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Nikon Z 9 · Nikon US body-only front press photograph

Nikon Z 9
Photo 1 of 18

Nikon Z 9 · Nikon US body-only front press photograph

Nikon · Nikon Z

Z 9

Released December 2021

A professional full-frame mirrorless camera with a stacked 45.7-megapixel sensor, integrated vertical grip and internal 8.3K RAW video.

Type
Mirrorless
Sensor
Full frame
Megapixels
45.7
Lens
Nikon Z mount
Video
8256 × 4644 at 59.94 fps
Body weight
1160 g

What reviewers say

Both praise the detailed images, reliable subject-tracking autofocus, comfortable dual-grip handling and strong battery performance. They find it a versatile professional tool for stills and video, but note its substantial size and weight and the 20 fps RAW ceiling. Photography Blog finds the viewfinder convincing despite its modest specification and praises effective stabilisation. TechRadar found RAW buffer depth depended strongly on compression and card choice, and preferred RAW detail to the softer default JPEG processing.

From photographyblog.com and techradar.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Image and sensor

Camera type
Mirrorless
Sensor format
Full frame
Sensor type
Stacked backside-illuminated CMOS
Sensor dimensions
35.9 × 23.9 mm
Effective resolution
45.7 MP
Largest image
8256 × 5504
RAW recording
Yes
Standard ISO range
64–25600
Sensor detail
52.37 million total pixels; sensor cleaning, dust-off reference data, protective sensor shield and electro-conductive/fluorine coatings
Image formats
14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or high-efficiency compression; JPEG and RAW plus JPEG
ISO detail
Expandable to equivalent ISO 32–102400; auto ISO available
Image processor
EXPEED 7

Lens and shooting

Lens mount
Nikon Z mount
Stabilisation
Sensor shift
Maximum continuous burst
20 fps
Lens detail
NIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require a mount adapter and retain model-dependent restrictions
Autofocus
Hybrid phase/contrast detection with 493 single-point FX still positions; 3D tracking and subject detection for people, animals and vehicles. Maker sensitivity −6.5 EV or −8.5 EV with Starlight View, measured in AF-S at ISO 100, 20°C and f/1.2.
Shutter
Electronic shutter only, with selectable sound and protective sensor shield; 1/32000 to 30 seconds, Bulb/Time and manual-mode extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200 or 1/250 second with reduced guide number at higher speeds; compatible Auto FP up to 1/8000 may produce horizontal lines.
Burst detail
Continuous high-speed RAW/JPEG up to 20 fps. High-speed C30 provides large full-resolution FX or DX JPEGs and C120 small FX JPEGs (4128 × 2752), with approximately four-second bursts in the linked manual. Firmware 3.00 adds C60 large DX JPEGs, also approximately four seconds; current Japan specs additionally list C15. Pre-release capture supported. These restricted high-speed modes are qualified separately from the main continuous-shooting figure.
Stabilisation detail
Five-axis sensor shift; Synchro VR up to 6 stops with supported VR lenses under Nikon CIPA conditions, including NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S with required lens firmware; electronic movie VR available
Flash
No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe, ISO 519 threaded sync terminal and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights
Exposure controls
P/S/A/M; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation; matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering

Video

Highest video resolution
8256 × 4644 at 59.94 fps
Video detail
With firmware 2.0 or later, internal N-RAW 12-bit 8256 × 4644 up to 59.94p, 5392 × 3032 up to 59.94p and 4128 × 2322 up to 119.88p. Conventional UHD 7680 × 4320 up to 29.97p; UHD 4K and Full HD up to 119.88p. ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes 422 HQ, H.265 8/10-bit and H.264 have format-dependent limits. N-Log/HLG, waveform, timecode and RAW proxies. Nikon's UHD 8K/30p recording-time claim is 125 minutes under specified conditions; launch firmware and the early reviews predate internal RAW video support.
Audio
Built-in stereo microphones; 24-bit PCM recording, external microphone with attenuator and headphone monitoring; AAC used for MP4

Screen and viewfinder

Viewfinder
Electronic
Screen size
3.2″
Screen dots
2,100,000
Touchscreen
Yes
Tilting screen
Yes
Display detail
Four-axis horizontal/vertical tilt, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixels
Viewfinder detail
0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 23 mm eyepoint; blackout-free display with high-frame-rate option

Connections and design

Wi-Fi
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Battery life (maker's claim)
770 photographs
Body weight
1160 g
Release detail
Nikon Japan explicitly records first sale on 24 December 2021; US announcement on 28 October specified availability within 2021. TechRadar's later regional delivery-delay wording does not override the confirmed Japanese first sale.
Recording media
Two CFexpress Type B/XQD slots; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG separation, duplicate JPEG recording and card copying
Ports
USB-C SuperSpeed USB, full-size HDMI Type A, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets, ten-pin remote terminal and threaded flash-sync socket; RJ-45 Ethernet 1000BASE-T/100BASE-TX/10BASE-T
Wireless connections
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; built-in GNSS supports GPS, GLONASS and QZSS with location/time recording and track logs
Battery life detail
EN-EL18d; CIPA monitor approximately 770 shots with power saving or 740 without; EVF 740 with power saving or 700 without. Nikon's separate continuous-shooting test gives approximately 5310 shots; movie battery claim approximately 170 minutes. Earlier EN-EL18-series batteries give fewer shots.
Charging
USB charging/power delivery and MH-33 external charger; optional EH-7P charging supports EN-EL18d/18c/18b, while earlier battery revisions retain restrictions; optional EH-6d with EP-6a power connector
Dimensions
Approximately 149 × 149.5 × 90.5 mm
Weight detail
Approximately 1160 g body only or 1340 g with battery/card, excluding body cap and shoe cover
Materials
Weather-sealed magnesium-alloy body with integrated vertical grip; maker operating range −10°C to 40°C
In the box
EN-EL18d, MH-33 charger, AN-DC24 strap, UC-E24 USB cable, HDMI/USB cable clip, BS-1 shoe cover and BF-N1 body cap; current UK included-accessory tiles also list EH-7P UK adapter

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Full-resolution RAW bursts up to 20 fps with subject tracking
  • Internal 8.3K RAW video up to 60p with updated firmware
  • Dual CFexpress slots, Ethernet and built-in location recording

Cons

  • Integrated vertical grip cannot be removed to reduce bulk
  • 30–120 fps high-speed modes use JPEGs with burst-length restrictions
  • Tilting screen cannot face forward

Closest rivals

Model
TypeSensorMegapixelsLensVideoBody weightReleased
CanonEOS R3
MirrorlessFull frame24.1Canon RF6000 × 3164 at 59.94 fps822 gNov 2021
SonyAlpha 1
MirrorlessFull frame50.1Sony E-mount7680 × 4320 at 30 fps652 gMar 2021
SonyAlpha 7 IV
MirrorlessFull frame33Sony E-mount3840 × 2160 at 60 fps573 gNov 2021

Sources

  1. nikon.co.uk/en_GB/product/cameras/mirrorless/z-9
  2. nikon.co.uk/en_GB/product/cameras/mirrorless/z-9-VOA082AE-gb
  3. nij.nikon.com/products/lineup/mirrorless/z9/spec.html
  4. nij.nikon.com/products/lineup/mirrorless/z9
  5. nikonusa.com/press-room/z-9-wwa
  6. onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/05_shooting_settings_04.html
  7. onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/18_added_functions_300_04.html

Photo: Nikon US body-only front press photograph

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