Rangefinder is a member of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), which has contracted with Image Engineering for detailed lab tests of cameras. Here, we digest the test results for you in this Nikon Z 9 review. Note: the Z 9 was tested using Image Engineering test charts and software but at a different lab. There could be slight deviations between these results and the results from cameras tested at the Image Engineering lab itself. The results below were generated while shooting with the Nikkor Z 2.8 105mm Micro VR S lens.

And then there were three. With the entry of the Z 9, Nikon has delivered its answer to Sony’s Alpha 1 and Canon’s EOS R3—a high-end, full-frame mirrorless designed for the most demanding professional applications.

[Read: Nikon Z 9: Peek Inside This Mirrorless Speed Demon]

The Z 9 features a 45.7-megapixel stacked CMOS sensor with a native ISO range of 64-25,600 (expandable from 32 to 102,400). Thanks to the next-generation EXPEED 7 processor, it’s capable of blazing burst modes of up to 30 frames per second (fps) while shooting JPEGs or 20 fps for RAW images (up to 1,000 images). Drop the resolution to 11-megapixels and you can hit an eye-watering 120 fps. (Now’s the time to invest in that bigger hard drive you’ve always wanted.)

The camera offers what Nikon claims is the world’s fastest image scan rate to minimize rolling shutter. In fact they say the Z 9’s electronic shutter delivers similar performance to a mechanical shutter, without the clang. It offers a broad range of subjects that can be identified and tracked by autofocus including humans, pets, birds, airplanes, trains, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. When in Auto-Area AF, any of these subjects will automatically be detected and focused on, without the need to change settings.

Speaking of AF, the Z 9 is Nikon’s first mirrorless to use the 3D-tracking AF mode, which is paired with subject detection.

[Read: Nikon’s Z 9 Shootout at WPPI: Fun, Fast and Fabulous]

In addition to its numerous photographic benchmarks, the camera breaks new grounds for Nikon in its video capabilities with in-camera recording of up to two hours of 8K 24p/30p video. You can also capture 4K at up to 120p (with a 35mm crop). A future firmware upgrade promises to deliver internal 8K recording at up to 60p in a new 12-bit N-RAW format or 12-bit ProRes RAW. Out of the box, the camera supports both ProRes 422 and HEVC recording.

You can learn more about the Z 9’s specifications here.

Nikon Z 9 Review: Resolution has Pixels Aplenty 

At ISO 64 the Z 9 is capable of resolving 95 percent of its sensor’s theoretical maximum resolution—results that stay fairly consistent through ISO 400. By comparison, Canon’s R3 is capable of resolving 101 percent of its sensor’s theoretical max resolution (albeit at a higher base ISO of 100 and with a lower-resolution sensor). The Z 9’s resolving power at base ISO is similar to Sony’s Alpha 1, which could resolve 96 percent of its sensor’s maximum.

[Read: Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 Lens is a Lighter, More Affordable Workhorse]

At ISO 800, the Z 9 could hit 90 percent of its theoretical maximum—better than the Alpha 1 (88 percent). At ISO 1600, it falls to 85 percent and to 80 percent by ISO 6400. This lags the performance of the EOS R3, which stays within 93-96 percent of its sensor’s maximum resolution through ISO 6400.

At the highest value tested, ISO 12,800, the Z 9 achieved 76 percent of its sensor’s max resolution. You can expect “moderate” sharpening at ISO 64 along high-contrast edges and stronger sharpening along low-contrast edges. Sharpening will diminish as you increase ISO values.

Visual Noise: Some Pixilation During Pixel Peeping         

The Nikon Z 9 does a good job controlling noise in printed output. You’d only catch of a glimpse of noise in a postcard-sized print at ISO 12,800. In a larger print, noise would be visible at ISO 3200. The EOS R3 and Alpha 1 did a better job at noise control: neither had any visible noise at any ISO tested at either print size.

Switch to a digital file enlarged to 100 percent, the most demanding test, and noise is visible at every ISO level tested on the Z 9. On the Sony Alpha 1, images won’t show noise at 100 percent until ISO 1600 and even then it’s “barely observable.” It’s even better with the EOS R3, which can keep visible noise at bay until ISO 3200 in this viewing condition.

Nikon Z 9: Strong Color Reproduction

The Z 9 handled its color reproduction test well, with only five colors showing a strong deviation from their reference target. The colors were blues and purples. That’s slightly better than both the EOS R3 (six strong deviations) and Sony’s Alpha 1 (seven).

Automatic white balance performed excellently at every ISO value tested.

The Nikon Z 9’s color reproduction. The top half of the chart compares a reference color (right half of each color patch) with the color reproduced by the camera (left). Below is a table that lists the DeltaE, or degree of variation, of each color patch from its reference target. Red cells indicated strong color deviations, light green cells represent colors with noticeable deviations, and a dark green field represents a moderate deviation.

Video Resolution

The Z 9 showed excellent resolution during video recording. When measuring a still photo extracted from a frame of 4K video, the camera was capturing 120 percent of its sensor’s theoretical maximum at ISO 100 and ISO 1600 (the two values tested for video). That’s significantly higher than either the R3 (90 percent at ISO 100/81 percent at ISO 1600) and the Alpha 1 (107 percent at both ISO 100 and ISO 1600). 

At ISO 100, texture reproduction was rated good for both high- and low-contrast detail. Switch to ISO 1600 and you’ll still enjoy solid texture reproduction for high-contrast details, but the camera will struggle more with lower-contrast areas.

[Read: Canon’s EOS R5 C: The Perfect Hybrid Mirrorless Camera]

Noise is just slightly visible when viewing a digital file at 100 percent at both ISO 100 and 1600. It’s barely visible when viewing the Z 9 files in small or large prints. The camera applies a moderate amount of sharping along high-contrast edges in video, but a strong amount of sharpening to low-contrast edges.

You’ll enjoy good white balance and better color reproduction at ISO 1600 in video than in stills, but it’s not quite as accurate at ISO 100 compared to the camera’s performance with still images.

Overall Performance

So what are the conclusions of this Nikon Z 9 review? Not surprisingly, the Z 9 autofocusing system proved very fast, especially when set in wide mode. Shooting a metronome, the testers counted four AF beeps per second as the Z 9 tracked its moving target. With the camera set to capture RAW+ JPEG fine images, the camera was clocked at 20 fps, recording 200 frames in 10 seconds—on par with the performance touted by Nikon.

The incredibly fast refresh rate of the viewfinder, even during burst modes of up to 120 fps, greatly aids in subject tracking. You will, however, quickly amass a lot of photos that will have to be culled. Given the camera’s incredible performance, it feels like a tradeoff worth making.

Price: $5,500

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