Nikon Announces Development Of New Z9 Full-Frame Flagship Mirrorless Camera

Nikon has officially revealed that its next full-frame flagship camera, the Z9, is now in development. Along with the announcement, the company also revealed the camera’s design as well as several of its key features.

According to the press release, Nikon markets the Z9 to offer an “unprecedented imaging experience” via a set of “groundbreaking technologies.” These include a newly developed FX-format stacked CMOS sensor and a new image-processing engine, which enables it to record videos at up to 8K resolution – making it the first and only Z-series flagship with the capability to do so.

From the provided concept render, the new camera is shown to sport an integrated grip body  – another first for the Z-series – which allows users to shoot in either landscape and portrait orientation with ease. Most interestingly, the Z9’s form factor appears to be slightly more compact when compared to Nikon’s D-series flagships, which commonly offers integrated grip-styled bodies. However, the company noted that the finalised product may differ from the render provided – although it’s doubtful that the differences will be anything too drastic.

It appears that Nikon will finally bring the fight to Sony’s Alpha 1 and Canon’s EOS R5 mirrorless cameras by including 8K recording capability on the new Z9 flagship. Whether it is able to match up to the competition remains to be seen, especially in terms of internal cooling when recording in high resolution.

Most handheld mirrorless cameras with such capabilities have the tendency to overheat after a certain period of time – with the Sony Alpha 1 claiming to be able to last up to 30 minutes when shooting 8K, while the Canon EOS R5 is able to last approximately 20 minutes before shutting down. In Nikon’s case, the Z9 should at least feature a cooling system that is on par with Sony’s or risk getting overshadowed by its competitors.

Besides that, Nikon did provide any further information regarding the Z9’s specifications. But on the unofficial side of things, website NikonRumors claims to have obtained details of the camera from a supposed reliable source. The site reports that the Nikon Z9 will come with either a 46MP, 50MP or 60MP sensor, an ISO range of 64 – 25,600, 20 fps continuous shooting, two XQD/CFX type B memory card support, a high resolution and blackout-free EVF, as well as a slew of upgrades to its onboard autofocusing, dynamic range and noise reduction features.

The company has yet to reveal when it is planning to fully unveil the upcoming Nikon Z9 full-frame mirrorless camera. NikonRumors, on the other hand, suggests that Nikon will launch the flagship in the fall of 2021 with an expected price tag of US$6,000 (~RM24,744) – US$7,000 (~RM28,868).