KurabeDojoThe comparison dojo

Compare · 3 products compared

Nikon Z8vsNikon Z9vsSony a1 II

3 digital cameras lined up on the specs we could confirm from the makers' pages and independent reviews. Launch prices run from $4,000 (Nikon Z8) to $6,500 (Sony a1 II).

Report a problem

Intro

What is the problem?

eBay prices refresh hourly — check the listing before you buy. We may earn a commission.

Report a problem

Best for

What is the problem?
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Biggest differences

  • Pre-burst capture duration

    Nikon Z8 leads

    300×

    higher is better

    • Sony a1 II1 s
    • Nikon Z8300 s
    • Nikon Z91 s

  • Viewfinder resolution

    Sony a1 II leads

    2.56×

    higher is better

    • Sony a1 II9.44 M dots
    • Nikon Z83.69 M dots
    • Nikon Z93.69 M dots

  • Max mechanical shutter speed

    Nikon Z9 leads

    4×

    higher is better

    • Sony a1 II8,000 1/s
    • Nikon Z8Not published
    • Nikon Z932,000 1/s

  • 4K max frame rate (full width)

    Nikon Z8 leads

    4×

    higher is better

    • Sony a1 II59.94 fps
    • Nikon Z8120 fps
    • Nikon Z930 fps

Features not all of them have

High resolution pixel-shift mode

  • ✓
  • ✓
  • ✕

Where each one wins

  • Sony a1 II

    • High resolution pixel-shift mode
    • Effective pixels
    • Native ISO maximum
    • In-body image stabilization
    • Continuous shooting (electronic)
    • Viewfinder resolution
    • Viewfinder magnification
    • Screen articulation
    • Weight
    • Width
    • Height
    • Depth

  • Nikon Z8

    • Launch price
    • High resolution pixel-shift mode
    • Continuous shooting (electronic)
    • Pre-burst capture duration
    • 4K max frame rate
    • 4K max frame rate (full width)
    • Raw video recording
    • Screen articulation
    • Minimum operating temperature

  • Nikon Z9

    • Max mechanical shutter speed
    • 4K max frame rate
    • Raw video recording
    • Battery life
    • Minimum operating temperature

What all 3 have

  • Sensor formatFull-frame
  • Max video resolution8K
  • Video bit depth10 bit
  • Log profile support✓
  • Screen size3.2 in
  • Rear screen resolution2.1 M dots
  • Memory card slots2 slots
  • Weather sealingDust and drip resistant
  • USB charging & power delivery✓
  • Headphone port✓
  • HDMI port typeFull-size

Every spec

Red marks the better value in each row.

Overview

Report a problem

Overview specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Release date

  • 2024-121
  • 2023-05
  • 2021-12

Launch price

  • 6,499.99 USD
  • 3,999.95 USD
  • 5,500 USD

Lens mount

  • Sony E
  • Nikon Z
  • Nikon Z

High resolution pixel-shift mode

  • Yes2
  • Yes
  • No

Sensor & Image

Report a problem

Sensor & Image specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Effective pixels

  • 50.1 MP
  • 45.7 MP
  • 45.7 MP

Sensor format

  • Full-frame
  • Full-frame
  • Full-frame

Native ISO maximum

  • 32,000 ISO
  • 25,600 ISO
  • 25,600 ISO

In-body image stabilization

  • 8.5 stops3
  • 5.5 stops4
  • 6 stops5

Sensor readout speed

  • Not published
  • Not published
  • Not published

Sensor type

  • —
  • Stacked CMOS
  • Stacked CMOS

Aspect ratios

  • 3:2
  • 3:2, 1:1, 16:9
  • —

Lens & Autofocus

Report a problem

Lens & Autofocus specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Continuous shooting (mechanical)

  • 10 fps
  • Not published
  • Not published

Continuous shooting (electronic)

  • 30 fps
  • 30 fps6
  • 20 fps

Max mechanical shutter speed

  • 8,000 1/s
  • Not published
  • 32,000 1/s

Pre-burst capture duration

  • 1 s7
  • 300 s8
  • 1 s9

AF subject detection

  • Human, animal, bird, insect, car, train, airplane
  • Human, animal, bird, train, airplane, motorcycle, vehicle
  • Human, animal, bird, car, train, airplane, motorcycle

Video

Report a problem

Video specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Max video resolution

  • 8K
  • 8K
  • 8K

4K max frame rate

  • 119.88 fps10
  • 120 fps
  • 120 fps

Video codecs

  • H.264, HEVC
  • H.264, HEVC, ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes RAW, N-RAW
  • H.264, HEVC, ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes RAW, N-RAW

4K max frame rate (full width)

  • 59.94 fps11
  • 120 fps
  • 30 fps

Raw video recording

  • External12
  • Internal
  • Internal

Video bit depth

  • 10 bit
  • 10 bit
  • 10 bit

Log profile support

  • Yes
  • Yes
  • Yes

Video dynamic range (log)

  • Not published
  • Not published
  • Not published

Viewfinder & Screen

Report a problem

Viewfinder & Screen specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Viewfinder resolution

  • 9.44 M dots
  • 3.69 M dots
  • 3.69 M dots

Viewfinder magnification

  • 0.9 x
  • 0.8 x
  • 0.8 x

Screen size

  • 3.2 in
  • 3.2 in
  • 3.2 in

Screen articulation

  • Multi-angle
  • Multi-angle13
  • Tilting

Rear screen resolution

  • 2.1 M dots
  • 2.1 M dots
  • 2.1 M dots

Handling & Power

Report a problem

Handling & Power specs

What is the problem?
Which specs? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.
Which products? Tick all that apply, or none if you are not sure.

Battery life

  • 520 shots14
  • Not published
  • 740 shots

Memory card slots

  • 2 slots
  • 2 slots
  • 2 slots

Weather sealing

  • Dust and drip resistant15
  • Dust and drip resistant
  • Dust and drip resistant

Weight

  • 743 g
  • 910 g
  • 1,340 g

Width

  • 136.1 mm
  • 144 mm
  • 149 mm

Height

  • 96.9 mm
  • 118.5 mm
  • 149.5 mm

Depth

  • 82.9 mm16
  • 83 mm
  • 90.5 mm

USB charging & power delivery

  • Yes
  • Yes
  • Yes

Minimum operating temperature

  • 0 °C
  • -10 °C
  • -10 °C

Headphone port

  • Yes
  • Yes
  • Yes

HDMI port type

  • Full-size
  • Full-size
  • Full-size
Notes on 16 values — test conditions and caveats
  1. 1Sony a1 II, Release date: Announced 19 November 2024; first retail availability was December 2024.
  2. 2Sony a1 II, High resolution pixel-shift mode: 4- or 16-shot pixel shift composites are merged with Sony's Imaging Edge Desktop PC software.
  3. 3Sony a1 II, In-body image stabilization: 8.5 stops is the CIPA centre rating; 7.0 stops at the periphery.
  4. 4Nikon Z8, In-body image stabilization: The 6.0-stop figure applies only with Synchro VR-compatible Nikkor Z lenses; the standard body rating is 5.5 stops.
  5. 5Nikon Z9, In-body image stabilization: The 6.0-stop rating requires Synchro VR, combining in-body 5-axis VR with 2-axis lens VR on compatible lenses.
  6. 6Nikon Z8, Continuous shooting (electronic): Full-resolution JPEG bursts reach 30 fps; 14-bit RAW bursts top out at 20 fps.
  7. 7Sony a1 II, Pre-burst capture duration: Pre-capture buffers between 0.03 s and 1 s of frames before full shutter press.
  8. 8Nikon Z8, Pre-burst capture duration: The 300 s Pre-Release Capture buffer arrived with firmware 2.0; launch firmware allowed 30 s.
  9. 9Nikon Z9, Pre-burst capture duration: Pre-Release Capture is only available in the C30 and C120 high-speed frame capture modes.
  10. 10Sony a1 II, 4K max frame rate: 4K 100p/120p recording uses a 1.1x crop.
  11. 11Sony a1 II, 4K max frame rate (full width): Full-width 4K tops out at 59.94p; 4K 100/120p requires a 1.1x crop.
  12. 12Sony a1 II, Raw video recording: 16-bit RAW video can only be output over HDMI to an external recorder; no internal RAW recording.
  13. 13Nikon Z8, Screen articulation: Nikon's 4-axis monitor tilts both vertically and horizontally but does not swing out like a fully articulated screen.
  14. 14Sony a1 II, Battery life: CIPA rating is 520 shots per charge on the rear LCD; 420 shots with the viewfinder.
  15. 15Sony a1 II, Weather sealing: Sony specifies dust- and moisture-resistant sealing; no formal IP rating is published.
  16. 16Sony a1 II, Depth: Sony also lists 72.8 mm depth measured from grip to monitor, excluding the grip protrusion.

Pre-burst capture duration

Nikon Z8 leads here (300× between best and worst; higher is better).

Nikon Z8: 300 s · Nikon Z9: 1 s · Sony a1 II: 1 s

Report a problem

Pre-burst capture duration

What is the problem?

Viewfinder resolution

Sony a1 II leads here (2.56× between best and worst; higher is better).

Nikon Z8: 3.69 M dots · Nikon Z9: 3.69 M dots · Sony a1 II: 9.44 M dots

Report a problem

Viewfinder resolution

What is the problem?

Max mechanical shutter speed

Nikon Z9 leads here (4× between best and worst; higher is better).

Nikon Z9: 32,000 1/s · Sony a1 II: 8,000 1/s

Report a problem

Max mechanical shutter speed

What is the problem?

4K max frame rate (full width)

Nikon Z8 leads here (4× between best and worst; higher is better).

Nikon Z8: 120 fps · Nikon Z9: 30 fps · Sony a1 II: 59.94 fps

Report a problem

4K max frame rate (full width)

What is the problem?

Weight

Sony a1 II leads here (−45% between best and worst; lower is better).

Nikon Z8: 910 g · Nikon Z9: 1,340 g · Sony a1 II: 743 g

Report a problem

Weight

What is the problem?

Features not all of them have

High resolution pixel-shift mode: Nikon Z8 and Sony a1 II.

Report a problem

Features not all of them have

What is the problem?

Where each one wins

Nikon Z8 wins on Pre-burst capture duration and 4K max frame rate (full width).

Nikon Z9 wins on Battery life and Max mechanical shutter speed.

Sony a1 II wins on Effective pixels, In-body image stabilization, Viewfinder resolution, Weight and Native ISO maximum.

Report a problem

Where each one wins

What is the problem?

The Verdict

On the specs we can rank, Sony a1 II wins most often (9). Pick Nikon Z8 for Pre-burst capture duration and Nikon Z9 for Battery life. Nikon Z8 had the lowest launch price.

Report a problem

Verdict

What is the problem?

Where to buy

FAQ

Which is the cheapest of the 3?

Nikon Z8, at a launch price of $4,000; Sony a1 II was the most expensive at $6,500.

Which is best on Pre-burst capture duration?

Nikon Z8 (300 s).

Which is best on Viewfinder resolution?

Sony a1 II (9.44 M dots).

Report a problem

FAQ

What is the problem?

Spotted something wrong? Tap the next to any section or spec group to let us know. Every report is read.