Yesterday, Nikon Inc. announced the retail availability of its new flagship, the D6 DSLR, which was unveiled in February. The camera will be available in the U.S. starting on Thursday, May 21 for $6,499.95 for the body-only configuration. Should filmmakers purchase it?

Nikon D6 release was delayed due to the pandemic

We’ve reported here previously about the delay of the Nikon D6 release due to the COVID-19 situation. According to Nikon, as a result of delays in the procurement of parts and components from a third-party cooperating company due to measures implemented in response to the spread of COVID-19, the release of the new Nikon D6 digital SLR camera, originally planned for March 2020 was delayed. However, since the coronavirus delicate circumstances have improved, Nikon has announced the retail availability of the D6 for $6,500. As stated by Nikon: “Today, Nikon Inc. announced the retail availability of the new Nikon D6 DSLR, which was unveiled in February of this year. The D6 will be available in the U.S. starting on Thursday, May 21 for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $6,499.95 for the body-only configuration.

Today, Nikon Inc. announced the retail availability of the new Nikon D6 DSLR, which was unveiled in February of this year. The D6 will be available in the U.S. starting on Thursday, May 21 for the suggested retail price of $6,499.95

Nikon

A few words about the D6

The Nikon D6 is the successor of the four-year-old D5. Both of them are analog to the Canon’s 1D series, which means there are powerful still camera that own impressive video capabilities. Furthermore, both cameras share the same price point ($6,500). Nikon planned to ship the D6 in March 2020, to be available for the Olympics Games. However, things have changed as the Coronavirus acts as force majeure in this complicated situation. Regarding video capabilities, the D6 offers to record up to 4K UHD resolution at 30 frames per second, and in 1080P at 60fps. However, videos are saved as MOV or MP4 files with an H.264/MPEG-4 video encoding, or as an uncompressed file to an optional external recorder via HDMI out. Basically, we can say that the D6 is Nikon’s answer to the new Canon 1D X Mark III. Is it? It might be for photographers. However, if shooting videos is your bread and butter, there is nothing to be compared here, since the D6 is inferior to the 1D X Mark III regarding video capabilities. Let’s talk about that for a bit.

Canon 1D X Mark III

The 1D X Mark III has the proper requirements to shoot professional videos with recording capabilities of 4K internally at up to 60 fps with 10-bit, 4:2:2 color, as well as Full HD at 120 fps and raw 5.5K (5472 x 2886) at 60 fps. Furthermore, Canon Log Gamma can be used for greater color grading control in post. DCI 4K recording is possible using both the full sensor area or with a cropped portion. That’s a video-making beast, and there is nothing to be compared to Nikon D6, besides the price (both of them cost $6,500). For further reading make sure to check our article: Canon 1D X Mark III vs. the Forthcoming RED Komodo: High-End Toys for Filmmakers.

Final thoughts

First, announcing the availability of the delayed D6 is a good sign that the industry is starting to recover from the COVID-19’s madness. Even though, Nikon has to get back to the drawing table and develop some valid contender/competitor to Canon’s 1D X Mark III so filmmakers would be happy.