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Nikon Z6III vs Sony Alpha 9 III

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NikonZ6IIISonyAlpha 9 III
Overview
ReleasedJune 2024January 2024
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typePartially stacked CMOSStacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutter
Sensor dimensions35.9 × 23.9 mm35.6 × 23.8 mm
Effective resolution24.5 MP24.6 MP
Largest image6048 × 40326000 × 4000
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–64000250–25600
Sensor detail26.79 million total pixels; sensor cleaning and image-dust-off reference data for NX Studio; pixel-shift frames require software combination and a static camera/subjectApproximately 25.2 million total pixels; integral memory and global exposure rather than sequential line exposure.
Image formats14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or high-efficiency compression; JPEG and HEIF; RAW plus JPEG or HEIFJPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 5.0 RAW.
ISO detailStandard still-image ISO 100–64000, expandable to equivalent ISO 50–204800; HLG starts at ISO 400. Conventional movie ISO 100–51200 with format-dependent expansion.Standard ISO 250–25600 for stills and movies; stills expand to ISO 125–51200.
Image processorEXPEED 7BIONZ XR with dedicated AI processing unit.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountNikon Z mountSony E-mount
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst120 fps120 fps
Lens detailNIKKOR Z lenses; NIKKOR F lenses require an adapter and retain model-dependent restrictions–
AutofocusHybrid phase/contrast detection; 273 single-point or 299 auto-area positions in FX stills, subject detection and 3D tracking. Nikon's −10 EV sensitivity uses AF-S, ISO 100, f/1.2 and 20°C. Photography Blog's 493-point narrative is not the exact maker specification.Up to 759 still-image or 627 movie phase-detection points; sensitivity EV −5 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100 equivalent. Current UK specification includes automatic subject selection and people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and aircraft; launch reviews precede later firmware enhancements.
ShutterMechanical and electronic front-curtain 1/8000 to 30 seconds; electronic up to 1/16000. Bulb/Time and manual-mode extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200, or 1/60 electronic; electronic shutter does not support Auto FP.–
Burst detailExtended continuous shooting up to 14 fps mechanical or 20 fps electronic. High-speed C15/C30/C60/C120 modes support JPEG pre-release capture; C60 retains full-frame resolution, C120 uses approximately 10.6-megapixel DX JPEGs.Up to 120 fps full-resolution electronic bursts with AF/AE tracking under Sony test conditions; speed depends on lens compatibility and shooting settings. Pre-Capture retains up to one second before full shutter press. No mechanical shutter.
Stabilisation detailFive-axis sensor shift; Nikon claims 8 stops under CIPA using NIKKOR Z 24–120mm f/4 S at the telephoto end in NORMAL mode. Focus Point VR has lens/focus-mode restrictions; electronic movie VR available.Five-axis sensor shift; 8.0-stop CIPA pitch/yaw claim with FE 50mm F1.2 GM and long-exposure noise reduction off. Active and Dynamic Active movie modes supported.
FlashNo built-in flash; ISO 518 accessory shoe and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights–
Exposure controlsAuto, P/S/A/M and user settings; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation–
Video
Highest video resolution6048 × 3402 at 59.94 fps3840 × 2160 at 120 fps
Video detailN-RAW 12-bit 6048 × 3402 up to 59.94p; 4032 × 2268 RAW up to 59.94p and cropped DX 3984 × 2240 up to 119.88p. ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes 422 HQ, H.265 8/10-bit and H.264 have mode-dependent limits. Conventional 5.4K 5376 × 3024 up to 60p; UHD up to 120p with crop at the highest rate; Full HD up to 240p. N-Log, HLG, waveform, timecode and RAW proxy recording. Current maker recording-time limit 125 minutes, subject to temperature, power and media conditions.Up to uncropped 3840 × 2160 120p NTSC or 100p PAL; 4K 60p uses 6K oversampling. Supports 10-bit 4:2:2, S-Log3 and S-Cinetone; All-Intra 4K tops out at 60p. External HDMI RAW output is separate from internal recording.
AudioBuilt-in stereo microphones; PCM 48 kHz/24-bit for NEV/MOV or AAC 48 kHz/16-bit for MP4; external microphone/line input and headphone monitoring–
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3.2″
Screen dots2,100,0002,095,104
TouchscreenYesYes
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailVari-angle TFT with approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixelsFour-axis LCD tilts and opens sideways; approximately 98° up, 40° down, 180° sideways and 270° rotation.
Viewfinder detail0.5-inch UXGA OLED, approximately 5.76 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 21 mm eyepoint; maker maximum brightness 4000 cd/m² and DCI-P3 gamut0.64-inch Quad-XGA OLED with 9437184 dots and approximately 0.90× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable up to 240 fps NTSC or 200 fps PAL.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)410 photographs530 photographs
Body weight670 g617 g
Release detailAnnounced on 17 June 2024; Nikon US states availability in late June. Main retains June 2024 because the exact first UK retail day is unconfirmed.Sony UK announced availability in January 2024; Japan's announcement specifies 26 January. The main date retains UK month precision.
Recording mediaCFexpress Type B/XQD slot and UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slot; overflow, backup and separate format recordingBoth slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.
PortsUSB-C SuperSpeed USB, full-size HDMI Type A, 3.5 mm microphone/line and headphone sockets, accessory terminal for MC-DC2 remote releaseUSB Type-C at 10 Gbps, Multi/Micro USB, full-size HDMI, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0; SnapBridge and Nikon Imaging CloudWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0.
Battery life detailEN-EL15c; CIPA approximately 410 monitor shots with power saving enabled or 390 without; EVF 380 with power saving or 360 without. Tested with NIKKOR Z 24–70mm f/4 S. Movie battery-life claim approximately 100 minutes. EN-EL15b/15a compatibility gives shorter endurance; optional MB-N14 accepts two batteries.NP-FZ100; Sony UK CIPA approximately 530 photographs with LCD or 400 with viewfinder. Japan lists 520/410 respectively. USB Type-C Power Delivery charging and power supported.
ChargingUSB charging and power delivery; optional EH-8P or EH-7P; EN-EL15c/15b rechargeable in camera. Nikon UK states no charger included.–
DimensionsApproximately 138.5 × 101.5 × 74 mmApproximately 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 mm.
Weight detailApproximately 670 g body only or 760 g with battery/card, excluding body cap and shoe coverSony UK specifies approximately 617 g body only or 702 g with battery and memory card; Japan specifies 618/703 g respectively. Main figures use the UK specification.
MaterialsMagnesium alloy and Sereebo material; dust/moisture-resistant construction, maker operating range −10°C to 40°C–
In the boxEN-EL15c, AN-DC26 strap, UC-E25 USB cable, HDMI/USB cable clip, BS-1 shoe cover, DK-29 eyepiece and BF-N1 body capNP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap and eyepiece cup, according to Sony UK.

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