Nikon Z9vs Sigma fp L
Sigma
Sigma fp L (2021)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for High-resolution creative & documentary shooters
View Sigma fp L
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.
High-Resolution Creative & Documentary Shooters — Sigma fp L (2021): 61MP and phase-detect AF in the world's smallest full-frame body — the fp L is the most capable iteration of Sigma's extraordinary compact.
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
Sigma fp L (2021)
- Commercial photographers who want 61MP in the world's smallest full-frame body
- Filmmakers using the fp L as a high-resolution cinema camera
- fp owners who need more resolution for large-format printing
- L-mount photographers who want extreme resolution in an ultra-compact form
Quick take: The sigma fp l has the highest resolution at 61mp; the sigma fp l is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | Sigma fp L (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 61MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 12-bit Cinema DNG RAW, 4K/24p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Phase-detect AF with face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | None (lens-based only) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 18fps electronic |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 427g body only |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 112.6 × 69.9 × 45.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | None (optional clip-on EVF available) |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.15" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Leica L-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | Sigma fp L |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | — |
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