{"id":736,"date":"2022-08-20T00:20:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T00:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=736"},"modified":"2022-08-20T00:20:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T00:20:05","slug":"nikon-z9-review-a-versatile-camera-with-solid-8k-video-recording","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=736","title":{"rendered":"Nikon Z9 review: A versatile camera with solid 8K video recording"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='booster-block booster-read-block'><\/div><p>iThis content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here, then reload the page to see it.<\/p>\n<p>With Sony and Canon dominating headlines, Nikon has been the forgotten company in the mirrorless race. That\u2019s set to change, though, with the launch of the Nikon<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"Mb(0) Mt(-10px) Fz(24px) Fz(20px)--sm Fz(20px)--md Fw(b) Mb(10px)\">Pros<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"P(0) C(engadgetFontDarkGray)\">\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\">Fast shooting speeds<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> High resolution<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> Reliable autofocus<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> Good handling<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> No-compromise 8K video.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"Mb(0) Mt(-10px) Fz(24px) Fz(20px)--sm Fz(20px)--md Fw(b) Mb(10px)\">Cons<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"P(0) C(engadgetFontDarkGray)\">\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\">No flip-out display<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> High price<\/li>\n<li class=\"Fz(16px) Mt(0)\"> Key features not yet available<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Z9 is not without some flaws, though. It\u2019s quite heavy compared to rival models like $5,500 for the body only, it\u2019s quite expensive \u2014 let\u2019s see how it measures up to the competition.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"designandhandling\">Design and handling<\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>The Z9 is, honestly, a chunky camera. It weighs around 1,340 grams, or just 60 grams less than Nikon\u2019s D6 DSLR. By contrast, the Panasonic\u2019s latest cameras, the menu system is a bit too complicated. Rather than dividing things into subcategories, you have to scroll down for a while on certain menus to find what you need. Your best bet to avoid any hassle is to program the custom menus and buttons to do what you need.<\/p>\n<p>With 2.09 million dots, the 3.2-inch touchscreen is relatively sharp and bright, but there are a few drawbacks. As mentioned, it only tilts up and out to the right, so self-shooting or vlogging is impossible unless you have an external display. Sony\u2019s A1 also lacked a fully articulating display, but Canon has finally included one in its professional EOS R3 model.<\/p>\n<p>The EVF\u2019s resolution is a bit disappointing for a camera this expensive, at just 3.69 million dots, compared to 9.44 million on the Sony A1. Considering the high-res sensor, that seems like a miss. On the plus side, it uses \u201cexpensive than SD cards.<\/p>\n<p>Other features include a huge EN-EL18D battery that delivers a solid 740 shots on a charge and over two hours of 4K video, as well as backward compatibility with D6 and other Nikon pro DSLR batteries. It also comes with a USB-C 3.2 slot for both transfers and storage, mic and headphone jacks, an Ethernet port for remote shooting and a full-sized HDMI jack. While the Z9 doesn\u2019t have a mechanical shutter, it does have a cover to protect the sensor when you change lenses.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"performance\">Performance<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption><\/figcaption>Steve Dent\/Engadget<\/figure>\n<p>The Z9 is Nikon\u2019s fastest mirrorless camera to date. You can shoot up to 20 RAW frames per second at full resolution, 30 JPEGs or a blindingly-fast 120 JPEGS per second at a lower11-MP resolution. Again, all of those speeds are in electronic shutter mode, because there\u2019s no mechanical shutter. You can, of course, shoot in silent mode, or activate a simulated shutter sound if you really need to hear that \u201cclick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s fast, but I managed just 40 lossless RAW photos with a very fast CFexpress card before the buffer filled. If you\u2019re fine using the lossy \u201chigh-efficiency\u201d modes, however, you can shoot anywhere from 70 to nearly infinite photos without stopping.<\/p>\n<p>The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is a big improvement over the last model, too. Nikon has brought 3D tracking over from its DSLRs, but it\u2019s far better in the Z9 because it has 493 AF tracking points, far more than the others have.<\/p>\n<p>It delivers very reliable subject tracking most of the time. Normally, you just set the tracking point on an athlete or other fast-moving subject, and the AF will keep them in focus. Occasionally, it will drop the subject and focus on the background or something else, particularly with birds or other fast objects. In general, it works as well or nearly as well as the subject-tracking AF on Sony\u2019s latest A1 and A7 IV models.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption><\/figcaption>Steve Dent\/Engadget<\/figure>\n<p>The new face, eye, vehicle and animal detection is incredibly fast and accurate as well, even if the subject is a good distance away. In fact, the Z9 can recognize nine types of subjects automatically: human eyes, faces, heads and upper bodies; animal eyes, heads and bodies; and cars, planes, trains and motorbikes. I didn\u2019t have a chance to test all of those, but for several different subjects, even at high burst speeds, most of my shots were in focus.<\/p>\n<p>With no mechanical shutter, fast readout speeds are key to reducing skew and other issues. Happily, the Z9\u2019s stacked, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor is up to the job. I never saw any rolling shutter unless I really whipped the camera around. So even for sports or bird photography, you\u2019re not likely to see any issues.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the 5-axis in-body stabilization reduces blurry shots due to camera movement or hand shake. The six stops of shake reduction are well below the Canon EOS R3\u2019s 8 stops, however.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"imagequality\">Image quality<\/h2>\n<h2>Gallery: Nikon Z9 review sample images | 34 Photos<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"slides\">\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>                        <button class=\"prev-btn\" aria-label=\"Previous Button\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button><br \/>\n                        <button class=\"next-btn\" aria-label=\"Next Button\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button><\/p>\n<p>                        \/34<\/p>\n<p>                .wafer-lightbox-content {<br \/>\n                    height: 100%;<br \/>\n                    max-width: 80%;<br \/>\n                    display: flex;<br \/>\n                    margin: 0 auto;<br \/>\n                    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n                    align-items: center;<br \/>\n                }<\/p>\n<p>                .wafer-lightbox-overlay {<br \/>\n                    z-index: 5001;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox {<br \/>\n                    outline: none;<br \/>\n                    width: 100%;<br \/>\n                    max-height: 100%;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox ul {<br \/>\n                    list-style-type: none;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox img {<br \/>\n                    border: none;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview {<br \/>\n                    width: 100%;<br \/>\n                    position: relative;<br \/>\n                    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .slides {<br \/>\n                    white-space: nowrap;<br \/>\n                    overflow: auto;<br \/>\n                    display: flex;<br \/>\n                    margin: 0;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview li {<br \/>\n                    display: inline-block;<br \/>\n                    white-space: normal;<br \/>\n                    zoom: 1;<br \/>\n                    padding: 0;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview li:before {<br \/>\n                    display: none;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .content {<br \/>\n                    display: flex;<br \/>\n                    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n                    align-items: center;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .content img {<br \/>\n                    max-height: calc(80vh &#8211; 60px);<br \/>\n                    max-width: 100%;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .pagination .prev-btn {<br \/>\n                    position: absolute;<br \/>\n                    left: 0;<br \/>\n                    top: calc(50% &#8211; 30px); \/* 50% minus half the defined height = middle *\/<br \/>\n                    border: none;<br \/>\n                    border-radius: 50%;<br \/>\n                    width: 60px;<br \/>\n                    height: 60px;<br \/>\n                    outline: none;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .pagination .next-btn {<br \/>\n                    position: absolute;<br \/>\n                    right: 0;<br \/>\n                    top: calc(50% &#8211; 30px); \/* 50% minus half the defined height = middle *\/<br \/>\n                    border: none;<br \/>\n                    border-radius: 50%;<br \/>\n                    width: 60px;<br \/>\n                    height: 60px;<br \/>\n                    outline: none;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .indicators {<br \/>\n                    font-size: 14px !important;<br \/>\n                    font-weight: bold;<br \/>\n                    text-align: right;<br \/>\n                    color: white;<br \/>\n                    margin-top: 10px;<br \/>\n                }<br \/>\n                .article-lightbox .scrollview .indicators svg {<br \/>\n                    vertical-align: middle;<br \/>\n                    fill: white;<br \/>\n                }<\/p>\n<p>                    <button aria-label=\"Close\" style=\"border:0;cursor:pointer;background:none;padding:10px\" class=\"wafer-lightbox-close\"><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/button><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: white\">Gallery: Nikon Z9 review sample images | 34 Photos<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"slides\">\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>                            <button class=\"prev-btn\" aria-label=\"Previous button\"><\/p>\n<p>                            <\/button><br \/>\n                            <button class=\"next-btn\" aria-label=\"Next button\"><\/p>\n<p>                            <\/button><\/p>\n<p>                            \/34<\/p>\n<p>With 45.7 megapixels on tap, the Z9 delivers sharp images with very high dynamic range. In fact, next to all rivals, it\u2019s second only to Nikon\u2019s own Z7 II, which is the current dynamic range champion and packs a similar sensor. All RAW images are now captured with 14-bit color depth, giving you plenty of room to tweak them in Adobe Lightroom or Nikon\u2019s NX Studio.<\/p>\n<p>Color accuracy is better than I\u2019ve seen on previous models, possibly thanks to the Nikon Z9\u2019s new Expeed 7 processor that brings improvements to white balance. However, skin tones aren\u2019t quite as warm as with Canon\u2019s R3 or R5. JPEG images look nice straight out of the camera, though they can be slightly over-sharpened with the default settings.<\/p>\n<p>The Z9 has a wide ISO range of 64-25,600, expandable to 32-102,400. The low 64 setting is nice to have in bright sunlight if you want to avoid completely closing down the iris (which can hurt image quality). It performs pretty well in low-light, too. Grain is well-controlled up to about ISO 6,400, and shots are usable at ISO 12,800. Beyond that, noise starts to get distracting. The Z9 is about the same as Sony\u2019s A7R IV or A1.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"Pos(r) Mx(0) My(0)\">\n<\/figure>\n<figure><figcaption>\n                                                Image Credit: Steve Dent\/Engadget<br \/>\n                                            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"video\">Video<\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>The Z9 is Nikon\u2019s most competent video camera to date, and by far. For starters, it can record 8K H.265 for up to two hours without any overheating or other issues. That\u2019s something Canon\u2019s smaller EOS R5 can\u2019t do, though it is $1,600 cheaper. The Z9 can shoot very sharp 4K at up to 30 fps by oversampling the full width of the sensor, and up to 120 fps with continuous autofocus and sound.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, you can record 4K using ProRes 4:2:2 HQ, a widely used format that creates large files, but is easy to edit. It also records in H.265 10-bit mode for 8K and 4K video. Meanwhile, Nikon\u2019s N-Log mode lets you max out dynamic range, so you can easily adjust shadows and highlights when editing.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s more to come, though. In a future firmware update, Nikon will offer 8K 60p internal RAW video using a format called Sony\u2019s A7 IV) thanks to the extremely fast sensor readout speeds. It\u2019s not even really noticeable unless you whip-pan the camera or have a fast-moving subject.<\/p>\n<p>8K and 4K oversampled video is extremely sharp. Quality drops a hair at the higher frame rate 4K settings, when pixel-binning kicks in, but it\u2019s nothing you\u2019d notice unless you\u2019re looking for it. Colors are accurate, but again, skin tones aren\u2019t quite as pretty as on Canon\u2019s latest models.<\/p>\n<p>Dynamic range is also top notch, particularly in the 400-800 ISO range in ProRes mode, making it easy to adjust shadows and highlights in post. If you love shooting ProRes footage, be sure to get some high-capacity CFexpress cards, because the file sizes can get huge; they take around 132GB for 10 minutes of 4K 60p ProRes HQ footage.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wrapup\">Wrap-up<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption><\/figcaption>Steve Dent\/Engadget<\/figure>\n<p>The Z9 is Nikon\u2019s most versatile and powerful mirrorless camera yet, and the lack of a mechanical shutter is a non-issue. It\u2019s particularly strong for video, and will be a powerhouse once the RAW video firmware update arrives. However, Nikon\u2019s decision to not use a fully articulating screen is a shame, considering all this awesome video capability.<\/p>\n<p>The Z9\u2019s main rival is Sony\u2019s $6,500 A1, which offers similar shooting speeds, resolution and video capabilities. The Z9 is $1,000 cheaper and will (eventually) have higher 8K frame rates with the upcoming firmware update. However, your choice may come down to whether you prefer Sony or Nikon\u2019s camera systems.<\/p>\n<p>Another option is Canon\u2019s $6,000 EOS R3. With just a 24-MP sensor, though, it\u2019s designed primarily for sports, so it\u2019s not ideal for studio or landscape work. Overall, the Z9 is a great choice for pros who don\u2019t want to compromise on any kind of shooting, whether that\u2019s photos or video.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>iThis content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here, then reload the page to see it. With Sony and Canon dominating headlines, Nikon has been the forgotten company in the mirrorless race. That\u2019s set to change, though, with the launch of the Nikon Pros Fast shooting speeds High resolution Reliable [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[923,924,920,918,65,922,917,921,79,919],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}