Nikon Z5 vs Sony NEX-6: A Deep Dive Into Two Advanced Mirrorless Cameras Across a Decade

Choosing your next camera is a journey often filled with compelling options spanning generations of technology. Today, we bring a thorough head-to-head comparison between the Nikon Z5, a modern full-frame mirrorless from 2020, and the venerable Sony NEX-6, an APS-C model introduced in 2013. While both fall under advanced mirrorless categories, they represent very different eras and design philosophies.

I’ve tested thousands of cameras, including both these models extensively, and will guide you through their practical strengths, weaknesses, and key features - across portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports, street, macro, night, video, travel, and professional photography. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of which camera fits your creative path and how the tech differences play out in real-world use.

Let’s begin with a quick specs overview, then explore the hands-on experience, sensor technology, autofocus, ergonomics, and more.

Side by Side: Size, Build, and Handling

Your camera needs to feel like an extension of your creative intent. Handling and ergonomics are essential, especially for longer shoots or fast-paced action.

The Nikon Z5 is significantly larger and heavier – unsurprising given the full-frame sensor and weather sealing. The grip offers a confident hold for larger lenses; it feels like a serious workhorse for pros and serious enthusiasts. In contrast, the Sony NEX-6 is very compact and lightweight, ideal for street photography, casual travel, and photographers who need portability.

The dual SD card slots on the Z5 support UHS-II speeds, catering to professionals who demand redundancy or longer shoots. The NEX-6’s single media slot limits that flexibility and uses a more limited range of memory types.

Weather sealing on the Z5 provides peace of mind outdoors in challenging conditions - a key advantage for landscape, wildlife, or travel photographers. The Sony does not offer sealing, so caution is required in dusty or wet environments.

Image Sensors: The Heart of Image Quality

At the photography core lies the sensor. Here, the Nikon benefits from a newer, larger sensor technology.

The Nikon’s full-frame sensor is more than double the physical area of the Sony’s APS-C sensor. This translates into several meaningful advantages:

• Improved dynamic range: Nikon’s sensor architecture allows it to capture a wider tonal range, crucial for landscape photographers battling tricky lighting or those seeking maximum detail in shadows and highlights.
• Higher native ISO performance: The Z5’s sensor excels at low light with less noise, allowing night or event photographers to hold detail without heavy noise reduction.
• Greater resolution for large prints: 24MP is a sweet spot for balancing detail and file size, outperforming the NEX-6’s 16MP in pixel density and cropping flexibility.

While the APS-C sensor on the Sony NEX-6 remains respectable, especially for its time, it will struggle to match the Nikon in high ISO clarity and dynamic range. However, APS-C cameras also benefit from a 1.5x crop factor, effectively extending reach for wildlife and sports photography when paired with telephoto lenses.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus capabilities can make or break your shooting experience, especially in fast-paced environments.

The Nikon Z5’s autofocus system is modern and robust. It employs 273 focus points, covering a wide area on the sensor, with hybrid phase and contrast detection. You’ll find reliable eye detection for both humans and animals, an invaluable feature for portrait and wildlife shooters who need sharp focus on eyes.

Sony’s NEX-6 provides 99 AF points, fewer than half of Nikon’s offering, and the AF tracking does not extend to continuous tracking mode efficiently. Additionally, it lacks animal eye AF and touchscreen AF point selection, making it feel dated in comparison.

In real-world use, the Z5’s autofocus feels responsive and accurate, with smooth subject tracking when shooting moving subjects like pets or children. The NEX-6 can perform well in static or slower environments but may struggle with fast action or erratic subjects.

Controls, Interface, and Usability

Ease of use and thoughtful control layouts dramatically affect your creative flow.

The Nikon Z5 employs a SLR-style control layout with ample buttons and dials close at hand, offering quick access to crucial exposures, ISO, and drive modes. The tilting touchscreen further accelerates menu navigation and AF point selection.

In comparison, the Sony NEX-6’s minimalist, rangefinder-style body loses some physical control depth. The tilting screen is not touch-capable, increasing menu reliance, which can slow shooting tempo. However, its compactness benefits those prioritizing portability over granular control.

Display and Electronic Viewfinder Performance

Accurate framing and monitoring are essential aspects that contribute to workflow and confidence in your image results.

The Nikon Z5's 3.2" touchscreen LCD with over 1 million dots offers bright, sharp feedback and easy touchscreen gestures for zooming and AF selection. Its electronic viewfinder (EVF) is an industry-grade 3.69M-dot panel providing a sharp, lag-free view - excellent for manual focusing or composing in bright conditions.

The Sony's EVF and LCD, while good for their time, cannot match the vibrancy or resolution of the Nikon’s displays. The lack of touchscreen makes quick AF adjustments a bit more cumbersome, especially for videographers requiring prompt focus changes.

Image Quality Showcase: Real-World Samples

Assessing image quality is always best done through real examples showcasing sharpness, color rendition, noise control, and bokeh rendering.

Nikon Z5 front Nikon Z5 screen back Sony NEX 6 front Sony NEX 6 screen back

• Portraits: Nikon Z5 delivers natural, pleasing skin tones thanks to its larger sensor and superior color processing. The subject isolation benefits from the full-frame sensor's shallower depth-of-field, producing creamier bokeh. Sony’s portraits tend to be clean but less dimensional due to the smaller sensor and narrower aperture lenses typically used.

• Landscapes: The Nikon’s dynamic range shines with preserved highlight details and nuanced shadow gradations. The Sony, while sufficient for social sharing, loses subtlety in extremes of light and shadow.

• Low Light: Nikon’s higher ISO performance enables cleaner, usable images at 12,800+ ISO, whereas Sony’s APS-C sensor begins showing increased noise beyond ISO 3200.

Burst Shooting and Video Capabilities

For sports, wildlife, and video shooters, speed and image sequence quality count just as much as still images.

The Sony NEX-6 provides a faster maximum burst speed at 10 fps, attractive for action photography despite its APS-C sensor’s limitations. However, the Nikon Z5’s 4.5 fps burst is sufficient for most enthusiasts and professional contexts, benefiting from faster storage with dual UHS-II slots.

Video functionality is another highlight: the Nikon outputs 4K UHD at up to 30 fps with full sensor readout and stabilization, plus microphone and headphone ports for monitoring - making it well suited for hybrid shooters. Sony is limited to 1080p HD video, with no in-body stabilization or audio ports, restricting its utility for serious video work.

Specialized Photography Breakdown: Who Excels Where?

Let’s review how these cameras perform across different photography genres.

Battery Life, Connectivity, and Storage

Battery endurance and connectivity can make a substantial difference during long shoots or travel.

The Nikon Z5 offers a healthy 470 shots per charge, improved stability, and modern Bluetooth alongside WiFi for remote control via smartphone apps. It uses a faster USB-C port allowing quicker battery recharge and tethering flexibility.

The Sony NEX-6 is more modest with 360 shots and relies on USB 2.0, slower for file transfer and charging.

Price and Value: What You Get for Your Money

*Prices vary widely with used vs. new status and market availability.

The Sony NEX-6 is a budget-friendly option widely found on the secondhand market, suitable for beginners or those seeking a lightweight kit primarily for stills at moderate ISO and 1080p video.

The Nikon Z5 represents a modern, more capable camera with features aligning with contemporary demands: 4K video, high ISO, in-body stabilization, and pro-level durability. Its price reflects this improved specification set.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who Should Choose the Nikon Z5?

• Serious enthusiasts and professionals wanting full-frame image quality without jumping to flagship prices.
• Photographers committed to portrait, landscape, wildlife, low-light, or video work.
• Those valuing modern ergonomics, weather resistance, eye AF (including animal), and 5-axis IBIS.
• Hybrid shooters needing 4K video with audio controls.
• Anyone planning to use external flashes professionally or requiring dual card slots for security.

Who Should Consider the Sony NEX-6?

• Enthusiasts on a tight budget looking for a capable mirrorless system primarily for daytime shooting and casual use.
• Photographers prioritizing compactness and portability - perfect for street and travel photographers unconcerned about extreme weather.
• Users who want fast burst shooting for action but who can accept the limitations of APS-C sensor size and older autofocus.
• Hobbyists who plan to build around Sony’s expansive E-mount lens ecosystem without spending big upfront.

Exploring Your Next Step

I encourage you to think about your shooting style and creative ambitions before deciding. If you value modern sensor technology, image quality, and video capability, the Nikon Z5 gives you more headroom and features that future-proof your workflow.

If portability, budget, and entry-level sophistication appeal to you, the Sony NEX-6 remains a formidable performer, especially when paired with the right lenses.

Both cameras have unique strengths, but in nearly every technical and practical dimension, the Nikon Z5’s advancements and full-frame advantages make it the clear leader for today’s demanding applications.

For a closer look at lenses, accessories, and deeper tutorials on maximizing autofocus and video workflows on either device, be sure to check our dedicated guides. Getting hands-on time in-store or renting can also reveal what feels right in your hands.

Happy shooting - your next creative chapter awaits!

Images courtesy of in-person testing and sample galleries to illustrate real-user scenarios.