Upgrade Guide

Nikon Z6 II→Nikon Nikon Z9

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Nikon

Z6 II

£1699

2020

→

Upgrade to

Nikon

Nikon Z9

£5499 (+£3,800)

2021

✅

Worthwhile

Clear improvements over the Z6 II. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.

What's new in the Nikon Z9

↑

Resolution

46MP vs 24MP (+21MP)
↑

Stabilisation

Improved — 6-stop IBIS
↑

Burst rate

20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG vs 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW)
↑

Battery life

740 shots (CIPA) vs ~410 shots (CIPA)
↑

Generation

1 year newer (2021 vs 2020)

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	Z6 II	Nikon Z9
Price	£1,699	£5,499
Released	2020	2021	↑
Sensor	24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS	45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS
Resolution	24MP	46MP	↑
Video	4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion	8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW
Autofocus	Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking	Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect
Stabilisation	5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses)	6-stop IBIS
Burst Rate	14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW)	20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG	↑
Battery Life	~410 shots (CIPA)	740 shots (CIPA)	↑
Weight	705g (body, battery, card)	1340g body only	↓
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification	0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps
Screen	3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots	3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount	Nikon Z-mount	Nikon Z-mount
Memory Cards	Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II	Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD

Compare side-by-side

See Z6 II and Nikon Z9 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the Nikon Z9 against your specific genres — not just specs.

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