GH7vs Nikon Z9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Video & Documentary — GH7 (2024): The GH7 is the GH series at its peak — phase-detect AF finally arrived, alongside 5.7K/60p open-gate, C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, and ProRes RAW. A landmark video camera in the Micro Four Thirds format, and the most complete GH Panasonic has ever built.
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
Who should buy what
GH7 (2024)
- Video professionals who want the best MFT camera ever made
- Documentary and event videographers who need reliable AF and great stabilisation
- Hybrid photographers who want high burst rates and serious video in one body
- GH5/GH6 owners ready for a major upgrade
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- Professional sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers
- Nikon D6 or D850 users making the final switch to mirrorless
- Those who need the fastest, most reliable AF Nikon has ever made
- Professionals who need a flagship body with no mechanical shutter
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the gh7 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | GH7 (2024) | Nikon Z9 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,700 | £5,499 |
| Sensor | 25.2MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 25.2MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 5.7K/60p (open gate), C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, ProRes RAW via HDMI | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect + contrast-detect AF with subject recognition | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis Dual I.S. 2 (body + lens) | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 75fps (electronic), 14fps (mechanical) | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | ~370 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 535g (body only) | 1340g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.4 × 102.3 × 91.6mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 3.68M dots, 0.76× | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slot: CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | GH7 | Nikon Z9 |
|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Photojournalism | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history