Nikon Z8 Review
Eagle grabbing a salmon out of the water by Zach Nichols
Mirrorless camera systems have been growing in popularity over the last few years and it seems most brands have completely ditched the DSLR concept altogether. Over the last decade, I have had the opportunity to own and use the Nikon D5300 to the D750, D850, Z6, Z6 II, Z7 II and now the Nikon Z8 and have seen just how many changes and improvements have come to Nikon mirrorless camera systems. When the Nikon Z8 was released in early 2023, I knew I had to get my hands on one. The Z9 had been out for quite some time but the bulky system and lofty price tag was not something I felt I needed or wanted. I am a full time wedding photographer but also have grown a good following on Instagram where I am known for my outdoor landscapes and wildlife photography; specifically “moody” Pacific Northwest forest photography and eagles. Over my time as a photographer, I have tried just about every editing style and genre of photography and know my camera systems and their capabilities well.
In this article, I want to give my professional review of the Nikon Z8 after using it for the last 6 months. I have had the opportunity of using it in many different settings and genres from weddings to wildlife photography, landscapes, product photography, and real estate.
Before I get into who I think this camera is best suited for, I want to start off the review with some basic specs and cover my real-world observations of the camera's autofocus, image quality, camera size and ergonomics, video capabilities, and some of the most complained about features (spoiler: there aren’t many).
For you camera nerds out there, here are the quick, most important specs for the Nikon Z8.
Nikon Z8 Professional Mirrorless Camera
Quick Specs
45.7MP Stacked CMOS sensor
Up to 20 fps shooting RAW
Many types of subject AF and 3D Tracking
5.5 stops of image stabilization
8K/60p video in N-Raw, 4.1K in ProRes Raw
8K/30p or up to 4K/60p from 8K
ProRes 422 HQ, H265, or H.264
3.68M dot electronic viewfinder
2.1M dot LCD screen with two-way hinge
One CFexpress Type B and One UHS II SD card slot
Dual USB-C ports
Autofocus
The first thing I noticed when using the Nikon Z8 is the snappy autofocus and autofocus settings. Before buying the Z8, I had been using the Nikon Z6 II for weddings since it was released (it was one of the few cameras I have ever pre-ordered) back in October of 2020. The Z6 II is an amazing camera and the autofocus is great for people but it does have a couple big downfalls that you have to work around or get used to. The first and most obvious is that the Z6 II does not have good animal eye AF; especially with birds (which is non-existent). The next is that the Z6 II struggles to maintain eye locking focus when someone turns around or turns sideways. It also struggles at times with getting stuck on the background or foreground. That being said, it is not hard to work around and get used to once you realize this and has never kept me from getting the photos I need.
With the Z8, the eye AF and tracking is noticeably better. Not only does the focus not get lost when there is movement and turning to the side, but it also tends to stick to the background or foreground much less often which is amazing. The focus types are different than what you may find on the Z6 II which does take some getting used to but all in all, it is on a whole different level in its speed and accuracy.
The Z8 also has the added benefit of having amazing animal eye AF and general 3D tracking. Capturing eagles picking fish off of the water is an easy task and the amount of crisp images I get compared to when I used the Nikon Z6 II or my Z7 II is jaw dropping.
Image Quality / Sensor
If you are a landscape or wildlife photographer, the 45.7MP resolution is absolutely perfect. Anything less and it does not allow for much cropping room and any more is honestly just pointless and will affect your editing and processing speeds quite a lot if you have an average computer.
When testing the ISO of this camera, I did notice that at a 100% zoom (pixel for pixel) on my desktop, there was considerably more noise with the Z8 than the Z6 II but that is something that is to be expected since it is a larger resolution and each pixel takes up less real estate on the sensor. That being said, the images shot at even 4000 ISO looked great with Lightroom’s de-noise AI and will be even better if you use something like Topaz or other dedicated de-noise software. I have no issue with printing them on a 40x60 print for clients if I wanted to, even at that high of an ISO.
This camera is also capable of capturing images at 20 fps thanks to its new stacked sensor. If you are a wildlife or sports photographer, being able to shoot 20 fps is an absolute game changer over Nikon’s other cameras. Anything more I personally find a bit pointless and time consuming when culling so 20fps is the sweet spot for me.
Camera Size and Ergonomics
One of the largest complaints I have seen with this camera is the size. Though I would argue it is still smaller than most of the older DSLRs (especially the brick that was the D850), it is certainly larger and heavier than the Z7 II and Z6 II. I personally love the larger form factor because it is more ergonomic and fits my very average sized hand better than the other two cameras. If you have large hands, you will love this even more I am sure. As for the weight, it is a bit heavier for certain, but it is 100% worth it in my opinion. The only time I would consider bringing something else that is lighter may only be when backpacking long distances.. but then again, maybe I should just get stronger.
Video Capabilities
If you are a Nikon videographer, then this camera is absolutely for you without hesitation. The Z9 has been heralded for years as one of the best video cameras on the market and the absolute best if you shoot Nikon. The Z8 however is much smaller in size and weight but has all the same systems, autofocus, and video capabilities as its bigger brother. The ability to shoot 4K/120 or 8K/60 video in N-Raw using the full sensor is absolutely incredible.
Common Complaints
Now that we have covered my favorite parts of this camera system and just how amazing it is, let’s tackle the most common complaints I see and give you my real world thoughts on each one.
Viewfinder resolution
First, I have seen many people complain about the viewfinder not being good enough quality. The viewfinder is an 3.68M dot electronic viewfinder which is almost identical to that of the Nikon Z6 II. Could they have made it better? Sure! But would you be able to tell the difference or would it help you get better images? Probably not. I personally have had no issues with the viewfinder whatsoever. On top of that, Nikon did adjust the viewfinder so that you can now rotate it for vertical shooting. It is not fully articulating but when shooting low to the ground vertically, it is very nice and a great update.
Battery Life
Probably the largest complaint I have seen from people is that the battery life “sucks” on this camera. The Z8 is rated to get 340 photos per charge which coincidentally is identical to that of the Z6 II. When using the camera, I had no complaints with battery life. It lasted easily for 3-4 hours of capturing images and video and never died unexpectedly. I honestly think people who complain about it are comparing it to other cameras in the market by other manufacturers.
SD card slot
Lastly, the only other complaint I have seen is that the Z8 uses an SD card slot along with the CFExpress card. Unless you are a sports photographer or someone who sprays photos at 20fps for tens of seconds, I don’t find this an issue at all. I can record 8K to my SD card which is a Sandisk Extreme Pro 128Gb with 300MB/s of write and read and have had no issues with blackouts or buffer filling up while photographing wildlife (I do not capture images of people in 20fps; just one image per press of the button). So for me, this is absolutely a non-issue as well.
Who is this camera for?
I have heard it said that the Nikon Z8 is the absolute best hybrid camera Nikon has to offer. I would say that assessment is spot on. As discussed, this camera really has no real downsides. If you want a camera that can do it all, capture incredible wildlife images, or want the best Nikon has to offer for video, this camera is absolutely the right choice for you. That being said, if you plan to shoot only portraits, real estate, or astrophotography where resolution isn't as important, this camera may be a little overkill but you certainly won’t be disappointed.
If you are a videographer that shoots Nikon, then like I said previously, this is hands-down the best camera for you. The snappy autofocus and resolution / frame rate options are second to none currently in the entire mirrorless market. Even Sony doesn’t have a camera capable of 8k/60 currently.
Should you buy the Z8 or Z9?
Now before we wrap up, there is one question I think some of you may have. Should you buy the Nikon Z8 or the Z9? The answer is quite simple actually. The Z8 has all the same capabilities of the Z9 in a smaller, lighter package. If you feel like you want a battery grip and never plan to take it off, then the Z9 is the best option because the Z8 with the battery grip is much larger than the Z9 that has one built in. Past that, there is no reason to go with the Z9 which seems crazy to me; but then again, this is the same company that made the original Z6 with only one card slot and marketed it as a “wedding camera” where in-camera backups are mandatory… (I still haven’t let it go).
Conclusion
If you want the absolute best hybrid camera Nikon has to offer or are a videographer that shoots Nikon, the Nikon Z8 is hands down the best camera for you. I have personally loved using this camera and have captured images and video on it that I know would not have been possible with any other camera I have owned.
As always, thank you for reading along. If you’d like to see a full list of the gear I use for landscape photography, be sure to check out my article, The Best Camera Equipment For Landscape Photography. If you’d like to see what cameras are best for weddings, be sure to check out my other article on The Best Cameras for Wedding Photography.
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Professional Nikon Z8 Review
Written by: Zach Nichols
Jan 19, 2024
© Zach Nichols Photography