Z 9

Great camera! It's the best Nikon body I've ever used. It's autofocus is incredibly fast and stays locked on. Eye detection is amazing as well! It does everything incredibly well!

Larger then the Z8 but the way it is designed it is extremely easy to hold and use. Perfect addition to the Z8.

My old trusted Nikon DSLR (D850) eventually had to be replaced due to an accident with a gitzo head! still functional Having a large investment with Nikon the choice was the Z8 or Z9. If you work with a good sales person and can get the price down along with some free gear like the FTZII, cards, reader, battery, etc. When added in, I just paid $1K more than the Z8. What a bargain! It offers more shots per battery (700 vs 340) and you have access to more connectivity as well as stable software updates prior to other models.At base iso the Z9 the tonal range benchmark is better than the Canon R3 and Sony A1. I did a full test of the camera in the Seychelle islands last month and it did not disappoint.Everything from Fashion, interiors, landscapes, etc were stunning, reminiscent of Kodachrome.There is a blog on my site, my only concern is the tracking still needs perfecting for difficult subjects with low subject/background contrast (birds and people are easy) which I will test on a safari next year. This and some bugs are all software driven so Nikon can easily fix those in minor updates.All in all very pleased with this purchase!

I am moving to the Z9 from a D850, and I am totally impressed by the focus speed, focus accuracy, and focus tracking of the Z9. I continue to be amazed at how much sharper my pictures look with the Z9. It just locks focus and doesn't let go. It's still early days and I'm still learning more every day, but I am impressed and so glad that I made the move from my beloved D850 to the Z9.

I’m absolutely blown away by the focus tracking on wildlife. It’s so easy to get the best shots possible, it feels like I’m cheating. I’ve been a photographer for 50 years and this camera brings back all the excitement!

I recently switched to the z9 from an a1 and couldn't be happier. I do have a couple of things on my wishlist for Nikon to implement in a future firmware update for added customizability, like the option to turn off individual subject detection modes and be able to only have human and animal active without having vehicle, plane, etc. I'd also like to be able to singularly map subject detection to a custom button to be able to switch between modes or turn it off quickly when it's being more of a hinderance without having to open up the i menu, scroll to it, then scroll again to turn it off. I do have a recall setup to turn it off, but I'd rather just be able to set a custom button to "subject detection' instead. But overall, I'm very happy with the z9 and S lenses. I'm looking forward to pushing this cameras abilities as well as my own photography in the future.

The Zf got me back into photography but I traded that in for the Z9. It's only been a week, but loving it. It reminds me of my F3 with the motor drive.

Having started my photography career shooting news with an FTn, my first foray into digital was with the the "mirrorless" CoolPix 950, then back to the more comfortable territory of DSLRs. The Z9 arrived about the time when I felt it was time to upgrade my D810 and I was getting enough work to move back to their pro line. So I placed my order and got on the months-long waiting list. It was worth it. This is a simply brilliant camera. Over a year into it and I am still discovering features that help my shooting. It has been taking me a lot of work to learn what the Z9 can do and how to make it do it. David Busch's book as well as time in Nikon forums has been helping me along. Because of the level of complexity, at first I found that I could get into a mode that I couldn't find my way out of until I got back to the manual or simply got lucky. Fortunately, I was able to spend a good deal of time doing my own shooting before taking the Z9 on a paid job. Physically, the camera feels just wonderful. I love the fact that the essential controls are at my fingertips shooting horizontally or vertically. I am slowly beginning to make use of the extra function buttons (and greatly appreciate the ones on the Z lenses, but that's for another review). The camera, of course, is a bit weighty, but I found a good slide/sling strap that keeps it comfortable on all-day assignments. The endurance of the single battery is remarkable, as well. The only times I've emptied it on a single assignment was when I was shooting a fair amount of 2K video as well. (Your mileage, of course, will vary.)The Z9 has some very sophisticated networking capabilities, including WiFi and a RJ-45 Ethernet plug. However, the Nikon Transfer desktop and mobile apps are a bit confusing and have a learning curve that I have yet to summit. I believe the mobile app can do some very useful things once I figure it out better.Going mirrorless with the Z9 was easier than I thought. The displays, both viewfinder and rear panel are fantastic. I love having the tilt feature on the back panel so I can get a variety of angles (at 5'8", I need all the height help I can get). The instant picture review is great, but can be easily turned off for shooting sports or any other high-action subject. The object recognition in focus tracking is amazing. I had a field day shooting the birds following a ferry I took on a recent trip to Japan. And, of course, I love shooting airplanes, as well. The Z9 is truly a flagship camera in every respect. (It even has an ideal "escort" body in the lighter weight but similarly capable Z8.) Nikon has gone all-out with the Z9 and it is a camera that makes me quite happy that I've been a Nikon shooter throughout my career.

I bought my first one in June of 2022 and a Z7ii as a back-up. I never felt as comfortable with the Z7ii as I do with the Z9. So, with this trade up event I just bought another Z9 and couldn't be happier. First, ergonomically it feels great and fits in my hands perfectly. Second the controls are just where I'm used to having them. I came from the D700 and D810 and for the most part I don't have to hunt around, which saves time. The construction of the camera feels solid. Auto focus is quick and accurate. LOVE the sensor shield! The available options on other cameras are standard on the Z9, like the GPS and WiFi options. The weight of the camera is more then I'd like, if walking around for long periods, but the quality of the images I get more than make up for that little issue! It took some time to learn the menu, and am still learning, but worth it!