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Hands-On Preview of the Nikon Z63 Camera

Hands-On experience with the Nikon Z63 camera for 2 days.
Tested the autofocus capabilities in various real-world situations.
Used a pre-production camera with pre-production firmware.
B-roll footage shot with the Z63, while studio footage shot with Canon EOS R5.
Similar shape to the Z62, slightly thicker, and resembles the Z8.
Back of the camera is nearly identical to the Z62.
World's brightest electronic viewfinder with 5.76 million dots and 120 fps refresh rate.
EVF is 33% brighter than the Z9 with 4,000 nits of brightness.
Info rotation now available when shooting vertically.
3.2-inch vary-angle LCD screen.

The Nikon Z63 camera is not flush to the back of the camera, making it difficult to shoot at high or low angles.
The camera's positioning can affect straight lines in overhead shots.
The camera lacks the ability to flip down or flip up like the Nikon Z9, making it less versatile for getting straight lines.
There is a slight color difference between the electronic viewfinder and the LCD screen.
The Z63 now incorporates a full HDMI port, which is an improvement over the previous model.
The camera does not have a digital hot shoe, which may be inconvenient for video shooting and using external microphones.
The image sensor is an all-new 24.5 megapixel partially stacked sensor, offering a faster readout speed than the Z62.
Nikon claims that the Z63 has the fastest scan rate of a full-frame camera under $4,000.
The faster readout speed allows for capturing fast-moving subjects with the electronic shutter.
The Z63's partially stacked sensor is comparable to Canon's R8 and R62 cameras in terms of readout speed.

The Z63 has a faster electronic shutter than previous models, resulting in less warbled backgrounds and image distortion.
It can shoot at 20 frames per second with the electronic shutter, allowing for capturing fast-action shots.
The camera can shoot in RAW format at 20 frames per second, not limited to just JPEG.
It offers a maximum shutter speed of 116,000 of a second, reducing rolling shutter effects.
High frequency flicker reduction is available as an option to minimize flickering in challenging lighting situations.
The mechanical shutter can achieve 14 frames per second without any warping or distortion.
The camera lacks a sensor shield, but it features the same Expeed 7 processor as the Z8 and Z9 models, resulting in a 20% faster autofocus compared to the Z62.
The autofocus performance is closer to the Z8 and Z9 cameras, making it more usable and competent.
However, like the Z8 and Z9, it can still get distracted by moving objects and struggle with deciding on the appropriate focus mode.

Autofocus performance shows differences between Canon, Sony, and Nikon.
The 85 1.2 and 135 1.8 lenses struggled with fast-action shots, while the 70 to 200 2.8 lens performed exceptionally well.
The Z9 offers nine subject detection modes.
Autofocus demonstration montage showcases its capabilities.
The Z9's autofocus can sometimes struggle in certain situations.
The camera offers ISO range from 100 to 64,000.
Image quality of Nikon's sensor is praised for realistic colors and tones.
Dual card slots are available - one CF Express B and one UHS 2 SD.
Pre-release shooting is available in JPEG only, not in RAW.
Various burst shooting modes are available - C30, C60, and C120.
Pixel shift option for 96 megapixel resolution.
Camera to Cloud connectivity allows for real-time uploading of JPEGs and RAW files to Dropbox or Google Photos.

Nikon Z63 camera requires Nikon NX software to upload image recipes.
The camera offers video features such as 4K 24p oversampled from 6K, 6K up to 60p in NW video (only compatible with Da Vinci Resolve), 6K up to 30p ProRes RAW, 5.4K up to 60p in oversampled 4K modes, 4K 120 with DX crop, and 1080 at 240 frames per second for slow motion.
The camera has five-axis VR IBIS with up to eight stops of stabilization.
No overheating issues were experienced during testing.
The camera does not allow for video redundancy, recording the same clips to both cards.
Autofocus for video is generally good but may have hunting and sticky background issues.
The camera now includes a line-in input for direct audio recording from a soundboard.
The Nikon Z63 is priced at $2,500, offering significant features for the price.
Firmware updates will not improve autofocus performance similar to Z8 and Z9 models.

The Nikon Z63 offers a 10% discount for first-time orders.
It is a competent camera with excellent autofocus and image quality.
It is a great option for wedding photography, both for stills and videos.
Compared to Canon and Sony cameras in the same price range, the Z63 is a better option.
The Sony a74 has a slow readout speed and produces warping with the electronic shutter.
The autofocus on the Z63 is better than the Canon R8 and R6 Mark II.