Report: "Nikon is working on a Z7 III that will be a high-resolution camera"

Nikon Z7 III mockup, against a yellow background

After cooling off for a while, there are fresh camera rumors about the Nikon Z7 III – which is purported to be a "high resolution camera" with a resolution of up to 61MP.

While Sony's latest resolution-focused body, the Sony A7R VI, has upped the full-frame ante to 66.7MP, a pixel count of 61MP would put the Nikon Z7 III on the same playing field as resolution monsters like the Sony A7R V, the Leica SL3 and the Sigma fp L.

The new report comes courtesy of Ordinary Filmmaker, citing a source he has known for a couple of years that he believes to be reliable:

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"I do have news from a known source about the Z7 Mark III. Nikon is working on a Z7 Mark III that will be a high-resolution camera. We have confirmation on that, but don't have many specifications.

"The autofocus will be much improved over the Z7 Mark II. Okay, yes, that one was a gimme. That was an easy one. But let's get to the sweet spot, the resolution of the Z7 Mark III: Nikon's testing a resolution between 56 and 61 megapixels."

There is something of a precedent for this, as there have been rumors dating back as far as 2019 that Nikon was planning to use a 60MP Sony sensor for an upcoming camera.

I think the company would certainly do well to further differentiate its products at the top end, as currently there are a trio of Z bodies using a 45.7MP sensor (the Nikon Z7 II, Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9) so having a dedicated "resolution model" would help give the Z7 line a distinct identity.

That would give us a full-frame lineup comprising the Nikon Zf for relaxed, retro-focused users, the Nikon ZR for dedicated video, the Nikon Z6 III for hybrid and action shooting, the Z7 III for the highest fidelity capture and the Z8 and Z9 for ultimate performance.

It would also leave Canon in the lurch as the only one of the "big three" full-frame brands without a high-resolution camera, which increasingly feels like a gap in its lineup.

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James has 25 years experience as a journalist, serving as the head of Digital Camera World for 7 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.