Nikon Z9vs KF
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.
Landscape & Outdoor — KF (2022): The Pentax KF is a rare thing — a weather-sealed DSLR with in-body stabilisation and an articulating screen at an accessible price. Video is modest at 1080p/60p, but for outdoor and landscape photographers who prefer optical viewfinders and want real weather sealing, the KF delivers in a format that is increasingly hard to find.
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
KF (2022)
- Outdoor and landscape photographers who want weather sealing at an accessible price
- DSLR users who want IBIS and an articulating screen without switching systems
- Pentax K-mount lens collectors who want a modern body for their glass
- Photographers who prefer the natural feel of an optical viewfinder
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the kf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | KF (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £700 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | SAFOX 13 phase-detect AF with 11 points |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | In-body Shake Reduction (SR II), up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 6fps |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 643g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 131.0 × 101.0 × 76.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | Optical pentamirror, 0.95× magnification, ~100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Pentax KF-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | KF |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Nikon Z9
Camera family history