Nikon is arguably the world’s most well-known digicam model, however with the decline of DSLRs it has lagged behind Canon and Sony. In 2022, it launched the Z9, a flagship mirrorless digicam that might lastly maintain its personal in opposition to rivals, however the $5,500 price ticket put it out of attain for many. To attraction to a wider viewers, Nikon unveiled the Z8 final 12 months with the identical sensor and practically the identical specs because the Z9 for $1,700 much less.
With a 45-megapixel stacked sensor and the newest Expeed 7 picture processor, the Z8 can do all the things from sports activities to wildlife to scenic pictures. It is also a robust video digicam, providing 8K RAW inside seize at as much as 60 fps.
The one different mannequin that may actually evaluate when it comes to velocity, decision and video is the Sony A1, but it surely prices a whopping $2,200 extra. To learn how the Z8 stacks up in opposition to that mannequin and others, I rented a Z8 and shot with it round Vancouver, Canada with my photographer cousin.
Physique and dealing with
Design-wise, you may consider the Z8 because the Z9 with the battery grip chopped off. It is nonetheless a chunky digicam at 910 grams (2 kilos), although, in comparison with 737 grams for the Sony A1. Which may go well with execs or those that like a bigger digicam physique, however the dimension and weight aren’t preferrred for journey. By the best way, a $346 battery grip (the MB-N12) with secondary controls is accessible for the Z8, successfully reworking it right into a Z9 for much much less cash.
The Z8 has a pleasant massive grip and all of the controls you’d count on, together with a joystick, D-Pad model menu management, change for digicam/video settings and entrance and rear dials. Nikon customers will benefit from the structure because it’s largely much like previous fashions, however all the things is simply completely different sufficient that it might really feel awkward for customers coming from different manufacturers.
In contrast to the A1, the Z8 includes a show on prime that reveals key settings like shutter, aperture and battery life. Though it takes up house that may very well be utilized by buttons or dials, it is a helpful option to see all the things at a look and I miss it now on fashions that do not have it. Should you do must dive into the menus, they take a little bit of getting used to, however work nicely when you’re over the training curve.
One of many key unfavourable factors is the shortage of a completely articulating show. As an alternative, the rear 3.2-inch 2.36-million dot display solely tilts up and down and to the left or proper. That is too dangerous, as a result of the Z8 may very well be a robust vlogging digicam and a flip-out show is should for that sort of labor (particularly because it makes solo capturing simpler).
The three.69 million-dot digital viewfinder is a bit low-res for a digicam on this worth vary, particularly in comparison with the 9.4 million-dot show on the Sony A1. Even Canon’s cheaper R5 has a 5.76 million dot show that makes it considerably simpler to test focus.
Battery life is on the weak aspect at 420 pictures (one to 2 hours of video capturing relying on decision), in comparison with 490 pictures for the Canon R5 and 530 for the A1, in response to CIPA scores. Once more, although, you may practically double that with the battery grip. Different notable options embrace UHS-II and CFexpress B reminiscence card slots, a full-sized HDMI port for exterior seize, in addition to two separate USB-C ports for energy supply and knowledge.
Efficiency
With the quickest high-resolution stacked sensor on the market, the Z8 is unbelievably fast for a 45-megapixel digicam. You possibly can shoot RAW photographs at 20 fps, a bit slower than the A1’s 30 fps RAW functionality, however the Z8 can shoot 30 fps in JPEG mode. It might probably deal with 40 uncompressed RAW frames earlier than the buffer fills, however can retailer extra compressed pictures when you’ve got a quick CFexpress card.
The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is Nikon’s greatest up to now as a result of upgraded picture processor, stacked sensor and large variety of AF monitoring factors. It gives dependable topic monitoring, and the face, eye and animal detection is quick and correct as nicely. In reality, the corporate has stated it is practically an identical to the far costlier Z9 as of the newest firmware.
That stated, the Z8’s AF isn’t fairly as reliable as Sony’s A1 when capturing on the highest speeds. It sometimes had bother monitoring topics, particularly these shifting towards the digicam, leading to some out-of-focus pictures. The Z8 (and Z9) is sort of delicate to setup, so it is best to fine-tune the AF settings till it really works the best way you need.
There’s no mechanical shutter, however the Z8’s sensor is quick sufficient that rolling shutter isn’t a difficulty, even on fast-moving objects like airplane propellers. The 5-axis in-body stabilization reduces shake by six stops, sufficient to get sharp photographs right down to 1 / 4 second or so. That’s superior to the A1, however falls manner wanting the EOS R5’s 8 stops.
Picture high quality
The Z8 has the identical glorious sensor because the Z9, so in fact picture high quality is an identical in all respects. With 45.7 megapixels on faucet, it delivers sharp photographs on par with the 50-megapixel A1 and second solely to Sony’s 60 MP A7R V within the full-frame realm. Dynamic vary can be excellent, arguably a contact higher than the A1.
JPEG pictures are shiny and punchy straight out of the digicam, with the very best outcomes when it comes to colours from the Pure Mild Auto white stability setting. Colours are correct, although skin-tones aren’t fairly as heat as Canon’s R3 or R5.
In the meantime, the 14-bit RAW pictures maintain loads of element that may be teased out in Lightroom or ON1, notably within the highlights. Just like the Z9, the Z8 not has an “uncompressed” possibility, however now gives “lossless compression” and two high-efficiency lossy modes. I usually used the RAW setting with the best compression, as a result of it is tremendous environment friendly and albeit, I can not see any distinction between that and lossless compressed RAW.
The Z8 performs fairly nicely in low-light, too. Grain is well-controlled as much as about ISO 6400, and pictures are usable at ISO 12800. Past that, noise can change into distracting. That traces up with Canon’s R5, however Sony’s A1 performs a bit higher in dim lighting.
Video
The Z8’s video specs are fairly mind-blowing for a non-cinema digicam and exceed the A1’s capabilities. You possibly can shoot RAW video at as much as 8K 60p in Nikon’s 12-bit N-RAW or 8K 30p with 12-bit ProRes RAW HQ internally, to CFexpress playing cards solely, in fact. It additionally captures 4K video oversampled from the complete width of the sensor at as much as 60p, and full-width 4K as much as 120p — once more, all in RAW.
It is value noting that Nikon lately bought RED cameras, so it now owns the RED RAW video patent that stymied so many different firms, together with Apple. It will be fascinating to see if Nikon loosens up that enforcement, and if the acquisition impacts the tech in its personal future fashions.
As with photographs, video autofocus is quick and dependable, whereas doing job monitoring topics, faces and animals. It might probably deal with difficult conditions like topics shifting towards the digicam, although once more, not fairly in addition to the A1.
8K and 4K oversampled video is extraordinarily sharp. Colours are correct, however once more, pores and skin tones aren’t fairly as fairly as on Canon’s newest fashions. Dynamic vary is top-notch, notably within the ISO 400-800 stage in ProRes mode, making it simple to regulate shadows and highlights in put up. Should you love capturing ProRes footage, you’ll want to get some high-capacity CFexpress playing cards, as a result of the information can get large.
One space the place the Z9 bests the Z8 in video is with thermal efficiency, because the Z9’s bigger physique permits for 125 minutes of 8K 60p recording in comparison with 90 for the Z8 earlier than overheating. There are only a few content material creators that might want to repeatedly shoot 8K video for that lengthy, nevertheless.
Wrap-up
Nikon’s Z8 is an especially succesful digicam and reveals that the corporate ought to supply as a lot velocity and energy as doable if it needs to catch as much as Canon and Sony. For a lot of hybrid shooters, the Z8 is a greater possibility than Sony’s A1, notably on the subject of video.
Whereas it does out-spec the Sony in a variety of areas, the Z8’s autofocus isn’t fairly nearly as good — and that is arguably a very powerful function on any digicam. Shooters who require a mechanical shutter (for flash pictures, and many others.) may even must look elsewhere. One other 8K-capable full-frame mirrorless mannequin is Canon’s R5 that falls wanting each fashions in lots of regards, however is cheaper at $3,200.
A call to purchase this digicam is likely to be based mostly on what system and lenses you’re already into. Nevertheless, if I used to be ranging from scratch, I’d go for the Z8 over Sony’s A1, as you get the digicam plus an excellent lens for a similar amount of cash.
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