Nikon Z9vs A7R IV
VS
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, Studio, Commercial — A7R IV (2019): 61MP in a mirrorless body — the resolution benchmark.
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
A7R IV (2019)
- Landscape photographers who print large
- Studio shooters needing maximum detail
Quick take: The a7r iv has the highest resolution at 61mp; the a7r iv is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A7R IV (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K 30fps |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | 567-point phase-detect, real-time tracking |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 10fps |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | 670 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 665g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF 0.78× 5.76M-dot |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.44M-dot |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | 2× SD UHS-II / CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, USB-C 3.2 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | A7R IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | — |
More comparisons with Nikon Z9
Camera family history