Which to Buy: Nikon Z7II Sensor vs Z9/Z8 Sensor Comparison

The Nikon Z9/Z8 has a stacked sensor, and according to some sensor-testing Internet sites, it takes a small hit in the image quality department. That may be true on paper, but does it really in testing on real-world images?

The subject chosen to compare these two sensors was white hair. The lens used was the Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S — a very sharp lens. A sturdy tripod was used, IBIS was turned off, electronic shutter was used, aperture priority and f/7.1 were set, ISO 64 was set, and the timer was used to trigger the shutter. The area chosen is not known for having earthquakes. Here are the results:

First, at 100%:

Next, the above at 200%:

Next, just to see if the results could be duplicated (100%):

Last, the above at 200%:

Conclusion

At 100% there is not really a great difference, but when pixel-peeping at 200% the differences seem more obvious. And that is that the stacked sensor does indeed affect image quality, however, the autofocus performance is many, many times better in the Z9/Z8 than in the Z7II.

If shooting landscapes or products, it is hard to do better than the sensor in the Z7II, but if shooting action, then the Z9/Z8 really is a much better option.

Since the Z7II does not currently support pixel-shift, this comparison does not consider results using this feature.

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