Why My "Old" Nikon Z6III Beats The New Nikon ZR (Real Estate Photographer's Take)
The Nikon ZR has everyone talking about that gorgeous 4-inch screen and RED RAW at $2,200. But as a real estate photographer who needs flash and fast workflows, I'm keeping my Z6III. Here's why the "outdated" camera wins.
The Nikon ZR has stirred up a ton of media attention recently, and I totally understand why. At just $2,200 with that screen and Nikon RED RAW, it's a big moment for the industry. But owning a Nikon Z6III, I'm not going to buy it.
Before you think this is a hit piece—it's not. The ZR isn't a bad camera at all. It just doesn't fit within my use case as a real estate and architecture photographer who shoots both photo and video.
Let me explain exactly why I'm keeping my Z6III.
That Screen Really Is Incredible
Look, I'll give credit where it's due. That 4-inch screen with 1,000 nits, gorgeous colors, and DCI-P3 color space really can't be beat in today's market.
The ZR's screen is actually 0.8 inches larger than my Z6III screen—a screen I already considered much better than what I'd used before from manufacturers like Sony, Leica, Panasonic, and Canon. Not only is the screen larger on the ZR, it also boasts 46% higher resolution at 3.07 million dots versus the Z6III's 2.1 million.
You can probably leave your external monitors at home with the ZR. It's genuinely that good.
The Size Difference Is Meaningless
Yeah, on paper the ZR is smaller and lighter:
6mm narrower
21mm shorter
25mm thinner
130 grams lighter (630g vs 760g)
But let's be honest—130 grams? Is there any real-world difference between the two cameras? That's like the weight of a chocolate bar.
If I really wanted the lightest setup possible, I'd use my 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens. Yes, on the ZR it would probably be close to pocketable, but you're losing the grip at the same time.
The point is: any grown adult can carry a Z6III with a compact lens all day without issue. That 130-gram difference doesn't matter in real-world use.
Problem #1: No Mechanical Shutter (The Deal Breaker)
The Nikon ZR's small body comes with many compromises. The first of which is no mechanical shutter. And this is a major no-go for me when looking for a camera.
I shoot architecture and real estate work with flash and ambient light mixing. I really need that mechanical shutter to do that work properly.
Why electronic-only is a problem:
Because of the electronic shutter, it can create really undesirable banding when shooting with flash. You're also quite limited with the shutter speeds you can use. So if you're planning to use flash in the future, this is something to keep in mind and look up.
I imagine most people interested in the ZR are mostly video shooters, so this might not matter to you. But for real estate photographers? It's a deal breaker.
The Missing Viewfinder Matters More Than You Think
The other thing that will probably influence quite a few people not to pick the ZR is the lack of a viewfinder.
It's not just particularly useful for photography—it's also really useful for video and composing your shots. Yeah, the screen is larger, but in bright sunlight, it might be a hindrance not having that electronic viewfinder option.
The Z6III has a 5.67-million-dot EVF that I rely on constantly, especially when shooting real estate exteriors in midday sun. The ZR has nothing.
Problem #2: The H.265 Data Rate Drop Nobody's Discussing
Here's where things get really interesting, and it's something most reviewers aren't talking about:
The Nikon ZR actually suffers around a 50% data rate hit in H.265 compared to the Z6III, and around a 30% hit in the ProRes codec.
I should mention that the H.265 results were shot in N-Log. I'm not entirely sure if it suffers the exact same data loss in regular standard H.265 mode, but I assume it probably will be very similar.
Why this is happening:
The theory is the ZR lacks a lot of the heat dissipation material that the Z6III has. Shooting in compressed formats like H.265—that's when you get a lot of the overheating that RAW codecs don't suffer from. Because we're seeing this in both H.265 AND ProRes HQ, it's likely we're not going to see a firmware update fixing this. It's just something you'll have to live with. The camera has been designed to shoot this way.
"Just Shoot RED RAW!" (Not That Simple)
With all these issues, a lot of you are thinking: "Why don't you just shoot in RED RAW?"
It's because the file sizes are massive. I think most people wanting to buy this camera don't necessarily understand what they're getting themselves into.
The storage reality:
With the average recording of around an hour being approximately 700GB, where are you going to store all that data?
Before recording this video, I had to format my Angelbird card—this is 512GB. My average record time is close to an hour for these videos after all the cuts. I would probably need a 1TB CFexpress Type B card to record the exact same videos.
You can see where this gets quite expensive when buying CFexpress cards. I believe I paid around $300 Canadian for this 512GB card. Prices are going down, but you should really keep that in mind.
H.265 is more than enough:
A lot of people are just fine with H.265. I've tested shooting in the normal standard color profiles in Neutral. I've tested in N-Log and H.265. There's actually quite a bit of flexibility in the data you can pull from the camera.
For a lot of people, you don't really need anything more than H.265. This was the absolute standard for so many years for a reason.
Can You Even Tell The Difference?
With all this being said, I don't really think people would even be able to tell the difference if you were shooting on the Z6III in N-RAW or the ZR in RED RAW.
It's probably not going to be that much of a difference, and I doubt anyone can really pick out the two cameras when compared side by side in a blind test.
Why The Z6III Is Perfect For My Work
The Nikon Z6III just does everything perfectly for me. It's a great real estate and architecture camera for both photo and video:
✓ Uncropped N-RAW footage that's really nice to edit
✓ Smaller file sizes that are manageable
✓ Mechanical shutter for reliable flash photography
✓ Electronic viewfinder for bright conditions
✓ Better H.265 data rates for quality compressed video
✓ Full-size HDMI port (not micro HDMI—nobody likes micro HDMI)
✓ Fast workflow from shoot to delivery
To me, it's not really a compromise at all. The screen is the major compromise compared to the ZR, and just that little bit of weight. But keep in mind that little bit of weight is around the same as a chocolate bar. I'm sure most of you will be able to survive, especially if you pair it with something like the 26mm f/2.8 pancake.
And here's the thing: while the ZR screen is pretty great, the Z6III screen is really great as well. If you've come from Sony, either one of these screens is going to be an absolute life-changing experience for you.
Nikon's Strategy (And Why It Works)
I think Nikon is doing what Leica has done for a while now. They have a few affordable cameras to get people in the door—even some smartphones that are supposedly co-engineered by Leica. It gets people in the door, has them talking about your company.
Eventually, they buy something like a Q, then an M-series camera, and so on, and they become a lifelong customer.
Nikon's newest addition, the ZR, is a really great addition to the series of cameras. Nikon is for sure my favorite manufacturer at the current moment. There's just so much flexibility that you have in the Z-mount—whether you're adapting old glass, Sony glass, or even Fuji FX lenses (believe it or not, you can adapt them).
Who Should Buy What?
If you're a photo shooter: The Z6III is definitely for you.
If you're a video-only shooter: Maybe you want to pick up the ZR if you have the ability to record all that data, considering how much memory space it takes up.
It's really up to you and exactly what sort of standards you have, but just keep in mind you'll probably be just fine with the N-RAW that is in the Z6III.
The Bottom Line
The best camera is the one that works for your actual workflow, not the one with the most impressive marketing.
For me as a real estate and architecture photographer who shoots both photo and video:
I need mechanical shutter for flash work
I need manageable file sizes for fast client turnaround
I need an electronic viewfinder for bright conditions
I need reliable H.265 quality for efficient workflows
The Z6III delivers all of that. The ZR doesn't.
That 4-inch screen is incredible—no question. But it can't fix a missing mechanical shutter. RED RAW can't justify the storage costs and slower workflows when H.265 delivers professional results my clients are happy with.
Sometimes the "old" camera is actually the smarter choice.
Nikon Z6III: $2,499 | Nikon ZR: $2,199
What's your take? Z6III or ZR? Let me know in the comments.
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