When I started taking photos with a Nikon representative recently, he told me that it was only a matter of time before I became a “birdwatcher,” because eventually a photographer will have no subjects to photograph and only one to master: birds. Advances in sensor technology have made birds much easier to photograph.
During this photo walk, I spent a few hours with the new $2,500 Nikon Z6 III. The big news about this camera is its 24.5-megapixel partially stacked CMOS sensor. This is the first camera to employ this technology. Instead of both the circuitry and pixel area extending completely from corner to corner of the image sensor and overlapping each other, as in the more expensive Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z8, or not being stacked at all as in the older Nikon Z6 II, the Z6 III’s circuitry is stacked as bars on the top and bottom of the pixel area.
As a result, when the BSI CMOS sensor is in electronic shutter mode, it offers faster continuous shooting speeds, faster autofocus, higher video frame rates, and less rolling shutter effect than the previous-generation Z6 II. However, this also means that the Z6 III is not as fast as the more premium Z8 or Z9, which feature fully stacked sensors. Simply put, by partially stacking the sensors, Nikon was able to keep the price of this camera lower than the Z8 and Z9, while still delivering significantly better performance than the previous generation.
Other notable updates include the Z6 III’s super bright electronic viewfinder, which hits 4,000 nits of peak brightness, and the camera’s ability to shoot 6K RAW video at up to 60fps and 4K RAW at up to 120fps. Nikon is also promising Z8-level quality, with the camera being dust- and moisture-resistant and guaranteed to operate down to 14°F/-10°C. Simply put, Nikon makes an incredibly durable camera that doesn’t skimp on the specs, and one that can turn any photographer into a birdwatcher.
I chose the Staten Island Ferry for my photo walk with the Z6 III because it offers endless people-watching opportunities and great views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Add to that the ship’s iconic orange color and I was sure it would make for at least a few great photos. What I hadn’t really paid much attention to were the birds that use the ship’s slipstream to cross the harbor.
While the Z6 III doesn’t have a dedicated bird focus mode, Nikon claims that the autofocus is 20% faster than the Z6 II and more sensitive in low light conditions with an extended range down to -10EV. Also, I had no trouble at all locking on to a bird behind the ferry. Within minutes of taking off from Lower Manhattan, I was swinging the Z6 III from left to right trying to photograph a seagull. Finally, I got clever and framed One World Trade Center and waited for a bird to cross the frame. And as soon as the bird was in the frame, the camera locked on to the moving object that was the seagull. Within a few minutes, I had taken over 100 photos.
Photo taken with Nikon Z6 III + Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens
Of course, that got me thinking, “What am I going to do with all these bird photos?” Which is why I want to thank you all for clicking through the slideshow above and giving meaning to my new passion for photographing birds.
Like the Z8 and Z9, Nikon is increasingly producing cameras that are so responsive and intuitive that you no longer have to spend as much time thinking about issues like focus, camera shake, shutter speed, etc. You can just point the camera in any direction and get something that’s instantly in focus.
That being said, I only had a limited few hours of testing with this camera. I didn’t have low light conditions to test the ISO range or low light autofocus, multiple subjects to test skin tone rendition, or ND filters to get the right video exposure to test 6K RAW. It was a lot of fun, and I’m now a certified “birdwatcher,” but there’s still a lot more testing to be done with this new partially stacked sensor technology. But in my short time with this camera, I can confidently say that it never felt like a step back. The Z6 III is available starting today for $2,500.