Nikon Z9vs Nikon Zfc
Nikon
Nikon Zfc (2021)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Lifestyle, street & casual shooters
View Nikon Zfc
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Lifestyle, Street & Casual Shooters — Nikon Zfc (2021): Nikon's most beautiful camera — FM2-inspired dials and styling wrapped around a capable modern sensor with Z-mount access.
Who should buy what
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
Nikon Zfc (2021)
- Photographers who want APS-C Z quality in a retro film-camera aesthetic
- Beginners and enthusiasts attracted to tactile dial controls
- Street and travel photographers who want a compact, stylish Z body
- Anyone who wants the Nikon Z system entry point with a distinctive look
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the nikon zfc is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | Nikon Zfc (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £799 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 20.9MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 20.9MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Hybrid phase/contrast AF with subject detection |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | None (lens-based only) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | 300 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 445g body only |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 134.5 × 93.5 × 43.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | 0.39" OLED EVF, 2.36M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Single UHS-I SD |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | Nikon Zfc |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — |
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