In answering a question this weekend—sadly to someone who lost their home and cameras to the LA fires and now needs to replace gear—I realized that I haven't capsulized the way the Z9 generation cameras really differ where it might matter. Here's a quick table to try to fix that problem:
| Pluses | Minuses | |
|---|---|---|
| Z50II | Smallest size Lightest weight Built-in flash Price! |
20mp DX Mode dial UI Worst EVF Single slot (SD) No weatherproofing Moderately high rolling shutter Lowest battery life No vertical grip option 4K H.265 video (60P cropped) No sensor VR 1/4000 top shutter speed No MC-DC2 connector |
| Z6III | Smallish size Modest weight Best EVF 6K raw video |
24mp Modest AA filter Lower DR at base to gain ISO Mode dial UI Mixed slots (CFe, SD) Moderate rolling shutter |
| Z8 | 45mp 8K raw video Little rolling shutter 1/32000 top shutter Fullest feature set Mode button UI Fully weatherproof |
Mixed slots (CFe, SD) Largish size Higher weight |
| Z9 | 45mp 8K raw video Little rolling shutter 1/32000 top shutter Mode button UI Built-in GPS Built-in vertical grip Huge battery capacity Matching slots (CFe) Fully weatherproof |
Largest size Heaviest weight Missing HEIF, couple of others |
I've left the Zf out, as it's just a completely different kind of design and at the moment stands alone in its differences. For most things in the table, the Zf slots between the Z50II and the Z6III, as you might expect from the price.
What's remarkable in the four cameras shown above, though, is how close they come in both features and customization, which means that each is a fine stand-in (backup) for the next higher level. I find it relatively easy to move between these four cameras, as the menus, features, and customizations all are (surprisingly for once) consistent. Where a feature or customization isn't available on one of these four, it often is because it's not supported by hardware (e.g. multiple slot configuration is not something you find on a Z50II, 8K video can't be done on the 24mp Z6III). There are a couple of oddities that aren't included in one model or another, but these are rare and often have workarounds.
One thing not in the above table is the Rear LCD. The bottom two models (Z50II, Z6III) have fully articulating (swinging) screens, the top two models (Z8, Z9) have dual-axis tilting screens. As you might guess from price, the Z50II has a lower dot count and brightness than the other three.
For what it's worth, this is the first time since the D1h, D1x, and D100 that we've had reasonably consistent UI and closely matching feature sets in the primary bodies from bottom to top. Once we got to the D2 generation, Nikon started making bigger and bigger deviations as they expanded the consumer and prosumer lines, though we did get some higher end "pairings" that were relatively consistent (e.g. D300, D3, D700, or the later D500, D850, D5).
So what's missing? The Z5 and Z7 joining this Z9 generation consistency. I fully expect the Z5 to do that at some point, but I'm less sure about a Z7III, as it just becomes a lower cost Z8. It seems to me that the Z8II has to appear (with new abilities/features) before a Z7III makes sense.
