Congratulations on getting your Z8. I also loved my D850, and I wholeheartedly agree with your stated reasons to switch from the D850 to the Z8. There are two or three other reasons to make the switch, one that you alluded to: 1. You mentioned missing the "thunk" of the D850 versus the quietness of the Z8. Actually, that's one of the primary reasons I made the switch. I shoot thousands of frames at conformation dog shows and used my D850 with the Nikon MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack which increases the D850 frame rate to about 9fps from the camera body only 7fps. It was fun when people noticed the Gattling Gun explosive thunks from the D850, but less fun when the occasional dog would get freaked out by the sound. 2. When shooting movement, the 9fps of the D850-with-battery-grip is pretty good, but the 20fps of the Z8 is much better at getting the perfect motion capture. In fact, I usually dial it down to 15fps and get great results. And, 3. Personally, I like the Z lenses much more than the old F mount lenses. To me, that alone makes the switch worthwhile. I recognize that some may prefer the "character" of the F-mount lenses, but the Z lenses are exceedingly sharp, and I like it that way. A little tweaking of RAW files in post (I use "Neutral" Picture Control".) and I have the character I prefer. In my view, the Nikon D850 is the best DSLR ever made and can create beautiful images, but I have no regrets for making the switch to the Z8.
excellent points about the silence of the z8 actually being a critical key feature. totally agree, settings like weddings (for example) where you don't want the noise of the shutter are other great benefits of shutterless. thanks for checking out the video!
I just switched from D850 to Z8 3 weeks ago and it is soo much better.. love it so far and in built image stabilisation is the bonus we didn't have on the 850.
As to the menu system, my simple approach is to go into the on-line reference guide and copy the entire menu list with default values from there, and with a few smart operations get that into a spreadsheet. Here I go through the entire list and determine my "deviations" (from default). Mark these next to the defaults and when the entire list is done, I set these in the camera, going top-down through the list. Now I export the menu settings to card and can distribute these settings to the other cameras.
Hi William - welcome to Nikon Mirrorless! I switched early - bought a Z6 just to play around with, but found that within 6 months it had fully replaced my D750 (a great DSLR as well). Since then, Nikon mirrorless has really imporoved and now with the Z8/9 it has arrived. I shoot most my pro stuff with the Z8 and most my for fun/travel stuff with the Zf (which is a beast in its own right). Thanks for making this video - now is the time for all the fence sitters to make the move. The Z8 is a true replacement to the D850 - it is better in almost every way, and where it is not better (strictly speaking - like IQ) it is on par. All Nikon DSLR shooters should now transition to Nikon mirrorless: If Z8 is too expensive then Z6III (to be released very soon) will be at the right price point. With the FTZ adaptor you will be able to use all of your F Mount lenses and your G and E F mount lenses are literally better on the Z system than they every were for DSLR - they now get 3 axis IBIS and focus points across the frame - not to mention subject detection. I still regularly use my 105 1.4E lens, 28mm 1.4E and 58mm 1.4G lenses on my Z8 and they are better and more accurate than they ever were on the DSLR's. The Z mount lenses are also second to none in the market. The Z mount allows for the theoretical adaptation of lenses from any system. Currently there exists adaptors that adapt Sony E, Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica M to Nikon Z with native to near native functionality - so its also time for those from other systems to make the switch to Nikon as you can use your current lenses from all these systems - I'm. sure we will see an RF to Z adaptor soon - especially now that Nikon owns RED. Nikon is truly at the forefront of the industry - they only lack the marketing engines of the others and as such most in the general market still think that Sony's and Canon's are better- a brief list of why this is not the case follows - Nikon has superior: 1) Build quality 2) Ergonomics 3) RAW files 4) Mount (shortest flange in the business 16mm and largest throat diameter 55mm) - this allows for the best lens designs (look up angle of incidence as it relates to optics - also allows for the adaptation of all other lenses. 5) Cutting edge video - Z8 does up to 8k 60 in RAW - something that is not done to this day as well for the others and this camera is well over a year old 6) Best native lenses - other makers do not compare with Nikon's telephoto Z line-up for example. Other lenses that are unmatched are Nikon's Z 24-120 f/4, and of course 135mm 1.8 Plena that has optical characteristics that other manufacturers cannot match due to the physics of the mount. 7) New RAW compression algorithms that make large files much smaller with virtually no loss of IQ The list could go on, but you get the idea... If you should Nikon DLSR - as William points out - it is now time to move to mirrorless - this is undeniable. I'll go a further - if you left Nikon for Sony in the last 5-8 years, its now time to come back to Nikon, and finally no matter what you shoot, Nikon is the best hybrid system for FF period - come try it and you won't go back. -PD
I love my z8. One thing you didn't mention is that there's no screen blackout in burst mode. That's one of the main reasons why I bought one. It's hard to track moving subjects when you can't see them. A lot of people are buying red dots (like you put on a gun) in the hot shoe and using that to aim with. The stacked sensor makes this possible. I think that's why a lot of DSLR people held off on switching to mirrorless. That and the focus tracking. The z8 takes care of both needs. The auto focus for video on the d850 is horrible from what I understand. I love my z6 II as well but it has some limitations. It's better for stills than action. I've never used the video on it. The Nikon 70-200mm is nearly half the weight of my f mount Sigma sport. It's the only f mount lens I have left and I plan to replace at some point. I bought the 24-70mm at Christmas when I bought the z8. It's an incredible lens. Most of the z lenses are sharper corner to corner. There's little to no chromatic aberration or focus breathing. Some of the z lenses are about as sharp at f/2.8 as some of the f mount lenses are stopped down to their sharpest aperture. There's more benefits to going mirrorless than staying with a DSLR. It really comes down to your budget and if you're happy with what you currently own.
@UnconventionalReasoning yes and no. It's not a constant blackout. There is a flicker as the mirror goes up and down. You can still track the subject. With most mirrors cameras you have complete blackout while the shutter button is pressed until you let off or until the buffer is full.
I picked up the habit of having the camera off all the time untill I'm going to shoot too from my DSLR days. It's a very good habit to have, never had a battery life issue. Most everyone else in a group battery dies on a photo walk and i'm still at 4 bars.
I left the DSLR world when the Z7 came out ... 6 years ago now? I did not get the Z7 ii because I tried the Z9 and knew they were up to something fun with the Z8 rumors. Bought mine new on day #1 something like 1.5 years ago now and never looked back. Put a grip on it and realized it was bigger than a Z9 at that point, so I often thought about just getting the Z9 , but I like having the option to make it smaller by taking the grip off and putting a small lens on like the 26mm pancake, for taking on hikes, etc. Recently, I tried a D850, as I never had one of those, only had a D750, and compared to my Z8, it felt archaic and slow, especially the AF. The AF control in the Z8 and Z9 are completely stellar and always impressively fast, at everything. I finally sold all my AF-S and F mount lenses and am totally all in with the Z-mount lenses and those too are a step up in being lighter, faster and sharper. It's evolution taking place right before our eyes, folks. You won't regret it.
I have a Z8 and a Z9 as my wife and I both shoot A LOT, so how is it no one mentions the IBIS image stabilisation as a HUGE difference over the Nikon DSLRs? My D850 was gifted to a relative who loves it, but my biggest takeaway with the Z8/9 was the ability to shoot slow shutter speeds with great results. Was blown away when I shot photos at night, on a moving boat, under the Sydney Harbour bridge and got tack sharp images that were 1/15th hand held at 16,000 ISO. Removed noise with Topaz and my happy snap of the bridge and Opera House became Iconic. Z glass is exceptional and the amount of fails shrunk significantly with the Z cameras. Rarely miss focus, rarely have lens blur. The Z8 battery does let it down a bit as a full day shoot needs 2 batteries minimum, unless you avoid reviewing images, which I can't.
I am conflicted. Been a Nikon DSLR owner in my professional career for 20 + years. I own a D4 and a D5 and love them and they are work horses. The Z8 is really tempting but not sure if I can move on to it just yet.
It seems to be a very much ymmv situation. A friend who has shot D5 for quite some time can not get used to Z9 even now. Loads of complaints from him, but not getting the same low light performance as the much lower MPIX sensor in D5 has him quite worked up and he's still not gotten the AF to work for him as he was used to with D5 and thus struggling with bird photography. I for one am quite happy with my Z8 and would never go back to the old D800.
Great video , I always hear people bring up that talking point about battery life and it’s only because people can’t find a single other thing to say about it in a negative way . I’m like you coming from different Nikon dslr I too always learned to turn off my camera even if it’s for 5 minutes and I rarely need to use a second battery . It’s a beautiful professional camera and if you know what you’re doing you can take breathtaking photos with it.
Viewfinder vs back LCD: * With the DSLR, they are completely different: OVF and Live View * With the mirrorless, they are identical outputs to two different size monitors. [Using the LCD more is generally a bad thing, please avoid becoming a Sony shooter with the camera out in the right hand and the left hand in the jeans pocket. The Z8 owner's manual says to use the viewfinder. Ergonomics says to use the viewfinder.] How do you find the menu system different? The systems seem almost the same, with a few additions with each iteration: D800/D810/D850/Z7/Z7II/Z8. With a DSLR, turning it off is less significant. With the mirrorless, it is a big benefit, since the mirrorless camera is a full-time video camera and TV. Do you miss the D850 thunk more from the shutter or the mirror? Where does the Z7/Z7II fall on the satisfaction scale? I agree that the mirrorless cameras motivate video more than the DSLRs. Even without using video AF, being able to use the EVF while recording video is sometimes a win. One of the wins with the Z-mount is lens adaptability. Without getting a Leica camera, being able to put one or two 'special' Leica M-mount lenses on the Z cameras is really cool. Especially when comparing the price of some used Leica lenses with new Z lenses. Yes, operationally, apples and oranges. But for image rendition, the advantage sometimes goes to the older Leica glass. As others have mentioned, in-body stabilization is another big win for the full-frame Z cameras.
Long-time D800 shooter here, dipped my toes into mirrorless with the Z5 since I only shoot professionally part-time. I did a few side by side tests of the D800's 36-megapixel NEFs with the Z5's 24-megapixel NEFs using identical focal lengths (AF-S Nikkor 85/1.8G and Z Nikkor 85/1.8S respectively) and was blown away by the sharpness and lack of chromatic aberration on the Z5 NEFs. I believe, as other commenters have mentioned, the Z lenses are likely the major contributor to the superior optical results.
Thank you for sharing your Z8 experiences!! I only wish the vid was a little longer since I liked it a lot ! And thank you for not blasting the viewers with specs!!!! Lovely!
Bought a Z6 early on and didn't take use my D800 at all after that. Still keeping the D800 just in case I need it, but first Z7ii and Z8 made up for the missing resolution in Z6.
@@Scott-lg6jo I'm keeping my D800 even though I exclusively shoot Z8 nowadays - I'd be depressed by how little I could get for it and it almost feels like a museum piece :)
Thank you for your thoughts on the Z8. I just got a Z8 and in the first day I love it and am wondering if I should sell all my DSLRs or keep either the D800 or my D5 so I have a camera that still will use some of my lens that don't work on Z cameras. I do have a question about the Z8. I bought a refurbished Z8 from Nikon that doesn't have any sign of use at all. One thing I noticed while playing with the menus and taking 20 images, that in the 20 minutes it was on, the left bottom of the camera was getting warm where my Z7II never gets warm. By warm I mean you can tell it is warmer than a Z lens, but nowhere near hot. Does your Z8 warm up on the left bottom with just taking images and no video at a slow rate? I also found that my older Nikon EN- 15 batteries from my D800 that work fine and show fully charged in my Z7II will not even power up the Z8. The age indicator shows battery age as 0 or 1. Do you have older batteries and do they work in your Z8?
Had a Nikon 810 and 850 as well, I went to LUMIX for a while with the S5iiX and while it was good something definitely felt off about it. I tried the Z6ii for a while then jumped to the Z8 and honestly I feel right at home with it. Feels almost exactly like that 810/850.
I have a d850, d610, d500. I previously owned a d5 and d750. I went digital early, with the z6. If I am shooting people, I prefer the z6 over any other. The auto focus is miles better, and the in-camera stabilization is also a key difference maker. Going forward, I am very interested in the z8 but won't make a final decision until I see what the expected z6III brings.
thanks! yep - answered below. Manual mode, flat color, DaVinci Resolve and a good lens! (though honestly the kit lens for the Z30 looks really good too).
I shoot with the D850 and I love it. I bought the Z5 with the 24-200 and it does well and I use it for walking around since it is lighter, but I love everything about the D850 when I process my images which I use it with the Tamron 35-150 2.8-4.0 lens. I would like to see Nikon build some of the features that are in the Z8 towards a newer Z73 because of the size difference. Good review though and look into becoming a Nikon ambassador. Cheers.
I have a D850 since it came out in 2017 . When the z6-7 came out I decided to wait until the Z8 and I’m extremely happy with it but I’ll be keeping the D850 for many reasons including the ability to digitise color positive -negative and b&w negative all in camera. Also I hear the valuation that some friends have to trade in their cameras that made me decide to keep mine. Thanks for the nice video…
I’m waiting for my Z8 to arrive. I’m a sony shooter and plan to test the megadap pro adapter with my g-masters and maybe get the tamron 35-150 native z 2-2.8. I wonder what autofocus mode to use since i’ve heard there are so many options. i shoot mostly models
For me coming from a D750 the feature I did not account for was the absolutely silent shooting (if you choose). You can literally "hide in plain sight". People lose track of "are you shooting right now" without the shutter noise ... and in a matter of minutes (at an event for instance), lower their guard. It's a strange phenomena. You as a photographer will also feel less intrusive. It's a huge thing ...
Good video. You covered features important to me. My current camera is a Panasonic DH3 that I’ve had for several years and am looking to replace. Since I was looking for another combo cam, my first choice was the Sony A7CR. Size was pretty good, but I kept finding “warts” - limitations that I could not accept. Next was the Sony A7CR. Much better, but after digging deeper, I found warts there too. Technology was great, but the combination wasn’t fully baked for me. Then I found the Nikon Z8. At first glance, it looked “boring”. But digging further, it looks very well baked - well thought out. Smoothly integrated photo AND video features. Straight-forward features that don’t require a lot of thought to figure out which combo can work together (especially in video). What appears to be different with the Z8 is that the important features for me are all there, well integrated, and work well. I’m still open, but a Z8 and Nikon lenses will be my next camera system.
Great video on the Z8! I agree, the main difference in Quality over the D850 are the new Z Lenses! WOW are they great! Could you do some videos on the Z30? I am thinking of getting one! Thank you.
I bought the Z9 when it first came out, previously shooting the D850 with the battery grip. The D850 with the battery grip is one fantastic tool. In short, the Z9 is a D850 on steroids. This would also apply to the Z8 compared to the D850. In regards to image quality, both are the same, with the D850 edging it slightly in dynamic range. By the way, I still have the D850 and still use it from time to time. Not planning to get rid of it anytime soon.
What lens and picture control settings do you use on the z30 to get the video looking this way? Also, have you noticed that when you compare what you see in live view on the z30 to the image you see in playback, the colors are different?
Hey - I shot this on the Z30 using the Nikon Z 14-24 F2.8 lens.... shot in manual mode on the camera, (stopped down to 2.8) , shooting 24 FPS. I set the color space to "flat" - so that the camera doesn't do any over saturating of the colors itself... I do color adjusting in DaVinci Resolve in post. I haven't noticed the LCD on the Z30 to be inaccurate.... however I have noticed that my color fluctuates a bit even though my lightning setup is 100% controlled (unsure if it's the lights or the camera)... but it hasn't been enough to bother me. Thanks for the comment and watching, hope this helps!
@@willsfrantz Hey, thanks for the help. I'll check my colors in video as I use it more and see if I run into that problem with the colors fluctuating under controlled lighting
@@willsfrantz - as you set the camera to manual mode, it can still be on Auto White Balance and in that case, changes in frequency distribution of tints in your frame can fool the camera into "assuming" it needs to adjust WB. I shoot raw stills and always am on "Cloudy". With stills, "WB" is just a number in the image's metadata. WB changes have no impact on raw data elements. When you shoot movie, there's no or much less raw and this changes. We have to set the proper WB and tint. In my Nikon cameras, eVF and display have their own "manual/auto" settings separate from what gets recorded. Way back, your photos of the family in winter sports in sunny Alps in extremely white snow would all look grey because of the averaging effect of Through The Lens (TTL) metering. AI and LiveView that we continually have in these ML cameras is a lot better than that but not yet perfect. Along these lines, Auto WB may water the warmth of the sunset down, or remove some of the blue in the shade (that can be extreme at sunset). And next with both the warmth and blue in the frame it may do the average between these.
@@willsfrantz I find the colours shift if I use auto white balance, so it's always easier to just set it to a specific white balance. I do use Auto ISO and exposure compensation down 2/3d's because often the highlights are blown out. I think the glass you're shooting it on makes a huge difference too, that 14-24 is super sharp! :)
Thank you for the great video! Question to other recent Z8 users. I'm planning to get a Z8 (currently have a D5500). So, yes, a major upgrade. The price is a shocker and I plan to do some birding stuff and the prime 400mm or 600mm lenses look amazing, but their prices are a shocker too! I guess, I have to just bite the bullet and splurge on these? I love photography! What are your favorite Z lenses? Thank you all.
You might find the D500 (or a 7500 for that matter) with some long, modern glass does just what you need for a whole lot less. I've used that combo (even rented it for special events, like drag racing, air shows, and others) and it worked brilliantly. Ever waded through a day's worth of 20fps in post? Yek.
Great video, and good food for thought for me as a D850 owner. Only one little remark: I believe that the Z8’s AF is much better than the D850’s. But honestly I shoot quite a lot, also fast moving subjects, and it happens very, very rarely to miss the focus. (Of course I am not talking about the live view mode, where the contrast based AF of the D850 is catastrophic!)
It seems that photographers in very specific genres decided that the D800/D810/D850 AF was inadequate, and then it permeated to all genres. Bird photographers might be the biggest culprit, and there the Z9/Z8 do have the advantage of 90% coverage. But for most things, including indoor sports, the DSLRs worked very well. Also, Sony marketed the hell out of eye-AF, making that the success or failure metric of a camera's AF system. Especially for landscape photographers. 😂
Hi William : Do you think the dynamic range of the Nikon Z8 is as good as by the D850 ..? What about aspect ratio : there is no 3x4 or 4x5 at all ..? Thank you so much . Regards.
One way to stretch the battery life is looking at Smallrig who does an official EN-EL15c USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery which has a bit more power at 2400mAh. Another way is using an usb-c powerbank to drive the camera.
LOL, after years of using solely mirrorless cameras (Fujifilm X) I recently... got back to classic DSLRs (like the fantastic D700) - purely due to more "analogue/traditional" vibe they give me, and it's fun!
one thing you may not be aware of is that the mirrorless system makes still cameras a thing of the past. It's basically a video camera that allows you to take excellent stills! I'll tell you what I don't understand, is how the Z8 can win "camera of the year" awards, when everyone knows its a cut-down version of the Z9 (my camera). I like the huge battery, extra weight and that bump at the bottom, it makes for easier handling. Welcome to the world of mirrorless (and shutterless).
@@UnconventionalReasoningExacly. What Tony described is only his preferences. People are still taking stills. He can't say for everyone. The Z8 is chosen because it has everything the Z9 has and is much smaller and much cheaper
@@bobamarmstrong What Tony described is how mirrorless cameras work: they are full-time video cameras with a TV. When we take a still image, we are grabbing one of those and saving it.
Had opportunity to try Z8. Was not impressed with ergonomics. Saw they took out lots of buttons - didn't liked that. Saw Z lens - got digital screen instead analog - didn't like that either. Have tried panning with Z8 and saw ghosting. Decided to go for D850. Clients love the big bulky things that go CLICK. That way they feel they paid for something good. If you take out camera and there is no sound, client will start to think if he could do the same job with the iphone.
oh STFU. Just use your old AF camera for the next 40 years. I'll enjoy the superior camera system with my z8 😊. If you want a huge pe*nis camera, then get a z9. Obviously that's all you care about lmao
I think the ZF is the BEST VALUE NO COMPROMISE camera there is today...the Z8 is still rather expensive to most, granted it is made for Pros but they could've just easily omitted some features to cut cost.
Not "much" sharper. Maybe when you crop 200% you see little difference, but most of the time pretty much the same. The most imoprtant thing is the Z lenses. Thats why your photos are sharper. Because of procesing built in.
Elimination of shutter shock makes huge difference for pixel pippers. D850 has feature called Electronic Front Curtain Shutter mode which eliminates that problem for landscape photographers.
Extreme pixel pippers...and nooo, not a huge difference. I will say it again, lenses, lenses and lenses are a huge difference if you want to call something huge. I compared a lot of my D850 shoots vs my Z8, even croping to a large degre, but not much difference. Dont get me wrong, difference is there buuut 🤏🤏🤏 Even shooting D850 in silent mode made little improvment, micro improvment 😋 All I want to say is that it is not even close to your statement "much" sharper... You get much sharper results because of your lenses, if you are shooting at all 😅
I miss DSLR like I miss vinyl. Not at all. It is great seeing with no problem what the camera sees in darkness. What the last picture looks like without removing my eye from the view finder. Not taking a picture in quite with everyone hearing it. Seeing a lot of information again without removing my eye from the view finder. Being able to take movies without, you know. I'm 75 and I don't miss file.
I got a D750. Used a Z8 in a shop, then picked up a D850 in that same shop. To be honest the D850 felt much more like a "real camera" to me. But the Z8 no doubt is much more capable. I'm just not sure it's for me. I'm not a professional. I mainly do photography when I travel. I went to Costa Rica with my D750 and 3 zoom lenses including the Tamron 100-400. The combined price I paid for that lens and the body (used) is the same as I paid for my iPhone. I kind of like that. However I will say that not all the shots were accurately focused. But as I said, I don't do this professionally, and the Z8 is somewhat bigger and heavier than the D750 as well. I do like the sensor shield, and it's been discounted. But still, it would be a lot to spend on camera gear. And then I also have to think about insuring it. Another thing is that there is no direct replacement of the Tamron 100-400 in Z-mount. I'd probably get the Nikon 100-400, but that's heavier. This is actually steering me somewhat into the direction of a D850 again. Yes, it's even bigger and heavier, but I can mount that lens without an adapter, and get good cropping ability (assuming the lens is sharp enough). And it's much cheaper. But right now I want to wait and see what Nikon will release next. And in the meantime I got Steve Perry's DSLR autofocus book to work through, so that maybe I can improve my hit rate even on my D750.
The D750 is a great camera - nothing to be ashamed of. Funny...someone viewing another person's photos has NO IDEA what was used to take the pic. So why go bankrupt when the thing that's affordable accomplishes exactly what the unaffordable thing does? I'm still amazed at what a D750 can do for stills in conjunction with a good camcorder (yes, camcorder) for video, for those of us who can't stomach the thought of spending a "new" $10k on camera gear to keep doing the same thing we're doing now.
Is it just me, or is that Z30 in the intro shot focusing on your teeth and not your eyes? Your irises just seem soft by comparison. Feels like another miss of the Nikon Z AF system before the glorious Expeed 7
I dont think there is any difference in image quality between D850 and Z8 or Z9. For me as the owner of two D850”s there is no reason for upgrade. The main thing is that I don’t want 20fps with 46mpx size of images if I want to use a new AF system for a wildlife. Nikon got a huge gap in Z line up. I would be really happy to see another Z flagship camera with fast AF and fps but with no more than 20mpx or 24mpx. Like a Canon and their R3 or upcoming R1.
Weight-wise (including lenses) I think the difference isn't much significant. Let's say you use 24-70/2.8 + 70-200/2.8, and use the equivalent lenses on Z8. Probably the difference is negligible.
@@anta40 I don’t mind extra weight. I do prefer heavy camera body with better balance, over light and small. Z glass seams to be overpraised. I have every nikon camera and my most loved are D3 and D4s. Because of incredible image quality. As wedding photographer I got tired of running out of space of storage when I used D850’s. The handling time of those files was time consuming and large files took too much of the storage space. Nikon keeps producing 46mpx cameras for top line up, but there is nothing for event photography. ZF? Z6? No those cameras are not there ergonomicly. Im still shooting weddings with Dslrs because there is nothing to buy from Nikon . Im using D6, D5, D4s, D3 and sometimes D600. I did try Zf but I had to turn off face detection because for a group shots is this function useless. ZF is a great camera with beautiful output but ergonomics are not there. So hopefully Nikon will produce at least one flagship with no more than 30mpx sensor.
@@2klember As a hobbyist and Df owner, I've tested the Zf (with grip added). 24 MP is more than enough. The reason I'm tired with DSLR is .... well I'm not interested in big bulky bodies.I want a compact system for daily use (actually, those 6x6 or 6x7 film SLRs are even heavier and outweight any Nikon DSRLs). Leica M10 is lightweight and really expensive, and no AF. Anyway, I understand your annoyance. Huge MP is useful for landscape or studio, but probably not that much for event/wedding. Sadly, this is the trend being pushed forward by major camera makers.
I thought you could downsize to lower mpx in settings on the z8 but turns out it's just a z7 thing. Probably the extra processing of doing that after taking raw photos is too much / cause overheating at the higher frame rates etc. I agree though high file sizes is just extra burden
the 850 has a more dynamic range. you can sense it especially if you shoot GFX. the 850 is a lot closer to the GFX than the Z8, or Z9. as far as photos goes the d850 is a beast. Get a D850, Don't look back. if you shoot video, events or birds.. get a z8, z9.
Yeah the d850 has a bit better dynamic range. But that is it If you want better features, lense options, infinite shutter life,, shoot amazing portraits with high hit rate, astro photography, landscape, video, sports, wildlife, etc. Get the z8 and z9 If you want to shoot landscape images mainly get a z72 If you have a d850 and are fine with it, then stick with it.
Battery life. Geeezzzzzzz, Remember all the film one had to carry and spend money on for one use. One can't carry a couple of extra batteries, oh the horror.
Not wanting to be critical, you make the case that switching from the D850 to the Z8 was worth it, hold the front page thats a shocker. You dont make the case for someone who doesnt own a shelf full of Nikon glass (like whats in the background of your video) , as to why they would switch to the Z8. Overall best image quality + autofocus prize currently would fall to Sony's Ar5 . Sports /Nature Action would be a split decision between Canon's R3 / Sonys A9III. Best Hybrid would be the Panny's S5IIx. Before the Z mount the F mount glass was the best reason to pick Nikon. Now Z mount not so much. Is there a stand out reason for the unbiased to pick the Z8 ? BTW I've owned the D3, the D750 , 7100 so Im not a Nikon hater
thanks for the comment! the glass behind me isn't all Nikon :) its cannon Sony and others! I sold the majority if my F mount / to purchase new Z glass!
Hoping the next iteration has better build quality and weatherproofing and that they address the massive battery difference. If I’m used to traveling with 3-4 batteries for my D850 I’m supposed to now carry 12-16 batteries to achieve the same time between having to charge? You can’t be serious. The discrepancy is insane. Seems great for studio and casual photographers but if you need to go for days shooting in cold weather before having access to charging, having 1/4 battery capacity is crazy. Imagine shooting the northern lights all night with this kind of difference. TSA would think I’m planning on making a bomb if I tried to carry on that many batteries. And the weight… It’s like we stepped back 10 years in tech to gain some new bells and whistles. May as well run on AA’s.
2 batteries last all day. I had lasted a full day on one battery. During my Iceland/Faroe islands trip. I never had issues with batteries. I only have 4-5 as usual. And hardly ever got to the second battery. And that is with shooting photo and video. Just STFU and use your d850 if that's all you want to use. The rest of us can enjoy the much superior z8 😊.
@@merakiphotos4603 sounds like it’s a great option for casual users such as yourself. 👍🏼 The rest of us will have to wait for the Z models to catch up.
@@MajinOkabe nothing casual about me lol. If you think z8 and z9 is casual, you really I delusional. Enjoy your clunky dated camera for the rest of your life while being so bitter. I'll enjoy supreme offerings 😊
@@MajinOkabe first time I heard a z8/9. Is casual. If you want to be stuck with a dated camera, that's fine. If it works for you, then that's great. I'll enjoy my amazing z8 with my amazing lenses. Enjoy waiting for eternity. Luckily you'll always find d850s in the bargain bin
Dont be fooled , the images are no better ! Not only did i keep the d850 i bought a new one in 2024 , its all the camera il ever need . People are conned into think theyre being left behind . Any photographer knows what his shots will look like because the screen shows them ,
I loved my D850 but… almost all the Z mount lenses are superior to their F mount predecessors, and the in-body stabilisation and improved AF allow you to get more shots in focus more of the time. In ideal conditions there is very little different in IQ for sure, but it is the usability features and access to Z mount glass which makes this worth an upgrade.
Not only that, but the hype train comes into the station on every brand, every model, all the time. What's incredible today is old news a year from now (or less). Many, many folks will empty their bank accounts to stay current with the crowd, and that's a real shame. There's a Z8ii coming, and maybe even a Z8iii after that. Many of today's Z lenses - as amazingly sharp as they may be - will be discontinued and replacements issued. And just like the Z6, this original version of the Z8 will be utter rubbish when the next "upgraded" model is released. At this rate of technology, the "fun" of using one's brain to be creative AND financially responsible will be replaced by cameras costing as much as a used car that need only be pointed at something to record Hollywood-level video and pro imagery (no thanks, "AI"). The good news is that more and more folks are rediscovering the "art" of using yesterday's cameras as a medium, rather than a perpetual challenge to capture everything perfectly in every situation imaginable.
You couldn’t pay me to go back to a D850. So sick of fine tuning lenses. Sports shooting far more accurate over a burst. Lenses are better. View finder better…
Yes spend a small fortune then run everything through Lightroom….my d4s,like new bought for 900 bucks, is all the nonpros will ever need until no one will repair them. And during the Zombie wars I’ll have a nasty club. You’ll have plastic… And, question: if z glass is so superior why can’t we buy it for the millions of dslrs out there?
While the Z8 is a better camera than the D850, I much prefer the build-quality of the D850, and the design of the D850 body, because unlike Mirrorless cameras high-end DSLRs have beautiful curves and contours; while Mirrorless cameras especially Sony ones have ugly hard edges and are very linear in design; why the hell did Nikon and Cannon conform to these bad design elements for their Mirrorless cameras?; the most beautiful camera designs were high-end DSLRs like the 5D MKIV, and the D850. Lastly the all Magnesium-Alloy body of the D850 was more durable than that of the Z8.
What are you talking about? Cameras don't have "styling". They are tools used for a job. The Z8 is superior to the d850 in virtually every way. It's not even close.
@@strongereveryday2302 Cameras don't have styling?; then why do they employ graduates as Industrial-Designers?. Secondly , aesthetics are very important, there is a clear difference between a product of good design and bad design; you obviously don't come from a design background, thus you have the mindset of a Stone-Age knuckle-dragger. Lastly I never said that the D850 is better in every way over the Z8; I merely stated that the DESIGN of the D850 is much better.
@@IMPACTPHOTOSTUDIO Nikon is not Sony then why have they copied Sony by also designing their own cameras that are very linear in design with hard edges like Sony?, this is especially true of lower priced Nikon Mirrorless cameras.
@@strongereveryday2302 You obviously haven't understood my point, I never said that the Z8 is worse than the D850 as far as technology is concerned; I merely stated that the design of the D850 is better. Design of products is very important, otherwise there would be no Industrial-Designers.
Nice video. I came to the same conclusion recently after dipping my toes in mirrorless. Finally sold my 850 and moved on. No regrets.
Congratulations on getting your Z8. I also loved my D850, and I wholeheartedly agree with your stated reasons to switch from the D850 to the Z8. There are two or three other reasons to make the switch, one that you alluded to: 1. You mentioned missing the "thunk" of the D850 versus the quietness of the Z8. Actually, that's one of the primary reasons I made the switch. I shoot thousands of frames at conformation dog shows and used my D850 with the Nikon MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack which increases the D850 frame rate to about 9fps from the camera body only 7fps. It was fun when people noticed the Gattling Gun explosive thunks from the D850, but less fun when the occasional dog would get freaked out by the sound. 2. When shooting movement, the 9fps of the D850-with-battery-grip is pretty good, but the 20fps of the Z8 is much better at getting the perfect motion capture. In fact, I usually dial it down to 15fps and get great results. And, 3. Personally, I like the Z lenses much more than the old F mount lenses. To me, that alone makes the switch worthwhile. I recognize that some may prefer the "character" of the F-mount lenses, but the Z lenses are exceedingly sharp, and I like it that way. A little tweaking of RAW files in post (I use "Neutral" Picture Control".) and I have the character I prefer. In my view, the Nikon D850 is the best DSLR ever made and can create beautiful images, but I have no regrets for making the switch to the Z8.
excellent points about the silence of the z8 actually being a critical key feature. totally agree, settings like weddings (for example) where you don't want the noise of the shutter are other great benefits of shutterless. thanks for checking out the video!
I just switched from D850 to Z8 3 weeks ago and it is soo much better.. love it so far and in built image stabilisation is the bonus we didn't have on the 850.
As to the menu system, my simple approach is to go into the on-line reference guide and copy the entire menu list with default values from there, and with a few smart operations get that into a spreadsheet. Here I go through the entire list and determine my "deviations" (from default). Mark these next to the defaults and when the entire list is done, I set these in the camera, going top-down through the list. Now I export the menu settings to card and can distribute these settings to the other cameras.
Hi William - welcome to Nikon Mirrorless!
I switched early - bought a Z6 just to play around with, but found that within 6 months it had fully replaced my D750 (a great DSLR as well). Since then, Nikon mirrorless has really imporoved and now with the Z8/9 it has arrived.
I shoot most my pro stuff with the Z8 and most my for fun/travel stuff with the Zf (which is a beast in its own right).
Thanks for making this video - now is the time for all the fence sitters to make the move. The Z8 is a true replacement to the D850 - it is better in almost every way, and where it is not better (strictly speaking - like IQ) it is on par.
All Nikon DSLR shooters should now transition to Nikon mirrorless: If Z8 is too expensive then Z6III (to be released very soon) will be at the right price point. With the FTZ adaptor you will be able to use all of your F Mount lenses and your G and E F mount lenses are literally better on the Z system than they every were for DSLR - they now get 3 axis IBIS and focus points across the frame - not to mention subject detection.
I still regularly use my 105 1.4E lens, 28mm 1.4E and 58mm 1.4G lenses on my Z8 and they are better and more accurate than they ever were on the DSLR's.
The Z mount lenses are also second to none in the market. The Z mount allows for the theoretical adaptation of lenses from any system. Currently there exists adaptors that adapt Sony E, Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica M to Nikon Z with native to near native functionality - so its also time for those from other systems to make the switch to Nikon as you can use your current lenses from all these systems - I'm. sure we will see an RF to Z adaptor soon - especially now that Nikon owns RED.
Nikon is truly at the forefront of the industry - they only lack the marketing engines of the others and as such most in the general market still think that Sony's and Canon's are better- a brief list of why this is not the case follows - Nikon has superior:
1) Build quality
2) Ergonomics
3) RAW files
4) Mount (shortest flange in the business 16mm and largest throat diameter 55mm) - this allows for the best lens designs (look up angle of incidence as it relates to optics - also allows for the adaptation of all other lenses.
5) Cutting edge video - Z8 does up to 8k 60 in RAW - something that is not done to this day as well for the others and this camera is well over a year old
6) Best native lenses - other makers do not compare with Nikon's telephoto Z line-up for example. Other lenses that are unmatched are Nikon's Z 24-120 f/4, and of course 135mm 1.8 Plena that has optical characteristics that other manufacturers cannot match due to the physics of the mount.
7) New RAW compression algorithms that make large files much smaller with virtually no loss of IQ
The list could go on, but you get the idea...
If you should Nikon DLSR - as William points out - it is now time to move to mirrorless - this is undeniable. I'll go a further - if you left Nikon for Sony in the last 5-8 years, its now time to come back to Nikon, and finally no matter what you shoot, Nikon is the best hybrid system for FF period - come try it and you won't go back.
-PD
Nikon is the best hybrid system for FF period 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I love my z8. One thing you didn't mention is that there's no screen blackout in burst mode. That's one of the main reasons why I bought one. It's hard to track moving subjects when you can't see them. A lot of people are buying red dots (like you put on a gun) in the hot shoe and using that to aim with. The stacked sensor makes this possible. I think that's why a lot of DSLR people held off on switching to mirrorless. That and the focus tracking. The z8 takes care of both needs. The auto focus for video on the d850 is horrible from what I understand. I love my z6 II as well but it has some limitations. It's better for stills than action. I've never used the video on it. The Nikon 70-200mm is nearly half the weight of my f mount Sigma sport. It's the only f mount lens I have left and I plan to replace at some point. I bought the 24-70mm at Christmas when I bought the z8. It's an incredible lens. Most of the z lenses are sharper corner to corner. There's little to no chromatic aberration or focus breathing. Some of the z lenses are about as sharp at f/2.8 as some of the f mount lenses are stopped down to their sharpest aperture. There's more benefits to going mirrorless than staying with a DSLR. It really comes down to your budget and if you're happy with what you currently own.
Great points. thanks for checking out the video!
The DSLR has blackout in burst mode. Was it bothersome then?
@UnconventionalReasoning yes and no. It's not a constant blackout. There is a flicker as the mirror goes up and down. You can still track the subject. With most mirrors cameras you have complete blackout while the shutter button is pressed until you let off or until the buffer is full.
@@carlmcneill1139 I may be misunderstanding what you're saying, because for me the image returns between frames.
@@UnconventionalReasoning afor a DSLR or mirrorless?
I picked up the habit of having the camera off all the time untill I'm going to shoot too from my DSLR days. It's a very good habit to have, never had a battery life issue. Most everyone else in a group battery dies on a photo walk and i'm still at 4 bars.
I left the DSLR world when the Z7 came out ... 6 years ago now? I did not get the Z7 ii because I tried the Z9 and knew they were up to something fun with the Z8 rumors. Bought mine new on day #1 something like 1.5 years ago now and never looked back. Put a grip on it and realized it was bigger than a Z9 at that point, so I often thought about just getting the Z9 , but I like having the option to make it smaller by taking the grip off and putting a small lens on like the 26mm pancake, for taking on hikes, etc. Recently, I tried a D850, as I never had one of those, only had a D750, and compared to my Z8, it felt archaic and slow, especially the AF. The AF control in the Z8 and Z9 are completely stellar and always impressively fast, at everything. I finally sold all my AF-S and F mount lenses and am totally all in with the Z-mount lenses and those too are a step up in being lighter, faster and sharper. It's evolution taking place right before our eyes, folks. You won't regret it.
I have a Z8 and a Z9 as my wife and I both shoot A LOT, so how is it no one mentions the IBIS image stabilisation as a HUGE difference over the Nikon DSLRs? My D850 was gifted to a relative who loves it, but my biggest takeaway with the Z8/9 was the ability to shoot slow shutter speeds with great results. Was blown away when I shot photos at night, on a moving boat, under the Sydney Harbour bridge and got tack sharp images that were 1/15th hand held at 16,000 ISO. Removed noise with Topaz and my happy snap of the bridge and Opera House became Iconic. Z glass is exceptional and the amount of fails shrunk significantly with the Z cameras. Rarely miss focus, rarely have lens blur. The Z8 battery does let it down a bit as a full day shoot needs 2 batteries minimum, unless you avoid reviewing images, which I can't.
I am conflicted. Been a Nikon DSLR owner in my professional career for 20
+ years. I own a D4 and a D5 and love them and they are work horses. The Z8 is really tempting but not sure if I can move on to it just yet.
It seems to be a very much ymmv situation. A friend who has shot D5 for quite some time can not get used to Z9 even now. Loads of complaints from him, but not getting the same low light performance as the much lower MPIX sensor in D5 has him quite worked up and he's still not gotten the AF to work for him as he was used to with D5 and thus struggling with bird photography. I for one am quite happy with my Z8 and would never go back to the old D800.
Would love to see a video about using your older lenses with the Z8
Great video , I always hear people bring up that talking point about battery life and it’s only because people can’t find a single other thing to say about it in a negative way . I’m like you coming from different Nikon dslr I too always learned to turn off my camera even if it’s for 5 minutes and I rarely need to use a second battery . It’s a beautiful professional camera and if you know what you’re doing you can take breathtaking photos with it.
agreed. thanks for checking out the video
Turning off the DSLR barely helped improve the battery life, but it's a huge benefit with mirrorless, since this is a full-time video camera and TV.
Viewfinder vs back LCD:
* With the DSLR, they are completely different: OVF and Live View
* With the mirrorless, they are identical outputs to two different size monitors.
[Using the LCD more is generally a bad thing, please avoid becoming a Sony shooter with the camera out in the right hand and the left hand in the jeans pocket. The Z8 owner's manual says to use the viewfinder. Ergonomics says to use the viewfinder.]
How do you find the menu system different? The systems seem almost the same, with a few additions with each iteration: D800/D810/D850/Z7/Z7II/Z8.
With a DSLR, turning it off is less significant. With the mirrorless, it is a big benefit, since the mirrorless camera is a full-time video camera and TV.
Do you miss the D850 thunk more from the shutter or the mirror? Where does the Z7/Z7II fall on the satisfaction scale?
I agree that the mirrorless cameras motivate video more than the DSLRs. Even without using video AF, being able to use the EVF while recording video is sometimes a win.
One of the wins with the Z-mount is lens adaptability. Without getting a Leica camera, being able to put one or two 'special' Leica M-mount lenses on the Z cameras is really cool. Especially when comparing the price of some used Leica lenses with new Z lenses. Yes, operationally, apples and oranges. But for image rendition, the advantage sometimes goes to the older Leica glass.
As others have mentioned, in-body stabilization is another big win for the full-frame Z cameras.
Great video. The photos you took look like being there in real life. That’s hard to do. Thanks for the video.
thanks for watching and commenting !
Long-time D800 shooter here, dipped my toes into mirrorless with the Z5 since I only shoot professionally part-time. I did a few side by side tests of the D800's 36-megapixel NEFs with the Z5's 24-megapixel NEFs using identical focal lengths (AF-S Nikkor 85/1.8G and Z Nikkor 85/1.8S respectively) and was blown away by the sharpness and lack of chromatic aberration on the Z5 NEFs. I believe, as other commenters have mentioned, the Z lenses are likely the major contributor to the superior optical results.
Thank you for sharing your Z8 experiences!! I only wish the vid was a little longer since I liked it a lot ! And thank you for not blasting the viewers with specs!!!! Lovely!
Sold my D800. My Z8 is arriving this week. Can’t wait.
Got the Z8 in February, so far I am not impressed. Got a Z5 and I prefer the look it gives to the 8. Ut happy shooting👍🏻
May I ask where you sold your D800. I need to sell mine?
@@Scott-lg6joI sold it on FB Marketplace.
Bought a Z6 early on and didn't take use my D800 at all after that. Still keeping the D800 just in case I need it, but first Z7ii and Z8 made up for the missing resolution in Z6.
@@Scott-lg6jo I'm keeping my D800 even though I exclusively shoot Z8 nowadays - I'd be depressed by how little I could get for it and it almost feels like a museum piece :)
Thank you for your thoughts on the Z8. I just got a Z8 and in the first day I love it and am wondering if I should sell all my DSLRs or keep either the D800 or my D5 so I have a camera that still will use some of my lens that don't work on Z cameras. I do have a question about the Z8. I bought a refurbished Z8 from Nikon that doesn't have any sign of use at all. One thing I noticed while playing with the menus and taking 20 images, that in the 20 minutes it was on, the left bottom of the camera was getting warm where my Z7II never gets warm. By warm I mean you can tell it is warmer than a Z lens, but nowhere near hot. Does your Z8 warm up on the left bottom with just taking images and no video at a slow rate? I also found that my older Nikon EN- 15 batteries from my D800 that work fine and show fully charged in my Z7II will not even power up the Z8. The age indicator shows battery age as 0 or 1. Do you have older batteries and do they work in your Z8?
Had a Nikon 810 and 850 as well, I went to LUMIX for a while with the S5iiX and while it was good something definitely felt off about it. I tried the Z6ii for a while then jumped to the Z8 and honestly I feel right at home with it. Feels almost exactly like that 810/850.
I have a d850, d610, d500. I previously owned a d5 and d750. I went digital early, with the z6. If I am shooting people, I prefer the z6 over any other. The auto focus is miles better, and the in-camera stabilization is also a key difference maker. Going forward, I am very interested in the z8 but won't make a final decision until I see what the expected z6III brings.
First off, your Z30 footage looks really good. Are you using your own profile or one out of the camera. Really nice shots also.
thanks! yep - answered below. Manual mode, flat color, DaVinci Resolve and a good lens! (though honestly the kit lens for the Z30 looks really good too).
I love the customizability!!!
I shoot with the D850 and I love it. I bought the Z5 with the 24-200 and it does well and I use it for walking around since it is lighter, but I love everything about the D850 when I process my images which I use it with the Tamron 35-150 2.8-4.0 lens. I would like to see Nikon build some of the features that are in the Z8 towards a newer Z73 because of the size difference. Good review though and look into becoming a Nikon ambassador. Cheers.
I have a D850 since it came out in 2017 . When the z6-7 came out I decided to wait until the Z8 and I’m extremely happy with it but
I’ll be keeping the D850 for many reasons including the ability to digitise color positive -negative and b&w negative all in camera.
Also I hear the valuation that some friends have to trade in their cameras that made me decide to keep mine. Thanks for the nice video…
Thank for this very sympathetic and authentic video.
thanks for watching and commenting !
I’m waiting for my Z8 to arrive. I’m a sony shooter and plan to test the megadap pro adapter with my g-masters and maybe get the tamron 35-150 native z 2-2.8. I wonder what autofocus mode to use since i’ve heard there are so many options. i shoot mostly models
for the most part it works VERY well. the only lens I notice inconsistent is the Batis 85, and 70-200.
For me coming from a D750 the feature I did not account for was the absolutely silent shooting (if you choose). You can literally "hide in plain sight". People lose track of "are you shooting right now" without the shutter noise ... and in a matter of minutes (at an event for instance), lower their guard. It's a strange phenomena. You as a photographer will also feel less intrusive. It's a huge thing ...
Good video. You covered features important to me.
My current camera is a Panasonic DH3 that I’ve had for several years and am looking to replace.
Since I was looking for another combo cam, my first choice was the Sony A7CR. Size was pretty good, but I kept finding “warts” - limitations that I could not accept. Next was the Sony A7CR. Much better, but after digging deeper, I found warts there too. Technology was great, but the combination wasn’t fully baked for me.
Then I found the Nikon Z8. At first glance, it looked “boring”. But digging further, it looks very well baked - well thought out. Smoothly integrated photo AND video features. Straight-forward features that don’t require a lot of thought to figure out which combo can work together (especially in video).
What appears to be different with the Z8 is that the important features for me are all there, well integrated, and work well. I’m still open, but a Z8 and Nikon lenses will be my next camera system.
thanks for watching
Spot on analysis! Excellent production!
Great video on the Z8! I agree, the main difference in Quality over the D850 are the new Z Lenses! WOW are they great! Could you do some videos on the Z30? I am thinking of getting one! Thank you.
I bought the Z9 when it first came out, previously shooting the D850 with the battery grip. The D850 with the battery grip is one fantastic tool. In short, the Z9 is a D850 on steroids. This would also apply to the Z8 compared to the D850. In regards to image quality, both are the same, with the D850 edging it slightly in dynamic range.
By the way, I still have the D850 and still use it from time to time. Not planning to get rid of it anytime soon.
What lens and picture control settings do you use on the z30 to get the video looking this way? Also, have you noticed that when you compare what you see in live view on the z30 to the image you see in playback, the colors are different?
Hey - I shot this on the Z30 using the Nikon Z 14-24 F2.8 lens.... shot in manual mode on the camera, (stopped down to 2.8) , shooting 24 FPS. I set the color space to "flat" - so that the camera doesn't do any over saturating of the colors itself... I do color adjusting in DaVinci Resolve in post. I haven't noticed the LCD on the Z30 to be inaccurate.... however I have noticed that my color fluctuates a bit even though my lightning setup is 100% controlled (unsure if it's the lights or the camera)... but it hasn't been enough to bother me. Thanks for the comment and watching, hope this helps!
@@willsfrantz Hey, thanks for the help. I'll check my colors in video as I use it more and see if I run into that problem with the colors fluctuating under controlled lighting
@@willsfrantz - as you set the camera to manual mode, it can still be on Auto White Balance and in that case, changes in frequency distribution of tints in your frame can fool the camera into "assuming" it needs to adjust WB.
I shoot raw stills and always am on "Cloudy". With stills, "WB" is just a number in the image's metadata. WB changes have no impact on raw data elements.
When you shoot movie, there's no or much less raw and this changes. We have to set the proper WB and tint.
In my Nikon cameras, eVF and display have their own "manual/auto" settings separate from what gets recorded.
Way back, your photos of the family in winter sports in sunny Alps in extremely white snow would all look grey because of the averaging effect of Through The Lens (TTL) metering. AI and LiveView that we continually have in these ML cameras is a lot better than that but not yet perfect. Along these lines, Auto WB may water the warmth of the sunset down, or remove some of the blue in the shade (that can be extreme at sunset). And next with both the warmth and blue in the frame it may do the average between these.
Ha! I just asked the same question. :)
@@willsfrantz I find the colours shift if I use auto white balance, so it's always easier to just set it to a specific white balance. I do use Auto ISO and exposure compensation down 2/3d's because often the highlights are blown out. I think the glass you're shooting it on makes a huge difference too, that 14-24 is super sharp! :)
Thank you for the great video! Question to other recent Z8 users. I'm planning to get a Z8 (currently have a D5500). So, yes, a major upgrade. The price is a shocker and I plan to do some birding stuff and the prime 400mm or 600mm lenses look amazing, but their prices are a shocker too! I guess, I have to just bite the bullet and splurge on these? I love photography!
What are your favorite Z lenses? Thank you all.
I'll do a video on this!
You might find the D500 (or a 7500 for that matter) with some long, modern glass does just what you need for a whole lot less. I've used that combo (even rented it for special events, like drag racing, air shows, and others) and it worked brilliantly. Ever waded through a day's worth of 20fps in post? Yek.
Great video, and good food for thought for me as a D850 owner. Only one little remark: I believe that the Z8’s AF is much better than the D850’s. But honestly I shoot quite a lot, also fast moving subjects, and it happens very, very rarely to miss the focus. (Of course I am not talking about the live view mode, where the contrast based AF of the D850 is catastrophic!)
thanks! D850 owners were the target audience, ha!
It seems that photographers in very specific genres decided that the D800/D810/D850 AF was inadequate, and then it permeated to all genres. Bird photographers might be the biggest culprit, and there the Z9/Z8 do have the advantage of 90% coverage. But for most things, including indoor sports, the DSLRs worked very well. Also, Sony marketed the hell out of eye-AF, making that the success or failure metric of a camera's AF system. Especially for landscape photographers. 😂
Hi William :
Do you think the dynamic range of the Nikon Z8 is as good as by the D850 ..?
What about aspect ratio :
there is no 3x4 or 4x5 at all ..?
Thank you so much .
Regards.
Almost all Nikon DSLR screen (liveview) autofocus system is contrast detection systems which are too slow in comparison with phase detection.
Except the D780
What is the red thing connected to your camera strap? Is that a tracker? Can you make video or short about how to track our gear efficiently
nope, that is the 'peak design' locking system. Google 'peak design camera strap'
One way to stretch the battery life is looking at Smallrig who does an official EN-EL15c USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery which has a bit more power at 2400mAh. Another way is using an usb-c powerbank to drive the camera.
LOL, after years of using solely mirrorless cameras (Fujifilm X) I recently... got back to classic DSLRs (like the fantastic D700) - purely due to more "analogue/traditional" vibe they give me, and it's fun!
Amen, and Hallelujah!
one thing you may not be aware of is that the mirrorless system makes still cameras a thing of the past. It's basically a video camera that allows you to take excellent stills! I'll tell you what I don't understand, is how the Z8 can win "camera of the year" awards, when everyone knows its a cut-down version of the Z9 (my camera). I like the huge battery, extra weight and that bump at the bottom, it makes for easier handling. Welcome to the world of mirrorless (and shutterless).
thanks! glad I'm here, took too long ha!
The Z8 won camera of the year because it was a cut-down Z9, in size and price, while keeping all the features.
@@UnconventionalReasoningExacly. What Tony described is only his preferences. People are still taking stills. He can't say for everyone. The Z8 is chosen because it has everything the Z9 has and is much smaller and much cheaper
@@bobamarmstrong What Tony described is how mirrorless cameras work: they are full-time video cameras with a TV. When we take a still image, we are grabbing one of those and saving it.
Had opportunity to try Z8. Was not impressed with ergonomics. Saw they took out lots of buttons - didn't liked that. Saw Z lens - got digital screen instead analog - didn't like that either.
Have tried panning with Z8 and saw ghosting.
Decided to go for D850.
Clients love the big bulky things that go CLICK. That way they feel they paid for something good. If you take out camera and there is no sound, client will start to think if he could do the same job with the iphone.
oh STFU. Just use your old AF camera for the next 40 years. I'll enjoy the superior camera system with my z8 😊.
If you want a huge pe*nis camera, then get a z9. Obviously that's all you care about lmao
I think the ZF is the BEST VALUE NO COMPROMISE camera there is today...the Z8 is still rather expensive to most, granted it is made for Pros but they could've just easily omitted some features to cut cost.
Hi - does the sensor cover actually keep dust off the sensor
yes!
Lack of mirror and shutter makes this camera (and Z9) much sharper than any Nikon DSLR, due to no microvibration during the shot.
I didn't consider that fact as well, great point
Not "much" sharper.
Maybe when you crop 200% you see little difference, but most of the time pretty much the same.
The most imoprtant thing is the Z lenses.
Thats why your photos are sharper. Because of procesing built in.
Elimination of shutter shock makes huge difference for pixel pippers. D850 has feature called Electronic Front Curtain Shutter mode which eliminates that problem for landscape photographers.
Extreme pixel pippers...and nooo, not a huge difference.
I will say it again, lenses, lenses and lenses are a huge difference if you want to call something huge.
I compared a lot of my D850 shoots vs my Z8, even croping to a large degre, but not much difference. Dont get me wrong, difference is there buuut 🤏🤏🤏
Even shooting D850 in silent mode made little improvment, micro improvment 😋
All I want to say is that it is not even close to your statement "much" sharper...
You get much sharper results because of your lenses, if you are shooting at all 😅
I breathe&live with photography🙂
I miss DSLR like I miss vinyl. Not at all. It is great seeing with no problem what the camera sees in darkness. What the last picture looks like without removing my eye from the view finder. Not taking a picture in quite with everyone hearing it. Seeing a lot of information again without removing my eye from the view finder. Being able to take movies without, you know. I'm 75 and I don't miss file.
How about the preview on the viewfinder? The autofocus is amazing. Did you steal that line from Nike. "Just do it"
I also had a D850. The Z6 and Z7 wasn’t enough of an upgrade for me but the Z8 really is. =O)
I concur 100% with your review, then Some...
Z8 is good, but EVERYTHING in that system is literally double the price of the old F-mount system.
I got a D750. Used a Z8 in a shop, then picked up a D850 in that same shop. To be honest the D850 felt much more like a "real camera" to me. But the Z8 no doubt is much more capable.
I'm just not sure it's for me. I'm not a professional. I mainly do photography when I travel. I went to Costa Rica with my D750 and 3 zoom lenses including the Tamron 100-400. The combined price I paid for that lens and the body (used) is the same as I paid for my iPhone. I kind of like that. However I will say that not all the shots were accurately focused.
But as I said, I don't do this professionally, and the Z8 is somewhat bigger and heavier than the D750 as well. I do like the sensor shield, and it's been discounted. But still, it would be a lot to spend on camera gear. And then I also have to think about insuring it.
Another thing is that there is no direct replacement of the Tamron 100-400 in Z-mount. I'd probably get the Nikon 100-400, but that's heavier. This is actually steering me somewhat into the direction of a D850 again. Yes, it's even bigger and heavier, but I can mount that lens without an adapter, and get good cropping ability (assuming the lens is sharp enough). And it's much cheaper.
But right now I want to wait and see what Nikon will release next. And in the meantime I got Steve Perry's DSLR autofocus book to work through, so that maybe I can improve my hit rate even on my D750.
The Z6III announcement might happen this month (June)...
The D750 is a great camera - nothing to be ashamed of. Funny...someone viewing another person's photos has NO IDEA what was used to take the pic. So why go bankrupt when the thing that's affordable accomplishes exactly what the unaffordable thing does? I'm still amazed at what a D750 can do for stills in conjunction with a good camcorder (yes, camcorder) for video, for those of us who can't stomach the thought of spending a "new" $10k on camera gear to keep doing the same thing we're doing now.
great analysis of Z8
Mirrorless is the next big thing!!!
Is it just me, or is that Z30 in the intro shot focusing on your teeth and not your eyes? Your irises just seem soft by comparison. Feels like another miss of the Nikon Z AF system before the glorious Expeed 7
what lens are you using with the z30?
Z 14-24 2.8
@@willsfrantz This is what people mean when they say, "Spend more money on the lens than the camera." 😂
been having a ton of fun with my mom's Z50 and am fighting demons trying to stop myself from buying this thing
Do you guy think mirrorless are more noob friendly for a non professional. I mean in general not the z8.
Ha I learned something new. I didn't know the evf has a high speed mode.
Fantastic tube, thank you!
Sold my D850 1 month after I got my Z9
Got a Z8 and a Z5, I prefer the Z5
I dont think there is any difference in image quality between D850 and Z8 or Z9. For me as the owner of two D850”s there is no reason for upgrade. The main thing is that I don’t want 20fps with 46mpx size of images if I want to use a new AF system for a wildlife. Nikon got a huge gap in Z line up. I would be really happy to see another Z flagship camera with fast AF and fps but with no more than 20mpx or 24mpx. Like a Canon and their R3 or upcoming R1.
Weight-wise (including lenses) I think the difference isn't much significant. Let's say you use 24-70/2.8 + 70-200/2.8, and use the equivalent lenses on Z8. Probably the difference is negligible.
@@anta40 I don’t mind extra weight. I do prefer heavy camera body with better balance, over light and small. Z glass seams to be overpraised. I have every nikon camera and my most loved are D3 and D4s. Because of incredible image quality. As wedding photographer I got tired of running out of space of storage when I used D850’s. The handling time of those files was time consuming and large files took too much of the storage space. Nikon keeps producing 46mpx cameras for top line up, but there is nothing for event photography. ZF? Z6? No those cameras are not there ergonomicly. Im still shooting weddings with Dslrs because there is nothing to buy from Nikon . Im using D6, D5, D4s, D3 and sometimes D600. I did try Zf but I had to turn off face detection because for a group shots is this function useless. ZF is a great camera with beautiful output but ergonomics are not there. So hopefully Nikon will produce at least one flagship with no more than 30mpx sensor.
@@2klember As a hobbyist and Df owner, I've tested the Zf (with grip added). 24 MP is more than enough. The reason I'm tired with DSLR is .... well I'm not interested in big bulky bodies.I want a compact system for daily use (actually, those 6x6 or 6x7 film SLRs are even heavier and outweight any Nikon DSRLs). Leica M10 is lightweight and really expensive, and no AF. Anyway, I understand your annoyance. Huge MP is useful for landscape or studio, but probably not that much for event/wedding. Sadly, this is the trend being pushed forward by major camera makers.
I thought you could downsize to lower mpx in settings on the z8 but turns out it's just a z7 thing. Probably the extra processing of doing that after taking raw photos is too much / cause overheating at the higher frame rates etc. I agree though high file sizes is just extra burden
@@2klemberdo you really think z6 isn't there ergonomically? Reason I ask is I'm waiting for the z6 iii hoping it's enough to avoid the bulkier z8
the 850 has a more dynamic range. you can sense it especially if you shoot GFX. the 850 is a lot closer to the GFX than the Z8, or Z9.
as far as photos goes the d850 is a beast. Get a D850, Don't look back.
if you shoot video, events or birds.. get a z8, z9.
Yeah the d850 has a bit better dynamic range. But that is it
If you want better features, lense options, infinite shutter life,, shoot amazing portraits with high hit rate, astro photography, landscape, video, sports, wildlife, etc. Get the z8 and z9
If you want to shoot landscape images mainly get a z72
If you have a d850 and are fine with it, then stick with it.
0:14 Canon-ball? I thought this was a Nikon video. lolololol
Battery life. Geeezzzzzzz, Remember all the film one had to carry and spend money on for one use. One can't carry a couple of extra batteries, oh the horror.
Thanks a lot William. You just cost me a lot of money 😢
sorry not sorry! you'll love it!
Not wanting to be critical, you make the case that switching from the D850 to the Z8 was worth it, hold the front page thats a shocker. You dont make the case for someone who doesnt own a shelf full of Nikon glass (like whats in the background of your video) , as to why they would switch to the Z8. Overall best image quality + autofocus prize currently would fall to Sony's Ar5 . Sports /Nature Action would be a split decision between Canon's R3 / Sonys A9III. Best Hybrid would be the Panny's S5IIx. Before the Z mount the F mount glass was the best reason to pick Nikon. Now Z mount not so much. Is there a stand out reason for the unbiased to pick the Z8 ? BTW I've owned the D3, the D750 , 7100 so Im not a Nikon hater
thanks for the comment! the glass behind me isn't all Nikon :) its cannon Sony and others! I sold the majority if my F mount / to purchase new Z glass!
Hoping the next iteration has better build quality and weatherproofing and that they address the massive battery difference. If I’m used to traveling with 3-4 batteries for my D850 I’m supposed to now carry 12-16 batteries to achieve the same time between having to charge? You can’t be serious. The discrepancy is insane.
Seems great for studio and casual photographers but if you need to go for days shooting in cold weather before having access to charging, having 1/4 battery capacity is crazy.
Imagine shooting the northern lights all night with this kind of difference.
TSA would think I’m planning on making a bomb if I tried to carry on that many batteries. And the weight…
It’s like we stepped back 10 years in tech to gain some new bells and whistles. May as well run on AA’s.
2 batteries last all day. I had lasted a full day on one battery. During my Iceland/Faroe islands trip. I never had issues with batteries. I only have 4-5 as usual. And hardly ever got to the second battery. And that is with shooting photo and video.
Just STFU and use your d850 if that's all you want to use. The rest of us can enjoy the much superior z8 😊.
@@merakiphotos4603 sounds like it’s a great option for casual users such as yourself. 👍🏼
The rest of us will have to wait for the Z models to catch up.
@@MajinOkabe nothing casual about me lol. If you think z8 and z9 is casual, you really I delusional. Enjoy your clunky dated camera for the rest of your life while being so bitter. I'll enjoy supreme offerings 😊
@@MajinOkabe first time I heard a z8/9. Is casual. If you want to be stuck with a dated camera, that's fine. If it works for you, then that's great. I'll enjoy my amazing z8 with my amazing lenses. Enjoy waiting for eternity. Luckily you'll always find d850s in the bargain bin
@@merakiphotos4603 compensate much?
Dont be fooled , the images are no better ! Not only did i keep the d850 i bought a new one in 2024 , its all the camera il ever need . People are conned into think theyre being left behind . Any photographer knows what his shots will look like because the screen shows them ,
I loved my D850 but… almost all the Z mount lenses are superior to their F mount predecessors, and the in-body stabilisation and improved AF allow you to get more shots in focus more of the time.
In ideal conditions there is very little different in IQ for sure, but it is the usability features and access to Z mount glass which makes this worth an upgrade.
Not only that, but the hype train comes into the station on every brand, every model, all the time. What's incredible today is old news a year from now (or less). Many, many folks will empty their bank accounts to stay current with the crowd, and that's a real shame. There's a Z8ii coming, and maybe even a Z8iii after that. Many of today's Z lenses - as amazingly sharp as they may be - will be discontinued and replacements issued. And just like the Z6, this original version of the Z8 will be utter rubbish when the next "upgraded" model is released. At this rate of technology, the "fun" of using one's brain to be creative AND financially responsible will be replaced by cameras costing as much as a used car that need only be pointed at something to record Hollywood-level video and pro imagery (no thanks, "AI").
The good news is that more and more folks are rediscovering the "art" of using yesterday's cameras as a medium, rather than a perpetual challenge to capture everything perfectly in every situation imaginable.
You couldn’t pay me to go back to a D850. So sick of fine tuning lenses. Sports shooting far more accurate over a burst. Lenses are better. View finder better…
Perfect timing I am debating myself.between the 2
Yes spend a small fortune then run everything through Lightroom….my d4s,like new bought for 900 bucks, is all the nonpros will ever need until no one will repair them.
And during the Zombie wars I’ll have a nasty club. You’ll have plastic…
And, question: if z glass is so superior why can’t we buy it for the millions of dslrs out
there?
While the Z8 is a better camera than the D850, I much prefer the build-quality of the D850, and the design of the D850 body, because unlike Mirrorless cameras high-end DSLRs have beautiful curves and contours; while Mirrorless cameras especially Sony ones have ugly hard edges and are very linear in design; why the hell did Nikon and Cannon conform to these bad design elements for their Mirrorless cameras?; the most beautiful camera designs were high-end DSLRs like the 5D MKIV, and the D850. Lastly the all Magnesium-Alloy body of the D850 was more durable than that of the Z8.
Well, Nikon is not Sony man, try the z8, it might surprise you since it's very ergonomic compared to any sony camera.
What are you talking about? Cameras don't have "styling". They are tools used for a job. The Z8 is superior to the d850 in virtually every way. It's not even close.
@@strongereveryday2302 Cameras don't have styling?; then why do they employ graduates as Industrial-Designers?. Secondly , aesthetics are very important, there is a clear difference between a product of good design and bad design; you obviously don't come from a design background, thus you have the mindset of a Stone-Age knuckle-dragger. Lastly I never said that the D850 is better in every way over the Z8; I merely stated that the DESIGN of the D850 is much better.
@@IMPACTPHOTOSTUDIO Nikon is not Sony then why have they copied Sony by also designing their own cameras that are very linear in design with hard edges like Sony?, this is especially true of lower priced Nikon Mirrorless cameras.
@@strongereveryday2302 You obviously haven't understood my point, I never said that the Z8 is worse than the D850 as far as technology is concerned; I merely stated that the design of the D850 is better. Design of products is very important, otherwise there would be no Industrial-Designers.
By the way. The d850 has a built in d500.. ..2 awesome pieces of engineering for about 2500$ brand new…
Imagine z glass on the d850…. Nikon dies..
Thank you for this video. I agree for the most part, but I will bring my D850 to my grave (and it will probably outlast me)
thanks for checking it out! D850 is an amazing camera
I'm confused I need D850 Nikon for pictures only don't know if I should wait so I can go for Z8 do use it in Night club so I need low light
@@ikeentelechytv Well if you need stronger low light performances than the D850 the Z8 will not help much. Maybe check for the Z7II or Z6III
FFS “put it through its paces”, really?
Welcome to the Awesome side