In the Field: Nikon Z6 II for Landscape Photography

Released in 2020, the 24.5-megapixel full-frame Nikon Z6 II features a five-axis image stabilisation system, 14 fps burst shooting and dual SD and XQD slots. Full-frame cameras are a great choice for landscapes, and the lightweight nature of mirrorless cameras means they’re easy to carry around on countryside excursions. Combined with the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, also released in 2020, the focal range is ideal for those who prefer to keep a single lens on their camera—especially favourable when shooting in adverse weather conditions. 

To put this setup through its paces, landscape photographer Scott Jessiman ventured out to the Scottish coast and countryside. Over to you, Scott. 

MPB recently gave me the opportunity to test the Nikon Z6 II and the super-flexible Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. I’ve always wanted to take a Nikon mirrorless camera out in the field—I’ve previously used the Nikon D750—so I was keen to try out the mirrorless Nikon Z6 II.

The build quality of the Nikon Z6 II is excellent. The camera feels a little smaller in the hand than the Nikon D750, but I feel it makes the mirrorless more travel-friendly. 

The Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, for a lens with such a vast focal length, is also extremely compact—making this setup perfect for travel photography. The Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens is less expensive and significantly lighter than the flagship Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. 

The Nikon Z6 II is, of course, the sibling of the Nikon Z7 II, which is aimed more at the professional market—but the Nikon Z6 II still bolsters a 24-megapixel sensor and is jam-packed with features and functions that make it a very desirable camera to own.

My first outing was to the beautiful Japanese gardens near Dollar in Clackmannanshire, UK. I did perhaps miss the best of the autumn colours, but there were still some beautiful golden trees in the gardens. I thought it was perfect as my first location, giving me the time and space to familiarise myself with the functions and useability of the Nikon Z6 II.

The stillness in the gardens meant I did not need too fast a shutter. As such, I was able to capture some nice lone leaves hanging onto their trees and bushes. As I walked further around the garden, I also encountered a friendly robin. I used the camera on animal focus and upped the shutter to try and catch the robin more sharply. 

However, as I reviewed the images later, I was a little disappointed that I’d clearly missed the focus. The Nikon—or I—had caught the top of the robin’s head, instead of its eye. Although, as you can see, it’s still a usable image so I wasn’t completely disappointed. But this was a good first trip to see what the Nikon Z6 II was capable of doing.

On my second outing, I returned to the coast, where I feel most at home with a camera. With a new moon, the tides were higher—but there were high winds too. So a coastal trip seemed like a good place to test out the Nikon Z6 II.

I used a tripod, as I had planned to get some long exposures to ‘calm the storm’. I also hoped to capture some images with shutter speeds of at least 1/3 to about 1 second to produce some movement in the sea.

I headed to St Monans, which is famous for its Zig-Zag Pier. I planned to shoot the sea back from the coastal wall, as it was not safe to photograph on the wall itself on that day. I initially tried some longer exposures, but the wind was proving to be a challenge. Even with the tripod, the images were not particularly sharp. This was the result of motion blur caused by gusts of wind hitting my tripod and camera. 

So, I had to find some shelter to get sharper images. I also used a shorter shutter speed to produce some water movements. I did end up switching to manual focus, as the autofocus was struggling to focus on the pier in the distance.

Another good feature of the Nikon Z6 II is the ability to use the focus peaking, which highlights the areas that are in focus. You can also zoom further into the scene to make sure it is in focus. I just loved the images from that day. The waves were impressive and the light was forever changing, which made for some very dramatic images.

Elie provides us photographers with some of the best seascape photography opportunities along the east coast of Fife, even the east coast of Scotland. As I’m local to this area, it has been one of my personal favourites for several years. I know when it is best to go and the best shooting conditions. This trip was to test out even more of the capabilities of the Nikon Z6 II. The light was very bright, so I would use filters to balance the exposures. And the golden light provided a wonderful opportunity to see whether those famous Nikon colours have transferred nicely to the Z6 II.

I initially started at the Lady’s Tower, a historic monument on the eastern headland of Ruby Bay. The tower was built in 1770 for Lady Janet Anstruther to change clothes for swimming. I wanted to catch a long exposure with the incoming tide and the golden light lighting up the tower. It’s safe to say that the rich vibrant colours are still a significant hallmark of Nikon cameras. While the sky was quite uneventful that day, it was still a good test to see how the colours fared on the Nikon Z6 II. 

Further up the beach, I spotted some small rip-curl waves. So, I used the higher shutter to try and catch the waves in motion. I found a good vantage point above and to the side, and I zoomed in and took several images at a time. I thus had the camera in constant autofocus mode and had the burst rate on higher.

I shot around 40 images here, but only got a few I really liked. But that’s common for photographers! I did find the focus still missed some shots that my previous Sony camera wouldn’t have missed. The Nikon Z6 II is a step up from the original Z6. But I feel for situations that require faster autofocus, the Nikon Z6 II still might struggle. Although, saying that, I still got many usable shots—perhaps just not as many as other systems I have used. Of course, it could have been down to human fallibility. 

Another trip back to the coast as the sun was setting in Pittenweem, Fife. There is a selection of houses that are separated by a small walkway, a small wall and then the sea. This can provide a beautiful scene, especially on a stormy day when the waves will splash over the wall. The good thing about this location is that if you shoot from the side, you’re sheltered from the elements.

With my tripod set up, I used my adapter on the lens so I could attach my Kase Circular Magnetic filters—it was still too light to get longer exposures.  I could’ve reduced the light getting to the sensor by moving my ISO down to 50 and putting the aperture up to f/32, but the quality wouldn’t have been as good as f/9 to f/11.

With that all in mind, I was varying my shutter from 1/3 to several seconds to produce movement and to ‘calm’ the waters. I was able to catch some waves crashing against the sea wall and light hitting the houses.

This area is ridiculously photogenic. With the right conditions and equipment, you can really get some superior results. My Nikon Z6 II and 24-200mm were a good combination for this one. But be careful with the focal length you use—the bigger the reach, the more sharpness the images will lose. 

Fog might be classed as ‘Marmite’ for photographers—everyone either loves it or hates it. I love it. Some of my favourite photography trips have been in the fog—from seascapes, landscapes, lone trees and full woodland scenes. When you have fog and light together, when the sun starts to pierce through the woodland, some of the images you can capture can be dramatic. And this brings me to my favourite morning out with the Nikon Z6 II.

Having a small woodland on my doorstep and waking up to thick fog motivated me to get up and out the door to capture some images. I went from taking single shots to taking several in the hope of focus-stacking them. I wanted the whole scene to be sharp, although using an aperture of around f/2.8 to f/5.6 can be good for isolating a lone tree from others. 

I played around to see what images I could get. I have two or three images from that morning that I have to say are my favourite images from using the Nikon Z6 II—so I will say the Nikon is great for foggy woodland images. 

So, how did I get on with the Nikon Z6 II and the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR? I loved how compact and light the Nikon and the lens were, while still having a good hand grip. 

The LCD was clear and sharp, and it helped me learn how to adjust it to show accurate live-view settings and adjustments. However, surprisingly, it was not as accurate as I had anticipated. The images seemed either overexposed or underexposed. This was easy to sort out—I just had to adjust the setting to the scene.

The colours were as good as always. Nikon has mastered the colour science to produce such nice, vibrant and clear RAW files. The ability to extend the shutter speeds for long exposures was a brilliant feature, especially as not everyone has a cable release. Another bonus was the fact that I could still use SD cards instead of being limited to XQD cards—I wasn’t shooting scenes that really needed that much extra speed.

The menu system is clear and easy to use. Having used a Sony, I would say that anyone would find the Nikon far easier to use. The buttons and shortcuts on the body have been well thought-out, and the customisable buttons are useful too.

The Nikon Z6 II is a great camera with some excellent features, easy to set up and use. This camera is aimed at amateurs and semi-pro photographers, but it could easily be used as a second body for professional shooters on freelance assignments. It’s an improvement from my old Nikon D750, but I feel it does have some competition around the same price bracket. The autofocus could be improved—however, no camera is perfect. I would say the Nikon Z6 II is a very good camera, which many photographers will love—I loved it. 

Learn more about Nikon lenses for landscapes, discover the best camera gear for landscape photography, or watch Charlie Waites’ top tips for landscapes.

You can also discover more camera gear guides on the MPB content hub.