Nikon Z9vs ZV-E10
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.
Vlogging & Video — ZV-E10 (2021): Purpose-built for video creators — real-time Eye AF, flip screen, and excellent 4K at a wallet-friendly price.
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
ZV-E10 (2021)
- Vloggers and content creators wanting interchangeable lenses on a budget
- Beginners moving up from a smartphone who want a proper camera for video
- YouTubers who need a lightweight APS-C camera with a flip screen
- ZV-1 owners who want the flexibility of swappable lenses
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the zv-e10 is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | ZV-E10 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £399 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Phase-detect, 425 points, Real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | None (use OIS lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 11fps |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~440 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 343g body only |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 115.2 × 64.2 × 44.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | None |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-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-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic input, micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | ZV-E10 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — |
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