Review: Nikon Z8

Without doubt, the Z8 has been Nikon’s most anticipated camera in well over a decade.

Yes, fans were excited when Nikon eventually launched their first full-frame mirrorless cameras back in 2018 (five years after Sony’s first full-frame mirrorless) but while the sensors on the Nikon Z6 and Z7 were excellent, the autofocus was mediocre. 

Then, in late 2021 Nikon released their first professional mirrorless camera, the Z9, but at $9,000 it was beyond the reach of most budgets.

In the back of many minds though, was the knowledge that Nikon occasionally release an enthusiast’s camera that shares some, but not all the best features of their pro cameras - the F100 shared the Nikon F5’s AF system and the D700 shared the Nikon D3’s full-frame sensor, although neither could outperform the pro cameras when it came to frames-per-second (fps).

So behold, the Nikon Z8 that not only shares the same 45.7-Megapixel CMOS sensor and autofocus as the Z9, but it also has exactly the same capture capabilities; the Z8 can capture 45.7MP RAW files at up to 20-fps (up to a maximum of 1000 frames) and 45.7-MP JPEGs at 30-fps,19-MP JPEGs at 60-fps and 11MP JPEGs at 120-frames-per-second, with no limit on the number of frames captured aside from storage capacity!

To understand why Nikon’s new enthusiast’s camera can suddenly keep up with their flagship pro camera you just need to know one simple fact - neither camera has a mechanical shutter.

Instead, both the Z8 and Z9 use an electronic shutter that scans the sensor at a relatively fast 1/270th of a second; thats 18-times faster than the scan rate on previous Nikon electronic shutters (including the Z7II), and about the same speed a normal mechanical shutter moves across a sensor.

Shutter speeds range from 30-seconds (and 900-seconds in manual mode) up to 1/32,000 of a second, which should allow photographers to use Nikon’s fastest lenses wide open in bright light without using ND filters.

The maximum flash synch speed is 1/200th of a second although worth noting, if you do occasionally use flash it won’t fire if you are using the camera in silent mode! 

The Z8 does have a protective shutter that closes over the sensor when the power is turned off but it has no control over the exposure. For some reason this feature is turned off by default but it is worth turning on to protect the sensor during lens changes.

The build

In comparing the Z8 to the Z9 it is actually easier to tell you what it doesn’t have, which is the Z9’s built-in vertical grip and high capacity EN-EL18d battery, the built-in GPS receiver, an RJ45 ethernet connector and dual CFExpress/XQD card slots (the Z8 has one CFExpress/XQD card slot and one SD slot). That’s about it.

The Z8 does use the EN-EL15c battery that is backwards compatible with most Nikon D800 and Z6/7 series of cameras. You can make over 350 images on one charge with the EN-EL15c, but if you are a high volume shooter you can also buy the Nikon MB-N12 vertical grip (RRP $649) that lets you fit two EN-EL15c batteries into the grip at once.

The Z8 body and the MB-N12 grips also have a dedicated USB-C port that lets you charge the camera while it is in use.

The control layout on the Z8 is similar to the Z9, with the Play button now located in the bottom right of the rear control panel (rather than the top left on previous Nikons), and the Focus Mode button positioned rather awkwardly on the lower left front corner of the camera.

The Z8’s 3.69-million dot viewfinder and 2.1-million dot monitor on the offers exactly the same resolutions as the Z9 and, for that matter, the Z6/7 series cameras although you can now increase the viewfinder refresh rate to 120-Hz in the custom settings.

The 4-axis tilting touchscreen monitor (borrowed from the Z9) is one of the more useful features on the Z8 and it allows you to easily compose vertical images from ground level or above your head without too much effort.

The user interface is also improved over the previous Z6/7 models, thanks in part to a more discreet artificial horizon function and the option to remove all shooting info from the display so you can concentrate entirely upon on your compositions without any distraction.

The Z8 has also borrowed the Z9’s Pre-Release mode that buffers up to one seconds worth of imagery when the shutter button is half depressed and then writes those images to memory as soon as the shutter button is fully depressed (although this mode only works with JPEGs in the 30,60 and 60-fps modes).

Having told you everything that the Z8 has in common with the Z9, it is actually fair to say that the Z8 actually feels more like a hybrid between Nikon’s two other popular 47.5-Megapixel cameras, the Z7II and the Nikon D850.

Being just that little bit larger than the Z7II, the Z8 feels more comfortable to work, particularly for users with larger hands.

Autofocus

While sports and wildlife photographers will be excited by the fast capture rates and even faster shutter speeds, it’s the Z8’s autofocus that impressed me more.

Unlike the Z6/7 series cameras, the Z8’s autofocus is significantly more adaptive and reliable, even in extreme low light conditions.

Like the Z6/7, the Auto Area mode can detect human faces and eyes, but the Z8 can also detect animals, birds, vehicles and aircraft; you can also predetermine what subject type you want to specifically focus on (useful when birds, cats, vehicles and aircraft are all within the same scene).

Tracking and maintaining focus on linear moving subjects is easy for the Z8; the camera can lock on to a cyclist 100-metres away and deliver sharp images right through to the minimum focus, even at 120fps.

My new favourite mode though, is the 3D Tracking mode; simply position the focus point onto a subject, press the AF-On button and the Z8 will keep that subject in focus no matter where it is repositioned in the frame.

Incredibly, this mode will even track and maintain focus on an individual moving in crowd scenes; in one test I was even able to use the 3D mode to focus on and track an aircraft as it flew over Melbourne’s CBD - at night. Focusing on stars is also a lot easier compared to my usual Z6 and D850 cameras.

Video

Borrowing from the Z9, the Z8 also has dramatically improved video capabilities; in addition to the the 4K in H.264 4:2:0 8-Bit (used on the Nikon Z6/7 series), the Z8 can also capture 4K in H.265 4:2:0 8-Bit (at up to100 fps), 4K and 8K in H.265 4:2:2 10-Bit (up to 60 fps), ProRes 4:2:2 10-Bit (up to 30 fps) and Nikon Raw 12-Bit 8K (up to 60 fps).

Image quality

RAW modes have also changed on the Z8. While previous Nikon cameras have given us the choice of Lossless Compressed, Compressed and Uncompressed in both 12-bit of 14-bit modes, the Z8 (and Z9) now only give you three options, all at 14-bit; they are Lossless Compressed (averaging 60-Megabytes in file size), High Efficiency (averaging 30MB) and High Efficiency mode (averaging 20MB).

In testing it is near impossible to see any difference between the three RAW modes. Noise is apparent in RAW files at higher ISO settings, particularly above 6400 ISO but otherwise files from the Z8 are not really that much different from RAW images shot on the Z7II and the Nikon D850.

One thing that has disappointed me though, is that unlike the Z7II and the D850 that let you shoot Large (45.7-Megapixel), Medium (25.6MP) and Small (11.4MP) RAW file sizes, the Z8 (and Z9) only allow you to shoot Large RAW files. I get why this is not a concern on the Z9; most news and sports photographers only ever shoot JPEGs.

For most other photographers though (including pro shooters), that ability to shoot Large, Medium and Small RAW files adds a lot of utility to the camera.

Who wants to be shooting headshots or catalogue images, or just your holiday happy-snaps at 45.7MP when the images are only ever going to used on the web? Not only does this dramatically increase the amount of memory you need to carry for your camera but it also slows down your processing times.   

Another disappointment is the turn-on and wake times on the Z8, which are slow compared to many other cameras on the market now, and this will frustrate a few photographers.

I think for most photographers though, the biggest disappointment is the price point.

With a current retail price of $6999 and another $649 for the MB-N14 vertical grip, the Z8 is almost the same price as the Nikon Z9 which is now retailing for just over $7,700 in many stores.

The wrap-up

In short, the Nikon Z8 is a remarkable camera and its amazing autofocus and exceptional capture rate will keep a lot of action and wildlife photographers very happy.

Those professional grade video modes are also going to appeal to professional shooters who are constantly being urged by their clients to capture more video work.

For the average photographer though, the Z8 and its professional level price tag is probably more camera than most of had been hoping for, particularly given that the image quality is not that much different from the current Nikon Z7II or D850 cameras.

In the back of many minds though, is the knowledge someday soon, that electronic shutter and autofocus technology will trickle down into a more affordable Nikon. More anticipation.

HANDLING ★★★★ 1/2

The Z8 feels great in the hand and is just as easy to use, particularly with the 4-axis monitor that lets you shoot from almost any angle now, although slow start-up and wake times are still a little disappointing.

FEATURES ★★★★★

Whether you want to shoot RAW files at 20 frames-per-second or capturing professional level video in N-RAW to Apple ProRes, the Z8 one of the most competent cameras on the market for image makers.

AUTOFOCUS ★★★★★

The Z8’s Autofocus is one of best on offer at the moment, performing brilliantly in everything from complex situations through to extreme low light conditions. For many photographers, the AF will be one of the key reasons they will move this camera. 

IMAGE QUALITY ★★★★ 1/2

Photos from the Z8 are excellent, particularly at the lower ISO settings, but in fairness, the overall image quality is not a lot different to images you are already getting the Nikon Z7II and D850.

VALUE FOR MONEY ★★★ 1/2

At $6999, the Z8 is one of Nikon’s most expensive enthusiast level cameras to date. Sports and wildlife photographers are going to tell you it’s worth every dollar, though other photographers might not.

Final word

The Nikon Z8 is a beast of a camera, although in reality it is just a Nikon Z9 in short pants. The amazing autofocus, blistering capture speeds and professional level video modes are all compelling reasons to buy this camera, but only if you really need that speed and performance.

Overall score: 9/10

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