Nikon Z 8

Entry Date: 21/6/2023

Looking at how all the other bodies and lenses (especially the Z9) were back-ordered for as long as I could remember, I decided not to risk it and placed a pre-order for a Z8 when preorders were open earlier in May, and managed to get it on launch day (26 May).

Come to think of it, this is the first time I actually pre-ordered a camera or lens - I usually would prefer to test out demo sets in stores and look through some online reviews and discussions before deciding, and especially in the case in Japan, pre-ordering a camera body or lens usually does not come with any other benefits (like discounts or free bundled accessories) apart from being able to use it from Day 1.

I guess its reputation as a mini-Z9 did help its marketing a lot, since I am quite aware of what the Z9 is capable of, and the Z8 having the same internals as its bigger sibling meant that performance-wise both of them would be very close, or in fact identical to each other, and this definitely helped with me having the confidence to place a pre-order.

One of the biggest reasons for me getting the Z8 is to take photos of the little one running around now - my Z6/Z6II/Z7’s AF system just cannot keep up with her in Auto-area AF, and both the camera and I struggle at times with single point AF too. Decided that time only flows one way, and being able to get the shot is definitely worth much more than what I would be paying for the Z8.

The AF performs way above my expectations - in Auto-area AF the subject detection kicks in real fast and the AF just locks on and tracks as the subject (both two-legged and four-legged variants) move throughout the frame. I guess the fast readout of the sensor definitely helps in this case since I see very little back-focused shots when they are moving towards the camera. Single point AF also feels more responsive and intuitive to use, I guess partly because I can now set the AF point selection speed to something that I am comfortable with.

Button layouts are quite different from the initial Z6ish bodies. I am happy to have more physical buttons around since there is less need to menu dive, though I need to get used to having the Playback button on the right side now since I am so used to having it on the top left (like since forever). As for now I am going to program Fn3 (the lock button) to the Playback function until my muscle memory gets reprogrammed.

Customizing the command dials now fall under the distinct customize photo/video/playback options, rather than an option on the main customize settings page itself. Makes more sense to do it this way since there are so many more options available in the Z8, though I have to admit I had to hunt for it a bit initially since I was used to the old menu system.

Speaking of the menu system, some other revamps are in place too, like some settings have a clearer to understand On/Off toggle button instead of having a drop-down list option. Being able to glance through settings with visual cues is without a doubt a plus in UX, and I welcome this change very much.

The body being slightly taller than the Z6ish bodies also mean that now the 1st-gen FTZ adapter I use with the 105/1.4E sits pretty flush with the base of the camera. Cool.

Regarding image quality, while some people do mention that the stacked sensor of the Z9 (and Z8 too since they are essentially the same sensor) does see a slight drop in IQ as compared to the BSI-only 45MP sensor of the Z7/Z7ii, in my personal use cases I do find the differences minimal. By default RAW is recorded in HE* quality, but some RAW converters still do not support this format properly hence I am using it in the typical lossless RAW compression format(which is 14-bit by the way).

One change that I do see regarding the image files is that the new Expeed 7 does produce a more accurate auto white balance, and also resulting files do have colors and tones that are more neutral easier to manipulate. I do personally prefer Z7 files over Z6 files because of this reason too, and it seems like the new processor has further improved the color accuracy and color science, making the files much easier to work with.

Right now I am still keeping my Z6/Z6II/Z7 for work purposes and for having a more compact kit around, but so far my experience with the Z8 does make me want to replace my entire kit with Z8’s. Let’s see how things go down the line.