One of the greatest assets for the Z6 was just mentioned by turbodude and that was handling. For those that take a lot of shots either for work or pleasure, handling and workflow are most likely pretty easy to master with any body? I am sure everyone has favorites but I would bet that I could hand any camera to turbodude for a week and in half that time functions and handling would be second nature to him. However there are at least a few of us that probably go weeks or months without taking a picture and for those users menus and layouts can easily become the rate limiting factor of what you can capture. Sure, I understand those that say there is no excuse for not knowing how to use your gear and this is 100% user error. While there is no argument against that, I will say that the Z6 is designed so well that it lends itself to easy use and one can be competent with less hands on time vs some systems where you have to menu dive for way too much. It is both fun and reassuring to pick up the Z6 and not have to think about what the current settings are and how to change every basic function quickly.
Only a comment without real value but this is an enjoyable camera to carry and shoot!
I definitely agree. I enjoy picking this camera up and shooting and I've yet to actually sit down and setup my I menu properly. Just the feel of the grip, the crisp sound from the shutter, and the buttons all being in the right place. Tremendous first effort on the part of Nikon and now part of me has a feeling like it could've been even better but they held back intentionally to still preserve some of their DSLR lines. Almost like they were forced to react to the a7III and that if the a7III didn't come out when it did, they could've taken their time to give us more. It almost feels like they were at a crossroads to stop the bleeding and masses from converting over yet wanted to not overdo and give it too much to make it so appealing that sales of their DSLRs would suffer. Like they could've given it the great 3D tracking but didn't. They could've slipped in a backup SD card slot. Eye AF, I'm not sure of. Regardless of this, I'm super satisfied with my Z6 and shooting yesterday in a rather dimly lit Ninja gym with my 35/50 wide open at ISO3200+ on a lot of shots, only could count maybe 4-5 complete misses and I attribute that to user error more than anything.
Following up on the quest for Arca-compatible baseplates:
I've received the SmallRig L-bracket. Now if I only had a camera to put it on... (still no news from my dealer as to when Nikon will start shipping the Z6+FTZ-only kits here in Germany. Amazon shows New Year's eve as the designated date now... let's hope for a x-mas miracle... ) I'll share my findings nevertheless, in case you are still looking for a L-plate that will not break the bank.
Sorry, back on topic: the bracket looks sturdy and well built, fits perfectly into my Benro ballhead. The slider moves smoothly, and they had a nice idea of adding a "compartment" on the bottom where you can store the Allen key. You see that on the second picture. The first picture shows the L-bracket, the attachable support for the FTZ-adapter and the HDMI cable clamp. Of course it comes with all the screws and keys needed for attaching the add-ons.
Two minor "negative" findings (no deal-breaker, it's just things I noticed!):
(1) The bracket has no nub on the bottom that will prevent it from sliding off the ballhead, as some Arca-plates have. It has a nub on the top (see first picture) that will go into the camera's bottom though.
(2) The cable clamp has a spring on the screw that tightens the clamp (also visible in the first picture). That spring is not very solid and was not sitting well in its housing, so tightening the screw was difficult at first. I disassembled the clamp and adjusted the spring, now the screw tightens easily.
I'll let you know how it fits the camera as soon as I have it...
In the meantime, enjoy the holidays, merry x-mas!
Markus
SmallRig L-bracket with FTZ support and cable clamp
Bottom of the L-bracket: no "anti-slide" nub, but a nice compartment for the key
Marcus, I notice you also got the FTZ support. I can't figure out why I would use it. Even if I were only shooting with F-mount lenses (I'm not), it seems useless. Am I missing something?
CLick7 wrote:
Marcus, I notice you also got the FTZ support. I can't figure out why I would use it. Even if I were only shooting with F-mount lenses (I'm not), it seems useless. Am I missing something?
I thought for shooting with longer lenses, it might be nice to have some support for the FTZ to take strain off the Z-mount. My longest lens is the 70-200, and I’m not using its tripod collar, so I figured I’d get the support. Of course there will still be strain on the F-mount side of things.
I’ll write about how it works out for me when I get to try it. I don’t plan on getting any Z-mount lenses in the next 2-3 years, so attaching the support won’t bother me at first.
Bohemien wrote:
I thought for shooting with longer lenses, it might be nice to have some support for the FTZ to take strain off the Z-mount. My longest lens is the 70-200, and I’m not using its tripod collar, so I figured I’d get the support. Of course there will still be strain on the F-mount side of things.
I’ll write about how it works out for me when I get to try it. I don’t plan on getting any Z-mount lenses in the next 2-3 years, so attaching the support won’t bother me at first.
But the FTZ adapter itself has a tripod mounting screw hole. And the smallrig FTZ support isn't an arca plate. If a attach a little arca plate to the FTZ support, it prevents the L-plate from being used. Makes no sense to me.
BTW, a heads up on the HDMI clamp. You'll need to remove the little strap ring on the camera body for it to fit properly.
CLick7 wrote:
But the FTZ adapter itself has a tripod mounting screw hole. And the smallrig FTZ support isn't an arca plate. If a attach a little arca plate to the FTZ support, it prevents the L-plate from being used. Makes no sense to me.
The point here is that instead of putting a separate Arca plate on the FTZ, I'll attach the support and use the L-bracket for attaching the camera to the tripod. Horses for courses, of course it has advantages of using small Arca plates on both camera and FTZ (there was some discussion regarding this earlier on this thread, there's a small plate from Peakdesign that should fit both camera and FTZ well). But as long as the FTZ will be glued to my camera anyway, I thought the additional support was a good idea. We'll see.
CLick7 wrote:
BTW, a heads up on the HDMI clamp. You'll need to remove the little strap ring on the camera body for it to fit properly.
Bohemien wrote:
The point here is that instead of putting a separate Arca plate on the FTZ, I'll attach the support and use the L-bracket for attaching the camera to the tripod. Horses for courses, of course it has advantages of using small Arca plates on both camera and FTZ (there was some discussion regarding this earlier on this thread, there's a small plate from Peakdesign that should fit both camera and FTZ well). But as long as the FTZ will be glued to my camera anyway, I thought the additional support was a good idea. We'll see.
Thanks for pointing that out!
Markus
I get your point if you are gluing the FTZ adapter to the camera and not supporting the lens. I get a little concerned about using my big lenses without support. They cost more than the Z6 and the FTZ!
Looks good Marcus.
I’m still wating for both the plate and the Z6.
Bohemien wrote:
Following up on the quest for Arca-compatible baseplates:
I've received the SmallRig L-bracket. Now if I only had a camera to put it on... (still no news from my dealer as to when Nikon will start shipping the Z6+FTZ-only kits here in Germany. Amazon shows New Year's eve as the designated date now... let's hope for a x-mas miracle... ) I'll share my findings nevertheless, in case you are still looking for a L-plate that will not break the bank.
Sorry, back on topic: the bracket looks sturdy and well built, fits perfectly into my Benro ballhead. The slider moves smoothly, and they had a nice idea of adding a "compartment" on the bottom where you can store the Allen key. You see that on the second picture. The first picture shows the L-bracket, the attachable support for the FTZ-adapter and the HDMI cable clamp. Of course it comes with all the screws and keys needed for attaching the add-ons.
Two minor "negative" findings (no deal-breaker, it's just things I noticed!):
(1) The bracket has no nub on the bottom that will prevent it from sliding off the ballhead, as some Arca-plates have. It has a nub on the top (see first picture) that will go into the camera's bottom though.
(2) The cable clamp has a spring on the screw that tightens the clamp (also visible in the first picture). That spring is not very solid and was not sitting well in its housing, so tightening the screw was difficult at first. I disassembled the clamp and adjusted the spring, now the screw tightens easily.
I'll let you know how it fits the camera as soon as I have it...
Got my Smallrig L-Bracket today. Fit seems good. There are some gaps but they seem reasonable for the contours needed around the body. Edges feel well milled - found only one small knick/sharp point. Port and battery access are excellent. Battery and battery access is good.
Does it interfere with the ftz apdapter I went for the micro plate peak design , I bought two. One on the ftz and one on the z6 itself. I have a the acratech universal bracket. It is not the most good looking combo but it should work fine . Ill put picture of the setup when the second micro plate will come in.
rick2906 wrote:
Does it interfere with the ftz apdapter I went for the micro plate peak design , I bought two. One on the ftz and one on the z6 itself. I have a the acratech universal bracket. It is not the most good looking combo but it should work fine . Ill put picture of the setup when the second micro plate will come in.
FTZ clearance is good, including the ability to dismount the adapter while the Z+L-Bracket is mounted to a head.
Found my ideal carry options for the Z6, both from HEX Brand. Backpack allows for side access of the body with lens attached and top access for the other two lenses. Sling bags allows for one body with lens attached sideways and one lens. Works out well for when I’m going on longer shooting or the sling just for a quick grab and shoot,
Bags are for photographer what shoes are for women! We never have enought! I was looking to buy a bag that will fit my z6 and a couple of lenses. I only have 5 bags! Lol
more hockey. this time i shot with Wide Small. this works really well if you make sure to lock before following the subject.
and i can say with confidence that if you have d8 Live view off, it greatly enhances quick focus acquisition, as well as any perceived "lag" in the EVF.
z6 with nikkor 80-400 AFS
iso 3200-4000, 1/1000-1/1600, 5.6ish (the wider the lens goes the more light comes in at the same aperture)
~25% crop - only one that i shot with a higher iso, for paid work, this is perfectly acceptable, but as i said before past iso8000, i wouldnt be able to make out much detail at this level of cropping.
reason theres a big distracting bar in the left of the frame, is because we only get a tiny hole in the glass, so sometimes you have to create an angle to get the shot, but it catches the edge of that hole in the glass.
(still no news from my dealer as to when Nikon will start shipping the Z6+FTZ-only kits here in Germany. Amazon shows New Year's eve as the designated date now... let's hope for a x-mas miracle... 
) I'll share my findings nevertheless, in case you are still looking for a L-plate that will not break the bank.
I went for the micro plate peak design , I bought two. One on the ftz and one on the z6 itself. I have a the acratech universal bracket. It is not the most good looking combo but it should work fine . Ill put picture of the setup when the second micro plate will come in.
