Nikon Z5IIC vs Panasonic Lumix S9
Every published spec side by side, with today's lowest prices for the market you've chosen.
Key differences
- Announced: Sep 2026 on the Z5IIC, against May 2024 on the Lumix S9.
- Resolution: 24.5 MP on the Z5IIC, against 24.2 MP on the Lumix S9.
- Native ISO: 100–64,000 on the Z5IIC, against 100–51,200 on the Lumix S9.
- In-body stabilisation: Yes, 7.5 stops on the Z5IIC, against Yes, 6.5 stops on the Lumix S9.
- Burst (electronic): 30 fps on the Lumix S9, against 15 fps on the Z5IIC.
- Max resolution: 6K on the Lumix S9, against 4K on the Z5IIC.
Z5IIC or Lumix S9: which should you buy?
Choose the Z5IIC for its resolution, native ISO, in-body stabilisation and internal raw video. It leads on 6 specs in all.
Choose the Lumix S9 for its burst (electronic), max resolution, rear screen and weight (with battery). It leads on 5 specs in all.
On paper the Z5IIC wins more rows (6 to 5); if the Lumix S9's strengths are the ones you shoot with, and its price is lower where you buy, it can still be the better buy.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price today | $1,384.95 new | $1,099.99 new $1,497.99 used |
| Overview | ||
| Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Announced | Sep 2026 (best) | May 2024 |
| US launch priceUS list price when announced, body only. Today's prices are in the offers table. | $1,399.95 | $1,499 |
| Lens | Interchangeable | Interchangeable |
| Sensor & image | ||
| Sensor size | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | BSI CMOS | CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.5 MP (best) | 24.2 MP |
| Native ISO | 100–64,000 (best) | 100–51,200 |
| In-body stabilisation | Yes, 7.5 stops (best) | Yes, 6.5 stops |
| Speed & autofocus | ||
| Burst (mechanical) | 14 fps | — |
| Burst (electronic) | 15 fps | 30 fps (best) |
| Fastest shutter (mech.) | 1/8,000s | — |
| Fastest shutter (elec.) | 1/8,000s | 1/8,000s |
| AF pointsMakers count points differently, so this is not ranked. | 273 | — |
| Subject detectionMakers group subjects differently (Canon's "animal" includes birds), so only having it is ranked. | Human, Animal, Bird, Vehicle, Aircraft | Human, Animal, Vehicle |
| Video | ||
| Max resolution | 4K | 6K (best) |
| 4K frame rate | 60p | 60p |
| 10-bit internal | Yes | Yes |
| Internal raw video | Yes (best) | No |
| Mic input | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes (best) | No |
| Viewfinder & screen | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Rear screen | 3.2", 1.04M dots | 3", 1.84M dots (best) |
| Screen articulation | Fully articulating | Fully articulating |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Body & battery | ||
| Weight (with battery) | 620 g | 486 g (best) |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 134 × 80.5 × 72 mm | 126 × 73.9 × 46.7 mm |
| Weather sealed | Yes (best) | No |
| Battery (CIPA shots) | 350 | 470 (best) |
| Card slots | 1 · SD UHS-II | 1 · SD UHS-II |
| USB-C | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in flash | No | No |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth |
Green marks the better figure where “better” is unambiguous. A dash means the maker doesn't publish it or we haven't verified it yet.
Price history: is the newer one cheaper?
Low light & noise
Z5IIC
5.9 µm pixels
24.5 MP on a full frame sensor, ISO up to 64,000
Lumix S9
6.0 µm pixels
24.2 MP on a full frame sensor, ISO up to 51,200
Bigger pixels gather more light each, so they tend to show less noise at high ISO, but sensor design matters as much. For real noise at ISO 6400, these sites measure it:
- Photons to Photos: dynamic range vs ISO ↗Photographic dynamic range measured at every ISO, bodies on one chart
- Photons to Photos: noise vs ISO ↗Read noise at every ISO from lab tests: lower is cleaner in the shadows
- DPReview studio scene ↗The same scene shot by each camera at the ISO you pick, side by side
- DPReview reviews ↗Full reviews with high-ISO samples
- Low-light video tests ↗Real-world high-ISO footage on YouTube
Size, to scale
Front (width × height)
Top (width × depth)