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Customer Review
Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2022
First, I must mention this comment could be updated with time but I'm so impressed by some features that I came here to comment about the general external quality.
Apart the fact that the principal shipping box came with kind of dried sticking paper and an opening on the top right ... that there were no foams inside ( the nikon box could move inside ) , when I opened the product , it looked and felt completely brand new. The feeling when assembling the lens on the camera could be compared to a NASA OPERATION in space , clipping two stations together. It felt like there isn't any gap when it clips and it feel very solid.
None of the cam parts feels cheap , none . At this price ,this is what I would expect in a perfect world. I'm not using the small EVF too frequently but ok , it's not the best resolution I seen. It's ok in my point of view. Not bad , just ok. The rest seems to be awesome and the principal screen of the cam seems well lit .
Even the charger isn't like what you'd see with a Panasonic G7 , a creepy very cheap plastic that makes noises of resistance when we press on it. Buttons on the camera seems to be placed very strategically so you can do almost all operations with a short move. That's quite impressive.
I'm not a Nikon specialist but it seems this camera has been made in Thaïland since Nikon moved it's manifactures here. I've toutched other Nikon cams and had an old one , a very basic one. What I can say is that the possible drop of quality suspected by some ... I don't feel this at all. In fact , it's the most sophisticated CAM for both filming and photographing I saw at this date.
I didn't yet inspected the options and the photos quality , RAW etc. It is in my steps to come and could affect my rating here but the first impressions are very nice. The focus auto-tracking , even before updating my cam ( there are major tracking and focus updates I didn't install ), seems pretty impressive. Better yet than on my DJI Pocket 2 cam.
If the images and videos out of that are as I expect them .... I'll sureli highly recommend this camera. If you complain about the high price of Nikon , just go in a photography store and ask to compare the body and lenses of Sony Alpha comparable models . You'll immediately feel that Nikon is better on the concept. The buttons , where they are placed , the feeling that sensor's spot is perfectly isolated like a Spatial Station module.
When it comes to the specs , it had all I need and some would ask me why I didn't choose a Z7ii or z8ii etc ? Because I didn't need them necessarely. I needed 4k60fps possibility , full frame , solid and 10 bits N-LOG possibility with external recorder options ( Atomos Ninja V in my case ). Amazon was selling this model , not an used one , with the monthly payments options , which was very nice according to my situation. Didn't have enough money to buy a high-end camera but monthly , I could afford it pretty well. This was a good occasion to have this beautifull thing.
I was surprised to see an Amazon electronic product come as " NEW " as that. Not a single scratch I saw and I've checked it with a headlight made to check lenses etc. The sensor seems to have a new concept here and looks super different than my Panasonic G7 looked. It looks like lines of sensors clipped together in a way , not a damaged sensor. It's totally unscratched so at first view , it's not true Amazon only uses monthly payments offers to sell it's crap. Z6ii is not at all a crap , it's still in end 2022 an impressive leader. It's just that other models came out and maybe , a lot of Nikon users are buying always the very last cameras so when other models come out , Amazon puts other models in special offers and I'm pleased to use this. It allows semi-profesionnals like me te beneficiate from real models of a higher range without feeling like we buy a car in cash , all the money on the table at once.
The price could have been a bit lower if I compare with competition in Canada but not that much. Around 50$ difference sometimes, it's not that much and as I had it with monthly payments 0% , I'm very very happy for the moment.
Sometimes , with electronics , we may have bad surprises on the WEB . It happened to me twice on 10 transactions so I hoped this one would be without disagreement.
Today , I'll install updates and check if images or videos are nice , if it really works like it's supposed. I won't be able to test 10 bits before I configure my Ninja V recorder but if everything is like it should , I'd give 6 stars on 5 for the product. At least , on the principal screen of the cam , I don't see dead pixels or other things I've read in rare reviews. It's strange Amazon has only 4 stars on this product as ... if you look at serious photographer websites , this cam is placed between 4.5 stars to 5 stars . Anyway , other cams models could lead to some defect units with some dead pixels , it's not a sign necessarely that Thaïland made cheaper cams. Some are making weird associations. Any TV brand too , if you look at reviews , there will be reviews that say this TV had dead pixel en reception. It could happen during transport , storage managing etc. .... the line to test the TV's maybe had a bug this day and manifacture passed in by error . That happens when you build thousands of units.
Just go see the general reviews about this cam. Even the one dating from 2022 are still talking about an awesome camera.
" You have to plug an external recorder to record 10 bits Log "
You may find it's a down about the camera , a hidden fee but it's not . Pros want to control all about their recording , including the codec used , they wat to be able te record in RAW anyway in a lot of situations and it can't be done actually without handling recording from an external tool. It's sad for people that wanted a basic camera just to have fun in familly but it's nice for advanced users. If you need a basic camera , go get a coolpix with a super mega long zoom and a sensor that looks like the new cellphones one. With Nikon , you get what you pay for so if you're a debutant , go for a coolpix and take time to master the basics of photo, don't buy a high-end camera with 400 options you won't understand at all what they do.
My only down could be the poor exterior packaging but sometimes , packages are handled by more than one company and they sometimes have checkups for dru** etc ... maybe the isolating materials have been removed by a third party before airport operations or so. I won't bother as the product , for the moment , seems to be A1 , brand new . The review is more about the product than the transport anyway .
UPDATE - 01-01-2022
I've finally tested this camera which continues to impress me on some points.
1- The movie auto-focus is simply AWESOME. It's made to be able to film professionnal work for TV. No more garbage Panasonic G7 autofocus , this is like a Cadillac in comparison.
2- I highly appreciate the gimbal to protect cables and plugs on the camera while using Atomos Ninja V with it. It's so nicely made. I'll never doubt again about Nikon pro models.
3- The image quality with Nikkor lens is very impressive if you understand how to manage zone of focus and metering mode etc. If not , even in automatic mode , it's very intelligent to set the image so it will look good at the end , maybe with a little help in post-production .
4- NO MORE big light artifacts that sometimes look good but most of the time ... give non-professionnal images. This lens , for a mid-range price lens ... is impressive . I can shoot 10 lights in different places on the image and still I don't have these lens flares ... blurring some stuff in the photo. My Sony A6000 was very nice in daylight conditions but the pancake lens was pretty horrible on light flares and artifacts. THIS is one of my best point to love this camera and it's Z lenses. It's clear we're in another world . If Amazon would offer me more lens in monthly payments, I'd get another next month because even if they're pretty expansive. ... you definitely have what you paid for. The internal IBISS that stabilize the sensor is definitely a big addon for taking stills and for filming. I think the lens 24-70 4S is not stabilised with internal computer but ... I still can film something very watchable if I walk and move gently.
5 - Menu options are pertinent ... so pertinent. We have what pros want , all that pros want at my point of view. We have slots in the upper ring for our customized profiles which is very nice , we have buttons near the lens for quick options. Everything is placed so I can act quickly on the camera and also in the firmware.
This sensor will give more realistic images than the Z7ii according to what I've read because Z7ii ises pixel binning and Z6ii not. Z7ii offers more advantages I think with the 4k60p in terms of cropping area .. and for some other things but too much megapixels for a precise sensor may cause irregularities when videos are watched zoomed ... like it's less realistic a bit in my point of view. I prefer also my choice of bigger pixels for better lightning performance because after all , some of the better shots are achieved in low light conditions with artificial lights around and light stars .
TO BE NOTED :
I seen a review of someone complaining that the cam was made in Thaïland and that he received the cam with " dead pixels " or something like that. I had the cam , I've noted there was kind of stucked pixels showing max exposure too but it's pretty normal for any cam model that some have this when they're out of the factory. I had 3 pixels on many thousands stucked like this only in video . For new cameras, the solution is generally very simple. There is a " Pixel remapping " or " pixel mapping " option in the configuration settings of the camera. You just have to tap on this while the battery is not near empty. After the pixel remap , restart the camera and take a video . Stucked pixels on the brand new camera have now popped correctly and the videos are cristal clear after. I never had to do it again yet so it seems it's very useful to READ the manual. Some guy returned a damned good camera because he just didn't read the instructions. It's told inside that you can use this Pixel Mapping to correct this problem. Stucked pixels on brand new cameras are not " dead pixels " .
Apart the fact that the principal shipping box came with kind of dried sticking paper and an opening on the top right ... that there were no foams inside ( the nikon box could move inside ) , when I opened the product , it looked and felt completely brand new. The feeling when assembling the lens on the camera could be compared to a NASA OPERATION in space , clipping two stations together. It felt like there isn't any gap when it clips and it feel very solid.
None of the cam parts feels cheap , none . At this price ,this is what I would expect in a perfect world. I'm not using the small EVF too frequently but ok , it's not the best resolution I seen. It's ok in my point of view. Not bad , just ok. The rest seems to be awesome and the principal screen of the cam seems well lit .
Even the charger isn't like what you'd see with a Panasonic G7 , a creepy very cheap plastic that makes noises of resistance when we press on it. Buttons on the camera seems to be placed very strategically so you can do almost all operations with a short move. That's quite impressive.
I'm not a Nikon specialist but it seems this camera has been made in Thaïland since Nikon moved it's manifactures here. I've toutched other Nikon cams and had an old one , a very basic one. What I can say is that the possible drop of quality suspected by some ... I don't feel this at all. In fact , it's the most sophisticated CAM for both filming and photographing I saw at this date.
I didn't yet inspected the options and the photos quality , RAW etc. It is in my steps to come and could affect my rating here but the first impressions are very nice. The focus auto-tracking , even before updating my cam ( there are major tracking and focus updates I didn't install ), seems pretty impressive. Better yet than on my DJI Pocket 2 cam.
If the images and videos out of that are as I expect them .... I'll sureli highly recommend this camera. If you complain about the high price of Nikon , just go in a photography store and ask to compare the body and lenses of Sony Alpha comparable models . You'll immediately feel that Nikon is better on the concept. The buttons , where they are placed , the feeling that sensor's spot is perfectly isolated like a Spatial Station module.
When it comes to the specs , it had all I need and some would ask me why I didn't choose a Z7ii or z8ii etc ? Because I didn't need them necessarely. I needed 4k60fps possibility , full frame , solid and 10 bits N-LOG possibility with external recorder options ( Atomos Ninja V in my case ). Amazon was selling this model , not an used one , with the monthly payments options , which was very nice according to my situation. Didn't have enough money to buy a high-end camera but monthly , I could afford it pretty well. This was a good occasion to have this beautifull thing.
I was surprised to see an Amazon electronic product come as " NEW " as that. Not a single scratch I saw and I've checked it with a headlight made to check lenses etc. The sensor seems to have a new concept here and looks super different than my Panasonic G7 looked. It looks like lines of sensors clipped together in a way , not a damaged sensor. It's totally unscratched so at first view , it's not true Amazon only uses monthly payments offers to sell it's crap. Z6ii is not at all a crap , it's still in end 2022 an impressive leader. It's just that other models came out and maybe , a lot of Nikon users are buying always the very last cameras so when other models come out , Amazon puts other models in special offers and I'm pleased to use this. It allows semi-profesionnals like me te beneficiate from real models of a higher range without feeling like we buy a car in cash , all the money on the table at once.
The price could have been a bit lower if I compare with competition in Canada but not that much. Around 50$ difference sometimes, it's not that much and as I had it with monthly payments 0% , I'm very very happy for the moment.
Sometimes , with electronics , we may have bad surprises on the WEB . It happened to me twice on 10 transactions so I hoped this one would be without disagreement.
Today , I'll install updates and check if images or videos are nice , if it really works like it's supposed. I won't be able to test 10 bits before I configure my Ninja V recorder but if everything is like it should , I'd give 6 stars on 5 for the product. At least , on the principal screen of the cam , I don't see dead pixels or other things I've read in rare reviews. It's strange Amazon has only 4 stars on this product as ... if you look at serious photographer websites , this cam is placed between 4.5 stars to 5 stars . Anyway , other cams models could lead to some defect units with some dead pixels , it's not a sign necessarely that Thaïland made cheaper cams. Some are making weird associations. Any TV brand too , if you look at reviews , there will be reviews that say this TV had dead pixel en reception. It could happen during transport , storage managing etc. .... the line to test the TV's maybe had a bug this day and manifacture passed in by error . That happens when you build thousands of units.
Just go see the general reviews about this cam. Even the one dating from 2022 are still talking about an awesome camera.
" You have to plug an external recorder to record 10 bits Log "
You may find it's a down about the camera , a hidden fee but it's not . Pros want to control all about their recording , including the codec used , they wat to be able te record in RAW anyway in a lot of situations and it can't be done actually without handling recording from an external tool. It's sad for people that wanted a basic camera just to have fun in familly but it's nice for advanced users. If you need a basic camera , go get a coolpix with a super mega long zoom and a sensor that looks like the new cellphones one. With Nikon , you get what you pay for so if you're a debutant , go for a coolpix and take time to master the basics of photo, don't buy a high-end camera with 400 options you won't understand at all what they do.
My only down could be the poor exterior packaging but sometimes , packages are handled by more than one company and they sometimes have checkups for dru** etc ... maybe the isolating materials have been removed by a third party before airport operations or so. I won't bother as the product , for the moment , seems to be A1 , brand new . The review is more about the product than the transport anyway .
UPDATE - 01-01-2022
I've finally tested this camera which continues to impress me on some points.
1- The movie auto-focus is simply AWESOME. It's made to be able to film professionnal work for TV. No more garbage Panasonic G7 autofocus , this is like a Cadillac in comparison.
2- I highly appreciate the gimbal to protect cables and plugs on the camera while using Atomos Ninja V with it. It's so nicely made. I'll never doubt again about Nikon pro models.
3- The image quality with Nikkor lens is very impressive if you understand how to manage zone of focus and metering mode etc. If not , even in automatic mode , it's very intelligent to set the image so it will look good at the end , maybe with a little help in post-production .
4- NO MORE big light artifacts that sometimes look good but most of the time ... give non-professionnal images. This lens , for a mid-range price lens ... is impressive . I can shoot 10 lights in different places on the image and still I don't have these lens flares ... blurring some stuff in the photo. My Sony A6000 was very nice in daylight conditions but the pancake lens was pretty horrible on light flares and artifacts. THIS is one of my best point to love this camera and it's Z lenses. It's clear we're in another world . If Amazon would offer me more lens in monthly payments, I'd get another next month because even if they're pretty expansive. ... you definitely have what you paid for. The internal IBISS that stabilize the sensor is definitely a big addon for taking stills and for filming. I think the lens 24-70 4S is not stabilised with internal computer but ... I still can film something very watchable if I walk and move gently.
5 - Menu options are pertinent ... so pertinent. We have what pros want , all that pros want at my point of view. We have slots in the upper ring for our customized profiles which is very nice , we have buttons near the lens for quick options. Everything is placed so I can act quickly on the camera and also in the firmware.
This sensor will give more realistic images than the Z7ii according to what I've read because Z7ii ises pixel binning and Z6ii not. Z7ii offers more advantages I think with the 4k60p in terms of cropping area .. and for some other things but too much megapixels for a precise sensor may cause irregularities when videos are watched zoomed ... like it's less realistic a bit in my point of view. I prefer also my choice of bigger pixels for better lightning performance because after all , some of the better shots are achieved in low light conditions with artificial lights around and light stars .
TO BE NOTED :
I seen a review of someone complaining that the cam was made in Thaïland and that he received the cam with " dead pixels " or something like that. I had the cam , I've noted there was kind of stucked pixels showing max exposure too but it's pretty normal for any cam model that some have this when they're out of the factory. I had 3 pixels on many thousands stucked like this only in video . For new cameras, the solution is generally very simple. There is a " Pixel remapping " or " pixel mapping " option in the configuration settings of the camera. You just have to tap on this while the battery is not near empty. After the pixel remap , restart the camera and take a video . Stucked pixels on the brand new camera have now popped correctly and the videos are cristal clear after. I never had to do it again yet so it seems it's very useful to READ the manual. Some guy returned a damned good camera because he just didn't read the instructions. It's told inside that you can use this Pixel Mapping to correct this problem. Stucked pixels on brand new cameras are not " dead pixels " .
