Have you ever wondered what’s inside the Nikon Z9? Then you must take a look at this Z9 disassembly and teardown performed by the guys at Kolari Vision. One thing is for sure, this beast has a very impressive unit of the Sony IMX609AQJ.
Nikon Z9’s sensor
The Nikon Z9 is armed with a very impressive sensor As stated by Nikon: “The sensor is stacked CMOS, 45.7-megapixels, full-frame. The sensor was designed by Nikon specifically to bring ultra-high-resolution image quality to high-speed shooting applications. Achieves the world’s fastest scanning speed, 12x faster data readout than the acclaimed Z 7II, and absolutely spectacular image quality in stills and 8K video”. Although the sensor was designed by Nikon, it’s manufactured by Sony. The specific model of the sensor is Sony IMX609AQJ. BTW, the sensor of the Sony flagship — the Alpha 1, is IMX610 which is a 50MP backside-illuminated CMOS. Both sensors are not listed on Sony Semiconductor Solutions’ website, suggesting they’re not available for other companies to purchase and are exclusively being used by the Alpha 1 and Z9 cameras.
Disassembly and teardown
The team at Kolari Vision has performed a very impressive disassembly and teardown of the Nikon Z9. The project has revealed the huge apparatus of the sensor unit, as stated by Kolari Vision: “Of course, the sensor itself is your standard full-frame size, but it ends up being quite large with the IBIS and other assorted bits. A fun fact about the IBIS in the Z9 is that, while most image stabilizers will jiggle freely when not in use, this one is locked in place to reduce the risk of damage”. Furthermore, the teardown demonstrates the heat dissipation structure of the Z9, which is very impressive as well. Check out the full article here.
Going all the way with N-RAW
RED’s lawsuit anyone? It seems that this saga doesn’t concern Nikon, as it continues bragging about its N-RAW capabilities. Nikon European and Asian Youtube channels (thank you tipster Dizzy-Rule) have been uploading numerous videos showing off the compressed raw potential of the Z9, while Nikon is still in the mitigation process. Furthermore, rumors indicate on a significant firmware update released in the next few days. It will be interesting to explore if the mitigation impacts the new firmware. We’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned.
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera
