So far, so good... A little learning curve from the D5, but awesome features that are making a positive difference in my shooting style. As an NPS member and working professionally since the beginning, it's the perfect tool for my needs. I've seen a lot of advancement in five decades of Nikon and have been able to take advantage of the new technologies as they emerge. I'm in awe of the 20 frames per second and processing speed. Life is good with the Z9.

Graduating from the Z6ii and the Z6 to the Z9 has been transformative. The focusing and tracking system are spot on, sharp and flawless. As a sports photographer the number of “missed shots” is vastly reduced, powerful and beautifully built. Simply the best purchase I’ve made in years.

The future has arrived. It took only one indoor sporting event with my Z9 and Z 70-200 to finalize my switch from DSLR to Mirrorless. The 20 fps allowed me to capture great action shots and at the end of the day after approximately 2000 shots my keeper rate went up due to the excellent focusing system. This new flagship camera is clearly the best Nikon ever. I highly recommend it!

Just wow! I have been a Nikon shooter since the D90, and have leveraged a dozen bodies including the D850, Z7, and Z7II for over a million images. This Z9 is a breakthrough in professional photography gear and is the first camera that has replaced my D850 as my top-of-the-shelf choice for high resolution action photography. The auto focus is flat stunning, and the imagery is amazing. Thank you Nikon for the engineering of this marvel of a camera. I cannot recommend this more - when combined with native Z glass, it’s the best system in the industry. Nikon is back in a major way (they never actually left). The engineering team deserves all the kudos in the world.

I have been waiting for the mirrorless to replace my DSLRs. The Z9 to me is the best of the D6 & D850 combined, plus all the benefits of mirrorless. I love the GPS being built in as well as Wifi and Bluetooth.I have used it in shooting sports, studio and some event work. For all of those situations I never felt like I was missing something that I could do before. What I am seeing is I lost nothing and have gained so much in capabilities.I will be doing some video projects with it soon, but already can see major benefits of this over any other Nikon camera when it comes to video.

Would have given it 5 stars if the low light performance was better-both focusing in low light and high iso image quality aren't what I expected

As a full time working pro coming off of a D6, I had been very hesitant to finally make the switch to mirrorless largely due to the pared down size, ergonomics, smaller battery, etc. I received my Z9 a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely couldn't be happier - truly blown away by this camera. It's a huge upgrade in every regard and the Z lenses are stellar as well. I love the additional programmable rings - they help my work flow in intense situations where timing is critical, allowing me to make quick exposure adjustments without taking my eye off the subject. All in all I'm stoked that I finally took the dive on mirrorless, where Nikon is now clearly leading the industry.-Ian Collins

Today I want to talk about the Z9. So as most of you know I am one of those who are lucky enough to get two Z9's on December 23rd. Since then I have been putting this body to the test, from tracking a very fast bird like the kingfisher to the slowest animal like the Nutria. One of the things I noticed during the first week while using the Z9 is that while tracking small subjects in a dark shadow area, your exposure has to be on point, otherwise the Z9 will drop focus. Second, if you are tracking a small and fast object, it is best to use AF- Wide- Small and Enable 3d Animal tracking (please do not use auto-tracking mode, this will confuse the camera therefore acquiring focus will be slower). Just like any other camera system, the Z9 is not yet complete nor perfected. Especially if you're only using 3D tracking, thinking you will nail the shot by just pointing your lens in the direction of the subject and the Z9 will do the rest. Well, I'm sorry to tell you, that is not going to happen. The Z9 has improved amazingly compared to its previous models, but that doesn't mean you can rely solely on it to do all the work for you. Besides, where is the fun in that? If an "amazing picture" is all you care about, then maybe the Z9 is not meant for you. I have used Nikon for over 10 years and have tried many other systems including A1 and R5. Every system has had its pros and cons, nothing is really perfect. That being said, you need to pick the system that is your best fit. For me, the Z9 is my perfect fit. It is like the D6 and D850 combined-on steroids. I was shooting fine without the 3D tracking feature before and I was able to get great shots, so don't let that steer you away from experiencing this amazing machine. But please understand your gear; learning and owning it instead of depending on it. Recently, I have taken this Z9 up North to chase after the famous Great Gray Owl, just to see how the camera handles -20 degrees with 30 mph wind environments. Needless to say, the camera held up well, but I was the one unable to handle extreme temperatures. Even with the new battery EN - EL 18D, the constant tracking and brutal weather made it difficult to last through the day. With that in mind, I was still able to get 1,300 shots out of it. Some helpful tips: try not to review your photos too much and make sure to turn on airplane mode.Z9 with FTZ ii Nikon 600f4 FL with 1.4 T.C ver3

Lived up to all the hype. Sill learning how to use, but off the top, af is better than expected, color is right on. I'm using prograde 128, burst 131 before slowing. Low light was incredible.Had it for 2 days, still learning. The feel of the this camera is flawless and comfortable.