Few thoughts in no particular order on the Nikon Z 9 which I’ve been using since just before Christmas last year. I had previously been using the Nikon D6/5 but sold them both and switched to a fully mirrorless setup: the Nikon Z 7 and the Z 9.

• The Z 9 feels and handles like any other professional Nikon camera I’ve used. The menus are a bit more polished but 10 mins after picking it up from Camera Centre UK in Cardiff I was out and shooting with it. It’s very familiar to anyone who has used a Nikon camera before. In terms of its size the camera is less chunky than the D6 - presumably due to the lack of shutter. I’m glad it takes the existing D5/6 batteries too.

• Z 9 seems to combine the best of Z 7 and D6 cameras together - silent shutter, gps fast/accurate focus tracking, very responsive and good editing and networking capabilities.

• The main difference I’ve noticed is the autofocus system which is incredible. The tracking functions are excellent and mean I can get pictures that would be much more difficult with the Z 7. I’m getting a lot more pictures in focus and attempting a lot more pictures I wouldn’t have otherwise tried.

• Being able to shoot 20fps with a blackout free viewfinder is also a big plus over the Z 7 - it can be very easy to forget that you are taking pictures at all if the camera is set to be completely silent.

• The battery seems about twice as good as the Z 7 and half as good as the D6. I use the wireless networking functions fairly heavily which no doubt runs the battery down considerably. Being able to charge via a USB C cable is very useful. When travelling it means a camera, laptop and phone can all be charged from one plug and two cables.

• The protective shutter that covers the sensor when a lens is removed is an absolute godsend. I was surprised it was off by default in the menu system. I had to clean the Z 7 sensor monthly if not fortnightly.

• One of my least favourite things with the Z 7 was the momentary delay in the viewfinder turning on after being raised to the eye - no doubt it was milliseconds but felt like an age at times, particularly when something was happening in front of you! The Z 9 is considerably faster.

• 20fps is very useful - even if it’s just in a press conference where you want to capture a brief moment where someone is gesturing or pointing. It gives far more options.

• Would be good to see the release of the NX Mobile Air app. I know it’s been released in the US but for some reason it doesn’t seem to have been released in Europe yet.

• It would be nice if Nikon could find a way of grouping images shot in a single burst together - similar to how the iPhone manages burst photos. Scrolling through on the back of the camera can take a long time with long bursts at 20fps and it’s a nightmare at 120fps.