NIKON Z6 VS SONY A7 III: The Complete Comparison Review

nikon z6 vs sony a 7 iii feat

This is the comparison between the Nikon Z6 and the Sony Alpha A III mirrorless cameras. Both are almost the same price. Both has some positive and special features which makes them stand out.

Nikon-Z6SONY-A7iii
NIKON Z6SONY A7 III
BUY NOWBUY NOW
PROSPROS
12fps burst mode. Superb high-ISO quality. In-body stabilisation. Full frame 4K video. Stellar Z-mount lenses.Exceptional image quality. 10 fps continuous shooting. 693-point AF system. Very responsive performance. Very good 4K video.
CONSCONS
Weak 310-shot battery life. Average buffer capacity. Some viewfinder lag.Frustrating menu and control layout. 2.36-million-dot EVF is behind the times. Video is no longer best in class.
MODELNIKON Z6SONY A7 III
BrandNikonSONY
Series
Model
Part
DETAILS NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
ColorBlack
IMAGE SENSOR NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Image SensorCMOSExmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
Effective Pixels 24MP
Image Stabilization
Resolution 6000 x 4000
VIEWFINDER & MONITOR NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Viewfinder Type ElectronicElectronic
LCD 3.2″3.0″
FOCUS NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Focus Type
FLASH NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Flash Mode
RECORDING SYSTEM NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Recording MediaSD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick PRO HG-Duo
MOVIE NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Movie RecordingMovie Recording
LENS NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Compatible Lenses
Lens Mount
INTERFACE NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
HDMIYes
POWER SOURCE NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
BatteryLi-ion Battery PackLithium ION Battery
FEATURES NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Features
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT NIKON Z6 SONY A7 III
Dimensions (WxHxD)5.3 x 4.0 x 2.7″ / 134.0 x 100.5 x 67.5 mm5 x 3.88 x 3 in
Weight1.29 lbs1.44 lbs

Expert Review of Nikon Z6:

By T3 Magazine
We waited a pretty long time for Nikon to join the full-frame mirrorless party, but once it did, we were very handsomely rewarded. The Z 6 and Z 7 duo are formidable beasts, both serving different types of customers very well indeed.The Z 6, being…

By Pocket-lint
When Nikon first announced the Z series we were holding our breath that it wasn’t going to go the same way as its ill-fated (and arguably ill-conceived) J series of mirrorless cameras. Having used the Z6 for two weeks, it’s very good news indeed: this…

By Expert Reviews
Nikon’s “mainstream” mirrorless model ticks all the right boxes – and then…

By dxomark.com  With the introduction of the mirrorless Z 6, Nikon has adopted one of the best-performing full-frame 24 MP BSI-CMOS sensors. At base ISO, it has very good color and a wide dynamic range; additionally, the sensor has outstanding dynamic range at mid-ISO…

By Photo Review
SPECSImage sensor: 35.9 x 23.9 mm backside illumination CMOS sensor with 25.28 million photosites (24.5 megapixel effective resolution); low-pass filterImage processor: EXPEED 6A/D processing: 12 or 14 bit (lossless compressed, compressed, or…

Expert Reviews of Sony Alpha A7III:

By Expert Reviews
Regardless of whether you shoot landscapes, wildlift, travel, sports or portraits, the Sony Alpha 7 III has plenty to…

By Photo Review
Until now, Sony has been the only mirrorless camera manufacturer to offer cameras with ‘full-frame’ sensors; but that’s about to change. On 23 August Nikon will unveil its first mirrorless camera, which will have a full-frame sensor and a new lens…

By IndianExpress
I was at wedding recently with the usual bunch of photographers trying their best to take away the view for the rest of the guests. However, what struck me more was how many of them were using Sony Alpha cameras this time. A few years back there would…

By Gadgets360
The Sony A7 III is a great entry point into the company’s full-frame range of cameras. If you’re an enthusiast or even a professional looking for a full-frame camera and want something portable, then mirrorless is the way to go. The A7 III is a huge…

By Gadget Guy
The Sony Alpha7 III is for the discerning still photographer who wants the quality of a full frame digital camera, without the price tag of the 40MP models.Sony’s website for this camera is…

Detail Review:

INTRODUCTION:

Nikon Z6

This is the full frame mirrorless camera Nikon. This has most of the features which is available in DSLR cameras and also some special features. The design and the grip and all the features and functionality is pretty much good in this camera. 

SONY Alpha A7 III

The A7 III is an updated version of the A7 II and from what I can see so far it’s an upgrade in virtually every way. This has the sampled 6k video and some interesting features.

nikon z6

DESIGN & HANDLING: 

Nikon Z6 

Now once you’ve started using the camera, I think the ergonomics make a bigger deal. So, while I have been shooting with a lot of these cameras, they can kind of make you fall out of love with them. The Nikon Z6 is amazing in most areas the the things that you interact with the most are gonna be that viewfinder in the screen. 

For general ergonomics, from switching between photo and video having custom settings for both, one of the quickest simply a dial on the back. If I click eye menu, it is completely different for video and photo, if I pop that into photo mode which is instantly the menu has changed to exactly what I want. So, this is a very easy camera to go from video and photo.

The only downside on the ergonomics is the two custom buttons are great if you have a camera in your hand. The people who use gimbal most of the time then these two buttons are pretty much useless for them.

SONY Alpha A7 III

The A7 III is both bigger and heavier than the A7 II but it’s definitely on a smaller side when you consider it’s a full-frame sensor camera. The grip is nice and deep and it’s super comfortable to hold. If you own another body like the A7r III or the A9, the grip works on all three bodies which is kind of a bonus. The grip holds two batteries, so now you’re really shooting forever. The body has a magnesium alloy and the weather sealing makes the A7 III dust and moisture resistant.

FEATURES:

Nikon Z6 

This is a 3.2 inch LCD screen touch screen across everything so you can get and access all of your functions. This is also one of the best view finders on the market. This has super-high resolution, I think two million pixels on the screen and then three point for the viewfinder. You would have to go into higher end cameras to get a viewfinder and a screen that good. There’s 24 megapixel for the image quality. It also has 6k video and 1080p for 30 frames per second and 120 frames per second. 

The other negative things is that you’re using XQD cards which are not the cheapest cards in the world but they are also a little bit harder to find. Once you get used to it, it is one of the best most stable formats in any camera. It’s also a single card in the camera. If you’re shooting a lot of pro and stuff, you might miss that a bit thankfully that XQD card is one of the best around.

It is super high-speed, incredibly reliable, so I think of your video shooter, it’s actually one of the best formats to shoot with and then one thing I’ve noticed is that since this is the only camera that has an XQD card. It means that I’m never mixing up executors my SD cards and multiple cameras which is kind of one of the best ways to have a card error is to be using it in multiple cameras. So, basically it is only being used in my Nikon Z6 and Z7 and that helps a little bit on that but it is one of the negatives with this camera.

This camera is listed for 1699 including the adapter and including the memory card and just a couple other things in this kit that is a steel. You will not find anything better on the market that is a full-frame with this kind of quality for this kind of price range. I really think that having this out for a year and all of these updates again with that price drop is going to make this an incredible camera.

SONY Alpha A7 III

The has a really A7 III nice weather sealed magnesium alloy body. It has a 24 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and uses 639 point hybrid auto-focus system. Now, Sony opted for the BIONZ X image processor which is outstanding and helps with operating speed and performance as well as the excellent overall image quality. It has a 3-inch tilt LCD screen and can internally record, 4k 30 at 4:2 or externally at 4:2:2. There’s a decent 2.36 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder and it can shoot continuously at up to 10 frames per second. It has a crazy expandable ISO of up to 2,04,800 and the 5 axis in body image stabilization.

General menu operation is fast and it has a very quick startup and things like image free view and video playback again are very fast. The menu system is not amazing. It’s not the menu design that I found problematic, it’s actually super easy to use and it’s split in the categories that make sense but the issue is that it seems disorganized which led to a lot of confusions and features and settings just aren’t where I expect them to be and they’re not sorted in the order that I would expect based on importance. I’ve shot with many other Sony cameras and this seems to be my general impression.

The A7 III uses the new Npfz battery which is also used on the A7r III and the A9. This battery is rated for something like 710 shots and using it, it just feels like a last forever. Now, Sony doesn’t include a charger which is just more of an annoyance and you have to use either a micro-USB or a USB-C cable to charge it.

If you’re buying a camera and you’re just using it with the factory settings, you’re really missing out, part of what you get when you’re buying a higher-end camera is the ability to customize it to work better for exactly how you shoot. On the right side, we have a little barn door with dual SD cards which is phenomenal. Now, you can either use them in sequence, so that the camera goes to card 2 after card 1 is full and I recommend is that you have them mirrored, so that you can have an back up.

Sony-a7-iii-

IMAGE QUALITY:

Nikon Z6 

Nikon Z6 is a 24 megapixel sensor. It is among if not the best that you can get as far as image quality, amazing dynamic range. amazing low-light performance. So, overall it’s just a great. The colors look great on this. It’s probably not my favorite for colors but probably second on that. For video, you do have amazing video quality. This is 6k sensor over sample to 4k like you would see on a Sony better than what you would see on a Canon and we’re getting amazing quality 4k up to 30 frames per second 1080 P up to 120. Overall, some of the best image quality you can get on any camera.

SONY Alpha A7 III

The new sensor is better both in bright and low lights and the auto-focus system is significantly better but it’s not perfect. The A7 III has a 24 megapixel full-frame BSI sensor and the Bayan Zechs Image Processor. This is without getting into the nerdiness of BSI or backside illuminated, sometimes you’ll hear it called bi or back illuminated. It basically means that some of the elements were moved to the back of the sensor with the goal being better low-light performance.

I was super impressed by how well it performs in low-light and I wasn’t changing any settings or using a picture profile that I specifically set up for a low-light. I’ll be publishing a tutorial which covers the exact custom settings that I use when shooting in low-light and there’s a little bit of setup involved but it takes a few minutes and then once you have it done you’re golden.

This would really only be optimizing the already incredible low-light capabilities of the A7 III. So, this full-frame sensor is an excellent option if you’re shooting portraits, landscape, events, weddings and even sports and street photography. Also, if you’re just doing family and lifestyle photography and video and you want outstanding results, you’re not gonna be disappointed with this sensor.

A Sony went with the BIONZ X processor which together with front and LSI which results in faster processing time and the ability to capture 15 stops of dynamic in low ISO values. You’re gonna notice this when you go outside and try to shoot in very challenging conditions. So, when you’re shooting in situations where there’s a significant discrepancy between the brightest and the darkest parts of your scene, this is gonna be able to handle it a lot better than a sensor with a more limited dynamic range. Together with a nice sensor, you’re gonna get sharper images and video and really nice low-light performance and the BIONZ X also makes the camera really fast to operate. So, the A7 III is pretty responsive for both photography and stills.

For photography, it can shoot at up to 10 frames per second burst or continuous shooting with continuous auto-focus. Now, this is a nice feature if you’re photographing kids or pets running around, if you’re at a sporting event or anytime where you’re shooting a fast-moving subject.

For stills, the A7 III has a maximum resolution of 6000 by 4000 which is more than what most people would ever need unless you’re planning on printing something huge. It can shoot in both JPEG and RAW, so you can decide just how much information you want to capture depending on what you plan to do with these images in post. Though the image quality for stills is phenomenal, the images are tack sharp with fantastic dynamic range.

It has some of the best JPEG noise reduction I’ve seen on any camera. Sony colors are improving especially for skin tones. For video, the A7 III can record 4k up to 30 frames per second and full HD or 1080p at 24, 30, 60, and 120 frames per second. It can record 4k 30 4:2:O 8 bit internally and it can record 4k 30 4:2:2 8 bit with the HDMI out, both of them are at a hundred megabits per second. As far as frame rates go, this isn’t exactly leading the pack.

VIDEO QUALITY:

Nikon Z6 

In video, to go for a full frame or the crop mode both are great. you can use both modes all the time if you’re shooting 120 frames per second, it is a bit limited and you do have a mandatory crop when shooting the 120. Other than that, all your lenses and all your you’re basically settings are going to be good in both full-frame mode or in the crop to get some additional reach either one and on the Z6 it is 6k over sample to 4k, 30 frames per second 1080p all the way to 120. Everything is very good quality across it, you have all your settings you would want, you have focus peaking, zebras, you have all of that stuff video features.

In video, to go for a full frame or the crop mode both are great. you can use both modes all the time if you’re shooting 120 frames per second, it is a bit limited and you do have a mandatory crop when shooting the 120. Other than that, all your lenses and all your you’re basically settings are going to be good in both full-frame mode or in the crop to get some additional reach either one and on the z6 it is 6k over sample to 4k 30 frames per second 1080p all the way to 120. Everything is very good quality across it, you have all your settings you would want, you have focus peaking, zebras, you have all of that stuff video features.

SONY Alpha A7 III

For 4k video, it definitely challenges cameras like the Panasonic gh5 and the Fuji XT 3. It’s going to give you beautiful crisp 4k video with improved color science. Now, the Sony color is something that some people like and some people don’t, for me, it seems to have a bit of a greenish tint. In the A7 III, I definitely see an improvement as far as color science goes if I compare it to something like the A6500.

The continuous auto focus during burst shooting is really impressive. From a video standpoint, the A7 III can record internally up to 4k 34:2:o on 8 bit video or 4k 34:2:2 externally. The viewfinder is good but not great, it’s a 2.36 million dot EDF. If I’m comparing it to something like the EOS R which has a 3.69 dot EVF then it’s obviously not as sharp. Now, Sony kept their higher resolution 3.68 million DBF for the Sony A7r III and the A9 which makes sense to me.

If you’re shooting 4k 24 frames per second then the footage is over sampled from 6k which renders incredible detail but seriously 4k footage from this camera is absolutely stunning. If you’re shooting 4k 30 and the footage is over sampled from 5K and there’s a 1.2 crop factor. You could notice a difference between the quality of 24 and 30 frames per second but it’s so good. You can shoot at 24, 30, 60, and 120 frames per second, now 24, 30, and 60 offer two different bit rates, so just choose the higher one for the best quality. The auto-focus works really well and I’m super happy with the quality.

There’s also a video option called s & q which if you’re not familiar with allows you to select frame rates ranging from 1 to 120 frames per second. The camera then either slows down or speeds it up to either 24 or 30 frames per second, so if you’re using s & q 120 frames per second and you shoot a clip and then you watch it in the camera or in your computer, it’s already slowed down. Now, personally I prefer to shoot at 1080p 120 and then slow it down because I think the quality is a little better.

nikon z6 5

AUTO FOCUS:

Nikon Z6  

One of the big kind of negatives was going to be the focus system and thankfully it has changed. It has been upgraded, we have eye auto-focus, we have a bunch of other features in this camera. It’s still not the greatest I would put it probably second or third as far as the cameras go in this price range.

So, if you’re using I auto-focus. It works very well, I find that it doesn’t get confused very easily, it is great on this camera. However, it only works in the wide mode, so it can be a little bit limiting into how you use. If you have groups of people, you have to start switching between people. Basically, pick any focus mode and the eye auto-focus will work within that, same thing is true for video. It’s really only gonna work with eye detection and face detection in that wide mode. So, it is one of the best auto-focus cameras in the wide view mode. It has never been an issue for videos. 

Everything is not perfect here, so the focus system again is going to be not the best. I think it needs to be improved, it’s not perfect in every circumstance. I think sports and wildlife shooters are going to notice it the most. The portrait shooters, you should be great with this camera and then also video shooters it works great in most areas and then also the touch screen interaction with the focus system is also amazing. So being able to just tap on your subject have a track is very easy to use.

SONY Alpha A7 III

One of the reasons I’ve been hesitant to use Sony cameras is that I haven’t had the best experience when it comes to continuous auto-focus for video. For stills, the Sony AF has been good but for video the continuous auto-focus, it would just hunt and it was inconsistent, I just couldn’t use it. The A7 III has a new auto-focus system which is essentially the same system implemented in them much more expensive A9 and it uses 639 phase detection auto-focus points which covered 93% of the sensor, so that’s pretty incredible.

For photography, the focus is very fast and that’s both when I’m using Sony lenses or Canon or Sigma with the Sigma MC 11 adapter. I’m mostly used continuous auto-focus in flexible spot, I used a joystick to control the focus zone and this was super reliable and it worked really well for me even in low-light. Now, the eye detection auto-focus is insane with this camera, it’s so good. I was most surprised that it worked even when the person was wearing glasses. It was good and fast. For video, I noticed a significant improvement over the previous Sony cameras that I used. Sony has pretty confusing focus settings and there’s a lot of them and a first glance there seem to be a lot of confusing overlap but once you dive deeper into each setting and dial down to the one that you want for a particular situation, it works really well.

Lens:  

Nikon Z6 

One of the things that was limiting was going to be lenses. So, we had a 24 to 70 f/4 and then we also had a 35 millimeter and a 50 millimeter prime that came out pretty much exactly when the camera was released. So, fairly limiting on that. The primes are 1.8 which means that they’re not exactly amazing pro and camera lenses but they fit the Z6 very well being a kind of mid price below $2,000 body, you probably don’t want to spend two to three thousand dollars on a lens. So, very fitting to that.

Since then, I have a 24 to 70 of 2.8 is recording from this angle, I have an 85 1.8 and then I have their wide angle 14 to 30 which is amazingly small and giving you that super wide angle 14 millimeter on that range. So, really cool lenses and these are stabilized by the body. So, there’s no image stabilization in lenses, however, the camera does have image stabilization and that image stabilization works a little bit better than Sony cameras and Canon doesn’t have any image stabilization inside their body. So, overall getting these lenses with this camera keeping the kit extremely compact and it gets me pretty much 90% of what I need if not more.

Now, they do have the adapter if you need to get Nikon’s other lenses for like a 7200 or some of your longer lenses those will still need the adapter. The adapter works really well in photo and video, so no issues using those other f Series lenses on this camera. I think the lens situation is going to be good enough for most people especially if you’re not wanting to spend five thousand ten thousand dollars on lenses. It’s a great setup and then also if you want to keep things pretty compact and light, these lenses are gonna do it for you but still offer some pretty good quality.

SONY Alpha A7 III

Sony lenses are a bit of a touchy subject for some people and it’s not a matter of quality, it’s a matter of cost. If you’re looking at the GM lenses, you’re looking at incredible glass but expect to spend some serious cash for it. The Sony GM 70 to 200 2.8 is $2,600 and when I compare it to the Canon L Series 70 to 200, even the mark 3 costs $2,100. When we’re looking at the 24 to 70 2.8 it’s $2,200 the Canon is usually nineteen hundred. So, you’re either looking at five hundred or three hundred dollars difference. For me, if I’m shooting professionally, this difference isn’t super significant. Sony has an outstanding selection of premium lenses at a premium price.

sony_a7ii

WHICH TO BUY: 

Nikon Z6 will perform well in majority of situations but if you are event shooter you might encounter some of the issues with the Z6. On the other hand, color science on Z6 is nice and it might save you some time in editing. The usability is better on Z6 overall because of the touch functionality, superior screen, and the viewfinder but Sony is not a bad handling camera at all in my opinion.

Both are capable video cameras. Nikon offers more advanced features if use external recorder, Sony has internal log recording. Both can shoot 120 frames per second, so here it is about equal. Overall, Sony might be still more pragmatic option because of the low light performance, auto-focus, and the battery life but Nikon is probably a bit more fun to shoot with, so both are good cameras.