Nikon z6 iii worst than the Z6 and Z6ii in high iso

[Ken Miracle]

This is the first I have heard of this. Does this mean no mechanical shutter at all under any circumstances for these lenses? Or is mechanical with electronic first curtain possible? I just got my Z6iii and thoguht I was hearing the mechanical shutter with the 105MC.

--Ken

Page 625 in the Z6III Reference Guide is where it says that mechanical shutter is not available with all lenses and why I sent the inquiry in about what lenses were not. I do not have the Z MC 105 so no direct experience with that lens. I did a search in the reference guide and nothing came up for mechanical with "electronic first curtain". Page 625 lists all the shutter options and foot notes about them including electronic front-curtain shutter.

 

[Replytoken]

Page 625 in the Z6III Reference Guide is where it says that mechanical shutter is not available with all lenses and why I sent the inquiry in about what lenses were not. I do not have the Z MC 105 so no direct experience with that lens. I did a search in the reference guide and nothing came up for mechanical with "electronic first curtain". Page 625 lists all the shutter options and foot notes about them including electronic front-curtain shutter.

Thanks for the reference. I'll take a look.

--Ken

 

[JamesFarrell]

The mechanical shutter restriction seems to have a lot of folks baffled still after the first gen Z6/Z7 bodies were released several years ago. The issue is really simple to understand, but Nikon has not explained it hardly at all. Due to the way a number of Z lenses work and how they work with a Z body’s IBIS (those lenses where you cannot select mechanical in the Z camera’s menu), there is some technical issue at slow shutter speeds. Nikon released a firmware (2.0 I think) update early in the Z6/Z7‘s life that resulted in an automatic shutter type of “Auto” being added to your shooting menu shutter type choices. I think almost all Z Nikon cameras have this AUTO shutter type issue. What resulted is that at shutter speed of 1/250 and slower, the camera changes from mechanical to electronic front curtain shutter (EFCS) automatically.

Selecting “Auto“ shutter speed setting is actually mechanical shutter at 1/320 or faster. If your camera meters or you manually select 1/250 or slower when in “Auto”, your camera shifts to EFCS automatically. If you’re using a Z lens or some other lens that's NOT on the “cannot use mechanical” list. In that case, mechanical shutter restriction does not apply and one can select mechanical shutter (which will be mechanical at all shutter speeds.)

Bottom line: If you want mechanical shutter, select AUTO for those lenses on the list. The camera automatically shifts from mechanical to EFCS at 1/250 or slower. If the metered shutter speed or selected shutter speed is 1/320 or faster you will be using mechanical shutter even when your menu choice is AUTO.

 

[JamesFarrell]

You can see the change over in the various photo information tabs in Studio NX. Set you camera to Auto shoot some shots at slower speeds, some at 1/320 and some at 1/250 or slower. Look at the images (matters not if it’s a jpg or raw) in Nikon’s software and it will show the actual shutter type that the camera used even though you selected AUTO in your shooting menu.

 

[Ken Miracle]

You can see the change over in the various photo information tabs in Studio NX. Set you camera to Auto shoot some shots at slower speeds, some at 1/320 and some at 1/250 or slower. Look at the images (matters not if it’s a jpg or raw) in Nikon’s software and it will show the actual shutter type that the camera used even though you selected AUTO in your shooting menu.

Thank you.

I do open things in NX Studio but have never noticed the shutter type. I will have to deliberately try auto again and shoot slower speed than I normally do being an action photog and then back to normal. Like @Steve I have ended up just using electronic in my Z6III, I do not even remember what I used with Z6II, of course Z9 not in play here.

The only reason I have for using mechanical would be to avoid rolling shutter but so far that has not been an issue. Mechanical shutter is maxed at 1/8,000 which is about as fast as I would go. Electronic up to 1/16,000 but have not used it yet.

I did play with auto a bit but at higher shutter speeds it seemed a bit "chuggier" at my normal 20fps and I think I remember hearing the mechanical shutter sound but with my hearing and hearing aids not sure . I have not tried it in months so will try it out soon.

 

[JamesFarrell]

Thank you.

I do open things in NX Studio but have never noticed the shutter type. I will have to deliberately try auto again and shoot slower speed than I normally do being an action photog and then back to normal. Like @Steve I have ended up just using electronic in my Z6III, I do not even remember what I used with Z6II, of course Z9 not in play here.

The only reason I have for using mechanical would be to avoid rolling shutter but so far that has not been an issue. Mechanical shutter is maxed at 1/8,000 which is about as fast as I would go. Electronic up to 1/16,000 but have not used it yet.

I did play with auto a bit but at higher shutter speeds it seemed a bit "chuggier" at my normal 20fps and I think I remember hearing the mechanical shutter sound but with my hearing and hearing aids not sure . I have not tried it in months so will try it out soon.

Hey Ken: I Agree, like you I use the Z 6III electronic shutter almost exclusively too as I don’t shoot much if any fast action and I am not a birds in flight shooter. So, I mostly avoid rolling shutter issues. I avoid any mechanical shutter scenarios too as I find the shutter shock to be an issue with long lenses if the shutter speed is not real high. In my days of shooting wildlife in less than ideal light in Canada when I had two Z6’s and had a 500 PF I found the electronic front curtain shutter to be very effective to avoid shutter shock vibrations. I set my shutter menu setting to EFCS even with shutter speeds as high as 1/1000 since I was shooting from a Zodiac or another boat 95% of the time. Works really well, albeit 1/2000 is the absolute fastest shutter speed in EFCS mode. There are also some flash issues inEFCS mode, but I don’t do flash photography.

My reason for the post about the mechanical shutter confusion was simply to help folks understand the limitations with Z lens.