The Nikon Z 9 Full-frame Mirrorless Camera Receives both the "Camera of the Year" and "Readers Award" in the Camera GP 2022
May 19, 2022
The Nikon Z fc receives the "Editors Choice R&D Award"
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce that the Nikon Z 9 full-frame/FX-format mirrorless camera has received the "Camera of the Year" and "Readers Award" simultaneously in the Camera Grand Prix (GP) 2022.
Also, the Nikon Z fc APS-C size/DX-format mirrorless camera has received the "Editors Choice R&D Award" in the Camera GP 2022. Nikon is a triple award winner in the Camera GP 2022.
The Camera Grand Prix is held every year by the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC, Japan), an association of technical editors from magazine and website specializing in photography and camera. Each award was selected among cameras and lenses introduced on the Japanese market during the previous fiscal year from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022 for the Camera GP 2022.
The Nikon Z 9 was selected for the Camera GP 2022 "Camera of the Year" as a camera recognized as the best of all marketed during the period, through an overwhelming number of votes from a wide range of worldwide CJPC members as well as professional photographers.
At the same time, the Nikon Z 9 was the recipient of the "Readers Award" which is determined by the general camera users' votes on the CJPC website. Nikon cameras have received the Readers Awards 9 times in 15 times, proving just how highly regarded they are by a large number of users.
Since the Nikon Z fc received the Camera GP 2022 "Editors Choice R&D Award", Nikon cameras won three Camera GP 2022 awards out of the four categories.
The Nikon Z 9 has also received the "Best of the Best" accolade in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2022, which is a world-class design competition sponsored by Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. In addition, Nikon products including the Nikon Z 9 also have received the iF DESIGN AWARD 2022 in the product discipline which is a design award sponsored by iF International Forum Design GmbH. These globally prestigious awards prove the high evaluation of the Nikon Z 9 worldwide.
Primary features of the Nikon Z 9
- The first flagship model of the Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras bringing together Nikon's leading-edge technologies to deliver the best still and video features and performance in Nikon history.
- Thanks to the newly developed stacked CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 7 image-processing engine, the most powerful AF performance among Nikon cameras is realized.
- The advanced AF system detects the world's largest range*1 of nine subject types: people, dogs, cats, birds, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trains, and airplanes.
- For video recording, 8K UHD/30p video*2 can be recorded on a memory card in-camera without using an external recorder for up to 125 minutes*3 — the world's longest*1.
- A newly employed four-axis vertical/horizontal tilting monitor facilitates shooting from high and low angles regardless of vertical or horizontal orientation, remarkably improving users' convenience.
- Real-Live Viewfinder, that surpasses the performance of conventional optical viewfinders (OVF) and electronic viewfinders (EVF), is newly adopted.
With the upgrade firmware version 2.00 released on April 20, 2022, various video features have been greatly evolved to meet video production needs including 12-bit RAW 8.3K/60p in-camera recording which achieves rich tonal gradation. For still shooting, it also introduced Pre-Release Capture*4, that records images for up to one second before the shutter-release button is pressed all the way down after the half press of the button.
Nikon will continuously meet users' needs through timely updates of firmware versions with various useful functions.
- *1Among mirrorless cameras available as of October 28, 2021, based on Nikon research.
- *2In FX-based video format only.
- *3At a temperature of 23°C/73.4°F. With an EN-EL18d Rechargeable Li-ion Battery in use. When video shoot is started after powering on. CFexpress Type B cards with fast writing speed are recommended for video recording.
- *4Pre-Release Capture can be configured only when High-Speed Frame Capture+ is active.
Reasons for selection of the Z 9 (Camera of the Year)
Comments from the selection committee
The Nikon Z 9 employs an effective 45.71 megapixel stacked CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 7 image processor to give a frequently refreshing live view, the world's largest* nine different subject detections, a distortion-suppressed electronic shutter to make itself the flagship of the Nikon Z line cameras. The omission of a mechanical shutter is highly evaluated as freeing from shutter vibration and shutter durability problems.
- *Among mirrorless cameras available as of October 28, 2021, based on Nikon research.
Reasons for selection of the Z 9 (Readers Award)
A selection of comments excerpted and edited
- It is the highest peak of the Nikon Z series cameras. Any subject can be photographed using only the Z 9.
- I think it is the most fantastic camera at present for its functions, dimensions and cost-to-performance characteristic that are well-balanced at a high level.
- Distortion-free electronic shutter, easiest-to-view finder better than any other makes and the best cost-to-performance factor despite being a flagship camera.
- It provides new standards of flagship cameras by its mechanical shutter omission.
- The final technical goal of cameras made by mankind.
- It is highly evaluated as a challenge-winning product through its full professional specifications as well as the omission of a mechanical shutter by using a high-speed sensor readout.
- I think of it as an epoch-making camera as it has no mechanical shutter, limit-free 4K movie recording capacity and even 8K/30p movie recording of more than two hours.
- It is innovative because it has a perfect blackout-free finder and has no mechanical shutter. Additionally, it can be assumed that these features will also be implemented to lower-end models at a lower cost.
- It is the long-awaited Nikon flagship mirrorless camera. It gives me many surprises such as its functions, mechanical layout, performance and price.
Primary features of the Nikon Z fc
- The first Nikon Z series mirrorless camera to adopt a heritage design inspired by a historic Nikon camera. In addition to the enjoyment of shooting great stills and video, it is designed with particular attention paid to the pride and joy of ownership.
- Its compact, lightweight body is highly portable while achieving superior performance and operability.
- Simple operation that enables the crafting of the intended image
- Supports Eye-Detection AF and Animal-Detection AF that automatically detect and track the eyes of both human subjects and pets with the shooting of stills and video.
Reasons for selection of the Z fc (Editors Choice R&D Award)
Comments from the selection committee
The Nikon Z fc is the merge of a Nikon film SLR style to attract the new young customers and the basic performance of the Nikon Z 50 mirrorless camera that is renowned for its high quality. It also introduces a new mode even in its catalogue to show its consistent research and development work to appeal to its new customers. Its popularity including from the old film SLR users is also highly evaluated.
The information is current as of the date of publication. It is subject to change without notice.