I am sure you have heard about the exciting Z 9, seen tons of the youtube videos or may even be a lucky one that has tried one in many of the on-going events hosted by Nikon everywhere. It has been a long wait, but at last, it is great to celeberate the return of the king!
Some say it is like the D3 moment that Nikon get many years ago. The popularity and excites surpass even the D850, which was recognized as the pinnacle of DSLR. Having tried one of the early engineering samples, the Z 9 no doubt is a solid, Nikon’s flagship camera that aimed very high and taking a huge leap into the future.
This is the 3rd, single-digit, full-size flagship model I have participated in the launch events throughout my career with Nikon. The first one was the D5 back in 2016 and then the D6 in 2020.
Fast forward to 2021, the launch event in Nikon Asia continued to run in the virtual space due to the pandemic restriction. While I am not the keynote speaker, I’ve worked behind the scene, producing the Livestream for the follow-up, live panel discussion among the six fellow photographers. It’s definitely a challenge working with people connecting online from different countries, from coordinating to communication barrier and et. I am glad we pulled thru and have a great show!
The Z 9 features a brand new stacked sensor unique to Nikon along with the 7th gen EXPEED image processor, bringing a lot of practical and powerful features to the table. The dual-stream technology, fastest scan rate, and parallel processing empower the real-life viewfinder. The unique EVF experience aims to be as natural as possible like an OVF, yet provides benefits in the modern world. Besides completely no blackout, it is always running at full resolution with a smooth refresh rate despite the lower number in the total number of dots and screen refresh rate, it is still one the best EVF you can find, powered by Nikon’s optic prowess.
It is essentially a high-res and high-speed video camera, chunking out frames as a photo where you need it. Capable of shooting 120fps at 4K, this also means the camera outputs 11 megapixels frames at 120fps should your needs for speed arise in C120 mode. When the situation calls for higher definition, switch to the C30 mode, and you’ll get a full 45 megapixels photo from the 8K30p capable machine.
Inheriting many of the DNA Nikon introduced over the years. You’ll get comprehensive auto-focus options and tweaks. The new system can even detect all nine categories of subjects simultaneously and pick one using deep learning technology. This means the user can focus on creating and composing but focuses less on the settings beforehand. Best in class timelapse creation, intuitive menu system and customizable buttons, which the main ones can be illuminated at dark area for easy accessing.
There are so many features to talk about so let me know if there is something you want to find out in detail, I’ll see what I can help.
Otherwise, stay tuned for more sharing in the future when I have more opportunities to shoot with the actual unit.
Last but not least, I will be joining a few fellow photographers in virtual sessions to discuss about the Z 9, there’s one on 20th Nov. Free-for-all, 8pm Siingapore time. All are welcomed!