Nikon Z8 Review | Cheap Camera UK

Ease of Use

The Nikon Z8 was first introduced on Could tenth, 2023 as a brand new skilled 35mm full-frame mirrorless digicam designed to be the non secular successor to the favored D850 DSLR.

In a shocking transfer and regardless of costing a whopping £1300 / $1500 lower than the flagship Z9 mannequin, the 2 cameras are an identical in just about each method when it comes to their specs, with the chief variations being dimension, management format and battery life.

So kudos to Nikon for bravely deciding to not hobble the Z8 in any method so as to encourage you to improve to the following mannequin – this actually is the newborn Z9 that everybody has been ready for.

The Nikon Z8 has a really clear concentrate on out-and-out pace, impressively reaching its headline-grabbing 30fps burst capturing pace regardless of utilizing a really excessive decision 45.7 megapixel sensor.

There may be one necessary caveat to remember although – the Z8 can solely shoot in JPEG format at 30fps, with solely a 20fps fee out there when recording Uncooked recordsdata.

On a extra constructive be aware, the Z8 can take over 1000 Uncooked recordsdata in a single burst earlier than the digicam slows down, equal to round 50 seconds of recording time, which is a frankly unbelievable achievement.

If 20fps for Uncooked and 30fps for JPEG is not quick sufficient for you, the Z8 has one other ace up its sleeve within the type of a formidable 120fps capturing fee when recording 11 megapixel stills.

Maybe extra impressively, the entire Z8’s steady capturing modes are with full AF/AE monitoring, even the 120fps mode!

The D850 DSLR, in the meantime, can shoot at a lot slower burst charges of as much as 7fps for 51 pictures with the EN-EL15a battery and as much as 9fps for 29 pictures with the EN-EL18b battery.

So how precisely does the brand new Z8 mirrorless digicam up the pace ante? The Z8 does not have a mechanical shutter inside it, as a substitute counting on utilizing an digital shutter for all of its seize modes.

It is one of many only a few cameras available on the market that totally forgoes a mechanical shutter – the Sigma fp sequence is the one different one which we’re conscious of, and that has a really clear concentrate on being a video digicam at the beginning.

The Nikon is billed as an all-rounder aimed toward each skilled stills photographers and videographers, so the whole omission of a mechanical shutter is a really courageous resolution certainly.

Digital shutters sometimes undergo from “rolling shutter” when capturing fast-moving topics, however Nikon are satisfied that they’ve overcome that difficulty within the Z8 due to its mixture of a stacked sensor, the very newest Expeed 7 processor which presents processing speeds roughly 12x quicker than the Z7 II, and using CFexpress Kind B reminiscence playing cards. They’re so satisfied that they have not even included a mechanical shutter contained in the Z8 as a backup.

That call has a variety of knock-on advantages for Z8 shooters – the digicam is basically silent, a lot in an effort to select from a wide range of synthetic shutter sounds and volumes so as to get some suggestions about what it is truly doing.

With no reliance on a transferring mechanical half, there’s much less to go unsuitable, important for a digicam that’s undoubtedly going to have a tough life – neglect having to fret about most shutter cycles with the Z8.

And regardless of the absence of a mechanical shutter, flash sync as much as 1/200 sec. continues to be supported, which is sort of as quick because the D850’s 1/250 sec. sync pace and certainly as quick as most mechanical shutters, in addition to Nikon’s common array of excessive pace sync features.

On the coronary heart of the Nikon Z8 is identical 45.7 megapixel sensor discovered within the Z9, with a stacked design that has been developed solely by Nikon.

This lets you use the Z8’s solely digital shutter to freeze quick motion with out worrying about rolling shutter distortion while having fun with a black-out free, 3690k-dot, 0.8x-magnification OLED digital viewfinder that refreshes at 120fps, excellent for monitoring your topic while capturing at as much as 30fps.

Sony customers have loved the advantages of a stacked design for a number of years now, for the reason that launch of the unique Alpha 9 in 2017, so it is nice to see Nikon competing immediately with one in every of their major rivals.

The Z8’s stacked BSI CMOS sensor gives a local ISO vary that runs from 64-25,600, which will be expanded to ISO 32-102,400, and the highest shutter pace is 1/32,000 sec. due to that digital shutter.

It is chosen by holding down the ISO button on prime of the digicam and utilizing the rear command dial, with a well-recognized LCD window on the highest plate detailing the choice made.

It is also the second Nikon digicam ever to supply 8K recording – as much as UHD 8K 60p video will be constantly recorded with no crop.

For video specialists the Nikon Z8 boasts as much as 8K/60p uncropped 12-bit inside recording to a CFexpress card utilizing ProRes RAW HQ and Nikon’s new N-RAW format, making it one of many only a few cameras available on the market to supply 8K recording.

In the event you’re primarily keen on 4K UHD, the Z8 presents that with a wide range of body charges as much as 120p slow-motion, once more utilizing everything of the body with no crop issue, and 4K UHD video oversampled from 8K is feasible when recording within the 30p/25p/24p modes for even higher sharpness and element.

There’s additionally uncropped 4K DCI and UHD 10-bit recording at body charges between 24 and 120fps slow-motion within the MP4 format, and even sharper and extra detailed UHD 4K recording is feasible at as much as 30p by oversampling the sensor’s 8K native output.

The Z8 has a 12-bit N-Log setting in addition to a Flat shade profile for extra latitude when shade grading, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) is supported for in-camera HDR-content.

The Z8 options mic and headphone ports and a full-sized HDMI Kind-C port for output to an exterior recorder.

There may be one key video distinction between the 2 cameras – the Z9 helps limitless recording in any mode, whereas the Z8 is restricted to recording 8K/30p for 90 minutes and 4K/60p for over 2 hours with out overheating.

The Z8’s wonderful in-body five-axis picture stabilisation system gives as much as 6 stops of compensation when paired with sure Z-series lenses that even have their very own built-in Vibration Discount (VR) system.

In-body stabilisation is without doubt one of the key advantages of mirrorless versus DSLRs typically and due to this fact additionally one of many key causes to decide on the Z8 over the D850.

It has now been designed to work collaboratively with the VR system that is constructed into a number of Z-mount lenses, with the lens and the sensor working collectively to appropriate pitch and yaw and the sensor correcting the X-Y and roll actions.

This clever Synchro VR mode gives 6-stops of stabilisation with some lenses (the Z MC 105mm F2.8 VR, Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S and Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S), permitting you to hand-hold the digicam for as much as 2 seconds and nonetheless get critically sharp outcomes.

The Nikon Z8 can even stabilise older, non-VR lenses together with any F-mount lens that’s mounted on it through the Nikon FTZ mount adapter.

The stabilisation system will even work with lenses from different producers – you simply must enter the focal size into the digicam’s menu system.

In follow, the Nikon Z8 stabilisation system is great, making it attainable to hand-hold the digicam at beforehand impossibly gradual shutter speeds and nonetheless keep essential sharpness.

The Nikon Z8 has a blackout-free 3690k-dot digital viewfinder with 60fps refresh fee, 100 per cent protection and 3000-nit brightness, and a four-axis vertically and horizontally tilting 3.2-inch, 2,100K-dot touch-screen LCD display screen.

The 493-point phase-detection AF system that is used when capturing video or in Dwell View consists of 405 auto-area AF factors, refreshes at as much as 120fps and works all the way down to -9 EV within the particular Starlight mode, with 10 completely different AF-area modes out there.

Nikon have added one other welcome function to the Z8 within the type of 3D monitoring, one thing that has lengthy been a mainstay on the corporate’s DSLRs.

Fortunately, it really works simply as effectively and in the identical method, drawing a gray sq. field across the topic and tenaciously monitoring it if you’re utilizing the C-AF mode.

Actually, it is even higher than on, say, the D6 or D850 because it now works throughout your entire body moderately than simply within the centre, and it is much more dependable when used along with the topic recognition settings.

Due to its Expeed 7 processor, the Nikon Z8 presents a spread of deep-learning synthetic intelligence based mostly AF monitoring modes.

The Z8 can recognise ten completely different topic sorts together with folks, animals, birds and automobiles, while the corporate’s most superior 3D-tracking system makes its debut in a Nikon mirrorless digicam.

The Z8 can recognise and observe eyes which might be a lot smaller within the body than earlier fashions, and it really works even when the individual is carrying a masks, helmet or sun shades. Topic monitoring works for people and likewise canines, cats and birds, the latter even in flight.

The Nikon Z8 additionally has the power to trace automobiles, together with planes, trains, bicycles and motorbikes. What’s extra, if the driving force is carrying a helmet, the AF system will lock on to that, making certain that a very powerful topic is in focus.

The brand new Z8 moderately surprisingly moreover recognises plane as a topic – both the entire physique, entrance or the cockpit.

We count on this function to make it onto the Z9 in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later through a firmware improve, however for now the Z8 is the one Nikon digicam to supply it.

A serious distinction between the Nikon Z8 and different related techniques from Canon, Olympus and Sony is that the Z8 moreover presents an ‘Auto’ topic mode that may reliably recognise the right topic, in order that you do not have to manually swap between them. You’ll be able to nonetheless try this if you wish to guarantee that the digicam solely detects a sure topic, however for many events the Auto mode does a positive job.

The Nikon Z8 has one UHS-II SD card slot and one ultra-high pace CFexpress Kind B slot, so it does not comply with the lead of the Z9 which has two CFexpress slots.

The reminiscence card format is a vital a part of utilizing the Z8, supporting the 8K video recording, burst capturing and speedy efficiency, so that you ideally want to make use of a CFexpress card that helps in extra of 1500Mbps write speeds to get the most effective out of the digicam.

There’s additionally built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and built-in USB 3.2 Kind-C, full-size Kind A HDMI, headphone, microphone, 10-pin distant/equipment, and 1000BASE-T Ethernet ports.

Notice that in contrast to the Z9, the brand new Z8 does not not provide built-in GPS monitoring – as a substitute you may have to connect with your smartphone through Bluetooth and use the SnapBridge app.

The Nikon Z8’s magnesium alloy and carbon physique is each dust- and weather-resistant, identical to the D850, with each cameras providing the identical stage of weather-proofing as one another.

The Nikon Z8 takes a markedly completely different strategy to the a lot bigger and heavier Z9 by not that includes an built-in grip with duplicated vertical controls

The Z8 is due to this fact considerably smaller and lighter than the Z9 which sits above it within the vary, as the brand new mannequin doesn’t have a dual-grip design.

Formally in accordance with Nikon’s figures, it is a large 30% smaller and 430g lighter than the Z9.

In comparison with the D850 DSLR, which Nikon are additionally immediately evaluating the Z8 to, the brand new digicam is 15% smaller and 105g lighter.

The Nikon Z8 can be utilized with an optionally available battery grip (the MB-N12), as a substitute of getting one built-in into the physique, for those who’d choose to have a bigger physique with portrait controls and prolonged battery life.

As a direct consequence of the only grip design, the Z8 naturally presents a smaller variety of programmable buttons than the Z9.

It additionally omits a drive mode capturing dial on the top-left of the digicam physique, changed as a substitute through the use of a mixture of utilizing the drive mode button which is positioned in the identical house together with the rear command dial. That is joined by buttons for Bracketing, Whereas Steadiness and Taking pictures Mode.

Regardless of the drastic dimension discount, the Z8 nonetheless advantages from having a really deep handgrip that comfortably accommodates 4 fingers, one thing that may’t be stated of a few of its major rivals.

The Nikon Z8 additionally presents one thing that even the range-topping Z9 does not function, although, specifically not one however two USB terminals.

There’s the standard USB-C charging terminal plus a brand new super-speed USB communication terminal which makes the Z8 the primary Nikon digicam to function USB-C to ethernet connectivity through an adapter (not equipped).

Battery life is without doubt one of the few key variations between the Z8 and Z9 cameras, aside from their dimension.

The Z9 makes use of a EN-EL18d battery, with a CIPA-rated 700 pictures most achievable from a full cost.

The brand new Z8 makes use of the a lot smaller capability EN-EL15C battery that is additionally utilized by the Z7 II, Z6 II and Z5 cameras, offering a CIPA-rated 300 pictures most achievable from a full cost.

In follow, even for those who shoot primarily within the Nikon Z8’s 30fps burst mode, it should nonetheless take a while to rattle via its battery life, because the quoted CIPA figures are very conservative. Plus you may all the time pack a spare battery or three if heading out for the day or as back-up when overlaying a significant occasion.

File format sensible, the Nikon Z8 helps each RAW and JPEGs, and likewise the ‘subsequent era’ HEIF (Excessive Effectivity Picture File) file format, which permits pictures with 10-bits of information to be saved in a file the equal dimension of a JPEG whereas struggling much less compression.

In fact, Uncooked recordsdata will be shot in tandem with JPEGs as per common – right here with Nikon’s personal .NEF file extension, which requires the likes of Photoshop or Lightroom to entry and open.

Nikon have launched the model new Excessive Effectivity RAW file format on the Z8, which retains the identical stage of element as an uncompressed RAW however crucially at both half or one-third of the usual RAW file dimension.

This permits for each quicker studying/writing to the reminiscence card and fewer space for storing being required, essential necessities given the massive 45 megapixel recordsdata that the digicam generates.

The Z8 is the most recent Nikon digicam to have built-in IEEE 802.11b/g/n/a/ac Wi-Fi (5 GHz and a pair of.4 GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0.

Investigating the entrance of the digicam, the Nikon Z8 seems nearly an identical to the Z9, with a well-recognized pentaprism SLR form and really stable building.

It options a big and stiff lens launch button nestled on the correct. Slightly below that is an AF mode button that permits you to select each the AF mode and AF space mode throughout viewfinder capturing, utilizing the entrance and rear command dials to toggle between the assorted choices.

Over on the opposite aspect of the lens mount is a row of two perform buttons, one lower than on the Z9, the positioning of which implies that they fall beneath the fingers of the correct hand when gripping the digicam – although these might profit these with bigger arms as we discovered them a little bit of an uncomfortable stretch to succeed in.

There are, nonetheless, a veritable plethora of customisable buttons on this digicam, so you may just about configure it to have your favoured settings actually at your fingertips for those who put the time in to set it as much as go well with you explicit method of working.

You would possibly fully miss it as a result of it is turned off by default, however the Z8 has a built-in sensor protect that protects the digicam’s sensor when it’s turned off, excellent for shielding it from fingerprints or if you’re altering lenses in dusty or soiled environments.

On the top-left of the digicam is the place you may change the capturing mode (P, A, S, M – unsurprisingly there is no auto on provide right here), drive mode, bracketing mode, and launch mode.

What we personally and likewise instantly missed right here, in comparison with most professional and semi professional cameras, was a big, chunky tactile capturing mode wheel or dial to the left or proper of the viewfinder.

Even when the capturing mode will be quickly – and because it seems, pretty conveniently – accessed through a press of the Mode button on prime of the digicam, we might nonetheless choose a extra conventional dial.

To the correct of the viewfinder we have now the top-plate LCD. That is extraordinarily useful for displaying you the entire key settings at a look, akin to aperture, shutter pace, drive mode, ISO, remaining shot rely and battery life.

On the prime of the entrance grip you’ll discover the digicam’s on/off swap, which surrounds the shutter launch, together with a 3rd choice for illuminating the buttons. Simply behind right here there are three devoted buttons, one for video recording, one for ISO and one for publicity compensation.

Lastly, simply above the rear thumb relaxation, you’ll discover a acquainted rear command dial, which can be utilized along with the dial on the entrance grip to manage the digicam’s key settings – relying on which capturing mode you’re in. In handbook mode, the default arrange is for the entrance dial to manage aperture, whereas the rear dial is used to regulate shutter pace.

On the rear of the Z8, to the left of the viewfinder are the shared Lock/Fn3 button and the delete button. By default the Fn3 button means that you can set the Image Management, however it will also be reconfigured to Playback for those who’d choose to precisely mirror the format of the D850.

On the viewfinder itself, there may be one other button for adjusting how the viewfinder works – whether or not you need it to robotically activate, swap off the display screen, or not have the viewfinder on in any respect.

On the other aspect of the viewfinder you have bought the diopter adjustment dial which you need to use to align the viewfinder with your personal imaginative and prescient.

The remainder of the digicam’s buttons are all grouped collectively on the correct of the viewfinder / display screen setup. It begins with a show button which, unsurprisingly, you need to use to regulate how the rear display screen show appears – together with switching on/off capturing info, a histogram and a stage.

It’s also possible to alter the viewfinder show by urgent the identical button whereas your eye is held as much as the viewfinder. Which means that you would be able to have completely different show choices relying on whether or not you’re utilizing the display screen or the viewfinder, for those who like.

The Nikon Z8 departs from the blueprint of its DSLR-equivalent by providing a four-axis tilting monitor, whereas the LCD display screen on the D850 solely tilts up and down.

While not fairly as versatile as a completely articulating, vari-angle LCD display screen, the Z8’s display screen works very effectively for each portrait or landscape-orientation capturing.

You’ll be able to tilt it upwards to face you in both mode, while nonetheless being centrally positioned which make it simpler to compose with than a display screen that flips out to the aspect.

An angle adjustable LCD can also be helpful if you are going to be capturing video in the primary, because it’s difficult to be 100% sure you have bought focus spot on when utilizing a hard and fast display screen open air; inevitably glare and pure reflections typically get in the best way.

On the flip aspect, with two hinges concerned it’s fairly a posh little bit of engineering that will within the long-term undergo from heavy use.

Notice that the Z8’s display screen can’t be usefully folded flat towards the again of the digicam to guard it when in transit in a digicam bag.

As talked about above, the LCD display screen is touch-sensitive, permitting you to manage all the things from setting the AF level and firing the shutter, navigating the menu techniques and searching your pictures throughout playback. It is a very exact, responsive system that is a veritable pleasure to make use of.

A proximity sensor is positioned immediately above the viewfinder, which robotically switches between the EVF and LCD display screen. When the LCD display screen is swung outwards, the EVF is cleverly turned off robotically.

Across the Show button is a swap which you need to use to maneuver between video mode and stills mode. This swap is pretty stiff, so it appears moderately unlikely you’d do that by chance – however for those who do, it needs to be pretty apparent that you simply’re within the unsuitable mode.

To the correct of the Show button is the AF-On button. You’ll be able to set this up for back-button focusing for those who choose to work in that method, which can imply that for those who press the shutter launch, it gained’t try to refocus once more – helpful for focusing and recomposing.

Simply beneath the AF-On button is a joystick. You should use this to maneuver the AF level across the body, for those who don’t wish to use the touchscreen.

Not like another fashions available on the market, you may’t use the viewfinder and touchscreen on the identical time – so it’s very possible you’ll be utilizing the joystick to make fast AF level adjustments.

The joystick will also be used to maneuver round both the primary menu or the fast menu, however you’ll first must allow this selection within the customized management settings part of the menu.

The fast menu itself will be accessed by urgent the “I” button simply beneath the joystick. By doing so, you’ll offered with a bunch of generally used settings, akin to Image Management, High quality, Drive Mode, AF-Space Mode, White Steadiness and extra. You’ll be able to navigate across the menu utilizing both the joystick (if arrange) or through the navigational pad simply beneath the stick.

As soon as on the right setting, press OK after which you need to use the scrolling dials to decide on between the assorted choices. If there are any settings on this fast menu you discover you don’t use fairly often, you may take them out and substitute them with different settings which maybe you employ extra incessantly.

The 4 method navigational pad, with an OK button within the center, can be utilized to maneuver the AF level across the display screen (for those who don’t wish to use the joystick/touchscreen), navigate the menus, to toggle the knowledge show on pictures in playback, and to flick thru stated pictures.

The OK button can be utilized for menu choice, however in capturing mode, you can too use it to reset the AF level to the centre of the display screen.

Simply beneath the navipad is a duo of buttons which can be utilized to zoom out and in of the scene you’re photographing – notably helpful for checking essential focus, particularly for those who’re utilizing handbook focus. It’s also possible to use the buttons when viewing pictures in playback to zoom out and in, as a substitute for utilizing the touchscreen to pinch out and in of the body.

To the correct of the zoom out button, there’s the Playback button. The Menu button is discovered above that, and it’ll take you into the digicam’s major menu.

That is the place you must head when it’s essential to make extra complicated settings than the fast menu will show you with. The menu itself is split into a lot of classes, that are pretty self-explanatory and straightforward to navigate round.

A lot of the buttons on the Nikon Z9 may very well be illuminated if its show mild button was pressed, permitting for customers to higher establish features if working in close to darkish situations, and it is nice to see that the brand new Nikon Z8 additionally inherits this very helpful function.

There are Photograph Taking pictures, Video Recording, Customized Settings, Playback, Setup and Community menus. Handily, there’s additionally a “My Menu” tab which is the place it can save you any settings which you might be incessantly utilizing so you may shortly get to them everytime you want them, moderately than scrolling via the assorted pages of the menu.

You’ll discover many of the digicam’s ports on the left hand aspect of the digicam, which features a headphone and microphone jack, a full-size HDMI port, a flash sync port, a distant management port and the aforementioned twin USB-C ports.

On the other aspect of the digicam is the place you’ll discover the twin CFexpress and SD UHS-II reminiscence card slots housed beneath a lockable cowl.

You’ll be able to arrange the cardboard slots to work in whichever method you are feeling is finest – whether or not that’s an easy backup/copy of the primary card slot, an overflow to present you extra space, or to have one card document one sort of media (akin to uncooked recordsdata) and the opposite to document one other (akin to nonetheless recordsdata or video).

So now that we have taken an in-depth have a look at the options and dealing with, what about picture high quality? Do the images stay as much as what we might hope for and certainly count on from a £$4K+ digicam physique? Stick with it studying our Picture High quality part to search out out.

Picture High quality

The entire pattern pictures on this overview had been taken utilizing the 45.7 megapixel Nice* JPEG setting, which produces a median picture dimension of round 12Mb.

The Z8’s 45.7 megapixel sensor, as we’d count on, is able to resolving extraordinarily positive element which appears beautiful on display screen, even when zooming in at 100%. Having such a excessive decision to play with additionally means you may crop into the scene after the very fact and nonetheless maintain a excessive decision file.

Colors immediately from the digicam are superb, being real looking whereas additionally containing a very good diploma of vibrancy. In the event you shoot in uncooked format, you’ll discover that the recordsdata are very malleable, permitting you to extract a number of element and make adjustments as you want, with the Excessive Effectivity Uncooked format preserving file sizes beneath management with out a noticeable drop in high quality.

Utilizing the all-purpose metering mode usually leads to well-balanced exposures with out the necessity to swap to spot-metering for many topics. Equally, the automated white steadiness settings do a very good job of preserving colors trying real looking.

With such a excessive decision sensor, the Nikon Z8 has the potential to undergo in low mild, nonetheless it nonetheless produces very usable pictures at excessive ISOs. For sharing at small(ish) sizes, the best we’d in all probability suggest is ISO 25600, with ISO 51200 being simply that bit too smudgy to suggest except determined.

Noise

The bottom sensitivity of the Nikon Z8 is ISO 64 however you may go all the way down to ISO 32 (L1.0) if you want. On the different finish of the dimensions, the best native sensitivity of the Z8 is ISO 25600, however two boosted settings, ISO 51200 and ISO 102400, are additionally out there. Listed here are some 100% crops which present the noise ranges for every ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the correct.

JPEG
RAW

ISO 32 (100% Crop)

ISO 32 (100% Crop)

ISO 64 (100% Crop)

ISO 64 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 51200 (100% Crop)

ISO 51200 (100% Crop)

ISO 102400 (100% Crop)

ISO 102400 (100% Crop)

File High quality

The Nikon Z8 has two completely different file choices – Uncooked and JPEG – with three compression choices out there for Uncooked and 6 for JPEG. Listed here are some 100% crops which present the variations between all of them, with the complete picture dimension proven in brackets.

Evening

The Nikon Z8’s most shutter pace is 900 seconds within the Handbook capturing mode and there is a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is good news for those who’re severely keen on low mild pictures.

Lively D-lighting (ADL)

D-lighting is Nikon’s dynamic vary optimisation device that makes an attempt to squeeze the complete dynamic vary of the sensor into JPEGs. Lively D-lighting works “on the fly”, earlier than the in-camera processing engine converts the uncooked picture information into JPEGs. The out there settings are Off, Low, Regular, Excessive, Further Excessive 1 and Further Excessive 2, plus an Auto mode.

Off

Low

Regular

Excessive

Further Excessive 1

Further Excessive 2

HDR

The Nikon Z8’s HDR Mode captures three completely different exposures and combines them into one, retaining extra shadow and spotlight element, with an Auto mode, and 4 completely different strengths.

Off

Low

Regular

Excessive

Further Excessive

Image Controls

Nikon’s Image Controls are preset mixtures of sharpening, distinction, brightness, saturation and hue. All 28 completely different Image Controls will be tweaked to your liking, then saved and transferred to different cameras.

Auto

Customary

Impartial

Vivid

Monochrome

Portrait

Panorama

Flat

Dream

Morning

Pop

Sunday

Somber

Dramatic

Silence

Bleached

Melancholic

Pure

Denim

Toy

Sepia

Blue

Crimson

Pink

Charcoal

Graphite

Binary

Carbon

Crop Modes

The Nikon Z7 II is an FX digicam however it could possibly additionally shoot in one in every of three crop modes, together with a 19.4-megapixel DX crop mode, a 38.3 megapixel 16:9 mode, and a 30.3-megapixel 1:1 sq. mode.

The boundaries of the cropped areas are denoted with skinny black strains within the viewfinder, which in any other case continues to point out the complete FX view, permitting you to see what’s taking place exterior the cropped body – excellent for sports activities and motion capturing.

FX

DX

16×9

1×1

A number of Publicity

The Nikon Z8’s a number of publicity mode means that you can take between two and ten pictures and merge them right into a single picture in-camera.

Pattern Photos

This can be a number of pattern pictures from the Nikon Z8 digicam, which had been all taken utilizing the 45.7 megapixel Nice* JPEG setting. The thumbnails under hyperlink to the full-sized variations, which haven’t been altered in any method.

Pattern RAW Photos

The Nikon Z8 allows customers to seize RAW and JPEG format recordsdata. We have offered some Nikon RAW (NEF) samples so that you can obtain (thumbnail pictures proven under are usually not 100% consultant).

Pattern Films & Video

This can be a pattern 8K/30p film on the high quality setting of 7680 × 4320 pixels at 30 frames per second.

This can be a pattern 4K/120p film on the high quality setting of 3840 × 2160 pixels at 120 frames per second.

This can be a pattern 4K/60p film on the high quality setting of 3840 × 2160 pixels at 60 frames per second.

This can be a pattern 4K/60p film on the high quality setting of 3840 × 2160 pixels at 30 frames per second.

This can be a pattern 1080/120p film on the high quality setting of 1920 × 1080 pixels at 120 frames per second.

Product Photos

Conclusion

Commendably providing just about the entire identical options and efficiency because the flagship Z9, the brand new Nikon Z8 is a a lot smaller, lighter and crucially cheaper all-rounder that, merely put, is without doubt one of the finest cameras that we have ever reviewed.

In the event you’re on the lookout for one professional-level digicam that actually can do all of it for each stills and video and you’ll afford the nonetheless not inconsiderable £3,999 / $3,999 physique solely asking worth, the brand new Nikon Z8 needs to be proper on the prime of your buying listing.

There are a number of key methods through which the Z8 is inferior to the Z9, most notably the shorter battery life and video recording time, however it additionally presents a number of benefits over the Z9, together with higher portability, extra versatile reminiscence card codecs, twin USB-C ports, and the distinct Plane subject-detection mode.

Certainly, after utilizing the Z8 for some time, we tremendously choose the flexibility that the smaller physique presents in comparison with the dual-grip design Z9. It is rather more discrete and you’ll all the time match the optionally available battery grip to additional enhance the dealing with to be used with longer lenses.

Nikon have as soon as once more shocked many, together with us, by not solely releasing such a succesful digicam, however giving it a price-tag that is on a par with its major rivals.

The Sony A7R V is much less of an all-round hybrid digicam than the Z8, maybe higher suited to stills pictures with its superb viewfinder, mechanical shutter and better megapixel rely.

Regardless of being 3 years older, the Canon EOS R5 continues to be a aggressive product that’s nonetheless effectively price contemplating, however it could possibly’t fairly match the brand new Z8.

Cameras just like the Sony A1, Canon EOS R3 and Nikon’s personal Z9 are each extra action-oriented and dearer, leaving the brand new Z8 considerably in a league of its personal.

Merely put, the brand new Z8 greater than hits the mark as each the non secular successor to the extremely common D850 DSLR and being the newborn Z9 that everybody hoped for- it is the most effective ever all-round full-frame mirrorless digicam.

Rankings (out of 5)

Design
5

Options
4.5

Ease-of-use
5

Picture high quality
5

Worth for cash
5

Fundamental Rivals

Listed under are a number of the rivals of the Nikon Z8.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Nikon Z8 from around the web.

Specs

Kind

Digital digicam with help for interchangeable lenses

Lens Mount

Nikon Z mount

Picture Sensor

FX, CMOS, 35.9 mm x 23.9 mm

Complete pixels

52.37 million

Mud-reduction System

Picture sensor cleansing, Picture Mud Off reference information (requires NX Studio)

Efficient pixels

45.7 million

Picture dimension (pixels)

[FX (36 x 24)] chosen for picture space:

(L) 8256 x 5504 ( 45.4 million)

(M) 6192 x 4128 ( 25.6 million)

(S) 4128 x 2752 ( 11.4 million)

[DX (24 x 16)] chosen for picture space:

(L) 5392 x 3592 ( 19.4 million)

(M) 4032 x 2688 ( 10.8 million)

(S) 2688 x 1792 ( 4.8 million)

[1:1 (24 x 24)] chosen for picture space:

(L) 5504 x 5504 ( 30.3 million)

(M) 4128 x 4128 ( 17.0 million)

(S) 2752 x 2752 ( 7.6 million)

[16:9 (36 x 20)] chosen for picture space:

(L) 8256 x 4640 ( 38.3 million)

(M) 6192 x 3480 ( 21.5 million)

(S) 4128 x 2320 ( 9.6 million)

File codecs

NEF (RAW): 14 bit; select from lossless compression, excessive effectivity (excessive), and excessive effectivity choices

JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with positive (approx. 1 : 4), regular (approx. 1 : 8), or primary (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression out there

HEIF: Helps positive (approx. 1 : 4), regular (approx. 1 : 8), or primary (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression out there

NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single {photograph} recorded in each NEF (RAW) and JPEG codecs

NEF (RAW)+HEIF: Single {photograph} recorded in each NEF (RAW) and HEIF codecs

Image Management System

Auto , Customary , Impartial , Vivid , Monochrome , Portrait , Panorama , Flat

Artistic Image Controls (Dream, Morning, Pop, Sunday, Somber, Dramatic, Silence, Bleached, Melancholic, Pure, Denim, Toy, Sepia, Blue, Crimson, Pink, Charcoal, Graphite, Binary, Carbon); chosen Image Management will be modified; storage for customized Image Controls
Notice: Selection of Image Controls is restricted to Customary, Monochrome, and Flat when HLG is chosen for tone mode throughout nonetheless pictures.

Media

CFexpress (Kind B) , XQD , SD , SDHC (UHS-II compliant) , SDXC (UHS-II compliant)

Twin card slot

1 CFexpress card or XQD card and 1 Safe Digital (SD) card
Both card can be utilized for overflow or backup storage, for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG or HEIF photos, or for storage of duplicate JPEG or HEIF photos at completely different sizes and picture qualities; photos will be copied between playing cards.

File System

DCF 2.0, Exif 2.32, MPEG‑A MIAF

Viewfinder

1.27-cm/0.5-in. approx. 3690k-dot (Quad VGA) OLED digital viewfinder with shade steadiness, auto and 18-level handbook brightness controls, and help for prime body charges

Viewfinder Body Protection

Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical

Viewfinder Magnification

Approx. 0.8x (50 mm lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)

Eyepoint

23 mm (-1.0 m-1; from rearmost floor of viewfinder eyepiece lens)

Diopter Adjustment

-4 – +3 m-1

Eye sensor

Mechanically switches between monitor and viewfinder shows

Suitable Lenses

Z mount NIKKOR lenses
F mount NIKKOR lenses (mount adapter required; restrictions might apply)

Shutter

Digital shutter with shutter sound and sensor protect

Shutter pace

1/32000 to 30 s (select from step sizes of 1/3, 1/2, and 1 EV, extendable to 900 s in mode M), bulb, time

Flash Sync Pace

Flash synchronizes with shutter at speeds of 1/250 or 1/200 s; or slower (however be aware that the information quantity drops at speeds of 1/200 to 1/250 s); sync speeds as quick as 1/8000 s are supported with auto FP high-speed sync

Launch mode

Single body , steady low-speed , steady high-speed , high-speed body seize (with Pre-Launch Seize) , Self-timer

Approximate body advance fee

As much as 120 fps

Steady low-speed: Approx. 1 to 10 fps
Steady high-speed: Approx. 10 to twenty fps
Excessive-speed body seize (C30): Approx. 30 fps
Excessive-speed body seize (C60): Approx. 60 fps
Excessive-speed body seize (C120): Approx. 120 fps
Most body advance fee as measured by in-house exams.

Self-timer

2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 s

Publicity Metering System

TTL metering utilizing digicam picture sensor

Publicity Metering mode

Matrix metering
Middle-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 12 or 8 mm circle in middle of body or weighting will be based mostly on common of complete body
Spot metering: Meters circle with a diameter of roughly 4 mm centered on chosen focus level
Spotlight-weighted metering

Publicity Metering Vary

-3 to +17 EV
Figures are for ISO 100 and f/2.0 lens at 20 °C/68 °F

Publicity Modes

P: programmed auto with versatile program, S: shutter-priority auto, A: aperture-priority auto, M: handbook

Publicity Compensation

-5 to +5 EV (select from step sizes of 1/3 and 1/2 EV)

Publicity Lock

Luminosity locked at detected worth

ISO sensitivity (Beneficial Publicity Index)

ISO 64 to 25600 (select from step sizes of 1/3 and 1 EV); will also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 32 equal) under ISO 64 or to approx. 0.3, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 102400 equal) above ISO 25600; auto ISO sensitivity management out there
Notice: ISO sensitivity is restricted to 400 to 25600 when HLG is chosen for tone mode.

Lively D-Lighting

Auto, Further excessive 2, Further excessive 1, Excessive, Regular, Low, and Off

A number of publicity

Add, common, lighten, darken

Different choices

HDR overlay, picture mode flicker discount, high-frequency flicker discount

Autofocus system

Detection vary

-7 to +19 EV (-9 to +19 EV with starlight view)

Measured in picture mode at ISO 100 and a temperature of 20 °C/68 °F utilizing single-servo AF (AF‑S) and a lens with a most aperture of f/1.2

Lens servo

Autofocus (AF):
Single-servo AF (AF-S) , Steady-servo AF (AF-C) , full-time AF (AF-F; out there solely in video mode)

; predictive focus monitoring

Handbook focus (M):

Digital rangefinder can be utilized

Focus level

493

Variety of focus factors out there in picture mode with single-point AF chosen for AF-area mode and FX chosen for picture space

AF-area mode

Pinpoint (out there in picture mode solely), single-point, dynamic-area (S, M, and L; out there in picture mode solely), wide-area (S, L, C1, and C2), and auto-area AF; 3D-tracking (out there in picture mode solely); subject-tracking AF (out there in video mode solely)

Focus lock

Focus will be locked by urgent shutter-release button midway (single-servo AF/AF‑S) or by urgent the middle of the sub-selector

Your Feedback