Nikon Z9vs A7C II
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.
Full-Frame Hybrid — A7C II (2023): Full-frame AI autofocus in the most compact body available — the best camera under £1,500 for hybrid shooters.
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
A7C II (2023)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact body
- Hybrid shooters who need full-frame video and IBIS in a small package
- A7C owners looking for a significant AF and video upgrade
- Portrait and wedding photographers who want a discreet full-frame backup
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the a7c ii is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A7C II (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £1,499 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 33MP Full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/60p oversampled, S-Log3, 10-bit internal |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 7.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 514g body only |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual slots: SD UHS-II + CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C (3.2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | A7C II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
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