Nikon Z6III / Sony α9 III (ILCE-9M3)

Nikon Z6III: Camera body · Nikon Z mount

Sony α9 III (ILCE-9M3): α9 III ILCE-9M3 body; the VG-C5 vertical grip is sold separately. The α9 (ILCE-9) and α9 II (ILCE-9M2) are earlier models with different sensors.

SpecificationNikon Z6IIISony α9 III (ILCE-9M3)
Release year20242023
SensorFull-frame; partially stacked CMOS; 24.5 effective MP Nikon35.6 × 23.8 mm full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutter; about 24.6MP effective for stills, 20.3MP for video

A global shutter reads every row at once, so the skew seen on row-by-row sensors with spinning propellers, golf clubs or fast pans does not occur.

Sony
ProcessorEXPEED 7 Nikon—
ISO100–64000 Nikon—
Video6K/60p RAW; 4K/120p; Full HD/240p (mode restrictions differ) NikonUp to 4K 119.88p; XAVC S (8-bit 4:2:0 or 10-bit 4:2:2), XAVC HS (10-bit 4:2:2), XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p (600 Mbps)

XAVC HS is H.265-based, producing smaller files at the same quality but needing a stronger computer to edit. XAVC S-I records intra-frame only, easier to edit but with large files.

Sony
Lens mountNikon Z Nikon—
Card slotsCFexpress/XQD and UHS-II SD NikonTwo slots; each takes SD (UHS-I/II) or CFexpress Type A

CFexpress Type A cards are better suited to clearing the buffer quickly when shooting RAW at 120 fps.

Sony
Viewfinder0.5-inch OLED; about 5.76 million dots; 4000 cd/m²; 0.8× magnification

About 100% frame coverage.

Nikon		—
Display3.2-inch touch, vari-angle; about 2.1 million dots Nikon—
Stabilisation5-axis in-body sensor-shift VR

The product page gives no stop rating.

Nikon		—
ShutterMechanical 1/8000–30 s; electronic up to 1/16,000 s

Up to 900 s in M mode; flash sync 1/200 s (1/60 s with electronic shutter).

Nikon		—
Burst shootingExtended high speed: mechanical about 14, electronic about 20 fps; up to 120 fps with High-Speed Frame Capture+

Pre-Release Capture records up to 1 second before the shutter is fully pressed.

Nikon		—
AutofocusHybrid phase/contrast; 273 points; 9 subject types; −10 to +19 EV

−10 EV applies to AF-S in photo mode at ISO 100 with an f/1.2 lens.

Nikon		Fast Hybrid AF; 759 phase-detection points for stills, 627 for video Sony
ConnectionsUSB-C SuperSpeed; full-size HDMI (Type A); 3.5 mm mic and headphone; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Nikon—
BatteryEN-EL15c

EN-EL15b/a also fit but give fewer shots per charge; the MB-N14 grip holds two batteries.

Nikon		NP-FZ100; about 400 shots with the viewfinder and 530 with the screen (CIPA); charging and power over USB PD Sony
Operating environment−10 to 40 °C; 85% humidity or less

Nikon describes Z8-level robustness, but the page gives no IP rating.

Nikon		—
Size and weight138.5 × 101.5 × 74 mm; 760 g with battery and card, 670 g body only NikonAbout 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm; about 702 g with battery and card (body only 617 g) Sony
Service advisoryParts issue that can make cameras inoperable within identified serial-number ranges

17 March 2026: Nikon offers eligible units free parts/repair even outside warranty. Not all Z6III units are affected; use the official serial-number check and applicable regional service terms.

Nikon		—
Bird detectionDedicated bird detection in stills and video

Added in C 2.00.

Nikon		—
Auto captureMotion, distance and subject-detection criteria

C 2.00; distance criteria require a NIKKOR Z lens.

Nikon		—
C 2.01 fixesRare burst overexposure in M mode; freezes under some F-mount lens conditions

Not a single explanation for every owner-reported freeze or a software remedy for the physical service advisory.

Nikon		—
Processor and ISO—BIONZ XR; ISO 250–25600 for stills (expanded 125–51200)

A base ISO of 250 means the lowest-noise setting is higher than on cameras with an ISO 100 base.

Sony
Burst and shutter—About 120 fps (Hi+), blackout-free; electronic shutter only, 1/80,000–30 s

Sony says AF/AE tracking continues at 120 fps. Speed Boost switches to a preset higher rate with one button during shooting; Pre-Capture keeps up to 1 second recorded before the shutter is pressed.

Sony
Flash sync—Up to 1/80,000 s (electronic); 1/500 s

Thanks to the global shutter, flash can be used even at the fastest shutter speed without switching to high-speed sync.

Sony
In-body stabilisation—5-axis sensor shift; 8.0 stops (CIPA)

The figure is measured with the FE 50mm F1.2 GM on pitch/yaw only.

Sony
Viewfinder and screen—0.64-type OLED viewfinder, 9,437,184 dots, 0.90x; 3.2-type 2,095,104-dot touchscreen (multi-angle)

The viewfinder refreshes at 60/120/240 fps. The screen tilts up 98°, down 40°, swings 180° to the side and rotates 270°.

Sony
Connectivity—USB-C 10 Gb/s (USB 3.2); plus Multi/Micro USB; 1000BASE-T wired LAN; Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4/5 GHz); Bluetooth 5.0; Type-A HDMI

Wired LAN is used to send photos quickly to agencies at sports and news events. Full-size HDMI gives a sturdier connection in the field than micro HDMI.

Sony