Nikon Z8 six months later... Worth it?

Thanks for another really enjoyable video Nigel. Sadly a Z8 is way beyond my budget. As i predominately shoot Landscapes, I’am considering a Z6 ii as an upgrade from my D7500. Looking forward to your next video on Sunday.

Good to hear your thoughts on the pros/cons of the Z8. Currently biding my time before upgrading from a Z6II as my first mirrorless and wondering whether Nikon will produce a Z7iii next year that includes the sensor shield and tilting screen. Those seem to be the biggest benefits of the Z8 as a landscaper.

Wonderful video, Nigel.
I have found the Z8 to be a vast improvement over the Z7ll.
While the Z7ll is lighter, the Z8 feels better in the hand IMHO.
It is worth the higher cost for the improved AF alone.
Cheers from Canada.

Z7 is much better choice for landscape photography.

I use MPB a lot to sell my old Nikon gear to upgrade. No problem selling to them. They are straightforward and never had an issue.

Wow, I was at the exact same spot back on August 6, 2023! I really enjoyed my Iceland Ring Road adventure. I fell in love with the country. It is truly a landscape photographers' paradise. I'm glad that I got to share the country with my sister and brother-in-law. I am praying for the town of Grindavik, Blue Lagoon, and the powerplant. Also those will be impacted by the eruption.

I have the Z9 & battery life is awesome! Yes it's a heavy camera & I was worried about that at first but I am used to it now & it doesn't bother me anymore

I definitely like the light weight z6ii or z7ii. It's nice to hear about the z8 though, I'll stick with what I have and like others hope for the z7iii or z6iii.

Not worth it for landscape. First gen Z7 is the best value.

Z8 is expensive but considering what it does i'd say its priced very aggressively. 4.3k 120fps full frame 12bit RAW video, 8k 60fps full frame 12 bit raw video, all internal. The photos coming out of it are exceptionally good. The noise is minimal, i once shot with a d810, the noise in images was atrocious and i was afraid the noise in z8 will be even worse but to my surprise the noise is extremely well controlled.
Z8 is expensive, it didnt burn a hole in my pocket, it rather burnt my pocket down but its worth every single penny. Z8 lets me do things i only wished i could with my z6. Z6 is still my go to cam for regular wedding shoots.

How did you take the first picture of the church with the 24-120 at 19 mm? Was that a typo?

The thing you like the most is the viewfinder?

All that whining about how heavy this camera is… Go to the gym. That’ll help. And you mentioned 10 bit but for video it also does 12 bit. And in case you didn’t notice on the screen, you put 80 K. We all know what you meant. If the cameras too heavy for you buy a Sony. I would like to know what camera you were using to shoot the video because the video was absolutely gorgeous.

Love my 24-120mm f4 on my Z8. The 24-70mm 2.8 is an incredible lens but since I got the 24-120 it sure stays home a lot.

Looks like you do too.

I love my Z7 II, and the two Z8 things that temp me (sensor cover and articulated screen), don't justify the big price difference IMHO. Love the lighter weight of the Z7 II. I could see folks going for the Z8 if you shoot video or things requiring faster autofocus. I'll be keeping an eye out for a Z7 III, but in the meantime I'll be sticking wit the Z7 II.

Go from a z9 to a z8 and your perspective will change a bit. I've kept the z9 because of the battery life. Now, if the Z7iii was just a smaller Z8 - I'd fling my money at Nikon. :D

How is higher refreshrate in the VF improving anyone's landscape photography?
I mean you listed it as the first item...
Is it really? 🤔🥴
(disclaimer: I own a Nikon Z7II & Z8)

Another good video Nigel and as a new Z8 user (Z6ii and D500 previously) I like the feel of this lovely bit of kit. Iceland looks like a great place to visit and the waterfalls are a snappers dream. One point that I would like to bring up is at 3.57, you said that there is no balance in the shot. However, at 11.45, you said that you loved that shot. That last one had negative space on the right and didn't appear to balance. I would really like to know what AF you used on your shots. Take care out there mate.

Just purchased the Z7ii, barely used, for a great deal and from a reputable dealer here in Canada. Just too much value to ignore...at that price was still able to afford a 24-120 and 100-400 to go with it.
Absolutely loving it so far, there are a couple of things that drive me nuts. That screen only articulating the one way is probably at the top of the list haha..
But we'll see how it goes once I have the lens lineup filled out... if I find I'm getting more into wildlife down the road, maybe I'll think seriously about the Z8.

Do you still use and like 14 to 30 F4 lens?

I suppose it all depends on how an individual uses the camera. I had concerns before buying the Z8 because everyone was saying the battery life was a big issue. I bought it anyway, and, to be honest, battery life has not been an issue for me. I can stay out the majority of the day and not go through 1 battery ( I do carry several). I absolutely love my Z8.

Do Nikons still use Sony sensors?

Even when conditions are not optimal for shooting, it’s something about being out in nature and just looking for a good composition that is so refreshing for me. Thank you Nigel for all the information and teaching you do on your channel. It inspires me to go out and shoot more. 📷

Photographer endeavours to perservere.

I traded my Z6ii for the Z8 and I'm loving the 8. I couldn't agree more with your comments, particularly the flipscreen, sensor shield and weight. My wishlist for the 8 is for Nikon to have a number of images remaining countdown, when using the intervelometer for star trails. Thanks again for another great and informative video. 😁

Every high-end camera should have a sensor shield like the Z8. I love that you were a little surly about some aspects of this shoot ... we've ALL been there. 🙂

I've had the Z8 for over a year and it has become my "go to" camera coupled with the mirrorless lenses. The only time I reach for my Nikon D5 is low-light sports photography which still can't be touched.

Bear in mind that the Z 7 ii is 3 years old!

Thank you for the honest, informative review..

Outstanding photos…. I actually love the z8

NIce video, which I agree totally wtih. I upgraded this year from a Canon EOS R to an R5 and it's mostly all the little things that makes those cameras better, they need less "brain power" to operate - which can be put to creative aspects. In the end it's a tool, and a good tool makes the job easier and more enjoyable. And from what you point here, it looks like the Z8 is such a tool.

I’m also loving the Z8 but am reluctant to leave my 6II behind in low light. I can’t do the great landscape shots you do with a recent diagnosis of stenosis but do shoot my granddaughter’s gymnastics meets indoors where I can sit more. I will have to bite the bullet next week and shoot her meet with the Z8 and hope it handles the low light as well as the 6II. Anybody out there got any hints? Love watching you out there enjoying places I can’t go!

I'd love to see you going back to a D850 and saying what you think is the extent of the difference

When the Z8 came out I got blasted for saying it was too big and too heavy for Landscapes and I wished it was more in line with the Z7/Sony A7 size cameras... All of your positive points including for video could easily be addressed in a Z7III. The big issue I have is that the original Z7 should have been all those things 5 years ago. Nikon marketing trying to milk the cow or just a bad R&D department trying to come up to speed? The right tool for the right job, and the Z8 is a fine camera for sports and action or wildlife. The Z7/II's shortcomings are the real issue here for the landscape shooter. Here's hoping the Z7III saves the day. 🙂👍👍

Great review, thank you very much for posting. I have a Z8 and I love it, and I agree with your assessment, although the size/weight doesn't bother me - my previous camera was a D850, the Z8 is my first mirrorless. I have one question for you: what L-bracket do you have on the Z8? I have not been able to find a reasonably priced one. Thanks!

Not to brag, but…ok, I’m bragging about two things: As a Canon R5/R6 II user I have long enjoyed a sensor cover and a flippy screen, a term I first heard on the Tony and Chelsea Northrup channel (got to give credit). That said I can’t be sure I have the best brand. For example my flippy screen on the R5 short circuited from all the twisting at 43,000 actuations and I sold it after a $400 replacement of the motherboard and LCD screens. Yesterday I bought its replacement thanks to a sale price on the R5. Yours looks great. I really wish I had illuminated buttons, for example. I am learning a great deal from you and the course you sold on the 5DayDeal.

Incredible photographs friend, I love it . Thank you for your information about Nikon z8 too

Having owned (and still owning) the Z7 II and the Z8 now for 6 months as well, here is my take. if you need 8k video or super-fast auto focus with tracking, then the Z8 is your camera. But if you're just doing landscapes and travel photography, the Z7 II will do in probably 95% of scenarios you may find yourself in. So I'd say if you have the Z7 II and don't need those features, save the money, keep shooting with your Z7 or Z7 II and instead buy a plane ticket and go on a trip. However, if you need those features or you want one camera that can do it all from sports/wildlife photography, to landscape and travel and 4k/8k video and everything in between than the Z8 is probably a better choice, Or you could go with the lower resolution Zf which is about half the price. And if you have a Z7 II and just want slightly faster AF but don't care about resolution, then the Zf is a good option -- keep your Z7 but add the Zf. This all being said , i don't regret getting the Z8, have no plans to sell the Z7 II (they work great as a primary/backup pair for landscape photography) and really the Z8 has pretty much everything I wanted in a smaller, lighter, cheaper package than the Z9 (which I almost bought but held off and then the Z8 was announced). (I always felt uneasy considering the z9 since it is $5500 and like a Z7 II with the grip, which I didn't always particularly like due to the size). The two things I think missing on the Z8 (and they're rather minor) is I would have liked them to include EDM -- which I think they added to the Z9 and may come back to the Z8 in the rumored firmware update coming early next year). The second thing -- and less important for landscape/travel shooters -- is I would have liked at least a CFE-A card slot which is backwards compatible with SD, for the times when you want slightly faster read times. For landscape and travel, the SD card slot is fast enough (if you're not shooting bursts say faster than 10 fps and you're using a fast card, so a minor thing -- but then again, it's one of the differentiating features between the Z8 and Z9, just how the Zf doesn't have a CFE card slot like the other Z cameras, but rather SD+micro SD). But again, on the whole, I do not regret the z8. For Hiking, the Z7 is my preferred camera since it's smaller and lighter, but if I could only take one camera with me on a trip, I'd take the Z8 (although I always have one or two backup bodies just in case -- although I only physically carry one with me when on location; the backup stays in the car just in case).

It seems the Z7III may be your next perfect camera, minus a couple of video frame rates, and illuminated buttons perhaps…
It must be hard to shoot landscapes, whilst making a video for yt and flying a drone. No wonder you have occasional off days!

I have bought a couple of item from MPB but just recently I was changing from my D850 to a Z7ii because of arthritis in my hands. I found that LCE were better on the part ex price and cheaper on the 2nd hand Z7ii so it is best to shop around.

Good review of the Z8. As you say I think it is a very personal thing but getting your insight is good. Another reason to change to the Z8 I think is if moving form DSLR to Mirrorless. I took the decision to move earlier this year and start practicing with the setup (in readiness for the Antarctica trip) and took the plunge with the Z8. So glad I did and size wise works fine for me having come from D850 & D500, getting use to the nuances with mirrorless has taken a bit of time :)

once a pon a time I had a great deal on a canon rebel t3, even though no I have the t8i, all the lens and other stuff is compatible.
thanks for sharing

Nigel, Your drone footage really helps give me a sense of the majestic scale of Iceland, which i haven’t yet visited. Let’s hope their newly awakened volcano doesn’t muck things up for all.

9K views in just 6 hours! Dude, your Zeight opinion pieces are magnets! 🎉
Your initial reviews were largely instrumental in me upgrading from the trusty and amazing Z6ii to this one. Absolutely thrilled. Thank you for your user-focused insights that make all the difference in the field.

Those who follow you are mostly enthusiasts, and providing a camera at this price is not an easy task. I believe discussing these minor drawbacks here is a matter of personal preference. I consider this review a form of luxury, nothing more.

Recently bought a Nikon Z7 II and lens from MPB, the camera and lens were both perfect and the transaction with MPB was fast and easy.