Nikon's Z9 flagship is a 45-megapixel speed demon that shoots 8K video without overheating

The day has come: the Nikon Z9 has just been officially announced. After a few teaser videos and even a leak from no other than Nikon itself, we finally have complete information about the company’s latest flagship camera.

The Z9 is a full-frame camera with a 35.9 x 23.9 mm 45MP CMOS sensor. The number of effective pixels is 45.71 million pixels, and the ISO ranges between 64 and 25600. The extended ISO range goes between 32 and 102400).

As mentioned in some earlier rumors, the Z9 shoots 8K at 30 frames per second. In ideal conditions (at 23°C/73.4°F), you get two hours and fine minutes straight without the risk of overheating. If you shoot at lower resolutions, you can go up to 120p, starting from 4K.

As far as continuous shooting goes, the rumors are true: the Nikon Z9 is capable of burst shooting at 20fps with the electronic shutter when shooting RAW. You can shoot up to 30 fps if you shoot JPG, and go up to 120fps in a lower resolution of 11MP.

The Z9 uses hybrid AF (phase-difference AF and contrast AF), with AF auxiliary light. Like earlier models, it comes with eye detection, detecting both human and animal eyes. There’s also brand new smart focusing: it relies on deep learning and it recognizes different kinds of subjects in your photos: humans, cats, dogs, birds, cars, and so on. The Z9 has 3D focus tracking, which is the first time for this feature to appear in a Nikon’s mirrorless model. The camera packs 5-axis in-body image stabilization using the image sensor shift method.

The latest Nikon Z flagship camera comes with a design change that we could have seen in the first teaser. It has a dual-tilting display that you can rotate in the horizontal and vertical direction. However, you can’t turn it into a front-facing LCD screen. The ergonomics have been adjusted to make vertical shooting more comfortable and convenient. Another important note about the physical traits: yes, it does have a dual card slot.

Here are the full specs and some photos:

Imaging
Lens Mount	Nikon Z
Sensor Type	Full-Frame CMOS
Sensor Resolution	Effective: 45.7 Megapixel
Crop Factor	None
Aspect Ratio	1970-01-01 03:02:00
Image File Format	JPEG, Raw
Bit Depth	14-Bit
Image Stabilization	Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis
Exposure Control
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 64 to 25600 (Extended: 32 to 102400)
Shutter Speed	Electronic Shutter
	1/32000 to 0 Second
Exposure Modes	Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority
Continuous Shooting	Electronic Shutter
	Up to 20 fps at 45.7 MP for up to 1000 Frames (Raw)
	Up to 30 fps at 45.7 MP
	Up to 120 fps at 11 MP
Interval Recording	Yes
Self-Timer	2/10-Second Delay
Video
Recording Modes	H.265 4:2:2 10-Bit
	UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p
	UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p
External Recording Modes	UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)
Recording Limit	Up to 125 Minutes for UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 29.97p(4:2:2 10-Bit)
Video Encoding	NTSC/PAL
Audio Recording	Built-In Microphone (Stereo)
	External Microphone Input (Stereo)
Audio File Format	Linear PCM
Focus
Focus Type	Auto and Manual Focus
Focus Mode	Continuous-Servo AF (C), Manual Focus (M), Single-Servo AF (S)
Autofocus Points	Phase Detection: 493
Autofocus Sensitivity	-8.5 to +20 EV
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type	Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage	1
Monitor
Size	3.2"
Display Type	Free-Angle Tilting Touchscreen LCD
Flash
Built-In Flash	No
Maximum Sync Speed	1/200 Second
Dedicated Flash System	iTTL
External Flash Connection	Hot Shoe, PC Terminal
Interface
Media/Memory Card Slot	Dual Slot: CFexpress Type B / XQD
Connectivity	USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), HDMI A (Full Size), RJ45, 3.5mm Headphone, 3.5mm Microphone, PC Sync Socket, Nikon 10-Pin
Wireless	Bluetooth
	Wi-Fi
GPS	Yes
Physical
Battery	1 x EN-EL18d Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 10.8 VDC, 3300 mAh (Approx. 700 Shots)
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Not Specified by Manufacturer
Weight	Not Specified by Manufacturer