When the Nikon Z9 arrived, and the first time I held it my hands, you might as well have been playing the theme from “Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.” Compared to the tools I started my career with, this camera is pure science fiction. Given the tendency of technology to constantly get better, smaller, and faster, we are now at the Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera.
This camera can be rightly described as a mini Nikon Z9. All the speed and power of the Z9, but in a package that is 30 percent smaller. Yet, somehow, the camera doesn’t feel delicate. Take it in hand and you realize this is not a piece of Grandma’s fragile china with a lens on it. It has a robust grip (all the better for long lens balance) and the typically tough Nikon build factor.
Nikon Z8 The Mini Flagship | Hands On with Joe McNally
Key Features of the Nikon Z8 Camera
- 45.7MP stacked CMOS sensor
- EXPEED 7 processing engine
- 8K/60p and 4K/120p video
- 12-bit N-RAW and ProRes RAW recording
- 20, 30, 60 and 120 fps shooting options
- Subject recognition AF and 3D tracking
- 2.1M dot screen on two-way hinge
- Dual USB-C ports
- CFexpress Type B and UHS II SD slot
Trying Out the Nikon Z8 Camera
I was given the Nikon Z8 prototype, under supervision, for about four hours. During that time, I conducted something of a stress test on the camera…and me. I walked into a swing dance club in Manhattan, sight unseen, with a band I did not know and talent I had never laid eyes on. The venue was very dark with low ceilings. It had a mirror ball and a couple of gelled spotlights. The music was great and the dancers were lively so, as always on location, let’s have at it!
I partnered the Nikon Z8 initially with a NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 lens, selected some familiar menu options, and told the marvelous lead singer/band leader Matthew Piazzi to let fly with some tunes. Swing being the art form it is, the dancers started to twirl and I got my eye into the camera.
Key Features of the Nikon Z8 Camera
There are a couple of very notable features about the camera that stood out immediately (and you can learn more about them in the live stream walkthough).
Auto Focus
It’s the same deal as the Nikon Z9 — absolutely nimble, accurate, responsive AF, even in a dim, contrast-less environment. I tried a couple of modes on the Nikon Z8 and then settled in on a wide area with eye recognition. Because I was keeping the dancers in the middle of the frame, I customized my wide area AF to be more of a box shape that conformed well to their gestures and activity. At one point, I also used an older lens — my venerable 200mm f/2 — and mounted it to the Z8 via the FTZ adapter. I experienced no loss of function and no uncertainty of focus. In simple words, it bloody well works.
Grip
I might be going on about this, but the solid way you can grip this camera is excellent news. I love the lightness and small form factor of Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II, which are marvelous bundles of technology in small packages. Although, I’ve always been predisposed to favor a professional level of ruggedness. The Nikon Z8 camera strikes a beautiful balance among the virtues of durability and weather sealing, super advanced tech, and the ability to walk with it on your shoulder all day long.
More good news: A power grip will debut at the same time as the camera, which will afford a vertical shutter and tandem battery arrangement that will keep you powered in the field for extended periods of time. If you are in the crowd that really needs a good grip — say for a 400mm at the sidelines of a soccer game — this camera fits the bill.
Camera Evolution
When was the last time you used an ethernet port? It’s been a while for me, such as at the Olympics where I might have needed to plug into the ethernet system at track and field so that my editor, at a console miles away from the venue, sees what I am shooting immediately. The ethernet port has its role, to be sure. Although, in its place are two potentially more useful USB-C ports — basically input-output. You can power the camera through one of the ports and download data from the other. This is very economical when it comes to workflow.
Familiar Menu System
As always, Nikon maintains a streamlined menu system that will be familiar and comfortable to virtually anyone shooting Nikon — be it mirrorless or DSLR. There are tweaks and add-ons to be sure, but the menu tree is one we have reliably climbed before. Did I mention I got the camera in my hands about a half hour before I started to shoot a job with it? When the music starts playing and the dancers start swinging, familiarity with your tools is not underrated.
Price Point
With the Nikon Z8 Camera, you’ll receive so much power and technology at a truly affordable level. If anyone harks back to the time of the Nikon D5 (which was a complete flagship style of a camera) you will recall that Nikon followed on with the D850, which took the camera marketplace by storm. Until I shot the Z8 and Z9, the D850 was the most impressive camera I had ever used. It supplied a wonderful blend of speed and resolution. It was a versatile beast of a camera that was equally adept in the field and in the studio. The Z8 is destined to occupy that same sweet spot where so much still and video prowess is offered at a reasonable price.
| Nikon Z8 | Nikon Z9 | Nikon Z7 II | Nikon D850 | |
| MSRP | $3,996.95 | $5,496.95 | $2,596.95 | $2,496.95 |
| Sensor Type | 45.7MP stacked CMOS | 45.7MP stacked CMOS | 45.7MP BSI CMOS | 45.7MP BSI CMOS |
| Video Resolution | 8K/60p and 4K/120p | 8K/30p 4K/120p |
4K/60p with slight crop | 4K/30p |
| Burst rate | 20 fps Raw 30fps JPEG |
20 fps Raw 30fps JPEG |
10 fps | 7 fps |
| Screen | 3.2″, 2.1M-dot two-way tilting touchscreen | 3.2″, 2.1M-dot two-way tilting touchscreen | 3.2″, 2.1M-dot tilting touchscreen | 3.2″ 2.36M-dot tilting touchscreen |
| Card slots | SD and SDHC and SDXC / CFexpress Type B XQD |
2x CFe Type B / XQD | 1 CFe Type B/XQD, 1 UHS II SD | CFexpress Type B / XQD and SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Dimensions | 5.67 x 4.69 x 3.27″ | 5.9 x 5.9 x 3.6” | 5.3 x 4.0 x 2.8” | 5.8 x 4.9 x 3.1” |
Nikon Z8 vs Nikon Z9
On a commercial job where you must extend on the road, you need multiple cameras as a primary backup and a secondary backup. Having both a Z8 and Z9 in your bag can keep you working in admirable style.
If you are concerned about the heft or price of the Z9, this camera isn’t an entry level camera nibbling on the coattails of the Z9. It’s right there in the next lane, racing at the same speed. It’s smaller and lighter, but just as quick. It incorporates the same sensor/processor tandem, the same AF performance, and pro level durability.
The quickness and certainty of tech in this camera make it perfect for photographers shooting weddings, senior portraits, pets, families, high school sports, you name it. Head shots in the studio? Done deal. I used large flash units on my assignment in conjunction with Adorama and pushed the high-speed sync to 1/8000th of a second with no issues. It has completely reliable transmission and communication with my Profoto units.
I’ll close with the usual question I have in the face of accelerating, onrushing, astonishing camera technology. How much better can this get?
Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera Live Q&A
Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
Join us for a live Q&A hosted by Seth Miranda and featuring Marc Cruz (Nikon), Kristi Odom (Wildlife Photographer, Nikon Ambassador) and Jide Alakija (Wedding & Portrait Photographer, Nikon Ambassador). Tune in for more information and hands-on of the new Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera.
The Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera is available for preorder and will begin shipping on May 25th, 2023.
