Head to head · specs cited · drawn to scale
Nikon D780 vs Nikon Z9
Every spec below is quoted from the makers' official pages — where a figure isn't published we say so rather than guess. Sizes are drawn at true relative scale from published dimensions, and the bag-fit row is computed against our measured bag catalog.
The 3 biggest published differences
- Burst — electronic: the Z9 leads at Up to approx. 120 fps (high-speed frame capture, C120); standard continuous approx. 20-30 fps (electronic shutter) vs the D780's Up to 8 fps 14-bit or 12 fps 12-bit (silent live view mode, NEF/RAW).
- Battery life (CIPA): the D780 leads at 2260 shots per charge vs the Z9's Approx. 700 shots (viewfinder) / 740 shots (monitor); CIPA, EN-EL18d, energy saving off (up to 740/770 with energy saving on).
- Resolution (MP): the Z9 leads at 45.7 million (effective) vs the D780's 24.5 million effective pixels.
 D780 Nikon F |  Z9 Nikon Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Format | FX-format, 35.9 mm x 23.9 mm | 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format) |
| Lens mount | Nikon F | Nikon Z |
| Released | —, not published | —, not published |
| Sensor & Image | ||
| Sensor type | Single-lens reflex digital camera with image sensor cleaning and dust-reduction system | Stacked CMOS |
| Sensor size | FX-format, 35.9 mm x 23.9 mm | 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format) |
| Resolution (MP) | 24.5 million effective pixels | 45.7 million (effective) |
| In-body stabilisation | none | 5-axis image sensor shift; up to 6.0 stops (with compatible lenses) |
| ISO range | ISO100-51,200 standard; expandable to ISO 50 (Lo-1) and ISO 204,800 (Hi-2) | ISO 64-25600 (expandable to ISO 32 and ISO 102400 equivalents) |
| Autofocus & Speed | ||
| AF system | Advanced Multi-CAM 3500 II autofocus sensor module (viewfinder); hybrid phase-detection/contrast-detect (live view) | Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF |
| Subject detection | 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors) | 493 focus points; deep-learning subject detection (people, animals, vehicles) with eye detection |
| Burst — mechanical | Up to 7 fps (mechanical shutter) | none (electronic shutter only) |
| Burst — electronic | Up to 8 fps 14-bit or 12 fps 12-bit (silent live view mode, NEF/RAW) | Up to approx. 120 fps (high-speed frame capture, C120); standard continuous approx. 20-30 fps (electronic shutter) |
| Video | ||
| Max video | 4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps | 7680 x 4320 (8K UHD): 30p |
| Codecs / sampling | H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding | N-RAW (12 bit), Apple ProRes RAW HQ (12 bit), Apple ProRes 422 HQ (10 bit), H.265/HEVC (8/10 bit), H.264/AVC (8 bit); NEV, MOV, MP4 |
| Recording limit | 20 minutes at highest quality, 29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality | —, not published |
| Viewfinder & Screen | ||
| EVF resolution | —, not published | Approx. 3690k-dot OLED |
| EVF magnification | —, not published | Approx. 0.8x |
| Rear screen | 3.2 in. diagonal touch-sensitive TFT, 2,359,000 dots | 8-cm/3.2-in., approx. 2100k-dot vertically and horizontally tilting TFT touch-sensitive LCD |
| Body & Handling | ||
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 143.5 × 115.5 × 76 mm | 149 × 149.5 × 90.5 mm |
| Weight (body) | 840 g | 1340 g |
| Weather sealing | —, not published | —, not published |
| Shutter durability | —, not published | —, not published |
| Power & Storage | ||
| Battery life (CIPA) | 2260 shots per charge | Approx. 700 shots (viewfinder) / 740 shots (monitor); CIPA, EN-EL18d, energy saving off (up to 740/770 with energy saving on) |
| Battery | EN-EL15b Rechargeable Li-ion Battery | EN-EL18d |
| Card slots | 2 Secure Digital (SD) slots, UHS-II compliant | Two slots: CFexpress (Type B) and XQD |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB | Hi-Speed USB Type C (SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen1) | Type C USB connector (SuperSpeed USB) |
| Wireless | Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac (2.4/5 GHz); Bluetooth Specification Version 5.0 |
| HDMI | Type C mini-pin HDMI connector | Type A HDMI connector |
| Price | ||
| Launch price | $1,749.95 | $5,499.95 |
| Size, to scale | ||
Front view, drawn at the same scale from each maker's published W×H (mm). | ||
| Smallest bag that fits | ||
| Body + standard zoom | Tenba BYOB 9 Camera Insert Fits body only · View at B&H Photo Video | Tenba BYOB 10 DSLR Backpack Insert Fits with 24-120 f/4 · View at B&H |
Sources
“24.5 million effective pixels; FX-format 35.9 mm x 23.9 mm; ISO100-51,200 standard; 51 focus points (including 15 cross-type sensors); 4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps; 2260 shots per charge (CIPA)”
“35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format); 45.7 million effective pixels; 493 focus points; 7680 x 4320 (8K UHD): 30p; 1.27-cm/0.5-in. approx. 3690k-dot OLED; Approx. 0.8x magnification”
Spec values are the manufacturers' published figures, compared factually — we don't rank cameras. Fit verdicts are planning estimates from published interior dimensions, not guarantees. See methodology.
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