I think it's safe to say that the Nikon Z7 III is on its way – and on its way sooner than later.
We have, after all, just had the announcement of the Nikon Z6 III. And while the Nikon Z7 III didn't materialize with it, I don't think it's going to be long.
Why? Well, the original Z6 and Z7 launched side-by-side in September 2018, with the Z6 II and Z7 II again launching in tandem in October 2020 – so their release cycles have been linked since day one.
Of course, since then everybody's supply chains have gone berserk. Couple that with the market, and consumer base, doing all kinds of wacky things, and I'm not surprised that the Nikon Z7 III didn't accompany the Z6 III.
But make no mistake, it's coming. They sit on drawing boards next to each other. And the Z6 III gave us some good indications of what Nikon is thinking.
Nikon Z7 III specs & speculations
Looking at what the company did with the Z6 III, I think we can make some pretty good guesses at what the Nikon Z7 III will look like.
For starters, the sensor; the Z6 kept the same 24.5MP resolution for the third generation in a row. I believe that the Z7 III will likewise keep the same 45.7MP resolution as its predecessors – the difference will be its construction.
The Nikon Z7 III will almost certainly have a partially stacked sensor. This enables the camera to keep up with rivals in terms of shooting speeds, without cannibalizing the top performance offered by the fully stacked sensors of the flagship Z8 and Z9.
(If you're asking what is a partially stacked sensor, here's your answer.)
Of course, the Z7, Z8 and Z9 all have the same native 45.7MP resolution. However, the Z8 is the only model with pixel-shift multi shot to generate 180MP still images (by using the in-body image stabilization system to shift the sensor, quadrupling the pixel count).
While the Z6 line has had this mode for the past two generations, it has never been present on the Z7 – and I think it will also be absent from the Nikon Z7 III.
This is because, while Nikon doesn't have a reputation for aggressively gatekeeping its different product lines, it now has a lot of higher-end cameras with the same resolution. So it needs to differentiate them somehow, and the 180MP card is a pretty good ace up the Z8's sleeve.
I think the same will be true of the Nikon Z7 III's video capabilities. The company pulled out all the 8K stops when it came to the Z8 and Z9, but the Z7 family has never been able to capture 8K video – even though it's perfectly capable, given that it obviously has the same resolution.
Nikon may have to introduce 6K options, again in order to keep the Z7 III different from its bigger brothers. Though it feels like the Z6 III is carving out its place as the company's killer video-oriented camera.
Going back to image stabilization, I expect the same improvements as seen on the Z6 III – meaning a bump from 5 stops of compensation to 8 stops. I also expect it to support the company's rather unsung Focus Point VR system, which is currently only available on the Nikon Zf.
In all, then, I think the Nikon Z7 III is going to be a pretty spectacular machine – one that should serve up yet another home run for the company. I look forward to seeing how on the money I am with my predictions!
You might be interested in the best Nikon cameras, along with the best Nikon lenses. And don't forget to check out our Nikon Z6 III review to see if this is the better camera for your needs.
