I belong to the category of people who were afraid to make the transition from DSLR (D750) to Nikon's Mirrorless cameras. I heard things about the AF, low light performance, and how far behind Nikon is, etc. I have worked professionally with the A7 III and R6, all in hybrid photo and video scenarios.
So today, I got my hands on the Z6 II, and coincidentally, it's Easter, so the scenario is a resurrection, etc.
I spent 2 hours exploring all the menus and setting up the camera and its buttons to be as close as possible to the D750, so that I wouldn't have to search for things and, of course, to have a truly productive tool.
-The battery doesn't last as long as the D750, which can handle 2500 shots, but with the right settings and mindset (eco mode, turning it off when not using it for more than 2 hours, etc.), it can easily handle 1000-1500 shots.
UPDATE AFTER 1 MONTH OF USE: The battery lasts even longer than 2500 shots, even with focusing from the screen. I managed to take 2540 shots in a full day of photography and still had 40% battery left. Silent shooting helps with this, as it doesn't move mechanical parts, with the only drawback being the banding issue, of course.
Here are some problems that the Z6 II solved for me compared to the D750:
-Transferring full-size files via Wi-Fi to my phone (the D750 could only transfer 1MB files).
-Easily transferring files from the camera to my PC via Wi-Fi.
-Charging and transferring files via USB Type C.
-The AF is not slow; the processor is the reason:
When the camera is set to Auto Area People, it prioritizes focusing on the closest person. If it can't find a person, it focuses on the closest object. When I tried to focus on moving cars during the day, the results were blurry... UNACCEPTABLE. However, for some reason, it worked perfectly during the resurrection ceremony, in much worse lighting conditions. When it couldn't find a person to focus on, it focused on the flowers. Outside, where people were walking around, it didn't know where to focus. When there are many people, it can't always choose the right one to focus on, and that's where you lose valuable seconds. During the Resurrection, where the subject was static - priests saying "Christ has risen" - in normal light (1/125, ISO 5000, f/2.8), the camera struggled with everything. It didn't know what to do. I tried to focus on candles, but they all came out blurry. This issue is probably related to the way cameras in general focus. The candles are burned highlights, and they don't easily provide information, so the camera is "lazy" and doesn't focus unless you tell it to, either by changing the focus setting to dynamic area, tapping on the screen, or using manual focus override. I don't know if it's a Nikon issue or an issue with F mount Nikon lenses or a combination of both, but it's definitely a problem that the Z6 hasn't solved yet (hopefully it will).
It works fine in 90% of cases, but when the competition is at 95-98%, there is an issue. I borrowed my friend's A7 III on a professional trip without knowing what AF settings it had, and it nailed everything. NO BLURRY PHOTOS.
UPDATE AFTER 1 MONTH OF USE: AF area without people priority works in 95% of cases, even at f/2.8. It detects the subject much faster, and usually, one focus point goes directly to the face. It's still slower than the competition, but much faster than people priority, which I now mainly use for portraits of a single person.
-However, my Nikon friend, you may be ashamed that it doesn't have the AF of others, but I can confidently say that you have the best Color Science. Vibrant colors straight out of the camera and incredible skin tones that you can even adjust on camera to create 3 exclusive profiles for portraits, regardless of the picture control. You may lose in terms of frame advantage, but you save time in post-production since the JPG is out of this world in terms of colors and ease of editing. Often with the D750, I had to do color calibration, which was not necessary here.
-Viewfinder and Screen: I'm not sure if the viewfinder is the most reliable in terms of colors, as they appear quite cool. Generally, it takes some training to understand when something is correct and when it's not. Certainly, the screen is accurate, and what I see there is what I see on my PC. Let's face it, the viewfinder in mirrorless cameras is important, but it no longer plays such a primary role. However, the screen does not tilt 180 degrees downwards, which practically cancels out the advantage of not having a mirror.
Where it definitely falls short is in low-light shots with minimal to zero light, where the D750 and DSLRs in general are aided by the red focus assist of the flash, which of course does not light up in any mirrorless camera from any brand. Godox has provided the solution with the 860, which has an LED flashlight on top of the flash. I hope Nikon comes up with something similar, as it has yet to release a flash like the SB5000.
In general, don't fall victim to reviewers. It's a fine machine. Not the best, not yet a 100% DSLR killer for all the reasons I mentioned above, but it takes great photos and videos. Just be a little patient, and the Japanese will work their magic, just as they did with the D850, the Z9, and many others.
UPDATE 7 MONTHS OF USE:
No problems in the dark with flash. In an event with strobes, lasers, and smoke, I managed to have a frame advantage with flash and the 24-70 2.8.
Video: Now, playing ball in the video department, with a 64GB card, you can record 23 minutes of 4K 50fps. Its video capabilities are INSANE. Proper IBIS, color science that even cine cameras would envy. I don't know what they've done, but even with an average lens, you have something visually stunning without color grading. We're talking about a 129,000-bit rate in 4K 25fps and 300,000 in 4K 50fps.
It's so good that I bought a second one.
It has never disappointed me.
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