As with the , the Z9 is a large, full-frame camera made for in-depth photography. It's one of the first models to use Nikon's new technology, and the camera's large sensor allows it to capture a lot of detail. However, its performance leaves a lot to be desired, as the D810 still reigns as the best for professionals. The Z9 has a list price of US$5,399 (body only) or $6,299 (body and lens kit) body-only at the time of our testing, which is more expensive than the A7R III, Canon's professional-level model. Its lack of professional-level features make it far less attractive than the Canon, even though the Z9 delivers the same image quality.
But it is certainly the least expensive of the Nikon mirrorless models currently on the market. Unfortunately, that difference in price is the best way to compare the Z9 to the D810, as the higher-end camera is significantly more expensive than the Z9. So let's start there.
The camera is built with a nice aluminum alloy body that's light and well-built, with a handgrip on the top to help users hold the camera in their hands. The rear LCD screen has three-way tilting, which is actually more useful than it looks, and it's always large enough for the user to see the current settings. Buttons are placed around the edge of the screen for easy access, and there's a flip-out mic for the built-in stereo microphone and a touchpad on the back to control the camera. The rear LCD screen and buttons are both easily viewable in bright outdoor conditions. It's also slim, measuring around 10mm, which is much slimmer than Nikon's previous model, the Nikon D610.
On the front, there's a 3.2-inch touchscreen with touchscreen recording and touch shutter, a pentamirror with a floating lever for low-light photography, a depth-of-field preview button, and a bright, built-in flash with a pop-up flash on the left side. A prominent logo is on the top of the camera, as is the Nikon logo in its current version. Other places you can see the Nikon logo are on the left side, and the right side of the top plate has a separate flash button and power button.
The Nikon Z9 has many of the same interface options as the Nikon D810,
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