Nikon
Z9
Flagship stacked mirrorless with 45MP, 8K video, and no mechanical shutter.
$5,899
Released Oct 2021
OM System
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Compact pro MFT with IBIS and weather sealing.
$1,199
Released Oct 2019
Z9 is 2 years newer.
Wins
Z9
Wins
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
3 categories tied
Check current prices
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TL;DR — Key differences
- BOM-D E-M5 Mark III has higher Burst (mechanical) (6 fps vs 0 fps)
- AZ9 has higher RAW buffer depth (1000 frames vs 60 frames)
- AZ9 has higher Burst (electronic) (120 fps vs 15 fps)
- BOM-D E-M5 Mark III has lower Weight (580 g vs 1340 g)
- AZ9 has higher Resolution (45.7 MP vs 20.4 MP)
Key specs at a glance
Size and weight, to scale
Z9
149 × 150 × 91 mm
1340 g (2.95 lb / 47.27 oz)
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
134 × 91 × 72 mm
580 g (1.28 lb / 20.46 oz)
Z9 is 15mm wider, 59mm taller, and 19mm thicker than OM-D E-M5 Mark III.
Z9 is 760 g heavier than OM-D E-M5 Mark III.
Depth (front-to-back): 91mm Z9 · 72mm OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Back view, to scale
Width × Height — same proportions as the front of the body.
Z9
149 × 150 mm
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
134 × 91 mm
Top view, to scale
Width × Depth (front-to-back) — see which body is chunkier on the table.
Z9
149 × 91 mm
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
134 × 72 mm
Sensor size, to scale
Z9
35.9 × 23.9 mm · Full Frame
858 mm² area
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
17.3 × 13 mm · Micro Four Thirds
225 mm² area
3.8× larger sensor area = shallower depth of field and better low-light performance.
Lens ecosystem
Native lens selection
Z9
Nikon Z
90+
native lenses available
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
✓ more lensesMicro Four Thirds
130+
native lenses available
Counts include current first-party and major third-party native autofocus lenses.
Use-case scoring
Which one for what?
Algorithmic scores from verified specs · 10 = best in class
Why pick one over the other
Reasons to choose
Z9
AF low-light limit
-8.5 EV vs -7 EV — lower is better
Subject recognition
Adds People, Birds, Dogs…
Codecs
Adds N-RAW, ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes 422 HQ…
Dimensions (W×H×D mm)
Adds 149, 149.5, 90.5
Card types
Adds CFexpress Type B / XQD, CFexpress Type B / XQD
RAW buffer depth
1000 frames vs 60 frames — higher is better
Burst (electronic)
120 fps vs 15 fps — higher is better
Resolution
45.7 MP vs 20.4 MP — higher is better
Reasons to choose
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Subject recognition
Adds Human, Animal, Bird…
Burst (mechanical)
6 fps vs 0 fps — higher is better
Codecs
Adds H.265, H.264
Dimensions (W×H×D mm)
Adds 134, 91, 72
Card types
Adds SD UHS-II
Weight
580 g vs 1340 g — lower is better
AF points / zones
1053 vs 493 — higher is better
AA filter
Only OM-D E-M5 Mark III supports it
Both cameras share
- ✓ISO max (native) — Both 25,600
- ✓Eye AF — Both support eye af
- ✓Animal / bird AF — Both support animal / bird af
- ✓Pre-Capture / Pre-Release — Both support pre-capture / pre-release
- ✓In-body stabilization — Both support in-body stabilization
- ✓IBIS effectiveness — Both 6 stops
Pros & cons at a glance
Editorially curated highlights and trade-offs.
Z9
Pros
- ✓45MP stacked
- ✓8K 60p internal
- ✓120fps stills
- ✓Pro build
Cons
- –Heavy body
- –Expensive
- –Large files
OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Pros
- ✓Compact pro
- ✓Weather sealed
- ✓IBIS
Cons
- –Older
- –MFT
- –Superseded
Full specifications
✓ = category winner
Frequently asked
Quick answers generated from verified specs.
Which is better for landscape, Z9 or OM-D E-M5 Mark III?
Z9 scores 9.5/10 versus 3.5/10 for OM-D E-M5 Mark III — 45.7MP — excellent for prints up to 24×36".
What's the resolution difference between the Z9 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III?
Z9 is 45.7 MP and OM-D E-M5 Mark III is 20.4 MP, so the Z9 captures more detail for cropping and large prints.
Do the Z9 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III have in-body image stabilization?
Z9 has 6-stop in-body image stabilization, while oM-D E-M5 Mark III has 6-stop in-body image stabilization.
Which shoots faster bursts — the Z9 or the OM-D E-M5 Mark III?
Z9 reaches 120 fps electronic. OM-D E-M5 Mark III reaches 15 fps electronic.
What's the weight difference between the Z9 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III?
Z9 weighs 1340 g and OM-D E-M5 Mark III weighs 580 g, so the OM-D E-M5 Mark III is 760 g lighter.
Do the Z9 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III record 4K video?
Z9: 8K UHD (max), 4K up to 120p. OM-D E-M5 Mark III: 4K up to 60p.
Are the Z9 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III weather sealed?
Z9: Yes. OM-D E-M5 Mark III: Yes.
Which has better battery life?
Rated battery life is 740 shots (CIPA) for the Z9 and 640 shots for the OM-D E-M5 Mark III, giving the Z9 the edge.
How much does each cost?
Z9 launched at $5,899 and OM-D E-M5 Mark III at $1,199. The OM-D E-M5 Mark III is $4,700 less.
Specs sourced from manufacturer data. Use-case scores algorithmically derived. Last reviewed May 2026.
Product images courtesy of Nikon and OM System press materials.