Nikon Z9 Video Features Explained

The Nikon Z9 has among the most advanced video specs of any Nikon camera yet. Not only can it shoot true 8K video (rather than just 8K timelapses like previous Nikon cameras), but it can capture that 8K video at 60p 12-bit RAW and record internally to your memory card.

That’s a whopper of a feature, and well beyond the needs of most videographers. But even for more “normal” requirements, the Nikon Z9 doesn’t disappoint. It’s capable of 10-bit internal N-log video as well, plus 4K slow motion up to 120p.

The video below shows clips from the Nikon Z9 at various quality settings, including 4K 120p slow motion and 8K 30p. I’ve uploaded it to our YouTube channel, which does support 8K playback, although you need you be viewing the video in Chrome with extremely fast internet. (Even then, the 8K option may not show up, and you may only be able to view the video in 4K or 1080p.) With those caveats, here it is:

Obviously, a compressed video uploaded to the web won’t show the full capabilities of the Nikon Z9, but then again, there are few display methods out there that will. Later in this article, I’ll show a crop from individual frames extracted from 4K and 8K video to demonstrate their performance in a way that’s visible more easily online.

Nikon Z9 Video Options

There is a huge range of available options for the Nikon Z9’s video quality settings. The options aren’t always predictable or obvious, but the following chart should make it a little clearer which settings can be enabled at a given time:

Yes, it’s a huge number of choices, but hopefully this chart will make it easier for you to wrap your head around them!

There are two other video quality settings on the Z9, but they’re more niche: “Video Quality (N-RAW)” and “Extended Oversampling.” The first only affects your image quality when you shoot Nikon’s 12-bit N-RAW. It roughly doubles your file size and provides slightly less RAW compression. On the other hand, “Extended Oversampling” only applies when you’re shooting 4K video at 50p or 60p. It gives you better detail and high ISO performance, at the cost of a bit of battery life. I recommend leaving Extended Oversampling on, and adjusting Video Quality (N-RAW) based on your project’s requirements.

Just a final note: Don’t rush to format the Nikon Z9’s memory card until you’re certain that any RAW videos have transferred properly onto your computer! Some software cannot import Nikon’s NEV videos (the company’s RAW file format), and instead converts them to a low-resolution MP4 upon import. It would suck to film a project in 8K RAW only to realize later that you imported it in a highly compressed format, and deleted the original…

4K vs 8K Video Quality

In a controlled environment, I see a difference between 8K and 4K even when 8K is downsampled, as shown here:

Since most displays cannot even come close to approaching 8K resolution, the difference shown above is the most that a typical viewer will ever be able to see, unless they have an 8K display lying around somewhere.

In real-world footage, my subjective impression was that these benefits do hold – it’s not just something limited to cherry-picked screenshots. I see very fine detail up close when filming in 8K, and it surpasses 4K footage even on a 4K monitor if you look closely. However, the large jump in file size means that 8K recording is not worthwhile for casual productions.

As to whether you should shoot RAW video or not – for most videographers, it won’t be necessary. After all, the Nikon Z9 can also shoot 10-bit internal N-log footage, which is more than enough for most users. RAW video is an “if you need it, you already know” situation. Still, it can help you get that last bit of dynamic range, high ISO performance, or post-processing malleability if you’re willing to go through the time-consuming process of editing RAW videos.

Other Video Settings

Like I showed above, there are a million different ways to set the Z9 for video, so the optimal settings highly depend on your requirements.

If you need malleable files without dealing with the massive file sizes of RAW video, I recommend shooting 10-bit video and enabling the N-Log Tone Mode on the Z9. However, if you would rather save yourself time in post-processing, you should leave the N-Log Tone Mode off and simply adjust Nikon’s “Picture Control” settings to give you a contrast and saturation boost from the get-go.

Another interesting video setting on the Z9 (as of Firmware Version 3.0 and later) is something Nikon calls “High-Res Zoom.” This allows you to film in 4K video and digitally zoom mid-shot without lowering the video’s resolution. You can use the control ring on your lens to vary the speed of zooming in or out. It’s a pretty cool addition to the Z9 that you won’t find on many other cameras. High-Res Zoom pairs especially well with Nikon’s 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens if you have it, giving a 28-270mm equivalent zoom in 4K. (See our Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ review for more info.)

Finally, if you want to see my point-by-point recommendations for the Nikon Z9’s video settings menu, check out my Recommended Nikon Z9 Settings article and scroll down to the header titled “Video Recording Menu.”