For its latest release, the Z 8, Nikon is taking a page out of its own playbook. Instead of developing an all-new camera it's taken the guts of the heavyweight Z 9 and squeezed them into a form factor that will please fans of small cameras without sacrificing performance in any way. If that sounds familiar, you've probably been around long enough to remember the big, gripped D3 from 2007, and the smaller D700 that followed a year later.
The Baby Z 9
So calling the Z 8 a "baby Z 9," is entirely appropriate. The new camera drops the integrated vertical grip, netting a thirty percent reduction in size, but includes the same stabilized 45MP Stacked CMOS sensor and all of its high-speed features: tracking focus for 120fps photography at 11MP, full-size Raw at 20fps, and ProRes 422 video encoding. The Z 8 also adds support for 10-bit HEIF files as an alternative to 8-bit JPGs.
The high-speed burst rate is bolstered by Nikon's most capable autofocus system. The Z 9 re-introduced the 3D Tracking system, a staple of Nikon SLRs, for mirrorless. Subject recognition for people, animals, and birds goes beyond what SLRs could manage; in our tests the Z 9 had no problem picking out birds in busy, branch-filled scenes and rarely missed focus. The Z 8 promises to deliver the same performance. For more detail, refer to our Z 9 review from last year.
There are a few changes made to accommodate the smaller body. The Z 8 maintains dual card slots, but splits formats between CFExpress (Type B) and UHS-II SDXC. It drops the Gigabit Ethernet port, but offers dual USB-C connections so you can power the camera with one and connect to a computer for tethering with the other. The Z 8 uses a smaller battery, the long-running EN-EL15c, so you'll want to carry a spare or two if you're using the camera for wedding, travel, sports photography, or other high shutter count disciplines.
But other aspects of the Z 9 body style continue. The Z 8 uses the same 3.2-inch rear screen and dual hinge system, along with the 0.8x 3.7 million dot OLED viewfinder. It also relies entirely on an electronic shutter, an aspect that may induce some banding artifacts when photographing scenes with digital signage, but has few practical drawbacks otherwise. Buttons are backlit too, a plus for use in studio and a rare feature these days.
All in all the Z 8 is shaping up to be a formidable option for Nikon photographers who love the idea of the Z 9, but prefer a smaller full-frame to carry. Nikon compares its appeal to the D850 SLR, which offered a similar pixel count along with high speed (for the time) autofocus and bursts. Versus others in its class, the Z 8 betters the Sony a7R V ($3,899) for action, but doesn't match up with its 60MP pixel count or more robust subject recognition focus system. It looks to be a better camera all around than the 45MP Canon EOS R5, though we'll note that the R5 is overdue for a Mark II update, given the improvements Canon has made to others in the line in the interim.
Pricing and Availability
The Z 8 is set to go on sale on May 25th for $3,999.95 as a body only. An add-on battery grip is available for $349.95. Z-mount lenses are sold separately.