Nikon announces the Z 9 flagship camera

Nikon announced the Z 9, its most advanced flagship camera to date. The Z 9 is a step forward for both Nikon and professional imaging. The mirrorless camera boasts a new 45.7 MP full-frame CMOS sensor designed by Nikon engineers and an ultra-fast EXPEED 7 processor.

It features Nikon’s most sophisticated autofocus system and 3D tracking to date, class-leading video capabilities, an electronic viewfinder display, speeds of up to 120 fps with full auto focus and exposure metering, and more.

Alongside the Z 9, Nikon is also announcing the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S – the first Z series super-telephoto zoom lens – and the Mount Adapter FTZ II, which further improves the usability of the existing Mount Adapter FTZ.

The Z 9 is designed for those pushing the boundaries of photography and video. It is well suited to wildlife, sport and photojournalist professionals demanding exceptional EVF, AF and operability alongside robustness credentials that exceed even the D6. The Z 9 is also relevant to fashion and commercial professionals, who need to bring out their full creativity in high-resolution stills and video, and video creators wanting to achieve quality output in efficient and agile production environments.

“The Z 9 is our most advanced camera ever made. It goes beyond anything that’s out there today,” said Rob Harmon, senior commercial lead, Nikon Northern Europe. “Few cameras genuinely change the ‘game’, this is one of them. With the Z 9’s extraordinary processing, speed, AI-driven technologies and ergonomics, photographers can overcome lighting, subject and environmental challenges like never before. Equipped with the camera’s technical capabilities, professionals will be able to raise their own games to new levels.”

Primary features of the Z 9

AF and tracking performance

The 493-point AF system includes 405 auto-area AF points – five times more than the Z 7 II – while 10 AF-area modes let users optimise their AF setup for any job. Deep-learning AI, meanwhile, powers the most advanced, simultaneous detection of up to nine different subject types. This combines with 3D tracking – a first for Nikon’s mirrorless camera range – to help capture every key moment. From people and their features to animals and vehicles; the Z 9 understands what is being photographed and reacts instantly to changes in subject position, orientation, or velocity.

Video capabilities

The Z 9’s incredible imaging power lets users record exquisite full-frame 8K 24p to 60p and 4K 24p to 120p video and time-lapse movies in-camera. 8K video footage at 30p can be recorded for approximately 125 minutes at a time, the longest duration amongst mirrorless cameras. Furthermore, compatibility with the ProRes 422 HQ recording format which reliably meets the wide range of demands of video production. And an upcoming firmware update will enable the recording of RAW 8K video in ultra-smooth 60p. Full AF/AE and Eye-Detection AF support filming, as Nikon’s new N-RAW format keeps file sizes manageable.

Powerful speed

Capture more than 1,000 frames in full-resolution RAW at 20fps in one burst. It is also possible to shoot up to 120fps at approximately 11 MP in JPEG normal image quality with full AF/AE capability in the new C+ mode. The world’s fastest scan rate virtually does away with rolling-shutter distortion, to such an extent that the mechanical shutter has been removed. Shutter speeds of 1/32000 combine with the camera’s ability to shoot at ISO 64 to deliver incredible depth of field, even in extreme bright-light conditions.

Constant visibility, in real-time

The Z 9 features the brightest (3000-nit) electronic viewfinder display, with dual-stream technology that ensures always-live, black-out free shooting, so that photographers never miss a moment. The Z 9’s display provides a genuinely continuous real-time view, meaning if a subject moves or there’s the slightest change in the scene being photographed, the user will see it.

Ergonomics and robustness

In another first for Nikon, the Z 9 is equipped with a 4-axis vertical and horizontal tilting monitor, allowing photographers to adapt to the moment with fast, flexible framing. Every inch the professional’s tool, the camera’s ergonomics, such as the button layout, have been refined and improved based on input by professional photographers. Its robustness, meanwhile, goes beyond the D6, ensuring users can capture everything even under harsh conditions. A new AF mode button lets users switch AF mode and AF area mode during viewfinder shooting, while the top and rear LCD control panels and key buttons illuminate with a flick of the power switch to easily change settings in the dark

The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S

The fast, sharp and versatile companion to Nikon Z cameras. The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S focuses quickly and quietly to track fast-moving subjects with absolute precision, even if they’re moving erratically. Its 100-400mm telephoto zoom range and superior optical performance deliver exceptional results across a huge range of situations, whether the subject is relatively close or far away. Added to this, the powerful VR performance equivalent to 5.5 stops lets photographers shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds without sacrificing sharpness. Minimum focus distance is just 0.75 m at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, and 0.98 m at full extension.

The Mount Adapter FTZ II

The Mount Adapter FTZ II further improves the usability of the existing Mount Adapter FTZ, through a streamlined design. It supports approximately 360 NIKKOR F lenses from AI type onwards, enabling existing NIKKOR F lenses to be used with Z series cameras. The Mount Adapter FTZ II can be used together with a vertical grip and various video accessories, and allows for the changing of lenses without dismantling the camera from a tripod.

Additional Z 9 Features

• Compact body: 20% smaller than the D6, with a deep grip allowing a secure hold for horizontal and vertical shooting
• Forged from magnesium alloy for the ultimate balance of strength and lightness
• Extensive weather sealing keeps both the camera, Z series lenses and mount adapter s safe whatever the conditions
• Conductive coating creates a magnetic field that actively repels dust particles from the sensor
• A native ISO range of 64 to 25600 (expandable to 32-102400, equivalent) couples with an advanced noise-reduction algorithm and in-camera flicker reduction.