Recently, I had the opportunity to test the new Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. After putting the camera through its paces on multiple shoots, I firmly believe Nikon has truly delivered with the Z9. As a professional sports photographer, I’m very demanding of my equipment and critical when it comes to adding or changing gear. Not only does my camera need to be accurate, fast, and durable, it has to have an ease of use that allows me to concentrate on capturing the moments unfolding before me.
Key Features of the Nikon Z9:
- 45.7MP Stacked CMOS sensor
- EXPEED 7 image processing
- Fast and powerful AF
- 8K/30p video recording
- 4K 120p slow motion video recording
- 10-bit 4K/30p from oversampled 8K
AF Accuracy
I recently shot the camera in both sports and portrait scenarios and came away duly impressed. In fact, I was blown away. The autofocus tracking and “stickiness” is truly incredible. It can track a tennis player hitting a baseline shot, advancing to the net, hitting a half-volley followed by an overhead, and the autofocus never once wavered from the player’s face. The advances Nikon has made with 3D Tracking AF feel like a generational step.
I also challenged the camera’s autofocus by shooting to the side of the tennis player, so that the racquet would briefly cross her face while hitting a backhanded shot. In every case, the AF stuck to her eyes and was not distracted by the passing racket.
I also tested the Nikon Z9 with multiple lenses, including the newly announced NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. The combination works terrifically as a sports pairing. I didn’t use a monopod or other form of support (other than my admittedly non-bodybuilder arms), and even with me bouncing the camera and lens up and down, the AF stayed true to faces and eyes.
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Speed
The Z9 is fast enough to capture anything I need, with FPS options of 20fps (RAW + JPEG), 30fps (full JPEG), and an incredible 120 fps (full-frame, 11mb JPEG). Add to that a buffer that never seems to fill, and I’m happy. At a football game, I could shoot RAW files from when a kick returner catches the ball in the end zone, zigs and zags across the field for a 100-yard touchdown, and I’d still have plenty of buffer for all of the celebration that would follow.
Scientific? Maybe not, but I know what I need my cameras to do and the Z9 can handle it with ease.
Ease of Use
I confess — I love the ergonomics and thoughtfulness of how the menus read and where the particular buttons are located. When I’m in the middle of shooting a game, I don’t have time to think about navigating menus. I can program the camera to review images in the viewfinder by customizing a function button and change AF profiles without lifting my eye from the camera. With the Z9, familiar menus allow me to make changes quickly and without confusion. Everything on the camera has a reason. Everything makes sense.
The electronic shutter means I can make the camera completely silent for situations like golf, weddings, or behind-the-scenes photos where even the slightest shutter noise can be a distraction. In my testing, I found the option of shutter sounds (despite the silence of the electronic shutter) provides valuable feedback. It lets me know when I’m actually shooting photos as the EVF is virtually blackout-free. Without the sounds, sometimes I wouldn’t even know when I’m actually recording an image.
Also, the battery life is solid. One of the new EN-EL18d batteries went an entire day of intensive shooting and still had 2/3 power remaining.
Additionally, can we talk about the new shutter cover? This is such a great addition, especially for shooters like myself who are often changing lenses in the field. By “field” I mean, baseball diamonds with dirt swirling, the side of a horse track, or out in the rain somewhere. This is a brilliant addition for clumsy photographers like myself.
Imaging
I’ve always enjoyed Nikon’s color fidelity and the sharpness of their lenses has always been excellent. The new line of Z lenses takes that to a new level. While shooting photos of a bride, the camera revealed sharpness in her eyelashes that was nothing short of incredible — even with minimal to no post-processing. Colors are true, and there are plenty of options in camera for color balance and the built-in picture controls.
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Bottom Line
There are trade-offs for every piece of equipment. For example, as a sports photographer, I prefer a camera that is fast and nimble at the expense of the highest megapixel count possible. A portrait or landscape photographer might have different needs. Although, they will love this camera too. For needs and the work I do in sports, commercial, and photojournalism, I know the Nikon Z9 will serve me in any situation.
In the heat of a sporting contest — be it a game, match or meet — all that matters to me is if the camera delivers. If the autofocus is tracking, the frames per second are capturing every shot, I never notice the buffer, and I don’t have to think about battery life, then the camera is doing its job. This allows me to see, think creatively, and make photos in the moment — without distraction.
The Nikon Z9 impresses me on all counts and I can’t wait to add it to my camera bag right away.
Update on 11/4/2022
Nikon has released a firmware update for this mirrorless camera which adds support for ATOMOS AirGlu™ BT. The Z 9 Camera can now synchronize timecode wirelessly over Bluetooth (BT) with a range of devices and software applications.
Update on 6/13/2023
Nikon has released its third major update to the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. The firmware 4.0 update includes an Auto Capture option, able to automatically fire the shutter when your preconfigured criteria is met. This can be programmed to fire with a specific motion, recognized subject, or subject distance. Additionally, the pre-shutter-press buffer for the pre-capture mode has been extended from 30 to 300 seconds.
The update also introduces advanced video recording functions. For example, ISO sensitivity can now be set as low as Lo 2.0 (ISO 200) with N-Log recording for an increase in dynamic range. There are also more hi-res zoom speed options and a slow-motion video function. For a full list of new functions with the firmware update, please visit the Nikon website.
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