Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera review

The Nikon Z8 is a brand-new full-frame mirrorless camera that packs a powerful punch. High-end autofocus features, improved low-light performance. Click now to learn more!

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera summary

Review Title: Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera
Available Models: Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera, Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera, Nikon Z7ii mirrorless camera, Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera, Nikon Z6II mirrorless camera, Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera review, Nikon Z5 mirrorless camera, Nikon Z50 mirrorless camera, Nikon Z30 mirrorless camera, Nikon Zfc mirrorless camera
Review Category: #Nikon #MirrorlessCamera
Price Range: 4 (where 1 is very cheap and 5 is very expensive based on a comparison of products in the same category)
Price: $3,999.95

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera product highlights

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera product highlights:

Full frame
5.7 megapixels
ISO 64-25600
EXPEED 7
Real-Live Viewfinder
Subject detection for 9 subject types
3D-tracking
Up to 120 fps and Pre-Release Capture
HEIF format
RAW video up to 8.3K/60p
4K UHD/120p
4-axis tilting monitor
Durability down to -10°C/14°F

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera is designed to provide photographers with a solid and compact body that can withstand tough conditions. It is built with robustness and has excellent drip- and dust-resistant functions, even functioning in temperatures as low as -10°C/14°F.

When it comes to recording capabilities, the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera offers impressive options. It allows in-camera recording in 12-bit N-RAW, ProRes RAW HQ, and 10-bit ProRes 422HQ and H.265 formats, giving you flexibility and versatility in your workflow.

The camera features a 4-axis vertical/horizontal tilting monitor, which makes it easier to capture images when shooting vertically. The vertical user interface has also been improved to support vertical shooting, ensuring a seamless experience.

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera features

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera introduces the Pre-Release Capture feature, which starts shooting in advance of fully pressing the shutter-release button. This enables photographers to capture decisive moments with ease, even at high speeds of up to 120 fps.

With the Real-Live Viewfinder, photographers can experience a truly blackout-free view, allowing them to stay connected to every single moment of motion without any skipped frames or loss of view.

The camera’s advanced detection system can recognize nine different subject types for both stills and video. It can even detect the world’s smallest face in the frame, and it offers a dedicated airplane mode for aviation photography enthusiasts.

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera provides impressive recording times, allowing up to 125 minutes of continuous recording in 4K UHD/60p and up to 90 minutes in 8K UHD/30p. It also offers full-frame 4K UHD/120p recording without any crop, enabling dramatic slow-motion footage.

Photographers can take advantage of the HEIF format, which retains rich tonal gradation from highlights to shadows, capturing scenes with increased luminance and dynamic range.

Additionally, the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera features a skin softening function, which allows you to smooth people’s skin directly in-camera. This can improve post-production efficiency by reducing the need for extensive editing.

In conclusion, the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera offers a range of features and capabilities to meet the demands of photographers. Its solid build, versatile recording options, advanced detection system, and various shooting functions make it a powerful tool for capturing stunning images and videos.

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera lenses

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera is compatible with two types of lenses: Z mount NIKKOR lenses and F mount NIKKOR lenses. The Z mount lenses are specially designed for the Z series cameras, offering excellent image quality and performance. If you already have F mount lenses, you can still use them with the Nikon Z8 by using a mount adapter.

However, please note that there may be certain restrictions when using F mount lenses with the adapter. This compatibility gives photographers a wide range of lens options to choose from, allowing them to capture their desired shots with ease and flexibility.

Nikon Z8 image sensor

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera features a high-quality image sensor that captures stunning photos. The sensor is a 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor, which is a full-frame or FX-format sensor. It has a total of 52.37 million pixels, allowing for detailed and sharp images. To keep the sensor clean, the camera has an image sensor cleaning system.

Additionally, you can use the Image Dust Off reference data feature, which requires the use of Nikon’s NX Studio software, to further enhance image cleanliness and remove any unwanted dust particles. With this advanced sensor and cleaning system, you can achieve excellent image quality with the Nikon Z8.

Our final opinion about Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera

We are really impressed with the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera. It offers a great combination of features, quality, and performance. It has an impressive full-frame sensor, advanced autofocus system, and a powerful image processor that allows for excellent image quality and a wide range of functions. The design is modern and the controls are intuitive, making it easy and enjoyable to use. Overall, the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera is an excellent choice for both professional photographers and enthusiasts alike.

FAQ - Frequently asked question about Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera?

Is Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera good?

The Nikon Z8 is a powerful and versatile full-frame mirrorless camera, so if you’re looking for excellent performance with professional-level features, it’s definitely worth considering. The camera offers excellent image quality thanks to its 45.7 megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor and a versatile set of features that includes a Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist as well as 8K UHD video recording and built-in 5-axis image sensor shift.

So Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera is a great choice for professional and advanced enthusiast photographers who are looking for a high-end mirrorless camera.

Why must you buy Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera?

The Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera offers some key benefits for photographers. It has an impressive full-frame 45.7-megapixel resolution, which is ideal for capturing high-quality landscape, wildlife, sports, and fashion images. It also has a large and fast lens mount that makes it compatible with a variety of F-mount and Nikkor lenses.

The Nikon Z8 also incorporates advanced 5-axis vibration reduction to reduce camera shake and blur, as well as a 3.2-inch LCD tiltable touchscreen for easier viewing and operation. Other features include dual card slots, UHS-II speed rating, and robust wireless connectivity. All of these features make this one of the best mirrorless cameras for professionals and ambitious amateurs.

Who should buy Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera?

Anyone looking for a high-end, full-frame mirrorless camera should consider the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera. This camera is designed for professional photographers and videographers who need a versatile and powerful camera with an array of lens options. With features such as a 45.7-megapixel sensor, advanced autofocus system, and professional-level video capabilities, the Nikon Z8 is a great choice for anyone looking for cutting-edge technology and features.

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera technical specifications

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera technical specifications:

Type

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera type of camera	Digital camera with support for interchangeable lenses
Lens mount	Nikon Z mount

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera lens

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

Effective pixels

Effective pixels	45.7 million

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera image sensor

Type	35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor (full-frame/FX-format)
Total pixels	52.37 million
Dust-reduction system	Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (requires NX Studio)

Storage

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera image size (pixels)	[FX (36 x 24)] selected for image area: 8256 x 5504 (Large: 45.4 M), 6192 x 4128 (Medium: 25.6 M), 4128 x 2752 (Small: 11.4 M) [DX (24 x 16)] selected for image area: 5392 x 3592 (Large: 19.4 M), 4032 x 2688 (Medium: 10.8 M), 2688 x 1792 (Small: 4.8 M) [1:1 (24 x 24)] selected for image area: 5504 x 5504 (Large: 30.3 M), 4128 x 4128 (Medium: 17.0 M), 2752 x 2752 (Small: 7.6 M) [16:9 (36 x 20)] selected for image area: 8256 x 4640 (Large: 38.3 M), 6192 x 3480 (Medium: 21.5 M), 4128 x 2320 (Small: 9.6 M)
File format (image quality)	NEF (RAW): 14 bit; choose from lossless compression, high efficiency★, and high efficiency options JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression available HEIF: Supports fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression; size-priority and optimal-quality compression available NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats NEF (RAW)+HEIF: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and HEIF formats
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera Picture Control system	Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Flat, 20 Creative Picture Controls; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls Note: Choice of Picture Controls is restricted to Standard, Monochrome, and Flat when HLG is selected for tone mode during still photography
Media	CFexpress (Type B), XQD, SD (Secure Digital), and UHS-II compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera dual card slots	Either card can be used for overflow or backup storage, for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG or HEIF pictures, or for storage of duplicate JPEG or HEIF pictures at different sizes and image qualities; pictures can be copied between cards

Nikon Z8 Viewfinder

Viewfinder	1.27-cm/0.5-in. approx. 3690k-dot (Quad VGA) OLED electronic viewfinder with color balance, auto and 18-level manual brightness controls, and support for high frame rates
Frame coverage	Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical
Magnification	Approx. 0.8x (50 mm lens at infinity, -1.0 m^-1)

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera monitor

Monitor	8-cm/3.2-in., approx. 2100k-dot vertically and horizontally tilting TFT touch-sensitive LCD with 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% frame coverage, and color balance and 15-level manual brightness controls

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera shutter

Type	Electronic shutter with shutter sound and sensor shield
Speed	1/32000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3, 1/2 and 1 EV, extendable to 900 s in mode M, bulb, time
Flash sync speed	Flash synchronizes with shutter at speeds of 1/250 or 1/200 s or slower (but note that the guide number drops at speeds of 1/200 to 1/250 s); sync speeds as fast as 1/8000 s are supported with auto FP highspeed sync

Release

Release modes	Single frame, continuous L, continuous H, highspeed frame capture with Pre-Release Capture, self-timer
Approximate frame advance rate	Continuous L: Approx. 1 to 10 fps Continuous H: Approx. 10 to 20 fps High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C30): Approx. 30 fps High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C60): Approx. 60 fps High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C120): Approx. 120 fps *Maximum frame advance rate as measured by in-house tests.

Release modes

Single frame, continuous L, continuous H, highspeed frame capture with Pre-Release Capture, self-timer

Approximate frame advance rate

Continuous L: Approx. 1 to 10 fps
Continuous H: Approx. 10 to 20 fps
High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C30): Approx. 30 fps
High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C60): Approx. 60 fps
High-Speed Frame Capture+ (C120): Approx. 120 fps

*Maximum frame advance rate as measured by in-house tests.

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera exposure

Metering system	TTL metering using camera image sensor
Metering modes	Matrix metering Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 12 or 8-mm circle in center of frame or weighting can be based on average of entire frame Spot metering: Meters circle with a diameter of approx. 4 mm centered on selected focus point Highlight-weighted metering
Metering range (ISO 100, f/2.0, 20°C/68°F)	-3 to +17 EV
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)	ISO 64 to 25600 (choose from step sizes of 1/3 and 1 EV); can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 32 equivalent) below ISO 64 or to approx. 0.3, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 102400 equivalent) above ISO 25600; auto ISO sensitivity control available Note: ISO sensitivity is limited to 400 to 25600 when HLG is selected for tone mode
Active D-Lighting	Auto, Extra high 2, Extra high 1, High, Normal, Low, and Off
Multiple exposure	Add, average, lighten, darken
Other options	HDR overlay, photo mode flicker reduction, high-frequency flicker reduction

Nikon Z8 Autofocus

Type	Hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF with AF assist
Detection range (in photo mode, AF-S, ISO 100, f/1.2 lens, 20°C/68°F)	-7 to +19 EV (-9 to +19 EV with starlight view)
Focus points (in photo mode, single-point AF, FX format)	493 points
AF-area modes	Pinpoint (available in photo mode only), single-point, dynamic-area (S, M, and L; available in photo mode only), wide-area (S, L, C1, and C2), and auto-area AF; 3D-tracking (available in photo mode only); subject-tracking AF (available in video mode only)

VR

Camera on-board VR	5-axis image sensor shift
Lens on-board VR	Lens shift (available with VR lenses)

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera flash

Flash control	TTL: i-TTL flash control; i-TTL balanced fill-flash is used with matrix, center-weighted, and highlight-weighted metering, standard i-TTL fill-flash with spot metering
Flash modes	Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, off
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)	i-TTL flash control, radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting, optical Advanced Wireless Lighting, modeling illumination, FV lock, Color Information Communication, auto FP high-speed sync, unified flash control

White balance

White balance	Auto (3 types), natural light auto, direct sunlight, cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent (3 types), flash, choose color temperature (2500 to 10,000 K), preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored), all with fine-tuning

Bracketing

Bracketing types	Exposure and/or flash, white balance, and ADL

Video

Metering modes	Matrix, center-weighted or highlight-weighted
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera frame size (pixels) and frame rate	7680 x 4320 (8K UHD): 30p (progressive)/25p/24p 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD): 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p 1920 x 1080: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p Note: Actual frame rates for 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate (RAW video)	8256 x 4644: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p 5392 x 3032: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p 4128 x 2322: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p 3840 x 2160: 120p/100p/60p/50p Note: Actual frame rates for 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera file format	NEV, MOV, MP4
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera video compression	N-RAW (12 bit), Apple ProRes RAW HQ (12 bit), Apple ProRes 422 HQ (10 bit), H.265/HEVC (8 bit/10 bit), H.264/AVC (8 bit)
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera audio recording format	Linear PCM (48 KHz, 24 bit, for videos recorded in NEV or MOV format) or AAC (48 KHz, 16 bit, for videos recorded in MP4 format)
Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera audio recording device	Built-in stereo or external microphone with attenuator option; sensitivity adjustable
Exposure compensation	Range: -3 to +3 EV in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Nikon Z8 ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)	M mode: Manual selection (ISO 64 to 25600 in steps of 1/6, 1/3 or 1 EV); with additional options available equivalent to approx. 0.3, 0.7, 1 or 2 EV (ISO 102400 equivalent) above ISO 25600; auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 64 to Hi 2.0) available with selectable upper limit P, S or A mode: Auto ISO sensitivity control (ISO 64 to Hi 2.0) with selectable upper limit Note: ISO sensitivity is limited to 400-25600 when HLG is selected for tone mode
Other options	Time-lapse video recording, electronic vibration reduction, time codes, N-Log and HDR (HLG) video, wave-form display, red REC frame indicator, video recording display zoom (50%, 100%, and 200%), extended shutter speeds (M mode), and dual-format (proxy-video) recording for RAW video; extended oversampling available; option to view video recording info available via i menu; Hi-Res Zoom

Interface

USB	Type C USB connectors: USB data connector (SuperSpeed USB) and USB Power Delivery connector
HDMI output	Type-A HDMI connector
Audio input	Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter; plug-in power supported)
Audio output	Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter)
Ten-pin remote terminal	Built-in (can be used with MC-30A/MC-36A remote cords and other optional accessories)

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

Wi-Fi	Available
Bluetooth	Available

Power source

Battery	One EN-EL15c Rechargeable Li-ion Battery; EN-EL15b and EN-EL15a batteries can be used in place of the EN-EL15c Note: fewer pictures can be taken on a single charge than with the EN-EL15c. EH-7P Charging AC Adapters and EH-8P AC Adapters can be used to charge EN-EL15c and EN-EL15b batteries only
Battery pack	MB-N12 Power Battery Packs (available separately) taking two EN-EL15c batteries; EN-EL15b and EN-EL15a batteries can be used in place of the EN-EL15c Note: fewer pictures can be taken on a single charge than with the EN-EL15c
AC adapter	EH-7P Charging AC Adapters (available separately) EH-8P AC Adapters; requires UC-E25 USB Cable (available separately) EH-5d, EH-5c, and EH-5b AC Adapters; requires EP-5B Power Connector (available separately)

Tripod socket

Tripod socket	0.635 cm; 1/4 in., ISO 1222

Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera dimensions/weight

Dimensions (W x H x D)	Approx. 144 x 118.5 x 83 mm/5.7 x 4.7 x 3.3 in.
Weight	Approx. 910 g (2 lb. 0.1 oz.) with battery and memory card but without body cap and accessory shoe cover; approx. 820 g/1 lb. 13 oz. (camera body only)

Operating environment

Operating environment	Temperature: -10 °C to 40 °C (+14 °F to 104 °F); humidity: 85% or less (no condensation)

Supplied accessories

Supplied accessories (may differ by country or area)	EN-EL15c Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-25a Battery Charger, HDMI/USB Cable Clip, AN-DC26 Strap, UC-E24 USB Cable, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover, DK-33 Rubber Eyecup, BF-N1 Body Cap