NIKONZ 9
ZED’S NOT DEAD!
MIRRORLESS GATECRASHER Nikon finally comes out with a flagship, full-frame
C onsidering Nikon was the first major brand to include video recording in a stills- based camera, it’s taken the company a long time to offer anything close to cutting-edge. As soon as that groundbreaking 720p D90 was introduced in late 2008, Canon parried with the full-frame, Full HD EOS 5 Mark II just a couple of months later. Nikon has always trailed behind. Canon had things all its own way with DSLRs for video. And since the world went to mirrorless for hybrid cameras, Sony and Panasonic have largely ruled the roost along with them. Nikon’s push into full-frame mirrorless kicked off in autumn 2018, with the announcement of two bodies: the full-frame Z 6 and Z 7, plus several lenses. The high-resolution Z 7 was available pretty much at launch, offering plenty of decent video features, while the 24.5-megapixel Z 6 was more for videographers. Mark II versions added further spec, but they were still outgunned by Sony’s stacked sensor in its A9, which made them usable sports and action machines. When this tech came to the Sony A1, which married incredible speed with zero viewfinder lag, plus high-res stills and video, the Nikons – along with pretty much everyone else – looked decidedly sluggish for anything remotely fast-moving. Now, Nikon has licensed Sony’s stacked-sensor technology – just like Canon and Olympus. And while the Olympus is a Micro Four Thirds sensor and the Canon EOS R3 went for lower resolution, Nikon has committed to a do-it-all camera like the more expensive Sony. All-rounder The Z 9 can rattle through fast frame rates at up to 30fps in stills and 120p in 4K, with no viewfinder lag and incredible AF. It’s
SPECIFICATIONS Price: £5299/$5497
beast of a professional camera, ideal for hybrid image creators
Sensor: 45.7-megapixel, full- frame stacked CMOS sensor, 35.9x23.9mm, 8256x5504p Formats: 8KRaw7680x4320 12-bit at 60fps, H.265 4:2:2 10-bit UHD 8K 7680x4320 23.98/25/29.97p, UHD 4K 3840x2160 23.98/25/29.97/ 50/59.94/100/119.88p; ProRes 422HQ 4:2:2 10-bit UHD 4K 3840x2160 23.98/25/29.97p; H.265 4:2:0 8-bit UHD 4K 3840x2160 23.98/25/29.97p; H.264 4:2:0 8-bit UHD 4K 3840x2160 23.98/25/29.97p, Full HD 1920x1080 23.98/25/ 29.97/50/59.94/100/119.88p External recording: UHD 8K 7680x4320 up to 29.97p, UHD 4K 3840x2160 up to 119.88p via HDMI Gamma: HDR, HLG, Nikon Log Image stabiliser: Five-axis sensor shift ISO range: 64-25,600, expandable to 32-102,400 Shutter: Electronic only Shutter speeds: 900secs-1/32,000sec LCD: 3.2in touchscreen, 2.1mdot, four-axis tilting Viewfinder: 0.5in 3.69mdot OLED EVF Autofocus: 493 phase detection points Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-A, USB-C, headphone, mic, Nikon 10-pin, RJ45, GPS Storage: 2x CFexpress Type B/XQD
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
Dimensions (wxhxd): 149x149.5x90.5mm/ 5.9x5.9x3.6in Weight: 1340g/2.9lb body with battery andmemory
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