Filming slow-mo with the Nikon Z6III: an advanced guide

Subject matter matters

“Not everything looks cool in slow motion,” warns Valentin, who with Roman, explored the slow-motion capabilities of the Nikon Z6III by filming purposefully dynamic scenes. “For slow-mo it’s important to focus on things with intricate or fast movement, such as water splashes, flying snow, fabric blowing in the wind or an athlete mid-action. But, above all, having a rough plan of what you want to capture before you start filming is so important. Know your angles, your subject and how it fits into the story you’re trying to tell. Slow motion can look epic but, without some direction, it’s easy to end up with random clips that don’t work together.”

“We typically work with a list or storyboard, especially for commercial videos,” adds Roman. “A storyboard ensures a clear vision and alignment with the project’s goals, while a list helps us stay organised and efficient during production. For personal projects, we usually rely on a list rather than a detailed storyboard, allowing for more spontaneity and creative flexibility in how the footage comes together. For slow-motion sequences involving people, we plan the clips in advance to capture specific actions effectively. However, with wildlife, pre-planning is often impractical, so it’s essential to adapt quickly to the unfolding scene and seize spontaneous opportunities to capture compelling moments.”

Get the right gear

One of the most dramatic parts of the video features Roman performing a backflip, captured using the NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8 S. “This lens is ideal for action sequences that require getting closer to the subject,” says Valentin, who slowed the scene down by 4x. “It’s perfect for slow motion as it reveals stunning details of the athletic movement that are not as noticeable in real time.”

A slow-mo sequence featuring a bird sitting in a treetop was slowed down by 2x and was captured using the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8. “Here we wanted to slow down the motion of the bird’s wings, which we think creates a visually pleasing effect,” says Roman. “Slow-motion was the perfect choice for this scene.”

Also filmed using the ultra-compact, super-telephoto zoom lens was a pond scene, which comprises two 4x slow-motion clips. “One shows raindrops and the other captures a shoe splashing into the water,” explains Roman. “The intricate and delicate movements of water make it an exceptional subject for slow motion.”

Twintheworld also made use of the Z6III’s high-res zoom feature to enhance their landscape clips with a stylistic effect. “We often use this technique, especially for static scenes – zooming up to 25% on the 4K footage without compromising visual quality,” says Valentin. “This highlights the exceptional sharpness achieved with the prime lenses paired with the 4K recording resolution, allowing for flexibility without compromising detail.”

Read more: Filming at night with the Nikon Z6III: an advanced guide

Slow-mo techniques

“In slow-motion capture, focusing on fast-moving subjects is crucial,” explains Roman, who advises positioning the subject centrally to ensure that motion details appear more natural. “Also, allowing the subject to occupy most of the frame emphasises its importance and highlights the intricate details of the action.”

Valentin adds that incorporating subtle camera movements into slow motion creates a more dynamic and vivid experience, enhancing depth and immersion: “This is a fundamental principle in filmmaking but is especially effective in slow motion, where slightly faster camera movements relative to the slowed action produce the desired visual impact and prevent the footage from appearing static or flat.”

When it came to composing the frames, the pair were quick to praise the Z6III’s fully articulated touchscreen for its versatility in video capture. As Roman notes, “It allowed us to film scenes close to the ground at a steep angle without the need for an external monitor or kneeling. Additionally, folding the screen inwards offers added protection.”

Selecting settings

“Always capture footage at the highest frame rate your camera can handle, as this keeps the motion silky smooth when you slow it down later and gives you more room to play with,” says Roman, who was impressed by the Z6III’s ability to film up to 4K at 120fps in 8-bit. “We filmed most scenes throughout the video in 4K 50fps 10-bit, which offers the ability to add a 2x slow-motion, but for the 4x slow-motion we used the 4K 120fps 8-bit settings.”

To choose the slow-motion settings, navigate to the video settings and then choose the required frame size and rate, while Video File types are offered as either 12, 10 or 8-bit. “The choice of frame rates and resolution ultimately depends on the subject and desired effect,” reflects Valentin who, for fast actions such as the backflip, used 4K 120fps to achieve a smooth 4x slowdown to highlight the rapid athletic motion. “For more static, detailed scenes like the bird, we used 4K 50fps with 10-bit, which was ideal for preserving subtle textures and lighting. Water scenes also benefited from 4K 120fps to enhance the fast and delicate movements. It’s important when filming slow-mo to select settings that really emphasise the unique qualities of the subject.”

Get some support

Slow motion is unforgiving when it comes to shaky footage, which is why the pair often use a gimbal. But not for this challenge. “By using VR we were able to film the slow-motion sequences freehand, even with the 28-400mm,” says Roman. “While the in-body stabilisation helped us capture the wide-angle clip of the backflip with the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S by providing reliable image stabilisation. Both the VR and IBIS did such a great job for all the filming that we didn’t need a gimbal – everything was filmed handheld using a camera cage.”

Post-production practices

While post-production can cure all manner of ills, the duo advise videographers to aim to get as much right in-camera as possible. “High frame rates reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor, so film in well-lit conditions or increase your lighting set-up to avoid underexposure,” says Valentin. “What’s more, when using the 10-bit recording capability, we had the flexibility to adjust the white balance in post-production, though the camera’s default natural light White Balance setting was highly reliable and often required little to no adjustment.

“The key to refining slow-motion footage is keeping the playback frame rate intact to avoid ruining the flow. If you have filmed at 120fps or higher, you can slow it down 4x while keeping things smooth, but don’t let the playback frame rate go below 24fps, as anything lower makes the footage look choppy.”

When picking music for slow-motion footage, Roman says the key is to match the vibe of the video. “For action sports, we go for energetic and exciting music. With nature videos, it’s more about choosing something moody and atmospheric, dramatic but not over the top. The goal is to have the music flow with the visuals, pulling viewers into the moment without stealing the spotlight.”