Pretty much all of Nikon’s cameras have received refreshes in some way or another. But the one that’s been sorely left behind is the Nikon Z7 II. I remember when a very good friend of mine was considering the Nikon Z8 but then after some advising by me, ended up settling for the Z7 II. He adores the megapixels, but every time that I compare the performance to my Nikon Zf, his purchase feels somewhat Mesozoic. And this year, I really thought that we’d see the Nikon Z7 II because camera manufacturers are finally starting to realize that photographers buy cameras, too. I’m writing this article in early September 2025, and quite frankly, I think that a few things are probably going to happen.
Nikon Takes Most of the Z8 and Stuffs it Into the Nikon Z7 III
I’ve received hints that theNikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 might get refreshes next year. So with that said, there’s probably a chance that in order to sell of the extra supplies that are in the Z8, they’ll shove it into the Nikon Z7 III and pull a few of the features from the camera so it won’t compete with their higher end products. This is a strategy that so many camera companies do. And honestly, in 2025, it’s quite boring.
This is the route Nikon is most likely to take. But to be honest, why would I buy the Z7 III then if I can just get a camera from another company cheaper brand new or used? Nikon will need to do something unique to make the Z7 III really something that photographers will want to buy.
And I’m not talking about packing it with various video modes.
Nikon’s first 60MP Camera
So far from what we’ve seen, the Leica SL3 is the only other camera besides the Sony a7R series that uses a 60MP full-frame sensor. I truly thought that Panasonic would’ve done it too. Alas, they went with a 45MP sensor instead. Maybe Nikon is the next one to finally use the sensor that has otherwise only been contained to a few cameras.
If it is indeed used, I hope that the performance is better than the Sony a7r V — which always makes me want to throw it across a room.
Nikon Uses the Sensor in the Sony A1 series Cameras
My other fascinating theory: Nikon will use the Sony a1 series sensor. This is a 50MP full-frame sensor that is a bit more than the 45MP and not as much as the 60MP. If Nikon did this, they’d have a fairly unique product with different focusing algorithms and so much more. If they married it with the Z9’s processor and autofocus, they’d have genuinely one of the single best cameras on the market.
This is the route that I hope that Nikon ultimately goes with. Only Leica has really shown that the 60MP sensor can focus quickly, and I don’t imagine that Nikon and Leica have the best of relationships with one another to share information like this.