Z 8

The Z8 is a wonderful addition to the Z lineup.The focusing is superb for birds in flight.

I love my Z8!I'm a part-time professional event photographer with a pair of Z6ii camera bodies and 7 z lenses. I was looking for the Z8 to perform better in AF and I'm thrilled to say it does! The larger file size is nice to have for both stills and video, but I often turn it down to 25mpx instead of 45. It weighs a little more, but I've adjusted to that, especially since it's less than the Z9 weight. Battery life is less than my Z6ii so I carry an extra in my pocket, no big deal. Image quality is exceptional, and better than my Z6ii until ISO 3200, then the Z6ii is a little better, but I rarely go above ISO 6400 and there's only a slight advantage to the Z6ii. The rear screen articulates for portraits now - YES! And a few other nice touches make the Z8 a joy to use. Highly recommended if you have the funds. But if you're not charging for gigs then perhaps get the Z6ii and some nice lenses for the same cost.

I have upgraded to a Z8 from a Z7 which I had for 4+ years. I spent the last two weeks with Z8 in Colombia, shot ~ 20k frames, mainly small birds in dark forest of the Andes. I can say for certainty, Z8 is a significant upgrade to Z7. The biggest improvement is on Autofocus, both in speed and accuracy, especially in low light condition like the cloud forest. 3D tracking and animal/bird recognition worked great. It can lock on birds quickly, even some fast moving small birds. Very impressed!I read some concern about Z8's battery life. So I decided to test them out in the field. I brought the new EN-EL15c, along with an EN-EL15b, an EN-EL15a and an EN-EL15 (Li-ion20 from 2015). I tried a Li-ion01 from 2011, it did NOT work on Z8. All others worked with Z8 with no issue. No surprise, the best performing battery is the EN-EL15c, which could give me about 2000 shots on mostly short burst. Then surprisely, my EN-EL15 worked better than the EN-EL15a and EN-EL15b, with EN-EL15 gave me 1500+ shots easily, while other two could get to 1200 - 1500 shots. So the rating of Approx. 340 Shots is vastly under-rated.I just started working on the photos from Colombia. So I attached a few for this review. All and all, I am very pleased with the Z8, highly recommend for people shooting fast moving subjects and in low light condition.

Great alternative to the Z9. The size and weight are just right. Why not 5 stars? Because SD card is super slow in comparison to the CFexpress card. So much so that the full capabilities of the Z8 cannot be used if you are relying on recording with the SD card. This design is a downer. The battery is also too small for a professional photographer who uses the camera all day long.. love the rest of the features.

If I had to take one camera on a desert island, without a doubt, the Z8 is coming with me. Intelligent Z8 autofocus for sports/wildlife with unique Nikkor S-line lens offerings (400mm with TC, lightweight 400mm f/4.5 and 800 mm PF) are unmatched by any other camera brand. An innovative electronic viewfinder for astrophotography is a game changer. Pin-sharp photos, handheld in low light without a tripod - opens up so many doors. All of the flagship capability without the flagship price. It's a new era for Nikon photographers, enjoy it.

Awesome addition to the Z line ...auto focus system is a huge upgrade from the z7 and z6II.looking forward to getting deeper into this.

A s a long time user/owner of Nikon photographic equipment (D3100, D5300, D800, D850, Z6, Z7, Z7II) I purchased the Z8 as an upgrade and replacement for my Z7II, and is surely did not disappoint! Hand down, the Z8 is the best camera that I've owned, ergonomically, functionally, build quality, and at an exceptional price point.

I love my new Z8. I love my Z9 but sometimes wished it was a bit smaller and lighter. The Z8 fit the bill perfectly for me. Button placement and functionality is so similar I no longer struggle going back and forth like I do with the Z7. No camera is perfect but this comes pretty close.

I have been putting the Z8 to the test by photographing Barred owls over the past days. The cameras autofocus did well taking photos and video under very low light conditions and having to deal with branches in front of the owls. The AF easily found the eye and stayed on there when the animal was moving. It was helpful to have the same controls as the Z9.