If you can buy the Z7ii used like I did for $2k (with less than 5k shutter count) then it makes a lot of sense. But if you're buying new the Z8 is a no-brainer.
Excellent review and comparison. I'm curious to know if you could give me some idea of battery life as it relates to only landscape shoots. I currently use the z7ii and can go on one battery a day for a landscape shoot. Does the Z8 compare?
It feels similar or maybe very slightly worse than the z7ii. I just did a 4 hour or so shoot the other day and was down to 1 bar on a single battery. That being said I don’t do much to mitigate battery drain (I just keep a lot of batteries on hand) so I’ll bet you could squeeze a full day out of it.
For landscape, I feel like Nikon wins. The 14-24 is better (slightly) than the 15-35. The 24-120 is much much better than canon’s 24-105. Canon takes a bit of a w with their 100-500, but I have a second copy of the Nikon 100-400 that performs as well as any telephoto I have ever used between 100-300 (sharper than my 70-200). But that’s just the high end glass. Nikon also has a 14-30, 17-28, 28-75, 70-180, 24-200, 70-300 (tamron). Canon has the 14-35. I have shot some of my favorite landscapes with canon, but right now as a system I feel like Nikon is bringing more to the table.
I love my z8, especially for night photography. The starlight mode is straight up magical. Gone are the days of taking a million test shots to compose in the dark. THe warm mode is nice, but I find it impossible to see the focus point, so I turned it off. Hopefully nikon can firmware update the camera so only the focus point shows in white while in warm mode. I also really wish the extended shutter mode was in third stop increments rather than the how disorganized it is not, really frustrating to work with at the moment and I have no idea who thought that was a good idea to have a full stop, then half stop, then third stops when going from 30 sec to 15 minutes
Thanks for these points. Did you upgrade from an older Z system or DSLR (850)? I currently have a Z7ii which i absolutely love, and am just wondering if it is worth it to upgrade to Z8. I really would like some of the things on the Z8 to be on Z7ii, like a tilting screen while on Tripod for portrait mode, and backlit buttons. But just not sure that is worth the $2K upgrade cost. Do you really like the Z8, and how is the weight of it on hikes, and such? Thanks again!
Without doing testing that basically requires a camera failure, weather sealing tends to be a 'comfort' and 'confidence' determination rather than something we measure. Do you have a sense of how your confidence in the weather sealing of the Z8 and A7RV compare?
I have only used the a7rv a little bit, but I feel more confident in the z8. Nikon does a good job making their cameras FEEL very robust and weather sealed in a way that Sony doesn’t. That being said I have used both brands extensively and have never had an issue with either. Sony cameras are notorious for getting water in the hot shoe causing errors and corrosion so I have always kept a hot shoe cover in my Sonys.
Those are very good points. I've owned Z7, Z9, and Z8, and I agree with your take on them when it comes to landscape photography.
If you can buy the Z7ii used like I did for $2k (with less than 5k shutter count) then it makes a lot of sense. But if you're buying new the Z8 is a no-brainer.
Exactly.
Excellent review and comparison. I'm curious to know if you could give me some idea of battery life as it relates to only landscape shoots. I currently use the z7ii and can go on one battery a day for a landscape shoot. Does the Z8 compare?
It feels similar or maybe very slightly worse than the z7ii. I just did a 4 hour or so shoot the other day and was down to 1 bar on a single battery. That being said I don’t do much to mitigate battery drain (I just keep a lot of batteries on hand) so I’ll bet you could squeeze a full day out of it.
Very good info on the Z8. What is your feelings regarding Nikon glass vs Cannon RF glass.?
For landscape, I feel like Nikon wins. The 14-24 is better (slightly) than the 15-35. The 24-120 is much much better than canon’s 24-105. Canon takes a bit of a w with their 100-500, but I have a second copy of the Nikon 100-400 that performs as well as any telephoto I have ever used between 100-300 (sharper than my 70-200). But that’s just the high end glass. Nikon also has a 14-30, 17-28, 28-75, 70-180, 24-200, 70-300 (tamron). Canon has the 14-35. I have shot some of my favorite landscapes with canon, but right now as a system I feel like Nikon is bringing more to the table.
Excellent video.I fully agree with all your points.
Thanks for watching!
I think you forgot to mention that the Z9 also has built-in GPS which is really nice for landscape photography.
That’s interesting… I have never really used that for landscape… how do you implement gps?
@@summitbid Just turn the gps on in the z9 and it puts the info into the meta and lightroom will read and show on a map.
Take a selfie, save in your phone and you have gps 😂
Lol, that’s an option. I have made several
Go to books though with maps beside them showing the location on map from the gps. Makes it nice and easy
Lol, that’s an option. I have made several
Go to books though with maps beside them showing the location on map from the gps. Makes it nice and easy
I love my z8, especially for night photography. The starlight mode is straight up magical. Gone are the days of taking a million test shots to compose in the dark. THe warm mode is nice, but I find it impossible to see the focus point, so I turned it off. Hopefully nikon can firmware update the camera so only the focus point shows in white while in warm mode. I also really wish the extended shutter mode was in third stop increments rather than the how disorganized it is not, really frustrating to work with at the moment and I have no idea who thought that was a good idea to have a full stop, then half stop, then third stops when going from 30 sec to 15 minutes
Thanks for these points. Did you upgrade from an older Z system or DSLR (850)? I currently have a Z7ii which i absolutely love, and am just wondering if it is worth it to upgrade to Z8. I really would like some of the things on the Z8 to be on Z7ii, like a tilting screen while on Tripod for portrait mode, and backlit buttons. But just not sure that is worth the $2K upgrade cost. Do you really like the Z8, and how is the weight of it on hikes, and such? Thanks again!
Without doing testing that basically requires a camera failure, weather sealing tends to be a 'comfort' and 'confidence' determination rather than something we measure. Do you have a sense of how your confidence in the weather sealing of the Z8 and A7RV compare?
I have only used the a7rv a little bit, but I feel more confident in the z8. Nikon does a good job making their cameras FEEL very robust and weather sealed in a way that Sony doesn’t. That being said I have used both brands extensively and have never had an issue with either. Sony cameras are notorious for getting water in the hot shoe causing errors and corrosion so I have always kept a hot shoe cover in my Sonys.
@@summitbid Thanks
Z9 have the Starlight mode also?
It does!