Nikon Z6 Ergonomic score 21 January 2020

There is always the potential for mistakes  when a camera maker makes the transition from the familiar realm of DSLRs to the less well understood world of mirrorless interchangeable lens models (MILC).

Panasonic and Olympus made plenty of ergonomic mistakes with their first MILC cameras but that was 12 years ago. Successive model generations since then have shown improved image quality, performance and ergonomics to the point their recent models are in most respects exemplars of how to do it right.

Nikon’s first MILC attempt was the ill fated “1 Series” which has fortunately been abandoned.

Sony’s earliest APS-C and full frame MILCs presented the user with many user interface and ergonomic frustrations. Current models are more user friendly but there remains plenty of room for further improvement.

Canon’s dual entries into the MILC world in the form of the EOS-M series and more recent EOS-R series have been plagued by  puzzling design and product development decisions.

By comparison Nikon’s initial  Z series models (Z6, Z7 and Z50) have gotten most things right and not much wrong.

There is still opportunity for improvement but that is mainly in the details. I think they got the basic formula pretty much right.

So on to this evaluation and ergonomic score of the Nikon Z6. This follows my usual format which you can read about here.

I managed most setup tasks without reading the reference manual and having little familiarity with Nikon ILCs.

Menus are laid out clearly with a good graphical user interface.

Most menu items are readily understood.

There is a My Menu with user selectable content. Stills and video function can be configured separately. There is a separate video menu.

Nikon uses a similar layout to Panasonic with submenus down the left side of the screen. This works well enough but you have to scroll up/down item by item. 

I find the Sony/Canon layout more effective with submenus along the top of the screen. This allows the user to scroll a whole screen at a time for faster item location.

This is well managed. The camera can readily be configured for changing conditions. There are U1, U2 and U3 memory positions on the Mode Dial and plenty of programmable function buttons including the (i) button with user selectable content.

There is a separate stills/video switch.

Some reviewers have complained that they would like the camera to have more control access points with user allocated function but I found the camera to have enough controls for all my needs.

In fact I find some cameras like the Lumix G9 and Sony RX10.4 have so many control access points 

I find the cameras easier to use with many of these disabled.

The handle has decent depth and fatness but is too short  for adult male hands, leaving the little finger with nothing to grip. This problem is exacerbated by the location of the front command dial which takes up vertical height on the handle.

I have posted separately about this issue and my suggested solution to the problem in the form of the Meike MK-Z7G accessory grip.

The thumb support is adequate but could be deeper to advantage and moved 3mm to the left along with the thumb stick  to allow the thumb to angle across the back of the camera a bit more for a more secure grip.

Holding the Z6/7 represents a backwards step from holding a comparable Nikon DSLR. 

Users really hate it when a new model presents them with some aspect of camera operation which has gone backwards from the previous model.

Nikon could and should easily fix this in the next iteration by raising the top plate and re-working the layout of the shutter button and front dial.

The Z6 has one of the nicest looking EVFs I have seen on any camera. It is very large and clear and presents the user with a very natural looking view of the world. Camera data is clearly displayed in white on black beneath and above the preview image.

The AF area is red, changing to green when focus is achieved.

The EVF optics and eyecup provide a pleasant and relaxed viewing experience. I would prefer a fatter eyecup but others might not.

The monitor screen is large and clear with a natural looking view of the subject. The actual panel is very nice.

Unfortunately there are two issues with the monitor screen that I rate as problems although some users might not be concerned.

The first is that camera data are superimposed over the lower part of the screen. I presume this has been done to maximise the size of the preview image on the screen. Unfortunately the data and the image interfere with each other making each more difficult to see easily than would be the case if the data were presented as it is in the EVF.

The second is that the screen can flip up/down when the camera is held in landscape orientation. But in portrait orientation in it not possible to flip the screen down for low or high level viewing.

It is also not possible to turn the screen forward for vlogging.

So we have excellent technology but somewhat compromised implementation.

This is basically well implemented.

All primary and secondary exposure, framing and focus parameters can be adjusted with the eye to the viewfinder without having to change grip with either hand.  All this is possible without but easier with the accessory grip extender in place.

The thumb stick is an 8 way type and is well placed. When I first looked at the camera I thought I would inadvertently bump the thumb stick as it is quite close to the thumb support but am happy to say that has never happened.

All the controls (except the front command dial) for Capture Phase operation are well placed with good haptics.

The Z6 loses points for some relatively minor issues which could easily be rectified at the next iteration.

The size of the active AF area cannot be adjusted directly but is considered an AF Area Mode accessed via a menu. This menu item can be allocated to a function button which improves things somewhat.

Panasonic and Sony have a system which makes the AF frame active or inactive and when active both position and size are readily changed directly. Nikon and Canon should consider changing to this system.

Face/eye focus implementation on the Z6 is a bit odd. It only works if the AF system is in Auto Area Mode. There have been numerous complaints by reviewers and on user forums about this. Nikon needs to re-consider this aspect of operation.

There are no zebras with still photos.

The Auto-ISO-Min-SS system is good and works like the Sony one which is just fine. But changing the auto setting requires entering a menu. This item can be allocated to a function button but even then 11 button presses are required to make a change. Nikon might like to check out how Sony does this with fewer button presses. It’s not hard.

The Z6 does everything I expect an expert/enthusiast camera to do in playback. Image review can be magnified at the focus point in one step by pressing the OK button. Scrolling around and between images in playback is easily managed.

I just mention the redundant +/- buttons on the back of the camera. These are a Nikon feature which is not required and is not present on any other camera which I have owned. In playback all my other cameras enable image zooming and navigation with the control dials. Nikon could easily delete the +/- buttons with no detriment to any functions.

The Z6 joins a cohort of  five cameras each of which ended up with a  total score of 77. 

Each of these cameras has different ergonomic strengths and weaknesses, each is a pleasure to use and each could readily be improved.

I think Nikon has done well to produce an equal top scoring model on its first iteration of the Z series.

By way of comparison the Nikon1 V2 scored second lowest with 46/100.  Only the truly execrable 

Sony A3500 scored less at 39.

So the designers at Nikon are learning and are lifting their ergonomic game.

But they have still more work to do, in particular on that short handle and the relationship between the shutter button and front control dial.