The Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z7 II, the long-rumored successors to Nikon's original full-frame mirrorless cameras, have just been given an official launch date.
A new countdown clock on Nikon's website reveals that the Z6 II and Z7 II will both be revealed on October 14 at 12am ET / 5am BST / 2pm AEST. So if you've been waiting to splash out on a new full-frame camera, that's definitely a date to put in your calendar.
Aside from the official names, which differ from earlier rumors suggesting the cameras would be called the Nikon Z6s and Z7s, Nikon has revealed nothing more about the launch.
The event name "The Next Chapter" doesn't even really give any hints, but recent rumors can help us fill in the gaps.
As their names suggest, the two cameras are highly likely to be incremental upgrades to the Nikon Z6 and Z7. If you're not familiar with the duo, the Nikon Z6 is a 24.5MP full-framer that's more of a hybrid all-rounder than the high-resolution Nikon Z7, which instead has a 45.7MP sensor.
This means the latter (and its successor) are more for landscape and studio shooters, with the Nikon Z6 II likely looking to continue its predecessor's broader appeal among those looking to shoot a mix of stills and video.
With the Nikon Z6 still sitting pretty at the top of our best cameras in the world list, the launch is certainly a big one in the camera world, despite the expectation that the Z6 II and Z7 II will be relatively minor updates.
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Seeing double
So what can we expect from the Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II? The latest speculation from the likes of Nikon Rumors suggests that both cameras will likely have the same sensors as their predecessors, but will add new 5.76-million dot electronic viewfinders (EVFs).
If true, that would be a decent upgrade on the 3.69-million dot viewfinders on the current models. According to recent rumors, both cameras will also up their video capabilities, thanks to the ability to shoot 4K/60 video and "more new video features" (according to Nikon Rumors).
The latter will likely include some autofocus boosts including a new Eye AF system, and perhaps some more advanced codecs to give video editors more data to work with in post-production.
One of the most controversial features of the Nikon Z6 and Z7 is also likely to be fixed. Those cameras caused a slightly overblown furore by only coming with single card slots, but it seems highly likely that the Z6 II and Z7 II will both come with dual memory card slots.
According to Nikon Rumors, these slots will be one for CFexpress/XQD cards and another for SD cards, though it's possible both slots will support the speedier, if pricier, CFexpress and XQD cards.
There's not long to go now until the full Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II launch and we'll bring you all of the official information as soon as it's announced.
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