APERTURE NOTES

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Nikon Z6 II: still worth it in 2026?

Nikon's 2020 all-round full-frame body, replaced by the Z6III. Launched at $1,999.95 body-only. Still worth it in 2026: yes, for full-frame Nikon Z with dual card slots.

October 14, 2026 · Camera · Classic

Related on site: Want the newer sensor, faster bursts and 6K RAW? See our Nikon Z6III guide and the Z6 II vs Z6III comparison. Cross-shopping Sony? See our Sony a7 III and a7 IV guides. Coming from the original? See our Nikon Z6 review and the Z6 vs Z6 II comparison.

A black Nikon Z6 II with a NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S zoom lens on a dark background
Nikon Z6 II, shown with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S (not included with the body).
Photo: Henry Söderlund via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

HIGHLIGHTS

Nikon announced the Z6 II on October 14, 2020 as a focused refresh of the original Z6. It kept the 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor and added a second EXPEED 6 processor, which brought bursts up to about 14 fps with a buffer of up to about 124 shots, plus Eye and Animal Detection AF for both stills and video. It also added the second card slot many Z6 owners had asked for: one CFexpress/XQD slot and one UHS-II SD slot.

It's a capable hybrid body. It records 4K UHD and Full HD at up to 120p, with N-Log and HLG output, and has five-axis sensor-shift VR, a 3.69M-dot viewfinder and a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen. Its 273-point AF works down to -6 EV in low-light AF mode. Nikon rates the EN-EL15c for about 400 viewfinder shots (CIPA). Those specs are a generation behind the Z6III, but they cover most stills, event and travel work.

Our gallery comes from six photographers: a banded mongoose at Duisburg Zoo, a siskin among blossoms, an Embraer airliner on approach, Guatemala's Volcán Pacaya, a Czech lookout tower and an elder bush in woodland. Still worth it in 2026? Yes, if you want full-frame Nikon Z with dual card slots. If you shoot fast action or video, look at the Z6III.

The story

Nikon announced the Z6 II on October 14, 2020 at an SRP of $1,999.95 body-only, or $2,599.95 with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, for availability in November 2020 (Nikon Inc.).

Nikon replaced it with the Z6III in June 2024.

Specifications

Key specs for the Nikon Z6 II, from Nikon's Z6 II product page and online manual specifications and Nikon Inc.'s October 14, 2020 release. Source for each row in brackets.

Sensor24.5MP full-frame CMOS (35.9 × 23.9 mm) [Nikon]
ProcessorDual EXPEED 6 [Nikon]
ISO100–51200; expandable to 50–204800 equivalent [Nikon]
AutofocusHybrid phase/contrast AF, 273 points; Eye and Animal Detection AF in stills and video; -4.5 to +19 EV (-6 EV with low-light AF) [Nikon]
Stabilization5-axis sensor-shift VR [Nikon]
BurstsUp to about 14 fps (Continuous H extended); buffer up to about 124 shots [Nikon]
Video4K UHD; Full HD up to 120p; N-Log and HLG output [Nikon]
Viewfinder0.5-inch OLED, about 3.69 million dots, 0.8x [Nikon]
Screen3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, about 2.1 million dots [Nikon]
Card slotsOne CFexpress Type B / XQD, one SD (UHS-II) [Nikon]
BatteryEN-EL15c; about 400 shots (viewfinder) / 450 (monitor), CIPA, energy saving on [Nikon]
Size / weight134 × 100.5 × 69.5 mm; about 705 g with battery and card (615 g body only) [Nikon]
Announced / priceOct 14, 2020; $1,999.95 SRP body-only [Nikon Inc.]

Sample photos

Six photos taken with the Nikon Z6 II by six photographers, shared on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses or in the public domain. Each caption names the lens where the file records it. Select a photo to enlarge it.

A banded mongoose with striped grey-brown fur resting on a rock, looking to the side
200mm, f/4.5, ISO 100, 1/640 s: a banded mongoose at Duisburg Zoo (NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S).
Photo: Tuxyso via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
A yellow and green male siskin perched on a branch among white apple blossoms
500mm, f/8, ISO 3200, 1/640 s: a male siskin among blossoms (AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR).
Photo: cazalegg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
A white Austrian Airlines Embraer jet with a red tail flying against a clear blue sky
135mm, f/5, ISO 200, 1/5000 s: Embraer airliner OE-LWJ on approach (NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8).
Photo: Cezary Piwowarski via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
The cone of Volcán Pacaya under white clouds, rising behind green hills and trees
135mm, f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/400 s: Volcán Pacaya from Villa Nueva, Guatemala (NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR).
Photo: amslerPIX via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
Looking up at the white curved arms of a modern lookout tower against a deep blue sky
24mm, f/13, ISO 200, 1/250 s: the Fajtův kopec lookout tower, Velké Meziříčí (NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S).
Photo: Roman Mifek via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
A leafy elder bush growing among tall straight pine trunks in a sunlit wood
An elder (Sambucus nigra) in a pine plantation, Osina, Poland (lens not recorded in the file).
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Nikon: Launched at $1,999.95 in 2020 (SRP, body only). Replaced by the Z6III (Jun 2024).

Verdict

Still worth it in 2026? Yes, for stills, event and travel shooters who want full-frame Nikon Z, dual card slots and eye-detection AF.

Choose the Z6III instead if you shoot fast action or video: it adds 20 fps electronic bursts, AF to -10 EV, 8-stop VR and internal 6K RAW.

Pros

  • 24.5MP full-frame sensor
  • About 14 fps with a buffer of up to about 124 shots
  • CFexpress/XQD + UHS-II SD slots
  • Eye and Animal Detection AF in stills and video

Cons

  • Tilting screen, not fully articulating
  • 3.69M-dot EVF, behind the Z6III
  • About 400 shots per charge (viewfinder, CIPA)
  • Replaced by the Z6III
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Sources