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Nikon’s Powerful Z9 Helps You Focus on Pictures, Not Specs
Forget about the camera and focus on the pictures
By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on November 1, 2021 01:00PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Key Takeaways
The Z9 may be Nikon’s best digital camera yet.High-end features are not essential, but help you forget the camera and focus on the pictures. The Z9 is so fast, it doesn’t even need a physical shutter. Nikon Nikon's comeback camera, the $5,500 Z9, is insanely powerful, packed with features that might seem like esoteric overkill. And yet pro photographers apparently need them. Just how do they make use of all those high-end capabilities? Cameras like the Z9 pack in an almost absurd array of options and powerful tools. A camera is no longer a simple box and lens, with a shutter to let the light in. It's a full-fledged computer (and in the case of the Z9, it doesn't even have a physical shutter), with all the complexity that brings. So how do pros make use of these options, and does anyone need them? "The implicit promise made by modern camera systems with these incredible spec sheets is: what was previously impossible is now possible," professional photographer and artist Henry Detweiler told Lifewire via email. "And while that is extremely seductive, outside of really specific use cases, the majority of these specs will not be particularly useful for most photographers, most of the time." Finally
DSLRs are essentially film cameras retrofitted to use a digital sensor instead of film. They're a lot more than that now, of course, but the basic design remains. It wasn't until the recent rise of mirrorless cameras, designed from scratch around digital principles, that cameras really leaped forward. Mirrorless cameras ditch the flip-up mirror that reflects the lens's image up into the viewfinder and replaces it with a live connection directly from the sensor to the viewfinder screen. It looked like Nikon had completely missed the mirrorless party, overtaken by Sony, then Canon, and then almost everyone else. But here it is, fashionably late, wowing absolutely everyone. "Nikon has released what is without a doubt the most impressive camera that has ever been made," wrote PetaPixel's Jaron Schneider. What Does It Do
Ok, so let's talk specs. But rather than list all those features, let's dig into a few and see how they may benefit a photographer. A camera must do a few things to capture an image. It has to focus, set the exposure, and then snap the image. Focusing is tricky because the camera not only has to lock on, it has to know what it should lock on. The Z9 can detect people, eyes, animals, airplanes, cars, motorbikes, and more. All the kinds of subjects that move fast. This is handy for grabbing shots of active kids, but for pros, if the eyes, or the ball, aren't in focus in a sports shot, they're not getting paid. Equally handy is the Z9's low-light capabilities. It can focus down to -8.5 EV, which means "in the dark." That means candid wedding shots in dark churches, the perfect focus at unrepeatable news events, and so on. Nikon Then there's the Z9's speed. It has no physical shutter because it doesn't need one. Instead, it just scans the data off the sensor at the moment of capture. This lets it capture full RAW files at 20 frames per second, and it can pump through 1,000 frames before it has to slow down and empty its buffer. Again, not essential, but for the pro, very handy. You can shoot as much and as fast as you'd like, and the camera will pretty much never, ever have to take a breather. We're seeing a pattern here. While it's perfectly possible to take any photo with a basic all-manual camera—most historically great photos were snapped on film, with manual focus and manual exposure—these added conveniences make it far easier to capture pictures instead of worrying about the tools. You'll never miss an image because the camera wasn't capable or ready. "Sensor stabilization, and the greater usable ISO range available on newer systems, has made more extreme shooting conditions more forgiving," says Detweiler. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Nikon Z7 Review: A Top-Tier Mirrorless That Gets Nearly Everything Right What Is a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) Camera How to Use the iPhone Camera What Is a Digital Camera Viewfinder? What Is Burst Mode and How to Use It Mirrorless Cameras vs. DSLR Cameras The 8 Best Wi-Fi Cameras of 2022 Nikon COOLPIX P1000 Review: The World's Most Extreme Superzoom The 7 Best Large Resolution Cameras of 2022 The 6 Best Canon Cameras of 2022 The 7 Best Online Photography Classes of 2022 Camera Terminology for DSLR Camera Lenses The 8 Best DSLR Cameras of 2022 What Is a DSLR Camera? Future Camera Technological Advances The 8 Best Lenses for DSLR Cameras of 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies