Z5 IIvs Nikon Z9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Full-Frame Value — Z5 II (2024): The most accessible full-frame mirrorless — dual card slots, weather sealing, and Nikon colour at a sensible price.
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
Z5 II (2024)
- DSLR photographers making the switch to full-frame mirrorless
- Enthusiasts who want full-frame Z quality at the most accessible price
- Z5 owners wanting significantly improved autofocus and uncropped 4K
- Landscape and portrait photographers stepping up from APS-C
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 z5 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Z5 II (2024) | Nikon Z9 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,299 | £5,499 |
| Sensor | 24.5MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.5MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 4K/30p oversampled, 1080p/120p, N-Log | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 14fps mechanical, 30fps electronic | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | ~470 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 700g body only | 1340g body only |
| Dimensions | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.9mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount (full-frame) | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z5 II | Nikon Z9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
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