I just upgraded from D810 to Z8, too! I can't believe it. I was unsure if I'd be able to love the Z8 as much as my beloved D810, but after about a month, the images I'm getting are so amazing that I've fallen in love with the Z8. Long live Nikon!
I love it too! After I did this testing, I went to buy my Z8's. Been shooting with them for month now and it really feels like D810 in terms of colors and contrast, but just better, easier, and let me be honest, I am totally loving back LCD shooting. Not only me, but my back and shoulders as well hahahaaha. The only thing I dislike is how fast the battery gets sucked out, but hey, if that's the price we gotta pay to move forward.... :D
Have you already tried (a) back-button AF, and (b) tap the rear display like your smartphone? Assigning AF to the back-button (so no longer on the shutter release) separates the focusing from the shutter release that can still measure light and shoot the image. Press shutter half-way freezes (auto) exposure when AF is on the back-button. As relying on "recognition AI AF" (as I call it) makes you want to check that the system found what you want to get focused, this can be distracting if you monitor it constantly (because you still need to learn when you can trust it). Shooting the camera like a smartphone: tap on the rear display can be set so the camera focuses on the point you tapped and immediately shoots the image when focus is acquired. When I use the viewfinder of my camera I always have two eyes open to retain contact with the environment of the frame, but using the rear display keeps the environment in the peripheral vision of both eyes. Not better, just different. I am considering to switch to the Z 8 as it can do the "recognition AI AF" better, when darker, than the Z 7ii, but in a well lit (LV >= 10) studio, the Z 7ii does very well. Still, the Z 8 does more and faster. I migrated to Z after some 40 years with Nikon SLR and DSLR and pro F-mount primes. The Z "S" class lenses are at another level. I would not, as many photographers may do, use a Z f or Z 6/6ii/6iii as backup with the Z 8, but rather a Z 7/7ii (or Z 7iii if/when it comes next year) because the sensor has the same characteristics (not speed etc.). With all the AI, in the camera and in post, I found that Adobe Camera Raw (that does raw processing in both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop) with its new "AI Denoise" option can do the raw processing of these high MP cameras better. But it's slow and you need to decide you need it. But noise may be even better when you process in DxO PhotoLab (or the PureRAW plug-in that only does noise). Look in the darker zones of the image, the blurry zones and the less contrasty zones - if it looks good, don't bother. Have you discovered Lightroom Classic's new AI selection tools? You can tell it to find the white of eyes, the iris, etc. and then apply separate effects to that, blue eyes more blue or white of eyes more white. That sounds like a lot of work for more than one shot, but you can copy the AI selection(s) and paste them on another frame, even when, say in a headshot, the head looks the other direction. The luxury problem now is, what AI to use in order to handle skin imperfections faster, without skin looking plastic. As you considered the Z 6 in the past, I said above I would not mix the 6 variant with the 45MP cameras. One reason is that it has a slightly warmer tint. You can correct that but it's work or you need to make a camera profile. That said, an "S" class lens on the 24MP Nikons gives a softer result than on the 45MP ones. If only the MP differ then 45 is about 40% better than 24, but as you take the "OLPF" from the 24MP into account then the 45MP is about twice as sharp. Upgrade your computer ...
@@photography_timeless - showing some portfolio in A2 size prints to a relation, their question was "what camera did you use?" My response was, "on the opening party to the sculptor's gallery exhibition, did you ask them what hammer and chisel they used?" A painter asking their colleague what brush they used to get these eyelashes right can be a very valid question though. Or, most people are too obsessed with the camera, rather than the artistic qualities. Assuming we are the painters discussing their brush, I sold my Z 7ii last week and replaced it by the Z 8. It does "recognition AI AF" much better in low light and its 3D tracking is fabulous. This gives me an almost perfect keeper rate in a cosily lit studio (~LV 5). The images are excellent, but that applied to the Z 7ii too. There are consequences adding to the total cost, like new L-bracket, new flash trigger, new receiver-camera cable for the wireless remote. The reason I want the studio at that light level is that I want the sitter's pupil dilated but not too much. This looks more attractive. Tiny pupils look less attractive, too dilated looks weird and you loose iris colour. I can perfectly shoot "old school" having shot large format (too). But the "recognition AI AF" gives me freedom to keep interacting with the sitter while clicking the camera. Shooting old school means I have to direct the sitter into a fixed pose and focus each frame separately. Now I can direct and shoot, maintaining direct communication. The Z 7ii was handicapped at that, in my use case. The weirdest is the ~total silence when you set the virtual shutter sound's volume to zero (which is different than "silent shutter" in the menu, but functionally the same). If you shoot with flash, that is the only thing that is noticed you shot a frame. The silence makes me want to verify shots and I have to train my brain that I do not have to verify if a shot was taken (I ~never need to chimp for exposure or sharpness).
I just upgraded from D810 to Z8, too! I can't believe it. I was unsure if I'd be able to love the Z8 as much as my beloved D810, but after about a month, the images I'm getting are so amazing that I've fallen in love with the Z8. Long live Nikon!
I love it too! After I did this testing, I went to buy my Z8's. Been shooting with them for month now and it really feels like D810 in terms of colors and contrast, but just better, easier, and let me be honest, I am totally loving back LCD shooting. Not only me, but my back and shoulders as well hahahaaha. The only thing I dislike is how fast the battery gets sucked out, but hey, if that's the price we gotta pay to move forward.... :D
great video, mirrorless is future!
great video as usual !!!
Hard to have it looking anything less than great with such an amazing videographer! 😍😍
Have you already tried (a) back-button AF, and (b) tap the rear display like your smartphone? Assigning AF to the back-button (so no longer on the shutter release) separates the focusing from the shutter release that can still measure light and shoot the image. Press shutter half-way freezes (auto) exposure when AF is on the back-button.
As relying on "recognition AI AF" (as I call it) makes you want to check that the system found what you want to get focused, this can be distracting if you monitor it constantly (because you still need to learn when you can trust it). Shooting the camera like a smartphone: tap on the rear display can be set so the camera focuses on the point you tapped and immediately shoots the image when focus is acquired. When I use the viewfinder of my camera I always have two eyes open to retain contact with the environment of the frame, but using the rear display keeps the environment in the peripheral vision of both eyes.
Not better, just different.
I am considering to switch to the Z 8 as it can do the "recognition AI AF" better, when darker, than the Z 7ii, but in a well lit (LV >= 10) studio, the Z 7ii does very well. Still, the Z 8 does more and faster.
I migrated to Z after some 40 years with Nikon SLR and DSLR and pro F-mount primes. The Z "S" class lenses are at another level. I would not, as many photographers may do, use a Z f or Z 6/6ii/6iii as backup with the Z 8, but rather a Z 7/7ii (or Z 7iii if/when it comes next year) because the sensor has the same characteristics (not speed etc.).
With all the AI, in the camera and in post, I found that Adobe Camera Raw (that does raw processing in both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop) with its new "AI Denoise" option can do the raw processing of these high MP cameras better. But it's slow and you need to decide you need it. But noise may be even better when you process in DxO PhotoLab (or the PureRAW plug-in that only does noise). Look in the darker zones of the image, the blurry zones and the less contrasty zones - if it looks good, don't bother.
Have you discovered Lightroom Classic's new AI selection tools? You can tell it to find the white of eyes, the iris, etc. and then apply separate effects to that, blue eyes more blue or white of eyes more white.
That sounds like a lot of work for more than one shot, but you can copy the AI selection(s) and paste them on another frame, even when, say in a headshot, the head looks the other direction.
The luxury problem now is, what AI to use in order to handle skin imperfections faster, without skin looking plastic.
As you considered the Z 6 in the past, I said above I would not mix the 6 variant with the 45MP cameras. One reason is that it has a slightly warmer tint. You can correct that but it's work or you need to make a camera profile.
That said, an "S" class lens on the 24MP Nikons gives a softer result than on the 45MP ones. If only the MP differ then 45 is about 40% better than 24, but as you take the "OLPF" from the 24MP into account then the 45MP is about twice as sharp. Upgrade your computer ...
Man, that's a hell of a long comment! :D I appreciate you going in depth of so many aspects of it. Which camera are you having, Z7ii?
@@photography_timeless - showing some portfolio in A2 size prints to a relation, their question was "what camera did you use?" My response was, "on the opening party to the sculptor's gallery exhibition, did you ask them what hammer and chisel they used?"
A painter asking their colleague what brush they used to get these eyelashes right can be a very valid question though.
Or, most people are too obsessed with the camera, rather than the artistic qualities.
Assuming we are the painters discussing their brush, I sold my Z 7ii last week and replaced it by the Z 8. It does "recognition AI AF" much better in low light and its 3D tracking is fabulous. This gives me an almost perfect keeper rate in a cosily lit studio (~LV 5). The images are excellent, but that applied to the Z 7ii too. There are consequences adding to the total cost, like new L-bracket, new flash trigger, new receiver-camera cable for the wireless remote.
The reason I want the studio at that light level is that I want the sitter's pupil dilated but not too much. This looks more attractive. Tiny pupils look less attractive, too dilated looks weird and you loose iris colour.
I can perfectly shoot "old school" having shot large format (too). But the "recognition AI AF" gives me freedom to keep interacting with the sitter while clicking the camera.
Shooting old school means I have to direct the sitter into a fixed pose and focus each frame separately. Now I can direct and shoot, maintaining direct communication. The Z 7ii was handicapped at that, in my use case.
The weirdest is the ~total silence when you set the virtual shutter sound's volume to zero (which is different than "silent shutter" in the menu, but functionally the same). If you shoot with flash, that is the only thing that is noticed you shot a frame.
The silence makes me want to verify shots and I have to train my brain that I do not have to verify if a shot was taken (I ~never need to chimp for exposure or sharpness).
@@jpdj2715 Sounds like you are having the right "hammer" for what you are creating. Happy to hear you love your new Z8, keep rocking!
trying to keep the ai out of the Art as much as possible, it's hard.