Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Is the Nikon Z8 the best mirrorless camera yet?”.
This is the new Nikon Z8. It has a full frame, 45.7 megapixel stacked CMOS sensor that, thanks to the x-speed 7 image processor, can shoot Raw photos at 20 frames per second for over a thousand frames. There’S also autofocus readings up to 120 frames per second and impressive video specs, I’m talking 12-bit End Rod. 8K 60 frames per second come here friend or 4K at 120 frames per second, and if all that sounds incredibly familiar, it’s because the Nikon Z8 is pretty much.
The Nikon z9, just in a smaller body and at a much lower price, I’m Becca welcome back to full frame. So when I reviewed the z9, I said that Nikon finally put itself in the professional mirrorless camera race and in a lot of ways. This camera is now winning, and I said this because, with the z9 Nikon made a big heavy mirrorless camera that was high, specked and made for working professionals, who put you, know massive telephoto lenses on it and are gon na, carry it out in the field for Hours they also continue to roll out great firmware updates for the camera and they priced it really competitively below the flagships from Sony and Canon. So when I was invited on a photo walk with a Nikon wrap a few weeks ago, I knew it was going to be a Z8, because you know that’s what was missing in the lineup. But I did not expect Nikon to pack such high specs into a small system and then price it at four thousand dollars.
There are a few small differences between the z9 and the Z8 on the outside. The Z8 has two USBC ports versus just one: ethernet port and one USBC port on the z9 there’s also just one CF Express type B slot and then one standard, SD card slot and the Z8 doesn’t have a built-in vertical grip, which means it uses the smaller Nikon en el15c battery that has been used in many other Nikon cameras, though there will be an external battery grip available for the Z8 as well internally. The big changes are that there’s a portrait Impressions function that will allow you to change Hue and brightness when shooting portraits, there’s also skin smoothing Nikon’s, adding the ability to bring the base ISO down to 200, as opposed to 800, when shooting in N log. And now you can shoot in Hip along with JPEG and RAW.
Otherwise you get all the same great specs of the z9, including that 45.7 megapixel stack CMOS sensor that produces great images and crisp video. And since I already reviewed and recommend that camera does the size of the Z8 change the way I feel about the system as a whole yeah it does. But first there are two things I wish Nikon would have taken the chance to fix number one. I wish the back screen was able to flip out and be forward-facing. It might make for a weaker design but loads of people film themselves, or they shoot in tight places that warrant more flexibility and secondly, autofocus Nikon made huge strides in the z9 in this department, but I still think there’s a lot of room to grow. Here I mean, for starters: the focus modes themselves are just named kind of oddly and and not in a way that makes sense to someone who doesn’t know a lot about the systems. Yes, camera nerds working professionals, they’re gon na dive into the settings, they’re gon na figure out the ones they like most, but if Nikon wants to attract to you, know more novice Shooters to their higher end systems. They’Re gon na have to dumb this down and, secondly, the autofocus is just isn’t as good.
Even when you do dial in these settings, I was recently reviewing the Sony zve E1 and you pick up that camera. You turn on and immediately it just feels like. It reads my mind of what I want it to focus on and I have not had that experience in a Nikon system yet and then there is kind of like a third problem, but it’s an adobe problem. I still can’t use enroll in Premiere.
It’S been over a year, Adobe, let’s go, let’s go. There are also some things we just don’t know about the Z8. Yet how much battery life will you get out of a smaller battery? How will the system handle heat, especially when shooting an 8K for long periods of time? How important is the Dual CF Express card slots for folks, our ethernet ports necessary in a Pro System, we’ll need more time with the system to answer all of the above, but after using the Z8 for three hours and the z9 for well over a month.
My fear of Nikon being like wiped off the camera Market is gone. The z9 and now the Z8 produces great images and high resolution video in a durable customizable body. That users will continue to be impressed by for years.
So the z9 was special because previously mirrorless cameras were known for their small size and Nikon said you know, screw it. We’Re going big with the Z8 Nikon is now playing ball with most of the other camera manufacturers who set out to get big specs into small systems, and it’s going to be more challenging to capture an audience when its camera now looks like everyone else’s. As someone who carries a camera almost everywhere, though, I’m going to welcome the smaller design with open arms, and I’m definitely going to be recommending this to folks, because I mean these are incredibly High, specs at a very competitive price, but Nikon you’re gon na have to Start shrinking your lenses too! So now I’m wondering of Nikon z9 owners. How many of you folks are going to regret, buying that and wish you’d waited to get the same specs on a smaller body. I do wonder about that.
Anyway, I’m Becca see you in the next one: .