Nikon Z 9 with NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
Whether you are working with Top Chefs or top models, doing sports, drama, documentary, events, tabletop or high fashion, try the new Z 9, Nikon’s flagship, top-of-the-line hybrid, mirrorless digital still and cine camera. It is a magnificent camera, adept at both stills and video. Its 8K 12-bit video images are as spectacular as its stills. It feels like a longtime friend the moment you grab it.
With the Z 9, Nikon unquestionably raised the bar on image quality, ergonomics and versatility for filming on location and in studios. Images from the 45.7MP Full Frame Stacked sensor are gorgeous. The camera’s tactile, ergonomic heft is familiar. It may remind you of a Nikon F4 from analog film days. Every button is familiar and intuitive. The OLED EVF appears sharper than any previous Nikon optical or electronic viewfinder. Its 3.69m-dot OLED panel adjusts luminance up to an eye-popping 3000 nits.
The Z 9 records internal 8.3K 12-bit N-RAW up to 60 fps or 4.1K 12-bit N-RAW up to 120 fps or 4.1K ProRes RAW up to 60 fps. Dual CFexpress Type B card slots provide internal video recording up to 2 hours and 5 minutes. Image transfers are supported via 1000BASE- T wired LAN with an RJ-49 port and built-in wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac).
DaVinci Resolve seamlessly ingested and played back Z 9 8.3K 12-bit internally recorded NEV N-RAW files. Color and contrast were so good, tweaking almost seemed superfluous.
Nikon Z 9 with native Z mount, 16 mm flange focal depth, 55 mm ID.
Nikon Z 9 with Z to PL mount, 52 mm flange focal depth, 54 mm ID.
Nikon Z 9 with NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
Nikon Z 9 with Wooden Camera Z to PL mount adapter and Cooke S8/i 40mm T1.4 prime lens.
Nikon Z 9: Some Cine Menu Settings
Select Video File Type (N-RAW is shown here).
Internal Video recording includes N-RAW 12-bit (NEV), ProRes RAW HQ 12-bit (MOV), ProRes 422 HQ 10-bit, H.265 10-bit (also with N-Log), etc.
N-RAW 8.3K up to 60 fps. FX is Full Frame. DX is APS-C / S35
N-RAW 12-bit DX (S35) 5.3K up to 60 fps.
N-RAW has two compression ratios: High Quality and Normal.
20 Picture Controls (LUTs) with nice names: silence, somber, pop, etc.
The camera will not shoot unless you assign an arbitrary Non-CPU (non NIKKOR S) lens in the menu. (Image 1 of 2.)
In this example, we just call it a 50mm F1.4 lens and assign it as Lens Number 1. (Image 2 of 2.)
Nikon Z 9 Cine 8.3K N-RAW 12-bit Framegrabs
Nikon Z 9 EVF display. We’re recording 8.3K video at 24 fps to an internal CFexpress Type B card 1 with a NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
Sunshade removed and sunlight down the barrel, beautiful flares and bokeh emerge with the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
DaVinci Resolve opens N-RAW (.NEV) files seamlessly. All of these 8K grab-stills were exported by DaVinci Resolve directly from the original footage.
This shot was a manual rack focus with the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S — so smooth, it was as good as the smoothest of dedicated cine primes.
