Nikon Z9
The Nikon Z9 is my favorite piece of gear and, without question, my workhorse. It is the camera I trust when I’m in the field and there is no second chance to get the moment.
What makes the Z9 so remarkable is that it truly bridges still photography and filmmaking. Its 45.7-megapixel stacked full-frame sensor gives me the resolution, dynamic range and detail I need for demanding still images, while its extraordinary autofocus, blackout-free viewfinder and ability to shoot silently let me work quickly and unobtrusively—especially important when photographing wildlife and people.
And then there is the filmmaking. The Z9 can record incredibly high-resolution 8K video, including 12-bit N-RAW up to 8.3K/60p, as well as 4K at up to 120p for beautiful slow motion. Having all of that capability in the same camera means I can move seamlessly between a still image and a cinematic sequence without changing my entire setup or missing a moment.
For wildlife, the speed is extraordinary. I can shoot 20 frames per second in RAW, with extremely sophisticated subject detection and tracking, and the camera’s electronic shutter allows completely silent shooting. It even offers high-speed capture up to 120 frames per second for those split seconds that are almost impossible to anticipate.
I also love that the Z9 continues to evolve. Nikon has added significant capabilities through firmware updates, including advanced RAW video, pre-release capture, improved autofocus, waveform monitoring and, more recently, shutter-angle control for filmmakers.
It feels like a camera built for the way I work: fast, intuitive, incredibly durable and versatile enough to follow a story wherever it goes. Whether I’m photographing a fleeting expression, an animal in motion or filming a sequence that needs to carry an entire story, the Z9 gives me the confidence that I can respond to whatever happens in front of me.
