Nikon Z6 II has a
24.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Dual Expeed 6 processor. On the other hand, Nikon Z9 has a
46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized Stacked CMOS sensor and features Expeed 7 processor.
Nikon Z9's sensor provides 22MP more than Nikon Z6 II's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the Z6 Mark II and Z9 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z9 Cameras
Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z9 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Nikon Z6 II has 86% larger pixel area compared to Nikon Z9, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z9 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that Z9 has a better overall score of 98, 4 points higher compared to Z6 Mark II's score of 94.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon Z6 II
94
25.0 bits
14.4 Evs
3303 ISO
Nikon Z9
98
26.3 bits
14.4 Evs
2451 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Nikon Z6 II
or the
Nikon Z9 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
