Nikon Z6 Mark II vs Z7 Mark II Key Differences

Nikon released the newest generation of full frame mirrorless cameras the Nikon Z6 Mark II vs Z7 Mark II so those cameras are firmly very solid middle-of-the-road with the high-end bodies released at the end of 2020.

the Z6 II is a multimedia powerhouse that excels in speed, image quality, and video performance, whereas the Z7 II is an ultra high-resolution camera that produces purely spectacular images.

So, both of these cameras are additions to the Z line they have a variety of new features and upgrades from the previous models Z6 and Z7 increased processing power it means dual processors, new auto-focusing features, greater buffer capacity, faster frame rates, stills 4k 60, video, dual card slots, and the ability to attach vertical battery grip.

If you are a mirrorless lover and have tried DSLR systems or other mirrorless cameras from Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji, but still considering going to know what has changed in Nikon Mirrorless Cameras Z6 II and Z7 II.

When Nikon announced those cameras many of us wondered what are the biggest differences between those cameras and which one will be the best camera to buy.

After I analyzed all the features, similarities, differences, strengths, and weaknesses of these cameras I share my experience with you.

What Are Similarities?

In the depth of field and quality, both cameras have far more similarities than they have differences. They look the same, everything is identical, EVF is the same, the screen size is the same, and both have a flip screen.

So, both have a touch screen, both features a BSI sensor, both have ibis, and also the dual cpu xp6, both have two image processors in it dual expeed 6-bit processor, which promises more options in image processing, both have the exact same shadows highlight, exposure contrast clarity everything is the same.

the Z6 II and Z7 II came out at the same time so both cameras feature different sensors, the same electronic viewfinder, the image processing, and memory card, both have two card slots, and controllers are the same, so the speed at which the camera works or writes on the memory cards is the same.

What Are Differences?

I really couldn’t find any relative differences for both cameras I just can say the difference is very hard to see. So, a major difference is the dynamic range, the Z6 II has the filter and the Z7 II doesn’t, the Z6 II and the Z7 II have that same sort of difference but the 4k on the Z7 II is basically full frame or just about full frame so if that’s something important to you the Z7 II may well be the better option.

Screen

You will get an incredibly bright and realistic EVF with 3.6 million dots of resolution along with the amazing Nikon optics that are built into it.

Sensor

the Z6 II has a 24.5 MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor and features dual x-speed 6 processors whereas the Z7 II the new model features a backside illuminated 45.7megapixel CMOS sensor with no optical low pass filter this continues its predecessor’s ultra high-resolution image capture, the Z7 II has a dual x-speed 6 image processor just like Z6 II.

So, the Z7 II uses a backside-illuminated non-anti-aliasing filtered sensor and the Z6 II uses a backside illuminated sensor that does have an anti-aliasing filter.

But the Z7 II apart from the Z6 II is its 45.7 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor which works in conjunction with the dual xp6 image processors to achieve extra ordinary image quality with wide dynamic range efficient light gathering true color rendering and subtle tonal and textural details.

the z72 is no slouch with a burst speed that maxes out at 10 frames per second.

Autofocus

the Z7 II includes a phase detect autofocus system with 493 points covering 90 of the frame that means you can compose and place your focal point virtually anywhere in the frame whereas the Z6 II has the same 273 on sensor AF points that provide 90 coverage of the frame.

Just like the Z6 II and with Z7 II you have a variety of autofocus options including the newly introduced wide area eye detect AF for humans and animals in stills or videos benefiting from the combination of the ultra high resolution cmos sensor and the dual xp6 image processing engines.

So, one of the big upgrades over the Z6 and Z7 was autofocus the Z6 II and the Z7 II do provide a significant bump in performance when it comes to autofocus.

the autofocus is much better than the previous model Z6 and Z7 there are definite changes especially when it comes to eye autofocus and also things like animal autofocus which they’ve introduced.

So, in my opinion, the autofocus is going to magically beat the Canon R5, Canon R6, the Sony A7R III, or even the Sony A1 and you are going to get better performance.

You can get about up to 14 fps in the Z6 II and around 10 fps in the Z7 II though those numbers drop significantly for instance to 5.5 frames a second Z7 II if you want to have it metering and sorting out the autofocus at the same time so about that in mind though it doesn’t drop quite as much on the Z7 II.

Tracking

Autofocus tracking for humans and animals works in stills mode and while recording video for easily tracking subjects anywhere throughout the frame.

So, in some situations with eye detection if you’re shooting in a crowded room you may want to limit where eye detection can see so that not everyone will be tracked.

the large option giving you the ability to narrow the scope of where eye detection is available previously on the original Z7 and Z6 you should toggle between human and animal iaf you had to go through the menu system each and every time.

Dynamic Range

the Z7 II has a better dynamic range than the Z6 II craziness look at that the shadow turns slightly purple on the Z6 II. However, the Z6 II loses its color when you’re pushing out the dynamic range in deep darkness and Z7 II is very impressive.

So, definitely, the Z7 II will retain most of the colors if you’re definitely pushing and pulling at night or in the darkness.

Viewfinder

Both cameras have the same electronic viewfinder it’s a 3.6 million dot EVF which is not very high resolution keep in mind every pixel of red green blue counts as three separate dots so it’s basically one-megapixel viewfinder but according to Nikon it has lower lag and lower blackout which will make it better for shooting action.

Video Differences?

When it comes to video differences you get the line skipping on the Z7 II but for the Z6 II you get the over sampling so you get a sharper image.

So, both cameras feature support for shooting video at up to 60 fps at 4k however the Z6 II will have an APS-C crop to it at 60 fps and the Z7 II has a 1.08 times crop.

Both cameras support 10-bit analog or HDR to an external recorder pro ress up port available immediately and Blackmagic raw via Blackmagic video assist Eye focus is also available while shooting video with the Z6 II and Z7 II.

In terms of video capability, the Z7 II has a bit of an advantage and that’s because it can already shoot at 4k 60 fps just like the Z6 II.

They can actually record in 4k with up to 60 frames per second have the super nice integrated menu with all the values ​​from 60/50/30/25/24p.

So, if you’re shooting 4k 60 you can not use 10-bit n-log output over HDMI to say an atomos ninja 5 you have to shoot internally at 8-bit which obviously captures much less color and isn’t as easy to work with or rather doesn’t give you as many options as it would if you could shoot externally.

In terms of shooting speed, Z6 II can reach 14 frames per second with 12 bit raw with a single autofocus point with subject tracking enabled it hits 12 frames per second and that’s a huge improvement over the previous Z6 which could only hit 5.5 in continuous whereas the Z7 II gets a huge bump also at 10frames per second on the single focus point.

ISO Performance

• Z6 II ISO Range- Auto 100-51200 Expand 50-204800
• Z7 II ISO Range Auto 64-25600 Expands 32-102400

One of the differences between them is ISO capability so the Z6 II is a low-light monster in video and in stills when you’re shooting at night or in low-light situations because it can cope with that both the autofocus can cope with that and the resulting images are really good.

In comparison, the Z7 II actually goes down to ISO 64 which is pretty great if you want to get nice high-quality detailed images but it can still handle up to ISO 25600 and obviously you can expand it beyond that as well.

however, the comfortable range for the Z7 II is between ISO 64 and 3200 whereas with the Z6 II you can actually still get something usable at 12800 ISO which is mad, and even the base ISO 100.

So, when you downsample the Nikon Z7 II at ISO 64 you will get a cleaner ISO but when you are around like 3200 ISO when you are downsampling to match the 24 megapixels you will notice more detail and also slightly more details, and the noise so keep that in mind.

Stabilization

the Z6 II features 5 axis and body stabilization when you’re using the Nikkor z lenses if you’re using f-mount lenses with the Z cameras via their ftz adapter then you get three axis and body stabilization.

Both cameras have an improved image stabilizer and different modes with which they can pack different strengths that you notice very clearly at the moment when you grab the very rough.

Frame Rate

the Z7 II can shoot at a faster 10 fps and has a buffer more than three times as large as the previous version allowing up to 77 shots in a burst whereas the Z6 II can get up to 14 fps with a buffer that’s three and a half times the original Z6’s letting you shoot up to 124 shots in a single burst.

Noice Performance

the Z6 II features 24,2 megapixels and thus the pixel size is the smaller the pixels are, as with the current Z7 II the more likely it is that image noise will appear the moment you increase the gain, so pay attention to it that the image noise occurs more quickly with the Z7 II.

Low Light

So both of these cameras are very capable in low light situations they also both have in-body image stabilization if you look at some of the other specs they’re both very capable in many situations.

the Z6 II because of that sensor has much better low-light capability though the gap isn’t as big as you might think it is thanks to the dual xp processors that both of these cameras have.

the Z7 II and Z6 II can now see in low light situations even better than the previous version if you’re in a room and you cut the light there’s no problem for the Z7 II can see down to negative 3 EV with the Z6 II being able to acquire your subject down to negative 4.5 EV.

Storage

Both cameras have dual card slots the UHS-II sd card slot has been added and thanks to dual xp6 processors both cards can be written to simultaneously without any drop and write speeds.

Battery

When it comes to the battery the battery performance is better than previous models in both cameras they also can be charged via USB-C while recording and filming with the power bank or via a power supply.

Price

the price points are very reasonable the Z6 II coming in at $1,700 on BH Photo and Adorama at the same price when it comes to the Z7 II coming in at $2,600 at BH Photo and Adorama at the same price.

I think that’s a good value for these honest cameras they can do so much in actually quite a small package if you don’t have a battery grip.

Which Camera is Better for Photography Z6 II or Z7 II?

On the one hand, the Nikon Z7 II captures 10 fps, and the Z6 II captures 14 fps the buffer memory has also been increased means that with a Z7 II with over 45 megapixels you can shoot over 70 raw images in a row with the Z6 II and with a 24.5 megapixel sensor it is even possible to photograph more than 120 pictures in a row, which of course promises many more possibilities.

Which camera is better for video Z6 II or Z7 II?

the Z7 II is also the camera that I would recommend more for photography, the Z6 II still takes great pictures but is clearly better for video in my opinion.

So if you are really serious about doing video you need to invest more you need atomos ninja that will cost you like $1,000 and also you may need SSD if you want to take advantage of them 10 bit and also then 12 bits.

But if you want to do 12 bit you need to send it to Nikon and it costs around $200 to get it all set up.

So, if you are definitely doing video on the Nikon Z6 II or Z7 II you definitely need to spend a little bit more money but if you don’t plan to get none of these external monitors or anything like that definitely the Z6 II is a better option than the Z7 II if you’re looking for sample 4k video.

Why You Should Buy Z6 II?

So, technically if you are a sports and wildlife shooter you can go with the nikon Z6 II you’re getting more frames per second, you’re getting better buffering, the blackouts, the lag the low-light autofocus is better on the Z6 II and the Z6 II is going to give you a better option because of the oversample in 4k.

Why You Should Buy Z7 II?

the Nikon Z7 II you’re getting better details with its 45 megapixels and also you’re getting better dynamic range and face detection points if you are a landscape shooter or shoot portraits and stills definitely the dynamic range is going to show you when you’re pushing pulling the shadows right so Z7 II is something for you.

Where Z7 II Wins Over Z6 II?

The Z7 II is the camera if you’re looking for high resolution image quality and great dynamic range and everything from the Z6 II applies to the Z7 II including the addition of two card slots and compatibility with a vertical battery grip.

Where Z6 II Wins Over Z7 II?

the Z6 II uses over sampling and the Z7 II uses pixel binning now what that means is that you’re going to get sharper better quality from the Nikon Z6 II than you will from the Z7 II.

they both shoot at 4k30 externally to N-log which gives you really nice images you can also shoot prores raw which is a great bonus.

How do they compare with previous models?

the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7 were already quite good but the Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II promise even more significant improvements, especially with the autofocus tracking of moving motifs especially when it comes to recognizing faces, recognizing eyes in both humans and animals is also a new addition both cameras have a higher autofocus sensitivity, they are much faster to boot up than the previous versions and even faster than the Sony A9 II.

the Z6 II and Z7 mark II are more incremental updates just to refresh the Z6 and Z7 with main performance and with a bigger buffer increased burst rates, and flash support.

So, at those burst rates you have vertical grip options you’ve got the mbn 11 which is already good grip as well as give hot swappable power if you already got a Z6 or Z7.

Which Camera is Better for wildlife photography?

the Z7 II does have an edge when it comes to landscapes you benefit from having a little extra detail although there is the drawback of not being as good in the noise department which is characteristic of a higher-megapixel camera.

the image output on the Z7 II is awesome but it’s not best for sports action wildlife photography you could get a used FujiFilm GFX50s for the same money and there’s no issues with autofocus when it comes to landscape the person basically stands still so the autofocus is not an issue but the gfx cameras are way slower than the Z7 Mark II or Z6 Mark II if this is not a problem for you.

Raw Buffer

Wrapping Up

they aren’t the best at anything but they offer a nice balance of price output and performance they are a solid versatile all-around general purpose cameras.

Conclusion

If we put both cameras in conclusion Z6 II is a multimedia powerhouse that excels in speed, image quality and video performance, and the Z7 II is an ultra high resolution camera that produces purely spectacular images.

So, both cameras are additions to the Z line and pack some pretty exciting feature upgrades including increased processing power, new auto focusing features, greater buffer capacity, faster frame rates, stills 4k 60p and video dual card slots, and the ability to attach a vertical battery grip.