Six Packed NIKON D6
Without wishing to start out on too pessimistic a note, Nikon’s venerable line of professional 35mm SLRs ended with the F6… is it going to be the same with the D6? It’s a question that applies equally to Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III, of course, because no matter how you look at it, can the DSLR really be pushed much further beyond the performance and capabilities of these two models? And, in another parallel, the F6 arrived when everybody was looking the other way – probably at the D2X that was launched at the same time – which is a pity because it was a very fine camera indeed. Was? Well, Nikon Australia is listing it as discontinued, but it still appears to be available elsewhere if you shop around (and probably get in quick). The D6 arrives as the higher-end mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are attracting a lot of attention, so it really hasn’t had the fanfare that greeted its predecessors.
Let’s get those trumpets tuned up, shall we? The irony is that this could very well be the best-selling pro-level Nikon DSLR ever. Traditionally, the top-of-the-line model was only ever a niche product for pros who needed the combination of speed and durability. But, as with Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III, the D6 has evolved into much more of an all-rounder – albeit still a pricey one – combining all the appealing bits of both a DSLR and a mirrorless camera. If you’re looking for an interchangeable lens camera that will do absolutely everything effortlessly, then this latest (maybe last?) generation of pro DSLRs are it. And you don’t have to worry about lenses either; Nikon’s F mount is arguably the best served there is, not just by Nikon itself, but by all the independent brands. So – another irony – as the top-end mirrorless cameras start to really hit their stride, arguably the best ILCs currently on the market are still DSLRs – the EOS-1D X III and the D6. Both represent the pinnacle of DSLR design and, lip-pursing price tags aside, also represent a sound investment given the combination of durability, capabilities and performance.
The D6 carries on where the D5 left off and, indeed, is virtually identical on the outside while even anybody still using a D4 or even the first-generation D3 will also
