Since people have asked about my Z9 while I’m out shooting or on social media, I figured I would give my initial thoughts now that I have had it for a few weeks. Do I have any buyer's remorse? Absolutely not. While the price tag was high, I think it will probably save me money during the long term, and I'll explain here shortly. 2021 was when I started going to Nellis to try aviation photography. I was a landscape, city, and architecture guy. The camera I had at the time was a D810. It was a fine camera, but it was meant to sit on a tripod and photograph still life, not for action: Low 5 fps (without the grip), small buffer, and slow autofocus. I managed to take some plane pics I was happy with, but conditions had to be correct, and I felt I was lucky more often than not. October 2021, I retired the D810 and picked up a Z7 II. While an improvement over the D810 in every aspect, again, sports/action wasn't its strong point. The Z7 II, I could shoot at nine fps, without a grip, which was better than the D810 but not great. The subject tracking only works for people, cats, and dogs. But I did manage to take some aviation photos that I was happy with. While shooting my Fuji X-T4, that camera won me over with mirrorless, my Z7 II cemented all the positives of mirrorless to me, and I can't fathom going back to a DSLR. I like night street photography, and with IBIS and OIS on the lenses, I don't need a tripod. I can go to places in the middle of the night that might be considered "sketchy," get my shot and leave—no tripod, no setup, no backpack, no extra gear, etc. I can shoot at locations where tripods and monopods aren't allowed, like antelope canyon, and get sharp images. I can work quickly and not stand out. The only time I use a tripod now is for long exposure, video, or if I want to shoot a timelapse. Soon after I bought the Z7, Nikon officially announced the Z9. When I saw the price tag, I was shocked because I was expecting a price tag that would be competitive with other pro bodies like the Sony Alpha 1, Canon 1DX Mark III, and the Nikon D6 at roughly $6500. Photography for me isn't a hobby, it's a passion, and while I make enough money on this endeavor to be self-sustaining, photography is not my primary source of income. It's hard to justify over 7 grand, with tax, on a body.

I tend to reinvest in glass. As the saying goes, "You date the body, but marry the lens." The Z9 at $5500 was a slightly easier pill to swallow, but then I started reading over the specs, and it met all the performance rumors for the type of photography I am now getting into. To help pay for the Z9, I began making plans to sell my Fuji gear. Since I got my Z7 II, I stopped shooting my X-T4. Shooting one brand is more cost-effective and overall just easier to manage. I can carry x2 bodies and x1 24-70 vs. x2 bodies and x2 24-70's. Once I got my finances figured out, I placed my preorder with my local camera store two days after the official announcement. The Z9 was delivered to my camera store in January, and I immediately rushed down to pick it up.

I have had the camera for about 3 weeks now. Red Flag at Nellis AFB is currently in progress, so it was perfect timing. For image quality, to my eye, I do not see a massive difference over the Z7 II. I am sure the pixel peepers will see something, but overall I do not. Where I see the Z9 excel is with the autofocus system. Subject tracking on the Z9 does include vehicles and does very well with military jets. Military jets are difficult compared to commercial jets and general aviation. They fly a lot faster, are smaller, and are painted for low observability. They are one color and black markings. Sure there are exceptions, with some planes having high contrast liveries, color birds, and aggressor and demonstrations teams with colorful paint. But for the most part, they are dark gray with black markings. You have the autofocus work hard trying to find a panel line, marking, or something to focus onto. With the D810 and my Z7 II, my best shots tend to happen in the middle of the day, with a nice bright sun lighting up the plane. I struggle in the early morning and late afternoon when the light is good. The Z9 generally has no problem simply because of the canopy/cockpit detection. It will initially see the airplane, and as it gets closer to me, it will find the canopy and lock on with the yellow box. If the canopy/cockpit is sharp, the rest of the plane is sharp. My keeper rate is much, much higher with the Z9. Planes that are difficult for me to shoot like Wraith are not a problem. I am not fighting the camera, and the camera isn't fighting me because it was made to handle this kind of work. Prop blur and panning shots were always a problem, but not anymore. Yes, you do need to practice and implement good shooting techniques.

So how is this camera going to save me money? It's going to ensure I get the shot the first time. Even in my landscape and astro work, There have been a few times I have gone out on a shoot, traveled out in the middle of nowhere, spent gas money, permits, food, spent all day and/or night, everything looks good when reviewing on the camera, come back home, and my images are slightly off. Or I missed a shot because the autofocus wasn't cooperating, and I missed an opportunity. So I had to go back and redo it. Time is money. Being able to get it right the first time is priceless to me. Gas is expensive, and my weekends are short.

As I get my Z9 setup for aviation, I'll start providing some insight on what settings work for me. I don't see any Z9 info for aviation out there yet. This camera, while not perfect, has helped me focus on what's important, and that's being creative, not trying to get my gear to work for scenarios they weren't designed for..