Z7ii vs Z6: Does the Extra Megapixel do Anything Exceptional?

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Nikon is one of the best camera brands in the leading camera market. They are now in the second generation of their mirrorless lineups.  The Z6 and Z7 are two of their mirrorless systems. It is confusing to the consumers to choose one as they share some similar features.

In this article, I will demonstrate the two Nikon cameras. Z7ii vs Z6 and will be talking about their difference and which one is to choose finally.

As Nikon is on the second-gen of it’s their mirrorless camera, I will focus on the main features to help you to decide if you should upgrade the Z6 for the Z7ii.

Nikon Z7ii vs Z6: Quick Comparison Table

Here are some key differences between Nikon Z7ii vs Z6 that I will be talking about briefly:

What is the Key Difference Between the Nikon Z7ii 3 vs Z6?

As you can see there are some factors to talk about the differences. The cameras are identical to each other as they share the same body and IO. But the difference made them choose one from the other.

Here I will be talking about the difference in terms of the features.

The Price

You will see the Nikon Z7ii is around $3000 whereas the Z6 is half of the Z7ii.

The Nikon Z6 is marketed at $1550 in B&H.

The Nikon Z6 came out in 2018 and the Z7ii came out in 2020. Many differences between the cameras made the price barrier.

Price is a big issue for everyone. But being cheap means you will lose some of its important features from it. If I consider price to be a factor then the Nikon Z6 will win for being cheap.

There are a second-gen Z6 names Z6ii which is marketed as $2000 in B&H.

Sensor Resolution and Image Size

You will see a major hardware difference between Nikon Z7ii vs Z6.

The Nikon Z7ii has a huge 45.7 Megapixel sensor and the Z6 has a 25 Megapixel sensor.

And you will find differences in the maximum image size. The Z7ii can shoot images up to 8256 X 5504 in size whereas the Z6 shoots images at a maximum of 6048 X 4024.

IF I break down the features you won’t see the notice if I give you a side-by-side image of the two cameras.

The extra Megapixel does a great job when you shoot areal, architecture, landscape, and product photography. And your image will look very sharp and clear as the low-megapixel cameras. It is better for printing advertisements on a larger scale.

But in the real world cameras with low megapixels get adored most because low megapixel camera photos take up less space and don’t require as much processing power to work with.

Another key factor to mention, Z6 and Z6ii do a better job in the 4K video. The 4K video is 1.0X crop from the full width of the sensor.

Whereas the Z7ii is a 1.08X crop. So you will get more subjects in the frame if you shoot with the Nikon Z6.

So overall in terms of useful sensor size, resolution, and 4k crop the Nikon Z6 wins. For being 25-megapixel sensors, Nikon Z6 won’t take as much storage as the Z7ii. Taking 4K videos with the Z6 is also better compared to the Z7ii as it has a wider field of view.

Focus Point

Here is another thing worth mentioning the difference in the focus point. The Nikon Z7ii has 493 focus points and the Nikon Z6 has 273 focus points.

Theoretically having more focus points is on the better side as it can focus more precisely. But you won’t see any significant difference in focusing on the objects using the two cameras.

I cannot recommend one over another based on the focus points as in real-life experience there is no difference in focusing speed between Z7ii vs Z6.  

Continuous shooting speed

The Nikon Z6 can shoot 14FPS which is great for shooting moving objects. But Nikon Z7ii shoots at 10FPS which is on a bit of a low side in the comparison.

Nikon Z6 wins here for having faster shooting speed.

Battery Life

The Nikon Z7ii has better battery life as it can shoot 360 shots in one full battery.
whereas Nikon Z6 can shoot 340 shots in a single full battery.

It is very negligible as photographers take the spare batteries to shoot for the long run.  Although it is worth mentioning the difference in the battery life.

Nikon Z7ii 3 vs Z6, Which Camera should you get?

The Nikon Z6 is undoubtedly a superior option for the majority of photographers out there unless you truly want the additional resolution of the Z7 II.

You can upgrade your Z6 to the newer Z6ii. It has a better processor in the same body.

Check the comparison between Nikon Z7ii vs Z6ii here.

Final Words

I hope you now fully understand Nikon Z7ii vs Z6. I’ve put an attempt to describe how the two cameras vary in terms of both features and attributes.

From every aspect, I will suggest you go for the Nikon Z6 over the Nikon Z7ii. It has a very nice build quality and can compete with the upcoming cameras.

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