New Nikon Z9 flagship?

I must admit I’m always a bit puzzled by suggestions that one camera company is ahead of another. There are so many technologies packed into a camera that no single brand or model can realistically be identified as the technology leader.

A friend was recently reentering photography after a several year absence and no remaining kit. She could start from a clean slate and has the technical expertise to want high-end equipment. We started making a list of “technologies” to evaluate - focus speed, focus lock, eye A-F, human and animal, low-light focus, dynamic range, native ISO, ISO range, noise versus ISO, light metering options and capabilities, inherent color tint in RAW images, the role of the camera in edge-to-edge sharpness versus focal length, mechanical robustness, weather sealing, ergonomics, weight, balance versus lens size and weight, EVF resolution, frame speed and burst length, memory card types, lenses available with or without what kind of adaptors, a million software questions. I could go on and on. I think our list had over 40 line items. The point is that no single camera company has the lead in every technology, and in the end we choose our cameras based on which of these features are most important to us. Then unless we have more money than God we need to stay on our chosen path.

Kevin