Recently Calen, our co-founder and part of the filming duo White in Revery, recently got to take a spin of the Nikon Z6iii with a pre-production model. You can view his video review below, but in this blog post, we’ll condense his thoughts for you to break down his top 10 favorite features for filmmakers with the Nikon Z6iii.
1. 6K 60fps Full Frame with Internal RAW
One of the standout features of the Nikon Z6iii is its ability to film in 6K at 60 frames per second, full frame, with internal RAW. At this price point, it’s rare to find a camera that offers such high resolution and frame rates, making it a phenomenal choice for filmmakers.
2. High Frame Rates
The Z6iii allows you to film at 240 frames per second in 10-bit, even in N-Log at 1920 x 1080. This is the highest frame rate available in any of Nikon’s mirrorless cameras, providing incredible slow-motion capabilities with excellent quality.
3. Glove Mode
A unique feature of the Z6iii is its glove mode for touch controls. This is especially useful when filming in cold environments, allowing you to operate the touchscreen without removing your gloves. It increases screen sensitivity, making it easy to tap for autofocus or change settings.
4. Undercrank the Shutter
The ability to undercrank the shutter is fantastic for creating dreamy sequences with interesting motion blur. This feature is not available in all cameras, but the Z6iii allows you to lower the shutter speed below the frame rate, perfect for artistic shots.
5. Minimal Rolling Shutter
Thanks to its partially stacked sensor, the Z6iii greatly reduces the rolling shutter effect, which is a common issue with fast panning shots. This makes for smoother and more professional-looking footage.
6. Flip-Out Screen
The flip-out screen on the Z6iii is incredibly versatile. It allows you to shoot from high or low angles and is fully rotating, which is essential for vlogging and monitoring footage without an external monitor.
7. Bright Screen
The screen on the Z6iii is impressively bright, allowing you to correctly expose your footage even in bright conditions. I typically set mine to five, and it provides clear visibility to ensure quality shots.
8. Low Light Performance
The Z6iii performs exceptionally well in low light, producing clean results at high ISO values. The native ISO is 800 for N-Log, and even at 6400 ISO, the footage remains clean. I felt comfortable shooting up to 10,000 ISO, which is impressive for low-light scenarios.
9. Z-Mount Lenses
As a Z-mount system, the Z6iii gives you access to Nikon’s excellent range of Z-mount lenses. These lenses are sharp, have minimal chromatic aberration, and offer great autofocus and build quality. We tested various lenses, including the Noct 58mm f/0.95 and the 24-70mm, and the results were consistently outstanding.
10. USB-C Powering
The Z6iii can be powered via its USB-C port, allowing you to connect a V-mount battery for extended shooting sessions. This is perfect for all-day filming or building a more extensive rig without worrying about battery life.
Conclusion
These are my top 10 features of the Nikon Z6iii. If you’re interested in seeing the footage they captured, check out the short film made entirely with the Z6iii. Also, if you are shooting in N-Log for Nikon, you can check out our Nikon BaseLUTs which are designed to be premium conversion LUTs for transforming your Log footage to Rec709.
