Nikon formally unveils the 45.7-megapixel Z9 with 8K video and 20 fps burst speeds

Nikon has formally unveiled its new flagship mirrorless digital camera, the $5,500, 45.7-megapixel Z9 with 8K 30p video and as much as 20 fps RAW burst capturing speeds. It is Nikon’s first digital camera to make use of a stacked sensor with in-built reminiscence that permits for very quick readout speeds. In truth, Nikon is so assured within the digital shutter that it has deserted the mechanical shutter completely, so the Z9 is the primary high-end skilled digital camera with out one.

With that high-speed sensor (which has the identical megapixel rely because the Z7 II), the Z9 permits a flash sync of as much as 1/2 hundredth of a second, which seems just like the quickest sync pace ever for an digital shutter. That also needs to make it very proof against rolling shutter, which is essential if the digital camera is for use for sports activities or motion pictures. 

The sooner sensor permits JPEG burst capturing at as much as 30 fps, or RAW pictures at 20 fps. For those who’re prepared to drop right down to 11 megapixels, you possibly can shoot pictures at an astounding 120 fps. As with different stacked sensor cameras, the Nikon Z has a lot improved buffering, letting you seize as much as 1,000 frames without delay with both JPEG or the brand new HE (excessive effectivity) RAW compression algorithms. 

Nikon’s autofocus (AF) system can be all-new, and makes much more in depth use of AI algorithms. Very like Canon’s EOS R3, it might now monitor a variety of topics, together with the eyes, faces and our bodies of individuals, together with canines, cats and birds, planes, trains, bike and bicycles. And in contrast to different AI cameras, there isn’t any want to inform it what you are capturing — the digital camera will determine that out if you happen to set it to “Auto” (or, you possibly can set the topic kind manually). It additionally presents a “3D monitoring” system very similar to you will discover on Nikon’s DSLRs. All of this falls into line with the Z9’s function as a sports activities/motion/wildlife pictures digital camera.

Nikon has additionally improved its in-body stabilization system (which it calls “vibration discount” or VR). Now, it might mix in-body and lens stabilization system for steadier video or fewer blurry pictures. This can solely be accessible with a number of lenses to start with, nevertheless, specifically the Nikkor Z 70-200m F/2.8, Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR and freshly introduced Z 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VR S. 

Video efficiency is equally spectacular, as Nikon teased earlier this 12 months. The Z3 will have the ability to seize 8K at 30p at launch, together with oversampled 4K 30p from an 8K seize that must be extremely sharp. For those who do not thoughts pixel binning or line skipping, it can additionally have the ability to seize 4K at as much as 120 fps.

To begin with, you can seize these codecs at as much as 10-bit with H.264 or H.265 lengthy GOP codecs. On high of that, Nikon is providing the very helpful possibility of capturing video with ProRes 422 HQ compression, which is far simpler to edit straight out of the digital camera. 

Issues will get much more attention-grabbing afterward, although. Nikon plans to introduce a future firmware replace that can allow 12-bit 8K 60fps seize in a brand new, proprietary N-RAW format or utilizing Apple ProRes RAW HQ seize at 4K/60p. Nikon guarantees that you can seize the oversampled 4K/30p for greater than two hours at “regular” temperatures. 

The Z9 has a big pro-style physique with controls about the place you’d count on them, apart from a repositioned play button and AF button close to the entrance. It makes use of twin CFexpress Sort B slots (backward suitable with XQD) for optimum efficiency for video and burst pictures. The brand new giant, EN-EL18d battery is rated for as much as 740 photographs per cost with the LCD, or 700 photographs with the EVF enabled.

It has a 3.69 million dot OLED viewfinder with only a 60 fps refresh fee, however Nikon mentioned that it all the time delivers that pace and by no means downgrades it it doesn’t matter what you are doing. It makes use of a multi-direction rear LCD and never a fully-articulating display, however you possibly can tilt the display up both within the horizontal or vertical configurations.

With the Z9, Nikon has taken a few of the finest facets of Canon’s EOS R3 and the Sony A1 and married them right into a single, giant physique. It falls a bit in need of these fashions by way of capturing pace, and the digital viewfinder is not too spectacular on paper. Nevertheless, Nikon appears to have vaulted forward of each Sony and Canon by way of video specs, significantly when the firmware replace arrives — although we’ll have to attend and see if video autofocus is as much as snuff. The Nikon Z9 will arrive by the top of the 12 months within the US at $5,500 for the physique solely. 

Together with the digital camera, Nikon additionally launched two new apps, NX MobileAir and NX Tether. NX MobileAir permits photographers to transmit pictures to a smartphone at excessive speeds by way of USB cable, then add them over 5G. It additionally helps image-editing capabilities like trimming and IPTC metadata modifying. The NX Tether app, in the meantime, permits for tethered studio capturing so pictures to be tweaked instantly after capturing.

Nikon additionally introduced a pair of zoom lenses, the Nikkor Z 24-120mm F/4 S and Nikkor Z 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 fashions ($1,100 and $2,700 respectively), together with the FTZ II FX lens adapter. As well as, the corporate up to date its Z lens roadmap with a 400mm f/2.8 TC VR mannequin and, down the street, 600mm and 800mm fashions. There isn’t any phrase but on when these will arrive.