Upgrade Guide
Nikon Z7 II→Nikon Nikon Z9
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the Z7 II. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the Nikon Z9
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StabilisationImproved — 6-stop IBIS
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Burst rate20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG vs 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic
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Battery life740 shots (CIPA) vs ~420 shots (CIPA)
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Generation1 year newer (2021 vs 2020)
Unchanged or similar
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ResolutionSimilar (46MP)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z7 II | Nikon Z9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | — | ||
| Travel | -3.0 | ||
| Wildlife | +5.0 | ||
| Video | — | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Photojournalism | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Landscape | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | Z7 II | Nikon Z9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,699 | £5,499 | |
| Released | 2020 | 2021 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 45.7MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | |
| Resolution | 46MP | 46MP | |
| Video | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 493 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 | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~420 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
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