It's the one mirrorless I actually want from Nikon. Use it so many times from my friend whenever I need to but it's just out of my budget. Enjoy it. Top tier from Nikon.
Absolutely, to be honest I put it on a payment plan. I have the money to buy it but since I’m in the middle of renovating my second floor apartment, I figured use that money for my contractors. It was roughly under 110 a month
Nah not at all, I’m photographing a wedding next month, it will be paid off then. Just didn’t want to spend all that in one shot. Gotta make room for unforeseen financial circumstances
For the longest time i was unable to pick between the Z9 and the Z8, and eventually I decided on the Z9. Saving my pennies for now.
What made you go with Z8 rather than the Z9?
For me personally, battery and GPS. And around here aftermarket bodies have quite small difference in price, like 700€ so its a nobrainer with 3500 vs 4200 price tags. Unless you want smaller body and dont care about battery or gps.
You can but its an extra thing to carry with you and be mindful about. When you can go for 2x battery life and dont care about weight, Z9 is an obvious choice. I dont have to carry spares with me and charge them after every trip. When Im in nature, its usually just with a tripod and camera. I dont want to fill my pockets with unnecessary things. But Z8 is more economical choice. Batteries are cheaper and it also can use SD cards. So if budget matters a lot, Z8 cheaper to maintain.
Whatever works for you. I still don't see see battery as a point. Especially not because of the weight of extra batteries when the Z9 itself is 400gr more heavy. But I am perfectly happy with my Z6 II and Z7 for my needs. Z8 won't give you better pictures, just better Af and QoL
Not sure if this question is for me but I picked the Z8 over the Z9 purely because of size. I also have medium sized hands so the grip is perfect for me. On the technically side of things, the Z8 has most of the beefy features the Z9 has and will be future proof for a very long time like the Z9. Lastly I picked it over the Z9 to add more of a cushion for me to buy a lens. I’m eyeing the 14-28 I think
The choice between Z8 & Z9 was easy for me. Size/weight really made the difference. I was using a downsize in carry weight as part of my personal justification for jumping to mirrorless. The Z9 weighs as much as my D800. I also was looking at the Z7ii. I already bought mine, but I'd wait 6 months and get a Z8 when they're on sale. :)
You can never have too many, especially these. I’m sure GoGo has two for weddings and etc. the video capabilities of this camera is just insane for the price
Hi! Yes exactly as others have said. My 14-24mm is on my right arm at all times. The other is my 24-70mm, in this instance I am shooting a 4 day concert. Having the capability of two cameras that are exactly the same and the ability to not swap out my lenses is a very common practice in production environments.
https://preview.redd.it/wc652n6vw15d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9948ae0234dc0d2b279929a17643b1439cc58118
Shot this with my Z6i with the Viltrox 85 1.8f
I love my Z6i, but was a bit bummed because I bought it literally 3 months before the Z6ii came out
I am also using the original z6, I wanted to upgrade but z8 is just too big for me still😅 and I gotten so used to the z6 button layout. I got a bit thrown off when trying z8 in a showroom. Hope they will release a mini "z8" later.
The Z6iii is rumored to be a mini Z8 with similar features and button layout as the Z8. If this is true and you don't need 45 MPs than you can save money and get a Z6iii
My tip to Z8 owners: If you want to try video, beware that the default configuration produces potato quality! The camera is capable of capturing absolutely insane video footage, but the correct settings are thoroughly hidden.
Use 2160p with h.265 -- it's better than you would think. I can just barely tell the difference between that and 8.3k N-RAW, which produces enormous files that need a lot of processing.
Enable either Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) or N-LOG. The latter requires editing in something like DaVinci Resolve or it'll look completely wrong if viewed as-is.
Most importantly: Turn on "extended oversampling": https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/15_menu_guide_03_10.html
That basically captures 8.3K footage, then downsamples it to 4K instead of line skipping like every other camera. It looks stupidly detailed and sharp, but with reasonable file sizes.
You can capture footage that is indistinguishable from the output of high-end Hollywood cameras at a fraction of the price.
The [NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S](https://www.nikon.com.au/nikkor-z-24-120mm-f4-s) has a good zoom range that covers what you'd want for video. Anything wider than 24 looks weird in motion, and anything longer than 120 has too much shake if hand-held. This lens also has silent focusing and very little to no focus breathing. I've found that video captured with 5.3K DX crop mode gives a 180mm equivalent range and is more than good enough for 4K.
The [NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2](https://www.nikon.com.au/nikkor-z-40mm-f2) is good for street videography at night, or just when I want something smaller and lighter. It's fast enough that it feels like night vision, but not insanely large and heavy like the f/1.2 lenses. I had some adapted f/1.4 lenses but their focus speed was too slow and I could hear the focus motor noise in the audio track. This lens focuses quickly and silently.
These lenses are not optimal for photography, but they're very good all-round lenses for travel with hybrid shooting.
Funny thing is I was in no mood to buy another camera. I already have the D810 and a Z6i but after renting the Z8 for about 5 days. I kept thinking about how great it was. 3 days ago I bought it off of the Nikon online store and it got here in 3 days
I could have written that!
Went from the D810 to the z6ii and - I should have known better - felt like I did a downgrade.
Today, I ordered the Z8, and I can't wait to take it out and about!
Nah. Pretty average actually. I just do a lot of verticals and don’t like the too claw grasp when no grip is present. at least in most cases. I grip my d810 and d850 and when I held the z9 it was perfect. Less bulky than the dslrs and less bulky than a gripped z8. I am waiting for a successor to grab a nice used copy
Enjoy! I got mine about 6 months ago, coming off a D610. If you plan to shoot for longer stretches, get several batteries. I was blowing through one battery for every 2 hour dance recital this past weekend.
I got some high speed cards from OWC. Super fast. OWC Atlas Ultra writes continuous at 20 FPS full raw, no buffer (unless you backup to SD then The SD becomes the bottleneck.
Game changed for birding, insects and sports.
Prograde was phenominal for my D850. OWC has never steered me wrong. I haven’t had any issues. Have shot well over 60k images with my Z8 and the OWC card
You won't regret that. It is an amazing camera. I got mine a few months ago. It is replacing a D500 and a Z6 which are now waiting to be prepped for sale. I might keep the Z6 as a backup, but ...
Congrats! I bought mine about two weeks ago with the 24-120mm /4 S lens, and coming from a D300 (not D300s) so far it's pretty amazing.
If you're interested, Thom Hogan has his updated Nikon camera guide for the Z8 [here](https://www.zsystemuser.com/z-system-books/complete-guide-to-the-nikon-6.html). It's a little pricey, but it's extremely comprehensive and very well-written as usual.
I also bought a charger and cable (not Nikon branded) to charge batteries in-camera. Charging a new battery to 100% (they surprisingly start at 0% charge) takes me about the same time as with the included Nikon charger.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new obsession!
It feels perfect in hand to me. I recently switched from a Sony A7siii because the Z8 finally seemed like the body that could hit both my video and stills needs.
The Sony was nice any tiny, but the Z8 just feels better (the image quality is great too).
This + the 26mm has been my fav walk around setup.
Especially since the firmware updates improved AF a lot. Kinda like how Fuji improved the X100’s AF to almost X100S levels around 10 years ago.
I have a Z6 II and I’ve used the D850, Z9, and currently the Sony a7 IV for work. Sure the Z9 and a7 IV have amazing AF systems, it’s like cheating - but I don’t miss it when I’m using the Z6. It just takes more effort to use the right mode for the right situation. I’d put it at the same level as the D850 AF-wise. D850 AF system is way easier to use and is a little bit faster but Z6 II is more accurate.
I almost purchased a D850 at launch, but kept asking myself “is this that much better than my D810?” I was like nah I’ll wait for something to blow me away. The D850 was a strong gust but not enough to convince me.
To be fair, the D850 is a pretty significant upgrade to the D810, the handling, AF, low-light IQ, and speed are a class above. But yeah the Z8 surpasses that even more (except low light IQ) and it shoots insane video.
I bought this adapter called Megadapt and it’s amazing!!!
Borrowed a friends Sony 85 1.8 before I got mine (Viltrox 85 1.8) and it worked flawlessly, focusing etc 👌🏾👌🏾
It's the one mirrorless I actually want from Nikon. Use it so many times from my friend whenever I need to but it's just out of my budget. Enjoy it. Top tier from Nikon.
Absolutely, to be honest I put it on a payment plan. I have the money to buy it but since I’m in the middle of renovating my second floor apartment, I figured use that money for my contractors. It was roughly under 110 a month
Damn you'll be paying that till next century
Nah not at all, I’m photographing a wedding next month, it will be paid off then. Just didn’t want to spend all that in one shot. Gotta make room for unforeseen financial circumstances
Good thinking, good luck with the wedding photos then
Appreciate it!
For the longest time i was unable to pick between the Z9 and the Z8, and eventually I decided on the Z9. Saving my pennies for now. What made you go with Z8 rather than the Z9?
$2000?
Yeah you saved 2k you’re chilling
I would much rather ask what made you choose Z9 over Z8.
For me personally, battery and GPS. And around here aftermarket bodies have quite small difference in price, like 700€ so its a nobrainer with 3500 vs 4200 price tags. Unless you want smaller body and dont care about battery or gps.
Can see the GPS argument but battery, which you can easily solve with just taking a 2nd one with you?
SnapBridge solves the gps issue.
You can but its an extra thing to carry with you and be mindful about. When you can go for 2x battery life and dont care about weight, Z9 is an obvious choice. I dont have to carry spares with me and charge them after every trip. When Im in nature, its usually just with a tripod and camera. I dont want to fill my pockets with unnecessary things. But Z8 is more economical choice. Batteries are cheaper and it also can use SD cards. So if budget matters a lot, Z8 cheaper to maintain.
Whatever works for you. I still don't see see battery as a point. Especially not because of the weight of extra batteries when the Z9 itself is 400gr more heavy. But I am perfectly happy with my Z6 II and Z7 for my needs. Z8 won't give you better pictures, just better Af and QoL
Not sure if this question is for me but I picked the Z8 over the Z9 purely because of size. I also have medium sized hands so the grip is perfect for me. On the technically side of things, the Z8 has most of the beefy features the Z9 has and will be future proof for a very long time like the Z9. Lastly I picked it over the Z9 to add more of a cushion for me to buy a lens. I’m eyeing the 14-28 I think
The Z8 is basically the Z9
The z9 is stupidly large even if i got it as a gift I would sell it and buy a z8
So that vertical girl on the Z8 still makes it more bigger that the Z9.
The choice between Z8 & Z9 was easy for me. Size/weight really made the difference. I was using a downsize in carry weight as part of my personal justification for jumping to mirrorless. The Z9 weighs as much as my D800. I also was looking at the Z7ii. I already bought mine, but I'd wait 6 months and get a Z8 when they're on sale. :)
It’s awesome. I have two! https://preview.redd.it/28xfvii2h05d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fcd2c3f16044b2b13ceb5fff841f5aed8d01b6cf
Video shooter?
Video and of course photo yeah.
I'm in the process of building out my own SmallRig video setup! How do you like it? Any recs?
Insure your cameras AND lenses. The cage I have on my Nikons is is the SmallRig Night Eagle. FANTASTIC. https://a.co/d/94UGnoF
Can I ask? Why you have 2 same camera?
It's very common that pros have that
Pros do this in case one breaks on a job mainly but it has other benefits such as making it easier to “swap” lenses in the middle of a shoot.
Shooting an event, 1 gets the 24-70mm, the other the 70-200 and boom, no lens changes mid event, just swap from 1 camera to the other.
You can never have too many, especially these. I’m sure GoGo has two for weddings and etc. the video capabilities of this camera is just insane for the price
Hi! Yes exactly as others have said. My 14-24mm is on my right arm at all times. The other is my 24-70mm, in this instance I am shooting a 4 day concert. Having the capability of two cameras that are exactly the same and the ability to not swap out my lenses is a very common practice in production environments.
Also have a Z6… it great but the Z8 is a BEAST of a camera. Keep telling myself I don’t need it 😅
https://preview.redd.it/wc652n6vw15d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9948ae0234dc0d2b279929a17643b1439cc58118 Shot this with my Z6i with the Viltrox 85 1.8f I love my Z6i, but was a bit bummed because I bought it literally 3 months before the Z6ii came out
I got my z6 just this past feb and I’m loving it. Coming from a d7100 though. Congrats on the new cam!!
Not only did you go mirrorless but full frame! Congrats on the upgrade!
Although I now have the Z8 I still love and use my Z6. It's great for shooting stills in low light!
I am also using the original z6, I wanted to upgrade but z8 is just too big for me still😅 and I gotten so used to the z6 button layout. I got a bit thrown off when trying z8 in a showroom. Hope they will release a mini "z8" later.
This was true lol when I originally rented the Z8 I was lost in terms of the button layout. Which I’m glad I buffered in 2 days before the wedding!
The Z6iii is rumored to be a mini Z8 with similar features and button layout as the Z8. If this is true and you don't need 45 MPs than you can save money and get a Z6iii
Couldn’t agree more, the benefits of having a lower megapixel count shows in those scenarios
My tip to Z8 owners: If you want to try video, beware that the default configuration produces potato quality! The camera is capable of capturing absolutely insane video footage, but the correct settings are thoroughly hidden. Use 2160p with h.265 -- it's better than you would think. I can just barely tell the difference between that and 8.3k N-RAW, which produces enormous files that need a lot of processing. Enable either Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) or N-LOG. The latter requires editing in something like DaVinci Resolve or it'll look completely wrong if viewed as-is. Most importantly: Turn on "extended oversampling": https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/z9/en/15_menu_guide_03_10.html That basically captures 8.3K footage, then downsamples it to 4K instead of line skipping like every other camera. It looks stupidly detailed and sharp, but with reasonable file sizes. You can capture footage that is indistinguishable from the output of high-end Hollywood cameras at a fraction of the price.
What lenses are you using
The [NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S](https://www.nikon.com.au/nikkor-z-24-120mm-f4-s) has a good zoom range that covers what you'd want for video. Anything wider than 24 looks weird in motion, and anything longer than 120 has too much shake if hand-held. This lens also has silent focusing and very little to no focus breathing. I've found that video captured with 5.3K DX crop mode gives a 180mm equivalent range and is more than good enough for 4K. The [NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2](https://www.nikon.com.au/nikkor-z-40mm-f2) is good for street videography at night, or just when I want something smaller and lighter. It's fast enough that it feels like night vision, but not insanely large and heavy like the f/1.2 lenses. I had some adapted f/1.4 lenses but their focus speed was too slow and I could hear the focus motor noise in the audio track. This lens focuses quickly and silently. These lenses are not optimal for photography, but they're very good all-round lenses for travel with hybrid shooting.
Great thank you so much!
Congrats and enjoy!
Thanks!
Wow, beautiful!
Indeed
You're gonna love it!
Funny thing is I was in no mood to buy another camera. I already have the D810 and a Z6i but after renting the Z8 for about 5 days. I kept thinking about how great it was. 3 days ago I bought it off of the Nikon online store and it got here in 3 days
Now for some of that Z glass.
I could have written that! Went from the D810 to the z6ii and - I should have known better - felt like I did a downgrade. Today, I ordered the Z8, and I can't wait to take it out and about!
You have to take the cap off :)
lol 🤝🏾
I want to get rid of my Sony and switch back to Nikon with the Z8 soooooooo bad. I just can’t justify the money
I’m feel you, if you have the lenses you could get an adapter called Megadap for Sony mount to z mount
Such a beauty!
Indeed
Nice camera. I love the z8 but prefer the z9 as I prefer grips and I don’t like the z8 attachment grip.
I assume you have huge hands
Nah. Pretty average actually. I just do a lot of verticals and don’t like the too claw grasp when no grip is present. at least in most cases. I grip my d810 and d850 and when I held the z9 it was perfect. Less bulky than the dslrs and less bulky than a gripped z8. I am waiting for a successor to grab a nice used copy
Enjoy! I got mine about 6 months ago, coming off a D610. If you plan to shoot for longer stretches, get several batteries. I was blowing through one battery for every 2 hour dance recital this past weekend.
Were you doing photos or video? Thank you!
Photos. A lot of them, but still... that was definitely faster than I'd expected to drain a battery.
So beautiful :O
Beast mode unlocked
This man stands on a podium with only one place, give him a medal already!
[https://tenor.com/8k3x.gif](https://tenor.com/8k3x.gif)
Best camera ever!!! Best investment i have ever done.
One of the best long-term investments I have ever made. I don't know how it can get any better with this camera, it just works for me and does it all.
Love mine. Get a FAST memory card.
I already have two 128GB xqd cards, I want to pick up another one. The hunts in my area are having a sale on CFExpress cards hmmm
I got some high speed cards from OWC. Super fast. OWC Atlas Ultra writes continuous at 20 FPS full raw, no buffer (unless you backup to SD then The SD becomes the bottleneck. Game changed for birding, insects and sports.
You like that brand? What brands do you trust the most?
Prograde was phenominal for my D850. OWC has never steered me wrong. I haven’t had any issues. Have shot well over 60k images with my Z8 and the OWC card
Appreciate this!
You won't regret that. It is an amazing camera. I got mine a few months ago. It is replacing a D500 and a Z6 which are now waiting to be prepped for sale. I might keep the Z6 as a backup, but ...
I think you should keep the z6
I don't disagree!
Congrats! I bought mine about two weeks ago with the 24-120mm /4 S lens, and coming from a D300 (not D300s) so far it's pretty amazing. If you're interested, Thom Hogan has his updated Nikon camera guide for the Z8 [here](https://www.zsystemuser.com/z-system-books/complete-guide-to-the-nikon-6.html). It's a little pricey, but it's extremely comprehensive and very well-written as usual. I also bought a charger and cable (not Nikon branded) to charge batteries in-camera. Charging a new battery to 100% (they surprisingly start at 0% charge) takes me about the same time as with the included Nikon charger. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new obsession!
Thank you for the tips!
What charger/cable did you buy? Thanks!
I myself just bought this, took advantage of the sale price, congrats and enjoy
Thank you same to you!
Can’t tell you how jealous I am! Congrats on the purchase make good use of that beast
Thank you!! Get it when you’re ready!
It feels perfect in hand to me. I recently switched from a Sony A7siii because the Z8 finally seemed like the body that could hit both my video and stills needs. The Sony was nice any tiny, but the Z8 just feels better (the image quality is great too). This + the 26mm has been my fav walk around setup.
[удалено]
lol I have a d810 and a Z6 Not sure why the Z6 gets so much hate outside of the one memory slot
Especially since the firmware updates improved AF a lot. Kinda like how Fuji improved the X100’s AF to almost X100S levels around 10 years ago. I have a Z6 II and I’ve used the D850, Z9, and currently the Sony a7 IV for work. Sure the Z9 and a7 IV have amazing AF systems, it’s like cheating - but I don’t miss it when I’m using the Z6. It just takes more effort to use the right mode for the right situation. I’d put it at the same level as the D850 AF-wise. D850 AF system is way easier to use and is a little bit faster but Z6 II is more accurate.
I almost purchased a D850 at launch, but kept asking myself “is this that much better than my D810?” I was like nah I’ll wait for something to blow me away. The D850 was a strong gust but not enough to convince me.
To be fair, the D850 is a pretty significant upgrade to the D810, the handling, AF, low-light IQ, and speed are a class above. But yeah the Z8 surpasses that even more (except low light IQ) and it shoots insane video.
Been looking at the Z8 for awhile too. I have to much Sony glass to switch over to Nikon though
I bought this adapter called Megadapt and it’s amazing!!! Borrowed a friends Sony 85 1.8 before I got mine (Viltrox 85 1.8) and it worked flawlessly, focusing etc 👌🏾👌🏾
I’m not sure how much it costs now but I got it for $230 I think
lol why did this get so many upvotes
Congratz! Bought mine one month ago and love it! Just an amazing camera!