Nikon in 2024: Z6 III and RED Acquisition Bolster Slower Year

After a torrid pace in 2023, during which time Nikon launched a pair of cameras and nine all-new lenses, the company slowed a bit this year, releasing just two new cameras and three lenses. Nonetheless, it was a strong year for the Japanese company and one that helped Nikon continue to claw back market share in the mirrorless era. Plus, Nikon bought RED, so there’s that.

Two New Cameras With Photo and Video Chops

Nikon finally unveiled the long-awaited Z6 Mark III in mid-June, and the wait was worth it. Although not quite as swift or as high resolution as the fully stacked 45-megapixel sensor in the Nikon Z8 and Z9, the Z6 III’s brand-new (and novel) partially stacked 24-megapixel chip offers a lot of performance at a fairly aggressive price.

The new sensor may compromise a bit in terms of dynamic range, but it is fast and effective for a diverse range of photo and video applications. The Z6 III isn’t perfect, but it’s an excellent all-around camera and Nikon’s best overall choice for most hybrid shooters. Ultimately, as Chris Niccolls concluded in PetaPixel‘s Nikon Z6 III Review, “The Z6 III is the best all-around full-frame hybrid camera in this price range.

PetaPixel readers agreed, decisively awarding the Z6 III PetaPixel‘s People’s Choice Award for 2024. The Z6 III ran away with the vote, securing 21.8% of the tallies, well ahead of the Sony a9 III in second place (16.7%). The Z6 III earned the bronze award among PetaPixel‘s editors, losing an absolute nail biter to the a9 III and Canon EOS R5 Mark II. It was extremely close, a testament to the Z6 III’s versatility and performance.

In early November, Nikon released another long-awaited successor to a popular camera: the Z50 Mark II. The Nikon Z50 II is Nikon’s latest APS-C mirrorless camera, and it, like the Z6 III, responds to the growing content creator market by including new and improved video features.

The Z50 II is a “robust and capable entry-level camera,” and well-suited to beginners moving up from their smartphone.

“There is plenty to love about the latest Nikon APS-C camera, and at a body-only price of $959.95, the Nikon Z50 II is available for almost everyone to enjoy,” Niccolls wrote in his Nikon Z50 II Hands-On.

A Very Versatile Zoom and a Pair of Affordable Fast Primes

Nikon has been crushing it with its Nikkor Z telephoto lenses. There are so many great ones. However, sometimes photographers don’t just want reach; sometimes, they want wide-angle performance without changing lenses. Enter the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR. This impressive 14.2 times zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras aims to be an all-around, do-it-all zoom.

It’s a groundbreaking lens, although not without compromise. The most apparent trade-off for the extreme versatility is the f/8 max aperture at its slowest. However, while it cannot do everything with perfection, it can do nearly everything quite well. For photographers who value flexibility over speed and optical excellence, the Nikkor Z 28-400mm has a lot to offer.

Three months after announcing the 28-400mm zoom lens, Nikon returned to the prime lens well for not one but two excellent new f/1.4 primes. The Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 and Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 primes may not be part of Nikon’s S-Line series — the Nikkor Z spin on “gold ring” F lenses — but they are still optically sound lenses.

Credit: Nikon

Better still, they are reasonably compact, lightweight, and affordable. When Nikon announced the 35mm f/1.4 in June, PetaPixel theorized that it would be the start of a new series of affordable fast primes. The 50mm f/1.4 two months later gives credence to the notion, and hopefully, there is even more to come (24mm f/1.4, please).

Both new f/1.4 primes are great, with the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 proving especially exciting for Niccolls, a well-known detractor of the 35mm focal length.

Nikon Buys RED

Beyond the pair of new cameras and the trio of lenses, Nikon did something else this year, it bought American cinema company RED for about $85 million. In a move that Nikon believes will increase its market share and give the company a massive leg-up in the video space. The acquisition sent shockwaves through the industry and caught competitors off-guard.

The surprise purchase won’t pay dividends in Nikon or RED’s cameras for a bit, as camera development takes time, but the two companies began working on integrating their technologies almost immediately. The partnership has already been felt through new RED-developed LUTs for Nikon Z cameras, and those are great.

Speaking of Nikon and video, Nikon also announced that its first-ever full-frame video lens will be the Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 Power Zoom. While this lens isn’t counting for Nikon’s grade this year since there is no actual release date information yet, it is worth mentioning.

Credit: Nikon

Grading Nikon in 2024

The Nikon Z6 III is the star of the show this year — it’s a fantastic camera. However, the Nikon Z50 II is an important model within Nikon’s lineup and a broader strategy to acquire additional market share. And the company’s three new lenses are all great: the Z 28-400mm f/4-8 because of its versatility and the pair of new f/1.4 primes because of their performance and affordability. Nikon did not release a lot of new products overall, but what the company did launch — and its purchase of RED — show that Nikon is on the right path and poised for an even better 2025.

Image credits: Featured image created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.