The Nikon Z9 is the most important Nikon camera of the mirrorless era (so far…)

Rumors have been bubbling away for a while now about a follow-up to the Nikon Z9, which has got me thinking about how Nikon’s debut and current mirrorless flagship completely changed the then-ailing Big N’s trajectory.

I was fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of the Nikon Z9, just before its launch, and it was obvious then that it was going to be a huge step forward from the Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z7 II.

Its chunkier form factor alone was a return to the rugged, tank-like build of Nikon’s high-end DSLRs such as the Nikon D6 and Nikon D850.

And the subject detection, lightning-fast burst speeds and pro video spec (arguably a first for Nikon), all possible with a meaty full-frame 45.7MP sensor, made me feel for the first time that Nikon had delivered the kind of camera that the mirrorless era had long promised. A true contender for the best Nikon camera.

The Nikon Z6 and Z7 II were and still are fantastic cameras, don’t get me wrong, but from a technical standpoint, the Nikon Z9 blew them out of the water.

Sure, its launch perhaps didn’t go as smoothly as it could have. There were a couple of teething problems and it took a while for some key specs to filter through via firmware updates, most notably internal 8K 60p video, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant few camera releases (if any) were launched unscathed.

In March 2021, I got to try out the Nikon Z9 for the very first time at London’s Lee Valley VeloPark. There, I was able to photograph a breakdancer, BMX freestyle rider and track cyclists speeding around the velodrome. It was the perfect place to put the Nikon Z9’s flagship features to the test – and it didn’t disappoint.

A year-and-a-half later and the Z9 spawned the Nikon Z8; ostensibly the same camera but with no vertical grip, no ethernet port and an SD card / CFexpress tandem, instead of dual CFexpress slots. Then came the Nikon Zf, Nikon Z6 III, Nikon Z50 II and Nikon Z5 II, all with snippets of Z9 tech trickling its way down through the Z-Series line-up.

In many ways the Nikon Z9 reminds me of the Nikon D1. The D1 is largely looked upon as the first truly pro-grade DSLR that signalled the beginning of the passing of the torch from film to digital.

And while I’d argue that the Sony A9 was the first flagship mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z9 was the camera that began to change Nikon’s mirrorless narrative. It’s undeniably one of the most important Nikon cameras of all time, and still a powerhouse of a camera today.

If and when we get a Nikon Z9 II, it's got a lot to live up to.

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Are you a Nikon fanboy like me? Check out the best Nikon Z lenses and learn about the differences between the Nikon Z9 vs Z8. And if you'd like to better your action technique, here are my top tips for shooting moving subjects.