New gear
Here’s what caught our eye this month
Nikon Z 9
£TBA/$TBA www.nikon.co.uk
Nikon has announced its new flagship camera, the Z 9 –a mirrorless camera featuring the Z mount, a full-frame stacked CMOS sensor and 8K video capability, plus an all-new processor, and which will be available this year.
The Nikon Z 9 was revealed in a short development announcement, so full specs were not revealed. The official image reveals that It bears the ‘pro DSLR form factor’ of the Nikon D6, with a built-in vertical grip (and, presumably, an extra-large battery with increased capacity).
What else can we tell from the image? It appears that the mode dial is replaced by a bank of buttons – the bracketing button is visible, there will likely also be buttons to cycle between PASM, metering and WB functions. There seems to be a locking knob next to it, suggesting that the bottom portion rotates – which could be for quick selection between single/continuous/self-timer/M-Up shooting modes, as found on Nikon’s top-end DSLRs.
“Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the development of the first flagship model for which the Nikon Z mount has been adopted: The Nikon Z 9,” reads the official announcement. “The full-frame (Nikon FX-format) mirrorless camera is scheduled for release in 2021, and represents a significant leap in technology and performance.