breathing because many of the GMaster lenses are not optically corrected for breathing? Then you need to enable breathing correction - this gives another crop. In other words, to get the same quality of shot that you'd get on say Nikon or Lumix systems with their more optically breathing corrected primes, you have to take a much bigger crop. Want to shoot animorphic? Both NIkon and Sony suck cause neither provides desqueeze in camera but more importantly the lack of opengate capability means that you don't have as much height available to you in your frame so you have to stand back further. Ironically in my experience, the Lumix (for 24p/30p 4k footage) is the more versatile. The Sony has nice specs, until you use it in the real world and realize that most of the breathing compensation and active steady shot already crop into your frame more agressively.

[@cinematools]

@@TomOhle1, you don't need to enable stabilization for gyro stabilization to work. In most cases, I keep the crop around 110%, which is lower than in-body stabilization. Nikon has pretty good stabilization, but I prefer flexibility in post-production. I don't shoot anamorphic, so it's not a problem for me.

[@TomOhle1]

@@cinematools that’s right you don’t need to enable e-stabilization with gyro . The problem is that native stabilization with say a Lumix s5iix is already so much better than the Sony that to match the quality you need to run active steady shot. Now you just applied a 10% crop. Using the 24mm GM or 35mm GM? Turn on breathing compensation… another crop. Yes it is a choice to do this in post, your quite right. However I do think it’s important for folks interested in the emount ecosystem to be aware that to get similar quality to other systems you usually (in my experience anyway) need to jump through extra workflow steps and/or be ok with the crop. The Lumix (personal favorite) is not perfect either. 4k60 is cropped to apsc :/ and there is some rolling shutter, but I prefer working with vlog the most for my tastes (personal preferences). I don’t particularly like NLog but LOVE what Nikon have done with Red LUTS. I also really like Sonys s cinetone. But those things are subjective :). In any case you have a new subscriber and I think your videos are excellent. I hope that my response is not interpreted as critical but instead as just subjective opinionated feedback from a new subscriber :) keep up the great work.

[@cinematools]

@@TomOhle1 thank you. No, not at all. I enjoy a healthy discussion.

[@nicolaslenerand7571]

Actually the H.265 10 bits of the Nikon is 4:2:0 and not 4:2:2 like the FX3 maybe can it affect the shadow recovery ?

[@cinematools]

The noise pattern looks much better in N-RAW or ProRes and can be cleaned up a bit with noise-reduction but shadow recovery seems the same. We're currently testing all internal codecs, including ProRes RAW, to see if they differ in dynamic range.

[@facu_eze_peralta]

I'll get for sure the nikon Z6III.

[@Star-fl6lw]

Nikon Better colors but "Video" Image; Sony better dinamic range and "cinematic" image. Sony wins for me

[@CarloPane-m8x]

come no ........

[@chubba3569]

Define the word "cinematic".

[@comment_below]

thanks for the vid! wish I would have seen it before i bought my 6iii lol -the low light performance really is disappointing

[@gaarax0x]

Nikon Z6iii is a hybrid camera. Should've compared it to the Sony A74

[@Jawad.1]

You did not mention the most important thing that affects Sharpness and color fringing: The lenses that you used to test the camera. Otherwise, a good comparison, overall...!!!

[@cinematools]

Thanks. The sharpness tests are filmed at f5.6-f8 with modern lenses, which have the same MFT when stopped down.

[@mdenjoyer831]

why a stacked sensor has more rolling shutter than fx3?

[@cinematools]

To my eye, they appear the same.

[@Just-Nico]

Its half stacked,not fully.

[@mdenjoyer831]

@@Just-Nico still, the fx3 is not stacked at all

[@Just-Nico]

@@mdenjoyer831 I know,maybe Sony's sensor is better at the rolling shutter

[@Frippin-MTBD80]

@@Just-Nico Because it's a 12mp sensor so less lines of data to read out, it's close to the speed of the Z6 III sensor. Also it depends on the speed of the panning, it slower at first in the FX3 shot but then speeds up thus rolling shutter looks worse towards end.

[@DynamicLearning4u]

It took so many years for Nikon to produce a camera that Sony launched 3 years ago....

[@cinematools]

More competition means better options. Having internal RAW at this price point will push other companies to implement it, or at least give us better codecs.

[@peterra2532]

Don’t forger that Nikon released the z9 3 years ago and already offered internal raw in video, while sony in 2024, does not offer it yet... just to say that no Nikon is not late, maybe even ahead...

[@DynamicLearning4u]

@@peterra2532 I just hope that they get their act together. My last Nikon was the D800. If I had waited 10 years for them to launch the z9, then I would have gone completely bonkers. Sony saved everyone in between. I agree with the competition part and I hope everybody wins. :)

[@russellwright9961]

@@peterra2532 Right!

[@loudmotion5639]

we are nearing 4 years since that sensor was put into a camera body ;)

[@DAILYMOMENT-y9q]

NIKON Z6III dual iso Log 800 and 4000

[@cinematools]

800 and 6400

[@loudmotion5639]

4 years old camera vs several months old camera,,damn Nikon are definitely really late to the game :/ also that lattitude definitely shows who is the real winner. Its kinda sad as I wanted to see NIkon shine but the initial reviews where already showing how bad the dynamic range was, also i was surprised that the roll off was better on the fx3, always thought new nikons with raw had an edge. Also does z6iii have 6k120? @0.24

[@cinematools]

Thanks for pointing this out, that's a mistake. It's 4k 120P

[@SkyMissionsClub]

nikon can take good raw photos, fx3 cant be usable like a photo camera. good hybrid camera. just for video fx3 is better.

[@genin69]

at twice the price Id go for the Nikon

[@genin69]

I would rather go buy 2 Nikon z6 iii cameras than pay that ridiculous amount for the Sony

[@madsonit]

Unfortunately this test carries little relevance, as cameras use different lenses. If you have time to redo it, make sure you use the same exact lens across the two cameras. Maybe some older adapted lens.

[@cinematools]

no

[@withoutpassid]

Nonsense.

[@madsonit]

@@withoutpassidnonsense is believing lenses don’t matter.

[@withoutpassid]

@@madsonit it does but does it matter in real life? Will you use the same lens on both Sony and Nikon bodies? So when you compare the colorv, it’s not just the color profile of each camera body but the whole system (aka body and lens).

[@madsonit]

@@withoutpassid of course it matters. The test is about Nikon Z6III vs Sony FX3. Not Nikon system vs Sony system. In every research out there, to be relevant, you need stable data and equivalency. Each lens has different color rendering, different bokeh rendering, different sharpness etc. If someone has their channel containing “cinema” in its name, one would expect it’s cinema related, and no proper cinema professional uses sony of Nikon autofocus photographic glass. Yes, some commercials that want the clean look might, when they do a scene that needs autofocus, but most times they use actual cinema glass. And none of it is made by Nikon or Sony. But to come back to your question, in real world what matters more is that Nikon z6iii can record raw while the fx3 can’t. And that for starters is a huge difference and advantage for Nikon when it comes to grading and pushing your footage.

[@fumickey]

SONYはRAWもjpgも色が駄目 レンズの性能もイマイチです 12年使ってきましたがNIKONに乗り換えて「今まで何だったんだー」と後悔しています

[@TranBaoViet]

FX3 still better

[@cinematools]

There's no perfect camera, each one has its strengths and weaknesses. FX3 has an amazing IQ, no doubts about that.

[@rafaeladauto4760]

It costs 1 thousand dollars more, so the Nikon is a better Bang for the Buck.

[@cinematools]

@@rafaeladauto4760 true. It's also great as a stills camera.

[@tasselears]

Oh man… you compared 2 cameras that placed in a different classes… it’s better to compare with z8 which is still 30% cheaper and will beat created for a top video fx3 just easily. Try to compare with a7 iv -v and there’ll be a result.

[@cinematools]

@@tasselears Z6III is video-oriented hybrid, so it makes sense to compare it to other video-oriented mirrorless cameras.

[@Mye77]

z8또는 z9에는 비교할 수 없는 fx3

[@CarloPane-m8x]

infatti, sia la Z8, sia la Z6 III, se la mangiano a colazione la FX3