Upgrade Guide

Nikon Z5→Nikon Z6 II

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Nikon

£999

2020

→

Upgrade to

Nikon

Z6 II

£1699 (+£700)

2020

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the Z5. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.

What's new in the Z6 II

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	Z5	Z6 II
Price	£999	£1,699
Released	2020	2020
Sensor	24.3MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS	24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS
Resolution	24MP	24MP	↑
Video	4K/30p (with crop), 1080p/60p	4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion
Autofocus	Hybrid AF — 273 phase-detect points, eye/subject detection	Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking
Stabilisation	IBIS — up to 5 stops	5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses)
Burst Rate	4.5fps	14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW)	↑
Battery Life	~470 shots (CIPA)	~410 shots (CIPA)	↓
Weight	590g (with battery)	705g (body, battery, card)	↓
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.8× magnification	EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification
Screen	3.2" tilting touchscreen	3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots
Mount	Nikon Z mount	Nikon Z-mount
Memory Cards	Dual SD UHS-II slots	Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II

Compare side-by-side

See Z5 and Z6 II next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the Z6 II against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the Z5

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