Following the recent interview with a senior Nikon executive who confirmed a new full-frame flagship mirrorless camera would come out this year, Nikon has formally announced its development. Not much information is forthcoming but it will be called the Z 9 and feature a newly developed stacked full-frame CMOS sensor and new image processing engine.

“In response to the growing needs of professionals, advanced enthusiasts and cinematographers, the Z 9 also includes support for 8K video recording as well as various other video specifications that fulfill diverse needs and workflows,” the company added.

“The Z 9 offers users an unprecedented experience in terms of outstanding performance and operability, and exceeds that of previous digital-SLR and mirrorless cameras.”

Nikon has released an image of the new model, revealing something that looks much more like a downsized D6 than an upmarket version of the current Z-series design. It sports an integrated vertical grip with a duplicated set of vertical controls, along with a control cluster on the left shoulder that’s typical of Nikon’s high-end DSLRs. Covers on the front suggest a built-in PC sync socket and 10-pin remote release connector. It looks like a chunky beast, but should still be rather smaller than its DSLR counterparts. Nikon notes that design aspects could change, however.


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