Review: A closer look at the Nikon Z9

The Nikon Z9 is a professional mirrorless camera equipped with a 45.4-megapixel full-frame sensor. It’s exposed from the rear and, as a stacked sensor, also has an additional DRAM cache—so, the image converter can be read out faster than conventional sensors. This enables higher frame rates and the use of the electronic shutter without disturbing distortions in moving subjects. On the Z9, therefore, Nikon completely removed any mechanical shutter function.

At full resolution, the Nikon Z9 can shoot up to 20 RAWs or 30 JPEGs per second. If you need even higher frame rates, you can switch to the C120 mode. While the resolution drops to just under 11 megapixels, the frame rate increases to an impressive 120 photos per second. The camera has two type B CFexpress card slots, which guarantee long series of shots. When using fast memory cards, you can capture 245 RAWs in succession at the highest possible frame rate.

The Nikon Z9 also features in-body image stabilisation on five axes, so you won’t need stabilised optics. Plus, the sensor’s 493 focus points allow for lightning-fast focusing in as little as 0.12 seconds. You can track moving subjects optimally thanks to the camera's Hybrid autofocus. And the camera's ‘scene recognition system’ automatically recognises people, animals and vehicles.

The Nikon Z9 is adept at shooting video too. At the moment, you can shoot in 8K resolution at up to 30 full-frames-per-second. Later in 2022, a firmware update will enable you to shoot up to 60 full FPS and record RAW videos with full sensor width and 8K resolution. If you love slow motion in 4k or 1080, you’ll be able to record up to 120 full FPS.

In terms of image quality, the Nikon Z9 delivers excellent results in both stills and video. Thanks to the sensor’s high resolution, the images show a lot of detail. Poster-size prints are no problem. Despite the high pixel density of the image converter, the camera’s noise levels are pretty low. If you’re shooting at ISO 1,600, you’ll have no restrictions. And, at ISO 6,400, you’ll still be okay there too.

For image control, there is an electronic viewfinder with 3.69 million subpixels and a 2.1 million subpixel LCD, which you can move on three axes. The camera’s overall package is complemented by a particularly robust housing with seals, controls and configuration options. The permanently-installed battery grip ensures a high level of comfort while providing an extra 3,300mAh of power for longer shoots.  At 1.4kg [49.4oz], the Nikon Z 9 certainly isn’t the lightest or the smallest camera around, but its high-level performance and features mean that its weight is definitely worth carrying around with you.

Images shot on the Nikon Z9 by Jen Pottheiser. You can see more of Jen’s work on Instagram @pottheiser.

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