DxO Mark Returns

2019.03.09

DxO Mark has returned from its bankruptcy protection and kicked off 2019 with a rating of the Nikon Z6 sensor.

The Nikon Z6 is the 24 megapixels near-twin the flagship Z7 reviewed here. Like it sibling, this is a Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera based on the new Nikon Z-mount platform. It boasts a 24 MP sensor with 273-Point Phase-Detect AF built-in mounted on a 5-axis image-stabilization system. The state-of-the-art sensor has a standard ISO 100-51200 sensitivity range, expandable to 50-204800, which is more sensitive than the Z7 that has smaller pixels to achieve its 46 MP resolution.

DxO Mark rates the Z6 sensor at 95 points. This places it just below the current top-10 sensors ever ranked by DxO Mark. The scores is split into 25.3 bits of color-depth, 14.3 EVs of dynamic-range and a High-ISO score of 3299. With t hat color-depth, the Z6 places 15th overall, below a number of Medium Format Cameras as well as many Full-Frame models. For dynamic-range, it does not do much better at 15th place, just matching he older Nikon D800E and Sony RX1.

The best performance of the Z6 comes with its High-ISO score that ranks 8th among all cameras, with only a handful of higher resolution cameras surpassing it. Given its relatively affordable price-point for a Full-Frame Mirrorless, this is a rather good score. Only the similarly priced Sony A7 III manages to pull slightly ahead overall.

One expects the Z7 to pull of a much higher score, yet the Z6 manages to deliver really good performance for its price.